URB5804 STUDIO FOLIO
Student: 19008890 Quinlan
Semester 1: 2 June 2023
Image source: Artwork Salt Lake Bec Juniper, digital image by student
RESPONDING TO THE FUTURE
ARABESQUE PODS
The arabesque pods creates a central high density heart around a central common quadrangle with commercial centres placed around the four tram stations with a series of transport rings that encase the pods, a walking ring, a cycling ring, a road ring and a tram ring creating a buzz of activity on the outer, a breath in the inner and a high concenration of people in the community heart in the centre.
Scenario 1: Peacocks in the Bubble
Intake and control of resources we need – particularly water and air, what happens to the waste and who is responsible for it
Questions who has access to those resources – particularly equality of haves and have nots
Considers technology and AI, Social
Media and particularly the role aesthetic & beauty plays in the environment when we have the technology to control the visual of our world
Key themes
Control of water resources
Air purification
Waste management
Access to cool & natural environment new priviledge
Aesthetic of design
Community cohesion
Technological driven “communities”
Change
Scenario 2: Rise Above the Mudflats
Urban heat
Water inundation then dry
Built form adaption to manage climate change – built above flood line, reuse of storm water and rainwater
Alternative food sources and production
Employment shifts relating to technology and climate
Bush fire risk
Retreat to cool and green
Modes of transport relating to heat and environment
Key themes
Managing heat and fire
Food source & inundation
Green infrastructure using technology
Built environment designed to withstand inundation
Climate Change
ART DECO
A time when curves were in fashion and decorative inspiration was drawn from nature. This design considers an art deco door as a starting point for opening something new but centering it in natural landscapes of old. It features an artificial water course that irrigates community gardens around the perimetre and a dense commercial centre in a separated quandrant zoning.
Scenario 3: The Secret GardenRestored
Workplace agility and working from home
Connectivity to others and avoiding isolation
Community gardens and food production – endemic foods
Transport and connections to suburbs outside
Key themes
Technology
Food production closer to source
Green infrastructure
Community cohesion
Scenario 4: Rock Garden
Urban heat
Dry and access to water
Questions what gardens look like with no water
Dust and heat
Conflict over available resources
Employment shifts and importance of access to base resources of water, air
Transport - vehicles carbon
Key themes
Managing heat and fire
Water
Community cohesion
Aesthetic & public art
What if we kept a 10,000 year old landscape in the heart of our city and worked our community around it instead of the other way around? This design takes inspiration from the Sonian Forest In Bruxelles and the dense grid like structure that surrounds it and trapses through itgiving the sense that nature is always close across its 44 hectares
Drawing on the inspiration of Persian central courtyards that formed the function of pleasure, reflection, cooling and fresh produce, this design works on a arabic arabesque patterm and creates a series of high density dwellings around a common community garden with active central drainage and water re-use ponds adapted to be amenity features and irrigate the community gardens.
Taking the theme of water one step further this chaotic design narrows the roads so they become just ripples through the landscape and the residential lots become more organic and biophilic. In some ways it creates a medevial type maze of dwellings that hug the edge of the ripple roads with hidden shared gardens.
Luna Leopold, an award-winning US hydrologist, suggested that a new philosophy of water management based in geologic, geographic, and climate factors, that also incorporates traditional economic, social and political factors was required to manage the challenges of the future. His studies of how rivers and waterways are formed and the way they shape their surrounding landscape, how surface water and groundwater are essentially connected and most importantly the juxtaposition of how landscapes shape water and water shapes landscape are themes that underpin this design response to the future scenarios of a world facing significant climate change and technological change.
The premise draws from the work of the landscape urbanism movement, where built form is no longer the primary element of urban order (Koolhaas, 1998) and the urban form. Landscape Urbanism highlights the ambiguities between natural and man-made and in addition to designing around the existing typography and landscape, it proposes the use of man-made natural landscapes as infrastructure.
