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PORTFOLIO DANIEL PRUZINA
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INFO STUDENT
DANIEL PRUZINA
STUDENT ID
23769
SUBJECT
URBAN INTERVENTION PROJECT 1
LECTURER
Arqtª SARA SUCENA
UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSIDADE FERNANDO PESSOA
ACADEMIC YEAR
2010/2011
SEMESTER
WINTER
LOCATION
PORTO / MATOSINHOS +41° 11’, -8° 37’
AREA
131,93 HA
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GROUP ANALYSIS The first work with the area of intervention was done in a groups. My group was dealing with road structure and public spaces. It was good start and opportunity to visit whole area of intervention and specially with the topic of our group we had to visit every street and every place in the area, which is essential for intervening in some area. We got to know the area, we found specific features of each part and we started to create an image in our head about the area. Together with the work of other groups it was great first step to start thinking how to intervene in the area.
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After group analyses I continued in analysing the area of intervention in several other points of view according to my understanding of the area. Firstly I started to work only with the area itself (sketches on the left), without any surroundings. But I realized that this is not the proper way of approaching the problem of intervening in some area. So I started to work with bigger scale and mainly with the surroundings (sketches on the right). Then it was possible to see the connections and relations between particular areas of the city, continuous structures and elements, similarities among areas which were quite far away etc. It created an overall image of the whole city in my head and I realized that the intervention area is not the center of the universe, but it is the part of city with its connections and relations.
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PERSONAL ANALYSIS
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The key analysis for my proposal was dealing with the urban patterns in bigger scale (sketch on the left). I painted only buildings and roads to see the pattern easily and I quickly realized, that there is possible to see small particular areas which have clear orthogonal structure. They are almost like small islands of orthogonal structure in big sea of more organic structure (sketch on the right). This orthogonal structure seemed to be more recent, so I was trying to find if there is something similar in the area of intervention. There are not whole orthogonal areas like in the surroundings, but we can find there three little nuclei of orthogonal structure. And this gave me intentions where can I start to develop the area of intervention and also a little bit how - by expanding these orthogonal nuclei to fill the blank gaps in the city´s urban pattern.
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SKETCHES EXERCISE Sketches exercise was good occasion to put all of the analysis together and therefore make intentions more clear and complex. Main analysis for me were: •
urban patterns analysis gave me places where I want to develop the area
• transport situation analysis gave me the best place for the center of whole area of intervention - it is on the north close to Rua do Amial and railway track. The accesibility of this place is the best according to the public transport • green structure analysis gave me intention to join the area of intervention with the north part of the the city using Rio de Picotos and Rio Leca to create big greenway along these rivers
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CONCEPT
All these steps made before have led to my final concept.
I was still working with the urban pattern map and I put it together with the map of green structure. I realized that we can make big imaginery areas which are created by the orthogonal structured areas (painted in yellow in the sketches) and the blank gaps between these sub-areas are mostly filled with greenery. When I marked the boundaries of the area of intervention it was easy to see that not only the orthogonal structured areas are missing there, but also the continuous greenery is interruped there. And this was the main ideas for me to develop - fill these missing gaps in city´s plan and let the area of intervention be part of this plan and not to be something strange that does not belong to the city.
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FIRST PROPOSALS With all of these information in the back I started to design new development in the area. Firstly it was more about “how to design” than “what to design” (sketch on the left), but some parts of these first proposals survived till the final proposal. One of these elements are three visual axes I created in the area to highlight the importance of the commercial center of the area near the railway track. The first axis is leading to the point where Estrada da Circunvalacao is overcame, the second is pointing to the node (where was later designed cultural center) and the third is leading to the west where was designed exclusive residential housing in the forest. Also basic scheme of dividing the area into several parts with different functions was done - north of the river the greenway is expanding into a park, southwest from the river is agriculture and new development is made by expanding orthogonal nuclei. First tries how to overcome the barriers of Via Norte or railway track were also done.
