DESIGN SCHEME FOR GRANDPONT U37742: Designing The City
Freddy Hedberg - 12027233 For the attention of Dr Jon Cooper & Dr Regina Lim 1
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
RESPONSIVE ENVIRONMENT
The final design scheme will be analysed in terms of its responsive environA short introduction to the project and its layout will be provided to state the ments to highlight how the new environment will function. structure of this report. It will also give information on the Grandpont site and its surroundings. The scheme will also be examined through its morphology to illustrate the new structure of Grandpont.
MORPHOLOGY
GRANDPONT ANALYSIS
VIEWS IN AND OUT OF GRANDPONT
TOWNSCAPE
Elements of townscape in the design scheme will be shown through various Different views from the site will be shown to demonstrate the potential fac- views of the site with the help of the SketchUp software. tors the site owns. Interactive footage will be also displayed to get a further experience of Grandpont. The last analysis of the new Grandpont scheme will be looked at through
IMAGEABILITY
SWOT ANALYSIS
Kevin Lynch’s imageability concepts which rely on the four elements of The analysis for Granpont will be laid out for the reader. It will show the pathways, edges, landmarks, nodes and districts. various strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and weaknesses (in some cases barriers) which were used to create the original design of the project. Concepts and inspirations the author has for the final design scheme of Gran-
SMÖRGÅSBORD
pont will be laid out and briefly talked about.
ORIGINAL SCHEME DESIGN ACTIONS
CONCLUSION
The original design will be laid out which used the analysis to come up with The project is pulled together to form a conclusion referring back to all of design actions for the site. Some of these design actions have been used for the various elements used for the design scheme of Grandpont. A reflection will be also added to give an insight to the author’s experience throughout the final design, whilst others have been discarded. this project.
ANALYSIS
The original scheme will then be analysed through four main concepts which are responsive environments, morphology, imageability and townscape in order to show the weaknesses of the design.
REFERENCES + BIBLIOGRAPHY
All of the references and works used and read will be stated here.
FINAL SCHEME DESIGN ACTIONS
The original design actions as well as the critique from the analysis will be used to come up with new design actions for the final Grandpont design scheme.
DESIGN OBJECTIVES
A set of design objectives in the four categories of responsive environments, morphology, townscape and imageability will be set for the designer to incorporate to the final design.
FINAL DESIGN SCHEME
The final design scheme for Granpont will be presented with a few annotations to illustrate some of the author’s design scheme to the reader.
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INTRODUCTION PROJECT BRIEF The focus of this project is to create a design scheme for a case study area in Oxford. The area which will be studied in this project is called Grandpont, located in the South West of Oxford. The river Thames flows at its borders and is in fact a nature park which is managed by Oxford City Council. This area is mostly a green space area with various small forests and open space for people to enjoy. The present site has many views in and from the area which can be seen in the upcoming section of the report. For this project, an analysis has been made to classify various features of Granpont into strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and
threats. Key findings from the SWOT analysis will be put forward to use for the first set of design actions which will be used to create an original design. After a period of time in which the author has researched and learned about various ways in which design can be applied to make a legible and responsive place, a new design scheme has been created (Figure 1) incorporating some features from the original and other concepts learned during this time. At the end of this report, a conclusion will be dawned to establish the final main aspects of the Granpont design scheme as well as the author’s reflection on this project. Figure 1: Sneak preview of the final design scheme for Grandpont.
HISTORY Previously, the area was used as a gas works during the coal industry which was later destroyed in 1960. The only remaining structure of that period on this site is the Grandpont Bridge which was used to transport coal over the river Thames between St. Ebbes and the railway line next to site. The bridge was built between 1870 and 1890 (Maps 1 & 2) before the gas works was built which took some place between 1920 and 1930 (Map 3).
The Grandpont site has the Hogacre Common Eco Park neighbouring it on the other side of the train tracks to the West and has residential areas next to it to the north and the East. To the south it has a recreational play area for sports with various gaming zones. In all, Grandpont is surrounded by a lot of vegetation which gives off a peaceful environment.
