Alejandro Abreu Hermoso / Transit Interchange Centre / Final year studio portfolio

TRANSIT INTERCHANGE CENTRE DESIGN STUDIO 4 PORTFOLIO ALEJANDRO ABREU HERMOSO

“The right to have access to every building in the city by private motorcar in an age when everyone posseses such a vehicle , is actually the right to destroy the city�

- Lewis mumford, the city in history, 1962

client : department for transport project : transit interchange centre location: newport, wales date: september 2015

Dear Department for Transport Office, The schedule and conditions completed as we discussed which with this letter of appointment will, if you agree, record the terms of our agreement. If it becomes neccessary to vary the services I will let you know and we can discuss how this might be arranged.

The Transit Interchange project is in accordance to your specifications in the Welsh transport planning and appraisal guidance document and will be an integrated project within the South of Wales transport stratergy to connect the Great Western Cities Powehouse that has been proposed by Welsh Government over the next 30 years.

The project aims to deliver a high quality, reliable, efficient and economically sustainable transport network within Newport City centre that will connect to the wider metropolitan region of Cardiff.

The driving motivation behind the project is to reduce private car depedency in Newport by improving accesibility to public transport within the city and town centres, and implementing a new hierarchy of transport where pedestrian connectivity to all major employment opportunities, commercial, social and leisure attractions is made a priority, enabling the Newport region to function as a single coherent social and economical entity without the need for private car use.

The station, acting as a gateway into the city will be a centre point for redevelopment and potential economic growth within the newly proposed transit routes, its potential for additional development reflects the nature of the city scale masterplan for Newport acting as a catalyst for social, economical and health improvements.

The discussed statement of requirements is as follows: • • • • • • • •

Provide comparable journey times across public and private transport modes, offering realistic travel choices Cater for the growth in population in Newport over the next 50 years and for the increasing demand for public transport Reduce the impact of transport on the fabric of the city, social interaction, the environment and the site context Encourage active travel and social inclusion initiatives Capacity to meet demand during peak periods and special events Direct services between main residential areas and economic enterprize zones to improve connectivity Introduce traffic calming measures to discourage existin private transport trends Accesibility for all, in compliance to the Disability Discrimination Act

The project site at this stage of the proposal has been selected on the Old green interchange elevated roundabout due to the proximity to the existing Newport Rail Station and Bus Station in Newport City Centre. The site choice is crucial as the transit interchange project does not stand alone as an entity, instead it is to become a well integrated transport network that needs to adhere to the existing infrastructure of Newport, enhancing and preserving it accordingly.

Due to the sensitive nature of the site, the project must comply with the Newport Local Development Plan released in January 2016, where certain specifications must be met with regard to the archeologically sensitive conservation area policy.

I will enclose a copy of the conditions and schedule of architects services. When you have read them through I will arrange a meeting when we could sign and initial them to complete out agreement.

00 introduction research precedent concepts newport statistics

01 the brief

02 masterplanning

03 site analysis

brief schedule of accomodation building users

masterplan vision regional scale city transport scale city quarter scale site scale

historical transport context understanding the site access environmental considerations

04 concept and design process

05 design proposal

06 technical and environmental substantiation

proposal bicycle hub interim theoretical precedents potential connections programmatic precedent light precedent technical precedent

scheme overview building plans site section atmospheric section long section elevations 1:50 model photographs internal perspective

environmental diagrams 1:200 structural model 1:25 section technical details 1:! detail

00

introduction research precedent concepts newport statistics

“ if you make more roads, you will make more trafFIC� jan gehl - cities for people, 2010

CAR VS WALKABILITY CONCEPT DIAGRAM

are we building cities for people or for cars? death and life of great american cities - jane jacobs

the battle for manhattan - jane jacobs vs rober moses

The increase of car dominance at a global scale has had impacts on the built enviornment, damaging the urban fabric of cities, causing divide and impacting health. The current normality within many cities is to own a car, drive a car and prioritise convenience and comfort over health and the wider environment.

The main aspect that this proposal investigates is the negative impact that the automobile has had on the built environment as well as the impact and stress it places on social well being. The car vs walkability diagram depicts the interpretation that humans have created due to the conditions that are created by the car, or the conditions that are created through traffic calming and the creation of enjoyable urban space.

n 1961 Jane Jacobs published The Death and Life of Great American Cities, and in it attacked the established urban planning theories of the day, claiming they did not consider the needs of people on the ground. She warned against the razing of neighborhoods to make way for tower blocks and expressways, arguing that these methods of development destroyed the organic, complex order that existed within the outward disorder of urban communities. When it came to building cities, according to Jacobs, tidiness was not necessarily the most desirable objective.

