2017
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ALEX ROBINSON APPLICATION FOR A POSITION IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE alex.robinson107@gmail.com 0411326689 mylemonyworld.tumblr.com AGE: 22
HI, THIS IS ME My name is Alex Robinson, a recent graduate from QUT that’s looking to start my career in Landscape Architecture. Growing up in the country town of Gympie, I have always been fascinated by cities and how people survive and thrive in the urban realm. I’m interested in the future of urban forms and how the landscape can determine and construct our built environment.
EXPERIENCE Summer Design Studio with Tom Lenigas. Residential project involving concept development, concept design and client meetings. 2013
EDUCATION 1. Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (2nd Class Honors) Queensland University of Technology 2013-2016 2. Queensland Tafe Certificate IV in Residential Drafting 2012 3. St. Andrews Angilcan College Queensland Certificate of Education 2011
AWARDS QUT BEST CONSTRUCTION AWARD ACROSS ALL YEARS PROJECT: LIQIUD TILE 2014
1.
QUT BEST ENVIROMENTAL DESIGN AWARD ACROSS ALL YEARS PROJECT: SUPER LOOP 2015
2.
WORK SELECTED FOR ‘LIVING CLASSROOM’ HONORARIUM FOR TOWNSHIP OF BINGARA, NEW SOUTH WALES. PROJECT: RACECOURSE PARK 2015
3.
GRAPHIC SKILLS
MODELLING: Autocad, Sketchup, Revit, Rhino, Grasshopper GRAPHICS: Illustrator, Photoshop, Indesign OFFICE: Microsoft Office
EXHIBITED WORK SHOWN IN THE ‘REGENERATE STUDIO’ EXHIBITION AT THE BRISBANE POWERHOUSE ART CENTRE PROJECT: THE FLOATING BATHS 2015
1.
WORK SELECTED AND SHOWN IN THE ‘END OF YEAR EXHIBITION’ FOR QUT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
2.
WORK SHOWN AT THE ‘FORECAST LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE FESTIVAL’ @ THE GOMA CULTURAL CENTRE, BRISBANE 2014
3.
REFERENCE CLAUDIA TABORDA Senior Lecturer Landscape Architecture at QUT +61 7 31386830 claudia.taborda@qut.edu.au
1.
TOM LENIGAS Landscape Architect +61 4 0711 2488 Lenigas@optusnet.com.au
2.
ontent
MORETON BAY
BRISBANE BRISB
ANE
RIVER
02 01
03
1
5 KM
01 02 03 04 05
SUPER LOOP CITY
POWERHOUSE AQUAPARK
LIQUID TILE
INVERTED CITY
DEN CITY CAIRNS
YEAR 03, STUDIO 06
YEAR 02, STUDIO 04
YEAR 02, CONSTRUCTION 01
YEAR 04, STUDIO 07
YEAR 04, STUDIO 08
Pg 6
Pg 16
Pg 26
Pg 32
Pg 38
CAIRNS TRINITY BAY
04 05
5 KM
SUPER LOOP CITY PROJECT: LOCATION: SUBJECT: DATE:
MT COOTHA AND BEYOUND BROOKFIELD SUBURB, BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND DESIGN STUDIO 06, CLAUDIA TABORDA SEMESTER 02, 2015
01 Super loop city looks at providing a alternative form of urbanism. This project looks to address South East Queensland’s expected population increase will be watered in the year 2050. Super Loop is a landscape infrastructural piece that twists around the Moggill Valley capturing water bodies running off from the d’Argular mountain range. This loop acts a mobility system to allow the inhabitants to travel around there new city with speed and efficiency.
01
IMAGE 01 A glimpse into brisbane’s current future. A apocolyptic vision if Brisbane doesn’t look to address water storage and overpopulation
02
CONTEXT + ISSUE The average annual temperature is increasing dramatically across the state of Queensland. The graph below highlights a gradual increase in temperature in the last 60 years (1960’s onwards). This is putting considerable strain on the water supply especially to the South East region where the majority of the population lives (3.4 million out of the State’s 4.8 million).
