Kate Field - University of Melbourne - Urban Planning - Portfolio

kate field portfolio of work

07/2021 - 06/2023

02/2016 - 01/2019

01/2018 - 07/2018

Experience

University of Melbourne

Masters of Urban Planning; First Class Honours average; WAM: 82.5 University of Sydney

Bachelor of Architecture and Environments; Distinction Average; WAM: 81.5 National University of Singapore Student Exchange

Echelon Planning

Student Urban Planner

• working for clients including DELWP, DJPR, VPA, Fisherman’s Bend Taskforce and private developers within a boutique planning firm

• analysing local governments’ use of development incentive benefits by conducting planning scheme amendment and planning permit reviews

• drafting policy reviews for a state agency audience, proposing areas of potential policy reform to leaders to incorporate in final recommendations

• developing a precinct structure plan (PSP) for a regional growth location, aiding in the drafting of PSP documents, mapping and community consultation materials

• using strong graphic skills across InDesign to create compelling reports for PSPs, policy reform and research outputs with clear branding across projects and smart document setups for efficient editing

• undertaking a review of regional growth pipeline priorities by auditing regional growth forecasts, housing outputs, urban growth frameworks and communicating findings in visual snapshot templates

• mapping statutory policies and strategic visions using Illustrator

• aiding in the preparation, research, mapping and drafting of development applications for public and employment zone projects

05/2021 - 04/2022

Lyons Architecture

Student of Architecture

• helping prepare, write, compile and edit design reports in Adobe InDesign to produce a high-quality end product

• producing strategic diagrams and plans in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to communicate context and designs to clients

• attending meetings with clients and producing meeting minutes

03/2020 - 01/2021

BVN Architecture

Student of Architecture

• working as part of a small team spearheading the BVN Architecture european studio, undertaking business development tasks and working on major architectural projects

01/2019 - 02/2020

Education Awards

2016 - 2019

2018

BVN Architecture

Student of Architecture

• working as part of a large architecture firm on major built projects

Katrina Dawson Foundation Scholarship

University of Sydney Dean’s List of Academic Excellence

University of Sydney Dean’s Entry Scholarship

Community involvement

2022

The Urban Collective | student planning society - Vice President

United Nations Innovate4Cities Conference Student Writing Team – Member

Melbourne London Sydney

04/2022 - present Melbourne

- 2020

Youth Leading the World environmental group – Facilitator Women’s College Cabaret – Co-director and Co-writer

ROAD ON THE ROAD ON THE

On the Road

Creating urban squares from light industrial estates with a megaform proposal in Sydney’s inner west.

What lies beyond the arterial route leading east to west in Sydney? Parramatta Road has the potential to be a vibrant spine for urban development in the suburban inner west and west. Currently, urban life along the road suffers from low-density development in which shopping centres act as the economic drivers for the community.

On the Road proposes a mixed-use megaform development which forms pocket cities in the light industrial zones in each suburb, creating authentic urban hearts around education architecture.

The future of Parramatta Road?

THE SITUATION

From the first decades of Sydney’s European colonisation, Parramatta Road has remained an arterial path from the city’s east to west. Although accounts of attacks from Aboriginal clans and rogues along the route have decreased, the journey is still treacherous. Six lanes of traffic funnel the western workforce east every day through strips of deactivated, or simply abandoned, urban remnants. Despite traversing multiple high property value areas in the inner west, Parramatta Road’s presence erodes the value of the suburbs around it.

URBAN INGREDIENTS: THE DEATH AND LIFE OF SYDNEY’S INNER WEST

The journey west: graph showing the development of Parramatta Road as an arterial route in Sydney’s west.

Informed by Jane Jacobs’ urban ingredients for a successful city including mixed usage, high density and celebrating heritage buildings, this design aims to build a city to rekindle the scale and sense of humanity on the road, as opposed to cities and suburbs built for the automobile.

Within the architecture, the commercial activity remains local. Against the current Westfield culture of much of Sydney’s commercial environments, On the Road provides spaces for commerce in an extroverted setting, rekindling the sense of the outdoor room and main street. On the Camperdown site, the valuable heritage buildings around the megaform proposal including the

Gantry, the sawtooth warehouses and 70s light industrial units become affordable spaces for under-resourced enterprises. They also maintain the character of the original site. Rather than applying a tabular rasa principle to the site and clearing all that was there before, the existing buildings contribute to the sense of a urban square in the proposal. They tell the narrative of the inner west’s industrial history alongside its future.

THE ALTERNATIVE

This project preempts and challenges Landcom projects along Parramatta Road, presenting an all-encompassing architectural megaform to revitalise the strip.

malls

Sydney site analysis showing the suburban planes of the inner west punctuated by shopping centres and light industrial pockets.

Megaform proposal in pink: the proposal at large is a megaform (shown in pink and in the illustration). It extends over from the eastern city to the west, along Parramatta Road.

Parramatta

Test case: the Camperdown site

‘On the Road’ proposes a structure which extends along Parramatta Road and frames light industrial zones in each suburb to create high-density urban hearts for the suburban west. School architecture is integrated with the city to provide mutual education between occupants of the city.

AN URBAN SQUARE FOR CAMPERDOWN

The site for investigation is a light industrial precinct in Camperdown.

Beyond the site, greater Camperdown lacks the identity and sprite of surrounding areas. With no definitive main area to gather or community congregation point, Camperdown is a prime opportunity for urban revitalisation, with a focus on creating an urban square for the public.

The length of the megaform proposal was derived from the sense of the Camperdown precinct already acting as a walled city, with its clearly defined boundaries due to the large historic industrial buildings and language of laneways through and around the site.

Using the Camperdown precinct as a model for future developments along the road, the design proposes a form which can be replicated across the motorway to act as a pocket city, a building, school, community hub, landscape, bridge and piece of infrastructure.

The education campus not only benefits the community, it drives the economic, social and cultural output of the proposed city design.

By integrating the traditionally walled and sanctioned school environment into the pragmatic and technicolour functions of the city, both the student and citizen benefit. Spatial divides are dissolved through mixing interaction between business owners, professionals, dwellers and students in the city while maintaining an internal utopia for necessary security for students by segregation through building program.

CONCEPT

Pockets of light industrial estates become ‘pocket cities’ along the road.

A walled city provides an internal creative utopia.

Education in its many forms drives the activity of the city - visually, socially and economically.

megaform

Camperdown as a model for the inner west: the Camperdown site is emblematic of many of the zones along Parramatta Road. Low quality apartments tower along the road alongside big box or vacant shop fronts. Once off the road, the laneway planning of the inner west provides a respite from the sounds and sights of the roadway. Unique industrial buildings and heritage architecture stand side by side, but disconnected from the road.

SCENES ON THE ROAD

Externally, the mass communicates a united whole. Forms from the surrounding heritage buildings are also reflected in the facade.

Then, internally, the city becomes a hive of activity and spatial overlapping. Balconies frame activities, as catwalks fly above, offering insights into all the activities of the city.

FROM CAMPERDOWN TO PARRAMATTA

‘On the Road’ proposes an alternative upgrade of Parramatta Road through design precincts radiating from and to be catalysed by education architecture.

The form creates a walled experience within the site, forming an urban courtyard. The previous light industrial buildings are revitalised to become the other walls of this internal city, framing a urban heart for Camperdown and the rest of the west on the road.

Carlton site analysis

cbd

cbd

site site

Socioeconomic wellbeing and green space

Map 1: Showing SEIFA socio-economic status in Melbourne. Public housing estates stand out as orange, showing the enclaves of lower socioeconomic standing among Melbourne’s more-privileged suburbs in lilac and most-privileged in purple

Parks are also shown in green, with higher socioeconomic ranking suburbs having better access to green space.

Housing affordability

Map 2: The least affordable suburbs are shown in dark green, with the more affordable housing shown in light green. Carlton is exceptionally unaffordable.

Gentrification

Map 3: Already gentrified areas are shown in light orange, with gentrifying areas shown in orange

Carlton is already gentrified, implying a lack of social and economic diversity in the suburb.

A potential development from the urban design codes established in this project. Social courtyards and medium-density mixed-use developments are encouraged.

Carlton

Courtyards

Using urban design codes to densify Carlton and counter gentrification by creating social courtyards.

As Melbourne grows, Carlton will become an extension of the CBD. Gentrification is increasingly pricing diversity out of Carlton, increasing the socio-economic polarities of the city.

This project aims to create a varied arrangement of unexpected encounters with diverse people in the city by generating social courtyard typologies in higher density mixed-use apartment buildings.

Urban codes

Urban code: Courtyards

Land consolidation:

Land within the courtyard space must be consolidated through a community management plan to become semi-private open space accessible to residents and that supports recreational uses. This ‘courtyard’ space must be contiguous.

Footprint:

The front and side (where relevant) of the development must align with the perimeter edge of the lot.

Footprint depths must be, at a minimum, the depth of a single apartment and a maximum of 22m, or so as to not overshadow surrounding development significantly.

Where the lot is over 100m long, two courtyards may

be formed, divided by the a pedestrian laneway to increase street connectivity and FSR.

Floor Space Ratio:

FSR must be between 2.8:1 and 5:1 to ensure urban intensification. Amenity must be preserved by allowing for 20% of the surface of the courtyard to have access to sunlight on the winter solstice for two hours.

Provision of amenity: Courtyards must be accessible and inviting for the general public. This may include including amenities like playgrounds, commercial spaces, education spaces and public bathrooms within the space.

Urban code: Building facade

Height: Building facades are to be between 20-30m in height.

Floor heights: Ground floor must be between 3.5-4m in height so as to accommodate for a variety of uses and adaptions over time.

Setbacks:

Buildings will have no front or side setbacks from the street or adjoining developments in order to maintain a consistent street wall.

False granularity:

Vertical articulation of facade granularity must occur, with 18m being the maximum width of an individual facade expression.

Urban code: Uses

Engaging:

Building ground levels must remain engaging where possible by aesthetic, functional, social or other means.

Affordable housing:

A minimum of 40% affordable housing must be supplied and distributed in each development - concentration in one development is not allowed.

Minimum glazing: Where possible, a minimum of 40% glazing must be provided with high quality material details.

Features of ground floor: For commercial premises, a

combination of two or more of the following elements must be incorporated:

• minimum glazing

shutters or bi-fold glazing

high-quality transparent or welldetailed door

solid seating element

steps

planters

Floors 1 to 3

Uses must comprise of

a thriving community such as:

Schools

Social enterprises

Workplaces

Applying the code to scenarios

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

CAFECASINO

WORKPLACE

Development is maximised but limited by the sunshine rule in Code 1.

The codes enforce the positive diversity of affordable housing.

The codes also enforce the diversity of uses of spaces in and around the courtyard to create a public/private open space. It is accessible for all members of the community, albeit highly commercialised.

Scenario 1: Trump takes over Scenario 2: Incremental urban change

Development happens incrementally with multiple developers.

A diversity of uses are embraced at the ground floor, including schools and spaces for the community.

Existing development can access the courtyard through their back gardens, creating a new back lane/park relationship between the new and old.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Scenario 3: Development abandoned due to economic downturn

Development only occurs in the south-east corner of the block. Heights of the buildings are minimised.

Greater community use of spaces are provided. Affordable housing is embraced.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

NOTFOR CAFEPROFIT SCHOOL

CAFE SCHOOL EXISTING HOUSING

LIBRARY

plan showing the courtyard and permeable facades to the north

Breathe House

A terrace extension with a dematerialised northern facade to capture light and breathe.

Breathe House offers a light alternative to the sometimes narrow and dark Sydney Victorian terrace.

A simple diagram guided this design to embrace permeability for circulation, light, visual interaction and to provide room to breathe.

This project included the design of the space and production of a development application for a terrace house renovation.

Render showing the kitchen and dining area. The right side of the space opens to the north, with the glass sliding wall, brick pattern and light concrete helping to capture and reflect light.

BVN

Architecture

What can a building bring to a community?

Total project value: $52 million

This was the main question for the team I was a part of at BVN while working on the Coffs Harbour Civic and Cultural Space. This building was an investment by the community, for the community. It housed new spaces to create, gather, share, teach, work and govern.

Coffs Harbour Civic and Cultural Space

MY CONTRIBUTION

Site analysis: I undertook site analysis at various scales to understand the indigenous, natural and urban context of the site. This also involved interpreting local masterplanning provisions to design within the community’s objectives for the future.

Iterative 3D models: I 3D printed a large site model into which the conceptual design options could be inserted. By communicating the design through high quality physical models, we were able to have a more open conversation with stakeholders about the design.

Spatial diagrams to clearly communicate organisation of programs. These were used for community consultations.

Enscape renders: I helped create a model in Revit where Enscape renders could easily be captured in all spaces, providing quick and clear imagery of the project.

COFFS CREEK

Workplace planning and strategy: I worked alongside leaders to interpret the client’s requirements and design a progressive workplace.

renders

HARBOUR

Queen and Collins Tower Melbourne

Total Project Value: $550 million

As sustainability-conscious cities look to reuse existing skyscrapers rather than demolish them, Queen and Collins proposes an adaptive reuse of an iconic tower and heritage precinct to design a progressive corporate podium including co-working spaces, a library, restaurants and bars.

I worked on the interior design package for the tender documentation. I helped manage multiple general interior drawings and detail packages. By liaising with product suppliers, I was able to recommend furniture supplies and maintain schedules.

HMAS Watson Sydney

I worked in a fast paced team to produce tender documentation, renders and a fly-through for education spaces within a naval defense base in Sydney.

Research and competitions

London

I helped spearhead BVN’s European studio in London as part of a small team. I worked across design, business development and research roles to help further the firm’s reach in Europe.

I actively scouted business development opportunities such as bids and tenders. Collaborating with leaders to design competition entries, I used Adobe Creative Suite alongside modeling software to create engaging visual designs.

Research was also a core part of my role at BVN Europe. Contributing my research and design skills to the a post occupancy and future legal workplace report, I was able to gain vital communication skills.

Further, working in the built environment industry in London was an unforgettable experience. It exposed me to new debates on urbanism and innovations in the built environment which I will continue to explore as I progress in my career.

B:HIVE POST-OCCUPANCY REPORT

Lyons Architecture

Edith Cowan University Perth

Total Project Value: $853 million

I worked on the design development of student informal learning spaces and the staff accommodation for Edith Cowan University. Edith Cowan University’s new campus by Lyons Architecture will create a new urban block in the heart of Perth.

Menzies BuildingMonash University

Total Project Value: $120 million

I worked across the schematic, design development and tender stages of the adaptive refurbishment of the Menzies Building at Monash University. One of the first buildings at Monash University, Menzies acts as the gateway to the Clayton campus. I worked on the spatial planning, developed renders for the interiors and detailed documentation for this project.