Catalysing Meaningful Cross-Cultural Interactions at Doncaster Community Centre ------Cultural-adaption landscape design for Chinese elderly immigrates in Australia
YUEKUN ZENG ABPL90375 Landscape Architecture Design Thesis
1038330 Subject Coordinator : Sidh Sintusingha
DESCRIPTION Over the years, almost all elderly immigrants from non-English speaking countries in Australia found it challenging to adapt to Australian society. The reasons are the combination of cultural difference and language barrier. The thesis focuses on Chinese elderly immigrants’ experience, as a prominent group in Doncaster, and explores the landscape redesign at Doncaster Community Centre that encourages Chinese elderly immigrants to engage in social interaction with others to help them achieve cultural adaption in Australia. A key strategy is the blurring of the boundary between architecture and the landscape to enrich Chinese elderly people’s daily experience to encourage their interactions with others. At the same time, the design encourages Australian and other cultural groups to know more about the Chinese elderly people through the outdoor and/or indoor every day and special activities and programs organized by the city council and community.
CONTENT 1.0 INTRODUCTION THE CHINESE IMMIGRANTS IN AUSTRALIA THE ISSUES BEHIND CHINESE ELDERLY IMMIGRANTS ACTION TAKEN BY CITY COUNCIL CASE STUDY DESIGN CONCEPT
2.0 EXPLORATIONS ＆ GENERATIVE PROCESS SITE SELECTION SITE ANALYSIS USERS' ANALYSIS SECTIONAL ANALYSIS FIRST DESIGN EXPLORATIONS
3.0 DESIGN OUTCOME MASTER PLAN CHINESE ELDERLY PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCE BEFORE CHINESE ELDERLY PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCE AFTER BLURRING THE LINES BETWEEN BUILDING AND LANDSCAPE
1.0 INTRODUCTION THE CHINESE IMMIGRANTS IN AUSTRALIA a).Components of Population Growth
1.0 INTRODUCTION b).Top Five Countries of Birth as a Proportion of The Total Population
a).Australia is a multicultural society. There were around one third of people in Australia born overseas. The Census collects information on many characteristics that highlight the rich cultural diversity of Australian society.
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2011 and 2016
b).According to Australian Bureau of Statistics, the largest proportion of the total population that does not speak English as a first language comes from mainland China.
c).The Age and Sex Information of Chinese Immigrants in Australia
c).The most recent Australian census, conducted in 2016, indicated that there were 31,653 Chinese-born immigrants aged 65 and over living in Australia, making them the fifthlargest older immigrant group (ABS, 2012). Source: China-born Community Information Summary
1.0 INTRODUCTION THE ISSUES BEHIND CHINESE ELDERLY IMMIGRANTS
Chinese Book Area
Rough
upset
Language Barrier
However, some objective factors such as technology issues, English, most of Chinese elderly people still didn't participate in those activities to adapt to the society.
Miscommunication
Most of them came to Australia from their hometown(mainland China) in order to take care of their grandchildren in Australia. However, because of cultural difference and language barrier, many Chinese retires in Australia found that it's really hard to integration into Australian society. Older Chinese immigrants might be at risk of poorer psychological wellbeing than older Caucasians if depression, loneliness, and quality of life are used as indicators of this construct. (Jennifer, 2016)
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QR Code
English Picking up children from school is our only daily activity
No one here can communicate with me, I feel very lonely
The city councils, which have a large number of immigrants, have noticed this problem, so they take some actions to help new immigrants, including Chinese elderly retires , interact with the society.
Depression
Lonely
Mental Health Problem
Cultural Diff erence Misunderstanding
Isolation
1.0 INTRODUCTION ACTION TAKEN BY CITY COUNCIL
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Zoom
Webside Smart Phone
1.0 INTRODUCTION CASE STUDY Regeneration – Free Spring Morning, Suzhou Landscape and architecture sharing the same grid system
The building and landscape share a grid system, and the changing landscape grid serves as the transition of the third layer of space, weakening the connection between the grey space and the site. The boundary of interior and exterior is blurred, and the blurring of boundary realizes the integration of spaces. When visitors walk between the inner space and the outer space, they can get different spatial feelings. Changing landscape grid blurring the boundary between the interior and the exterior
Human Library Project
In Denmark, there are libraries where you can "borrow "a person instead of a book to listen to their life story for 30 minutes. The goal is to fight prejudice. Each person has a title like: "unemployed ","refugee ", "bipolar ", but listening to their story you realize how much you shouldn't judge a book by its cover ", An innovative and brilliant, active project that exists in fifty countries. An initiative from The Human Library.
