Lisa curtin

A Domesticated City Rethinking high density,

An inner city living immensity.

A Domesticated City is a whimsical and beguiling solution, redefining the apartment archetype and accomplishing desirable high density the people will want to live. The foremost aim of Auckland Council’s master plan is to make Auckland the most liveable city; for this to be achieved we need to construct architecture which accommodates. The apparent freedom and privacy of the subdivision and lifestyle block, which our nation favours, cannot be sustained so it is necessary to revise the current banal and standardised inner city apartment complexes. I have investigated and applied the benefits and attractions of the suburb to a high-density living arrangement for the site at 11-17 Customs Street West, Downtown Auckland.

- Lisa Curtin -

To generate this idiosyncratic and electrifying edifice I have employed the juxtaposition of colour and scale inspired by Dr Seuss’s rhymes and illustrations.

The elaborate eccentricity of his machines provided a precedent in creating a playful and impulsive architecture, which breaks away from the conformity of the prosaic city grid.

[Prologue]

This prominent site on the waterfront is the doormat to our city. With the ferry terminal, train station and many of the buses, including the airbus stopping in the area it provides the initial and departing opinion of Auckland for many. It is at the heart of the council’s master plan and if we create a piece of eye candy for the site, we will be injecting Botox into all of inner city and the skyline.

[Development]

“You can’t help but smile when you walk past”

Playground

Drilled Foundations

Train Tunnels

-Book Two

[Site Section]

Trampoline

Park

Floor PLate One

Sound Shell

Installation Gallery

Water Feature

Reclaimed Land

Rock

Scale 1:500

Retail and Restaurant

Retail and Restaurant

[Ground Plan: Plaza] Bus

es

Retail and Restaurant

Ice Cream Burgers Hairdresser Coffee News Stand Sushi Train Steamstress Florist Fish and Chips Green Grocer Bakery Butchery

Scale 1:500

ant

Bus

es

Retail and Restaurant

N

Little follies fill the space, Flowers, burgers and a butcher to embrace.

Planters cut and section the block Scattered seats for those who flock.

Above the jungle precariously hangs, Like my nana’s 50’s bangs.

Passing through or coming to stay, The adventure of it will take you away.

PLaza: Albert Street and Customs Street intersection

Plaza: Customs Street West

The ground level is an exposed plaza, entirely open to the public. A series of follies are scattered through this plane which reflect the zany language the above structure shrieks. They accommodate a florist, news stand, barber, fish and chip shop and other such likes acquainted with your local suburb. Additionally I propose the ground floors of HSBC and Zurich House be retrofitted for retail stores and food and beverage outlets.

Private Dwellings Each home is stand alone.

Vegie gardens can be grown, With several on each floor plate, So neighbours can collaborate.

Clusters perched up in the air, Connecting bridges here and there.

It’s a game of snakes and ladders, Communal platforms are swiss cheese platters.

Plan

Section

Scale 1:200

[Residential Plate One]

[Residential Plate One] Communal courtyard with surrounding houses on the floor plate

“It has the ability to revitalise the sterile, stacked boxes of the building typology.�

-Book Two

Plan

Section

Scale 1:200

[Residential Plate Two]

[Residential Plate Two] Terracing between houses on the floor plate

The dwellings range in size from a solo bachelor pad to four and five bedroom family homes or flats. Each has been designed as its own, stand-alone entity in order to offer a more personalised living environment and the superior sense of ownership that the subdivision section and lifestyle block bestow. They are arranged on site in clusters to form platforms around central, communal courtyards. The constellations radiate from the structural carbon fibre columns with interconnecting bridges running between the levels.

Public Modules For the public there are six, Giants in the lolly mix.

Scattered in amongst the matter, Visitor’s fill the place with chatter.

The trampoline is up the top, For stunning views while you hop.

There’s a park, gallery and water feature, Sound cone and playground make an engaging creature

[The Trampoline]

27,000

50,000

23,600

18,800

Plan : Trampoline

Section : Trampoline Scale 1:200

[The Trampoline]

“ This building looks like its on LSD and when I look at it I feel like I am on an acid trip�

-Book Two

[The Playground] 37,000

8,000

5,000

Plan : Playground

Section : Playground Scale 1:200

[The Playground]

The privacy of the home is juxtaposed with the extremely public nature of the site.

