Final Design Report - Alesia Berahavaya - Stage 5 Dip Arch GSA by Alesia Berahavaya

Stage 5 Alesia Berahavaya

Imagine a City

Architectural Thesis Design Report

Contents

4-5

Synopsis

6-7

Manifesto

8-9

Project Aims Questions and Principles

11-31

Part I : Thesis Research

13-31

Urban Investigations

33-83

Part II : Thesis Integration

35-49

Architectural Agenda

51-81

Architectural Manifestation

82-83

Final Thesis Design Board

List of Figures

Bibliography

Synopsis

Public spaces have played a major role in the development of democracy, serving as places where anyone, regardless of income or position, could meet, discuss, demonstrate and publicise their causes. However, the extent to which these spaces are disappearing due to neoliberal culture and the effect this has on civic life demands attention1.

Imagine a City

Glasgow’s current response to the issue of public space is either through mobility-centric street culture sponsored by retail on both sides, or monumental enclosed structures where the spaces become arguably not public at all. Public spaces that give everyone an equal right to be there are extremely limited,

Synopsis

and the current pandemic has shed light on the importance of their existence. Inequalities in indoor living space have revealed the extent to which people are reliant upon inclusive public environments, especially as escape for what could be a challenging home environment. The key objective of this thesis is to offer up an urban environment that holds the following to be self evident : “All people have the right to access all spaces at all time”. The delicate boundary between private and public is studied, protecting the inclusiveness of public spaces to foster tolerance, conviviality and dialogue. Derived building landscape aims to stimulate and frame vibrant public life between buildings - on streets, sidewalks, squares and covered public areas though the means of adjacent, small-scale enterprises and residential units. Such landscape is suggested to be applicable universally, with consideration to context adjustments. The chosen site is located centrally in the area of a ripped away railway infrastructure, St Enoch Station. The shopping center, which currently marks the termination of Buchanan Street, cuts off the urban fabric by its large privatized nature and alienating response to democratised territory. This proposal seeks to reconnect pre-established pedestrian nodes with historic origins of Glasgow and its river front, introducing two levels of open circulation that will permeate the site from multiple directions. These paths will provide a larger footprint for public participation, in an attempt to re-connect fragmented urban areas of Glasgow. The shopping mall is designed to be reconfigured into a public market, and a newly city quarter is to be established as a series of courtyards on the adjacent car park. The scheme aims to explore themes of permeability, public involvement, community prosperity and adaptability to change, to provide a true public space reactive to current societal needs. The self-built construction methods are derived to encourage every citizen to participate in the creation of market or residential units. This permits the adjacent architecture to be more democratic in nature and the ownership of

1. Bonham, J. (2020). Are Shopping

area more uncertain, so that individuals feel comfortable in crossing these

Malls Private or Public Space?: The

undefined thresholds. The resulting infrastructure enables urban spaces to be

Effects of Hanging Out at the Mall.

formed, architecture to be expanded and pedestrian flows to be directed.

Report. 4

Manifesto

Public

Manifesto

1.1 Open to or shared by all the people of an area or country.

Public spaces in city centres no longer unite, but rather exclude. Aside from social policies, this issue can be addressed through architecture to achieve one ultimate goal: to create space that is open to all. Reformed public space, therefore, must be designed in cohesion with well-derived programs from both residential and public aspects, and implement structural integrations that connect, involve and uplift every member of society. Glasgow seeks to evolve its public space into a truly democratised area that gives all the citizens and visitors equal rights to the city, its opportunities and culture, and to an underlining sense of belonging. Urban inclusivity must be achieved through diversity, and diversity can be achieved through individual expression. Scale, density, mix of uses, demographics range and composition are all considered through mega structure design to dilute boundaries between people. This thesis looks at public involvement and community prosperity in the central location of Glasgow, Scotland as the key to creating the truly diverse environment that every city deserves. Infrastructure is created for citizens of every income, background and ethnicity to imagine and build a vision of new public space one that creates a deeply satisfying way of life and establishes an enriching approach to individual and communal living

Project Aims, Questions and Principles

Project Aims:

Principles :

- Create a safer and more attractive connection for pedestrians to the Glasgow’s River Front. - Improve the attractiveness and functioning of the public environment to benefit residents, local businesses and visitors. - Encourage community formation between wide spectrum of people. - Allow people to contribute to architectural expression of the surrounding build fabric, to create uncertain ownership and individual input on small scale. - Develop the market layout, typical to Glasgow’s past activity, to enable an integrated, informal, visible and high quality street trading environment. - Encourage creative use in public space though design, so people can feel connected and stimulated culturally and socially.

