Nick jenkinson s3107533 drc conditions of edge

CONDITIONS OF EDGE

Nick Jenkinson 33107533

01

CONDITIONS OF EDGE

02

RESEARCH QUESTION What can transforming the spatial qualities of housing estate boundaries do to their permeability and the affect that they have on the separation between residents of estates and residents of surrounding neighborhoods?

Can the edge condition perform the functions necessary for reducing separation?

ABSTRACT Key terms:,edge boundary, permeability, stigma, transform, spatial, thicken, The purpose of this project is to explore possibilities of a more permeable housing estate boundary which has functions beyond a thin line, transforming the boundary’s spatial qualities. This design project focuses on the level of interaction between the different programatic lines of the edge, including the road, path, fence and space immediately inside the boundary. Interacting with these lines and thickening the edge as a whole.

There is stigma associated with housing estates of the 1960s. According to the Social Impact Assessment of 2012 there is a difference in opinions between residents and non residents of the Richmond Housing Estate. This is in part due to the contrast between the estate and the surrounding area.

As well as antisocial behavior which has improved over the years but still exists. Some of the solution which research suggests is a mixing of tenure and minimizing obvious distinction between tenures.

Exploring three different methods of transforming the edge of housing estates, play, community garden and thinking of the edge. The project aims to create new spaces which both residents and non residents can inhabit.

The aim of this is to reduce the stigma associated with the estate. As well as change the thoughts of those who live there, also reduce anti-social behavior by “generating greater social equity� that is achieved through increasing role modeling, place economy and social networks with spatial arrangement of the edge to the housing estate.

03

PROBLEM

TEST SITES

METHODS

OUTCOME/TESTS

including more people

path weaving negative space

CONTENTS Project Summery....................................................................................003 Introduction...........................................................................................007

Existing issues and separation...............................................................009 Existing conditions.................................................................................015 Precedent projects................................................................................ 033 Methods.................................................................................................041 Play

Productive gardening

Thickening the edge

Tests......................................................................................................047

Developemental play...................................................................049

3 Gardens...................................................................................073

Crate economy............................................................................081

Thickening the edge....................................................................101

Cut and fill..................................................................................109

Landform use..............................................................................119

Conclusion............................................................................................132 Appendix...............................................................................................135

005

INTRODUCTION Conditions of Edge is spread over 2013 as part of Masters of Landscape Architecture program at RMIT. It went through many iterations and changes over that time. Richmond Housing Estate is the site. Spread over two parts of the estate the focus has been how the estate can better integrate with the surrounding area. Research suggests that housing estates of the 1960s are outdated, having served a purpose determined by best practice design at the time. In recent years the Victorian government have acknowledged this and have begun replacing them. This however is very costly and is a slow process, with focus on not repeating mistakes of the original designs. The Social Impact Assessment of 2012 focuses on how the estate operates and how new development should be undertaken on the social spectrum.

When I began this project, I had ideas about how I would educate the public about our profession, what our role is within the wide spectrum that is the realm of landscape architecture. In the beginning it was play that became the focus of my research.

I had been interested in play since design studios in 2010, both questioning park design and water sensitive urban design. I explored subjects like the way children play and how play spaces could become productive and generate electricity to power water recycling, growing food for green field housing estates. As well as how seasonal cycles can inform a space to shift between a sporting facilities and spectating facilities.

Play is not a black and white subject and the end users confirm success through engaging or not engaging with the design. The reality of play and public space became apparent early on, realizing that to create a successful play space that a whole community might engage with involved more than play alone. Including programing that is familiar to an area is important.

Interacting with the edge of the estate and the community garden was a strategy based on integrating both sides of the edge.

The project took a trajectory of working directly with the edge condition of the RHE, exploring ways of transforming it spatially in ways that preserve its function but also create new public space by thickening the edge.

007

008

EXISTING ISSUES AND S E PA R AT I O N “I lock my doors when I drive past that place� quoted from a friend of mine when explaining my project to them.

It is this kind of stigma that exists towards housing estates that this project is attempting to reduce. It stems from preconceptions that people have (myself included, at the beginning of the project) about housing estates. My initial issue with the estate was the fence was locking it in defining it as private space. While there is nothing wrong with private space, the general (in many cases) reputation of housing estates is similar to my friends opinion. It is these opinions of the general public that the project aims to change.

There are statistics and research that I have drawn upon that supports the existence of these issues. Using this as my reasoning for creating spaces geared toward reducing the separation of RHE from Richmond.

009

ASSESSING THE EXISTING CONDITIONS OF EACH EDGE

EDGE

road

TENURE

existing

USE

public passsing through, transport-­‐driving cycling cyclists, parking for resident parking

ARRANGMENT

parallel to RHE, 40 km/h, speed bumps, paralel parking, bike lane

proposed as existing altering parking driving, parking, slowing of narrows and thickens

path

existing

due to edge changing

traffic. Rain water collection

residents of RHE and broader

access RHE, access to surounding areas

proposed resident of RHE and

Broader

edge existing (political boundary)

Department Of Human Services, RHE residents

proposed Department Of Human

inside the existing edge (political boundary)

residents of RHE

proposed residents of RHE and

broader

inside the existing edge (general areas)

residents of RHE

proposed residents of RHE and

broader

services

existing

edge crumbles into gutter and path line tactile surface treatment

flat and straight

passing through, activeties, fluctuationin and out of passive and active RHE. recreation, define the Widening at points political boundary

material allowing cracks/gaps promoting vegetation reducing definition of edge

small scale integration large scale thick and thin fluctuation.

identifying boundary accessing RHE

paralel to path, rd

1600mm fence, white driving or walking down the metal tubing, Gap at access street, the fence appears points no gates more solid than it is.

boundary not defined

fluctuating with path, new element of the edge mabey the rd becomes the interupt sieght and physical political edge. access from rd though allow it from many points on the the path.

notional, mostly unused area adjacent to the fence

lawn, trees small raised varies gentle grade landform, garden beds near some access gaps in the fence

passive and active recreation, interaction.

Community events

fluctuating, different levels landforms, plantings, grass, multipurpose sports space

basket ball, playgrounds (2) basket ball courts north access to from buildings east end. Playground west and east (west being close to edge) some goat tracks)

structured play equipment concrete slab paths.

as existing +events markets, inside area of RHE sporting comp, picnics concentrated towards the general passive and active edge recreation

new landforms, WSUD concrete, timber, stone/brick

cultural centres offices at b ase o f towers no fence office new community center aschool t west side of RHE space, c oncrete

primary school traditional pots 1 for every community gardens (2) 12 households

proposed residents of RHE and some as existing

broader

COMMENT

uniform concrete slab 3000mm wide, level grade

Services, RHE residents

paralel to rd and edge

DESIGN DETAIL

traditional rd and gutter , rain to storm water

centralise cultue centres, insert community garden around edge, parking around edge (to change leves)

culture centre around expected use hub EG basketball court.

VICTORIA UNIVERSITY SURVEY A survey of RHE residents and residents of the surrounding area undertaken by Victoria University gives insite into how the community feels about the existing conditions.

Rating the neighboourhood as a place to live.

“The way that residents feel about their neighbourhood inhibit them from participating in social and economic life.”