In order to engage with the wider city population and its visitors I have designed and entwined the lattice with a series of public modules, which provide free or inexpensive entertainment. These comprise of a trampoline, playground and park over looking the city as well as a sound shell performance space, installation gallery and interactive water feature.

In

In

Structure Carbon fibre is really strong, Allowing built things that should be wrong.

Spindly columns are all wonky, A precarious saddle bag donkey.

From the 747 and the AC72, Inspiration was what I drew.

Layers and layers of rods and wrap, Force tension and compression so it won’t snap.

[Carbon Fibre Production]

The production of carbon fibre is part mechanical, part chemical. The raw material is drawn into long fibres and heated to a very high temperature without oxygen. They are then coated with an epoxy and woven into a fabric like sheet. It can then be set into resin to create tubes, flat sheets or moulded into organic forms. It is very rigid and due to its high strength to weight ratio its most common applications are in sporting equipment. It has begun to appear in the building industry, Future Systems Constructed the Lord’s Media Centre in England using carbon fibre ad the predominant structural material. However local boat builders as opposed to traditional carpenters were employed to complete the construction.

[Structure Details]

ion ion

co m

s es pr

pr es s

m co n

n te ns io

io ns te

inner carbon fibre tube layers of smaler carbon fibre tubes

te n

n sio

n te

sio n

carbon fibre wrap

n sio

co m

es pr

pr es

sio n

m co

Plan: Column Structure

carbon fibre plate carbon fibre honey comb carbon fibre plate carbon fibre tube between plates

compression

tension

recessed for additional support fixing bolt strut: smaller tubes layered as a platform

tension

compression

Section: Floor Connection Scale 1:50

Since the use of Carbon Fibre in the building industry is still experimental I have designed the structure utilising the standard carbon fibre components already on the market. The columns are constructed from a large tube, surrounded by a serries of smaller tubes, which are then wrapped in a carbon fibre fabric. The large tube applies tension outwards while the fabric forces the column into compression, which ensures it maintains rigidity over its full height. The floor plates are constructed from large tubes, which act as beams, or joists separating the two layers of carbon fibre sheets and honeycomb.

[Structure Details] Column Axonometric: The smaller carbon fibre rods and wrap circulate the large tube at opposing angles to ensure that there is no weak point for the structure to fault along.

Column-Floor Axonometric: Floor plates are supported by a series of carbon fibre tubes acting as struting. The plates are recessed and bolted into the column in order to support the load of the houses. The large tubes within the floor function in the same manner as floor joists in a traditional timber structure.

[Appendix Two:

Precedents and early collages

]

] Initial Brief

It’ll be the cities lung, Fresh and young.

It’s a playground, To explore around.

The entrance curls, As a flower girl twirls.

Funnelling you in, Where even to begin.

The cascading walls swish, Not unlike a flailing fish.

Some kick, wriggle and squirm, Others a slow meandering worm.

Some room’s bulge and some are a squeeze, The whole space is quite a tease.

Now you see me, now you don’t, In a minute you will and then you won’t.

Popping protrusions, Create optical allusions.

A labyrinth for hide and seek, A feminine for in its mystique.

Leaping from behind blind bends, Trapeze catwalks the sky suspends.

With the fluidity of streamers, It will allure dreamers.

Casual stride or galloping glide, The sweet grass scent cannot be denied.

It’s the essence of a brand new book, But the balmy bouquet cannot be mistook.

Bright fields of pansies, Glitter like popping candies.

Bright sparkling spaces, Ignite glum faces.

Flooded with excited chatter, More energy than a mad hat hatter.

Flocks will come flapping, Its got it all happening.

Enlightening and charismatic, Bright and fun in its dynamic.

Its not subdued, This place has attitude.

[Appendix Two:

Sashing away to its very own tune, As animated as any cartoon.

Shouting over the loudest talkers, Completely oblivious to all the gawkers.

[To Conclude]

I found designing using writing to initiate and develop a brief and concept was very liberating. I was not hindered by my ability to draw or use computer sofware when describing the spaces I had imagined. If I were to continue to develop to project I would investigate other methods of constuction which would achieve a smillar result. Whilst it is physically possible utilising a carbon fibre structural system it is unlikely ro be a viable option due to the cost.