Wood Farm City Design & Skills
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THE PRO ECT
Figure 1: Foresters Tower in Wood Farm
Freddy Hedberg
Retrofitting
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inside THE
PRO ECT
3 Introduction
9 Opportunities
18 Morphological Layers
4 Welcome To Wood Farm
10 Threats
19dESIGN pROPOSAL mAP
Introducing the structure of the project in detail with a clear layout. This will provide an insight to how the project will flow throughout the readers’ experience.
The report will start off with an introduction to the area which will give an in depth understanding of what Wood Farm was and how it became what it is today. Historic maps will show the increase in development over time from 1880 to 1970.
5 Vision
The vision is a key concept as it allows the imagination to take over and let it create the utopia for Wood Farm from first impression. Aspects of this might be included in the final design, but this sets the aim for the designer to try and accomplish this vision.
6 SWOT
The SWOT analysis for Wood Farm is presented and will show the various aspects that the area brings to the table.
7 Strengths
The first aspects which will be displayed are strengths. This will show where the positive factors of Wood Farm are situated.
8 Weaknesses
The second aspects which will be displayed are the weaknesses of the area. This will reveal what Wood Farm is lacking.
The third aspects which will be displayed are the many opportunities of Wood Farm. This will bring to light where the areas with potential can be found.
And finally, the fourth aspects which will be displayed are the threats or barriers of the site. These aspects will pose problems and even limits to the design stage.
11 Key Findings
After review of the SWOT analysis, certain aspects will be chosen to move forward to the design phase of the project. The design will be based around these key findings in order to try and accomplish the vision.
14 Design
After careful selection of the key findings, the design can take place in order to try and create a safe, pleasant and vitalised Wood Farm.
15 dESIGN aCTIONS i
The first part of the design actions entitled ‘Open Spaces’ will show to the reader the various design ideas to create open areas in Wood Farm. These include the enlargement of the park and relocation of the playground.
Six maps of the Wood Farm site showing the different morphological layers after the design actions are put in place. They will show green networks, relationship between buildings and spaces/streets, blocks, plots, buildings and movement.
A final map of Wood Farm will show the final layout of the design. The map will be on a scale of 1:2500 and show various other features found on the site such as the blocks and plots, transport links etc…
20 vIDEO
A five minute long video will take the viewer on the journey of the project. This includes on site footage, the key findings, annotated plans of the site and even 3D model. The video is another form of media to convey the design.
21 Conclusion
A brief summary of the project will be placed here with some of the learning experiences taken away from the project.
22 rEFERENCES
All of the references and external information will be listed here for the reader to use if needed.
16 dESIGN aCTIONS ii
The second part of the design actions entitled ‘Streets’ will look at remodelling the movement networks in the site. This will incorporate the remodelling of streets, creation of open spaces and pedestrianisation.
17 dESIGN aCTIONS iiI
The third and final part of the design actions entitled ‘Residential’ will retrofitting, fronts & backs and lastly a new tower.
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Introduction
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his report is based around Wood Farm in Oxford and is looking at what is already present on this site and how it can be modified in order to bring a more positive lifestyle to local residents. Firstly, the report will introduce the area of Wood Farm and dive into its location, history and what the general feel for the place is. A vision will then be described after knowing a little more about Wood Farm. This vision shows what comes to mind from first impressions of the site. Some elements of this might be re-used for the final design action plan proposal, or it might be completely different. After this, a SWOT analysis will be carried out in order to show the different aspects of Wood Farm. From these, key aspects will be taken to focus the design phase of the project. The design actions will constitute of photographs, maps, morphological layers, sketches and even videos which will then draw up the design action plan. Finally, a conclusion will be made to recapitulate what has been shown in this project.
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Welcome To W
ood Farm is located to the East of Oxford and to the South of Headington, next to the A4142 Highway which is part of Oxford’s ring road. The Wood Farm area could be said to occupy a single stretched block. On the South West end of it are some shops and is close to the walkway through Magdalen Woods. A primary school and a community centre are located at close proximity in the neighbouring area on Titup Hall Drive. The main land use for Wood Farm is mainly for residential purposes with slabs of houses and the Foresters Tower apartment block.