People who agree children safely outside

POOR

7%

1%

POOR

AVERAGE

92%

AVERAGE

11%

GOOD

33.5% 54%

GOOD

A significantly lower percentatge of RHE residents agree that their neighbourhood has a good reputation with surrounding area. The social impact assesment suggests that residents of RHE believe the estate to be their neighbourhood and not extending past the boundary.

Not including North Richmond proper indicates that resident feel segregated.

RHE

Social impact assesment, 2011, Roberts Evaluation

Richmond

100%

Generaly my neighbourhood has a good reputation with the surrounding area

100%

DON’T KNOW

85% 1%

AGREE

2%

NEITHER

Richmond

12%

DISAGREE

DON’T KNOW

AGREE

LOW

24.9% 16.3% 34.9% 23.9%

NEITHER

40%

DISAGREE

63.3% 52.%

HIGH

RHE

31.1%

MEDIUM

RHE

100%

THE VISUAL EFFECT OF THE ESATE. “...it is important that the estate is well integrated with it’s surroundings and that tenure status of particular building is not obvious, whether as a result their hieght or design.”

the project aims to approach this issue spatialy through transforming the edge of the estate into usable public space in which the residents of RHE may see that they are part of North Richmond.

VPTA Policy Position Statement – More Public Housing is Imperative.

Topic: Site Redevelopments, Sale to Private Developers, Stock Transfers, Green space and related considerations. ‘...gated/segregated communities should be avioded.”

1. The current system does not address the demand for public housing now and for the future.

VPTA policy position statement

VPTA wants affordable public housing to be available to all those who need it. We recognise that more needs to be done and new innovative ways found to increase the supply of public housing stock, in order to address the problem of homelessness in Victoria, and, to reduce the waiting list in a sustained and meaningful way.

The VPTA gives it’s qualified in principle support to initiatives that help solve the problem by increasing the public housing stock.  We acknowledge that there are a number of strategies that will likely be implemented

by Government, relevant authorities and organisations under the Housing Framework, aimed at providing viable long term viable solutions to people in need of transforming the spatial characterists of the public housing.  The VPTA is independent from any political party and understands that there may be edge with the aim of encouraging use of the differences in the approaches taken by the individual parties whether in Government spaces emerge. or in Opposition.  The VPTA believes all parties need to do more and must work collaboratively together to devise and implement long term strategies to deliver a sustainable public Nick Buck Identifying neighborhood effects on social exclusion housing system and address the current public housing shortfall.

Models for neighborhood effects  In representing the interests of our members, we believe our role is to strive for the best for public housing tenantsbehavior. and those on the waiting list, by Epidemic - behavior assumed to be contagious, effects are based on possible the power outcomes of peer influence to spread the problem identifying issues and by having constructive input and influence into the solutions proposed.

Collective socialization - neighborhood role-models and monitoring which more successful adults provide, are important ingredients in a child’s 

socialization.

Institutional - model suggests that neighborhood effects operate indirectly through the quality services available in the locality,land either through 2. Any public housing landofsales, site redevelopment, transfers the difficulty in recruiting the best professional staff in poor areas or because of budget constraints

to private developers & Public Private Partnerships (PPP) needs to be strict controlled and independently Relative deprivation - individuals evaluate their situation or relative standing based on themonitored. neighbors, suggests reverse effects, it would imply that poorer children are more likely to underperform or drop-out where more affluent children are present because their relative performance appears worse.  Any property sold must be at fair market value.

 Where a property or land owned by the Victorian Government being used for, or asking price must be based on at least 2 independent valuations and the sale process must transparent open togroups public and scrutiny.

Network - suggests that social inclusion depends on links to be more advantagedand mainstream thereby to networks offering critical  Any discount, Government subsidy or incentive that groups. may be offered in relation to a information, material support or moral/cultural examples, which are rendered more difficult by spatial separation from these specific sale must reflect the contribution Government would otherwise have been Expectations - would focus not so much on information linkages as on the perception of likely in pursuing Might be shaped required to make to bringsuccess the property to a opportunities. marketable condition. by individual experience, or by that of others, linking it the epidemic model.  The sale process for any publically owned property that is no longer to be used for public housing must be independently audited.  All monies raised by the sale of public housing properties must be reinvested back into public housing  An approved independent authority should be established to oversight and audit the sale process and the financial return to ensure this is at a fair market rate and that the 012 money raised is set aside by Government specifically for new public housing developments.  There should be extensive public consultation regarding any property proposed to be sold, transferred or redeveloped.

Competition - neighbors compete for scarce resources, might also produce an effect by which deprived individuals do worse in better areas. earmarked for public housing use or development is to be sold, the minimum Alternatively, sheers numbers in specific groups may over stretch the capacity of particular markets or public services to provide for their needs.

Nick Buck University of Essex Identifying Neighbourhood Effecs On Social Exclusion, 2001, Sage Publications Models for neighbourhood effects

EPIDEMIC

EPIDEMIC

INTERNAL INFLUENCES EXTERNAL INFLUENCES

NETWORK

APPROPRIATE FOR RHE COLLECTIVE SOCIALISATION

EXPECTATION

INSTITUTIONAL

Epidem

Behavior power of

INSTITUTIONAL

Networ

NETWORK

2001, Sage Publications

EPIDEMIC

MPETITION

TUTIONAL

COMPETITION

COLLECTIVE SOCIALISATION

REFLECTIVE DEPRIVATION

CHANGE THROUGH EDGE CONDITION

EPIDEMIC NETWORK

INSTITUTIONAL

Epidemic Behavior assumed to be contagious, effects are based on the power of peer influence to spread the problem behavior

EPIDEMIC

INSTITUTIONAL

Spatial change in the edge condition of the estate contributes to mixing residents and non-residents. Peer influence associated to this may work to reduce the spreading of this problem

CHANGE THROUGH EDGE CONDITION NETWORK

INSTITUTIONAL

Spatial c utes to m associat problem

Network

Suggests that social inclusion depends on links to more advantaged mainstream groups and thereby to networks offering critical information, material support or moral/cultural Epidemic examples, which are rendered more difficult by spatial sepaREFLECTIVE ration from these groups.

DEPRIVATION Behavior assumed to be contagious, effects are based on the power of peer influence to spread the problem behavior The activation of the edge spaces by both residents and non residents may help open up networks that spatial Spatial change in the edge condition of the estate contrib-segragation closes. utes to mixing residents and non-residents. Peer influence associated to this may work to reduce the spreading of this problem

Suggests advantag offering c example ration fro

The activ non resi segraga

R I C H M O N D H O U S I N G E S TAT E

014

EXISTING CONDITIONS

015

Victoria st

Victoria Street

Elizabeth St Elizabeth Street

Hoddle Street

Darling Square

Lennox St Garden

Powlett Reserve

Housing estate School

Fitzroy Gardens

Commercial

Highett st garden

Egan St reserve

Public park Community garden

City Reserve

Lynall Hall Community School

Lennox st

Bridge Rd

016

Health services

Community garden Vacent site (under development) Low rise housing blocks

5 high towers 2 basketball courts 4 Playgrounds

017

SITE #1 - LENNOX ST, RICHMOND

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3

4

018

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1 Intersection of Lennox and Victoria Streets 2 Vancant block 3 Victoria Street end of Lennox Street 4 Lennox Street looking South 5 View from Victoria Street

5

COMERCIAL The area has many commercial entities close by. A small group of shops including two hairdressers and a juice shop.