1.8 1.5 1.2 0.9 0.6
BRISBANE
0.3
SITE
0.0 -0.3 -0.6
IPSWICH
-0.9
TEMPERATURE INCREASE IN QUEENSLAND (1910- 210) (Source: BOM 2012)
03
2010
2000
1990
1980
1970
1960
1950
1940
1930
1920
1910
-1.2
Finding future water sources is essential due to a predicted major increase in population in the South East of Queensland. The spaces between the 2 cities of Brisbane and Ipswich are going be swallowed up by urban sprawl over the next 35 years. A more effective and sustainable form of urbanism will be proposed, as an alternative to the current scenario.
BRISBANE 2015 POPULATION 2050 PREDICTION
SITE
IPSWICH
5
10 KM
URBAN FOOTPRINT 1 FIGURE = 100,000 PEOPLE
04
SUPER LOOP CITY MASTERPLAN 2050
CHAPEL HILL
1 KM CEN
05
0.5
KENMORE HW AY
RD ILL G G MO
ARY T EN
HI
G
ORGANISATIONS:
MOVEMENT
HYDROLOGY
VEGETATION
URBAN
EXISTING CANOPY OPEN EUCALYPTUS FOREST PUBLIC PARKS
THE SEGMENTED SPACES LEFT FOR URBAN ALLOW DIVERSITY AND A ORDER FOR CIVILISATION TO FLOURISH. THE DIFFERENT DISTRICT’S COULD BECOME SPACES FOR ENERGY, WASTE, PRODUCTION, LIVING, BUSINESS OR TOURISM. 06
PHASING:
01
EXISTING LANDFORM
02
04
05
THE MOBILITY LOOP IN AFFECT AND THE LANDFORM IS COLLECTING WATER.
07
AN AXIS SYSTEM IS USED TO IDENTIFY VALLEY’S TO CAPTURE WATER AS WELL AS USING NATURAL LANDFORM TO CREATE A EFFICIENT CIRCUIT
03
THE MOBILITY INFRASTUCTURE CAPTURING FOUR LARGE WATER BODIES
06 ATTACHED TO THE LOOP ARE A SERIES OF ‘THORNS’ IN THE FORM OF BRIDGES OR BUILDINGS CREATING MORE CONNECTION FOR FASTER MOVEMENT
VEGETATION IS USED TO SUPPORT ALONG WATER DRAINAGE AREA’S AS WELL AS PROVIDE PUBLIC SPACES. THE WHITE SPACES INBETWEEN IS LEFT FOR INHABITATION.
SECTIONS: SCALE:
01 1.0
2.0
50M
100 M
Existing Eucalyptus Forest
Water body
Forest Bank
Movement Corridor
Forest slope
Business District
02
100 M Energy + Food District
Bridge
Water
Movement corridor
Bridge
Park
Water
Park
Resident’s District
08
SUPER LOOP’S SCALE IN COMPARISON WITH MANHATTAN ISLAND IN NY: IT’S HERIOC SCALE WOULD BE ENOUGH TO ACCOMODATE THE MANY MILLIONS OF INHABITANTS PREDICTED IN THE FUTURE.
A ZOOMED IN SECTION OF THE LOOP: IT’S FORM RESEMBLES THAT OF A THORN. WITH IT’S MAIN STEM (LOOP) AND A SERIES OF THORNS (ATTACHMENTS) ALONG ITS SPINE. TRAIN STATIONS CAN BE PLACED A KEY TRANSTION POINTS ALONG THE LOOP. GREEN SPACE IN THE FORM OF RECREATION, SPORTING OR ENTERTAINMENT AS SPACES OF REFUGE FROM THE URBAN FIELDS BELOW IT.