The remaining tracts of undeveloped land up through the northern suburbs of the Swan Coastal Plan that are intact are representative of what was naturally a mosaic of an extensive area of flat, seasonally waterlogged wetlands that were interspersed with shallow, seasonally inundated basins and channels and dryland prior to European settlement. They were described as a “broad, interconnected chain of swamps many kilometres wide” (Chinna 2012).
The recognition of the importance of these wetlands to our environmental and human health, and the re-establishment of additional bodies of water throughout the design is the starting point of the design – providing both a way to manage and recognise a systematic approach to the water cycle but also provide opportunities for cooling and water capture in an ever increasing hot environment.
The site design also attempts to navigate the tension between “green sprawl” i.e. “exurban sprawl” as posed by Cadiuex & Taylor where the desire to live close to nature does not negatively impact on nature itself, and to attempt to ensure that “exburbia” becomes a place where people have equitable access to a high quality living environment that draws on nature for its design and inspiration, rather than draws on the natural and depletive resources of nature itself (Cadiuex Taylor 2012).
“Green Spawl” and the idea that homes set in nature away from the city offer the achievement of a higher quality life is often offset by social segregation and environmental impacts. This design doesn’t attempt to hide from the fact that the northern suburbs of Perth are set on low lying dry coastal plains with interspersed wetlands, and in fact it takes this as an opportunity to provide a crucial role to managing healthy ecosystems and our environment into the future. By taking, preserving and integrating the historic landscape it acts as a useful bridge between the desire to be closer to nature with a collaborative process of helping to truly manage and protect that landscape. The idea is that the existing and historic landscape is brought into everyday life rather than creating a European imposed, or artificial veneer of connection to nature.
Green infrastructure and integration of historic wetlands alongside storm water management systems (i.e. capturing road and building roof runoff to work through a natural carbon filtering system and return captured water to the limestone groundwater aquifers beneath is in keeping with Luna Leopold’s research and conclusions. Sustainable principles that also allow for management of potential flood risks in the low-lying areas of the Swan Coastal plain in the future are included. The design also provides for each residence dwelling cluster, or “Crescent” to be within a five minute walk of the community trail system in the surrounding scrubland.
Conservation and protection of aquatic ecosystems, including wetlands and deep-water habitats – notably in this area protection of Western Long-necked or Oblong Turtle and the Western Swamp Tortoise - have been included through retention or construction of water bodies designed to minimise disruption to existing habitats and also provide for additional water bodies.
Managing precipitation throughout the Precinct is designed into the urban form through runoff reduction strategies via biofiltration, management of run off volumes and pollutant discharges, mitigate elevated water temperature by reducing contact with impervious surfaces and maximise evapotranspiration, as well as infiltration opportunities through the construction of bioswales, raingardens, water quality ponds, constructed wetlands and vegetated buffers. These will be designed to mimic the natural infiltration-based groundwater driven hydrology of the historic landscape.
Mosquitoes and pests will require some innovative pest management practices. Irrigation volumes managed to ensure balanced return, with smart system water meters to record and measure water usage compared to baseline.
Natural swimming pools and water features are shared rather than private assets and treated using ozonation or thermal treatment rather than chlorine or other things that may harm life within the waterways.
Additional living landscapes are created with shared vegetated roofs, tree canopies and appropriate selection of vegetation. Hydrozoned planting and greywater reuse for any establishment irrigation, the community gardens and commercial food production within the community are also allowed for in the urban design.
The Plant Species List for the Precinct for use throughout the urban and shared landscape include native plants and a variety of filtration sledges and rushes as per the table over.
Pedestrian safety along urban roads is managed through a buffer between road and footpath - wider foot paths to accommodate families and more than 1-2 pedestrians walking side by side – with a continuous footpath and crosswalk network are included. Streets with bicycle lanes are allowed for, but also provision for cyclists to cross through shared public space across desire lines that create connection to nature but also passive security and connection. Permeable pavements and cycleways will provide additional water capture but also minimise hydrocarbon runoff from the vehicle access ways.
Microclimate considerations are also allowed for including positive sounds of nature from positioned street trees, orientation towards trees and scrubland, protection from south westerly winds and orientation to ensure all dwellings receive north-north east light. Sequencing of construction activities allows for testing, maintenance and addition of healthy soils and appropriate vegetation, with minimal roadways crossing through public open space and shared gardens.