On Victoria street there are many C grocers, restaurants and other facilities. The adjacency to these amenities makes the site busy throughout the day.

Pause area with seating

OPEN PUBLIC SPACE

Three areas of open space which are the major subject of the research. The communal space within the estate, the existing ‘Happy New Life� community garden and a vacant block which is being developed into a public space.

RESIDENTIAL A small amount of residential properties are on or adjacent to the site. Some of which are also various medical practices

020

1:500 RICHMOND HOUSING ESTATE One building of RHE fronts onto the site others are further to the east. Approximately 2700 people live in RHE in some 1100 private homes, some have street access and low rise and the majority of which are in high rise towers to the south of the area which this project deals with.

FLOW THROUGH THE SITE The flow of people though the Lennox Street site is above that of other minor roads in the area. Due to minimal cars and wide cycling lane widths as well as a safe and direct passage from Johntson st Abotsford (via Nicholson st) to Swan Street Richmond which for cyclists, bypasses the busy and somewhat hazardous Punt Road.

The part of Lennox St that this project is concerned with has steady foot traffic through the day with local residents traveling to and from Victoria Street.

A pause area at the intersection of Lennox and Victoria Streets exists which is used by many.

SITE #2 - CONDITIONS

022

section AG scale 1:25

Hard edge interaction of road, path and fence A

Current usable edge space

G

scale 1:70

SITE #2 - EXISTING EDGE CONDITIONS OF LARGE ESTATES Edge conditions of estates at present and historicaly are fenced in, lacking visual and physical permeability. many occupy large areas of land in dense neighbourhoods.

CARLTON HOUSING ESTATE Locked in and on deferent levels to the street. This condition further separates the estate from its context.

Fixed

Shifting

Contrast

Intergration

CARLTON HOUSING ESTATE South end on Nichleson St is semi open to the street.

Fixed Contrast

Shifting Intergration

025

DEBNEY ESTATE Open to the street, though this section is from well within the estate. Reducing the need for a fence scale 1:170

Fixed Contrast

Shifting Intergration

RICHMOND HOUSING ESTATE Locked out with a fence which fronts onto a busy road.

Scale 1:170

Fixed Contrast

026

Shifting Intergration

RICHMOND HOUSING ESTATE EXISTING EDGE CONDITION

PUBLIC

40 RICHMOND ESTATE, RICHMOND EXISTING EDGE DEFINITION

028

PRIVATE

EDGE TYPES

Fixed Contrast

Shifting Intergration

Beach Constantly

shifting

waters

edge.

Movement of waves and sand leaves the edge undefined.

While this edge type may not be possible at RHE, it is an example of a high shifting and integrated edge

Fixed Contrast

Shifting Intergration

Reed/vegetated edge Water may not be as dynamic but integrates with vegetation and the edge is not clearly defined.

This is a way of judging different Fixed Contrast

Shifting Intergration Hard water edge if the water is moving then the edge is shifting, but is contrasted due to a hard concrete edge.

030

Fixed Suburban footpath a typical condition. a hard path

Contrast

Shifting Intergration

edge meets a nature strip.

Fixed Contrast

Shifting Intergration

Paved path Paving allows vegetation to grow into gaps bewtween paving.

erent edges and comparing them.

Fixed Contrast Dirt path/Goat track Maintained

by

steady

flow

of

traffic. This condition is an organic arrangement that responds to use.

Shifting Intergration

032

PRECEDENTS

033

PUBLIC FARM 1 - MOMA

images. Work Architecture

Work architecture company WAC’s PF1 investigates farming in a city context in a playfull way. engaging people of all ages to think about food sources and sustainabitly. made from recycled materials on a site at MOMA ps1, one of the oldest contempory art galleries in America.

As a precedent I am interested in how it engages people in a playfull way to think while functioning as a succsesfull and productive public space.

DYMAXION SLEEP

PRINCESS GARDEN

images. http://www.landezine.com

images. http://prinzessinnengarten.net

Jane Hutton and Adrian Blackwell International Garden festival Thid project blends the garden and the play space. It layers them so they can exist on the same footprint.

A seamingly simple idea attracting both the young and the old.

I find this interesting as it pushes the boundries for a play space in regard to hieght limits. The corners that protrude into the sky are a possible risk when looking at it compared to our standard play spaces of today.

Prinzessinnengarten or Princess Garden has been built on a block, vacant since World War 2. Crates allow for mobility, as the oporators have a limited lease on the site.

It is a center for engagement and interaction between community, outdoors and healthy eating.

POINT FRASER REDEVELOPMENT

images. syrinx.net.au

Syrinx Environmental has designed Point Fraser in terms of nodes, edges, pathways, and landforms. With each designed to encourage social interaction. Part of the design process was the folding of space and a means of revealing abstract space that show a memory of its ‘naturalness.’ fossil dunes, sedges and mudflats and dune swales.

This is a precedent for the project because RHE requires these spaces of social interaction. The idea of edge, node, pathway, and landform as drivers for creating these spaces that the residents of RHE and Richmond can increase social equity.

THE HIGHLINE

images. fieldoperations.net

The historic qualities of The Highline give the park grounding to use certain related materials and James Corner creates an elevated edge through New York. There is however an edge condition that is being set up throughout the project. Stylized railway sleepers are the material and tapering off at the edge of the path and integrating with the garden beds. While it is pragmatically clear where the path transfers to the garden, this leaves the edge of the path theoretically unclear, softening it.

The existing edge condition of housing estates does not allow for this, being hard contrasting lines. They are very clear in the transfer between spaces which is part of the aim of Conditions of Edge, to reduce the clarity of this transfer between spaces.

EDGE CONDITION - ST KILDA FORESHORE

images :siteoffice.com.au

St Kilda Foreshore Promenade deals with the edge condition between Port Phillip Bay and St Kilda. This project deals with the fluctuating nature of this area concerning traffic flow, width of the edge, topography, new uses and modes of transport. These new modes of transport often have varying and increased speeds, which the project deals with by alternating between separation and integration of walking paths, paths catering to higher speeds and seating areas which obligate users to act according to others in the space. The concept of shared chaos condensing and expanding the edge space, controling traffic flow.

This project provides opportunities for the surrounding spaces to be engaged by more people in both along the edge and either side of it.

Fluctuating and intergration of paths

Lateral intergration

nearmap.com

images :siteoffice.com.au

040

METHOD PLAY, PRODUCTIVE GARDENING, THICKENING THE EDGE

The method consists of three modes of investigation; play, gardening and thickening of the edge line.

In puddle studio 2010 I investigated the involvement of play in food production for healthy living. Bringing play into Richmond Housing Estate with the roll of encouraging interaction among from diverse range of backgrounds.

The community gardens are successful, having added one in recent years giving the estate 1 plot for every 12 households.

The success of the gardens can be channeled into a new type of community garden for production, the engagement of children and the wider community and. As a recommendation of the Social Impact assessment plan of 2012, suggesting that some areas of the estate made for public use, to be more socially active within North Richmond.