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hen Oxford first started to develop, the Wood Farm of today was practically nonexistent. The only settlement in the area was a few buildings which constitute the original farm of Wood Farm from which more settlements grew around it over time. The site was surrounded by agricultural land which would have been used by the farm to plant and harvest crops; the Magdalen Wood (also known as Open Magdalen back then) was also present at that time and still existent today.
WOODFARM Video 1: Maps of Wood Farm over time from 1870 to 1950 showing its growing development.
Figure 1: Bus heading to Wood Farm
Figure 2: The Morris family with William standing at the back.
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n 1950 the car industry in Oxford was already present since 1912 due to William Morris moving he’s Morris Motors Limited into Cowley. Cowley grew to be Oxford’s industrial centre with Morris Motor’s expanding and taking up more room, which in turn generated more jobs. This impacted the housing in Oxford; houses were in high demand and the city supplied it by creating new social housing for the workers which expanded all the way to Wood Farm.
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ack then, the Wood Farm site was just a vast open space in the middle of a housing neighbourhood. From 1950 to 1970, the big open space area in Wood Farm was used to add additional residential buildings such as the many slabs of housing and the Foresters Tower block which is still present today. Some of the open space was kept and used as a playing field and today there is a playground for kids, a multi-use games area and some open space. 4
V ISION T
Figure 3: Futuristic design of a retrofitted greem community.
Figure 4: Shared space concept.
Figure 5: An intricate footpath.
he vision for the Wood Farm site is focused on being more people friendly. It will try and accommodate peoples everyday needs. There will be a major focus on social interactions, especially through the use of open spaces. Incorporating open spaces is a great way to have people enjoy Wood Farm and not feel restricted to certain areas. There would be an increase in community activities which will form a stronger community spirit in the area. This would incorporate more local events for the Wood Farm area and neighbouring areas which will gather more people to the site. The shopping side of the block would be redesigned to accommodate a variety of shops and restaurants which create a hot spot for consumer expenditure not only in Wood Farm but also in the neighbouring area. People would come and shop at Wood Farm for food, clothing items and any other necessary needs they might have. This would also give people the opportunity to eat and drink in this area due to an increase in number of cafes and restaurants which provide outdoor sitting which will add a leisure aspect to Wood Farm. There will be a sense of modernity to the area as a big part would be redesigned to look more aesthetically pleasing to people coming into or passing by Wood Farm. Modernising the area would create a sense of place for new technology to be introduced to minimise the carbon footprint of the area as well as creating a more sustainable community.
Figure 6: Water feature in an open space providing character to the area.
Figure 7: Sketch of an open area.
Figure 8: Modern flats.
Figure 9: Modern building with vertical greenery.
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S W OT T
his section uses the analytical method of SWOT to evaluate Wood Farm. This type of analysis examines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and weaknesses (in other versions barriers) of a specific site, hence the acronymical name. This method will show what positive factors Wood Farm contains as well as its more unfavourable aspects. It will also generate areas where the site has potential. And finally this method will point out the flaws and/or obstacles Wood Farm accommodates which have to be taken in to consideration for a design action plan.
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strength
Shops
Positive aspects of Wood Farm found by using the SWOT analytical method are displayed here. These factors will be considered during the design phase to see if they can be enhanced in any way.
Transport Public transport is very useful for residents of Wood farm as they use it to go to work or go to schools in other areas of Oxford. They provide accessibility to and from Wood Farm. Figure 10: Bus stopping at Wood Farm linking to Oxford’s city centre.
Parking
Figure 11: Multiple parking areas.
Parking spaces in Wood Farm are vital for commuters working away from Wood Farm as they don’t need to got o great lengths to station their car. Having a place to park private vehicles is crucial for residents commuting elsewhere.
Figure 12: High amount of open spaces in Wood Farm.
Spaciousness Open spaces are a great place for people to enjoy, especially if there are recreational facilities such as playground for children. Spaciousness reduces the claustrophobic urban environment and generates a positive attitude to people. Wood Farm has a playground, a multi-use games area and a green open space.
Providing shops in the area enables local residents not to travel far for grocery shopping as well as other needs. Currently there are eight shops on the South West corner of Wood Farms block providing services (post office, bakery, co-operative, etc).
