Landscape Architecture Design Thesis

A MISSING SEGMENT Reconceptualizing Student Accommodation Precinct

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CONTENT 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND 1.2 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS 1.3 COVID AS A CATALYST 1.4 STATEMENT: A MISSING SEGMENT

2 DESIGN POTENTIAL EXPLORATION 2.1 STUDENT ACCOMMODATION CONNECTION 2.2 CREATE DIVERSE FUNCTIONAL SPACE 2.3 ENHANCE PERMEABILITY 2.4 OPTIMIZE MICRO-CLIMATE 2.5 NEW WATER SYSTEM

ABPL907375_Landscape Architecture Design Thesis Zihang Jiao Student Number:987539 Studio Leader: Associate Professor Jillian Walliss

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3 DESIGN OUTCOME 3.1 OVERALL FRAMEWORK 3.2 A BIG VISION 3.3 STUDENT SHARED STREET 3.4 NEW STUDY CLUSTER 3.5 INTERNAL STUDENT COURTYARD 3.6 ON-STREET PERFORMANCE 3.7 TERRACED RAIN GARDEN ON BOUVERIE STREET

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1 INTRODUCTION Covid-19 has highlighted the current awful condition and experience of international students. A realization that our international students need a better quality and diversity of public space around student accommodation.

Also, considering their social and economic significance for our Australia, it’s an opportunity to focus on the student accommodation precinct, where is currently inactive and unresolved. It does not present a positive urban space between CBD and the campus.

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BACKGROUND

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DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS

COVID AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE AND INVESTMENT

Covid may be the critical unequal and intangible element for reassessing and upgrading the student accommodation space required.

The lock down has highlighted for the public space demand that the designs of student accommodation environment are not livable and diverse.

Fig.1. University Australia 2013 survey

Students comprised 42% of Melbourne’s residential population in 2010 and half of these were international students. Over the past ten years, the number of international students in Australia has increased by 137%. International education is Australia’s fourth-largest export industry. International students contribute to the growth and development of our retail and service sectors.

International students are a diverse population that bring a rich cultural vibrancy to Melbourne. However, under the influence of the epidemic, international students suffer from mental problems, loneliness, and the need for financial and food support.

The lockdown of the epidemic forced them to stay in their apartment or leave Australia, which is detrimental to students and Australia society.

According to the survey Student satisfaction with Australia accommodation in Victoria, 51% of students reported that they were not satisfied considering accommodation costs and functions.

Fig.2. Inner space of student rooms.

While every student accommodation estate is trying to improve indoor space of these buildings, the in-between space and surrounded environment remain low quality.

But Covid may push the need for improve student accommodation environment to keep and abstract students for Australian society and economy, making these spaces meet the demand for the future of Melbourne.

Fig.3. Meeting places of 50 international students from the sample.

This project is acting as a provocation to the government to improve the way we treat our international students in public spaces. The government is not only improving education methods, but also creating a more suitable physical environment for international students.

Fig.4. Melbourne student accommodation.

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STUDENT ACCOMMODATION PRECINCT : A MISSING SEGMENT BETWEEN CBD AND CAMPUS

THESIS AMBITION

The outbreak of pandemic severely affect international students, making them socio-economic vulnerable.

The situation has forced students to be trapped in their accommodation, which cause isolation, mental problems, food shortages, and limited space and activities. The pandemic has been a reminder and a catalyst for highlighting the essential service and diverse experience providing for international students.

It’s an opportunity to rethink the student accommodation precinct, which is a missing and unresolved segment between campus and city. The city should invest better facility to facilitate students interactive communication and to create a vibrant and dynamic living environment, also to make a better city.

The specific proposal is a set of new typological urban forms which seek to act on the landscape territory and community nodes. Each node addresses a different need for both the student and the local population. The project reclaims redundant urban space such as car parking and warehouse as student programmed activity space and to strengthen physical and emotional connection by establishing pedestrian bridges between student accommodation that brings more diverse and services spatial experience for international students, also reinforces the framework and leverage adjacencies with existing accommodation and transportation. The public realm and architecture are designed to create invitations for social mixing among the campus and students, while encouraging social overlap between academic life and the student communities.