Thickening the edge proved to be important. To achieve an edge condition that is usable as public space it has to be able to cater to different uses and experiences. The way to transform it is to cut into the boundary of the estate and make use of space that not directly used.

041

Can this place encourage more inclusion of the wider community. Looking at questions of safety, engaging, who is in charge of maintenance, allowing cars in the site or not and responsibility.

It is the hope of the project to look at these issues in relation to bringing the elements of the site together.

INCLUSION RESPONSIBILTY

WHO/WHAT GROWS

SAFETY

WHO MAINTAINS

ENGAGE

WHO LIVES HERE

WHY ALLOWED CARS

042

Possible

PLAY

The project started concentrating specifically on play, with the hope of solving the problem of stigma towards housing estates.

Diagrams of interaction between elements show possible interactions between different groups of children and parents.

How can these diagrams translate into activety or a design?

Something in the environment needs to engage children to interact.

In the absence of parents

School

School Low interaction

Two games

Existing play relationships Exsisting Public play

Medium interaction

Games combine

Possible relationships

High interaction

Possible Problem Solving

Possible integration

Team sport

Problem Solving - with parents

Possible

Diagrams of interaction between elements show possible interactions between different groups of children and parents.

Gardening

How can these diagrams translate into activety or a design?

In the absence of parents

Low interaction

Two games

Taxonomy Of Play

Medium interaction

No man made elements

topograhy

grass sport field

flat grassed topograghy

DyNAmic educational

pile of timber

some timber structures

possible safety risk

successful timber

sustained play

self resposnibilty

Games combine

High interaction

future norm high engagement fleeting mixed age groups

low engagement

the norm non repeating

often necessary

Problem Solving

Team sport

trampoline metal off shelf playground classroom

Problem Solving - with parents

Gardening

sport court concrete

man made elements

rare+ not a goal

Taxonmoy Of Play This taxonomy of play diagram is showing relationships between engagement levels and level of natural elements.

It is looking at where different types of play and form sit in relation to engagement and natural elements.

PRODUCTIVE GARDENING

Produce for comercial value

$

A crate economy in housing estates transforms the community garden to a space that is creating growth for the people using and managing the garden.

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

1 YEAR

2 MONTHS

Growing produce in a cycle that provides some food year round.

COMPOST

PRODUCE YEAR ROUND

CONSUMPTION PERIOD

SHIFTING THE EDGE

THINKENING THE EDGE Thickening the edge takes the lines of the edge, and changes their alignment. As a result creating voids which can be appropriated into new landscape .

BC

AB

Shifting the edge inside the estaste changes the path to an interior one.

Allowing it to shift in relation to the edge.

WEAVING THE EDGE

weave scale 1:150@A1

CRAPS TO SOIL

045

TESTS If the aim is to create new space that can reduce the separation between people and their opinions, what are the spaces that result?

How can they be judged successful?

Testing the question takes the methods of transformation and turns them into spatial outcomes that aim to deal with separation, opening the edge, making it permeable, encouraging engagement in people using the new edge, passive surveillance which relates to neighborhood role-modeling.

Some of the tests showed that I was going down the wrong path and needed to adjust the trajectory slightly. Changing the trajectory meant focusing on spatial qualities instead of experiential qualities. With the aim of the experience being an inherent quality of the space.

047

048

D E V E L O P M E N TA L P L AY ENGAGEMENT FOR ALL How can a space be interactive and inclusive?

It’s programing needs to be able to encourage interaction between people by providing common ground for its users.

It needs to provide activity that people can enjoy and socialize around.

For children this means play, having fun and having experiences that will benefit development.

Children are generally social, they will interact with other children very easily if there is a common game or activity, a framework around which they can interact.

This part of the project looks at a generational change in the community of Richmond and how children interacting through play.

It explores how the integration of the three spaces of the site may become one outdoor space for the broader community with the focus being the space between the housing estate and vacant site, where the existing road is.

049

DEVELOPMENTAL PLAY Play needs form and activity. Interaction comes from the activities that are activated requiring interaction to get enjoyment from that activity.

FORM

ACTIVITY PLAY

ENGAGE

050

F

FORM

A

ACTIVITY

i

INTERACTION

1

10

UN-ENGAGE

F

F

F

F

F

F

F

F

F

F

A

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Activity, form and interaction are intertwined with engagement.

Play and form determine the engagement e.g if a form is large, high or dangerous and the activity reflect that. May not be engaged with. This doesn’t always have to be a playscape it may be a tree.

This can inform social interaction between people if the engagement level is high.

The idea of responsibility in public space came about, which was approached with the idea that the social interactions of children will inform the social interactions of adults.

While the aim is interaction between people. A method such as this is not encouraging of interaction rather forcing it on people.

Can perceptions between demograpic groups change over time with play driving the interaction of change?

10

15

20

25

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35

10

15

20

Year 1 Year 3 Year 5 Year 7 Year 10 Year 14 Year 19 Year 23 Year 27

25

A new generation of children from the first year adopt the perceptions of their parents.

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35

RQ

052

There is a social gap between Richmond Housing Estate and the surrounding area.

Can play drive social change and interaction between neighborhoods of mixed demographics?

Can this also encourage people to be more responsible for themselves and their public space?

Something in the environment needs to engage children to interact.

SOMETHING IN THE ENVIROMENT NEEDS TO ENGANGE CHILDREN TO INTERACT

Something in the environment needs to engage children to interact.

School

School

School

Existing play Exsisting Public play relationships

Exsisting Public play

Possible

Possible relationships

Diagrams

of

interaction

between

elements

show

Possible usually interact.

Possible

How can these diagrams translate into activety or design?

Diagrams of interaction between elements show possible interactions between different groups of children and Possible parents.

How can these diagrams translate into activety or a design?

integration

Possible

In the absence of parents

Diagrams of interaction between elements show possible interactions between different groups of children and Low interaction parents.

How can these diagrams translate into activety or a design?

Two games Medium interaction

In the absence of parents

Games combine High interaction

Low interaction Problem Solving

Team sport

Two games Problem Solving - with parents

possible

interactions between groups of children and parents who might not

Medium interaction

Gardening

Games combine High interaction

BUILDING AS A DRIVER FOR DEVELOPMENT When engaging children to interact, what is in the environment that is conducive to interaction?

Problem solving is a large part of development for children. It can also play an important role in social interaction and building brings problem solving to the forefront. Given a kit of parts, children will take the opportunity, to create games and forms with powerful imagination, these can be different each time.

Older generations can be involved in this process also, helping bring the imagination to life.

This kit of parts is geared to provide the maximum outcomes and a dynamic structure

Kit of parts for unstructured buidling

054

PRECEDENT : Creative play, Copper Beech, UK .

Copper Beech designs natural play spaces that encourage imagination and creative play, in turn encouraging learning and self exploration.

This precedent supports what i believe about play providing necessary developments for children.

Hands on building engages children in a mental and social way. What other elements in the area are geared towards engagement and development?

056

A small dense forest of ornamental nature highlights the notion of exploration for children.

When one or two trees are planted, the view though them is not conducive to exploration.

The denial of view through the vegetation is what gives the clump of trees its exploratory nature.

When one immerses themselves within the clump, they lose the outside world which heightens the feeling of exploration.

How does the building asset, the forest and the community garden fit into this park?