CASE STUDY
1.0 INTRODUCTION
NOTIONS of CROSS-CULTURAL SOCIAL INTERACTIONS
Interactions are the micro building blocks of long-term adjustment to a foreign setting. (A.Molinsky, 2013) Instead of operating exclusively within the cultural setting in which they were born and raised, individuals must now be capable of functioning appropriately in a wide variety of foreign cultural situations, many of which have different cultural norms for appropriate behavior that may conflict with their core values and beliefs. (A.Molinsky, 2013) As individuals learn the rules for appropriate behavior in a foreign setting, they repeatedly face discrete situations involving cultural differences that test their ability to function successfully in the new setting and their comfort with new cultural rules Long-term cultural Adaption Cultural Adaptation Short-term cultural Adaption
The Importance of Cultural Adaption Challenges of Cultural Adaptation
The competence challenge: Feeling that your knowledge and skill is not up to the task of adapting behavior.
The authenticity challenge: Experiencing the new behavior as being in conflict with your accustomed way of behaving and with your preexisting cultural values and beliefs. The resentment challenge: Feeling that the very act of adapting cultural behavior is a burden and an imposition
The Benefits of Cultural Adaptation
Ada pt at i o n c a n he l p i nd i v i d ua ls av o i d the ne gat i v e c o ns e qu e nc e s o f no r m violation and its associated stereot ypes . (A.Molinsky, 2013)
It can also increase the likelihood of positive impression management outcomes (Lear y, 1995; Montagliani & Giacalone, 1998; Schlenker, 1980; Schlenker & Weigold, 1992), such as fitting in, being well-liked, and winning the respect, trust.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
DESIGN CONCEPT
Cultural Difference
Language Barrier
Short-term Cultural Adaptation, Start communicating with others
As a landscape designer, what kind of landscape we can design to create a space encourage people with different cultural background, especially Chinese elderly people, to make the social interactions happens. Moreover, utilize the outdoor space to help people achleve long-term cultural adaptation.
Long-term Cultural Adaptation, Start communicating with others
Mutual Understanding
Chinese Elderly Retires
For holding events
INITIAL DESIGN STRATEGY Barrier-free Space Flexible Space
Break the barrier between the building and outdoor space Flexible and changeable facilities provide space for ac tivities in di fferent festivals, thus promoting social interaction among Open Space
Social Interaction Space
Semi-enclosed space Enclosed space
Create Social interaction opportunities
Reading Space
Local People/ Other cultural Background
2.0 EXPLORATIONS ＆ GENERATIVE PROCESS SITE SELECTION Popular Regions for Melbourne's Chinese Community
2.0 EXPLORATIONS ＆ GENERATIVE PROCESS
5
1 4 2 3
Source: https://liveinmelbourne.vic.gov.au/discover/multicultural-communities/chinese
1. Manningham
2. Whitehorse
14.1% of Manningham residents identify their ancestry as Chinese.
11.5% of Whitehorse residents identify their ancestry as Chinese.
27.1% of Manningham residents are over 60.
22.5% of Whitehorse residents are over 60.
3. Monash 19.6% of Monash residents identify their ancestry as Chinese. 22% of Monash residents are over 60.
4. Boroondara 11.1% of Boroondara residents identify their ancestry as Chinese. 21.2% of Boroondara residents are over 60.
5. Melbourne CBD 38.4% of Melbourne CBD residents identify their ancestry as Chinese. Median age of 26, university students are majority
SITE ANALYSIS
2.0 EXPLORATIONS ＆ GENERATIVE PROCESS
As the Doncaster L ibrar y, which also known as MC Community Centre in Doncaster is the largest and most fully functional community centre in Manninghan, it was chosen as the design site of Thesis
2.0 EXPLORATIONS ＆ GENERATIVE PROCESS USERS' ANALYSIS
Demographics According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 55.4% of residents were born overseas, among this, 18.8% of people were born in mainland China, 4.0% were born in Malaysia, 3.4% were born in Greece, 2.7 % were born in Italy.
Doncaster Primary School Doncaster Church Bus Station Shopping Mall
Nreaby residents always come to shopping mall to buy groceries and then go to the Doncaster Library to borrow books.
Manningham City Council
D u r i n g c h u r c h' s opening hours, Christian people of all ages go to the church to pray.
Nearby Chinese elderly retires came to the Doncaster Library by bus , because the library has Chinese book reading area for them. Convenient transports and cheap spending attract them come to the library every day
44.6 % Australia
55.4 % Overseas SALES 1st Qtr
Local parent s come to pick up their children, then bring them to the library to read books.
2nd Qtr
3rd Qtr
4th Qtr
Mainland China
Ma n y C h i n e s e e l d e r l y retires came to pick up their grandchildren, so many Chinese retires came to the library to wait for the after school time. It is an opportunity for council and the librar y corporate together to help Chinese elderly retires.
2.0 EXPLORATIONS ＆ GENERATIVE PROCESS SPATIAL ANALYSIS
SECTIONAL ANALYSIS A
Second Floor Manningham Youth Services Manningham Maternal and Child Health Services Chinese Community Social Services Centre Access Health Community
Ground Floor B
Doncaster Library Cafe Mini Gallery Building Entrance
A'
There's no attractive landscape space that can guide Chinese elderly people out.
Section A-A'
Outdoor Space Green Space Outdoor Space (hard pavement) Bus Station
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D Section B-B' There's no connection between primary school and the Doncaster Library
Doncaster Primary School
Stepped seats doesn't encourge people to have social interactions. In addition, it's really hard for elderly people to sit.
on
ca
st
er
Ro a
d
There is a height difference of 1.5 meters. Ma n n i n g h a m City Council
2.0 EXPLORATIONS ＆ GENERATIVE PROCESS COMMUNITY SURVEY The first independent community survey commissioned by Whitehorse Manningham Libraries (WML) was conducted in 2016, with follow up surveys being conducted in November 2018 and February 2021. On the whole questions were kept consistent across the surveys to assist in the identification of trends. An additional section was included in the 2021 survey to support the evaluation of the library’s service delivery throughout the Covid-19 period. The survey was available in English and Chinese, online and in hardcopy. A number of exit interviews were also conducted at library branches. The participation rate in 2021 was below that of previous years, contributed to by lower than typical library visitation numbers, general survey fatigue and the snap 5-day lockdown during the survey period. However, the total respondent sample size of 1,813 provides a total sampling error of +/- 2.3% at a 95% confidence level. Of those who responded to the survey: • 9 0. 8 % we re re g ula r l i b ra r y users (used the library at least once in the last 12 months) • 2.3% were inactive users (not visited a WML branch in the last 12 months) • 4.8% were exclusive online users • 2 % we r e n o n-us e r s (n e v e r visited a WML branch)
Source: 2021 Whitehorse and Manningham Annual Report
2.0 EXPLORATIONS ＆ GENERATIVE PROCESS THE PHENOMENON BEHIND COMMUNITY SURVEY
2.0 EXPLORATIONS ＆ GENERATIVE PROCESS FIRST DESIGN EXPLORATIONS
1 2 3
Master Plan
5 8 9
7
6 1
4 5 6 7 8 9
Doncaster Library Outdoor Cafe Cultural Plaza
4 2
3
Slpoe for wheel chair Flexible Playground Gallery Corridor Outdoor Human Library Project Outdoor Reading Space
3.0 DESIGN OUTCOME MASTER PLAN
8
3.0 DESIGN OUTCOME
7 9
11 10
2
1
1 2 3
Doncaster Library Outdoor Cafe Lawn Slope
4 5 6
Outdoor Workshop Cultural Plaza Mini Garden
7 8 9
3
4
5 6
Disabled Access
10
Gallery Frame B
Flexible Playground
11
Outdoor Reading Space
Gallery Frame A
Design Description: The new outdoor space of Doncaster Librar y(also known as the Doncaster Communit y Centre), made several of new strategies at the outdoor space to create the opportunities to help Chinese elderly people start their social interactions. The longer people stay in the same space, the more likely they are to have social interactions. In order to let people stay longer at outdoor space, the new design utilize four element s , sound, smell, sight and touch to encourage them adapt to the Australian society. Besides, the new design focus on Chinese elderly people's daily experiences. In order to encourage Chinese elderly people to come out
of the building, the new outdoor space bring the current indoor activities to the outdoor by creating varies of interesting space, such as flexible playground which can be used as children's playground and performance space at different occassions. In addition, the new design blurred the line between the building and the outdoor space. The galler y frame, which created a semienclosed space to be a transitional space between the interior and exterior space. This design can give Chinese elderly people a sense of security.
3.0 DESIGN OUTCOME Building inside layout BEFORE
CHINESE ELDERLY PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCE 70-year-old, from Sichuan Province, Southwest of China
Living with daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter at Doncaster
1 1 pm
Whitehorse Manningham Libraries (Doncaster)
Early Years Centre
Manningham Council Civic Centre
Entrance
Came to Melbourne five years ago to look after granddaughter
Grandma Yuekun
Gallery
Cafe
MC2 Building
In the afternoon, grandma took the bus from the nearby bus stop, then went to the Doncaster Library.
Plaza
Doncaster Road
Site Surroundings
3
1.35 pm
Social Interation Quality:
5
5.30 pm
Level of Cultural Adaption: Social Interation Quality:
Levels of Loneliness:
Level of Cultural Adaption:
4
Levels of Loneliness:
2
3.35 pm
1.30 pm Search Chinese books at the Chinese book area of Doncaster Library
At around 5.30 pm, she went out of the library and back to her daughter's home.
Social Interation Quality:
Social Interation Quality:
Level of Cultural Adaption:
Level of Cultural Adaption:
Levels of Loneliness: Arrived at the bus stop in front of the Doncaster Library at 1.30 pm
After reading for a long time, Grandma Yuekun wanted to go outside to take a break, but since there's no interesting outdoor space, she didn't stay outside too long.
Levels of Loneliness:
CHINESE ELDERLY PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCE PART A
AFTER
1
3.0 DESIGN OUTCOME
2 1.30 pm
1 pm Aft e r r e ne w t he Do nc as t e r Library, I feel my life became more colorful and interesting, I feel like I'm more adapt to the Australian life now.
The exhibition looks interesting, let 's have a look inside!
In the afternoon, grandma took the bus from the nearby bus stop, then went to the Doncaster Library.
At around 1.30 pm, she arrived at the library, and she found there was an interesting exhibition inside, so she went to the art gallery. Social Interation Quality:
Levels of Loneliness:
Level of Cultural Adaption:
3
1.35 pm
4 Translator: 我 开 始 分 享我在澳大利亚的故 事 ……（Chinese）
3.35 pm Hi! I'm ......
Hi! My name is .....
Vo l u nt e e r : I ' m g o i ng t o s ha r e my s t o r y i n Australia......
Instead of reading Chinese books alone in the Doncaster Social Interation Quality: Library, the Human Library Project invite volunteers to share their life experiences in Australia, and the translator from the city council help to translate into Chinese. This program helps Level of Cultural Adaption: the Chinese elderly to have more opportunities to communicate with people from other cultural backgrounds. Levels of Loneliness:
After finished the Human Library Project at the outdoor reading Social Interation Quality: space, grandma Yuekun come to the flexible playground to take a break, then there are also some local elderly people sit there to take care of their granschildren. Grandma Yuekun and Level of Cultural Adaption: an Australian old lady start to talk to each other, the translation APP help them to get over the language barrier. Levels of Loneliness:
3.0 DESIGN OUTCOME CHINESE ELDERLY PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCE
AFTER
PART B
5
The Strategy of achieving cultural adaption TOUCH
Afternoon Cultural Plaza Stay longer at one space
SIGHT
Social Interaction SOUND
Cultural Adaption
SMELL
Different kinds of non-toxic but fragrant plants are planted around the square. The pleasant SMELL fragrance makes people feel relaxed and have the idea of staying in this space.
T h e m a t e r i a l s a r e t i m b e r, concrete and marble , which generate warm and ele gant atmosphere. And won't hurt the TOUCH elderly people and children
G r a n d m a Yu e k u n : I ' m ver y interested in today 's performance, let's go!
There are varies of amazing music performance every day. Music is the only language that everyone could understand, so SOUND that it can help Chinese elderly people break the language barrier.
The f lower of different color gives Chinese elderly people a kind of relaxed feeling on the SIGHT vision, let originally drab cement shop outfit become interesting, so they are more likely to stay there.
In cooperation with the City Council, the library will inform Chinese elderly people about the activities at plaza every day through Chinese brochures, as to help them better participate in those activities.
3.0 DESIGN OUTCOME
6
Afternoon: Outdoor Cafe Compare to the previous concrete hard pavement, the new outdoor space added more seats for people to sit and chat with each other. The new created green space, especially the tree canopy can shade out the sun.
3.0 DESIGN OUTCOME PLANTING DESIGN All the plants selected are non-toxic native plants. In order to increase the variation of the landscape, scented plants and sensory plants are combined with grass, shrubs and trees. Eucalyptus polyanthemos
Arthropodium strictum
Nandina domestica
1 Harpalium Poa labillardieri
2 4
Common Tussock-grass (Poa labillardieri)
Eucalyptus polyanthemos
3
Ocimum basilicum
3.0 DESIGN OUTCOME BLURRING THE LINES BETWEEN BUILDING AND LANDSCAPE
A
A'
Section A-A
Sidewalk
Corridor
Doncaster Library
Manningham Youth Services Art Gallery
Entrance
Access Health Community Library
Outdoor Reading Space
3.0 DESIGN OUTCOME BLURRING THE LINES BETWEEN BUILDING AND LANDSCAPE
B B'
Building
Building
+
Landscape
Semi-enclosed Space Enclosed Space
Landscape Open Space
3.0 DESIGN OUTCOME BLURRING THE LINES BETWEEN BUILDING AND LANDSCAPE C
C'
Building
Enclosed Space
Gallery Frame
Playground
Semi-enclosed Space
Open Space