Map 1: Grandpont historical site 1870.
Map 2: Grandpont historical site 1890.
Map 3: Grandpont historical site 1930.
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GRANDPONT ANALYSIS 4
VIEWS IN AND OUT Figure 2 (interactive): View of the vast open space in Grandpont.
Figure 3 (interactive): Scenic view from Grandpont.
The site has a vast amount of open space and greenery which brings out its charm and beauty. Spaces like these should try and be kept in the designs as it’s one of the more desirable features of Grandpont.
Grandpont provides stunning views of Oxford’s dreaming spires which serves as a good reference point for visitors to the site. Landmarks such as these help locate the observer in Oxford.
Figure 4 (interactive): The car park entrance on the Grandpont site.
Figure 5 (interactive): Grandpont neighbouring playing field.
View of the carpark entrance gives off a gated and reserved feeling to the site due to its metal fencing to prevent unwanted observes in the space.
The playing field to the south of the site provides leisurely activities for people. Having access to this area from Grandpont should be kept in the design scheme. Map 4: Morphological map of Grandpont showing the views in and out of the site.
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SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGHTS
There is a vast amount of OPEN SPACE in the Grandpont area. This creates space in the area and makes it a more leisurely area rather than a stressful one. Looking out from Grandpont gives a SCENIC VIEW to admire which creates a leisure activity from the site. The BRIDGE connecting the Grandpont site and Dale Close provides access to the site from across the river. This makes it easy for accessing the city centre and St Aldate’s (one of the major link to the centre). There is a lot of ACCESSIBILITY in and out of the site as well as through it; this shows that Grandpont has a lot of movement and gives choices to pedestrians. There are a few main footpaths which are used by pedestrians making accessibility easier.
The PLAYING FIELD provides a sports area for the young. This creates another leisure activity for the area and community. There is a lot of NATURE in Grandpont which gives the area a rural feeling. This provides an escape from the busy work life as many people use this area to walk their dogs or just to take a leisurely stroll. There is a DIVERSE nature in the area with various species of plants, ranging from trees to different berry bushes. This clearly states that the climate is favourable for growing various plant lives. With this much vegetation and open space, green space is created.
The fact that Grandpont is situated next to a full size RIVER has many opportunities to offer. The waterfront could have restaurants and cafes which have floating decks for outside sitting. This would create a unique leisure experience which would be aesthetically pleasing and modern at the same time.
The railways line creates a lot of noise to the Grandpont site (NOISE POLLUTION). This is bad as any residential development will have to be thought through in order to minimise the impact on households. The SECURITY in the area seems very minimal. Areas such as under the railway line bridge and certain forestry areas seem very dangerous, especially during the night. The CAR PARK on the site belongs to the neighbouring residential to the East. This limits the use of space on the Grandpont site and needs to be considered during the design action plan.
There is a huge lack of RUBBISH BINS in the area which encourages people to pollute the area by leaving their trash on the ground. The vegetation is growing somewhat WILD. This makes the site look abandoned by the Oxford City Council workforce and gives the impression that no cares about Grandpont. Some of the benches (wooden ones especially) are getting WORN out. This aspect influences people as they might not want to stop and take a seat in the area.
Grandpont has a variety of WILDLIFE; from ducks to geese, to rabbits and squirrels. The area attracts a lot of wildlife which makes it a pleasant site to visit.
OPPORTUNITIES The HOG ACRE DITCH is sort of an inconvenience on the site due to it being present and not having multipurpose. This ditch could probably be developed into a small man made river which could be used for recreational use and leisure purposes as well as fulfilling its original job.
WEAKNESSES
THREATS The already existing WALKWAY along the river provides a nice leisurely stroll next to the river. By making it more accessible it would create a semi open area which would link to the Grandpont site. The car park already has an ACCESS POINT to the East and could have another access point to the West so that residents from the Grandpont site could easily access the parking area.