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PRESENTATION 01
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THE CUTTING OF THE CITY There is something not so special what can make the city much more interesting, understandable and joined together. That element is a cut through the urban fabric, which was made for instance by Cerdá in Barcelona. This diagonal cut though the city grid made of square blocks has several very important as well as interesting consequences. The first one is obvious – it is helping people to move across city more quickly. But also it helps people to understand the scale of blocks, to feel more connected with the city. When I was in Barcelona I really enjoyed walking along the Diagonal. I was feeling more “inside” the city, it was like walking through places which are normally not allowed to go through. The other very important consequence of cut through (maybe the most important, which is also possible to find almost in the whole article), is the joining function of the diagonal. It sums up whole city, giving each part its importance and identity. The unity of the city can be made this way – by joining several images that we are rendering while using the diagonal. Everyone also does these cuts on his own to move in the city. It is in people’s character that we are always trying to find the shortest and easiest way. And diagonal cuts are the best occasion for doing that. EXPERIENCING THE MAP OF THE CITY When we are moving around the city we are taking “pictures” of what we see from every spot and then we put these pictures together. Thus we are creating in our mind image of the city, image of its identity. We perceive differences among several places/parts of the city and this is helping us in creating the identity of the city, the differences are building blocks of identity. Putting together these differences as well as getting known them is what is making our life in the city interesting and rich. Everybody makes his own “pictures” in his mind. We discover the city by appropriation and we build our own conception of the place, which is mostly more friendly and which suits us. Each person is different from the other, they have different needs. So the city should provide to everybody places where he can feel comfortable. So everybody makes his own personal map as was written above in the previous part. We are adjusting the city to our needs, we make cuts through the city and are making the city more suitable for us. We make our own perception by these cuts. PROJECT AS TEXT Project in the city can be understood as a text. After that is possible to see our intervention as a text added to bigger group of pre-existing texts/stories in the city. These stories are of several kinds – historical, cultural, environmental, transportation etc. If we think of the intervention like a story, it can help us in a several points. According to the pre-existing city stories we are able to find the missing piece, the story for our project. It will respect all the pre-existing aspects. And working with the project as a text avoid us of hesitation, changing our mind and getting lost. Because we will be following the story which is developing linearly, in one direction. It is important to find the starting point of the project, in this case of the story. This starting point can be also called a concept. From that point the project/story is derived and developed in a linear manner. Sort of barriers are created by setting this starting point and linearity. We will be moving
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CUTTING THE CITIES between these barriers, it will be better for us, we will not get lost and we will not be feeling so “free” with a lot of directions. We will be following the line which the story gave us. And hand in hand with that strong structure and identity of the place will be formed. CUT AND FRAGMENT As was mentioned before the cut has an idea of joining parts together and make them continuous and understandable. A fragment is opposite, it has an idea of the part. Image of the city as a group of fragments is not very helpful in making a proposal. We will create in our mind an image of city composed of several fragments and we will naturally start to create another fragment, repeating the old ones. When we are talking about city composed of several fragments, it is essential to think also at the same time of other pieces we are going to add to the city or how we are going to join them together. The way how to join them is using the cut. It can be the joining element which will give sense to the whole city and which will a soften the barriers among these fragments. It will underline its differences and it will be possible to give them their identity. Whole city will be linked together and will be easier to understand and. THE URBAN SECTION One separated part of the city cannot create the identity of the city only by itself, without the other parts. The identity of the is mainly made by the differences among these parts, so if there is no connection and comparison to others, there is also no identity. That was described on the example of the “New Town” by John Graig. He designed a city that was made by identical facades of houses, predictable streets etc. This cannot be a city with identity just because of the above mentioned reason. Cut through the city, for instance an expressway going from the outside in, can sum up these differences, put them together and create in one’s mind an image of the city, of its identity. Therefore identity of the city is not separated into “smaller identities” of the parts of the city by itself, without seeing the relations. The identity is made by putting differences together by longitudinal urban section, when the differences are relating to each other. THE CELLULAR CITY There are different opinions how the city should look like. There were some ideas about cities composed of several quarters with their own identity. It is possible to find some parts of the cities like that nowadays, but they are only exceptions. And these parts are connected with the rest, creating an overall identity of the city. In the cities based on a cellular model cut through is important. We add the binding agent to the city, the simplicity of the structure is enriched so more interesting places can be created, with more authenticity. THE CONTINUOUS CITY. THE SQUARE Another vision of the city was the continuous city. In this cities is lacking the key ingredients of creating the identity in the way how it was described in previous paragraphs. Because here the
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differences are not creating the identity, there is no obstacle. So here the cut through is the way how to bring differences and therefore identity. The city should evoke the feeling of continuity, that there is something more beyond the boundaries. Our intervention area is only small part of the space which has its connections with the rest of the city that cannot be ignored of destroyed. This feeling of continuity can be made by implementing some smaller part which will refer to the rest, for instance small squares. IDENTITY OR DIFFERENCE? THE NECKTIE The necktie can be interpreted as a symbol of difference or individuality. Is the only different thing from other clothing, it gives us an opportunity to express our own opinion, individuality and autonomy. We can also see the necktie as a moving element, dynamic part of our cloths. On the other hand with the necktie we can also create a bad expression. We can use one which does not suit to the other clothes or we can use old-fashioned one with no impact on the observer. All these metaphors can be interpreted to urban planning. We can enrich “boring” urban structure by adding this moving element with which we can bring to the place the difference and therefore we can start to create individuality and autonomy of the space. And also we have to avoid of using unfitting interventions such as using ultra-modern “neckties” that are not communicating with the rest. CITY PLANNING AND TAILORING How to implement the necktie into the urban planning? We can imagine the necktie like a small part, missing element in the area. When the observer is in that area after that, he should be able to see beyond the boundaries using just this “necktie”, by this moving element. It should refer to the continuity of the space as well as to the totality of the space and refer to the non-moving elements beyond the boundaries. Putting together all of the images made by the observer will create an overall image of the area. By cutting the plan with cooperation of the human imagination we help the identity and totality to get to the surface. The city will be more acceptable and understandable for the people.