Fig.5. Meeting places of 50 international students from the sample.

City north, located in the proximity to CBD and Melbourne University and RMIT, has undoubtedly become the choice of many international students. There are many student accommodations and apartments within this area.

But now, City North is underutilized and inactive. A large proportion of the area is underutilized and exhibits relatively low levels of activity between the existing Central City and campus. There is a gap between campus and Melbourne city.

Although this area is occupied by numerous students, there is no cluster of meeting space and activity. This is an unresolved and missing segment of the city, which is potential for reconceptualization.

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1. CREATE CONNECTION WITHIN ACCOMMODATION STUDENT ACCOMMODATION EVALUATION

2 DESIGN POTENTIAL EXPLORATION Through the investigation and exploration of student accommodation precinct, this part is trying to seek and offer inspirational proposal, not only contributing to student diverse experience but also to public realm to stitch this missing segment with CBD and campus.

Through mapping the student accommodation location, many accommodations intensively locate on Bouverie street and Leicester street.

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ISOLATED AND SINGULAR ACCOMMODATION BUILDING

STUDENT SPATIAL DEMAND

Studies have shown that relatively closed and pure spaces make students feel safe. Clean and monitored social spaces make them feel comfortable. Although Melbourne’s laneways are representative and can be used as social space, they do not like the undesigned and not bright laneways.

According to the analysis of existing student accommodation, the current buildings are isolated. Some of them just have basic functions, such as bike storage and game space. Most of them lack of outdoor area within the buildings. The existing underutilized space such as car parking space and warehouses can be used to make up for lack of function and provide diverse experience.

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Regarding Melbourne’s alcohol culture, most international students fear to stay away from it due to lots of drunk man in the city. It seems particularly important to create a safe public space belonging to the students themselves.

Students prefer city center and Lygon street. There are many cafes, restaurants, cinemas and bookstores, which shows the student groups also have high requirements for spatial diversity.

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PRECEDENT : HOW TO CREATE SECURE INTERACTION BETWEEN BUILDING

PROPOSED HIGH-LEVEL PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES

118 Subsidized dwellings, offices, retail spaces and garage / Amann Canovas Maruri Similarity: Public raised space; Turn the building into an urban visible joint that connects different areas in the city; Inner buildings as sensitive leisure place for collective socialization, changing into an open community new service for the city.

Aim: offer an attractive urban proposal rather than the mere accumulation of residential units.

How: The project aims to offer an attractive urban proposal farther than the mere accumulation of residential units. The decision to divide the volume in four towers around a public raised space that works as a cover for the entrances and commercials in the public ground space turns the building into an urban visible joint that connects different areas in the city.

Fig.6. Dwellings,Project images

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The low square is connected to the high public space by an elevator and a hung metallic stair. The high plaza, elevated ten meters, communicates the four towers and separates the diverse uses, becoming definitely the heart of the project. As a meeting point space, it assumes its condition, once equipped, as sensitive leisure place for collective socialization, changing into an open community new service for the city.

One of the main ideas is the connections to student accommodations and relevant public realm using pedestrian bridges to create safe and enjoyed walkways. The design of linkage is to create diverse spaces as platforms situated in different areas to produce a net positive environment effect. These bridges present a new urban experience for students by creating a different perspective of the city.

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2. TRANSFER UNDERUTILIZED SPACE INTO FUNCTIONAL SPACE STUDENT DAILY AND SINGULAR ACTIVITY

CURRENT HOT-SPOT LOCATION AND FUNCTION Cinema Outdoor sport

Gate 10

Gate 8

Gate 7 Grattan

St

Universit y Square

Pelham

St

Lincoln Square

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ab

Eliz St

Swansto

Bouverie

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St

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St

Leicerst

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Queensb

Student accommodation

RMIT

Restaurant Grocery Victoria

St

Gym University Park

Students’ daily activities include necessary activities, which is going to school and grocery.