Robert Moses was the ‘Master builder’ and proposed a slum clearance redevelopment in New York, with the proposal to create an express way that would displace 10,000 residents. Jacobs protested against the proposal and began to consult the community in what would become one of the most powerful grassroots uprisings in the city’s history. She attended all the hearings, led demonstrations and constantly begged the question: “Are we building cities for people or for cars?”

Her intervention led to Rober Moses proposal not recieving approval.

research precedent

birmnigham concrete collar removal 2003

Birminghams city centre was crippled by an elevated roundabout coined as ‘the concrete collar’, its construction is 1971 destroyed the victorian layout of the city and also many buildings in the site. Shortly after its completion, the car manufacturing industry in Birmingham fell, and unemployment rose. The 1988 Highbury Initiative resulted in a new city centre design strategy that began the process of giving streets and squares back to the people of Birmingham, with that stratergy the downfall of the collar followed. It is now a an exchange square that feeds into the electrification oif railway HS2.

It’s succes in removing the road and proposing a more hollistic transport scheme speaks volumes of the neccesity for more cities to reinvent themselves and not follow the norm of increased car use.

commuting patterns diagram

The current situation in Newport Indicates that the majority of people use private car as a method of travelling to work, lower than the UK average, but higher than York, a city with a similar working age population. Although car use is not outstandingly high, it stands out in comparison to toher methods of travelling to work. Public transport use is half of the UK average, and the same can be said about walking and cycling to work. These statistics show the relationship between the preferred transport method and the alarming situation that it shows in comparison to the UK as a whole.

The commuting patterns between Newpor, Bristol and Cardiff shows that a large percentage of the commuting population from newport travel to cardiff, and recieve commuters from cardiff also. Between the three cities, Newport shows the least self containment, which a large proportion of people use private car. The commuting patterns between the three cities doesnt neccesarily need to be changed, but the method in which people travel inter city needs to be altered.

01

the brief brief schedule of accomodation building users

the BRIEF

Newport (Casnewydd) is a frontier city in constant traction between the welsh and english border, it’s medieval history and industrial hertiage has proven that the city’s location has rendered it a victim to the much larger and vibrant magnet cities of Cardiff and Bristol.

Newport is infamous for hosting some of the most wealth and health deprived wards in the whole of Wales*, It’s population is ageing and the dominant industrial sector is headed in the same direction.

The UK Government and the Welsh Governement have released a proposal to create a ‘Great Western Cities Powerhouse’ collaboration between Cardiff, Brstol and Newport, in which the three cities will work together to boost the growth potential of the region. In response to the proposal, the brief wants to connect Newport, its population, its environment and its economy to create one integrated city, with the goal to be an important asset to the Western Powerhouse. The current city is divided physically and socially with an increasing unemployed population. Access to open green space is considerably lower compared to its neighbouring cities, the industrial sector must diversify and residential growth must occur without placing a greater strain on the fragile conservation areas that surround the city.

The current priority within Newport appears to be the development of an infrastucture that supports the intense use of the automobile, addressing the inner city and intercity commuting needs, yet car dependency has proved to be a threat to the vibrant public life that city desperatley needs. Car accesibility has been made a priority within newport and it must be transformed so that the city may reinvent itself in a holistic way.

north wales

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The Transit Interchange Centre will include • • • • • • •

The Integration of intermodal transport with direct and fast connection between, Light rail , Bus rapid transit and Cycling services.

Provision of civic spaces that encourage active travel and social inclusion initiatives with the aim to discourage private car use Commercial element that provides a range of facilites for the transient population to benefit from Safe and weatherproof waiting spaces that are operational through out all the seasons of the year Adequate cycle parking spaces, shower and changing facilities that promote a cycling culture to the rest of the city Improvement to the surrounding context and the re-integration of Newport Castle to the City Centre Safe access to all in compliance to Disability Discrimination Act

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metrobus

freight and trade triangle

west wales

The task is to create a Transit interchange centre that will change current transport behaviours by providing alternative modes of transport that will connect the local population to employment, open space and local amenities, whilst creating a succesful urban realm that prioritises pedestrians over the automobile. The aim is to claim back the urban realm from the automobile traffic and revert it back to the pedestrian, creating a safe and vibrant environment for the public to enjoy. This in theory will place restirctions on car traffic within the city centre of Newport, reducing car parking and placing traffic calming measures with the overall intention of reducing the vehicle miles travelled by car, and increase the demand for sustainable modes of transport.