Figure 13: Various amount of shops can be found in Wood Farm.
Greenery The presence of greenery in the built environment providies a balance between urban and nature; it gives a harmonious, relaxing and enjoyable environment. Vegetation also makes Wood Farm more aesthetically pleasing.
Figure 14: Abundance in greenery on site.
Woodland Magdalen Wood provides leisurely strolls in a natural environment which lets people escape to an area without the busy day to day activities. It adds to the green networks in the area and is home to wildlife. Magdalen Woods makes Wood Farm feel not completely urbanised and adds to the concept of Oxford being a city which mingles green networks within its urban areas. The woodland also relates to the historical side of the site as the Magdalen Wood was originally present when Wood Figure 15: Access to the Magdalen Wood provides Farm was just a farm. leisurely walks for residents.
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Weaknesses The negative aspects of the SWOT analysis are presented on this page. It is a crucial part of the analysis as they show what parts Wood Farm is lacking in. The design will have to try and tackle these in order to create a better neighbourhood.
Character Wood Farm does not have a particular personality to it due to such bland architectural buildings. In addition, there seems to be a lack of energy due to an absence of community in the neighbourhood. This reduces the appeal for people wanting to live in Figure 16: The only evidence of character in Wood farm. Wood Farm due to a lack of dynamic.
Choice Although there are only eight shops, this could seem as a small number giving local residents no great choice from a variety of products. Addition of local shops would be a bonus to the area. People prefer having too many choices than having too few; in this case residents will have to look elsewhere for a particular good that Wood Farm does not have.
Security Residents feel unsafe in Wood farm, especially at night time where younger generations come out and make others feel unsafe in the neighbourhood. With the lack of security, Wood Farm has become an unpopular area at night. With minimum lighting, areas become more dangerous and make people feel unsafe at night. Especially near the shops.
Figure 17: Lack of choice for shopping in the area.
Figure 18: Lighting is insuffiecient in order to provide security.
Out Of Place
Misuse
The Forester Tower block on the site does not feel as if it belongs in Wood Farm. Its old and rusty exterior does not give away a pretty sight. The fact that it is one tower alone contributes to this feeling. This moves Wood Farm further away from developing character and personalisation which every area wants.
The street behind the shops is used for disposable purposes only. But it is also used by normal vehicles. This shows that there is a misuse in streets around Wood Farm which can potentially create problems with traffic. This misuse of roads makes Wood Farm less permeable and legible due to not properly allocating the proper use for streets.
Figure 19: Foresters Tower sticking out from other residential slabs.
Figure 20: This street is used not only by disposable vans but also by common vehicles.
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Aesthetics
Opportunities
There is potential to make Wood Farm more attractive by adding a variation of greenery, retrofitting certain areas and improving shared spaces. This will promote environmental sustainability as well as create a better neighbourhood. This opportunity will make Wood Farm more aesthetically pleasing.
This is where certain aspects Wood Farm carries can be modified or enhanced to create a better environment for the local and neighbouring residents. Many of these are taken in to consideration for the design part of the project.
Change With so much open space in Wood Farm, it could be re-established for certain uses and creating an parkland for all age groups to enjoy. The quality of the public realm will increase due this new outdoor environment. Pathways in the parkland would provide safe walking for residents, thus heading towards ecological sustainability on this Figure 21: The multi-use games area gives off a sense of level. confinement and seclusion.
Retrofitting By retrofitting residential buildings, these can become more sustainable which will use better and renewable energy sources for daily activities and prmote ecological sustainability in Wood Farm and the neighbouring area.
Figure 22: The fifteen story Foresters Tower.
The Block The fact that Wood Farm is located on a whole block could really generate a sense of ownership as well as part of a broader community by redesigning the layout of the blocks and plots. The block could host different community events for the area which will clearly show that Wood Farm is a Video 2: Footage showing the Wood Farm block on each corner of the place for social interaction and site. gathering.
Figure 23: Residential slabs on Bonar Road which would potentially be retrofitted.