AN INITIAL SKETCH OF A DESIGN WORKING AS A CONTINIOUS LINEAR ELEMENT, WHICH COLLECTS AND STORES WATER MUCH AS THE SAME AS A DAM WALL WOULD.
PLAN
ZOOMED IN 25 09
50
SECTION 100 M
A view up towards Mt. Cootha.....
10
POWERHOUSE AQUAPARK PROJECT: LOCAwTION: SUBJECT: DATE:
POWERHOUSE REGENERATION NEWFARM, BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND DESIGN STUDIO 04, SHANNON SATHERLY SEMESTER 02, 2014
02 This project aims to regenerate the landscape at the Brisbane Powerhouse Precinct, located in the Suburb of New Farm, Brisbane. The clients for the project, wished to create a public landscape that was vibrant and exciting, which reflected the character of the performing arts program the precinct is now home to.
11
A view from the main pool, up towards the Performing Arts Precinct....
12
LOCATION New Farm Park is located just 2.8 km from the heart of the CBD. It’s close proximity to the city and higher density living highlights the importance of designing a ‘iconic’ landscape that will serve the surrounding population and attract visitors. A series of stormwater drains (blue) run down to the park and out to the Brisbane River. This water system that currently runs through underground pipes was investigated to explore a more dynamic way to use the water.
KANGAROO POINT
CBD
500 M
13
NEW FARM
SITE
BALMORAL
R VE RI
PERFORMANCE LAWN
BRIS BAN E
POWERHOUSE PRECINCT
New Farm Park past has been dominated by a industrial powerhouse on its riverbank, generating energy for neighbouring suburbs up until the 1980’s. This has created a industrial incision where three recognisable segmented spaces have formed. They are the Performance Lawn, the Powerhouse Precinct and the New Farm Park. This striking contrast that has lasted over time can be celebrated by building on their existing differences.
NEW FARM PARK
NEW FARM PARK
HOPETOWN WAY
LAMINGTON ST.
INDUSTRIAL INCISION
DOG PARK
SITE EXPERIENCE
14
CONCEPT PROCESS
New Farm Park is subject to an urban condition of a mental disorder. The park is segmented and disrupted by an industrial incision that slices through the park creating three distinct spaces, as a result of planning from 1844. The powerhouse precinct occupying one plot has survived to become surrounded by public green space. Above: an early drawing of the landscape disruption and the formation of the three spaces
15
Performing an equivalent of a ‘urban lobotomy’ on the park will celebrate and heighted the unique spaces of the park. An lobotomy being the surgical severance of the connection between the frontal lobes and the rest of the brain to relieve some medical disorders by disconnecting thought processes from emotions (Delirious, R. Koolhaas, 1979).
This surgical operation is to celebrate the incision and Turbine building by addressing only their adjacent surroundings. By operating on their bipolar natures, it will heighten the experience of the industrial incision itself. Sparing the industrial incision of touch, the adjacent parks have been severed and a series of new programs centred on water play.
W AY N W PE TO HO . RD TA N
UN
SW
IC
K
ST
M
IN
GT
O
N
ST
.
.
MASTERPLAN
O
XL
AD
E
DR
.
EL YS
BR
LA
10
50
100 M
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ORGANISATIONS:
INDUSTRIAL INCISION SEVERED
HYDROLOGY: WATER COLLECTED FROM SUBURBAN STORMWATER AND FLOWS OUT INTO BRISBANE RIVER. CAN BE RECYCLED DURING DRY SEASONS 17
NEW AXIS’S CREATING CONNECTION OF SITE
ECHOING OUT EQUAL BANDS FOR FUTURE PROGRAMS. IN THE FORM OF ROSE HEDGES
LOOP AROUND NEW FARM PARK CONNECTING TO EXISTING PROGRAMS
WATER MECHANIC’S: MANGROVE ISLANDS SPREAD THE WATER AND SLOW IT DOWN
1.0
A PLAN VIEW OF THE NORTHERN END OF THE PARK. IT SHOWS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE THREE FLOATING BATHS, SET WITHIN CLUSTERS OF MANGROVE ISLANDS. THERE IS A CHILDRENS POOL, THE MAIN POOL (OLYMPIC SIZED) AND A ADULTS POOL (LEFT TO RIGHT).