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airport airport

INNER CITY AND OUTER CITY CONNECTIVITY DIAGRAM

SCHEDULE OF ACCOMODATION

GROUND FLOOR GIA (GROSS INTERNAL AREA) Room Name Dimensions (m) Bicycle Storage (1) Bicycle Storage (2) Shower and Changing facilities Public WC Maintenance Room Electrical Control (UPS) Room Mechanical Room Scrubber Room Coffee Kiosk (1) Coffee Kiosk (2) Waiting Lobby (1) Waiting Lobby (2) Ticket Office West Escalator Atrium Central Stair Atrium East Escalator Atrium Ground Floor GIA

7 x 9.4 7x8 7 x 9.4 3.5 x 9.4 3.5 x 4.4 3.5 x 5 3.5 x 5 2.7 x 3.5 6.5 x 7 9x3 13.5 x 9 12 x 9 4x5 9.2 x 9.6 5 x 9.6 9.2 x 9.6

Area (m/sq)

65.8 56 65.8 32.9 15.4 17.5 17.5 9.45 45.5 27 121.5 108 20 88.32 48 88.32 826.99

MEZZANINE FLOOR GIA (GROSS INTERNAL AREA) Room Name Dimensions (m) Information point Ticket Office Public WC Staff WC British Transport Police office Travel Help Desk Restaurant Restaurant Kitchen Restaurant Storage Room Retail Store Cafe Self-service ticket zone (1) Self-service ticket zone (2) Bicycle Store Bicycle Workshop Delivery Depot Sorting Office Refuse Storage Communications Room Signal Room Uninterruptable Power Supply West Escalator Atrium Central Stair Atrium East Escalator Atrium Mezzanine Floor GIA

4x3 6 x 5.3 3.5 x 9.4 3.5 x 9.4 6x6 5 x 3.4 7 x 10.6 4 x 6.5 3x4 6x8 6.5 x 9 11 x 6 11 x 7 4.7 x 9 8.75 x 15 6.5 x 12 6x6 4.2 x 6 7 x 10 6x8 7 x 5.5 9.2 x 9.6 5 x 9.6 9.2 x 9.6

Area (m/sq)

12 31.8 32.9 32.9 36 17 74.2 26 12 48 58.5 66 77 42.3 131.25 78 36 25.2 70 48 38.5 88.32 48 88.32 1218.19

TOP FLOOR GIA (GROSS INTERNAL AREA) Room Name Dimensions (m) South Entrance Lobby North Entrance Lobby South platform ticket office North platform ticket office Public WC Self-service ticket zone (1) Waiting lobby (1) Waiting lobby (2) Waiting lobby (3) Waiting lobby (4) Café West Escalator Atrium Central Stair Atrium East Escalator Atrium Mezzanine Floor GIA

6x9 6x9 4x5 3x6 5x5 6 x 4.5 6x5 6x5 6 x 10 6 x 4.5 6x9 9.2 x 9.6 5 x 9.6 9.2 x 9.6

Area (m/sq)

54 54 20 18 25 27 30 30 60 27 54 88.32 48 88.32 623.64

building users

A Transit Interchange has two building type users, the public and the private. The primary user, public, is a more complex system where, detraining and entraining passengers are seeking the fastest and most direct route to their chosen destination, or they are within the waiting and lingering period of their journey. The building will accomodate for different types of transient populations, each determined by the purpouse of travel, whether it be leisure or work but it will also accomodate for the non transient population that wish to engage with the social aspect of the building, whom will benefit from the commercial aspect of the interchange. The building not only sets out to provide a transport interchange but also a social interchange.

The transport interchange will actively involve cycling as a main from of transport and therefore will aim to enhance the cyclist routes which currently is undermined due to high levels of car traffic, making the route dangerous and indirect. The quality of pedestrian access will be a priority in the design and concept development of the building as it will place a high emphasis on walking as a main form of transport.

Light rail and Bus rapid transit users will be accomodated for in the layout of weatherproof waiting spaces that merge with the social interaction of the building.

The staff dominant section of the building will be integrated with the ‘hidden elements’ of a transit station, maintenance quarters will be located seperatley from the main entrance ticketing halls, but the staff presence will be more dominant throughout the building, providing serices such as ticketing and surveillance to the incoming and outgoing passengers.

vertical access

vertical access

vertical access

STAFF QUARTERS

pedestrian platform

mezzanine level

ground level

building user diagram

02

Masterplanning masterplan vision regional scale city transport scale city quarter scale site scale

master plan vision

regional scale

Throught the research and analysis undertaken, a spatial framework has been created that will be placed over a period of 40 years, where significant changes will take with the overall aim to create a vibrant city with a focus on creating connections between the cities distric nodes that are accesible through different modes of transport and discouraging private car use. The master plan proposal stratergies focus on : - Creating an integrated transport network that prioritises pedestrians, cycists and public transport over private car use - increases open space provision within the city centre and access to open space in the surround context of the city - Reduce the impact created by the private car network by implementing traffic calming stratergies that discourage car use.