The optional activities they are willing to engage in, like enjoy coffee, dine out, go to cinema, and shopping if the exterior conditions are favorable. As for social activities like outdoor sport and picnic, they should not be achieved individually. The focus of this project is to create social space for communication.

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The current student destination in this area is relatively singular such as restaurant and gym. Some of restaurants don’t have active interface, which means they don’t have enough outdoor dining space and view-through facade. According to the research, public space such as cinema and outdoors sport are preferred. However, there is no cinema and outdoor sports in this area.

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CURRENT WAREHOUSE AND MEDIAN ON-STREET CAR PARKING

PROPOSED FUNCTIONAL SPACE

Cinema Cinema

Outdoor sport

Outdoor sport

Grattan

Grattan

St

St

Pelham

St

Grattan

St

Lincoln Square

RMIT

n St

Extended side walk

Student accommodation

Student community hub

Warehouse

Student courtyard

Underutilized space

Media lab

On-street car parking University Park

Victoria

St

Victoria

St

24h computer lab

Collective farming Outdoor dining Bike station

Student accommodation Amphitheatre Outdoor sport

St

Outdoor sport

rry St

St

There are lots of disused warehouses, which are potential to be used to make up for community nodes and activity space. The median car parking space in the middle of accommodation buildings have the potential to be extended for outdoor dining space and seating along the street, also to create shared street for student convenience.

Bouverie

Park

University

Amphitheatre Queensbe rry

er St

On-street car parking

n St

University

Queensbe

Student accommodation

Leicerst

St

RMIT

Swansto

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Underutilized space

Swansto

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Warehouse V

Gate 7

Lincoln Square

Eliz

RMIT

St

Lincoln Square

Bouverie St

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Grocery

Park

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Leicerst

Student accommodation

St

St

Restaurant Victoria

St

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Student accommodation

Gym

Gate 8 St

Universit y Square

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rsity

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Gate 7

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Grattan

Pelham Pelham

Swansto

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Swansto

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Queensb

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Victoria

Gate 8

Bouverie

Leicerste

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Eliz

Bouverie

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Gate 10 Gate 10

Lincoln Square

r St

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ab

n St

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Gate 7

Universit y Square

Leicerste

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Swansto

Queensb

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Universit y Square

Pelham

Lincoln Square

Gate 8 Grattan

Gate 7

Universit y Square

nt accommodation

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Gate 8

RMIT

Gate 10 Gate 10

Gate 7

RMIT

Gate 8

Extended side walk Student community hub Student courtyard Media lab 24h computer lab Collective farming Outdoor dining Bike station

Arrange various student-relevant activities and programs within different clusters to create a series of experience for students and pedestrians.

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3. ENHANCE PERMEABILITY TO CREATE BETTER WAYS TO CAMPUS CURRENT TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESSIBILITY

University

University

of Melbo

University

urne

Gate 10

Gate 8

of Melbo

urne

Gate 10 Grattan

Universit y Square

Pelham

PROPOSED ROUTE AND TRANSPORTATION

St

Pelham

St

St

Universit y Square

Grattan

St

St

Lincoln Square

Swansto n St

Bouverie St

er St

n St

Leicerst

Swansto

St

n St

Eliz

ab

Eliz

Queensb

erry St

St

Queensb

erry St

t

ensberry

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St

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St

Gate 8

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Pelham

Lincoln Square

Bouverie

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Universit y Square

St

Leicerst

Lincoln Square

of Melbo

Gate 10 Grattan

Grattan

Leicerst

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Leicerst

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S eth ab

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Gate 8

Gate 8

Pelham

Lincoln Square

University

urne

Gate 10

Universit y Square

St

of Melbo

St

Bike Lane Victoria St Tram Stop Bus Stop

Metro Station Laneway Dead end

The site is well served by public transport, such as, New Parkville Station, Bus Route, and Tram. Pedestrian and bicycle routes connect the site to the campus and from/to the Carlton and CBD areas. Pelham street and Bouverie street are pedestrian and cycle priority streets. The site has lots of dead-end laneways, which have a negative impact on student experience.