As activities or programs in the space, they are operating separately providing 3 focal points from which social interaction can take place.

Garden program

058

3 PROGRAMS

WHAT FUNCTIONS CAN MILK CRATES PERFORM Other then appropriating milk crates in our day to day lives they can be appropriated for the preposes of play and gardening both separately and together. This is where gardening and play can operate individually in the same space.

What functions can milk crates perform?

345mm

345mm

320mm

RQ

Can the edge condition between public and private space be visually fragmented using community gardens as a dynamic and productive asset?

How can the milk crate be used as a design device for this while providing interactive spaces which accommodate various age groups and socio-economic groups?

060

1222mm

1700mm

TYPES OF PLAY FORM INVOLVED DIRECT LEARNING

As this is a space for social interaction, so it is for play, and gardening cannot provide all the necessary elements for meaningful play to take place. Programming related to play can provide what gardening cannot.

What is the best process for designing the programming for this space?

Identifying common types of play that have different benefits for development.

SELF DEVELOPMENT SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ANTICIPATION / PATIENCE PROBLEM SOLVING

062

ROLE PLAY

CLIMBING RELATED

ROLE /ACTING GAMES

DIGGING

HIDE AND SEEK STYLE GAMES

EQUIPMENT BASE ACTIVITY

BUILDING

GARDENING

COMPETITIVE ACTIVITY

EXPLORING THE UNKNOWN

COMBINING PLAY TYPES Play Types E q u i p m e n t Based Competitive

064

A combination of equipment, competitive and digging play are designed for which allow for all three to happen simultaneously. Different tactile surface treatments give feedback to equipment like scooters, not intended to stop them but to slow them and produce sound, varying depending on the size of the wheels and speed of travel.

A long jump run up into a sandpit provides a semi structured competitive program into an unstructured traditional sand pit.

The combination of these structured and unstructured scenarios provide an asset with varying outcomes.

Play Types Climbing Gardeing

Climbing structures are a quintessential play asset and this combines climbing with garden/vegetation. A climbing frame on which plants are grown in hanging pots allowing the structure to take on the plants and thus making them part of the experience of playing on the structure.

This kind of combination can also be rationalized into other uses. Such as a sheet over the top turns it into an ad hock tent for other activities such as a reading room or class room.

This would be advantageous while guardians garden, if the children are not joining in that program.

Play Types Climbing Role Play/Acting

066

Role play is an important part of play, and combining it with climbing creates structures that can accommodate both in a way that children can interact with both, and at the same time as part of a game.

The form of this combination might look like a ‘cubby’ that can be climbed on or a half egg with a hole in the top and a sock slide into the middle.

Play Types Climbing Exploring the unexplored

The concept of exploring a place that is ‘unexplored’ is exciting from a child’s point of view. For instance the forest from earlier or places that rouse anticipation of the unknown and exciting.

These are forms of dense forests, long grass, trenches, mazes, differences in height, etc. A combination of these experiences and climbing creates excitement in a structure that highlights them both together.

Other forms include curtains of tubing, creating a dense forest that when navigated led to a ladder and up a platform above.

Play Types Exploring Equipment play

based

These two play types are combined in a declined tunnel through a grass mound. This allows scooters to role through the tunnel under limited light.

Accentuating the anticipation of what lies ahead. At the exit crates of the community garden lie two high so as to block children from running across the exit and causing accidents. The danger of this program is no more than a swing set, even less so. Above it operates as a grass mound providing a space for other games and activities.

068

PLAY COMBINATIONS

070

In the space oposite RHE on Lennox Street which is curently being developed into public space play takes the focus.

The community garden does not provide for all the developmental requirements of children. Play structures developed from combinations of different types of play are activated by children who can use them according to their imagination.

072

3 GARDENS The idea of three gardens is that of economic, recreational, and playful.

This exploration looks into uniting the area of the estate edge, community garden and vacant site. Using different cultures as a driver for arranging gardens. I learnt that using this way of transforming RHE, separate gardens for different cultures was the antithesis of what the project is trying to achieve.

Aldo Van Eyck was a Dutch designer who pioneered play ground design after World War 2, appropriating vacant sites for the use of Holland’s children, he designed over 600 playgrounds which captured the attention of children in these neighborhoods. Each one was different.

He spoke of Twin Phenomena, a theory which was about acknowledging two sides of a thing, the good and the bad, the small and the large, the in and the out. This helped me realize that management of a community garden could have similar proporties like twin phenomena.

073

GARDENS FOR DIFFERENT CULTURES To the present day the towers are a contentious part of the local built environment, and evoke positive and negative reactions. To illustrate, the City of Yarra suggests the towers are a reminder of the starting point for many of Melbourne’s migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, initially Vietnamese refugees in the 1970.s, the East Timorese around ten years ago and more recently people from east African countries such as Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea.2 However, as Section 7 illustrates, a degree of social stigma is associated with RHE, which in part arises from the striking distinction between the built form of the estate and its immediate environs.

VIETNAM Vietnamese refugees arriving in the 1970s, fleeing from war

EAST TIMOR East Timorese refugees arriving in the late 1970s, fleeing

EAST AFRICA Sudanese, Eritrean, Somalian, Etheopian refugees after year 2000

074

If community gardens can be beneficial to social interaction, can the needs of different cultures drive the gardens. 69.7% of RHE residents were born over seas and retain a strong heritage of their home country which some retain through the garden and growing produce that is not easily available here.

Vietnamese garden

Sudanese and Eritrean garden

East Timorese garden

Somalian and Etheopian garden

Roberts Evaluation Social Impact Assesment

ALDO VAN EYCK

TWIN PHENOMENON

While separate gardens are beneficial for plant categorization and social interaction within culture groups there is a problem with separate gardens. They wouldn’t provide interaction between culture groups. The existing garden does this well through its informal layout. If separate gardens for culture groups don’t provide an answer, what can?

UNITY AND DIVERSITY PART AND WHOLE SMALL AND LARGE IN AND OUT INCLUDE AND EXCLUDE LOW AND HIGH Who maintains the garden?

An activity that has been shown to encourage social interaction between social groups is community gardening. Community gardens have been shown to: Improve health by involving people in physical exercise and encouraging uptake of healthy diets/providing access to fresh produce encourage uptake of more healthy diets (see Litt et al 2011) Support skills development and increased confidence Enhance social interaction - as places where people come together with a common purpose, community gardens are places where people get to meet others In addition, community gardens have been shown to improve land values in areas close to the garden. For example, in their 2008 study of New York neighbourhoods, Voicu and Been (2008) Modeled the impact on real estate prices within 1,000 feet of community gardens. They found that community gardens have significant positive effects, especially in poorer neighbourhoods where neighbouring property values increased by as much as 9.2 percent within five years of gardens opening.

Richmond renewal assessment, Roberts Evaluation Pty Ltd, November 2012

076

TWIN PHENOMENA Aldo Van Eyck’s idea of twin phenomena is allowing or acknowledging that there is no black without white or any other opposite relationships. Continuing from the existing community garden, three gardens of different restriction reflect different opportunities for engagement in gardening.

A restricted garden growing produce for restaurants on Victoria Street. The garnish that comes with Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) has produce in it that can be grown easily in this environment and can contribute economic value to the gardens in along with existing social value.