- Create district cores that contain mixed use residential homezones and are a source for local employment - Implement a park and ride scheme in the periphery of the city, adjacent to existing and proposed transpor nodes - Diversify employment industry from manufacturing and steel works to clean industies

city scale

city quarter scale

ordenance survey statistics (2011) and projected statistics (2051)

regional diagrams

INCREASE NUMBER OF TRAIN STOPS WITHIN NEWPORT METROPOLITAN AREA

Currently Newport only has two train station stops, both located to the west of the city, in the city centre and in rogerstone. The lack of train transport availability limits the citizens of Newport to use the transit method to travel between the metropolitan area of Newport. Increasing the number of train stops will decrease car congestion and it will allow future development to grow around these new train stations.

CREATE A TRAM NETWORK CONNECTING THE CITY CENTRE WITH THE WIDER CONTEXT

The tram network will branch out not only to the inner Newport zone but to the wider context, adhering to existing commuter patterns and providing the neccesary tranport to be delivered in these commuter zones. Tram stops will be located at 800m intervals to accomodate for the walking population that is expected to grow.

IMPROVE CYCLE ROUTES AND INTRODUCE SUPER CYCLE SPEEDWAYS

The current cycle routes in Newport are indirect and are under used and therefore a new system of super cycle speedways will run the city centre and to surrounding citites, such as Cardiff, Blaenavon, Chepstow and Caerleon.

CREATE DENSITY NODES WITHIN METROPOLITAN THAT HAVE HIGH ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Distric centres will be created around transport connections, where density of housing and mixed use development will take place, enabling a large percentage of the population to have high accessibility to the new transport infrastructure, and thus preventing urban sprawl in the peripheries of the city.

EXPAND THE PEDESTRIANIZED STREET NETWORK TO CONNECT THE MAIN DENSITY NODES

A new network of pedestrianised street will be introduced to decentralize car use and promoto walking as a formidable method of travel to work and leisure. Existing roads will be replaced by people friendly streets which will connect the new density nodes and primarily the transport stops.

INCREASE ACCESS TO OPEN GREEN SPACE AND GREEN CORRIDOORS THAT LINK TO THE SURROUNDING GWENT LEVELS

Green corridoors will connect existing and new green spaces within the city, which will contribute to the gwent levels that surround the city of newport. The green corridoors, will intertwine with the new pedestrianised street network, and will maximise views to the blue spaces within the city.

CITY SCALE TRANSPORT MASTERPLAN

tram lines

expand railway lines and train stops

increase trafFIc CONTROL STRATERGIES reduce roads and access to automobile

dENSIFY METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NODES

INCREASED INTEGRATED TRANSPORT SCHEME

CITY QUARTER MASTERPLAN

KEY AMENETIES

1/4 MILE WALKING DISTANCES

DENSIFIED MIXED USE CORES

INCREASE IN ACCESSIBLE OPEN GREEN SPACE

TRANSFORMATION OF CAR PARKS INTO CIVIC ORIENTATED USES

PEDESTRIANISED STREET NETWORK

CITY QUARTER STRATERGIES

pLACE CAR PARKING UNDERGROUND CONNECT DIFFERENT TRANSIT MODES

DENSIFY CITY STRUCTURE

HOMEZONES WITH VEHICLE TRAFFIC LOCATED ON THE PERIPHERY

INCREASE BICYCLE PARKING

RE-PROGRAMME EXISTING CITY SPACE

SITE SCALE MASTERPLAN

03

site analysis historical transport context understanding the site access environmental considerations

FIRST ELECTRIC TRAMS RUNNING THROUGH COMMERCIAL STREET ONTO THE OLD GREEN INTERCHANGE

“Walking through the old green interchange as a child took forever because my mother seemed to know everyone.�

Jim dyer - newport chronicler

HISTORICAL TRANSPORT CONTEXT

1790

Construction of the monmouthshire and brecon canal, and the Newport high street train station. The canal and railway ran parrallel to each other and both were used as industrial freight that carried coal down to the Old Town Dock. The canal and railway ran beneath the highstreet that connected onto the Town bridge and was a single level where horse drawn carriages would stop and pick up passengers. The nature of the space developed into a public square with markets and local neighbourhood shops surrounding the square.

1905 The first electric tram line is placed on the high street and the town bridge connecting the town centre to the east of Newport. The tram line replaces the majority of horse drawn carriages. The shops and markets surrounding the site increased in density due to the nature of the public square, and the square was named ‘Old green Interchange’ due to its mixed and vibrant interchange of social activity.

1930 Private Car use begins to increase as well as the introduction of a newport public bus system, this leads to a widening of north road and the construction of the A48 road. The construction of the road resulted in parts of the castle being demolished and removed to make way for the new increase in car use.

The old green interchange site was selected due to its location to existing transport nodes within newport’s city centre. It selection was was also selected due to the rich heritage that site has, it has proven to be a versatile site undergoing, heavy rail, light rail, canal and road developments.