2.0
3.0
ZOOMED IN 10
25
50 M
1.0 Running through the site historically was a creek, taking water runoff out onto the Brisbane River. Water can be used to active the site providing new activities and programs for the park. 2.0 River pools used to be located up and down the river of Brisbane up until 1940’s. New Farm is on the other side of the river (image) 3.0 Bio-filtration is a sustainable means to clean and filtrate water which will enable it be swim-able. 18
01 SECTION ISLAND WATER CHANNEL ‘THE LONELY HILL’ WATER CHANNEL TERRACED SLOPE ROSE HEDGES LOOP WALKWAY
1
10 M
02 SECTION WALKWAY RIVER EDGE BRIDGE ACROSS PARK MANGROVE ISLAND SWIMMING POOL WATER FILTRATION SWIMMING POOL BRISBANE RIVER
1 19
10 M
2.0 1.0
MANGROVE ISLAND
50 M SWIMMING P0OL
BIO-FILTRATION GRASS BEDS
WATER MOVEMEMT
water flowing down river....
20
LIQUID TILE PROJECT: LOCATION: SUBJECT: DATE:
FABRICATION BRISBANE CITY, QUEENSLAND LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION, TOM LENIGAS SEMESTER 02, 2014
03 Group Members: Nathan Merlano Jared Hall Bonnie Craven Liquid Tile was a construction project with the intent on creating a 1:1 scaled installation that reflected a true characteristic of the city. The installation had to be considered to be able to be placed within the city.
21
FINAL MODEL
22
CONTEXT + ISSUE
The urban grid of the city of Brisbane is a fake facade (image 03). Though people appear to be conforming to the rigid and controlled structure, in truth people rebel and create their own making. The false assumption is that people walk in linear trajectories though the grid (image 01) on the only public occupied spaces but this couldn’t be further from the truth. The inhabitants of the city consume all the public spaces (image 02) to provide the most efficient means to reach their destination Brisbane’s compact grid has allowed a ‘Guerrilla Walkfare’ culture to leech across the city. J- walking is the new order, as well as taking shortcuts and cutting corners through the numerous arcades, laneways and malls (image 04). This project had to respond and celebrate this culture, by identifying these moments of rebellion and leave a imprint behind. As much as walking through the sand leads a footprint behind, the liquid tile activates and celebrates the moment of the ‘j-walk’.
23
01
BLACK INDICATING PERCEIVED PUBLIC SPACE
02
BRISBANE’S REAL PUBLIC SPACES
200 M
03
BRISBANE’S FASCADE
04
YELLOW INDICATING THE PUBLIC SPACES OF BRISBANE
24
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
25
Concept Work 1. Intial liquid manipulation, experiementing with liquid formula’s. similiar experiements to a liquid light show. 2. Image along Mary Street, highlighting the amount of lateral movement across the street. Two government buildings on either side of the narrow street creates steady traffic all day. 3. Initial sketching of ideas.
DESIGN + CONSTRUCTION
The fabrication of the Liquid Tile uses CNC polycarbonate sheeting to contain layers of interactive fluid. The act of stepping on and applying pressure activates the tile, creating a personal and interactive ‘liquid light show’. As well as having a liquid activation, the design includes a lighting system with a trigger switch. This creates a extra dimension of play and aesthetic quality, particularly at night. The Tile is modelled off the existing 400 x 400mm concrete tiles used throughout the CBD. It allows the design to become a product that could be duplicated and spread across the city.