Streets
The streets could be remodelled into shared spaces which would extend the use of space from the block to the street. It would create a safer environment for people as vehicles driving along Wood Farm Road, Bonar Road, Nuffield Road and Atkyns Road will slow down due to an increase of pedestrians on the road. This would significantly slow down traffic in the area. It will also be less Figure 24: These wide streets are home to frequent speeding dangerous for children to accidentally wan- cars around Wood Farm making it unsafe for pedestrians. der on the road and reduce the number of accidents.
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Threats Factors that might pose a problem to the design of Wood Farm are displayed here. These are aspects that can not be ignored during the design process. Some might not be overcome easily but can still be death with, whilst others will still remain in Wood Farm after the design action plan.
Figure 26: Lack of people in the Wood Farm site. Figure 27: There are no activities which will bring people in to the area.
Confusion
Interest
There is no clear layout and There are very little factors which comprehension of how the would draw in people to Wood fronts and backs are used to Farm. There is nothing interesting or benefit the affected residents on the northen most residential exciting for people to go see and/or experience in the area which is why slabs of the site. This unclear there is no influx of people going in use of blocks and plots can be to Wood Farm. This creates a barrier an issue for redesigning Wood for Wood Farm in order to access Farm as it might limit and create a barrier for achieving resil- and accomplish richness in its area. Figure 25: The main access to the fron doors of each residential unit. ience in the residential area.
Figure 28: There is not a great variety of choice for people in Wood Farm.
Figure 29: Entrance to residential slabs located where the backs Figure 30: The gardens are located next to the public street. should be.
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Key
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rom the analysis of the Wood Farm area, many aspects have arisen in all of the four categories of the SWOT method. This shows that there is a spread of factors that are positive and negative. The area has many strengths that makes it the Wood Farm of today and is beneficial for the local and neighbouring residents. Unfortunately there are also weaknesses that bring the potential of Wood Farm down; these have to be considered in improving the area during the design phase. Another positive aspect of the site is the high number of opportunities Wood Farm has to offer for the design action plan. But like most areas there are limits which come as barriers or/and threats which Wood Farm has. The silver lining of this reality is that there are only a few which makes it easier to consider during the design step. In order to create a design action plan, the design of Wood Farm has to incorporate the most realistic and important key factors of the SWOT analysis that can be changed for the good of the area. The key findings are what the design will be based on.
indings
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Figure 31: Residential slab could be modernised.
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Key FINDINGS
Figure 33: The tower bloc sticks Figure 32: Run down area at Foreseters Tower. out from a distance.
Figure 34: Foresters Tower dominates the view.
Residential Areas to be retrofitted The Foresters Tower in Wood Farm can be improved significantly. Its outside is not very aesthetically pleasing and has presence of moss, rust and decay. The tower also gives out a feeling of restriction due to its metal gates and fenced up perimeter. Foresters Tower is not the only building that could use retrofitting, other residential buildings such as the neighbouring slabs
can also be fitted with modern style architecture and incorporate new environmental sustainable technologies. Each flat in the Foresters Tower and residential slabs can be modernised to give an attractive style to the building; upgraded with better insolation and technology can promote environmental sustainability in Wood Farm.
Figure 35: Retrofitting the fronts of slabs.
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Tower Not Belonging
Figure 36: Retorfitting residential buildings will be more sustainable.
Figure 37: Foresteres Tower overlooks the playground.
The tower block is a very imposing building in the area, and does not merge well with its environment. Most of the other residential buildings in Wood Farm are mainly terraced housing which primarily take up two to three floors. Putting a fifteen floor apartment block next to these
smaller residential buildings does not blend in. The Forester Tower can be retrofitted to look aethetically pleasing. The creation of another shorter tower block can be built next to it creating a merging gradient of buildings and making Foresters Tower part of the new Wood Farm.
Figure 38: Foresteres Tower seen from 12 below.
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Figure 39: The fronts & backs of this residential slabs have been switched.
Figure 40: Wide roads used by vehicles in Wood Farm.
Remodelling of the streets
Fronts & Backs are Confusing There are residential blocks on the northern east side of the site which have a very peculiar front and backs layout compared to the norm. The usual layout of residential buildings is to have the front of the building, where the main entrance is located, facing the street where it is somewhat public; and the back of the building, which tends to be a garden or a terrace, is on the opposite side to the street where it gives a sense of privacy to the
residents. In this case, one of the slabs has the back facing onto the streets which reduces the private ownership of the garden whilst the front is facing inward. This confusion can be easily sorted by switching the back and the fronts of this particular residential slab. This will give residents more ownership of their privately owned back garden and in addition, give a sense of privacy.