The river has the potential to FLOOD an area next to it. This poses the question of whether or not Grandpont is flood proof after a severe storm in the Oxford region. The RAILWAY LINE is another barrier to the site as there is not much we can do it to completely remove the noise pollution in the financial run. There is no possibility to remove the line as they are essential for people outside and inside of Oxford to visit or to commute.
The Grandpont site used to have a gas work on the site but was demolished in the 60’s. Due to this, there is a possibility that the ground in the area is CONTAMINATED from the chemicals previously used by the works and thus can be a threat for certain development designs such as growing food as there might be a risk of contamination.
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ORIGINAL SCHEME 7
DESIGN ACTIONS SWOT KEY FINDING ACCESS POINT RUBBISH BINS WORN
NOISE POLLUTION CONTAMINATED SCENIC VIEW
NATURE OPEN SPACE CAR PARK HOG ACRE DITCH RIVER WALKWAY
DESIGN ACTION
1. Street network will be set up to link the major access points in the area. 2. Have a group of two story block buildings with commercial use on the ground floor (shops and restaurants) and residential on the first floor. 3. The style of the buildings along the river will have an old look to them which will have similar visual appearance to other houses further down the River Thames. 4. Throughout the site, multiple rubbish bins will be introduced as well as new street furniture. 5. Another group of sustainable modern buildings will be located on a tunnel which covers the train tracks in order to prevent noise pollution from the trains. These buildings will have three floors with different uses. The first floor and second floor will be located further back from the commercial units in order to give a sense of elevation to them. • Ground floor: host commercial stores and restaurant chains giving choice to the residents in and around Grandpont. • First floor: on site grown local food through urban techniques such as vertical greenery and vertical farms. • Second floor: residential use with a beautiful scenic view of Oxford and its spires. 6. Half of the site will be a green open space to resemble the original ones. 7. The car park has altered position in order to give more space and accessibility to the site. 8. The Hogacre Ditch will be widened into a shallow stream with rocks and trees around it so that children can play in a safe water network. 9. A floating footpath will be added around the River Thames which will provide a unique leisure experience. Suspended on floating buoys and attached to extendable underwater will provide residents and outsiders to connect with the river in a new level. Map 5: Original Design Scheme for Grandpont.
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ANALYSIS
RESPONSIVEENVIRONMENTS MORPHOLOGY
IMAGEABILITY
TOWNSCAPE
Map 6: Responsive Environment of the Original Design Scheme.
Map 7: Morphology of the Original Design Scheme.
Map 8: Imageability of the Original Design Scheme.
Map 9: Original Design Scheme of Granpont.
The original scheme can be analysed through four categories: responsive environments, morphology, imageability and townscape.
In terms of morphology, the original design scheme has an uneven balance between blocks, plots and buildings. There is a huge block to the south of the site which is used for open space and greenery which creates a huge contrast to the rest of the site. The use of plots for buildings is misused. There are not enough buildings to accommodate the population density required for Grandpont. The car park still takes up a big proportion of the case study if kept. The morphology for the final design will have to be reworked to form a better laid out area.
Proceeding to examining the Grandpont site on an imageability basis, there are many various features which arise. Two mini districts can be identified as the modern housing and the old fashioned building districts which generates an unintentional split in the area which is not a good feature for Grandpont. There a very few landmarks on the site which creates a small reference network. The pathway system is not the best in terms of accessing all areas of the site. There are only two edges which separate the river and land as well as the open space to the buildings. There a very few nodes due to the lack of extensive pathways connections.
The townscape in the original design scheme is also limited. There is the presence of character due to the two styles of buildings (old and modern). There is not any grand vista which makes the area interesting and exciting. The presence of deflection is lacking in the scheme so as to peak intrigue to the observer. The scheme does not create a sense of place for Granpont due to the lack of townscape.
Looking at the original design through its responsive environments, the roads network is not fully permeable due to some areas of Granpont which are not linked to the rest of the site. The idea of a floating walkway only complicates the design (must consider the implications on boat traffic) and would be difficult to create. In all, the site is way too big in terms of connectivity as the roads are far too long for a person to walk along.
