DISTURBANCE
Runjia Fiona Chen
CONTENT
Introduction Rockbank Background
Getting Closer to Rockbank Design Proposal Disturbance Never Ends
INTRODUCTION
What Is Disturbance? Disturbance is a state of changing, of stirring, never a stable state. It has a sense of uncertainty and temporality. It is a continous process, which would only accelerate or decelerate, but never resolved. Landscape in transition usually possesses strong sense of disturbance that may potentially lead to a new type of environment or space for human use. In Rockbank, Disturbance is going on constantly like everywhere else in the world. However, after it was decided that it would be transformed from green wedge to a new township. Rockbank has never been the same again. In this project, disturbance is no longer regarded something needs to be removed but something needs to be introduced in Rockbank.
ROCKBANK BACKGROUND
Rockbank
Basalt Plains Silurian Dderived Sedimentary Hills Teriary Sands Coastal Areas
Between the Volcanic Basalt Plains Rockbank lies on a basalt plain created by lava flows in the late Quaternary Period, 2 to 5 million years ago. Nearby Mt Atkinson and Mt Cottrell are among a number of eruption points in the vicinity, the lava flowed down river-valleys where it hardened into basalt, covering the Ordovician and Silurian sediments. The soils on the basalt plain are typically newer volcanic, with a heavy textured clay (red soil). This clay, 10 to 60 centimetres thick, lies on the impervious layer of basalt and its poor drainage has led to the formation of the swampy areas common to the volcanic grasslands.
Unique Grasslands Before European settlement the dominant vegetation on the basalt plain would have been Kangaroo grass, with a number of other herbs and grasses, such as Poa labillardieri and Danthonia spp, also present. The growth of these grasslands may have been encouraged by the Aboriginal practice of systematic burning to open up the land for hunting. The local grassy plains and open woodlands were also an important food source. Various edible leaves, fruits, and roots - including the staple root Myrrnong (Microsis scapigera) - were all present on the plains. However, due to long term cropping and pastoral activities, and more recently to the western movement of urban development, grassland environments have been seriously degraded.
Arieal images taken at the biggest intersection in Rockbank near where Rockbank station isÂ
Constant Land Interference Rockbank is consistantly interfered by humans over a decade, including cultivation, residential development as well as infrastructure installation (Leakes Road). Another large infrastructure (OMR i.e. Outer Metropolitan Road)Â is proposed to be built in Southeast of Rockbank, right across the Kororoit Creek as well as two ecologicallysignificant wetlands.Â
Rockbank
1986 melbourne demographic growth
1991
1996
No longer a Green wedge Rockbank, 32 km away from Melbourne CBD, situated bewteen Melton and Caroline Springs. Previously, Rockbank had been designated a green wedge area, and Melton City Council envisaged just 1500 people living in the township. While the expanding urban boundary is transforming Rockbank to a residential based suburb for over 25,000 people to move in.
2001
2006
2011
Rockbank
Projected Population Growth 2006 to 2026
“ Melbourne’s biggest housing BANANA (BANANA - Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything) “ This kind of development never should have been considered because it’s outside the original green belt, which was legislated in 2003, and there was more than enough land within the urban growth boundary to cater for increased growth. It’s just going to place thousands more people on the extreme fringes of Melbourne where there aren’t services to cater for them. It just keeps happening as if there’s a never-ending supply of land, and there’s not. ”
- RMIT urban planning professor Michael Buxton
What people say about living in Melton ? Melton
Rockbank
High crime rate in Rockbank and Melton
“ I have lived here for 7 years, and am just about to move and get out of here. Its affordable, which is great if your starting out, but thats about it. The schools aren’t great, the people can be racist and there is a horrible stigma attached to the area. I have found it to be far, but with the freeway, it’s not that bad to the city. The area has limited shopping centres and the town is now HUGE! Too many people. I find it now ‘dirty’ and the area just doesnt have a nice feel to it. Im glad to be leaving. ”
Is Rockbank going to be Melton 2.o ? Melton is the central suburb in the satellite city of Melton, closely connected to Rockbank. The population of Melton has reached 60,000 ever since 1862. However the social issue in Melton is still a huge probelm, including racism, robbery etc. There is little to no active open space activities happening in Melton even though they are planned. The communal bonding in the neighbourhood is also very weak. Rockbank, is now going to be another satellite city with new residents from everywhere. It may be susceptible that similar social issues will occur in Rockbank, or even more severely.
Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) The map below shows the spread of disadvantage across Melbourne. High disadvantage is defined as low access to ‘material and social resources and ability to participate in society’, which include factors such as employment, English-speaking proficiency and household income.
Rockbank
Vulnerability and Disadvantage in Melbourne The map below shows how more car-dependent areas are more vulnerable to fluctuations in factors such as petrol prices and interest rates.
