Searching the designing formula in the scenery of the cultural differences by Oana-Maria Paraschiv

SEARCHING

THE

DESIGNING FORMULA IN THE SCENERY OF THE

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

HOW CULTURAL DIFFERENCES CAN DEFFINE THE FURTHER URBAN / LANDSCAPE APPROACHES Oana Maria Paraschiv, January 2016, AAU

I. 1.2. WEST 8’s logo and Faris Badwan’s workart

ABSTRACT As a continuous process of ‘searching’, this extensive study is meant to enhance a different perspective of the academic internship, as a continuous translation of the studies into the practical field . Moreover, this theoretical and empirical investigation is arising as a personal challenge of discovering and, more important, defining a ‘design formula’ that can enable, us, as urban designers, to responsible perform in different cultural environments, in order to ‘create new urban/natural experiences without disturbing the existing contextual meanings’. I have entitle my internship report in this way, because through this ‘REsearch’, I wanted to investigate the methods and principles that can be used for developing new urban ‘places’ by enhancing the existing identity and in the same time, strategies, according to which, the existing urban form can be modeled by urban designers, in order to transform them in ‘playgrounds’ for the citizens. Therefore, as part of the West 8’s multicultural atmosphere, the professional journey is meant to enlighten the cultural differences, in order to discover the role that they perform in enriching the durability and flexibility in urban designing process and in connecting the people with their urban and natural environments.

Ill. 1.2. Guangzhou huadi, China, made by WEST 8. Sustainable design

TITLE SHEET PROJECT TITLE

Searching the Urban Designing Formula in the scenery of cultural differences

PROJECT COURSE Academic Internship

PROJECT

MSc03 URB, Aalborg University Oana-Maria Paraschiv, Autumn 2015

PROJECT PERIOD

August-January 2015-2016, 24 weeks

PAGES 92

COORDINATOR

Simon Wind Assistant Professor Department of Architecture, Design & Media Technology Aalborg University

EXAMINER

Ditte Bendix Lanng, Research Assistant

Oana-Maria Paraschiv

READING GUIDE This ‘RE-search’ study has been composed as a coherent journey, from the theoretical base to the reflective and practical field - from DEPARTURE to the EXPERIENCE itself: 1. Purpose 2. Tools 3. Cultural pulse 3. Guiding approach 4. Motifs and Objectivs 5. Expectations 6. Experiences on the way 7. Reflective approach 8. Timeline | Timetable 9. Conclusions The overall study functions as a re-search material that is reflecting the phases of the searching debate (PART 1 - ‘Guiding Approach’), as a coherent storytelling of the professional experience - the academic internship (PART 2 - ‘ Experiences on the way’). As a live journey, each step is decisive in reaching the purpose, so every chapter is grading the result composition, in order to create a solid experience luggage. When reading the study, you need to gradualy increase in terms of desciphering the ‘formula’ , by reflecting upon the theme with each step and by framing it as a subjective deep rooted receipe for each of us, as a professional way of cultural responsible acting. Enjoy, while reflecting about it ... V

V. 1.3. Reflective reading study

TABLE OF CONTENTS PART 0 - DEPARTURE 1 2 3 4

Preface Purpose Tools | Methodology Cultural pulse | Reflections

PART 1 -GUIDING APPROACH

01 17

02 21

03 24

COMPANY APPROACH

Introduction History Organizational system Braches Profile Approach Size Location Philosophy MOTIFS AND OBJECTIVES

Scope Objectives Motifs COMPANY EXPECTATIONS

Theoretical approach Practical perspective

05 45 47 48

06 51 53

07 57 61 62

08 69 71 72

09 77 81

PART 2 - EXPERINCES ON THE WAY 27 Statement | Vision

04 33 34

SINGAPOREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RAILWAY CORRIDOR

Presentation REFLECTIONS General dimension Practical dimension

10 85

11 87

GREEN BELT, KOLN, GERMANY

Presentation REFLECTIONS General dimension Practical dimension REABILITATION COOLSINGEL

Presentation WIN | WIN NEW CONNECTIONS LEIDSCHEDAM

Presentation REFLECTIONS General dimension Practical dimension

SILVERTOWN QUAYS, LONDON

Presentation REFLECTIONS General dimension Practical dimension NIEUW KRALINGEN, ROTTERDAM

Presentation REFLECTIONS General dimension Practical dimension TIMETABLE

Timeline

CONCLUSION

Conclusion

1. Preface 2. Purpose 3. Tools - Methodology 4. Cultural pulse

VII

DEPARTURE

DEPARTURE PREFACE During these 6 months, the jorney of the academic internship defined itself as being a professional challenge even from the beginning. The departure point was decisive in constructing the storyline of the further experience. Moreover, West 8 as the departure place for the professional life experience, represented the multicultural environment of the following study. and in the same time the continuous inspiration for a further debate. Therefore, the storyline of this reasearch was meant to follow the rithmic of their professional activity, meanwhile personaly reflecting about the steps and effects that are reflected in the real world through their design. This study is arrising as a personal willing of discovering how can we relate, as urban designers, with the environments in which we are designing. Moreover, is also composed as a study case that is about reflecting upon the process in which West 8, as a perfect example of an international studio, is designing in a concious manner for different communities.

VIII. 1.6. Time dimension DEPARTURE

VIII

PURPOSE “Urbanism works when it creates a journey as desirable as the destination” – Paul Goldberger. Based on the Paul’s Goldberger affirmation and my personal aims, I like to define my internship in Urban & Landscape Design as an inspirational journey, a life experience, an attempt of building my professional profile by following my global reach, of becoming an expert in – modeling the cityscapes in order to raise the life quality through experientially enriching the urban spaces and sustainable introducing the landscape. Following this purpose, the internship experience is concentrated on the discovery process of how the different cultural environments define and are reflected through new design approaches. Moreover, is about how this theme can be translated through the internship experience into a ‘formula’ of how can we, as urban designers, design for people in order to create a strong durable connection with their environment.

DEPARTURE

X. 1.5. Schouwburgplein, Rotterdam, made by WEST 8. Introduction in West 8â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dutch approach - urban and landscape DEPARTURE

METHODOLOGY | The methods and techniques applied during this academic internship are outlined, to give a more depth view of how processes and principles are helpful in shaping the design process in different cultural environments.