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FINAL SCHEME 10
DESIGN ACTIONS ORIGINAL DESIGN ACTIONS
CRITIQUE
FINAL DESIGN ACTIONS
1. Street Network
• Not fully permeable
1. Creation of a better and functional street network
• Remove the floating walkway idea
2. Two Storey Building with Old Style 3. Rubbish Bins & Street Furniture
5. On Site Farming (Vertical Farming) 6. Green Open Space
• Better correlation in the morphology of the scheme
• Low population density • Remove car park
8. Hogacre Ditch Widened
an appropriate amount of residential and commercial buildings which will increase the population density in Granpont. This includes removing the car park and redistributing the parking
• Avoid having districts • Generate more landmarks
• Add more nodes
3. Having a morphology in which block dimensions are fairly reasonable to plot building layouts which will in turn reduce the amount of open space and create a balanced mix of styles of development.
• Incorporate a grand vista • Create drama on the site
9. Floating Footpath Along The River Bank
2. Distribute the space efficiently in order to house
spaces through the use of on street parking.
• Create a better pathway’s system
7. Car Park Altered
out the site, linking to all the access points.
• Miss use of space
• Too much open space
4. Three Storey Modern Buildings
in order to enable a better connectivity through-
• Have deflection through building placement
4. Generate a sense of place by making the area more exciting through the use of various townscape elements such as vistas, deflection and character.
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DESIGN OBJECTIVES RESPONSIVE ENVIRONMENTS OBJECTIVES 1. Need good access to the entry of the site through permeability which will give an overall connected layout. 2. The site has to be legible for the observer in order to move around. 3. Need to bring the streets to life; the buildings need to reach out. 4. There needs to be a variety in the buildings in order to make the streets interesting and different. 5. There has to be a participation of the residents to create a good community spirit in Granpont (e.g. social neighbourhood events). 6. The area has to have visual appropriateness in order to satisfy people, thus having modern and old style.
MORPHOLOGY OBJECTIVES
TOWNSCAPE OBJECTIVES
IMAGEABILITY OBJECTIVES
1. Creation of proper working blocks of maximum 100 m in order to make them permeable.
1. Try and create a ‘here & there’ element in order to try and separate two mediums.
1. Create better street pattern through the proper use of street hierarchy.
2. The blocks and final design need to be able to fit the required density of forty dwellings per hectare.
2. P ea k t h e w a l ker s i n t er es t through the use of deflection.
2. Have more landmarks so that observers can navigate the site at ease.
3. Think about how to place target density in a manner which makes sense and which is not highly densified. 4. Keep a healthy balance between the green networks and the buildings. 5. There must be a clear distinction between buildings, plots and streets. 6. Refrain from having too many back or side roads which are not overlooked and thus create an unsafe pathway which no one will use.
3. Grandpont needs a sense of place; it needs a special character. 4. The buildings need to capture the space through its intricate detail. With the modern style buildings, vertical greenery can be used. For the older style buildings, detailed brick layout can be used. 5. Squares could give off drama to the area, making it more exciting for the observer when passing through.
3. Creation of nodes enables people movement hot spots. This might give potential for a wider space to host more leisure activity. 4. Generate edges between buildings and the street. 5. Pathways have to be laid out in a way which determines the flow of people. The pathways will also be mix used as some will be shared spaces between cars and pedestrians whilst others are designated only for pedestrians but also allowing certain vehcilles to navigate through the site.
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FINAL DESIGN SCHEME
Arial shot of the final design scheme for Grandpont by using the software entitled SketchUp. This is a simple representation of the area through the new scheme. The view shows the various blocks of housing and flats on the site. Some landmarks are noticeable from this distance.
Figure 6: Aerial view of the Final Design Scheme.
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FINAL DESIGN SCHEME LANDMARKS help the observer navigate through the site. One of these is located next to the water and was inspired by the Jefferson memorial in D.C. and will be used as a meeting spot an scenery lookout. Another is the pub which will bring people into the area in order to socialise.