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St

Bus Route

Bike Lane

Bike Lane Victoria St Tram Stop

Tram Stop

Bus Stop

Bus Route

Bus Stop

Metro Station

Metro Station

Laneway

Laneway Dead end

RMIT

Victoria

RMIT

RMIT

RMIT

St

Victoria

Bus Route

Bus Route Bike Lane Tram Stop Bus Stop Metro Station Laneway

It is potential to connect these laneways to reduce dark and not monitored laneway, improve accessibility, highlight the way to campus, also create student encounter and communication space between student accommodation. This project aims to create a framework of student community oriented around walking, biking and transit.

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4. MICRO-CLIMATE

5. NEW WATER SYSTEM INTEGRATING WITH WSUD

SUNLIGHT ANALYSIS

PROPOSED WATER CATCHMENT AND WATER Elizabeth FLOW

Street Catchment map

Elizabeth Street Catchment Elizabethmap Street Catchment map

Universit

y of Melb

ourne

Grattan

St

University Square

Pelham

Elizabeth Street Catchment Integrated Water Cycle Management Plan 2015

St

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Elizabeth Street Catchment Integrated Water Cycle Management Plan 2015

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Retrieved From Elizabeth Street Catchment Integrated Water Cycle Management Plan 2015

Lincoln Square

Bouverie St

r St

Leicerste

Elizabeth Street Catchment Integrated Water Cycle Management Plan 2015

e ab

Eliz th S

Queensb

t

erry St

Roof Sunlight Hours

Outdoor Space Sunlight Hours 1m contour line Victoria

Area or building roofs with plenty of sunshine in winter and summer have the potential to build roof gardens, providing students with social and self-sufficient spaces. Pelham street has plenty of sunshine in winter and summer, which have the potential to create an ecological corridor to connect existing green space, University square and Lincoln square.

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RMIT

water catchment

St

There is a fall across the Bourevie street of 14 meters. It shows the evidence of the historical and indigenous Town-end Creek. It is vital to the site considering there is no water sensitive urban design in city north. It is potential to reintroduce creek acting as rain garden and bios-wales along Bouverie street to improve urban comfort for student living environment.

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OVERALL FRAMEWORK

3 DESIGN OUTCOME Through the investigation and exploration of student accommodation precinct, this part is trying to seek and offer inspirational proposal not only contributing to student diverse experience but also to public realm to stitch this missing segment with CBD and campus.

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5. ON-STREET PERFORMANCE

3. NEW STUDY CLUSTER

2. INTERNAL STUDENT COURTYARD

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4. STUDENT COMMUNITY HUB

6. TERRACED RAIN GARDEN

1. STUDENT SHARED STREET

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1. STUDENT SHARED STREET FLOW ANALYSIS

The part of Bouverie street and Leicester street where are surrounded by student accommodation are transferred into shared street. The shared street becomes an extension of the accommodation front yard, a place to meet neighbors with street furniture, also make the streets of all users particularly students safer whether daytime or nighttime. The sign in the entrance of student accommodation courtyard gives the identity of student community.

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2. INTERNAL STUDENT COURTYARD FLEXIBLE COURTYARD USE SCENARIOS

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT FLEA MARKET ON COURTYARD

The flexible plaza allows various activities, for instance, student flea market on weekend, daily outdoor community lunch, filming sharing at night, which provides a place for 24h community life.

The high-level connection between student accommodation offers a secure and semi-private meeting place, also acting as viewing platform.

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3. NEW STUDY CLUSTER PERSPECTIVE FROM HIGH-LEVEL CONNECTION TO LAW BUILDING

PERSPECTIVE FROM SHARED LEICESTER STREET

The bridge in this area connects the four student accommodations and Melbourne law building terrace, which encourages social overlap between academic life and student communities. The law building terrace and inner accommodation platform provide informal studying space and meeting space. After class, students can have a informal discussion or brainstorm on law building platform and then walking home along the bridge, students can enjoy the sunset in Melbourne on the viewing platform.