PROBLEM BASED LEARNING Problem based learning is a method used to clarify and focus the approach to analysis, conceptualization and design of a given task – in this case applied to different cultural contexts. This implies establishing a set of initial guidelines, of which the most important is formulating a problem. Regarding to this study, the problem is formulating the scope and is reflected through an extensive, but in the same time, specific question:

methods and process used to design responsible in different cultures. The first two phases are concentrated on analysis, but are branched out to frame, much better, the fields of re-searching: the cultural context analysis and the physical environment analysis. Moreover, the third and four phases consist in framing the design approach by interpreting the existing meaning of the places and by presenting the result in the way of selling the idea. Thus, after grounding the existing situation conclusions, based on the potentials and opportunities from the analysis phases, the following principles are illustrated for guiding the whole design process: - enhancing the identity of the places by cultural restoration

SCOPE: How cultural differences define the approaches of the further urban&landscape design? In turn, the problem statement evolves, after careful considerations, into a vision, as a coherent answer, for the ongoing process and development, by integrating theoretical and practical aspects, thus managing to synergize the approach. This method is used not only as a continuous process, but also as a constant looping, adjusting and tweaking the different variables to be able to obtain a well-rounded dynamic and comprehensive narrative. (AAU.DK, 2010)

INTEGRATED DESIGN PROCESS The integrated design process establishes the need for an interconnected and multilayered approach to a project, incorporating everything from maping and analysis tools, to engineering, technical and aesthetic design techniques (Knudstrup, 2005; 1329). In the case of this ‘Re-search’, this meant taking each project through several iteration phases in order to formulate a general structure that can be XI

DEPARTURE

- creating a durable design by enhancing the connection between people and places - increasing the life quality by balancing and correlating the antithetic duality between natural and urban, in order to create a complex character of the new developments.

RESEARCH THROUGH EXPERIENCING This method of studying was introduced to amplify the contextual base of defining a general Designing Formula. Being a process in continuous development, two important methods were chosen to investigate more about the cultural differences, as: interviews and documentaries. The using of these methods creates a solid research material, that is useful as a base for understanding and taking into consideration the characteristics of the debated areas and in the same time it can illustrate a general equation that can be use for a wider porpose (‘ The Designing Formula’).

XII. 1.6. Problem based Re-search diagram

U.D= CARACTHER + IDENTITY + PULSE

Urban Designing Formula â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The general equation of modeling the cityscapes in the context of cultural differences is the receipe of shaping a new experientially reach character, enhancing the existing deep rooted meanings and defining a strong and durable connection between people and places.

XII. 1.7. Design thinking diagram DEPARTURE XII

CULTURAL PULSE| theories and reflections Reflecting upon this personal development experience, the umbrella idea is defined by the process of finding an authentic, but in the same time comprehensive “Urban Designing Formula” that thrives the meaning of the cultural differences scenery in the direction of influencing the further urban&landscape approaches.

II. CULTURAL RESTORATION AND REGENERATION

As a reflective result between the theory and practice, the report is meant to formulate a defined answer for specific questions that are raised in international studios, regarding the design process: How the cultural differences are influencing the further urban&landscape approaches? How can we design in different cultural environments?

“ restoring and improving the quality of urban life through the enhancement and development of the unique characteristics of a place and its people”

THEORY I. CULTURAL RELATIVITY THEORY

“There is no experience independent of culture against which culture can be measured” Translating the Hall’s cultural relativity theory in the practice field, the underpinning idea of designing in different cultural environments is directly connected with creating meaningful urban experiences, deep cultural contextualized. Taking into account that

“Culture is the way of life of a people, the sum of their learned behavior patterns, attitudes and material things”

(Hall, E.T.) the method of contextualizing the new urban approaches, is through understanding, imitating and relating with the given environment, by translating the general principles into the specific language of the determined cultural context.

XIII

DEPARTURE

From the theoretical point of view, this type of approach it can be easily molded in the cultural restoration and regeneration field, being in this way seen as

Based on this, in the real work field, the urban and landscape approaches are formulated to frame mixed-used developments, environmental improvement schemes and in terms of citylife, public art help in the expression and development of the culture of an area. Therefore, the designing formula is defined by transposing the main principles of this holistic approach of cultural regeneration, in a more practical way, and is directed by the organizing principles for city management and urban design.

VARIABLES Following the John’s Montgomery approach regarding the cultural quarters as the mechanisms of Urban Regeneration, the main indicators for this cultural regeneration process are revealed: • Activity – diversity of primary and secondary uses – economic, cultural, social; • Form – the relationship between buildings and spaces; • Meaning – sense of place, historical and cultural. In the context of this study, the ‘activity’ is translated in the principle of creating new experientially reach places (Social interactions and

actions) = CITY ‘S PULSE, by engaging different sectors like economic, social and cultural in order to create active new urban spaces.

PRACTICE - ‘2nd nature’

The ‘form’ indicator is reflected through the principle of developing new flexible urban environ-

Due to the office character and general approach, one of the biggest challenges was to adapt the knowledge accumulated in the Scandinavian environment to the Dutch approach. Being involved in more Dutch projects, it was an interesting exploring period, by investigating the flow and structure of the design process as well as the “Dutch design Model” with its principles and approach.

ments by re-addressing the build environment

= offering CHARACTER to places.

The third indicator of ‘meaning’ is meant to be converted in the principle of creating new mean-

ings for places by enhancing the connection between the citizens and their environment =

IDENTITY of the places.

REFLECTIONS Regarding the reflective process, during the internship experience, each project was founded on the general strategical approach that was following the main objectives of the internship, fact that generated the directions of the design process. Moreover, these directions were perceived as guiding ideas for the urban development in terms of

creating new durable urban environments by enhancing the identity of the places and the connection between people and their environment.

Therefore, the correlation between applying this ‘Urban Designing Formula’ through precise methods and the West 8’s general aim, was achieved by projecting the three indicators Character+Identity+Pulse in the design process.

I. ROMANTIC APPROACH

“DUTCH MODEL” – it is a reliable test-

ing ground for transformations that have been altering the physical and social makeup of urban areas.– Creative technologies and innovative solutions II. PRAGMATIC APPROACH In terms of technical approach, the “Water Sensitive Urban Design” study and the Dutch methods of draining the terrains represented the fundamental way of designing responsible with water. Based on this, the principles that were incorporated in projects were related to all the types of water usage: rainwater use – as ponds for drying the terrains “polders” (Leischendam), treatment systems (Nieuw Kralingen) – in terms of creating a necessary connection between a polluted lake and the canal system, through introducing bioretention and treatment systems and also introducing infiltration zones and swales.

“Reclaiming land from water through the process of poldering has reached the environmental limits” (Van Der Hoeven, 2004) XIV. 1.8. Cultures through Urban Design’s Loupe DEPARTURE

XIV

GUIDING APPROACH

GUIDING APPROACH 1. Company approach 2. Motifs and objectives 3. Company expectation

16. 2.1. Guiding Roots GUIDING APPROACH

COMPANY PROFILE INTRODUCTION | West 8 is a prestigious international office for urban design and landscape architecture, a design leading studio in Europe. During the time, West 8 studio stood out through its unique approach of planning and designing public environments.

HISTORY | Back in history, West 8 was founded in

1987 by Adriaan Geuze, a landscape architecture professional, that led it on the international market, after winning in 1990 the prestigious Prix-de Rome award. In 1992, the SLA (Surrealistic Landscape Architecture) was founded, based on the underpinning idea of increasing the awareness of this linked field of landscape architecture and in the same time pointing the West 8’s field of practice. Working on an international level from its start, West 8 developed projects all over the world, in places such as Copenhagen, London, Moscow, New York, Madrid, Hamburg, Toronto, Amsterdam, Shanghai and Seoul. The office gained international recognition with projects such as Schouwburgplein in Rotterdam (NL), Borneo Sporenburg in Amsterdam (NL), Chiswick Park in London (UK), Expo ‘02 in Yverdon-lesBains (CH) and Miami SoundScape (USA). Amongst the numerous awards received by West 8 are the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture™, the Honor Award of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), the International Urban Landscape Gold Award (IULA), the Prix de Rome,

GUIDING APPROACH

the Dutch Maaskant Award, the Bijhouwer Award, the Rosa Barba First European Landscape Prize, the Green Pin, the Veronica Rudge Green Prize for Urban Design and the Lifetime Achievement Award for Architecture of The Mondriaan Fund (previously BKVB, the Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture).