A garden of limited restriction might operate much like the existing garden. This would be a loose and predominately encouraging

unstructured

garden

allowing

and

the wider community to freely inhabit

the garden much like the Princess Garden in Berlin, the management of it would be of a productive nature using it densely.

A play garden devoted to children learning about gardening. Not only produce but ornamental plants as well. This may also be used for digging activities. When activities happening in the limited restriction garden may be to structured for play, this garden would be used. It has no fence so has no barriers of engaging.

monthstimes Approx3growing

PRODUCE FOR COMERCIAL COMERCIAL VALUE

Tomato

Red Chilli

3 months 3.5 months

Red Chilli Tomato

Approx growing times

3.5 months Bean Chilli is anSprout easy to grow perennial which can provide months of crop to restaurants of Victoria Street.

3 months Bean Sprout Red Chilli Mushroom

Mushroom Bean Sprout Onion

perrenial seasonal cycle

perrenial annual annual

3-4 days 3.5 months

perrenial annual

2-6 weeks

2-6 weeks

Onion Mushroom Bean sprouts are somewhat high maintenance, needing daily waterings however Taro they are very easy to grow in large volumes.

3 months 2-6 weeks 8-9 months Taro Onion

Thai Basil Taro

annual

3-4 days

3-4 days 3 months

Thai Basil

annual

seasonal cycle

8-9 months

annual

annual annual perennial

perennial annual perennial

perennial

3 months

perennial

2-3 months

perennial

2-3 months months 8-9

perennial perennial

Thai basil grows effectively by itself, given enough plants, a small amount

Thai Basil

from each plant would keep it sustainable.

2-3 months

078

perennial

Pho garnish

$

080

C R AT E ECONOMY Redefining the community garden will change the way people interact with it as well as changing how it is viewed from outside the garden.

Making the garden more inviting to the broader community will begin to transform the site and its elements into the hub of interaction for the community.

There is a stigma attached to these developments, due to the ‘built form of the estate and the immediate surroundings’. Redefining the garden can start to change that stigma by changing the way the broader community views the garden which is perceptively and physically attached to the estate.

081

FORMS

Different levels of garden beds

sculptural form

catogorisastion of plants

3 levels of gardens beds

tall enough for children to walk under

tall enough for someone to stand at

changing dyanamic of the garden to one

of perceived topography

082

Changing the heights of the garden beds changes the visual field of the viewer making a more engaging space.

Different heights of beds may yield different crops according to the height they grow. Allowing for different heights within the garden depending on which plants were at which height will offer a dynamic view.

SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT

The question of public and private space was raised earlier when the project was going in the direction of an integrated park comprised of the edge of RHE and the space opposite on Lennox Street.

How can the needs of the residents be met while the community garden is public space?

A garden that spans both side of the fence, keeping private space for residents while still being attached to the garden.

Does this arrangement unite the housing estate beyond its boundaries? In a small way it does but how is the fence addressed as a barrier, visually and physically. How does it remain a physical barrier and still reduce its impact visually.

084

THE HUMBLE MILK CRATE What functions can milk crates perform?

345mm

345mm

320mm

An arrangement of triangular shaped garden beds did not successfully redefine the community garden. The milk crate occurred to be a possible structure for the garden. Sitting in a pile in building 100 at RMIT was a pile of discarded milk crates, once forming an installation.

The milk crate is strong, mobile, stackable, a standard size, plentiful and infinitely useful which is why they are perfect. They are a real resource people use to save money, despite being owned by milk producers. The shape and size of the crate also provides a framework in which it can operate.

What is the logistics of this program?

How does the rotation work?

What does it offer the people who are involved?

SoilSoil and plants Organic Drainage Permeable Foam (reducing weight) Organic Drainage

Permeable Foam (reducing weight)

Permeable Membrane Permeable Membrane

As crops come to maturity, the crate is taken to a home where it is havested as it matures and as it is needed.

Milk Crate Milk Crate

MONTHS 1

086

2

3

4

5

6

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP

1 YEAR

3 MONTHS

1 MONTHS

GROW

2 MONTHS

CONSUME

MOVE CRATE TO HOUSE

COMPOST

PLANT SCRAPS TILLED INTO SOIL WORMS

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

1 YEAR

2 MONTHS

COMPOST

LANT SCRAPS LLED INTO SOIL ORMS

CONSUMPTION PERIOD

PRODUCE YEAR ROUND

In growing food this way in this system, there is minimal wastage.

Unlike buying too much food at a supermarket and then wasting it. Food is harvested as it ripens and only when it is needed because it is finishing it growing cycle at the ones home.

The broader community can also use this system as it fits into busy lifestyles that people lead.

CONSUMPTION PERIOD

DYNAMIC PRODUCTION SYSTEM A dynamic production system gives the estate boundary/fence a fluctuating edge condition.

According to plant growing cycles, the crates move in cycle around RHE, when they are growing, they sit on the boundary acting as the fence with out appearing to be one.

When produce is ready to be harvested, they crate, containing one or two plants is moved to the home to be picked and consumed as needed.

The remaining plant, if an annual is tilled into the soil and replaced in the garden under a crate with the next harvest.

088

FLUCTUATIONS IN DYNAMIC EDGE CONDITION

Composting phase They can be a base for another grow phase Trial 1

Trial 2

Crates are composting in every second phase, so they have no plants.

Trial 3

Trial 4

Showing how the crates move throughout the cycles

3 months

6 months 9 months 12 months 15 months

18 months 090

The edge condition that the crates make is always moving making it a dynamic egde for RHE

EARLY RENDER OF CRATES REDEFINING EDGE

EXISTING EDGE CONDITION

POSSIBLE PRODUCE

THAT WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS SYSTEM In a three month cycle tomato, red chilli, mushroom, onion and thai basil are possible produce that could be grown in this scenario. Others like taro (which is grown at present in the community garden) and bean sprouts could be grown in the open garden.

Tomato

Approx growing times

3 months

seasonal cycle

annual

Red Chilli 3.5 months

perrenial

Bean Sprout 3-4 days

annual

Mushroom 2-6 weeks

annual

Onion 3 months

perennial

8-9 months

perennial

2-3 months

perennial

Taro

Thai Basil

092

Sun cast SUN CAST

Approx 11:30am - May 12:00pm - Nov

Sunlight for plants to grow on the west side on the housing building will be adequate later in the morning, though will get un restricted after sun

12 02

1

78

Rain Water Collection

RAIN WATER COLLECTION

Roof Area 222m2 654.4mm

Estimated Collected Water per year

130,749L/year 222 x 654.4 x 0.9

Existing Edge Condition scale 1:50

Redefined Edge Condition scale 1:50

094

Redefined Community Garden

The transformation from the existing space is clear. The community garden is no longer fenced in but part of the infrustructure of the new public space. the edge of the estate along Lennox Street is part of the street rather than locking the street out.

096

SURFACE TREATMENT

Surface Treatment

Rough blue stone paving

Rough blue stone cobbles

Smooth blue stone cobbles

When

making

the

decision

to

leave

the

existing

road

arrangement, that is straight through the site. How can the road control traffic through its form and materiality? Different levels of surface treatment for different types of traffic; pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles.

