URBAN DESIGN PORTFOLIO
DARSHINI RAJESHWARAN A graduate from the Masters in Urban Development and Design program from UNSW (2017), with a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Manipal University, India (2015). Passionate to create cities that are environmentally sustainable and economically viable with the integration of the learnings from architecture in terms of the quality of Built forms. Worked as an Architect and Intern at Balan and Nambisan Architects, Bangalore, India and handled Residential, Interior and Gated community projects as one of the core design member.
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GLEBE ISLAND HARBOURFRONT GATEWAY
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SCHÖNEWEIDE ECO-DISTRICT
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METRO WESTCONNEX: KINGSGROVE
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WATER CITY BERLIN
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MAGAZINE COVER
02. GLEBE ISLAND - HARBOURFRONT GATEWAY The Urban Design Research studio focused on the Very Fast Train Sydney terminus location. Accordingly Glebe island was chosen for its dramatic gateway setting on the Harbour, potential connectivity to Barangaroo and Martin Place by metro and to the Darling Harbour Convention and Exhibition facilities by Light Rail. This research was an attempt ti address the question - ‘How to maximize the dramatic arrival at the Sydney Water Front?’.
URBAN DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Placement of the VFT Terminus at the tip of the island.
Continuous boulevard leading to the Terminus.
The first principle is to maintain the social and cultural nature of a locality with place making being the main thumb rule. The second is to create a district that is both environmentally responsible and economically productive. The last principle was to create a healthy and cohesive community with an integrated design. To give these principle more definition 8 Urban design strategies were adopted: - To place the VFT Terminal at the tip of the island, to realize the full potential of the harbour as a gateway. - To create the Ground floor above the terminus as a concourse with retail and business activities, having multiple entrances to the station. - To create a linear boulevard leading to the station with changing building uses along its course. - To activate and redevelop the Power station into a Business Park. - To extend the connections from the site towards Balmain as well as maintain view lines to Pyrmont. - To provide two metro stops, one near the VFT terminal and the other next to the Power Station, both of which would enhance high density developments. - To create a continuous Foreshore walk of 25m along the edges if the site with Public recreational activities. - To extend the residential community of Balmain into the new Precinct.
Activation of the Power Station.
Extension of Connections to the surrounding neighbourhoods.
URBAN DESIGN FRAMEWORK
DESIGN PROGRAM
View towards the Harbour from the Station Plaza.
The connection between the East and the West of the VFT station is a pedestrian street, lined with retail and commercial buildings with restaurants on the Ground floor. There is a hierarchy in the streets with the boulevard anchoring the street network, from which the other roads follow in a grid like pattern. To activate the waterfront and to maintain views to the harbour, a harbour foreshore walk has been provided. Emphasis has been given to the footpaths and to the experience the user faces while walking these streets. Towards the tip, the buildings are low rise and towards Rozelle yards, high rise (podium) buildings have been provided. Placing the VFT at the tip of the Island helps to engage the entire precinct. The arrival experience is further enhanced with the addition of an Opera house and Retail village, making it a culturally rich precinct. The essence of the Power house is maintained while giving it a new function that makes it an active business precinct and the addition of the metro stations justify the density.
Section through the Precinct. (Section BB)
Perspective of the Pedestrian street.
06. SCHÖNEWEIDE ECO-DISTRICT Schöneweide will be Berlin’s new Eco-innovation precinct with a unique sense of place that embraces the sites industrial heritage and creates a new way of life that engenders social equity and environmental sustainability. Schoneweide Eco-District will bring an economic revival to the area and return a revitalized waterfront to the people of Berlin.’
URBAN DESIGN ANALYSIS
Community & Culture The new residential community will be modeled on Berlin’s cooperative housing strategy which is backed by the Senate to encourage ‘long-term rental housing and stable neighbourhoods’. There will be new community and cultural facilities to encourage social cohesion, environmental awareness and local knowledge.
Existing community and cultural spaces
Proposed community and cultural spaces
Existing green and blue infrastructure
Proposed green and blue infrastructure
Existing built form and function
Existing built form and function
Green & Blue Infrastructure A key objective is to return the River Spree to the people of Berlin by creating a public waterfront with a continuous promenade, green streets and ecological parks. Water sensitive urban design will be integral in creating a living landscape & public domain network. Adaptive Form & Function Proposed buildings will be sympathetic to the sites heritage and neighbouring built form. Heritage elements will be retained and adaptively re-used for innovation and community purposes; a new building type provides affordable housing and adaptive use; and larger scale commercial buildings align the main road and S-Bahn.
URBAN DESIGN FRAMEWORK
VIEW OF THE PRECINCT
URBAN DESIGN PRINCIPLES Interaction A successful urban design outcome will not only design public spaces, but design spaces for an interpretation of uses and interaction. This has been addressed through a substantial open space network leading to a variety of use open spaces for community gathering and activity such as urban farming and recreation. The built form has been designed following the Berlin cooperative housing model to ensure a mix of people are given equal opportunity to live an thrive amongst a like minded community. Sustainability Sustainable initiatives are integral to the 21st century city in steaming the effects of climate change through creating less invasive ways of living. Water Sensitive Urban Design Initiatives ensure water is used to its full potential for Grey water reuse and irrigation of the site. Active transport initiatives linking to existing public transport networks ensure sustainable methods of traveling and that is equitable to all. Live-work environments also mean that people have to travel less to get to their work. Adaptive reuse of any existing buildings also means less materials have to be used to redevelop the site, larger building uses also means greater community facilities. Economy The economic climate of the precinct will ensure the success of the Eco-District as a whole. If value can be circulated in the EcoDistrict it will mean a more self sustaining economy, where profit can be given back to the precinct. Equitable models for cooperative housing ensure a just society and build stronger community values around economic sustainability. Ecosystem services payments generate lower costs to the environment and the government, meaning these savings can be used for public domain upgrades and maintenance. Live work environments ensure less public transport upgrades are needed and ensures the cyclical nature of the economy of the Eco-District.
Section through the proposed Urban Framework
Section through the proposed Urban Framework
Wetland Visualization
Amphitheater Visualization
CO-OPERATIVE HOUSING MODEL
New Co-operative Housing Building
Co-operative Housing Building Program
The SchÜneweide Eco-District incorporates Berlin’s cooperative housing model to ensure the precinct thrives as a socially just, economically and environmentally sustainable district with the post industrial landscape of SchÜneweide. The buildings open to the waterfront incorporate a rich variety of uses including standard units, cluster units, communal terraces and interior areas, as well as flexible use spaces. The ground floor is reflective of the community driven precinct, being open to public uses and opportunities for residents, students of the university or young entrepreneurs to flourish in a live work environment, within the new and budding innovation district. The precinct is sustained through various environmental initiatives such as water recycling and urban farming. Rents would be staggered to ensure social equity and an intergenerational mix, starting at the same price of subsidized housing. If users wish to carry out their own construction of the internals of their own unit a certain budget can be given to the owner, ensuring people with little capital can own their own home.
Co-operative Housing Isometric distribution
12. METRO WESTCONNEX: KINGSGROVE Kingsgrove Place will be a gateway center of a collective character, representing an urban environment for the new active society where variety of housing opportunities are provided and well supported with range of world-class facilities and amenities.
KINGSGROVE PRECINCT PLAN
The Beverly Hills – Kingsgrove Precinct Plan sets a framework for the uplift of the neighbourhood with the inclusion of the new urban center. The Precinct Plan aims to guide the development of the area to accommodate the increase in density with a mix of uses that offers a balance character, reinforce the suburban character of garden neighbourhood, incorporate a retail and business precinct to support the new community and ensure the walkability of the entire precinct.
Precinct Plan showing the different uses.
URBAN DESIGN ANALYSIS
The urban center connects communities of the surrounding neighbourhood and the greater region through its engaging environment. The quality landscaped-boulevard along with the active promenade forms the spine of the center, offering the living experience of a green neighbourhood together with a productive center that has a balance function for housing, education, business, leisure and entertainment.
Existing Transit Network
Proposed Transit Network
Existing FAR
Proposed FAR
Existing Building uses
Proposed Building uses
URBAN DESIGN FRAMEWORK
VIEW OF THE URBAN CENTRE
URBAN DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Connectivity
Defining Edges
Quality Public Domain
Active Promenade
• CONNECTIVITY Connecting Stations Strengthen the Street Network across North, South and West to the East • ACTIVE PROMENADE Encourage mix of uses along the promenade • DEFINING EDGES Introduce higher density along landscaped park and the promenade Introduce the key landmarks at intersections Having different height in the built form that gradually decrease towards existing neighbourhood • QUALITY PUBLIC DOMAIN Extending landscape across the site to improve the quality of the built environment Incorporate public art to activate the park and form creative spaces
URBAN DESIGN STRATEGIES
View showing the Urban center
• Connecting Stations of Rail Network Propose a new Metro Station and the gateway concourse that offers opportunities for leisure and entertainment Upgrade of the existing Kingsgrove Rail Station as a bus and rail interchange hub. Ensure linkage to the Beverly Hills Station at the west through the park network and active transport network • Retail & Business Opportunities Active Promenade filled with opportunities for leisure and entertainment Enterprise Corridor that links to the potential business park up north via Kingsgrove Road or landscape bridge
Section through Train Station
• Community Infrastructure Support new communities with provision of new community facilities, particularly through the art center and community center with incorporation of a new library hall and a learning center • Innovative Public Domain and Quality Public Realm Extending the existing park across the site to form greater sense of place and the sense of community. Incorporate public art strategy and landscape design that encourage varied uses during the week and weekends Hierarchy of Parks including Beverly Hills Park (Public Park for community & sports); Garden Promenade as semi public & private green space; Landscape Sculpture Park, Landscape Bridge and Beverly Hills Grove as public green pace for arts, leisure and entertainment; Buffer corridor along M5. Parks are well connected to encourage the use of Active Transport, including walking, cycling and use of public transportation Green spaces along Wolli Creek are of ecological sensitive by setting buffer corridor and greater setbacks of buildings – Garden Promenade
Section through Active Promenade
Section through Garden Promenade
19. WATER CITY : BERLIN Flughafen Tegel will continue to be a landmark destination where different communities meet and gather. The site reinforces the character of the Berliners’ lifestyle and the strong connection between community and the natural amenity. The urban design framework aims to support a sustainable and self-efficient future living whilst maintaining the role of Tegel’s future reuse as an Urban Tech Republic.
FIGURE GROUND MAPPING
1:200,000
The figure ground mapping method helped to understand the City and its context in depth. 1:200,000: Berlin’s road and rail network has a ring radial structure. Berlin is at its highest density within the inner city ring. The density grows/ spreads out along a North-South axis and an East-West Axis. 1:20,000 :Berlin has strong natural amenity with a signify cant amount of green space and a substantial water network. There is a mixed neighbourhood within the urban district, notably, the typical Berlin suburban housing estate, garden allotments, 1950s slab form and military bases. 1:2000: The neighbourhood Cite Guynemer currently accommodates a French barracks that has a typical 1950s built slab design. Additionally, the Federal Network Agency of Berlin.
1:20,000
1:2000
URBAN DESIGN FRAMEWORK
OBJECTIVES Increase housing density of the area to meet future population growth and to overcome the issue of housing shortages. Inaugurate a strong active transport network to establish a car-free and self-contained community. Encourage diversity in land use that includes a mix of residential, commercial, retail, recreational and leisure activity centers. Provide high quality landscaping and public green spaces with the focus on the aesthetic form as well as the underpinned culture of Berliner’s to create a public realm of high quality. Reinforce the aesthetic role of the water network and improve the connection of the water to both the Tegel’s future reuse and the community. Critically reconstruct existing neighbourhoods with the employment of sustainable and climate adaptive design. Reinvigorate the traditional design principles of courtyard buildings along with ground floor uses and ensure street activation. Provide a range of community facilities to improve the sense of community and social wellbeing.
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URBAN ANALYSIS DIAGRAMS
The site has good access to the greater region with the existing transport. Nevertheless, the natural amenity that the site has emphasized the need and potential to build an active transport network in the area – giving priority to pedestrians, cyclists and public transportation. The existing beach at the Lake is one of the key recreational destinations for local residents. However, the existing recreational space is limited and the form of the Flughafensee has no defined space. Apart from the lake, the site is rich in natural amenity with the proximity to the Forest Estate. Berlin’s topography is characterized as a low-lying area of marshy woodlands. Consequently, Berlin’s water system is formed through a series of lakes feeding the main Spree River. In the planning of an urban design framework for the area, the transport system, the park network and particularly the water system have been taken into priority consideration.
Existing Transport Network
Proposed Transport Network
Existing Green Network
Proposed Green Network
Existing Water Network
Proposed Water Network
WATERFRONT PERSPECTIVE VIEW
URBAN DESIGN FRAMEWORK : SECTIONS
Section through the Canal Precinct.
Section through the Garden and Community Precinct.
KEY URBAN STRATEGIES
WATERFRONT DESTINATION Extend the existing Flughafensee (Lake) and form a canal ring for the site, providing new opportunities for waterfront living and interfaces. The extension of the lake along with the reuse of the lake for more recreational purposes such as the improvement and extension of existing beaches creates more of a connection between both the project site and the Urban Tech Republic.
View of the Community gardens
BIRD HABITAT ISLAND & WELL-DESIGNED GREEN SPACES The high quality landscaping incorporated in the framework reinvigorates the connection between the Urban Tech Republic and green space network of the region. NEW U-BAHN STATION TOD Support the construction of the proposed U-bahn station at Tegel Airport and develop a new station at the central of the site to connect the site more effectively to the region. Sequentially, develop the precinct around the new station based on the Transit-Oriented-Development (TOD) concept with a mix of uses, ground floor and/or podium level commercial and retail with a higher density of residential. Additionally, form an arcade that connects the precinct and the train station to the Green open space.
View of the Waterfront Public spaces
CRITICAL RECONSTRUCTION Partially demolish the existing 1950s French Barracks and critically reconstruct as a means of accommodating New energy efficient buildings, improving existing living conditions whilst increasing the density of the area. SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY LIVING The current green allotment along the existing U-bahn Station will be redesigned and upgraded To a sustainable green community similar to the concept of the world famous sustainable community; Vauban at Freiburg, Germany. The precinct will accommodate 3-4 storey residential lots that are designed for low-energy consumption and Passive design with solar panels, where surplus solar energy will be sold back into the local grid for the surrounding housing.
View of the Waterfront Development
26. MAGAZINE COVER