Rockbank
GETTING CLOSER TO ROCKBANK
7 4
1
2
5
6 Design Area
3
8
1 Rockbank train station
2 Drainage becoming wetland near a major road
3 Remanent reserved grassland
4 Utterly different new development
The New The Old The In Between
5 Land excavation building the new Rockbank
6 Deserted/Unused land becoming something ‘else’
7 Remanent reserved woodland
8 Kororoit Creek away from the to be built community, but close to OMR
The Old
The In Between
The New
In Transition In Between
The Old
The In Between
The New
Potentials of Disturbed Landscapes In Transition
Vegetation growth Current disturbance area during the transition of Rockbank
Water runoff (rain, stormwater, or other water from construction etc)
Human activity interference (construction, cultivation, human movement etc) 1:10,000 on A2
Disturbance Cause Form Outcome
Micro ecology created by stormwater/drainage
Ground soil/surface destabilisation
Vegetation patches created by the replacement of soil (cut and fill)
Micro ecology created by the level change of surface due to erosion
DESIGN PROPOSAL
Disturbance to Be Continued The environmental disturbance in Rockbank is essentially caused by human interference, while the potential social issue in Rockbank is due to the lack of communal bonding and understanding. The idea of humans changing the environment but do not make the most out of it is quite ironic. Disturbance is transformed into Rockbank in the design, not only in a physical form (landscape being disintegrating), but also, transport in the neighbourhood is being disconnected, the way residents circulate through the suburb is also being interrupted. Somehow the disintegration and disconnection are actually integrating and connecting the relationship between human and landscape as well as the relationship between the residents.
1:10,000 on A2
Proposed Masterplan of Disturbance The main disturbed areas are the dark curvy lines in the masterplan, which will be streets that would only allow people to pass (no cars). The streets will be disintegrated and grassland species will be growing out of the concrete streets.
Disturbance Intensity
Rice paper layering according to contours
Glued with water-based glue
First even spray with water color
Disturbance Test
First dry after spray
Second even spray with water color
Second dry after spray
Sensitive Ecology & Main Roads
Significant habitat zones Waterway & Flood zones Growling grass frog habitat Main roads (including OMR i.e. the long strip on the right)
1:10,000 on A2
Water Runoff
Water runoff direction Low points High points Highest points Lowest points
1:10,000 on A2
Relationship between different roads and streets
Roads for cars
Disturbance Intensity
Disturbance Journey
Carparks for cars
Disturbed streets for pedestrain ONLY
Streets between the rows of houses (no car ramp for houses anymore)
Proposed Zones Carparks are chosen to be located near the most possible to be disturbed locations, while the disturbance only occurs after getting out of the carpark, walking into the streets. Public facilities such as schools and town centres are placed where the contours are quite flat and little to no disturbed streets are running through them. While the actual disturbed streets are outlined according to the way water color spread and accumulat during the paper model tests. Housing lots on site are aligned to how the water might flow through the site, so that stormwater from the houses will be easily collect towards the surrounding disturbed streets.
1:10,000 on A2
Reserved woodland
Active open space
School
Community hub
Town centre
Residential Area
What makes different intensities of disturbance? “Some better quality remnants of both ecological communities may persist along roadside verges, railway embankments and cemeteries.” “Nationally Threatened Ecological Communities of the Victorian Volcanic Plain: Natural Temperate Grassland & Grassy Eucalypt Woodland”
The Disturbance Intensity is speculated based on the previous plans and tests, the following factors have a key influence on disturbance intensity: - water flow direction and accumulation - exsiting vegetation condition - human activity & movement - ground surface condition (e.g. soil) - rain & storm water amount As the streets go further away from the carpark and main roads, less car and people move through the space, less stormwater being collected, less unexpected factors, so the area away from carparks, roads and intersections would be less disturbed.
Disturbance Intensity Plan
1:10,000 on A2
Disturbance Intensity
Traditional street
Disturbed street
A Street or a Park? The reasons to have the disturbed areas to be on the streets are: - People have to go through the streets to be able to get home, to change the way people use the street space on a daily basis, may cause a huge social influence in a long term. - Areas nearby the roads and streets can be areas that a lot of small vegetation of diversity usually resides, which is due to the ample water that they are provided. Street space near houses and roads will be great for grassland species to grow. - Traditional parks are not actually easy to access for everyone in the community all the time.
1:250 on A3 (girl not to scale)
Disturbance Intensity
Journey in Rockbank “
After getting out of the carpark, I was surround by grass bursting out of the concrete, the street seems to be more like a park. My kids were running to see what is going on in the front, while I was enjoying wandering and getting lost between the grass and concrete. There were points that the grass got quite wild and I had to look around to find a way to go through. However it was a quick moment before I realized that less grass were around me than before and my kids got back to my side again. There were still a few patches scattered on the street but not as intense anymore. Then I noticed that the houses near the streets, whose fences are usually quite low to little. There were some frontyards with wild grass like before, probably just unmaintained. I had to keep an eye on Google Map all the time since the streets are quite curvy and I might just got lost between the grasses at any moment and I’m running late. Luckily I run into someone who directed me to a short-cut to Amy’ house. After turning from the ‘main street’, or the park, the road becomes normal. lawns and trees on the side, I was wondering whether this something random or delibrate. But anyway I was running late.