ORGANIZATION | Regarding the organization,

West 8 studio acts as an archi-spider, weaving its own net of connections all over the world. With the mother office in Rotterdam, West 8 achieved the world wise recognition by having a really good inside organization in controlling and imposing their approach. Their success is based on a strong professional main structure raised on 3 important pillars: working rhythmic, administrative status and West 8’s signature. Each of these characteristics is converted and transferred into the work by dividing, in their own style, the projects not only by the profile as: urban design, landscape architecture, object design, graphic and media design, but also by the cultural roots. Therefore, the most important element in the organization is illustrated by the way in which the work is divided, through creating characteristic teams regarding the cultural aspect of each project. Enforcing much more this aspect, the teams consist in directly cultural involved members that can add an extra value, by relating all the time the work with their own roots (german team, dutch team, French team, Spanish team, Latin America team, Corean team, Asian team etc.). Moreover, at the administrative level the duties are clearly separated between the associates regarding their aptitudes and focus :

18. 2.2. Central Station, Rotterdam, Made by West 8 GUIDING APPROACH

(Adriaan Geuze landscape architecture competitions, Edzo Bindels urban design projects, more focused on dutch projects, Martin Biewenga Asian and European projects and competitions, Jamie Maslyn Larson American competitions and projects, Maarten van de Voorde for the French and Belgium competitions and projects).

BRANCHES | West 8 was launched in Rotterdam

and started as a Dutch studio of urban and landscape design. After winning important competitions and prices for the remarkable practice that they engaged in the first years, West 8 started to branch out from the small scale orientated office to an international studio by establishing a partnership in Belgium and also over the sea, in New York, after they won in 2006 the design of Governors Island Park – a 172-acre island in the New York Harbor.

PROFFESSIONAL PROFILE | Being an Urban

Design and Landscape studio, West 8 reveals a multi-disciplinary approach to complex design issues, having in the same time an extensive experience in large-scale urban master planning and design, landscape interventions, waterfront projects, parks, squares and gardens. Furthermore, is involved also in developing concepts and visions for large-scale planning issues that address global warming, urbanization and infrastructure.

APPROACH | West 8 approaches find the base in

the idea of creating land and after that painting it. This is projected through the production of nature in two different - but characteristically Dutch - ways. First, is the pragmatic approach, the classic civil engineering approach for creating landscape, which represents the underpinning logic, based on utility and necessity. Second approach is wrapping the landscape tradition that confers identity, in the way that affords creating symbols in the production of landscape. This method envisions a new nature, a ‘second nature’ of constructing landscapes, that re-

GUIDING APPROACH

spond to pragmatic demands (water management, population growth, traffic congestion) and also reinforcing the culture to which they belong (identity, symbols, expression).

SIZE | Over the last 25 years West 8 has established

itself as a leading practice with an international team of 70 architects, urban designers, landscape architects and industrial engineers.

LOCATION | The main office is located in Rotter-

dam next to the water front, being the second spot occupied by them during the years, in the beginning being positioned on the island, next to the famous New York Hotel.

PHILOSOPHY | The West 8 general philosophy is:

To create new urban and landscape spaces by using two opposite approaches: the ‘romantic’ approach- by ‘painting’ their own identity and the ‘pragmatic’ approach - by creating new addresses and connections for the further developments.

20. 2.3. ErasmusBrug, Rotterdam, Made by Ben van Berkel GUIDING APPROACH

DETERMINATION MOTIFS AND OBJECTIVES SCOPE: Searching the Urban Designing Formula in the scenary of cultural differences

ments, framed also as a solution for maintaining the health and character of a place during the time.

The internship experience is defined through the main theme of finding a general equation that can act as an answer for the re-search problem based question:

This quality that can be attached either to the existing sites or to the new developments, by creating a flexible environment that can become able to correlate with their citizens and in this way is constantly changing over the time.

“HOW THE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES ARE INFLUENCING THE FURTHER URBAN | LANDSCAPE APPROACHES?” Thus, the aim of this journey was to observe the process of designing in different contexts by following the West 8’s main goal of enhancing the places’ identity through correlating the urban and landscape design methods with the cultural character of the places. The objectives that are defining the structural pillars of the ‘Design formula’ are the following: 1. CORRELATING the DESIGN with the CULTURAL meaning of the places - By reflecting this general definition in the internship dimension, the underpinning idea is framed as, the main “research objective” and is about the process of finding how the cityscapes can be modeled in the cultural spirit of the places. 2. BALANCING NATURAL vs. URBAN - Moreover, this study is meant to be framed also by the antithetical duality of the urban and landscape design, fact that illustrates another study direction of learning the way in which these design approaches can be correlated and balanced for creating a complex character of the new developments. 3. INCREASING THE LIFE QUALITY - Taking into consideration the social and physical aspects, people and places, the third objective is raised in order to discover how the life quality can be increased by improving the human experiences through creating a multi-functional environment. 4. CREATING DURABLE DESIGN - Based on this approach, the final objective is concluding the recipe of creating a durable design through enable us to connect with our urban and natural environ21

GUIDING APPROACH

In addition, applying and choosing West 8 was, first of all, based on the determination to follow my passion by being part of a multidisciplinary (landscape architecture and urban design) team of experts and learn from people with the same passion and dedication as me. Moreover, as for me, this represented an opportunity of starting to discover how the design, in the practice dimension, is influenced by the cultural environment in which is meant to be reflected. Based on this, during the searching period, I found that West 8, through their ‘second nature’ approach is following the designing directions that I am interested to ‘investigate’ for my professional development. Thus, the balanced profile of the studio, by being urban design and landscape office, and the multicultural atmosphere that is illustrated also through the projects, represented the main motifs of my application.

GUIDING APPROACH

25. 2.4. Silvertown, project by West 8 23

GUIDING APPROACH

COMPANY EXPECTATIONS The West 8’s expectations regarding the internship experience are concentrated on the active participation in the urban developments (infrastructure, topography, social economic issues, morphology, capacity) from the design-concept making, to the partial investigation of some result aspects as public spaces’ profiles, building typology, phasing development strategies, plan capacity, plan economic aspects. Being a multidisciplinary studio, the challenge that was raised by their expectections was focused on the ability to accommodate with different situations framed by projects and time, as well as on an intensive process of learning from both theoretical and practical sides. Thus, the expectations are centralized in the diverse process of experience: • As from the theoretical point of view - jumping from urban design to landscape, from Dutch projects to Asian projects, from the planning scale to the object design scale, from designing for municipality to satisfying the private clients’ expectations and • From the practical perspective - playing with water and land systems, combining different social requests from the social housing to blocks and concept stores, dealing from high raised surfaces to flat surfaces. Detailing this process, the duties that were assumed along with my internship program were related in most of the cases with the type and cultural approach of projects that I have been working for. So, first of all, is about learning to follow the specific timetable that is requested for all real projects: initiation phase, consultation phase - meetings with municipality/clients/developers and developing phase. In the case of competitions, the requests were more focus on developing a unitary visual image under the time pressure. But all in all, the most important requests were related to time and quality, producing qualitative materials quantified in time.

GUIDING APPROACH

1. Singapore’s Railway Corridor 2. Green Belt, Cologne 3. Rehabilitation of Coolsingel 4. New Connections , Leidschedam 5. Silvertown’s Quays 6. Niuew Kralingen 7. Timeline

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

This chapter is intending to reveal the storyline of each important project that I was involved in, by accentuating the principles and theories that were used in the making-off process through illustrating the knowledge gained during each period. For a clear resume I choose to unwrap all the experiences in a coherent structure, based on the time allocated for each project, which is meant to guide the process.

26. 3.1. Professional line - experiences on the way EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

STATEMENT Introducing a new method of RESPONSIBLE DESIGNING - by reflecting conscient about the cultural differences - offers a great deal of potential in designing for people and creating urban environments with which we can empathize.

How can the cultural differences influence the further URBAN & LANDSCAPE approaches

How can we model the cityscapes in the scenery of cultural differences

? How can we experience the urban life in a conscious manner?

How can we permanently connect with our surroundings

VISION The vision is to create a theoretical ‘FORMULA’ that is meant to define the pillars of a cultural responsible design and in the same time to create the structural environment for further reflective approaches, projected in the urban or natural environments. The focus of this project is to orientate more the design towards the cultural meanings of the spaces that we are working with, by draging it in a different dimension of ‘úrban life’.

Giving more URBAN PULSE to our cities, it is a way of creating more enjoyable places to live.

EXPERIENCES 27 EXPERIENCES ON THEON WAYTHE WAY

CHARACTER

IDENTITY

28. 3.2. City Image - Urban Spaces Character

28. 3.3. Cultural Stamp - Identity

PULSE

Ill. 2.2

28. 3.4. Urban Motion - Pulse

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

AN INSPIRED AND EXTRAORDINARY COMMUNITY SPACE Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lovely Wilderness

SEAMLESS CONNECTIVITY

LANDSCAPE IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY

A WATER INCLUSIVE DESIGN

Innovation and Holistic Water Approach | The Northern Mangrove Waterways | the Southern Rivers and Streams

SENSE OF PLACE AND MEMORY

6 Floors of People | Made BY and FOR Singaporeans

URBAN DESIGN STRATEGY The Urban Interface

CONSERVATION STRATEGY

Conserved Components of the Rail Corridor } Principles and Approaches | New Insertion | Conflict between Creativity and Conservation

LIGHTING MASTERPLAN CONCEPT

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

CHAPTER 7

ANALYSIS PAGE 65-72

SINGAPORE’S RAILWAY CORRIDOR The ‘Rail Corridor – An Inspired and Extraordinary Community Space’ is a competition that was launched on 18th of March 2015 by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore (URA). The competition consisted in inviting different design professionals to develop the Concept Master Plan and the Concept Proposals for the Singapore’s Rail Corridor. West 8 was choosen for participating also in the second phase of it by demonstrating a clear and strong approach in responding to the ecology of the site, that respect its natural qualities, while introducing sensitive design interventions to enhance them and by reflecting the collective aspirations of its citizens.

30. 3.5. Logo Rail Corridor Singapore EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

31. 3.6. Overall Strategy 31

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

AN INSPIRED AND EXTRAORDINARY COMMUNITY SPACE “LANDSCAPE WITHIN A CITY”

- FOR and MADE for Singaporeans -

In a country with a rapidly growing population and physical limitations to its growth, there is a critical need to focus on the quality of public spaces. Singapore’s strategy to be a ‘City in a Garden’ has successfully resulted in high quality manicured public spaces, parks and gardens. The transformation of the Rail Corridor unveils not only the rich history of the rail line, but most of all, it will give Singaporeans access to the untamed natural landscape of Singapore. The ECOLOGICAL APPROACH of the Corridor is to enhance, restore and cultivate the original habitats: the mangroves in the north, the secondary and primary forests in the heartland, and water as a continuous informing layer, with the magnificent Rose Butterfly as icons for the corridor. The GENERAL CONCEPT is to enhance the un-manicurred natural landscape with all its variety. The former railway will be replaced by an ‘easy path” with a low impact on the natural surroundings. In our VISION, the Rail Corridor will not be just a route from North to South, contrary will be a way of stitching the areas that is intersecting along the way, by creating five new iconic places, that will act as catalysts, destinations and focal points. 1. TANJONG PAGAR RAILWAY STATION - the gateway to the lush Rail Corridor 2. THE BUONA VISTA BUTTERFLY CANYON - an unexpected lush public heart 3. THE FOREST GARDEN AT BUKIT TIMAH FIRE STATION - a sublime garde stretching over Upper Bukit Timah Road to unveil, connect and improve the natural assets 4. THE CHOA CHU KANG ESPLANADE AND PANG SUA RIVER - monumental public esplanade as an interface between the housing development and the Pang Sua River Park. 5. KRANJI GATEWAY: Future Food Village is the start of a long term future redevelopment as a sustainable food village, with the Heron Gate at the station plaza overlooking the rejuvenated mangroves.

SOCIAL APPROACH | On its way, the Corridor touches different communities. Special spaces, such as viaducts and former stations, will be transformed for, and made by local residents, into unique community spaces, to be used by visitors of the Rail Corridor to take a rest and refresh.

IMAGE | A space for gathering, to remember and create new memories EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

REFLECTIONS

STRATEGICAL APPROACH Starting off, the internship experience revealed, in the same time with the first project in which I was involved even from the first day. Based on this, I had the pleasure, during of two weeks, to work for the second phase of this competition (started from May 2015 to 21th of August 2015), resumed in developing the overall Concept Master Plan and Concept Proposals for the Rail Corridor. This design process included two special interest areas for the urban-green-blue integrated concepts at Choa Chu Kang, and the concept designs for the adaptive reuse of the former Tanjong Railway Station. This was a complex and difficult project, in which the landscape was the main actor, by being, as I like to describe it - ‘sensible, but not untouchable ’. The entire work was wrapped in the creation of a “longitudinal green lung (4km) through the centre of Singapore” (Dr.Malone-Lee Lai Choo, director of the Centre for Sustainable Asian Cities at the National University of Singapore). Moreover, even from the beginning, I was captured by this project, because I could see the whole process of how a project needs to be thought-out and how important is to be assertive on the approach that you want to perceive. In other words, I liked the overall approach that was used and which was also

