THE NORTH DESIGN STUDIO 4 ANES ABDOU
SITE ANALYSIS The first stage of the project is to develop a design brief of which we could eventually respond to with a design proposal. In order to do that, we need to understand exactly what the context of the site and its surroundings is. The North Wharf (site) is located in Docklands, Melbourne. It is a narrow stretch of land that is home to ‘Library at the Docks’ and ‘Community Hub at The Dock’. It also houses a couple Boating sheds and a Boating club. The site is favoured by water with Victoria Harbour and the Yarra River acting as its border. The Bolte bridge is situated to the west of the cite along with a control tower.
Studying Status University Bourke Street Bridge Southern Cross Station
Newquay
4%
Secondary Educa-
2%
Tafe
Victoria Point WaterfrontCity Webb Bridge
Occupation (Top 3) 9AM
Professionals
Administration
Managers
Employment Employed
3%
Unemployed
Not Stated
12PM
3PM
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
PEDESTRIAN ACCESS
As the site analysis began, it was apparent that there would be numerous constraints as well as opportunities for the site. One major issue was that Docklands doesn’t really attract attention of the residents of Melbourne after the 9-5 grind is over. Another major consideration is the fact that the closest tram stop is 500m away(above). The site does get a decent amount of foot traffic (top right), which can be utilised, especially because of the dynamic nature of the site’s location and views. There is a single road (right) that allows access to the site (North Wharf Rd), which will retain its purpose to allow access when necessary. The population mainly consists of young professionals so they can be con-sidered as a consideration when putting forth design proposals.
ROAD TRAFFIC
1
AGE OF BUILDINGS (YEARS)
20+
These statistics are important for the neighbourhood context and can aid in creating a better proposal. Several building types can be discovered in Docklands. These can range from residential buildings, offices, mixed-use construction, warehouses and recreational facilities.
With the site now being heavily analyzed and considered, a design brief can be formed. The design proposal should be heavily influ-enced by water due to its location and should endeavor to con-nect the occupants to the water. The site has a rich and important history, and this should be respected when putting forward ideas. The overall building area cannot exceed 40%, allowing the remain-ing 60% for permeability and potential future use. There should be 5 main themes of which the designs are considering, one of them as afore mentioned being water. The Design proposals need to be engaging for occupants of the areas and encourage people to enjoy what docklands has to offer after office hours
RIBBON (TIE EVERYTHING TOGETHER)
FIRE AND WATER (REFLECTION)
LABRYNTH (CREATE CURIOSITY)
With the brief set and understood, I wanted to create something that really stands out and attracts people to docklands. For early sketches, I tried to avoid using blocks or squares as they are a representation of Docklands which needs a change. As a result, more organic shapes were favoured and improved further. LIBRARY AT THE DOCKS BEAMS (FLOW)
FOCAL POINT STRUCTURE (RIPPLE)
ROOF CURVES (WAVES)
• ROOF MEETS FLOOR • CREATES WIND BARRIERS • NUMEROUS VIEW POINTS
• INCORPERATE CONTROL TOWER • ENCOURGAES EXPLORATION
• POTENTIAL BOAT SHED FORM • WIDE SPAN SHED DOOR • TIMBER CLADDING
With the initial sketches, I was intrigued by the capabilities of the ribbon and its aesthetic appeal as well as its ability to create its own wind barriers as well as metaphorically tie in all the different areas that will be added to the site into one. Using the ribbon as the building itself will automatically give the occupants a main pathway to venture through.
After seeing the uniform shape of the previous design and then considering the buildings purpose, I opted for 3 main buildings. This way they could be better suited to successfully carry out their purpose. Each still possess the characteristics of the uniform version yet is better suited to the task. As can be seen with the boat shed on the west side of the site having a greater width to accommodate larger boats.
Although the buildings were more suitable for the function, the form was greatly affected, and the design lost its flare. This made me pursue a different method to achieving the desired result. beginning with the site’s envelope, I bean removing sections based on what my buildings needed.
After numerous iterations, I decided to pursue this one further. I felt as though it has a good balance of all the characteristics, I want this proposal to have. Such as wind protection, aesthetically pleasing and it can serve its purpose just fine. The pavilion (front middle) is angled in a way which maximizes views to and from the city. The retail premise located to the east of the pavilion will have an interesting vantage point on the second floor.
Now that I was relatively satisfied with the general layout of the buildings, I decided I wanted to hold true to the ribbon concept and join the buildings in a more flowing way with ramps, doors and passageways connecting all the different area into the one. With the form become as a single entity once again, the implementation of courtyards with ponds scattered across the site and appearing where the building is creating pockets of space, free from the harsh winds that docklands is known for and ideal for quiet areas for the different occupants.
SOUTH ELEVATION
NORTH ELEVATION
EAST ELEVATION
WEST ELEVATION
SITE PLAN
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
FIRST FLOOR PLAN
SECOND FLOOR PLAN
SITE PLAN
The proposal has been refined further and improved areas that were lacking. The pavilion has been improved to create a bigger impact on the viewer to have a lasting effect. The green roof will reduce the heat in the harsh summer months and keep the occupants cool during winter. The green roof does have a considerable weight to it but is being supported by large structural beams.
RETAIL/CAFE PREMISE SECTION PERSPECTIVE
BOAT SHED SECTION PERSPECTIVE