CHARACTER FLATS generate a sense of interest into the area due to the variety in shape and colour of the buildings. The ground floor will provide shops and restaurants whilst the first floor is for residential use.
MODERN FLATS give the area a modern feel to it not only through its aesthetics, but also due to the up-todate technology in insulation, urban farming and renewable energy.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING creating perimeter blocks in the site. Some generate a green space in the middle of the block which can be accessed and used by anyone. The plot layout provides buildings overlooking the inner area, making it safe.
TRAINTRACKS will go underground to minimise noise pollution in the area as well as creating more accessibility to the area as it is also a train station for the people to use.
ROAD HIREARCHY controls the flow of vehicles in the area as the main access routes are shared spaces whilst the others are mainly for pedestrians but allow access to certain vehicles (such as residents).
BUFFER ZONE will help any reduce any additional noise pollution the train might send off. In addition they make the area look more aesthetically pleasing to the observer. Map 10: Map of the Final Design Scheme.
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RESPONSIVE ENVIRONMENT Analysing the new design scheme through responsive environment, there is clearly a street hierarchy where the primary roads are mapped on Map 11 and are used by both pedestrians and vehicles through shared space. With this approach, safety is generated as drivers need to be aware of pedestrians in the area and vice versa. The secondary roads are predominant for pedestrian use, but they are also used by certain priority vehicles such as residents of the area, fire trucks, retail vans, etc‌ The tertiary roads connect the riverside walkway to the rest of the site and joins up with the square in front of the Grandpont bridge entrance. They also are entrances to the open spaces in the centre of each hectare housing block, enabling people to enjoy greenery and commune for neighbourhood events. This makes the site more accessible to people who need it the most which satisfies the first and second design objective for responsive environments DORE 1 & 2. The fronts and back structure is mapped out on Map 11 and is also quite interesting as they form perimeter blocks across the site. Each residential area has a logical plot formation with fronts looking out to the street where all the action lies (DORE 3), whilst the back creates a private space for the residents to own. In order to accomplish visual appropriateness, the target audience must be considered. Everyone has various taste and preferences when it comes to building style, so there are four styles of residential development on the site. The first is of typical British style of housing (seen in the affordable housing blocks); this will create a style which is comfortable to a large amount of people. The second style is the modern style (found in the flats next to train stations); these flats will intrigue a new generation of buyers to Grandpont due to incorporating modern technologies and a modern look to the building. The third style is a non UK style of buildings found from various interesting places across the world such as the French Quarter (Figure 17) and Bo01 (Figure 15); this will create diversity in the block
Map 11: Final Design Scheme map showing its responsive environments.
structure and generate interest in people going in and out of the site. Finally the third style is functionality; this is not about the appearance but the behaviour of the building such as having shops and cafes on the ground floor with residential units on the other floors. With these four styles, Granpont will capture the attention of a number of people (DORE 4 & 6).
Having a good community is important which will be achieved through participation of the residents. Having many various events in Granpont for the community helps strengthen it. Example of these is movie nights, summer barbecue’s, Christmas markets, neighbourhood block parties and so forth. Targetting the younger age groups is also important, a good example of this is the Let’s Move! campaign initiated by the First Lady Michelle Obama to solve childhood obesity (Figure 26). Having events such as these can help form a stronger community (DORE 5).
These various components of the responsive environment of the scheme satisfy the final design action FDA 3.
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MORPHOLOGY Analysing the final design scheme for Grandpont in terms of morphology, there is a distinct layout when looking at Map 12. The buildings which possess plots are only the affordable housing units on the site, whilst the rest don’t because they are flats. Each group of buildings generate eleven working blocks on the site which satisfies the first design objective for morphology (DOM 1). There are quite a few areas with greenery, some inside blocks whilst others are more easily accessible (DOM 4). The way that the plots and buildings are laid out helps prevent having any unsafe alleyways due to the buildings being able to overlook those types of pathways (DOM 6). The morphological layout of each of the elements makes it easier to distinguish between buildings, plots and the streets (DOM 5). Looking at the density in the site is quite important for a design scheme such as Grandpont. The target density for the Grandpont site is of 40 dwellings per hectare which is equal to a 100 people per hectare. Observing the final scheme for Grandpont, there are in total 261 dwellings on site. This calculates to 43.5 dwellings per hectare, in result means 103.32 people per hectare are able to be located on the site. This satisfies the targets set for Grandponts’ density as well as the design objectives for morphology DOM 2 and DOM 3 and the final design actions FDA 2 and FDA 3.