33. 3.7. Bukit Timah, Elevations, Singapore Railway Corridor 33

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

requested by the municipality of Singapore in:

REQUESTS: “Starting a collaboration with a ‘root bounded’ office from Singapore (in this case the lead architect studio DP Architects) is more than a request, is a connection that needs to be bounded, in order to have a better reflection upon our cultural heritage and to contextualize everything from the concept to design”. A reason for this, as they stated, was that: “is a

public competition, our citizens will be part of the decision and that’s why, they want to find their cultural meaning reflected through the design story”. Regarding the design process, I had been working with plans, conceptual diagrams, visualizations, but the most important part was working in sectional views by the fact that, as I learnt from Aalborg University, the terrain needs to be framed starting from its sectional sides. By resuming the design process, the experience was structured in two phases:

DESIGN PROCESS PHASE 1 – ‘Studying the empirical materials for a better understanding of the design approaches and the cultural context’ The first phase was concentrated in process of accommodating with the project itself, by a personal study of the physical and cultural settings .Moreover, this ‘re-search’ was based on the first phase of the competition that contained also a precise mapping of the site with the illustration of the main opportunities and potentials. The cultural aspect, was a personal investigation through reading and watch videos of how are they approaching the urban developments and which are their needs and requests. Beside the individual study, the work start up with a sectional study of the main sports that through the brief were supposed to be enlighten by the design. Supporting the further design, this task represented an important part of the project, being folded with a big responsibility in illustrating very precise the elevation for the concerned nodes. Based on this, the overall process of understanding the area, had been developing in a more smoothly way in some extents, because it was easier to visualize and update the design during the development process, by thinking in section.

Another study that was made, was about the programming of one of the most important nodes in terms of public realm and functions that could be found under the bridge that was supposed to link the incredible Bukit Timah forest (natural protected area) with the context.

PHASE 2 – ‘Detailing and finishing the design process by folding all together in a comprehensive experiential journey along the Railway Corridor’ Furthermore, the second phase was focused on enriching the design by creating a coherent style language for each of the nodes in order to create a more experiential environment and in the same time to enhance the scenic existing heritage, the landscape. The development directions were pointed by accentuating the design details as patterns, water draining system, materials, programming, public spaces topography through sections. Based on this fact, my personal involvement was in working for the plan and sections of the nodes, but also designing this overall image by being involved in the making-off process of the posters.

WIn|WIn - acting&working under pressure, deal with the deadline, design by using the sectional approach, adaptability to new principles and mentalities, reflecting visually the design – diagrams, details, combining technical with conceptual – water draining/patterns, working in a big team of 10 specialists in landscape, architecture and urban design EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

36. 3.8. Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Railway Corridor Final Posters EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

Grab together the cultural meaning and the neughborhood morfology with a GREEN BELT.

READDRESS the existing neighborhoods through creating a more sustainable and active area.

GREEN SPACES SYSTEM

Introducing fluidity in all types of mobility.

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

GREEN BELT, COLOGNE GERMANY The second project was an urban design competition, for this time, in Koln, Germany. The focus idea of this competition was to regenerate the public spaces that are surrounding nowadays the last ring road of the Koln city.

46. 3.9. Cologne city EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

REFLECTIONS

STRATEGICAL APPROACH The Municipalityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s idea of creating a green belt that can feed and relieve in the same time the hustle and bustle of this traffic orientated city was branched from a previous urban development stage of the city. In the past, the Municipality wanted to develop along the ring road a complex average rise residential area formed by big concrete blocks, but unfortunately for that period and fortunately for today they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t achieved their goals, fact that enables them today to readdress the empty areas in the extend of creating an enormous green belt that is going to surround the city. The West 8 approach was following their intentions and in this way we wanted to create new addresses for the existing residential areas, but also for the new development. Moreover, the first project phase consisted in developing a unitary concept that was folding both the landscape design of the new green belt and the urban design in the shape of creating new urban neighborhoods. In the second phase the main focus was of developing a coherent master plan in terms of achieving through the design these visual and cultural connections between the surroundings and the new green belt. The third phase was based on the detailing of a certain area from the master plan, brief that was decided by the Municipality by splitting the master plan in important pieces between all the participants (6 architectural and urban designing studious). The fourth phase is more focused on the details, after which only one of the participants will be declared the winner.

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

48. 3.10. Urban Park, Green Belt, Cologne, Germany

48. 3.11. Urban Green Atmosphere, Green Belt, Cologne, Germany EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

49. 3.12. Build Tipology, Conceptual Schemes, Cologne, Germany

49. 3.13. Detail Plan, Cologne, Germany

DESIGN PROCESS PHASE 1 – ‘Design process – enhancing the proposed green spaces by entertaining them through atmosphere’ Based on the project typology, it was an enjoyable task, because of my professional experience in working with Municipalities and also from the visual point of view, that I got by following the urban design master degree. By the other hand, the biggest challenge was raised by the completely difference in approach, regarding the characteristic of the German mentality. Working for the park’s visualizations, the main characteristic of their mentality was revealed in terms of their perception about which are the decisive factors that can create the atmosphere into the cities, approach that is totally different than the Danish one. In contrast with the people orientated development that is deep rooted in Denmark, their focus is not on people at all, but they believe in exposing the same level of quality for the urban spaces through creating static atmospheres, using only the landscape/ vegetation, duality of lights/shadows and build borders. Moreover, another part of the work was exposed by a collage for one of the areas edges. This area was at the beginning a problematic zone, being basically a triangle determined only by heavy circulation and with different public services and programs. Moreover, the task was as much as demanding as interesting, because actually it was about designing this area through creating a collage and taking into account all the key elements that can upgrade it without taking out the cars. In the end, the solution as my proposal, was to create elevated public gardens along the road, connected by stairs as the accesses and surrounded as much as possible by high vegetation. 49

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

50. 3.14. Master Plan, Cologne, Germany

PHASE 2 – ‘Physical model – visualizing physically how the green belt is connecting and activating the different neighborhoods ’ Furthermore, this week was framed by a really interesting experience in working for a 14m long physical model, mainly because the aim of it was to express in a conceptual way the new connection, between the residential area and the proposed green system. So, we have created the whole context to support the main proposal and for illustrating the idea of connection we used rope, in order to show the fluidity of the flows. In order to enhance the context we had painted the buildings’ doors for illustrating also the accessibility and new addresses that we wanted to create through our design.

WIn |WIn – learn to create sense of place for a requested culture (Germany) through visualizations, landscape design, social relations-by working in a 4 people team for the physical model. EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

Revigorating the urban spaces

Increasing the quality and allure of the public realm

Enhancing the imagery, and the monumental allure of the Coolsingel.

Making the city of Rotterdam more livable and attractive.

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

REABILITATION OF COOLSINGEL | re-addresing the public spaces, Rotterdam

The rehabilitation of Coolsingel is a project requested by the Municipality of Rotterdam regarding the urban mobility rehabilitation of the main boulevard of Rotterdam, the Coolsingel. This project consisted in creating new affordances for the existing public spaces by changing the urban mobility priority in terms of raising the importance of the pedestrians and bikes, meanwhile shrinking the traffic zone.