- The design should respect the history of Glasgow, for instance the historic role of the street as a market street with lots of interaction between shops (the inside) and the street (the outside and pedestrian priority from built edge to built edge). - The public realm for newly derived St Enoch’s Quarter should reinforce the visual relationship with the River Front. - The proposal should facilitate ease of movement as well as a place to stop and spend time. - St Enoch’s Quarter should provide a high quality market that fits with the character of Glasgow and its culture and that the area can be proud of. - Street frontages should interact with the street. - Pedestrian priority should be inferred through all aspects of the design. - The potential for flexible ‘free’ areas need to be added in order to provide space for future temporary events and ‘parklets’ - areas for seating and planting. These reinforce the ‘pop-up’ role of public realm and allow urban creativity. - Simple self-build construction methods must be derived for marker units and residential dwellings, to allow individual expression in build fabric framing public quarters. - Surrounding spaces must be adaptable in accordance to current needs of the local society, through more flexible construction techniques for the self-build infill structures. - Functions facilitating the self-build aspect as well as scheme management/advertisement must be present. - The design should facilitate and indicate the spaces for build fabric expansion, without compromising the overall street design. - The scheme is to be derived as a universally applicable scenario, with possibility to adapt according to local context.

Project Questions: - How to make the area more humane and directed by the feedback of local community? - How to address ground level through location of building fronts and backs, pavement, street furniture and level changes to concentrate people in newly derived public squares? - How to make the River Front more connected with currently existing Glasgow Public Center Piece - Buchanan Street? - How to make the area feel safe and inclusive and give people sense of belonging there? - How to encourage local businesses and residences to take ownership of adjacent public spaces? - How to encourage people to spend time in the area throughout different times of the day? - How to give prioritization to pedestrians and allow them to roam freely around the area? - How to improve alienation and social cohesion ? - How to make the area safe? -How to attract wide range of demographics to the area? - How to facilitate individual expression in surrounding architecture? 8

Part I Thesis Research

Urban Investigations

Key Investigation

Public Space Demographics Street Density Historical Overview Plot Size

Public Space

Public Space Definition Product of Negative Spaces Between Buildings

Public Space

Defining Term

A public space refers to an area or a place that is open and accessible to all peoples, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age or socio-economic level. These are generally public gathering spaces such as plazas, squares and parks, as well as connecting spaces, such as sidewalks and streets. 1 If to break down what defines a public ground, the result manifests as a product of negative spaces between buildings. It is an open environment with no definite thresholds to permit a larger spectrum of people to be present. But what makes a public space “good”?

1. Inclusion Through Access to Public Space | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (2021).

To create spacial integration and social inclusion in cities, the surrounding context with its transitions between public and private must be studied. Assets framing public realm , such as pavements and facaded, must be improved through small scale individual expression and activity stimulating design. Design should attract variety of people and encourage social boundaries to be softened . Public space in the city should act as a ground for intercultural dialogue and exchange. Thresholds can be opened up through careful physical planning interventions. Mixed use building fabric made up of informally managed enterprises by individuals on small scale, adequate housing, well-connected public transport and accessible public buildings for cultural practices need to be integrated within inclusive urban planning.

Public Space in Glasgow

Urban Diagram Public flow around Glasgow City Center

Public space in Glasgow Site Choice

Glasgow’s current response to a public space is either through mobility- centric street culture sponsored by retail on both sides or monumental enclosed structures where the spaces becomes arguable public at all.

Site Analysis

Further, Glasgow’s overall neglect of safe and connected open public environment throughout the city center is partially due car-prioritizating urban planning of 1940s Bruce Plan and Clyde Valley Regional Plan, when the street life has been taken away from most of central area. The urban decisions of that era also relocated most of the public away from the City Center, leaving a lot of central fabric poor, empty and unattractive. The decision to pedestrianize selected routes along Sauchihall Street, Buchanan Street and Argyle Street in 1972 and 1978 has led the commercial area to become main center piece of Glasgow. The downside of such arrangement led some areas to feel disconnected and partially stopped allowing the trucks to restock the stores on the road in front of them. This meant that the infrastructure must have been build on the streets behind them, which cut off the cross streets from being a nice places for public use.