”
Umbrella Moment At where the grasses are quite dense and spreading, usually near the main road, or at some intersection of streets, People have to squash through a narrow path, the narrowness create a spatial closeness to encourage people to interact. While if it was rainy and someone was walking next to you without an umbrella, then there would be a possible umbrella moment that you would be sharing an umbrella with a stranger in the same neighborhood.
Disturbance Intensity
Potential Areas: Steet areas near carparks streets intersections
After School Playground This space is more open comparing to the previous one, while a lot more freedom in terms of the circulation choices, a great place for kids as a playground especially. Kid sports can be potentially occuring on site while the grass strips are acting as natural barriers, or simply games like hide and seek. Due to the large amount of families in Rockbank, an easily-accessible space for kids to meet. This kind of space is much more flexible than a traditional facilited communal playground which may also not be so easy to access.
Disturbance Intensity
Potential Areas: A bit away from streets intersections but still have ample stormwater access
Daily Encounter This kind of little disturbed space is more a space of questioning and observing. A single bursting is potentially to catch people’s attention, on a daily basis. The change this this small patch is easily to be noticed especially for people who has to walk past everyday. They may acatually get interested in how this is happening, why this is happening and what was here before this street.
Disturbance Intensity
Potential Areas: Far away from streets intersections quite deep into the residential areas
What makes the disturbance on street?
Concrete after setting
Ponding between the cracks
small amount of soil accumulated and small vegetation growing
At least over several months that first grasses will be bursting, some may take over years
Site context with 10cm contours
Ciculation route determined by vegetation patches vegetation patches determined by the underlying concrete structure Concrete with different water and aggregate ratio Reinforced steel partially lifted above the standard level
Rich red soil 1:50 on A3
How Does Grass burst out of concrete?
Weakening 30% of the concrete on one same street to accelerate the process of cracking (disturbance). To weaken the concrete, three main methods are used: - Change the standard ratio of concrete to delibrately create weak concrete that will crack during the process of setting - Lift up the reinforced steels in the concrete to allow them to be exposed to water after being initially cracked - Thinning the thickness of concrete to accelerate the process of fully cracking
Cracking Process Zoom In It may take different time for different areas to grow grasses, depending on factors including rainfall, season, stormwater accumulation, human interference, as well as the quality of construction. Generally speaking, 2-3 months for small amount of grass to grow, and it may take half a year or more to have some mature patches. Or in some areas that there are lack of stormwater, the cracks may take years to be able to provide a soil bed that is deep enough for the grasses to growth.
However, even though the crackings are dependent on the installation of concrete, which is quite delibrate, but whether the space actually crack; how fast and how muach it would crack would totally depend on the environment.
Concrete 10 cm thick (usually 20cm thick) Steel Aggregates around 5 cm thick Rich red Soil
Concrete cancer to accelerate cracking
Control of the Disturbance Disturbed streets are 5 metres wide, throughout one street, there will be generally 30% cracking. 20% cracking will be happening near the sreets intersection, while only 10% will be around the other parts of the streets. All the disturbed patches of concrete will be blocked during construction so that further concrete cancer will not spread into other areas. At lease one metre width of non-cracking concrete will allow pedestrians to pass. But in some areas there might only be one patch of cracking concrete.
Themeda triandra (Kangaroo Grass)
Stipa bigeniculata
Poa labillardieri
Danthonia caespitosa (Common Wallaby Grass)
Microseris scapigera
Oxalis perennans
Re - introduce Basalt Plain Grassland species Vegetation species are chosen based on the original grassland species that were here. Seeding will only be happening at the initial stage of cracking. In the following years the growth of grass will depend on the environmental situation as well as the neighborhood interactions. Some seed will also be placed in the aggregates under the concrete, as the water gets into the aggregates, the seeds may be activated (if not killed by the concrete). It would be interesting to see how the grasses from the old grassland is invading the new suburb. No trees are selected since the cracking can only provide a certain amount of soil for vegetation growth.
DISTURBANCE NEVER ENDS
Ongoing Disturbance Disturbance is re-introduced into the landscape, while it is hard to predict how it would be realized in Rockbank at a 100% accuracy. This design is more about providing opportunities for the different interactions to happen, in a way to trigger or accelerate the disturbance. Disturbance is always happening, its temporiality makes a landscape of a more interesting place.
Is Disturbance About Disconnection and Disintegration? or Is Disturbance About Connection and Integration?