52. 3.15. Rotterdam city, Netherlands EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

DESCRIPTION

Coolsingel is the promenade of Rotterdam. This project is meant unveiled plans restore the allure of the 19th century boulevard which Rotterdam once had. The reinvigorated street profile will improve the attractiveness and success of the city center, help to catalyze new development. The new vision, for the currently vehicular dominated boulevard, is focalizing in trasforming Coolsingel into a comfortable space for pedestrians and cyclists alike. The design vision balances traffic on the one hand while simultaneously is restoring cycling, pedestrian and public transport corridors on the other, without disrupting the existing spatial and urban structure. Three lanes of Vehicular traffic will be situated east of the existing tram line (next to Lijnbaan) , while a spacious two-way bicycle and pedestrian promenade will be located on the West side of the street, adjacent to the Stadhuis. By retaining the existing tramway and underground infrastructure, emphasis can be placed the quality and allure of the public realm. Including details such as quality paving, ornamental furniture, decorated subway entrances, lighting and greenery.

green space and combining it with a new high quality public space design creates a meeting place at all times of the day and in all seasons. Framed by trees, terraces and pleasant seating areas, visitors can stroll, shop or sit on a terrace. The new street profile goes hand in hand with strengthening the imagery, and the monumental allure of the Coolsingel. The improvements to the Coolsingel are part of the city’s ‘Binnenstad als City Lounge’ program (Literally the City Center as a City Lounge), that aims to stimulate new development in the city center and make it more lively and attractive. Construction of the Coolsingel project is slated to begin 2017.

West 8’s design vision also emphasises the visitor experience. Whether on foot, by bike, public transport or by car, Coolsingel will offer visitors a warm welcome. Capitalizing on the quality of the existing 53. 3.16. Illustration bicycle system, Rotterdam, Netherlands 53

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

REFLECTIONS

DESIGN PROCESS My involvement in this project was reflected by working intensively for a physical model during 3 days. Even though was a short journey, I consider it to be a helpful experience by learning during the process, how can the transitory spaces be converted in a more people-orientated development, from a Dutch point of view. Moreover, it was a good exercise of building up in 3d view the development of one of the Rotterdamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important boulevards, because I have understated much better how the urban mobility solutions are linking and enhancing the public spaces with the existing buildings.

54. 3.17. Illustration - Reabilitation Coolsingel, Rotterdam, Netherlands

WIn|WIn - technical details about the public spaces measurements, developing a better understanding of the Rotterdamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s city center, working in a team.

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

55. 3.18. Physical Model - Plan+View intersection, Coolsingel, Rotterdam, Netherlands

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

56. 3.19. Physical Model - Plan+View, Coolsingel, Rotterdam, Netherlands

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

Creating new identity - new community -

Complex character - combining natural with urban development approaches

Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s borders expansion - Creating new addresses for the existing surroundings

NEW CONNECTIONS - Giving new urban pulse

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

NEW CONNECTIONS Leidschendam, Netherlands

Going further, the forth project â&#x20AC;&#x153;New connections, Leidschendamâ&#x20AC;?, consisted in creating new connections by expanding the city of Leidschendam through the further development of an old industrial site, which represents the concerned area for this project.

58. 3.20. Localization, Leidschendam, Netherlands EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

REFLECTIONS

STRATEGICAL APPROACH

DESIGN PROCESS

This project illustrates the idea of how can you design in a Dutch environment, because of the physical context – small traditional Dutch city, but also of the social aspect by being a residential development which is addressed to different social categories. Moreover, an important underpinning idea under which this project is going to be built is reflected by the water management – ‘how can you deal with the water in terms of designing with it?’, problem that is deep rooted in the cultural and historical heritage of Netherlands.

This project is still in development, fact that enabled me during all this period to learn much more about how a project should be developed step by step, from the first schemes, used for selling the ideas and also for framing the main concept of the development, to the final touch of enhancing the atmosphere of the place.

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

60. 3.21. General concept schemes, Leidschendam, Netherlands

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

PHASE 1 – ‘Studying and exploring the existing situation both from the physical and cultural point of view’

PHASE 2 – ‘Reading the existing situation by filtering the important aspects for the design process’

The mapping process was framed, first of all, by a site-visit for getting a better understating of the place. During this trip, the work rhythmic was governed by a series of techniques that I’ve used to perceive better the spatiality and materiality of the site in that certain environment: 1. Photo shooting - by taking into consideration the following aspects • Auto and pedestrian accesses at the context level and at the concerned area level; • Existing vegetation – including the variety of species and their mixture and organization in the public and private areas • Borders – in the east the area is delimitated by the fields as being a buffer area between urban and suburban zones, by the water in the south /one of the most important opportunities of the site, this canal being seen as a natural and mobility orientated connection between different urban settlements that are located along its shores/ and by the residential fabric in the other two sides / important morphological and syntactic features materialized further through the framing of the proposal cultural fondation; • Social categories and interactions; • Activities’ intensity on the area’s edges. 2. Graphical analysis – illustrating the pointing more exactly the locations of the vegetation and the limits of the built context; 3. Referential analysis – observing the built and natural features of the canal’s shores, up and down from the concerned area, in order to modeling the contextual framework in terms of the morphological natural and built aspects. 4. Localization context – visiting the Leidchendam’s city center of which this site belongs, was an important aspect, in terms of discovering the connections and character for a better understanding of the urban formula that was used for developing this city, including the industrial site. Furthermore, all the information collected were visually framed through conclusive analysis, important method for the process of selling our ideas to the client and to fold the potentials and opportunities in a visionary proposal that is meant to meet the Municipality interests for the studied area.

Second phase was based on concluding all the existing aspects that were used further in the design process, into a short presentation for the Municipality. This presentation was made in order to light up the Municipality regarding this important area that they have and to illustrate them the potentials and opportunities that they can use to develop the entire area. The work materials that were used are: • the existing analysis - pointing out the potentials and opportunities that the site presents in the actual moment; • a catalog of references that were suitable with the physical aspects of the site – opening to the water, suburban area and future residential development; • conceptual schemes of the underpinning aspects that were proposed to be enhanced or developed;

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

PHASE 3 – ‘First attempts of framing the design by composing the development directions’

PHASE 4 – ‘ Design process in progress’

In term of design, this phase was regarding the folding of the first development attempts in a presentation for the client. Firstly, 8 proposals of residential developments were created, by accentuating the residential typologies. Moreover, everything was accumulated in a presentation that was meant to sell our idea by starting with a short historical presentation of the context, continuing with the catalog of references and with our design in progress (conceptual schemes of the existing situation with the layers that we want to enhance and the residential developments proposals).

The developing phase was based on choosing two main proposals to present to the client, by offering him the change to choose without imposing one of them. The process of choosing a most suitable design is reflected through the cost-efficiency ratio between the cost of investment and the capital that can be recuperated, fact that was also one of the main development directions. For detailing the chosen proposal, from the technical point of view, we chose to show through sections how the water can be dragged in our site, as a minimal investment and maximal profit for the housing costs that can be enhanced. Moreover, these were reflecting the morphological composition of the site that, is going to be completely changed with our proposals.