Site Analysis

The St. Enoch’s shopping Center built at the termination of Buchanan Street, gives a perfect example of that contrast. Due to its nature, the contrast is very apparent, making the historic area towards the Clyde become a service quarter to the shopping mall. Essentially the most crucial junction between commercial and cultural zones, becomes the least public-open and integrated area. The thesis investigates the central junction to permeate the existing barriers and direct public flow onto the newly derived democratic urban quarter.

Demographics in Glasgow

Demographics Spread Location of Affordable and Social Hosing in Glasgow

In order to recreate true public space which offers open access to citizens of every socio-economic background, the spread of demographics must be considered.

Demographics in Glasgow

Affordable and social housings in Glasgow are currently pushed away from the central zones onto the urban fringe, creating physical distance and clear separation between different demographics. Further people of lower socio-economic statuses are cut off from the opportunities to input into the character of the city and participate in economy which is most thriving in central areas. To blur the line and give everyone an equal opportunities to participate, affordable living spaces along with appropriate activities must be reintegrated back into central districts.

Street Density

Street Density Investigations Factors Contribution to Pedestrian Flow in Glasgow

Street Density Investigations

To understand the factors which contribute to concentration of people, different influences to street density are examined, taking on-site study observations from different parts of Glasgow. This research was critical to understand the link between how architecture and its function can attract people to adjacent open space, as concentration of people is vital to ensure success and popularity of a public space. Plantation, St Enoch Square, and Dalmarnock where the 3 chosen samples for a comparison. These sites give a contrasting image of Glasgow, showing most clearly its changing character. St Enoch Square, as shown in the diagrams, mainly consists of commercial buildings and pedestrian friendly public spaces, versus Dalmarnock which has a large number of vacant sites and traffic roads; this comparison indicates that the streets become more occupied when built fabric is denser and there is presence of public-oriented activities . Plantation consists mainly of commercial and residential buildings and green space, however its spaced out building density and major wide road cut through the site makes the area less inhabited than the City Centre. Street density also increases throughout the city with smaller plot buildings sizes. Areas with street furniture adjacent to enterprises or a ‘green landings’ onto the street, have shown to bring larger pedestrian popularity to the areas .Car-free zones have shown to have most influence on presence of people on the streets and sidewalks.

Historical Overview

Historical Overview Origin and Expansion of Glasgow

Historical Studies to Influence Plot size and Connections Establishment

The area in the city center contained by the Argyle Street, River Frontage and Central Station and High Street, is the historic origin of Glasgow. The area is well connected and has an opportunity to become a cultural destination, which Glasgow currently lacks. The Shopping Center that has been recently put instead of the ex-train station, does not provide inclusive or community oriented design. Public realm in this area is currently infused by car-parking and traffic lanes acting like back entrances to adjacent buildings. Area being currently in flux due to the ripped away infrastructure provides perfect site to investigate an introduction of pedestrian friendly, attractive city quarter which makes a wider statement about demographic urban living scenario. Design will aim to reconnect fragmented city center by testing new routes from established pedestrian nodes to the neglected River Front and historical destination - Briggait.

Plot Size Analysis

Plot Size Evolution Gradual Increase in Plot Size over Time

Plot Size Analysis

The overview of plot evolution suggests that the area had a lot more delicate small scale enterprises before the train station was located on the site. Linking thesis back to the time when the markets were present, the plot size must be managed at much smaller scale to create a great variety of individual ownership and expression around the area.

Historical Studies to Infl

Shopping mall which currently hugs the site on the west, is too large in scale to address the context property. Its privatised nature limits access to people and ideas that do not further the image of consumption. It creates an awkward physical barrier and public void in city center. Smaller scale interventions allow more diluted authority and no restrictions on public participation in adjacent open areas. Small plot size characteristic to Glasgow’s past is to be carried forward into the thesis design as it aligns with the ethos of the project.