Map 12: Final Design Scheme map showing its morphology.
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TOWNSCAPE Figure 7: Dramatic landmark in Granpont.
Figure 8: Entrance from the bridge.
Figure 9: The main plaza in the centre of the site.
Figure 10: View of the different types of flats.
From this figure, a landmark with the same architectural style as the Jefferson memorial in Washington D.C. overlooks the River Thames and creates a sense of drama and wonder to the observer (DAT 5). This building will be used as a meeting spot and a place for inspiration to be born in people as well as a place to enjoy the scenic views Grandpont has to offer.
Arriving to Grandpont from its bridge reveals a square where people may come and relax next to the fountain. The two obelisks create a landmark and a grand vista as one enters the site. The buildings create a deflection in the observers view, peek their interest as to what’s around the buildings (DAT 2).
This view represents the main plaza in the centre of Grandpont with various water features and greenery to give the area a special character. This enables people to enjoy themselves whilst passing through the site and enjoying themselves through simple leisure activities such as reading and socialising.
Here is a side view of one of the streets where the two styles of flats meet. The modern flats provide a rooftop garden over a covered open market which enables them to grow food in an urban environment through vertical farming. On the other side are the flats with different visual characteristics with shops on the ground floor. This mixing brings a sense of place to Granpont as well as a unique character through projection recession (DAT 3).
Figure 11: View representing various styles of flats.
Figure 12: Block with greenery in its centre.
Figure 13: Public house located in the centre of the site.
Figure 14: Open space in the middle of a block.
Here is a cross sectional view of the primary road with the multi-function flats on either side. These flats look onto the road and give off a different character compared to the flat next to them (DAT 4). This makes the observer more interested in this area and spending more time there. With the shops on the ground floor, passersby will venture in a spend money for leisurely purposes.
Greenery is still present on the site through the This view shows the public house located in This view shows one of the affordable housing use of perimeter blocks with open spaces in their centre. The use of vegetation on streets to create a green walkway will also be implemented on the site. In addition, the modern flats will have vertical greenery to keep vegetation incorporated with their design as well as contributing to the green network around the site (DAT 4).
the centre of the site. There are no other pubs which are of close proximity to the site, so this one will become a landmark. This new addition to the site will enable residents from within Grandpont as well as its neighbouring areas to use this facility to socialise and participate within the community. This will bring people from around the site to Granpont, increasing the movement of people and revenue to the site.
blocks in Grandpont. It has four access routes to the open space in its centre. There is an element of here and there (DAT 1), with here being the secondary road and there being the open space. The division is generated by the block of housing which makes the observer feel like they are moving from an urban area into a green space. These various components of the responsive environment of the scheme satisfy the final design action FDA 4.
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IMAGEABILITY Finally looking at the design scheme through imageability reveals a number of aspects. Looking at the new pathways layout, there is clearly a street hierarchy within the site which makes the area more permeable for people and vehicles (DOI 1). This generates good accessibility throughout the site due to the pathways linking to various entry points of the site. These various pathways also have different uses to each other (DOI 5). The primary roads are shared spaces between pedestrians and vehicles. Secondary road are mainly for pedestrians, but certain vehicles with purposes may travel on these roads to reach a specific point on the site. Finally the tertiary roads are for pedestrians only. The introduction of new landmarks to the site helps the observer create a mind map through the use of distinguishable point of interest on the site (DOI 2). One of these is the white building overlooking the river. It is architecturally unique compared to the rest of the site; it has function for people and has its own character. Another landmark is the public house in the centre of the site. It is the only one of its kind to be in this neighbourhood of Grandpont area and will attract a high number of clientele. A final landmark in the new scheme is the two obelisks on both sides of the Grandpont bridge. These provide a sense of place to the area and unique characteristic to the area. They stand out and are an easy reference point for observers.