62. 3.22. Reffrence pictures, Leidschendam, Netherlands

WIn | WIn – deal with totally different perception, learn to configurate urban residential developments, learn to work with water (design with water), learn to plan a strategical development. EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

64. 3.22. Master Plan + Conceptual Schemes, Leidschendam, Netherlands

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

65. 3.23. Illustrations, Leidschendam, Netherlands

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

IDENTIFYING AS A NEW GRAVITY CENTER

A NEW CENTRIPETAL URBAN SPACES SYSTEM

A CULTURAL AND ACTIVE HUB

CREATING EXPERIENCES AS JUNCTIONS BETWEEN THE NEW URBAN SPACES

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

SILVERTOWN QUAYS, London The SILVERTOWN QUAYS development is a dense mixed used commercial, office and residential redevelopment of the surrounding the former Pontoon Dock adjacent to Royal Victoria Dock. This project is meant to rehabilitate an important area in order to create a mixed district of a high-end branding, detail and residential, in which the companies can find the proper environment to concentrate their work force and in the same time to exhibit their products in spaces as concept stores.

70. 3.24. Illustration, Silvertown, London EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

71. 3.25. Illustration Gathering Space, Silvertown, London

DESCRIPTION From the historical point of view, the Royal Docks have been a gate way between London and its global markets. In 1980, when the docks were closed for industrial purposes, the area lost its economic rationale. As a result, the urban landscape became blighted by large chunks of vacant brown fields, with poor access, dereliction and contamination. From the social point of view, the new community developments were isolated, fractured and economically deprived. In the first phase, started in 2013, the main purpose was to redefine the eastern docklands, as a new piace of London, with its own center of gravity and with a clear identity of its own, West 8, in the role of landscape architect and urban designer, joined the team led by lead master planner Fletcher Priest Architects, to revive the vitality with a 25 ha. The area is supposed to consist in 3000 new homes, cultural premises, offices and high-end branding and retail. Through this project the team wanted to transform the site into a world-class business center: a world-leader in high technology, green enterprise | research and an international forum for the exchange of knowledge and ideas. In this way the connectivity of the site will be enhanced by the waterfront development, which is envisaged as a cultural and active hub with different leisure destinations for Londoners and visitors. Regarding, the landscape redevelopment, the strategy was focused on establishing a range of focal districts, linked by the key open spaces at the junction of main routes and streets. A complex system, which includes new iconic public spaces as squares, parks, plazas, the Dock and the promenades along the waterfront, are all situated strategically, in order to enhance the urban experiences and create the sense of place and act as lively junctions for users of the variously programmed surrounding development blocks.

REFLECTIONS STRATEGICAL APPROACH Being a long term project, my personal development came along the way, in one of the development phases. The experience lasted for 5 weeks, period in which the challenge took shape from the big scale of strategically approach until the scale down details that were giving the sense of place to the area. 71

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

72. 3.26. Illustration Event Space, Silvertown, London

DESIGN PROCESS PHASE 1 – “Embodying the urban spaces through a performative urban design from the overall approach to the technical details”

PHASE 2 – “Unwrapping all the design process”

Being a design in process, the overall shape of the urban development was establish in this phase, as part of it, the first problem illustrated was regarding the connection of the urban spaces and how can these be treated in a coherent connectivity with the surroundings. First of all, it was necessary to point out the key spots and to readdress them in terms of giving new meanings and transform them in centripetal places by programming them. To support these transformations the need for going more into details was taking shape, fact that concluded with technical details to support the temporary platforms along the waterfront, the illuminating system, pattern system and diagrams, collages to illustrate the accessibility and connectivity.

For this stage, the most important thing was the way in which all the materials are placed in a presentation storyline in order to be showed to the client. Starting with the conceptual diagrams for the overall idea to the concepts for each spot, everything was aligned and showed through expressing the atmospheres for each area through visualizations and collages. As for booklet, the main aim was to create a consistent brief for the architects that will be engaged in the designing process. Therefore, the booklet was pointing more what typologies needs to be used for creating an overall image of this progressive area and what parameters they need to respect (heights, visual aspect of the buildings, special buildings).

WIN | WIN – learning to create a centripetal space in order to define a new center for the city, playing with urban designing technics to create connections and attractions (performative urban spaces), dealing with the downscale of architecture in terms of defining the relevant parameters for the further architecture design. EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

74. 3.27. Concept Schemes + Illustrations, Silvertown, London

76. 3.28. Final Posters, Silvertown, London

“KRALINGEN IS NOT ONLY A PARK, BUT A GREEN CITY IN CONTINUITY WITH THE PARK”

THE URBAN NATURE a green city feeling Kralingen park the water

MIXITE’ AND DIVERSITY urban diversity architectural style uses and functions scale and dimension

THE LIFE ON THE CORNER the urban quality the funtiones the potential

LIVING IN THE STREET! the street scape green street

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

NIEUW KRALINGEN, Rotterdam â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nieuw Kralingenâ&#x20AC;? project is part of an important redevelopment project from Rotterdam, Netherlands, being treated as another part of the Nieuw-Crooswijk project. This last project was guided by the idea of improving the buildings blocks, infrastructure and public spaces of this Rotterdam neighborhood by creating a new urban masterplan. The existing urban structure was maintained to provide an integrated urban form, by introducing a solid planting and wide sidewalks for a better and more enjoyable connectivity with the neighborhood and its surroundings, meanwhile the secondary streets were repositioned to create inner gardens that are allowing larger parcels to be populated by more extensive dwellings.

78. 3.29. Kralingen Park, Rotterdam, Netherlands EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

DESCRIPTION Taking as the departing point this project, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nieuw Kralingenâ&#x20AC;? was proposed for redevelopment, being a key site for an overall success. With its strategical location, this industrial site is positioned on the north side of the Kralingen Park, the biggest park from Rotterdam, and in the eastern side of the Nieuw-Crooswijk project. For a better connectivity and coherence in the design project, West 8 proposed this side to be the continuity of the previous project. In this way this amazing and luxury area, Kralingen neighborhood, will receive the proper attention, from the urban design point of view, and through this the awareness of its residential and leisure potential will be increased. Taking into consideration the principles that were used for the nearby development and also from the previous phases of this project (7 years ago), West 8 proposed a new concept which intends to create a more cost-efficient development that can be aligned with this economic transition period.

80. 3.30. Conceptual Schemes, Niuew Kralingen, Rotterdam, Netherlands EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

REFLECTIONS STRATEGICAL APPROACH “Niew Kralingen” was in a continuous design process (3 weeks), determined by the short time, in which the office needed to prepare eloquent materials that needed to support the meetings that took place with all the parts involved (Municipality, Developers, Client, Infrastructure department, Water Management department).