Each stage of its transport history has attempted to deal with the wider problems or needs of the city. Its coal and iron industiral heritage is resembled in the consturction of the canal and the freight railway connecting the key docks in the city. The introduction of the electric tramways displays the need for the public to have access to the city when there was no other convenient method of travel.

The most recent transport intervention has proved to have impacted the context and its surroundings negatively by prioritising the automobile, the construction of the elevated roundabout was needed during the time when it was proposed to deal with traffic congestion and cater for the transport behaviours within the city of newport. The roundabout is a physical manifestation of the problems and issues caused by a city which has adopted private car use as the norm for transportation.

1960 The last electric tram runs in newport due to the expansion of roads and the increased growth in private car ownership. The mounmouthshire raiway line to the Old docks and Alexandra Docks is removed completely due to the decline in coal and iron industry. The railway line is then replaced by a road (USK WAY) which ran parrallel to the mounmouthshire canal.

1970 Construction of the elevated roundabout due to increased traffic congestion which lead to the removal of surrounding civic and commercial buildings and the complete segregation of the castle. The vibrant street life which once inhabited the old green interchange dissapeared and the historical heritage was damaged severly.

OLD GREEN INTERCHANGE - understanding the site

site and context photography

newport bus station

view of castle from roundabout

view of usk way

view of pedestrian path in the roundabout

The old green interchange is an elevated roundabout located within Newport City Centre, it is bounded by a multi storey car park and commercial street to the west side (joining Newport High street), Newport Medieval Castle, Newport Town Bridge and the River Usk on the east side of the site. The elevated roundabout has two vehicle traffic levels, the raised level has 4 exits connecting, Queens Way, Town Bridge (Clarence Place), B4591 road, and two inclined roads joining Usk way, which are key junctions in Newport connecting the East side to the West, as well as providing vehicle access to Usk way. The ground floor of the roundabout is currently occupied by Usk Way, which provides a key traffic route that connects the north to the south of Newport.

top of commercial street

view of newport market from roundabout

There are currently pedestrian and cycle under passes which are difficult to access, indirect and in poor condition.

The site is located within two of the most important transport nodes within Newport, the train station is approximately 400m (< 5 minute walk) westward connected by Queensway from the site, and Newport Bus station is located around 200m (< 5 minute walk) southward of the site connected by Upper Dock Street. The built roads occupy a relatively large proportion of the site, if not all of it, and the surrounding buildings range from a substantial five storey car park, to three storey mixed use commercial buildings, and most importantly the castle which has a height of approximately eight metres.

cyclist access

pedestrian access

site environmental considerations

The site is unprotected from south westerm prevailing winds as it is located next to the river usk and the adjacent buildings are arranged with corridoors that act as wind tunnels on to the site. As the closest buildings to the site are approximatley 20 metres from the centre of the site, there is little intercepting shadow which means that the site can maximise from daylight throughout the year.

The main concern of the site is the risk of flooding , the non porous concrete and asphalt materiality of the roundabout and roads contribute to the effects that heavy rainfall can have on the site and the potential flooding of the river usk.

Main viewlines to the castle, the river and newport market from the market should be uninterrupted, although currently the roundabout does not consider those views. The railway proposes a certain level of noise and therefore a transit proposal fits into the context and the rail conditions that currently exist.

04

concept and design process proposal bicycle hub interim theoretical precedents potential connections programmatic precedent light precedent technical precedent

1:500 concept model

proposal concept OLD GREEN INTERCHANGE redevelopment

The initial research and site analysis has provided an understanding of the existing limitations of transport within Newport and within the elevated roundabout junction.

The importance of the site has also been highlighted showing its potential for a transit led redevelopment scheme.

The historical transport heritage of the site demonstrates how versatile the site has been in the past, however the fragile context which it surrounds it has been directly affected, and therefore the transit interchange must have the context as priority during the design process.

Pedestrian accesibility is of upmost importance and should be prioritised over other vehicle forms of transport, hence why the starting point of the design is to redevelop the current roundabout into a pedestrian platform where automobile access is limited if not non existent.

The proposal sets out to preserve relevant parts of the roundabout, expand habitable public space, reconnect landmarks back to the city such as the castle an the river, and the resurfacing of the roundabout to create a pedestrian territory that begins to spread across the city in the form of pedestrianised streets and green spaces.

The roundabout redevelopment will integrate a light rail system back into newport, reverting back to the rich transport heritage that newport once had.

In essence the proposal looks back at the first electric tram that once ran in newport and uses it to reconnect the city back to the vibrant public life that it once had.

The interchange proposal looks at the interchange of transport as well as a social interchange of public spaces and commerce.

existing

proposed

bicycle hub interim proposal

The bike hub concept was concieved in response to one of the main cycle routes in the south wales region which connects Blaenavon to Cardiff Bay and passes through the old green interchange site. The current route within the site is in poor condition and very few cyclists tend to use it. The project aims to encourage a cyclist culture within Newport by providing adequate facilities, and making cycling available to everyone.