Map 13: Final Design Scheme map showing its imageability.
Edges are also seen in the new Grandpont (DOI 4) as there is an obvious distinction between buildings and the road due to their different functions. There are also edges between the urban areas and nature such as the river front and open spaces.
There are also two distinct districts in this new design scheme. The first of which is the affordable house district where all the typical British type housing are located. The other is the flats and commercial district where most of the shops and restaurants are located with the addition of all the various flats.
The final aspect of the scheme is the presence of nodes in the site (DOI 3). There are six major nodes in the area where the movement of people conjoin in those areas. In these specific areas, activities can be held such as cafes, art exhibitions, performers and so on. This will captivate the observer and make them stay longer in these hot spots until they feel like moving, in which they chose a path from a series of possibilities.
These various components of the responsive environment of the scheme satisfy the final design action FDA 1.
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SMÖRGÅSBORD Figure 15: Bo01, Malmö.
Figure 16: Borneo Island, Amsterdam.
Figure 17: French Quarter, New Orleans.
Figure 18: Vertical Greenery.
Figure 19: Water Feature in Bo01, Malmö.
Figure 20: Geneva, Switzerland.
Figure 21: Tree in urban area.
Figure 22: Jefferson Memorial, Washington D.C.
Figure 24: Copenhagen, Denmark.
Figure 25: Neighbourhood Block Party.
Figure 26: Michelle Obama, Let’s Move!.
Figure 27: Street with green pathway.
Figure 28: Green street.
Figure 29: Shared Space, London.
Figure 23: Vertical Farming, Singapore.
Various visions and inspirations for the Granpont Final Design Scheme. Figures 15 - 17: Various styles for the flats in order to show different character to the observer. Figures 18 & 23: Vertical greenery and vertical farming implemented on the modern flats in order to have an aesthetical look as well as being able to grow food in an urban environment. Figures 19 & 20: Water features which could be implemented in the plaza. Figure 21, 27 and 28: Aesthetical method of having trees incorporated into pathways. Figure 22: Jefferson memorial which was the inspiration for the landmark in the final scheme. Figure 24: Bicycling in Copenhagen is a popular activity on a daily basis which could be a great idea for Grandpont. Figure 25: Neighbourhood block party where the community participates. Figure 26: Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign to get the young active and healthy. Idea for community participation. Figure 29: Concept for shared space in Grandpont.
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CONCLUSION This project has been an interesting study on the Grandpont site. From starting out with a rough design scheme to a well thought out final design scheme has been an incredible learning experience. After learning many vital tools for urban design, the result has been a positive one. The final design scheme incorporates elements from responsive environments which include permeability, legibility, community participation and visual appropriateness. Morphology was another important aspect of the project in which the scheme was broken down into its fundamental elements of buildings, plots, blocks, streets, green and blue networks. This also took the scheme a step further by calculating the number of people per hectare and dwellings per hectare the site could acquire. In addition, townscape elements were as important as the two previously mentioned as the features of this element defines the area and generates a sense of place. The most vital aspect of townscape is the feeling an area gives to an observer, whether its excitement or intrigue, it is very important as that is what makes a place interesting. And finally imageability is another important concept used in this project which is based on Kevin Lynch’s principles of a legible city through the use of pathways, edges, nodes, districts and landmarks.
Looking at the original and final design, there has been some big changes to the scheme. Going back to the original design scheme which was composed before learning all of the new concepts mentioned previously, it was far from being a great design scheme. It had very little elements of each of the four concepts studied (some were not even apparent) and thus gave a poor design scheme for Grandpont. But looking at how far it has pulled through to the final design scheme, there has been some huge changes. The street layout has improved to become more legible, there are more landmarks in the site, blocks and plots structure has significantly improved and are to scale. The final design scheme is not close to perfect, but what is more interesting than creating the perfect scheme for Grandpont is to see any kind of self-development in the project. In this case, there were some massive steps to understanding and representing urban design concepts to a case study area such as this one. That is the most rewarding aspect of this project, to see and experience growth in work.