DESIGN PROCESS PHASE 1 – “Defining a new infrastructure system as a problem-solution method for readdressing the edges of the site and reestablishing the accessibility and connectivity with the surroundings (green-blue-grey network)”

The redevelopment started by redefining the roads system (grey connection) in terms of borrowing the general principles that were used also in the case of Nieuw Crooswijk: as continuing and connecting the principal proposed streets to the main infrastructure system and by importing the Kralingen secondary street model in terms of atmosphere and green spaces. Through this development, the new part of the neighborhood will get the sense of place and will frame spaces for readdressing the edges. In terms of the main infrastructural system, the connection was made on the horizontal direction through connecting the site with Boezemlaan both on the north side and south side, offering in this way the main network inside the area. The secondary network is dividing the site for the further parcelation and is intended to follow the direction of the park alleys, offering in this way a visual openness towards the landmarks (windmills, forest and the yacht harbor). Regarding the green connection, this needed to be accentuated more in the south part of the site, readdressing in this way this border in order to offer a green continuity to the park. Respecting the existing greenery, the expansion of this green connection was reflected also through choosing a specific residential typology that can support this continuity (big villas, individual on the plots). The third type of connection was the blue network that came after the rest of connection, for increasing the natural and economic value of the site. This was created as a navigable canals system that offers a blue connectivity with the park, meanwhile is acting also as an important accessibility for the site.

PHASE 2 – “Functional reorienting the development from the existing industrial based site to diverse residential environment”

Developing the typological diversity for this residential development had meant to develop strong existing analyses to define the principles that are framing the character of this successful neighborhood. Therefore, the parcelation was made taking into account what affordances do we want to create and for what social category are we addressing them. This process was supported by a complex research of the existing situation and of specific references that can serve this kind of development, being in the same time contoured by the conceptual diagrams.

WIN | WIN – developing a residential neighborhood by following step by step the connectivity directions, literary connecting with the surroundings from the physical aspect to the theoretical aspect (social inclusion, sense of place, visual connection), water management technics, urban mobility development (street network and bicycles lane network).

82. 3.31. Illustrations, Niuew Kralingen, Rotterdam, Netherlands

84. 3.32. Street Profiles, Niuew Kralingen, Rotterdam, Netherlands

TIMETABLE

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

85. 3.33. General Timetable

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

PURPOSE

The vision of this internship experience has been to reflect in the real field the knowledge accumulated during the studies, but in the same time was a way of developing an equation that can states for a responsible way of designing. The main focus is to stitch urban design strategies and principles with the cultural background of the places, in order to regenerate and create new spaces that citizens can relate with. THEORY

By using ‘sensitive water strategies’ and the principles of Cultural Restoration and Regeneration, we as urban designers, can design more responsible, not only through creating new urban forms, but also by activating and enhancing the places’ meanings. This way of designing is a method of increasing the awearness of the existing, fact that enable the city to empathize over the time with the constant changes - introducing a durable design. Furthermore, the ‘designing Urban Formula’ is proposed as a guiding equation for shaping the design process, in order to take into consideration socially, physically and culturally the environment in which we are living. PROCESS AND CONCEPT

The whole process has gone through the active professional experience, by being involved in the whole process of designing from the idea to the design, from analysis to the development of a strategic and site-specific concept, onto detailing and telling the story in a comprehensible way. Through all the projects the principles of designing cultural responsible, have been integrated in terms of applying them through incorporating these three variables (the character of the places, the identity and the pulse, through activating the urban life). As a result of following the West 8’s approach, I have started to learn that in a design process, the final result is not only about achieving the peak, actually, is more about the ‘making off’ - ‘behind the scenes’ process, but even though, in the end the fact that matters is ‘how the story is told’. The design process is, in this way, a coherent storyline that is supposed to respond to the clients demands, by balancing and coordinating the personal interest with the city’s future perspectives. That being said, this researching is meant to introduce a different way of perceiving a very pragmatic type of experience, being focused more on the underpinning ideas of the developing process itself, as methods and theory, than on the effects by resuming them in general principles that can further guide my professional experience. Thus, the balanced profile of the studio, by being urban design and landscape office, and the multicultural atmosphere that is illustrated also through the projects, represented a well framed environment for being continuously challenged in this theoretical and practical experience. 87

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

CONCLUSION

EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

ILLUSTRATION LIST INTRODUCTION

1.1 Photo from www.west8.com; https://ro.pinterest.com/pin/478929741595068008/ 1.2 - 1.3 Photo from www.west8.com PART 0 - DEPARTURE 1.4 Photo from http://clerdy.deviantart.com/ 1.5 Photo from www.west8.com 1.6 Photo from smartunivercity.cs.upc.edu 1.7 Created by the author 1.8 Photo fromwww.art.com PART 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; GUIDING APPROACH

2.1 Photo from https://ro.pinterest.com 2.2 Photo from www.west8.com 2.3 Photo from http://mp3hitz.tk/ 2.4 Created by the author PART 2 - EXPERIENCES ON THE WAY

3.1 Created by the author 3.2 Created by the author 3.3 Photo by www.zdnet.be 3.4 Photo from http://mocosubmit.com/ 3.5 Photo by www.west8.com 3.6-3.33 Created by West 8 and the author

LITERATURE LIST METHOD

AAU.DK (2010). ‘The Aalborg PBL Model’. [Online] Available at: http://www.aau.dk/digitalAssets/62/62747_pbl_aalborg_modellen.pdf [Accessed 31st May 2015]. Knudstrup, M. (2005). ‘Arkitektur som Integreret Design’. In Botin, L. and Pihl, O. (red), Pandoras Boks: metode antologi (p. 13-29). Aalborg: Aalborg Universitetsforlag. THEORY

Hall, E.T. (1981) ‘Beyond Culture’, Garden City, N.Y ,Anchor Books Montgomery, J. (2003) ‘Cultural Quarters as Mechanisms for Urban Regeneration’, Planning Practice & Research (Part 1: Conceptualising Cultural Quarters), p293-306 A Dutch Design Model City: A question of historical continuity, authenticity and sustainability/ Jennifer Meyer. 2012. www.rug.nl. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.rug.nl/staff/j.meyer/paperprague2012. pdf. [Accessed 11 January 16] Hall, E.T. (1990). ‘Understanding Cultural Differences, Germans, French and Americans’, Yarmouth: Intercultural Press On the Relation Between Culture and Environment/Amos Rapoport . 1977. www.cmu.edu. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.cmu.edu/ARIS_3/ text/text_rapoport.html. [Accessed 11 January 16]. Eduard, C., Jesus, J., L., 2013. Remaking Metropolis: Global Challenges of the Urban Landscape. 2nd ed. USA: Routledge Water Sensitive Urban Design Principles and Inspiration for Sustainable Stormwater Management in the City of the Future - Manual / Jacqueline Hoyer, Wolfgang Dickhaut, Lukas Kronawitter, Björn Weber. 2011. www.switchurbanwater.eu. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.switchurbanwater.eu/. [Accessed 11 January 16].

Wansborough, M., Mageean, A. (2010) ‘The Role of Urban Design in Cultural Regeneration’, Routledge, pp.181-197 Rail Corridor / Urban Redevelopment Authority. 2015. www.ura.gov.sg. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ura.gov.sg/ms/railCorridor. [Accessed 11 January 16].