A series of images showing the construction process 4.0 CNC routered polycarbon sheets 5.0 Lighting fixtures with strip lighting activated by a ‘trigger switch’. 6.0 Adding colour dye to the liquid mixture
Images of the final model The lighting makes the colour pop, creating a really powerful experience during the night (image 07). Note on image 08, A pattern using circular grip tape was used to allow for a non- slip surface.
26
INVERTED CITY PROJECT: LOCATION: SUBJECT: DATE:
URBAN DENISIFICATION CAIRN’S CITY, QUEENSLAND LANDSCAPE DESIGN STUDIO 07, DEBRA CUSHING SEMESTER 01, 2016
03 Inverted City is a urban renewal project for the city of Cairns centred on creating a walkable fabric for the city. Walkability is a land use/ transport interaction, where both: - Land use intensity is augmented to define a high proximity of potential destinations - Street infrastructure is configured to prioritise the most economically productive mode Following these measures, the city morphology was intensified by inserting a new city grid into it’s existing system, creating a hybrid. They aligned with land use intensities and the true movement flows of the inhabitants. This new street structure creates a higher number of street faces within and through the block to promote the walker and creates micro- economic potential.
27
A NEW STREET GRID FOR CAIRN’S
28
01
02
ANALYSIS: 01: 02:
03:
04:
03
04
B.
C.
29
B.
There are 8 major destinations within the city. They key attractors for tourist and locals. They include the Port, Main street, Cairns Shopping Centre, Woolworths and the ‘The Lagoons’. The major transport mode in Cairns is via vechile. The Black indicated parking spaces in the city. A large cluster of parking spots ( red) indicates inhabitants park and then walk into the centre. The majority of street trade was identified (red), were 230 commercial spots operate. This establishes a catalyst ‘bar’ in which an intervention could feed off and grow.
STRATEGY: A.
A.
Reveals the true condition of the city with its permeable grid. The black indicates the internal spaces and the major movement between.
C.
A axis system is conceieved, with anchors connecting to the transport/ street trade clusters (red) and the major destinations points for the city. There are three typologies: a dry grid, blue grid and a green grid. The dry is along the centre of the street, creating new building footprint and pedestrian spaces. The blue grid runs parallel with the predominant wind movement, creating ‘gills’ for the city to breath. The green is a little wider (5 m) as it has the most connection. Vegetation in the form ficus species will be used to creating a lush tropical setting. A new street grid is inserted and integrated into the old. This new hybrid grid system creates a dynamic and unique experience for the city.
MEN R IVER CHINA
TRINITY EAST
MASTERPLAN 100
200 M
30
KEY STRATEGY:
ET
RE
IN
P AL
ST
A TYPICAL EXISTING BLOCK CONDITION. WITH STREET TRADE OCCURING AROUND THE PERIEMETER WITH A HOLLOW CORE
A plan showing the new street system: The internal spaces of the block will be a hub of activity where a series of programs be placed inside them. They can based around forms of crosses and circles, that could become market squares, swimming pools or hills. This simple framework can allow for a uncertainty of what Cairn’s future would require. The urban fabric would appear as a giant game of knots and crosses, (with the perpendicular lines the existing grid, the circles and crosses the activated internal blocks and the new street grid being the winning strike).
X TO
AF GR
X
INTERVENTION OF A SLICE THROUGH THE GRID, ACTIVATING THE INTERNAL SPACES
X
N ET
RE
ST
31
ZOOMED IN 10
25
50 M
DENSIFYING THE BLOCK, CREATING INTERNAL STREET TRADE
IMAGE 01 A vibrant laneway culture off from the main grid can develop, where alternative activities both programed and unscripted can flourish. IMAGE 02) Perspective looking north out across the city. The new streets (yellow) appearing to stretch out into the horizon, taking users to the edges of the city.