Throughout this project, many various pieces of software have been used to create this output such as Indesign, Photoshop, Adobe Premier Pro and SketchUp which are all very important tools to have learnt. The author feels that there has been a further understanding of various urban design concepts throughout this project and will use them in future design projects.
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REFERENCES + BIBLIOGRAPHY
Figure 15: Tan Ying Da (2011). Malmo’s Western Harbour. Available at: < https://bsmscandinavia.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/malmo-western-harbour/ > [Accessed: 4 December 2014]. Figure 16: philactere (2008). Amsterdam, Borneo-Eiland, Spoorwegbassin. Available at: < http://www.panoramio.com/photo/14539498 > [Accessed: 4 December 2014]. Figure 17: Brian McGannon (2013). FoJ Week Gallery: Looking Good, America. Available at: <http://postgradproblems.com/foj-week-gallery-looking-good-america/> [Accessed: 4 December 2014]. Figure 18: Team Horticulture Consulting (n.d). Available at: <http://www.thconsulting.eu/%D1%83%D1%81%D0%BB%D1%83%D0%B3%D0%B8/%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D 0%B0%D0%BB%D0%BD%D0%BE-%D0%BE%D0%B7%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%8F%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B5/> [Accessed: 4 December 2014]. Figure 19: Jie and Karin (2012). Bo 01 in Malmo – a model for Caofeidian. Available at: < https://chinamirror.wordpress.com/2012/03/24/apartments-in-china-and-in-sweden/> [Accessed: 4 December 2014]. Figure 20: RoadToTravel (n.d.) GENEVA. Available at: < http://www.roadtotravel.com/tour/geneva/> [Accessed: 4 December 2014]. Figure 21: Kristyn Maslog-Levis (2013). Multi-Award Winning Auckland Open Space Project. Available at: < http://www.citygreen.com/multi-award-winning-auckland-open-space-project/> [Accessed: 4 December 2014]. Figure 22: Wikipedia (n.d.) Jefferson Memorial At Dusk 1.jpg Available at: < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jefferson_Memorial_At_Dusk_1.jpg> [Accessed: 4 December 2014]. Figure 23: Neofar Communty (2013) Available at: < https://www.flickr.com/photos/91666440@N08/9161807799/> [Accessed: 4 December 2014]. Figure 24: Yang Lin (2013). The Wheels Keep on Rollin’. Available at: <http://pinetribe.com/the-wheels-keep-on-rollin/> [Accessed: 4 December 2014]. Figure 25: Luvcrumbs (2011). Now that’s a block part! Available at: <http://luvcrumbs.wordpress.com/2011/06/30/now-thats-a-block-party/> [Accessed: 4 December 2014]. Figure 26: Marissa Duswalt (2012). First Lady Michelle Obama Hosts Let’s Move! London. Available at: http://www.letsmove.gov/blog/2012/07/27/first-lady-michelle-obama-hosts-lets-movelondon [Accessed: 4 December 2014]. Figure 27: Esprent (2014). Available at: <http://www.esprent.com/archives/923> [Accessed: 4 December 2013]. Figure 28: metrodemontreal (2004). Lyon, Paris et Bruxelles pour inspirer Coderre et Schnobb? Available at: <http://www.metrodemontreal.com/forum/viewtopic. php?t=17443&sid=309c674dbb22673ef7492065e7857032> [Accessed: 4 December 2014] Figure 29: As Easy As Riding A Bike (2013). Lessons from Exhibition Road. Available at: <https://aseasyasridingabike.wordpress.com/2013/01/21/lessons-from-exhibition-road/> [Accessed: 4 December 2014] Lynch K., (1960). The Image of the City. Cambridge, Mass.; London: MIT Press
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