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COMPARISON BETWEEN THE ARTICLE AND MY PROPOSAL In the area of intervention we can find several levels of potential cuts, according to their scale and type. As one of them we can consider the important roads such as Via Norte and Estrada da Circunvalação. Especially Via Norte can fulfill this function. So it is important to create along this road a scenery that will refer to the character of the place and that will be in relation with the rest. So I decided to create near the node significant and important building – cultural center – of bigger scale and height to create with the Hotel Star Inn which is located across the node sort of a gate. The other parts of the node facing Estrada da Circunvalação will be developed with building of the smaller scale and height according to the character of this road. And along the Via Norte I want to create buildings of the same scale as the pre-existing buildings. Cut in a smaller scale is possible to see in my project in the street which is creating on of the axes and which is leading from the center of area in the north part to the south to Estrada da Circunvalação. This road is facing several different types of development, going by this road we can create in our mind an image of the area. It sums up the differences, joining them together. Going by this road the observer will see several different images which in the end, after putting them together, will create a character of this area. Another element that will help people to create an image of the area, which is similar to the necktie’s metaphor, is a square near the church. The square is created by two main kinds of urban structure in this area – by new orthogonal development and old “organic” development. These two kinds of structure meet in the square and create a specific shape which reflects their differences. It should evoke the continuity of the space and it should give to the observer an image of the area.
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FINAL PROPOSAL DATE OF DELIVERY
10/01/2011
During the weeks between Intermediate presentation and Final delivery I was trying to improve my proposal and solve the problems that came to the light during the Intermediate presentation. I reworked the area near the node - I designed there big cultural center (the second axis is pointing directly to this building) and this cultural center is the most visible and the heighest building along the node. By filling the blank gaps in the blocks along Estrada da Circunvalacao and Via Norte I created more consolided streets near the node and the cultural center is now the landmark of my proposed area. It is pulling down the attention to the northeast part of the node. I also reworked area behind preexisting attached houses near the agriculture area - with the shape of the newly designed houses I supported the second axis, specially its changing from the pedestrian path into the road. In the north part of the area of intervention I expanded the industry area to little bit compensate the fact that I pulled down the industry area along Estrada da Circunvalacao. I also made some small interventions into the preexisting development near Rua do Amial to fill blank gaps in the blocks, to create consolidate blocks with better “cleaner� feeling for visitors there. Near the church and newly designed sport facility I designed a square. This square is playing the role of joining element between newly designed orthogonal structure on the west of the square and preexisting organic structure on the east. By the shape of the square which is straight on the sides with the orthogonal structure and curved/organic on the side of preexisting development is softening the difference between these two parts.
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CONCEPT
URBAN PATTERNS+GREEN STRUCTURE
AREA OF INTERVENTION
ORTHOGONAL STRUCTURE
IMAGINERY AREAS CREATED BY ORTHOGONAL STRUCTURES
GREEN STRUCTURE
CENTER OF AREA
BEST RESIDENTIAL HOUSING IN FOREST
GREENWAY CONNECTION
OVERCOMING OF CIRCUNVALACAO
01/04
CULTURAL CENTER
TRANSPORT TRANS TRANSPO
COLLECTORS ROADS
RAILWAY
1. DISTRIBUTOR ROADS
SUBWAY
2. DISTRIBUTOR ROADS
CENTER OF AREA
AREA OF INTERVENTION
STRUCTURING
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PROPOSAL + ORTHOPHOTO MAP
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PROPOSAL + PREEXISTING
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PROPOSAL
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