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DEN CITY PROJECT: LOCATION: SUBJECT: DATE:
URBAN RENEWAL CAIRNS CITY, QUEENSLAND LANDSCAPE DESIGN 08, GILL LAWSON SEMESTER 02, 2016
03 The city of Cairns sits on an breaking point on whether to stop its continuous expanding and diluted urban sprawl that is exceedingly unsustainable. The alternative and crux of this project is to investigate how urban living is viable in Australia’s only tropical wet city. That it can provide a urban fabric that has enough density to be sustainable in an environment that has adverse climate conditions. DEN CITY seeks to transform this remote coastal settlement by reducing the urban footprint and introducing a green sea through former urban. The typology of the project is a linear park that runs through a urban void of the city that climax’s in a new cultural precinct for the city. The park also creates a series of parks woven through the grid and a new street order reconnects into the fabric.
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CM O M A
A sunday morning walk is a great way to start the week
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CONCEPT
This project looks to understand and then interpret the city (image 01), through the lens as ‘CITY AS ARCHIPELAGO’ (image 03). Where the city is viewed as a composition of (separate) parts. It allows the city to be understood as to where the intensity resides and where the voids were present (image 02). Mapping has highlighted the vast swath of land to the north of the city as a site location. This ‘Green Sea’ (image 04) can become a anti-thesis to the islands ‘city-ness’. As the islands are considered consolidated and the space inbetween to be informal. It allows a design intervention that creates a enigmatic proposition that competes with the ‘logic’ of the city. DEN CITY seeks to create a soft landscape that provides comfort against climatic conditions whilst providing exciting spaces for inhabitation. Responding to Cairn’s adverse climatic conditions of the events of water occurring. This may be in the form of high humidity, flooding, cyclones or storm surge.
IMAGE 01 Existing city, Aerial View IMAGE 02 The Black indicating the unbuilt, vacant lots, redundant spaces of the city IMAGE 03 ‘City as archipelago’ A map showing the abstract archipelago of Cairns. It sets to note the island of Cairns within 5 categories. There is Admiration, Education, Commerce, Civic programs, Religion and Visitor Quarters. IMAGE 04 Green Sea (Sea as Site) The green highlights a large area of land with no significant activity within it. This void was choosen as the site of regeneration. It isn’t the landmark or heroic spaces of the city but the redundant. The ‘average man’s space. The landscape (sea) is a continuous element runnning through the city, with the event of water activating the site. 35
01
03
02
04
200 M
36
FLORENCE ST.
ALPIN ST.
37
ABBOTT ST.
LAKE ST.
GRAFTON ST.
SHERIDAN ST.
McLEOD ST.
ESPLANADE ST.
ORGANISATIONS:
PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION
CANOPY SYSTEM ADDING A RICH VEGETATION SYSTEM TO PROVIDE ESSENTIAL SHADED AREAS. SHADE CAN IMPROVE THERMAL COMFORT BY REDUCING THE TEMPERATURE BY UP TO 8 °
MASTERPLAN SOFT AS DEFENSE
25
50 M
IN A REGION PRONE TO EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS, PROVIDING MORE PERMEABLE SURFACE WAS IMPORTANT TO MITIGATE IN THE EVENT OF WATER
38
LAKE ST.
SHERIDAN ST.
SCHEMATIC PLAN 39
5
10
25 M
1.0 The forms of spaces were themed by microscopic coral formations, predominantly the forms of the Favia coral, used for the landform. These can be found on Cairns Doorstep on the Great Barrier Reef. Cairns has a strong connection to the reef, as it is the economic heartbeat of the city. A key architectural device, the skeleton, is a public platform that punctuates the proposal, linking the opera house, commercial buildings, public spaces and private together. It acts as a catalyst of circulation and activity on the site. It enables identity, performance, gathering, utility, connection and protection. A section cutting through the cultural precinct: Showing the relationship between the coral mounds and the lagoon lawn in the centre. The skeleton path cuts through the park, carrying energy through the park and beyond.
SECTION
01
CMOMA
40
WET EXPERIENCE
41
DRY EXPERIENCE
42