The building concept consists of a bicycle salvage workshop, where spare unused parts are delivered to the hub from the south wales region and are recycled to assemble new bikes that are given to the public as part of a community scheme. The hub also has a small scale bespoke frame factory that will create a resource sharing and skill transfer educational scope, where local steel welding techniques and materials from Newport will be applied to create a learning based workshop.

bike part deliveries

Views to Castle

public square

proposal connection between bicycle hub and transit interchange

From the start of the concept stage , the transit interchange had always been the driving factor of the programme acting as a magnet to further development occuring in the periphery of the site. The bicycle hub is inteded to be directly connected to the transit interchange, the initial building diagram shows the relationship between the two spaces, where the public spaces will interact and merge together, and where the bicycle parking space becomes an ancillary development to the transit interchange promoting a further complexity between intermodal public transport.

old green interchange design considerations

existing important access routes to site

Views to key landmarks in context from site

Connection corridors to existing transport nodes

Elevated roundabout at grade level with town bridge

existing accesibility to site under roundabout

castle height FLOOR TO CEILING 13 METRES

EUGENE HERNARD - les villes d’avenir (future cities) The french architect and urbanist Eugene hernanrd was concerned with aspects of circulation in the city, his drawings of Les Villes d’avenir disect a street in Paris of average importance of his day the ‘Rue actuelle’ and creates a proposal for the future development of that same street ‘Rue Future’. His ‘Rue Future’ included conduits for gas, electricity, compressed air, drinking water, pneumatic tubes for letters, telephone lines which later on became a reality.

The drawings illustrate the relationship between underground Paris and the buildings above and clearly denote the difference in layout. In order to improve existing city streets, Hernard proposed elevating the roadway high enough above ground to allow for service road below. This accessway contained accessible channels for utility systems, service, mass transit and cargo and even trash removal.

Harvey wiley Corbett - the city of wonder (1925) City car vehicle congestion led Corbett to create a utopian proposal that would consist of a multi level Manhattan that places a hierarchy of transport, where the pedestrian would be able to claim ground level for themselves (using Hernards idea of a false ground level) whilst placing mass transit within the underground realm. His proposal was influenced by the over riding trend of urban population growth leading to cities becoming more and more crowded.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Streets will consist of four or more levels respectively for pedestrians, slow motor traffic, fast motor traffic, and electric trains, the uppermost level being raised above the present street levelâ&#x20AC;?

His proposal in 1925 deems highly relevant in thsi generations traffic congestion problems, although his proposal was highly utopian and still heavily depends on the automobile as a primary means of transport, there is something to be said in his way of thinking placing the mass transit services below so that the pedestrian may enjoy the full benefits of a car free street or even district.

existing section

proposed section

theoretical precedents

CAMILLO SITTE - CITY PLANNING ACCORDING TO ARTISTIC PRINCIPLES in 1889, in his book ‘City planning according to artistic principles, Camillo Sitte described the city as a series of ‘rooms’ with urban squared considered as spaces for inhabiting. He was interested in enhancing the experience of citizens through urban design, approaching the city as a work of art rather than a technical exercise of geometry and form. He strongly critizised the emphasis placed by modernist urban ideals on creating broad, straight boulevards, public squares arranged primarily for the convenience of traffic.

OLD GREEN INTERCHANGE : A. NEWPORT CASTLE B. ofFICE BUILDING C. CAR PARK

The diagram above shows the Royal Exhange square in London, in which Sitte comments upon its vehicle traffic complication and the threat created to pedestrians by the number of junctions, and advocates its irregular and curved street alignment to provide an ever changing range of vistas.

Using Sitte’s concept of artistic principles, the site has been divided by different view lines to the castle, newport market and to the river. The lines of division have also considered key access points such as the roundabout exits that lead into the city centre, and to the west of newport accross the town bridge.

initial BUILDING LAYOUT

The initial building layout has been arranged by placing the buildings in between the divide lines from the previous diagram, this has been done so there are viewing corridoors across the site where different features could be seen from different places, hence using Sittes ideal of a site with ever changing vistas.

view to castle

view to market

section through concept model

theoretical concept model

The interstitial spaces created between the buildings will give way to key view lines to the landmarks to the city, the concept model shows a basic proposal for the layout, cutting through the model shows the difference in mass between the existing roundabout and the top floor building layout.