“Beyond a certain critical mass, a building becomes a Big Building. Such a mass can no longer be controlled by a single architectural gesture, or even by any combination of architectural gestures. This impossibility triggers the autonomy of its parts, but that is not the same as fragmentation: the parts remain committed to the whole. Issues of composition due to mechanical rather than architectural connections; scale proportion, detail are now moot. The “art”; of architecture is useless in Bigness. In Bigness, the distance between core and envelope increases to the point where the facade can no longer reveal what happens inside.

1. Koolhaas, R. (2020). Bigness or the problem of Large Rem Koolhaas.. 24

With scale, with architectural composition, with tradition, with transparency, with ethics - imply the final, most radical break: Bigness is no longer part of any urban tissue.” 25

Open Public Space around the Site

The public space changes dramatically throughout the site from Buchanan street towards to River Front. Most of the changes reliant upon architecture and program it offers.

Condition of Open Public Space around the Site

Buchanan Street offers one of the strongest foot flows anywhere in the UK and second only to Oxford Street. It has a great popularity due to its retail function, however it becomes obvious that only people who are willing to spend money are welcome at its doorstep. The absence of seating and street furniture suggest cruel relationship toward its visitors - manipulation to go from one shop to another, rather than spend genuine quality time connecting with people and the city. The pedestrian flow dramatically decreases toward the river front, due to the lack of interventions which stimulate street life. The area becomes very empty and unsafe, suggesting that public program is required to fuel activity. Moving forward, urban spaces need to start offering an extraordinarily rich choice of non-commercial activities and experiences, open to all, that stimulate sustainable exchange of skill and knowledge and uplift all members of society. They need to be sponsored by adjacent enterprises to provide concentration of people.

Past Overview

Paddy’s Market Photographs of Informal Activity in the Market Space

Presence of true public space on the site in the past

In the early Middle Ages there was one general market in Glasgow located around the chosen site of Briggate, but as the town grew, separate markets were held. By the late 15th century there was a Salt Market in the area. There was also a wool and linen market about the market cross, a fruit and vegetable market was held in Gallowgate, meat market just north of Trongate, a fish market at Westport, and a horse market and a grain market by the High Street. At the end on 20th century Paddy’s market was the last one to be present in the area underneath railway arches in Shipbank Lane and had a great success for informal economy and community establishment. However on May 15th 2009 the closed for the last time, due to safety reasons. The area has a rich history of markets and there is an opportunity to reintroduce this informal exchange that was so admired by the locals in the past. The thesis aims to reconnect with that part of the area’s history to address its most successful democratic public interventions. Daily market is suggested to be reintegrated into one of main squares, as well as its adjacent streets and newly converted public space of current St. Enoch Shopping Center. The concerns on safety must be considered to avoid problems of the past.

“Just the best, used to go every sunday in the 60s, and every Christmas Eve with my brother and sister in law to buy last minute pressies for the weans, great stuff.” Irene Walsh

1. Lost Glasgow. (2020).

“These salesmen and their patter were very amusing. The guy would start with something worth £7 (he tells us) then dramatically haggling himself and drawing us in till it’s “Quick missus, take it for a quid. I’ve only got a few left.” Very entertaining.” Will Smile Mathieson

Retrieved 8 December 2020, from https://m.facebook.com/ lostglasgowofficial/ 28

Images Source: Lost Glasgow. (2020). Retrieved 8

“Norrie and I used to go up every Sunday for them loved them so much ” Isabel Moore 1

December 2020, from https://m. facebook.com/lostglasgowofficial/ 29

Past Activity

Present Activity

Paddy’s Market

King Street Car Park

Images Source: Lost Glasgow. (2020). Retrieved 8 December 2020, from https://m. facebook.com/lostglasgowofficial/ 30

Part II Thesis Integration

Architectural Agenda

Key Investigation

Thesis Objectives Architectural Strategies Case Study Urban Response Program Distribution

Thesis Objectives

Basic human needs and rights must be taken into consideration to offer all rounded quality experience within public space. These must be satisfied for every citizen via equity in access and participation. Themes of permeability, urban creativity, urban safety, community involvement, adaptability to change and connections are investigated this year to provide a true public space corresponded to the needs of citizens. The themes are linked to the local context and wider research to allow proposal to thrive in Glasgow’s urban setting. The design aims to look at these topics though architectural form and program.

Architectural Strategies

To achieve the established objectives, architectural strategies are to be derived. Scale, program, individual input and concentration are key control devises for the project to foster more democratic urban way of living.. In conjunction with readings by Jane Jacobs, the following are implemented throughout the scheme: 1. Small Scale - the size of the build units must be managed at small scale to allow larger variation of expression and opportunities for self-managed informal economy to take place. 2. Mixed Use Program - the scheme must provide presence of people throughout the day to make the area truly engaged. Deriving inclusive program will allow a great range of people to contribute to formation of public spaces. 3. Individual Input - to make the spaces between the buildings truly democratic, public must be involved in architectural expression of the surrounding build fabric. Their involvement must be present from planning to construction stages of each individual unit. This way grater detail and character can be achieved on the facades and edges of open spaces. 4. Concentration - the scheme must have points of gatherings in terms of activity, people and physical interventions. Concentration in designed locations will allow accidental connections to occur and intimacy to be formed in urban settings.

Objective: Safety

Urban Geometry Safe and Pedestrian Oriented Typology Derivative

Objective: Safety

Thesis aims to design popular public destination. Acknowledging the presence of public market in the past, and the reason for its closure: lack of safety, the project must address the topic carefully to avoid the failure repeat. Two main qualities to be reintegrated to achieve better passive surveillance: 1. There must be eyes on the street. Buildings must be oriented to the street. 2. The sidewalks must have users on them fairly continuously, to add number of eyes on the street and to induce the people in the buildings along the streets. To achieve higher concentration of people to add sufficient number of “eyes on the street” there is a need for quantity of stores and other public places sprinkled along the sidewalks; enterprises and public places that are used by evening and night must be among them especially. Stores bars, restaurants, as the chief examples, work in several different and complex ways to abet sidewalk safety1 . Geometry of the build fabric can be used to frame the public areas and allow surveillance to be present from the maximum number of sides. Further, the ground plane should have presence of small businesses, as they are the strong proponents of peace and order. Thesis looks into adaptation of these findings, manifesting its design as an area infused with courtyard typology, to address the safety aspects and provide more pedestrian friendly intricate series of urban spaces.

1. Jacobs, J. (2020). Death and life of Great American Cities. London: The Bodley Head. 40

Case Study: Berlin Hackesche Höfe

Berlin Hackesche Höfe Spacial Understanding and Analysis

Berlin Hackesche Höfe was the key case study for the project, as it provided a exciting range of urban environments to pedestrian orientated scenarios, applicable to thesis design rintent.

Case Study: Berlin Hackesche Höfe

The Hackesche Höfe is a notable courtyard complex situated adjacent to the Hackescher Markt in the center of Berlin. The complex consists of eight interconnected courtyards. Since the 1990s the area around Hackesche Höfe has been synonymous with the vibrant urban renewal of the New Berlin, combining a mix of business and offices, residential housing, entertainment venues, art galleries, boutiques, bars and restaurants - the unmissable urban mix of the New Berlin which emerged in the 1990s. Berlin Hackesche Höfe is a great exemplar study to examine dynamic variation of open environments through the use of openings, pavements and façades. Scale, activity, use of external cladding and connections are studied to understand the formation of vibrant urban scenarios. As thesis chosen site has complex geometry, large in scale and is currently in flux, new typology can be introduced to work with the context and urban connections. Further, the courtyard typology creates opportunities for series of framed spaces ranging from private to more public ones to occur, to address wider variety of people and uses. 14m

Management of solar access was studies as a primary technical investigation. The form of build fabric was derived to match the range of intended atmospheres through the use of sunlit, as well as provide adequate day lighting to residential and public functions. (Please refer to AT Manifesto Document for reference).

Image Sourse: Google Earth. (2020). Berlin_Hackensche

25m

Glazed Bricks

Matt Bricks

Matt Paint

[Photograph]. Berlin: https:// earth.google.com/web/@52.523 9596,13.40119687,52.70533486 a,100.81151309d,35y,21.067122 46h,0t,0r 42

Urban Response

Urban Response Connections and Spacial Hierarchy

Urban Response

To bring people onto the site, two levels of open circulation permeate the scheme in many directions, providing larger footprint for public participation, in attempt to re-connect fragmented urban areas of Glasgow. Initial Urban Response desired to open up the privatised nature of St. Enoch’s Shopping Mall and establish pedestrian route connecting the end of Buchanan Street and it’s subway station to the ex-railway bridge leading towards the South of Glasgow. This route was designed as a stepping up series of walkways, sewing together all the courtyards, whilst offering a secondary footfall for the public activity. To borrow the pedestrian flow, rather than entirely redirect it from Golden Z, the routes perpendicular from Argyle street are designed as the main connecting passages to the River Front. This way Argyle Street still remains as popular route through, rather than a back-end to the new quoter. These main routes are grounded on the lowest level of the scheme and connected to secondary paths and market plazas. This creates public terrain with opportunities for more informal movement through the site. Derived courtyards are intended to offer two main civic squares, surrounded by smaller courtyards for more intimate hideaway settings. Two residential courtyards to be integrated for demographics of people who prefer to live in more secluded urban environment.

Program Distribution

Program Distribution Breakdown of Program Elements of the Scheme

Program Distribution

To foster a creation of inclusive public environment, representatives of wide spectrum of people must be present on the site. Supporting infrastructure is to be added to allow these individuals to participate in activities and express their ideas on the character of the area. In order to involve people of different socio-economic backgrounds, the relocation of these groups back into the city center is necessary. Opportunities for affordable housing is to be derived to allow anyone to live in close proximity with the ground floor public activity. The key program of the proposal is an open market space where anyone is invited to make, manage and sell products. This program addresses successful public involvement on the site in the past and allows room for small scale informal activity to take place. The market is suggested to take place in one of main squares, as well as spill out into adjacent lanes, river side and ex-shopping mall - St. Enoch Center. The structure of both residential and market units is suggested to be self-build, and to be assembled from SIP panels so that the architecture can be changed depending on public desires. Construction parts can be handled easily with equipment provided in the workshops. The location, scale and function for units are dictated by the conditions of pavement, level of enclosure and street furniture. This way authorship and ownership is created for individuals forming these spaces, making spaces more reflective and democratic. Involving society in the design of public spaces on a scale of a market, results in a slow and gradual changes that make a better environmental fit for circumstances. The process results in constantly evolving urban area; architecture that works with change rather than against it.

Concept Model

Concept Perceptive Section

Concept Model

Concept Perspective Section

Program Allocation and Structural Intent

Ranging Urban Atmosphere though the Scheme

Architectural Manifestation

Key Investigation

Key Urban Moves Design Intent Site Plan Key Views Conditions Technical Integration Urban Proposition 50

Thesis Proposition

Header text

To create a desired popular and inclusive urban destination, which attracts wide range of people, 3 main strategies are implemented on an urban scale.

Thesis Proposition

Key Urban Moves

Urban Connections from pedestrian nodes are created though either ground level public terrain or lifted up walk way. St. Enoch Center is designed to be opened up into a public market. The designed route through the ex-shopping mall leading from the subway station onto the railway bridge, suggests the removal of St. Enoch’s privatized nature. The walkway connects the North of Glasgow with the South, whilst also offering an excited second level of public interaction. This arrangement infuses additional life around the quarter vertically. The other routes permeate the site from Argyle Street , towards the River Clyde, connecting people with Glasgow’s important historic center piece. The pedestrians are invited to pass the civic squares and other smaller courtyards when directed towards the river front. Range of courtyards, altering in scale, enclosure and light are designed to allow a greater variety of intimacy to be achieved for different public uses - smaller for private , secluded and focused environments; larger for vibrant mixed events. The Program of the Scheme is derived to bring people of different socio-economic backgrounds together and offer them an infrastructure to participate in formation of public spaces and management of their informal economy. The key functions of the scheme are self-build open market, public workshops, admin offices and affordable housing. The opportunities for self-build residential units are included on upper levels to allow people to live in close proximity with urban activity and have an input into the architecture from inside out perspective.

Thesis Proposition

Planometric Site Drawing Overarching urban intent with established spaces and connections

Thesis Proposition

Design Intent Overview

The attention is given to how the design reacts to the current urban condition and public flows around the site. The manifestation of research and thesis aims results in a serious of open public courtyards to address the complex geometries of the site and provide intricate series of urban spaces. They are suggested to be framed with self-build enterprises and residential units to reflect democratic approach through the “interior walls” of public environments. Created courtyards range in size and exposure level, offering a great variety of atmospheres, suitable to many citizens and their particular needs/desires. Visual connections towards the Briggate and New Market Square are created from already popular Argyle Street and new main route through St. Enoch Center, to charm pedestrians into participation on the site. The follow up connections leading towards River Front are established to retain the movement of people and feed the activity around the quayside area. Pop-up retail units are encouraged around River Front to continue the informal language of the proposed scheme. St. Enoch Center is designed to be reconfigured into a covered public market space, providing main route from St. Enoch subway station into newly designed public yards, and further onto the bridge guiding south.

Site Plan

View One

Key Views Connecting Current Pedestrian Flows with Newly Proposed Ones

Respective From Argyle Street towards Briggait

View Two

View Three

View from Argyle Street onto the Market Square and River Front

View from St. Enoch towards Market Square

Architecture Framing Public Space

Site Plan Key Conditions Forming the Scheme

Architecture Framing Public Space Key Conditions

Architecture framing designed ground scape is suggested to be experienced through 3 Key Conditions. The conditions are formed of concrete vertical landscape with designated building plots for occupancy. These plots facilitate self-build opportunities for small scale public retail units on ground floor and affordable housing units on the upper floors. Such allocation of functions allows security and privacy to be achieved, whilst allowing residents to be in close proximity with informal economy created on the site. Derived landscape is suggested to be applicable universally, with adjustment considerations to context.

Condition number 1 suggests a block design which can be repeated side by side, to create form responsive to site conditions. It highlights how the residents can move from bottom residential levels to upper ones, using exterior spiral staircases facing towards public quarters. The Condition 2 suggests the adjoining core element with lift facilities onto the block described in condition 1, indicating the main access route onto the residential bottom level. The condition 3 is designed with more private core access, for those residents who prefer more secluded urban life style. The form addresses the ground scape by facing its openings towards the public realm, which provides passive surveillance and avoids safety issues of the past.

Condition One

Condition Two

Level Access via Exposed Spiral Staircase Residential Bottom Level Access via Communal Core

Condition Three

Public Movement

Residential Access via Private Core

Participation Opportunities Around the Site

Technical Integration

Exploded Axonometric Supporting Infrastructure with Public Design Input Opportunities

The structural design for the project is formed of Mega structure which carefully supports and facilitates the formation of Self-Build Infill Structure.

Technical Integration

Key Conditions

The self-build opportunities which are present on residential and public levels , allow the participants of the scheme to demonstrate their ideas through architectural expression, making the edges of the open environments more democratic in nature and the ownership of the scheme more uncertain. The above results with people feeling more comfortable to cross the thresholds leading onto the site and participate in proposed activities. The workshops offered around the site are located regularly, to facilitate the self-building process to run as smoothly as possible. The manuals for both residential and market units are produced for general public and helping staff to follow. Admin offices and architectural departments are located adjacent to the workshops to help realise any design ideas. The technology is integrated within the concrete infrastructure to support and indicate self-build opportunities. The services are distributed vertically to allow height variation between blocks and control over the spread of unit sizes. Drop beams supporting floor plates, indicate building plot sizes, as well as reduce the span between columns. Carefully managed mega structure creates a design that permits adequate daylight, natural ventilation and rain water collection. Expandable plot sizes allow people of different financial backgrounds and family sizes to occupy the site, bringing wider range of demographics into the area. Involving society in design of urban spaces on a scale of a market or residential unit, results in a slow and gradual changes that make a better environmental fit for circumstances. The individuality and character is expressed through small scale input making the area more vibrant and reflective. The process results in constantly evolving public space; architecture that works with change rather than against it.

Structural Axonometric

Build Form Control

Overarching Structural Composition and Environmental Strategies

Indicative Self Build Opportunities to Satisfy Environmental and Design Requirements

Expandable Housing Opportunities

Site Section

Varying Plot Sizes to Accommodate Wider Range of People

The Connections between Public Workshops, Market Units and Residential Dwellings

Guidance for Self- Build Locations Plot Management to Provide Connections between Levels and Satisfy Technical Requirements

Construction Manual

Pavement Design

Public Enterprise

Technical Integration within the Ground Scape to Indicate Public Use

Construction Manual Residential Unit

Structural Section Self-Build Sip Panel Units Supported by Concrete Mega Structure

Exterior Expression

Universally Applicable Design

Individual Expression in Urban Spaces through Architectural Input of the Surrounding Facade