098

At the end of Project A, the redefined community garden is open for further engagement by the broader community, the boundary of RHE is in tact but visually and physically dynamic and interactive play structures are providing separate experiences in the site while still associating with RHE.

scale 1:500

RULES OF THE EDGE Introducing rules for the design shows whether it is achieving what it sets out to achieve. These are not definative but a guide for success.

1.The edge must operate in the existing way that let people travel along it.

2.The experience of traveling through the space must allow one to wander either side of the edge.

3.It must provide programing opportunities for both residents and nonresidents of the estate.

4.The interaction between materials and entities of the edge must not be defined.

5.Must promote interaction

1

OPERATION

2

WANDER

3

PROGRAM

4

MATERIAL

5

INTERACTION

100

THICKENING THE EDGE Ways of thickening the edge. Folding, twisting, fragmenting, weaving.

Fraser Point, Perth Uses the “design theory of folding space as a process for achieving the pragmatic requirements of the brief.�

Debbie Kuh, LA Papers , ALIA.org.au

The Fraser Pt project was the start point at which acting on RHE with a way of transforming the edge moved into actions as ways. Weaving edge lines together to create the new spaces that will transform the separation between RHE and the surrounding neighborhood.

Shifting the existing landform, channeling or formalizing it and shifting the path so it weaves in and out of the estate will also help create the new spaces that will transform the separation of RHE and the surrounding neighborhood.

101

WAYS OF TRANSFORMING THE EDGE In the beginning of Project B. I the direction of the research was not defined. Different ways of transforming the edge

Weave

Twist

Fold

Fragment

102

Nodes

Paths

Edges

Landform

MODELING WAYS OF TRANSFORMING THE EDGE

Fixed Contrast

Fixed Contrast

Fixed

104

Contrast

Shifting Intergration

Shifting Intergration

Shifting Intergration

GREEN SPACE

GOAT TRACK

PEDESTRIAN PATH

Using weaving as a way of transforming the edge. Shifting it into rhe, then pushing it out and pulling back in as it weaves with green space and a new speculative goat track.

weave scale 1:150@A1

The negative space that results creates new landforms which weaves the path inside and outside of RHE. BC

AB

weave scale 1:150@A1

BC

106

AB

GOAT TRACK

GREEN SPACE

Existing condition

PEDESTRIAN PATH

Fixed Contrast

Transformed condition Fluctuating thickness

Fixed Contrast

1

O PERATION

BC

AB

2

WANDER

Shifting Intergration

Shifting Intergration

108

CUT AND FILL

“In earthmoving, cut and fill is the process of constructing a railway, road or canal whereby the amount of material from cuts roughly matches the amount of fill needed to make nearby embankments, so minimizing the amount of construction labor.�

Moving material to create form in the space that weaving the edge lines leaves behind.

A calculation of the material moved gives a way of controlling the form and being accurate at the same time. The project cut and fill creates two different spaces that will improve engagement with the the space rather movement through it.

It serves as a kind of entry to the site, as one is encouraged to enter at the end or a walk through the

109

SWALE CUT

C

A B

.25m .25m

A 2m

1m

2m

C

1m

.6m

.5m2

= .5m2

.5m2

.5m2

=

1m

From the weave of the path in and out of the estate, negative space is left over. In this a swale makes an inititial barrier between the road and the path.

While not a barrier like a fence it separates the road from the path as one walks across Lennox Street.

When calculating how much material is removed I separated the swale into three parts to work out how much material was being removed.

110

.5m2

=

2m

.25m 1m

= .5m2

.25m .25m

B 2m

=

= .125m2 .15m2

.125m2

M2

49m

1.5m2

45m

1.5m2

48m .45m2

M3

175 x

1m3

Swale area

112

ZZ 1:130

ZZ 1:150

AZ AZ1:130 1:150 ZA ZA1:130 1:150

Before and after 175m3 of fill make he elevated path.

Fill volumes of elevated path

2.5m3

ZB 1:150 30m3 10m3

90m3

114

x175

Fill, path elevation, scale 1:250

Section ZC scale 1:100

Portland skate park, using left over space

A swale cut lowers the level of the negative space left over from the weave and provides material for other landforms or level changes.

Approximately 175m3 of earth is removed from the swale. This creates oppurtunity for a landform giving a chance for different programing.

Allowing anyone to use this space, strengthening its chance to be successful public space.

Z

A

Z

Z

116

Z

A

Z

C

118

LANDFORM USE The existing condition of the RHE edge is such that the path is used to either access RHE or travel along it edge. New landform on the edge of the estate introduces chances for new user guided public programing. The purpose of introducing landform is to create a passive landscape element that provides a raised area that people can inhabit in an unstructured way. There are elements on site that can cater for different programs or activities which could reflect contemporary public space programing, for example Federation Square manages the space with public events, engaging people to stop and experience what it has to offer.

RHE is on a different scale though can still offer engaging public space.

Landform aims to provide a foundation that the public engages with while ensuring the edge boundary is no longer defined and the point of change between the edge lines is unobstructed.

119

Goat track

A

altered land form scale 1:60

120

New path

F

Push and pull of the path and edge line.

Results in the path being located in a postion that gives the feeling of being inside the estate. Though still on the edge. this accentuates the park characteristics of the estate.

section AF scale 1:100

TRANSFORMING LANDFORM

122

WHY CHANGE THE HIEGHTS OF THE LANDFORM?

1

O PERATION

2

WANDER

DD

Fixed Contrast

DA

Shifting Intergration

1

The path is unobstructed and is able to operate normaly.

OPERATION

2

WANDER

3

PROGRAM

5

INTERACTION

Without a fence, the it is possible to navigate the path lateraly, either side of the edge.

Being on the edge of the estate, residents and non-resident of RHE can use the space.

Programable space on the new landform blends into the path and basketball court. creating one space.

Effects that may take place on the road.

124

EARLY ITERATION As the basket ball court is a point of focus for many people.

A new landform may take position adjacent to it which gives a place for community services. At present they are spread ou over the site and richmond. Buidling can be integrated into the landform and the roof acting as a viewing platform

LANDFORM GRADING GRADIENT USE PROFILES

1:1

1m 45d 1m

CLIMB

1:2

1m

ROLL

ICE BLOCKING

27d 2m

1:3

1m 18d

3m

SITING (decline)

1:4

4m

SItTING

1:0 PICNIC

126

1m 14d

1:3

1:4

Zoning grades

1:3

1:1

1:2

Contours and form 1:1 of grading

1:2

1:3

1:3

1:4

1:3

1:4

1:3

1:1

1:3

1:4

1:1 1:4

1:2

1:2

Surveilance and supervision from the center of land form

1:4

1:1 1:4

1:1

1:4

1:1 1:4

Zoning grades 1:1

1:3

1:1

1:3

1:1

1:4

1:1

Surveilance and supervision from the center of land form

1:3

1:1

1:3

1:4

1:3

1:4

Surveilance and supervision from the ends of the landform Contours and form of grading

1:2

AA 1:200@A4

1:4 AC 1:200@A4 Different gradients different uses.

128

lend

themselves

to

1:200@A4

1:3

AB 1:200@A4

1:1 AD 1:200@A4

STRENGTHENING THE PATH

Thickening

the

path

in

accordance

with

its

surroundings, it thickens at the swale and the basket ball court.

These spaces give more room for the path to function when people stop to interact with the space.

130

PROJECTION/ CONLUSION The design research aims to transform the separation associated with the housing estate and increase its permeability. The resulting design moves increase permeability of the edge. Though because the test sites consist of one edge, it is permeable in the sense of accessing the site only, rather than from one side to the other. Will non residents of RHE use the design? The purpose of using the edge of the estate it so that the public and private space becomes integrated and it has the opportunity reduce separation.

The estate has spaces that are valuable for the dense urban area of Richmond and these are not highly used. The design opens up the estate so these spaces can be used by the general public as well as residents of the estate. This was one of the aims of the project as a critique on housing estates not integrating with their surroundings. The tests in site #1 began to address this by appropriating an existing condition of the community garden to change the way people use and view the estate. Site #2 further addressed this with a focus on how the edge condition affected the way people inhabited the path as public space and not just used it.

An issue purposefully not addressed is security that the fence provides for the estate.

The main reason this was not addressed was that the fence is providing a notional security as RHE is not gated and locked, it is freely accessed at all times. Permeability on large estates is an issue because of their size with the dense urban environment that requires traffic to move around them and not through them, separating them physically from the surrounding neighborhood.

Site #1 was chosen because of its adjacency to the Victoria Street economy and the vacant site on Lennox Street. The choice of site #2 was strategic because of its park like characteristics. Using it as a test study of a large estate. The aim of the project was not intended as a critique on how estates operate within themselves but how they operate with their context. That is the boundary edge is not the only thing that affects how the edge condition operates. Spaces adjacent to the boundary edge have an affect, the design picks up on these spaces and brings them into the forefront, using them to create the space that will change the way people view the estate, both from inside and out.

Robert Evaluation Pty Ltd completed the Richmond Housing Estate Evaluation (Social Impact Assessment) in November 2012. This document made several suggestions referring to the upgrade or redesign of RHE that confirm my hunches about RHE as well as many that I had not thought of, for instance allowing the public to access the estate to use playgrounds and basket ball courts. If the general public were able to access these services it would improve social equity. Its these sorts of changes that the project attempts to achieve.

132

Nick Buck of Essex University talks about models of social effects (refer to Existing Issues and Stigma) two of which: epidemic and network, most resemble changeable conditions at RHE. Bucks’ Epidemic model is supported by the general feeling of residents at RHE living in a separate neighborhood to Richmond. Victoria University statistics support this in its survey(ref to existing issues and separation). The network effect model showing that there are several community groups which residents use to socialize and receive support. If these services were exposed to more of the community, it would improve social equity. With the proposed research these services would be exposed to more people.

The project has dealt with the edge condition of one housing estate. Further development would include looking at other housing estates in detail and proposing solutions to how they may transform issue of separation using the specific conditions of their edge. Shifting focus further inside estates with the intention of bringing out elements that can help create spaces on the edge that are engaging. The research may lead to redeveloping the grounds of estates in similar processes of weaving spaces together, creating engaging spaces and increasing permeability through the site.

133

134

APPENDIX

135

PREVIOUS WORK PUDDLE Puddle was a studio run by Matt York of CPG on a site in Truganina in Mlebournes South west. It was a linear site attached to a housing estate and at the time of our studio it was yet to be built on. Topographically the site faced South West down to Skeleton Creek where there were plans to restore the creek to a healthy ecosystem on the east die of the site was a heritage listed open sewer which was not activated and Federation Trail, then backed onto an industrial estate.

My intervention was to design a space configuring a new urban landscape which transforms a linear stretch of land into a working productive recreational park for the residents of the Arndell estate. A major reconfiguring of topography on site allowed for water to naturally flow from the surrounding streets and industrial estate.

Water collected from areas adjacent to the park is divided between bio-retention basins and purified for use in gardens in the surrounding area. The playscapes adjacent to each bioretention basin utilize play equipment that generates electricity as a bio-product of play, thus allowing water to be pumped to gardens, in an ideal world water vegetables. The hope is to encourage healthy eating using play as a vehicle for education.

a.

c.

h.

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a. Master plan b.c.d. Power generating play equiptment e. Water education f. Upper collection pond g. Landform before and after h. Middle collection pond with carbon catching uncut grass

d.

e.

g.

ENGAGE WITH It is a pattern based process whereby the grid of the entrance points does not match up with the grid of the end points. The properties of the material prevent a predictive outcome.

I took a build first ask questions later approach because I wasn’t sure what the process should be and it came about that there was variance in the material (cable ties) that allowed for the unpredictable results. It became about engaging with the folly, in this case touch and sound, in the process of making I was engaging with the material.

I had picked up and somewhat latched on to engagement as such a core principal in play and I needed to model it by actually making the tool for engaging. The material has strength and flexibility which at the scale I was working was perfect.

RQ

How can we educate the public about the function of Landscape Architecture the the lense of play while investigating differences in play across socio-economic background?

Through seeing what it takes for people to engage in these different socio-economic areas

Sway’d_Daniel Lymann

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ENGAGE WITH(OUT) Being denied access, a level of scale came up. I am not engaging directly with the device, though being handheld I can engage or interact with the ‘fence’ in turn, acting on the device.

A fenced off area of the device allows a minimal level of engaging. In a real situation, one is still engaging with the contents of this area through sight. By enclosing the target in the cube I am denied access.

I wanted to recreate this idea in a small scale handheld device but in doing so transformed what I wanted to do and the main thing that came out was scale.

The two scales offer different qualities and don’t necessarily relate to each other because of the tactile nature of the small scale and the less than tactile nature of the 1:1 scale which would relate to an environment being fenced in or someone being fenced in the environment.

Play space is becoming constrained through lack of self responsibility.

How can I challenge the notion of responsibility through playspaces that challenge the indididual?

BLURING BETWEEN EDGE LINES PATH EDGING James Corners’ Highline uses rail sleeper sized paving that tapers into the garden, giving a blured edge of the path. As this softens the edge of the path. The path at RHE uses this idea of softening the edge of the path. Not only does the edge as a whole change but the small interaction of the edge lines begins to blur as well.

Fixed

PRECEDENT :The Highline. feathered path edge.

GOAT TRACK

Contrast

Fixed Contrast

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Shifting Intergration

Shifting Intergration

ROAD EDGING Fixed Contrast

Shifting Intergration

As at The Highline, reducing the edge line of the road changes the separation and removes the obviuous edge of the road. The path is changed to a swale which collects water from the road.

The edge condition is now more intergrated and shifting as the edge crumbles.

Fixed Contrast

Shifting Intergration

1:20

BIBLIOGRAPHY Roberts Associates - Social Impact Assessment 2012 Victorian Public Tenants Association, Policy statement, http://www.vpta.org. au Rainfall data - bureau of meteorology, www.bom.gov.au Aldo van Eyck. 1962. Forum August: Steps toward a configurative discipline, Forum Nick Buck. 2001. Identifying Neighbourhood Effecs On Social Exclusion, Urban Studies, Sage Publications Fiona Harrisson, 18 May 2009. Not nothing: Shades of public space: Lectures in Landscape Architecture, RMIT University, Published online Debbie Kuh - case study of the Pt Fraser Development, Perth, Western Australia, ALIA papers, Alia.org.au www.nearmap.com.au

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