The layout of the buildings need to be lower in height than the surrounding context, the castle and the market should not be obstructed through line of sight but also in the skyline of newport. The theory adopted from Sitte has enabled the building to take shape in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;roomsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that are both internal and external spaces, the internal being part of the interchange and the external being the interstitial spaces which will be inhabited by civic activity.

analysing potential connections

city centre

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top fLOOR LEVEL

GROUND FLOOR LEVEL

From the research and analysis of the site, this model attempts to make sense of the roundabout with the new transport system in place. Key junctions and connection points are fixated on the existing transport networks, bus station and train station. The proposed tram lines need to create a physical connection between the existing nodes and the interchange station to allow a further interconnectivity between the modes of transport.

The strings placed on the model represent the different modes of transport and they show the relationship that each of the have between them, its important to note that pedestrian paths are implied in the sense of desire lines, not specific divided paths. The main interchange spaces occur when the three different transport modes are closest together. There is a direct relationship between the top and ground floor in the access points annotated above in the photographs.

These interchange access nodes are important to the design of the building as the create direct access to the different modes in one instance, where distance and time spent changing transport modes should be minimized and should be in line with direct, safe and accessible routes.

1:200 proposed trafFIC FLOW model

PROPOSED trafFIC FLOW SKETCHES

The new proposed transit system on the multilevel platform has been created by placing the pedestrians and cyclists as the priority where the rest of the transport access is subject to. The new proposed tram lines run north to south through the ground level (usk way) and run east to west from the old green interchange platform level.

Bus routes run in accordance to accessibility of the bus station to the south of the site, using the current exits from the roundabout as access points yet avoiding through fare on the site, this is to enable a free flowing pedestrian territory on the top floor.

programmatic precedent

NORREPORT STATION - COBE ARCHITECTS

norreport movement analysis

As a basis for designing the redevelopment of Norreport underground station in Copenhagen, an analysis was conducted of the movements of pedestrians across the public square. With the use of this movement analysis, the architects could see where the busiest stretches were, and which areas were devoid of significant traffic.

That meant that the architects could position walking areas where pedestrians already walked, while positioning buildings and bicycle parking facilities in areas where they would not obstruct the multitudes of people, who pass through Norreport on a daily basis.

The open areas provide space for street life with seating, shops and cafÊs and restaurants with outdoor service. All bus and car traffic has been consolidated on the Nørrebro side, allowing the open square to continue its natural flow into the pedestrian streets surrounding the site.

Old green interchange movement analysis

movement voids

camillo sitte + norreport site diagram

The same mapping technique was applied in the design process for the interchange proposal, where lines of desire were projected according to the different routes that pedestrians could take across the redevelopment of the roundabout. These lines of desire then created the spaces in which the building was designed, allowing pedestrians to move freely across the site.

relationship between ground and FIRST FLOOR

movement analysis concept model section

movement analysis concept model

Floor plan development sketches

Building orientation sketches show the relationship on different axes, the diagram above shows the interstitial spaces between the public realm ‘rooms’ as described by Camillo Sitte. The relationship between the exterior and the interior is highlighted by the suggestion of lines of desire. The diagram begins to curate the building spaces on the top floor and how they not only position themselves between pedestrian lines of desire but also how the ‘rooms’ take form when the transport network is put in place.

FIRST FLOOR DEVELOPING LAYOUT

The building has been carved out further through the view lines, transport through fares, the pedestrian desire lines and the vertical access to the floors below. The view line from the city centre towards the castle divides the previous layout, and the introduction of the east to west tram lines creates a further transport line of desire within the building layout.

mEZZANINE FLOOR DEVELOPING LAYOUT

A mezzanine level was introduced into the layout due to the restricted nature of the top floor due to the desire lines and traffic network layout. The mezzanine level was introduced to create a commercial quarter within the transit interchange, allowing the free movement of the transient population who use the building and encouraging people to linger whilst they wait inbetween entraining and detraining different transport modes.

GROUND FLOOR DEVELOPING LAYOUT

The ground floor level consists of an island platform and two parrallel wings that act as ancillary spaces that serve the platform. The wings will contain waiting spaces as well as a variety of different services such as bicycle parking, shower and changing facilities.

process 1:100 section Through the design iterations the floor levels began to create a relationship between themselves, taking into account the different accesibility , horizontal and vertical circulations and the contrast between light and dark spaces. The design principle in the section outlines the neccesity to guide refracted and diffused light down into the ground floor platform level. The vertical accessibility begins to be combined with the daylighting stratergy within the building, and the context surrounding the site is considered to be opening up to the main city centre entrance acting as a gateway, and opening up to the east side in a much more subtle manner, suggesting the importance of access between the site.

initial sketch section

1:100 concept progression section

light precedent

music room, ritoque - open city group

In the design of the music room, light was the essential instrument that was desired to dictate the atmosphere of the internal space. The Open city group intended to create an ‘equal light’ where the sun light at noon, which in their view is ‘light that illuminates things as things’ , displayed itself on a permanent basis by ensuring that the atrium in the middle of the room helped create the relatively even shadowless light beyond the centre of the room.