Suggested Architectural Solution for Other Urban Scenarios

Thesis Proposition

Public Courtyards Wide Range of Urban Environments to Attract Spectrum of Participants

Thesis Proposition

Manifestation in Glasgow Urban Scenario

The combination of Urban Strategies along with Architectural Strategies , frames spaces between buildings in a vibrant exciting manner, suggesting true democratic urban living in Glasgow City Center. Thesis Proposition on the site consists of main two courtyards holding the functions of Open Market and Civic Square for informal performances. The Market Square connects opened up St. Enoch Center, redesigned into a covered public space, to the new pedestrian urban quarter. Civic Square addresses the view towards Briggate, celebrating historic past of the area. Exposed stairwells add movement vertically onto the site, making the edges of the open environments safe and lively throughout the day. Adjacent courtyards located in between the main two squares, are semi-private in their nature, providing more secluded intimate areas for lunch breaks and friendly conversations. Two private residential courtyards to the East of the site allow smaller communities to be formed between local residents and create spaces for a hide away from a busy urban life. All the other adjacent areas address the exciting context by enhancing it with street furniture, gardens or public enterprises. Pavements are used to indicate purpose of the ground area, with darker pavements suitable for movement and lighter for stationary activity. The range of created urban environments provides room for different activities to take place, suitable for people of different needs and desires. The proposal gives people a platform to express themselves in a scenario most comfortable to them, so every citizen feels welcome everywhere at all times.

Perspective Sections Sections Depicting the Change in Scale and Exposure throughout the Site

Final Thesis Design Board Board Originally Designed at 2.4m by 4.8 m

List of Figures

Bibliography

All the images in the document are author’s Own apart from:

Websites: 1. Our public spaces are crucial for democracy | Letters. (2020). Retrieved 25 November 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/jul/28/ our-public-spaces-are-crucial-for-democracy 2. Public Spaces Aren’t Really Available for Everyone. (2020). Retrieved 25 November 2020, from https://www.archdaily. com/915377/public-spaces-arent-really-available-for-everyone 3. Green space inequality - Intergenerational Foundation. (2020). Retrieved 7 December 2020, from http://www.if.org. uk/2020/05/20/green-space-inequality/ 4. (Y)OUR CITY CENTRE: GLASGOW REGENERATION FRAMEWORKS | Austin-Smith:Lord. (2020). Retrieved 8 December 2020, from https://www.austinsmithlord.com/ projects/your-city-centre/ 5. Privacy statement for Glasgow City Council and our Arms Length External Organisations - Glasgow City Council. (2020). Retrieved 8 December 2020, from https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/ privacy 6. Lost Glasgow. (2020). Retrieved 8 December 2020, from https://m.facebook.com/lostglasgowofficial/ 7. Inclusion Through Access to Public Space | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (2021). Retrieved 22 April 2021, from http://www.unesco.org/new/ en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/urban-development/ migrants-inclusion-in-cities/

1. Page 29. Images Source: Lost Glasgow. (2020). Retrieved 8 December 2020, from https://m.facebook.com/lostglasgowofficial/ 2. Page 30. Images Source: Lost Glasgow. (2020). Retrieved 8 December 2020, from https://m.facebook.com/lostglasgowofficial/ 3. Page 42. Image Sourse: Google Earth. (2020). Berlin_ Hackensche [Photograph]. Berlin: https://earth.google.com/web/ @52.5239596,13.40119687,52.70533486a,100.81151309d,35y,21. 06712246h,0t,0r

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Reports: 1. Government Digital Service. (2005). Supplementary Planning Guidance: Space Around Dwellings. 2. Harvey Bryan, Susan Stueving. (2014). Natural Light Books: 1. Dorling, D. (2020). Slowdown: The End of the Great Acceleration--And Why It’s Good for the Planet, the Economy, and Our Lives. 2. Jacobs, J., & Epstein, J. (1961). The death and life of great American cities. New York, NY: Modern Libray. 3. Sennett, R. (2019). Building and dwelling. UK: Penguin Books. 4. Sennett, R. (2020). Designing Disorder: Experiments and Disruptions in the City. Articles: 1. Bonham, J. (2020). Are Shopping Malls Private or Public Space?: The Effects of Hanging Out at the Mall. Report. 2. Koolhaas, R. (2020). Bigness or the problem of Large Rem Koolhaas. 84