Commercial activity is centred around wetland and bio science and food security where understanding the wetland system and its role in potential food sources and security are integrated into the economic and social values of the Precinct. Shared community gardens test not only native food sources, but also provide seasonal food at source.
Tschumi (2014) describes his design of Parc de La Vilette as building as layered spatial event fields designed for access and chance encounters and this fluid exchange of environmental and infrastructural systems forms the base of thinking through the mass and built form in the precinct as a series of flexible, often curved and strategically placed form within the landscape and wetland system. In the words of Frampton (2021), an attempt to “conceive of a remedial landscape that is capable of playing a critical and compensatory role in relation to the ongoing, destructive commodification of the manmade world”.
The curved central civic centre is a public building built over the wetland, designed with minimal interference to the flow and is created with a large central void to link the Precinct’s residences to the heart of the landscape – like an open plaza. This sits adjacent to the central trackless tram station and is designed to maintain the movement of people around it – enabling access and chance encounters.
“Water is the most critical resource issue of our lifetime and our children’s lifestime. The health of our waters is the principal measure of how we live on the land. The health of a community’s water really is the measure of a community’s success”.
Luna Leopold, hydrologist
“ As I wash the sleep out of my eyes, the fresh cool water tingles on my skin. The sun is only just coming up and I can see the shades of light dusky colours emerging from behind the shadow of the scarp through my window to the North-East.
It is May 1st 2100 and first rains of the Djeran season and cooler weather is beginning.
I dress for work and walk downstairs to the Crescent for breakfast. There is lots of laughter coming from outside the cafe as a few kids hunt for turtles among the sledges and rushes by the water while their mums and dads sit perched on and around the garden beds of the community garden chatting.
It is nice to see the water finally starting to fill up the wetlands and the bulbs and seeds starting to appear on the plants around the garden. It has been a long hot summer.
I am distracted momentarily by the flash on my wrist, work is calling. Apparently, there are slightly higher levels of outflow in the south-west corner tank from the rains overnight.
I jump on my air scooter to head down to work. The scooter is not much quicker than the trackless tram, but I love being closer to the studios and shops as they open up their doors in the morning from along the cycle path.
As I pull into the centre, I see my colleague who has been researching a new way to manage mosquitos at the larvae stage. We head to the outflow monitoring area and check the screens. It appears the blip is coming from the roof garden on the 5th floor of one of the terrace houses along the avenue next to the civic centre.
I jump back on the scooter and head back towards the centre of town. The issue is easily resolved with a check and clean of the pump filter by the garden bed that feeds into the stormwater downpipe.
Once I’m back in the office the afternoon passes by quite quickly, but I am still pleased to head back out to the streets again as dusk is setting in. I am meeting friends for a walk up by the Towers around the Lake and then we plan to head down to the waterfront to hear a band play.
I pick up some wattle seed bread and some finger lime curd on the way up town from this cool new shop at the base of the Crescent. The owners’ parents worked for the mill on Swan St that is using the seeds of the local sedges and wattle seeds from community garden 3 to create this awesome flour. The flour in the bread and local preserves are delicious and even though I do miss some of the old foods it is nice to be eating something that you know is better for the environment and with no waste. The by-product of the flour is even used to make a locally sourced gin that we export in bulk when the shipping lines through to Europe are open.
I drop my scooter, change shoes, and walk up to the Lake. I wave to my friends as I approach, and we head off towards the setting sun into the scrub”.
“Opaline droplets coalesce with water, gather in reed beds, drift through the wire of chook pens, and settle on lawns.”
Silent Morning, Nandi Chinna, Andrea Smith 2011
C40 Cities. 2023. “C40 Knowledge Community.” www.c40knowledgehub.org. 2023. https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/C40-Infrastructure-Interdependencies-and-Climate-Risks-report?language=enUS.