The room is not only a refuge not only from the light and wind but also from the breathtaking views available outside, the room creates an adaptable stage for gatherings. The light well can be rejigged to transform the space and light it provides to its users, the room may be one large semi-external space or an interior centred on a light well.

Using the concept of light as a gathering point, the transit interchange will need to incorporate light into the multi level floors, with specific need to obtain natural light on the ground platform level. The atmospheric quality of light will vary according to each level, using shadows and darkness to create internal differences and contrasts between light and dark spaces. The use of materials will feature the light that comes through the atrium spaces inorder to maximise the depth of soft light that penetrates throughout the building.

TECHNICAL PRECEDENT

Wood 88 Street - Richard rogers partnership

Wood 88 street building is a commercial development with three linked blocks of office accomodation, the construction office blocks are made of in-situ concrete frames which are contrasted by the lightweight steel framed service towers . Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s triple glazed facade is formed of single panels of highly transparent float glass. The inner faces of the panels have a low emissivity coating which is designed to reduce solar gain, the photocells on the roof monitor light conditions and adjust the angle of the blinds, minimsing glare, heat gain and essentially heat consumption.

Using the concept of service towers, the transit interchange centre will adopt the concept and create three vertical circulation towers which will perforate the building from ground floor to top floor platform level inorder to maximise daylighting into the lower floors. The materiality of the interior building will include polished concerete to reflect light back into the building from the access towers. Low emissivtiy structural glass with argon filled cavities will be used to reduce solar gain and heat gain to maintain a comfortable environment. The glass access towers have been implemented as a stratergy to provide access to exterior as well as interior spaces in the station, to maintain a hermatically sealed building. The exterior spaces consists of the tram platforms in the ground floor as well as the top floor platform level

Top fLOOR DIAGRAM

Top fLOOR MODEL PLAN

The relationship between the three floors has been highlighted in the three vertical access cores, which contain escalators. lift shafts and stairwells that provide access to all floors. The location of the cores has been arranged so that they enhance the public domain on the top floor and integrate within the waiting spaces in the ground floor. The linear arrangement of the cores enables interchanging routes to be direct, therefore reducing interchange time between transport modes.

The mezzanine level expands to the north by creating an art installation gallery space, where local artists will be able to display their work and the space will also fame the castle with the aim to integrate it back to the city centre. The south east section of the mezzanine floor will incorporate the concept of the bicycle hub by placing the slavage workshop inside of the building as it has a direct connection to the cycle route from Blaenavon to Cardiff Bay.

MEZZANINE DIAGRAM

MEZZANINE FLOOR MODEL PLAN

GROUND FLOOR DIAGRAM

GROUND FLOOR MODEL PLAN

Building use section diagram

building use diagram

VIEW FROM NEWPORT MARKET

VIEW FROM tOWN bridge

SOUTH VIEW FROM USK WAY

05

design proposal scheme overview building plans site section atmospheric section long section elevations 1:50 model photographs internal perspective

Scheme overview

The Transit interchange centre aims to change current transport behaviours in Newport and its wider context by providing alternative modes of transport connecting the local population to employment, open space and local amenities whilst creating a succesful urban realm that prioritises the pedestrian over the automobile.

The scheme proposes a multi level tansit station that integrates light rail, bus, cyclist and pedestrian movement to create a dynamic environment in which the civic aspect of transport is re-introduced back into society. The experience of the transit interchange station is diverse, where spaces have been created to accomodate the fast flowing pedestrian movement between interchanges, and the slow paced movement of a lingering population.

TOP FLOOR PLAN

MEZZANINE FLOOR PLAN

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

site section

atmospheric section b-b

long section a-a

South elevation

0

12

4 2

8

20m

west elevation

1:50 model photograph

1:50 model photographs

1:50 model cut out

mezzanine existing entrance view

vertical access core

06

technical and environmental substantiation environmental diagrams 1:200 structural model 1:25 section technical details 1:! detail

exterior enviornmental conditions

summer heat stacked ventilation

winter heat stacked ventilation

solar gain

views, noise and vibration

mechanical heat transfer ventilation

1:200 structural model

ground FLOOR STRUCTURE

MEZZANINE FLOOR STRUCTURE

TOP FLOOR STRUCTURE

1:20 roof detail

1:20 mezzanine ceiling detail

1:10 ground fLOOR CONNECTION

1:25 progress section

STRUCTURAL MODEL GROUND FLOOR NIGHT PHOTOGRAPH

1:10 GROUND FLOOR CONNECTION

STRUCTURAL MODEL MEZZANINE FLOOR NIGHT PHOTOGRAPH

1:20 Mezzanine Ceiling Detail

STRUCTURAL MODEL TOP FLOOR NIGHT PHOTOGRAPH

1:20 Glass frame and steel frame roof connection

initial detail sketch

1:1 detail