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4. STUDENT COMMUNITY HUB FLOW & ENTRANCE ANALYSIS

PERSPECTIVE FROM THE ENTRANCE OF STUDENT COMMUNITY ON ORIENTATION DAY

The community hub can host many activities, such as Orientation Day and Cultural Exchange Day. It also highlights the way to metro station and student accommodation courtyard. The stairs of student community hub and the back-wall on University Media Lab forms a outdoor cinema area. Active interface of community hub contributes to public realm and attract students.

The collective urban farm is located at the entrance of the hub and has very good sunshine conditions. Students can build up an eatable garden. It could make students more cohesive.

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5. ON-STREET PERFORMANCE STAGE

FLOW & VIEW ANALYSIS

ENJOY STREET CAFE WHILE WAITING BUS

The frontage of law building is transformed into outdoor dining area. This place provides multiple choice of seats and tables which has different height for different people. There is occasionally street performance on the elevated deck along the street. The commercial spill out is an essential space for daily life, not only for relaxing and seating, but also acting as view point to street performance and university square. On the way students get on the bus and metro to law school, they can quickly grab a cup of coffee.

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6. TERRACED RAIN GARDEN ON BOUVERIE STREET

WATER FLOW ANALYSIS

VEGETATION

UNDER-STORY

The water from Pelham street and reintroduced bioswale on Bouverie street comes together to Lincoln Square, where the storage water tank is beneath the road. After treatment, the water is reused for surrounded community and irrigation.

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GRASS RAIN GARDEN & BIOSWALE

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Ash,A.(2008). “Collective culture and urban public space.” City : Analysis of urban Trends. Culture, theory, policy, action.

Australia Student Accommodation.(2018). Market Report.

City of Melbourne.(2008). University Square Master Plan City of Melbourne.(2012). City North Structure Plan 2012 City of Melbourne.(2012). Open Space Strategy, Streetscape Framework City of Melbourne.(2017). A Great Place to Study International Student Strategy 2013-2017 City of Melbourne.(2015). Water Cycle Management Plan City of Melbourne.(2017). University and Lincoln Square University and Lincoln Square Biodiversity Assessment and Tree Management Report Colliers International. (2018). The Graduation of A Sector : Australia Proposed Built Student Accommodation Research & Insight Report.

Fincher,R & Shaw, K.(2010). Enacting separate social worlds: ‘International’ and ‘local’ students in public space in central Melbourne.

Jahn,G.(1971). Life Between Buildings.

Kumar, T & Dutta, G. (2020). Covid-19 and mental health.

Leonhardt, D. (2020). It’s 2022. What Does Life Look Like?

Mair, S. (2020). What will the world be like after corona-virus? Four possible futures.

Rae, H. (2020). Design for Apartness.

The University of Melbourne.(2008). The University of Melbourne Parkville Master Plan 2008 FIGURES Figure1. City of Melbourne.(2017). A Great Place to Study International Student Strategy 20132017 Figure2. Retrieved From https://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/english/live-in-australia/accommodation Figure3. Retrieved From https://besixwatpac.com.au/projects/residential-aged-care-hotels/bouverie-street-student-accommodation Figure4. Retrieved From https://www.vu.edu.au/study-at-vu/life-at-vu Figure5. Fincher,R & Shaw, K. (2010). Enacting separate social worlds: ‘International’ and ‘local’ students in public space in central Melbourne.

Figure6. Retrieved From https://www.archdaily.com/494747/118-subsidized-dwellings-offices-retail-spaces-and-garage-amann-canovas-maruri/5344a7c4c07a809fab00028a-118-subsidized-dwellings-offices-retail-spaces-and-garage-amann-canovas-maruri-diagram-2?next_project=no 44