Video 3 (below): Wood Farm has a lot of open space for people to enjoy.
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Figure 41: Creating shared space will benefit the area.
The streets encircling Wood Farm are used by cars, vans and buses for transporting goods or people. Safety is an issue in the area, one of them is the streets. The playground neighbouring the Wood Farm Road is enclosed as to restrict the risk of children leaving the playground and making their way to the road. The roads contouring the
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site create a separation between the area and the neighbouring ones. By making the streets a shared space between vehicles and people, safety will increase as cars and buses are aware of people using their roads and will have to slow down. This will also link Wood Farm to other neighbouring areas through pedestrianisation.
Figure 42: Roads used for parking.
Vast Amount of Open Spaces There are a lot of open spaces in Wood Farm which balances out the environment between buildings and greenery. Some of the open space can be remodelled as to provide more of an open area and less of a caged, sectioned and divided atmosphere. The multi-use games area is a great way to incorporate various types
of sports, but due its metal fenced structure it gives the impression of a secluded shared facility area rather than being more inviting. For the project’s design, reassigning the use of different activities in the open spaces is crucial as it will give the area a better permeability.
Figure 43: Designing shared space which will incorporate parking needs. 13
Design The key findings from the SWOT analysis are the main focus of the Wood Farm design. Most of the findings deal with retrofitting certain buildings such as the Forester Tower to provide a modernised approach to retrofitting in the Wood Farm area. In addition, the redistribution of land use in open spaces can also have a huge beneficiary impact on the site in order to create a more open, relaxed and socialised area. Finally also the remodelling of streets and certain residential slabs can also improve the safety and clarity of the area.
Figure 44: Foresters Tower seen from Wood Farm Road.
The design part of the project is split up into three parts. The first set of design actions presented are based around the theme of open space. The main open space in the centre of Wood Farm will be modified in order to provide greener and wider parkland. The playground will also be looked at and show the design actions for it which is mainly relocation. This section will then move onto the second spread of design actions which are based around the streets around the site. These will look at incorporating a people friendly atmosphere in Wood Farm by having a balance between vehicles and pedestrians. To achieve this, a better street comprehension will be designed and the use of shared space around Wood Farm will be put in place as well as creating a pedestrianised area for people. The final section of the design actions will look at the residential areas and how to improve them. This will cover a range of design methods such as retrofitting most of the residential slabs and tower, to redesign a comprehensive active and inactive edges layout in the area, and finally to build a shorter residential tower block next to Foresters Tower. All of these design actions have various impacts on the morphological layers of Wood Farm. The layers which will be looked at are the green networks, the active and inactive edges of the site, the areas block and plots, buildings and finally movement around the site. All of these design actions come together to form the design proposal map, hand drawn to a 1:1250 scale to give an accurate representation of the newly improved Wood Farm site.
Figure 45: The fifteen story residential tower block overlooking the playground (right).
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Design Actions Part I Open Spaces Figure 48: A cossroads in the centre of the park.
Figure 46: A row of trees on ether side of the main footpath in the new parkland.
Park Redesigned
The green space in Wood Farm is cluttered by a gated playground for children and a multi-use games area. This leaves a little less than a half of that green area for open space. Redesigning the green open space is a vital part of the design actions as it will enable the creation of a park. The multi-use games
Figure 47: Modern street lights in the park.
area and the New Beveridge House will be removed and the playground will be relocated (see next sections). This gives enough space to create a park for people to enjoy. This park will have pathways linking to each side side of it and joining around a fountain in the centre, this will enable permeability through the park to access
Figure 49: Main entrance.
areas such as the new shops, Foresters Tower, Nuffield Road and Wood Farm Road. Street lights put in place along the pathway to increase security in the park at night. The park will accommodate more benchers and a greater spread of vegetation.
Figure 52: Residential slabs overlooking playground.
Figure 50: Swing set in the current playground.
Playground
The play area in the green open space of the site is next to the Wood Farm Road and has to have gates to it to prevent children form running out and getting hit by a cars. The playground will be relocated to the open space semi-enclosed by the residential slabs near the top of the site. This will achieve
Figure 51: Play activity in the current park.
some vitality in Wood Farm as more inviting for families to it creates a safer environment use the facilities. for children to play due to the residential slabs looking onto the playground creating residential surveillance. The location is also semi-enclosed which shields the play area from any roads. This means that the play area does not need any fencing and can be open which makes it
Figure 57: More playground activities for children. Figure 54: The pathways are lit for safety.
Figure 53: The Forsyth Park Fountain could be a great model for the one in the design action.
Figure 56: A model for a nicer playground in Wood Farm.
Figure 55: Variety of greenery.
Figure 58: The playground won’t need any fences around it.
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Design Actions Part II Streets
Figure 64: Intricate water feature for pedestrianised area.
Figure 65: The pedestrianised area will not allow vehicles in the area.
Figure 62: Shared space in Wood Farm would increase safety.
Figure 59: Service street for shops to dispose of goods.
Streets Remodelled
Wood Farm is encircled by roads, in this design proposal they will be remodelled to achieve other design actions. The surrounding streets around the site will be adapted to incorporate shared spaces between cars and pedestrians (see next design action). Another design action will be the pedestriani-
Figure 60: The new service street will only be used for disposable purposes.
Figure 63: Pedestrianised area with cafes and restaurants.
Figure 61: Shared space between people and cars.
sation of the bottom of Wood Farms’ shopping area. Atkyns Road will be removed in order to achieve this design action, and the Nuffield Road at that end will become a one way street. The street behind the shops will be the only link from Nuffield Road to Wood Farm Road and will only be used for shops disposal purposes. By doing this,
it allows the construction of a pedestrianised shopping area in Wood farm as well as redirecting traffic around the area.
Shared Spaces
The roads around Wood Farm are primarily used by vehicles such as cars and busses and do not have any proper
crossing facilities (such as pedestrian crossing areas) which is another factor that isolated Wood Farm from the neighbouring areas. By making the roads shared spaces, where vehicles and pedestrians both use the same space for moving to and from the site, this takes Wood Farm one step forward in producing an area with vitality. Ve-
Figure 66: Anther shot of the water garden in a pedestrianised space.
hicles will have to share the road with pedestrians, which means that traffic speed will decrease. Shared spaces around Wood Farm would be more permeable as there would be safe access to the site.
Pedestrianisation There will be an increase in
Figure 70: This feauture will be more aesthetically pleasing to the area.
Figure 67: Only service vehicles will be allowed to drive through the street behind the shops.
Figure 69: Another example of a shared space in London.
Figure 68: Nuffield Road will become a one way street.
the number of shops in Wood Farm which will host goods such as groceries, clothes and food and drinks. There will be an additional row of shops on the opposite side of the street used by shops to dispose of waist, these will overlook the park and give local and neighbouring residents different choices of goods. The area in front of the already existing shops will be pedestrianised. This means that Atkyns Road will be removed to create another open space giving room to incorporate water features as well as street furniture in order to create an interactive social spot for the community. Having this new open space will create additional leisure experiences for people due to a reasonable amount of restaurants and cafes which will use to space to let customers sit outside.
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Design Actions Part III Residential Figure 74: Retrofitted slabs.
Figure 73: Vertical Greenery on Foresters Tower. Figure 75: Another slab retrofitted.
Figure 71: Example of vertical greenery at Rubens at the Palace in London, Victoria.
Retrofitting
Most of the residential buildings such as the slabs and especially Foresters Tower are out of date and need to be modernised. Retrofitting most of the residential buildings will bring in new sustainable technologies to Wood Farm such as green roofs which will benefit the area as well as the residents. Modern style
Figure 72: Foresters Tower retrofitted.
architecture and styles can be applied to give the area a dynamic environment. By adding vertical greenery to Foresters Tower, the design action can try and incorporate the three types of systems of vertical greenery such as using support cassette and planter systems. This method of retrofitting the tower block will be more
Figure 76: Residential buildings retrofitted.
aesthetically pleasing to the area and will increase the visual appropriateness of Wood Farm.
Fronts & Backs
One of the residential slabs at the top of the site has the fronts of the building facing the direction towards the inside of the area and its back
Figure 79: Example of green roofs.
Figure 78: Green roof on Foresters Tower.
facing the street. This makes it confusing and does not give the residents a sense of private ownership. Switching the backs and the fronts of this building to how the other slabs are layer out will create a better area in the built environment as this method works for most cases. By switching the fronts and the backs it will create a better perimeter
Figure 77: Second modern tower block next to Foresters Tower.
block and gives the residents a semi-private back garden.
Second Tower Block
The Foresters Tower feels out of place in Wood Farm due to it being the only tower block in the area as it is surrounded by smaller residential slabs. The design
action for this key finding is to get rid of the garages and build a new tower block which will have a height of approximately half of that of Foresters Tower. This new tower block will incorporate new technologies for ecological sustainability as well as bringing a modern style architecture to Wood Farm. By adding a new tower block next to the already existing one, this will avoid it looking as if it does not belong in the area and give a Wood Farm a sense of place as well as make it part of the site.
Figure 80: Foresters Tower fits in Wood Farm thanks to the new smaller tower block.
http://www.camiros.com/newsletters/sustainability-audits-for-responsible-zoning/ 17
Design Proposal : Morphological Layers Green Networks
Map 1: Green Networks The design actions have impacted Wood Farms greenery. There is a significant increase in green areas mainly due to the parkland expanding. This in turn increases wildlife on the site as well a balance between nature and the urban area.
Plots
Map 4: Plots This morphological layer shows that there is a slight increase in the land use in Wood Farm due to the design actions enabling the construction of additional shops and a residential tower block. There is still enough open space for social activities.
Active Edges Inactive Edges
Map 2: Active & Inactive Edges There is an increase in active edges in Wood Farm due to the new shops. The residential slabs at the northern most part of the site now form a logical relationship between the streets and the buildings.
Buildings
Map 5: Buildings There is an increase in the number of buildings such as the new residential tower block which satisfy certain key findings. The buildings in Wood Farm are mainly residential ones and shops.
Blocks
Map 3: Blocks Wood Farm has now clear and coherent blocks due to the legible structure of the active and inactive edges. The blocks give a better insight to the structure of the area and separates the built environment from the open spaces.
Movement
Maps 6: Movement The design actions enable further movement across the site due to new pathways. With more movement in Wood Farm, it generates permeability giving more choices to people in the area. 18
Design Proposal Map Here is a hand drawn map of scale 1:1250 which represents the proposal for the Wood Farm area. This map takes into account the key findings from the SWOT analysis and the design actions which came from these. This plan demonstrates how Wood Farm would look after the design stage.
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Video This video represents the timeline of the project moving from the analytical phase of the project through to the design phase. This video looks at how the new Wood Farm would look like if the design actions were put in place on the site. Video footage of the area is used to show the five different key findings were used for the design phase. A Sketchup model of Wood Farm is animated to give a 3D representation of the design actions when put
in place. The morphological layers of the new designed Wood Farm also present in this video to show the effect the design actions has on the area. The video then concludes by showing each individual key finding and linking them back to the main design action they relate to. This video displays how the project has dealt with the key findings by creating design actions based around each one to improve Wood Farm.
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Conclusion
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he project has looked at the area of Wood Farm and has analysed its different characteristics such as its positive and negative aspects. There have been many findings from the analysis, but only five stood out: retrofitting, Foresters Tower, fronts & backs, the streets and lastly open spaces. These were the key findings from the analysis which are believed to have a significant impact on Wood Farm. Designing a site where these five components have been retrofitted to produce an improved area has been accomplished. A lot of media and software’s has been used to represents the project in each of its different sections. SketchUp has been a strong and recurring tool in the project as well as video editing to produce a five minute long video showing the transition from analysis to design. This report has given a fantastic learning experience due to the great spread in state of the art technology used to create the project, varying from InDesign to SketchUp and even to video editing software. These skills will come in useful in the future and will keep improving the editors’ techniques for future and more complicated projects.
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ground/> [Accessed 29 April 2014].
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Maps 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and Design Proposal Map: Freddy Hedberg (2014).
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Video 1: Digimap (2014). iMovie
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