Frampton, Kenneth. 2021. “Megaform as Urban Landscape.” Journal of Delta Urbanism Issue 2 (December): 12–23. https://doi.org/10.48438/jdu.2.2021.6224.
Hansen, Vivienne and John Horsfall, 2019, Noongar Bush Tucker : Bush Food Plants and Fungi of the South-West of Western Australia. Carwley, Western Austrlia, UWA Publishing.
Jeroen C J H Aerts. 2012. Climate Adaptation and Flood Risk in Coastal Cities. Abingdon, Oxon ; New York: Earthscan.
K. Valentine Cadieux, and Laura Taylor. 2013. Landscape and the Ideology of Nature in Exurbia. Routledge.
Law, Justin, and Anya Lam. 2014. “A Guide to Managing and Restoring Wetlands in Western Australia Chapter 3: Managing Wetlands a Guide to Managing and Restoring Wetlands in Western Australia.” https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/images/documents/conservation-management/wetlands/Wetlandmanagementguide/managinghydrology.pdf.
Leopold, Luna B. 1997. Water, Rivers and Creeks. Mill Valley, Calif.: University Science Books. Mcharg, I L. 1995. Design with Nature. New York: John Wiley.
Project for Public Spaces. 2009. “Eleven Principles for Creating Great Community Places.” pps.org. 2009. https://www.pps.org/article/11steps.
Simek, Onur. 2019. “Emptiness and Nothingness in OMAs Libraries.” MEGARON / Yıldız Technical University, Faculty of Architecture E-Journal 14 (2). https://doi.org/10.14744/megaron.2019.57873.
Saraswati, Anandashila (Chinna, Nandi). 2012. “Swamp : Walking the Wetlands of the Swan Coastal Plain ; and with the Exegesis, a Walk in the Anthropocene: Homesickness and the Walker-Writer.” https://ro.ecu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1589&context=theses , Published Fremantle Press 2017
Schurch, Thomas . 2020. “Urban Villages, Town Design, New Urbanism: Where Does Landscape Architecture Stand?” The Field, ASLA. April 23, 2020. https://thefield.asla.org/2020/04/23/urban-villages-new-towns-city-design-new-urbanism/.
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South West Aboriginal Land & Sea Council. 2011. “Spirituality | Kaartdijin Noongar.” Noongarculture.org.au. 2011. https://www.noongarculture.org.au/spirituality/.
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“Alteration of natural water regimes is now recognised as a major contributor to loss of biodiversity and functionality of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. It can modify the values of inland waters and lead to other land and water problems including floods and droughtlike conditions, waterlogging, salinisation, eutrophication, acidification and erosion.
The maintenance of biodiversity and productive land and water systems depends on ecosystem services that in turn rely on maintenance of natural water balances and flow regimes.
In severe cases, excessive alteration of natural water regimes leads to widespread loss of whole ecosystems and water supplies.”
Environmental Protection Authority, State of the Environment Report: Western Australia 2007.1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
The waters and land of the Swan Coastal Plan have strong and ancient story line connections to the traditional owners and the Noongar people.
In particular they tell the story of creation (THE WAUGUL – the ancient serpent and creator of our water ways) and the Turtle (YARKAN). Many of these stories also link to our future.
According to Noongar culture - The Waugul is present wherever living water is found. Rivers, creeks and wetlands are, ‘spiritual repositories places that draw on the fundamental philosophy of Noongar spiritual believes as places of spirit birth and spirit rest.
Like the Water Cycle the fundamentals of Noongar belief system is that all living creatures, are a part of the wider spiritual universe and cyclical system. The wetlands are a crucial part of life on the plain, both as breeding grounds for numerous living creatures, repositories of spiritual essence realised generationally by individuals and sources of food, water and protection.
Connections to underground streams, it’s sacred and form part of a cultural protection system. The viability of our population is clearly dependent on preserving the ecological and physical integrity of the waterways, just as it is to the human population.
(Source: South West Land & Sea Corporation)
I acknowledge the traditional owners of this country – the Whadjuk Noongar People and acknowledge the privilege to learn more about the waters, rivers and special places on this shared country. I pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging.