InstantUrbanism Tutors: Ben Milbourne & Marcus Westbury
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Urbanism often focuses on large scale and long term plans, as a means to improving and producing livable urban environments. While large, long term changes, can produce significant effects, it is less obvious that small scale, grass-roots and immediate change can also lead to the production of dramatic, lasting and positive effects in our cities. Newcastle, Australia’s largest non-capital city, has endured decades of de-industrialzation and sub-urbanisation, leaving large tracts of the CBD vacant, vandalized or decaying. While the long term prospects for the redevelopment of Newcastle’s CBD are good, in the meantime many sites are boarded up because they are no short term for uses them and no one is responsible for them. The Instant Urbanism studio partnered with Renew Newcaslte, a community based initiative established to find short and medium term uses for buildings in Newcastle’s CBD that are currently vacant, disused, or awaiting redevelopment, providing students with exposure to an immediate and tangible program for revitalizing the city. Renew Newcastle aims to find artists, cultural projects and community groups to use and maintain these under utilized buildings until they become commercially viable or are redeveloped. The Instant Urbanism studio successfully provided research assistance and design solutions to Renew Newcastle, while challenging both students and studio leader’s assumptions about the role of the architect and architecture in urban renewal.
This studio was made possible through the time and expertise generously provided by the Renew Newcastle organization, and the hard work and commitment of all of the studio participants.
Studio Participants: Hisham Ariffin, Alto Lap To Au, Jon Chun Hung Chiu, Melisa Febriani, Has Grounds, Yenita Kurniawan, Arlene Lim, Zi Lim, Lucy Maplestone, Imran Mohd Annuar, Sean Seah and Laura Ulph. Studio leaders: Ben Milbourne and Marcus Westbury
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PRECINCTS
WITHIN HUNTER STREET
PRECINCTS
PANORAMAS
PANORAMAS
VISIBLE SKY
WITHIN HUNTER STREET
VISIBLE SKY
EXPERIENTIAL ANALYSIS civic monumental
grand offices
EXPERIENTIAL ANALYSIS civic monumental
grand offices
business nice money pleasant law clean business nice money pleasant law clean
retail trees offices quiet shaded slow retail trees offices quiet shaded slow
retail shops nice place to sit people walking
slow shady greenery
relaxed quiet
retail shops nice place to sit people walking
slow shady greenery
relaxed quiet
noisy people waiting trees shady cars noisy people waiting trees shady cars
trains buses people one-sided changetrains buses people one-sided change
noisy trains office buildings busy boring
ugly
noisy trains office buildings busy
don’t stop boarded up boring
ugly
don’t stop boarded up
big monumental city nice busy big monumental city nice busy old conflict
empty new
old conflict
conflict not defined
empty new
conflict not defined
open train line cars
open train line cars
new buildings conflict of old and new tall separation
new buildings conflict of old and new tall separation
hot bright new stuff shaddy green hot bright new stuff shaddy green noisy buses cars pollution shops noisy buses cars pollution shops starting to work starting to work
empty cars noisy big desolate nos- empty cars noisy big desolate nostalgia ghost town road talgia ghost town road
Hunter St mapping: Lucy Maplestone, Yenita Kurniawan, Jon Chun Hung Students initially engaged in site investigation and mapping during an intensive site visit to Newcaslte, exploring analytical and experiential qualities of the Hunter St Spine which forms the backbone of the Newcaslte CBD. Students also met with existing and potential Renew Newcastle, establishing the user group’s needs and expectations for the project.
Working in teams of three, students developed their observations and analysis, over several weeks into strategic plans and organizational models to be used by Renew Newcaslte in the future deployment of the program.
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TRANSPORT HOURS
WEEKDAYS
SATURDAY
9-12am
12-3am
6-9pm
3-6am
3-6pm
6-9am
SUNDAY 12-3pm
9-12pm
transport connections
HUMAN TRAFFIC
Weekdays Weekend
7AM
Weekdays
12PM
9PM
Weekend
Weekdays Weekend
foot traffic
Hunter St activation analysis: Melissa Febriani, Sean Seah, Alto Lap To Operating individually, students developed material pallets and systems suitable for use by arts and community groups with extremely limited budgets, and able to be demounted within 30 days as-per the Renew Newcaslte lease requirements.
Students then developed individual design interventions for sample vacant buildings identified, and documents while in Newcaslte, demonstrating the ideas and strategies developed in the strategic plan and materials pallet stages of the project.
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strategic plan: Culture Farm and Market CULTURE FARM Large Filming Space Pottery Studio Photography Studio
Film & Photography
Craft Illustrator Studio Film Editing Space Drawing Studio
Small Art Studio
Sewing Studio
Art Filming Studio
Sculpture Workshop Film Production
Large Art Studio Fashion Design
Small Rehearsal Space
Small Rehearsal Space Small Recording Studio Theatre Workshop
Music
Performance
Digital Production Space
Large Rehearsal Space
Large Rehearsal Space
Sound Recording
Dance Studio
Sculpture Displays
Local Cinema
Craft Gallery & Sales
Theatre Performance
Street Performance
Art Galleries Craft Gallery & Sales
Bar Spaces Public Art
Art Sales
Mucic Performance
Art Displays
Media Galleries
CULTURE MARKET
Performance Spaces
Produce Display and Sales
The identification of constraints bounding Newcastle’s existing active center led to the proposal of a Culture Farm in the vacant, inactive areas of Newcastle’s East. Composed of individual creative tenancies with no direct public interaction, the Culture Farm enables local generation of unique cultural ‘produce’ to be distributed in the dense active network of
the proposed Culture Market. Creation and distribution of locally produced art, music and performance inspires unique public interaction, reinvigorating the dwindling activity of the Hunter Street Mall. Hisham Bin Ariffin, Has Grounds, Zi Lim
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strategic plan: Three Precincts
CIV
Opening hour
Time
Florence st.
Wood st.
Steward Av.
National Park st. Hannel st.
Steel st. Steel st.
Worth Pl.
Union st.
Auckland st. Merewether st.
Darby st.
Crown st.
Brown st.
Perkins st.
Thorn st.
Wolfe st. Wolfe st.
Morgan st. Market st.
Newcoment st.
Bolton st. Bolton st.
Newcoment st.
Watt st. Watt st.
RS
Time
Lot
In this project two key observations emerged from the site investigation and mapping of the Newcaslte CBD; That the Hunter St spine currently has three distinct points of functional intensity, and that these zones, or precincts, effect a shifting of activation and intensity over time (day/week/month) along the strip. The strategic proposal taps into these existing forces, dividing
prospective tenant groups into ‘arts production’, ‘performance ‘ and ‘retail’, placing them into the identified nodes to reinforce the existing activity rather than further disperse activity along the strip, while encouraging the shift in intensity during the day and over the week, between these precincts. Melissa Febriani, Sean Seah, Alto Lap To
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materials pallet development: UnCycling Uncycling - Alternate Material lifecycle facilitating Newcasle Renewal Produce
Breakdown
Transport
Recycle
Use
Store
Transport
Uncycle Temporary altarnate material use
Concrete Reinforcing Mesh
Timber Stud Framing
Scaffolding
Insulation Batts
Sound Proofing Foam
Carpet Underfelt
Insulated Sisalation
Sarking Foil
Ceiling Insulation
Uncycling provides an alternative to using recycled or reusable materials in an attempt to provide a diverse choice of cheap and sustainable solutions for short term, low impact architectural interventions. The system proposes the temporary appropriation of materials from their normal lifecycle for use that does not prevent the material being returned for its original purpose. Con-
Milk Crates
crete reinforcing mesh and timber stud framing are examples of materials that can be ‘uncycled’ from storage, used in a system to frame and manipulate space and then be returned to their normal cycle for their originally intended purposes. Has Grounds
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materials palette development: Renewing Newcastle... The Hard Rubbish
hard rubbish survey
prototype development ‘Renewing Newcastle... the hard rubbish way’ investigates transforming the vacant Market Square Mall into an active and alive studio space for local artists and designers. The large space is divided into smaller secure sections in which artists can work individually or collectively. Each studio user is provided with a market capsule, in which they can sell the good produced
in the studio space. In response to the temporiness and budget restraints, the production space and market stalls are made from hard rubbish collected off the street. Whether it be cardboard from a dumpster, discarded and pulled apart pallets or bicycle tyres, it is all free and readily available! Laura Ulph
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design intervention: Tetris Hub Male toilet (2) 7.3m2
1 2 3
4
5
7
2
6
5
7 4
7
2 6
7
2 3
6
5
5
6
InformaƟon Centre Hiring booth 8,7m2
4
4
3
1
1
carpark
Male & Female shower 11.4m2
carwash
1 2 3 5
1
7
2 3
4
5
drive-in cinema
1
1
2 3
4
1
outdoor cinema
5
7
2 3
4
5
7 4
7 6
Sports: basketball volleyball tennis badminton 13m2
7
6
6
7
7
7
7
7
1 tennis
6
7
6 badminton
7
3 volleyball
half-basketball
1
1
2 3
7
7
5
5
4
5
4
5
7
6
2 6
TETRIS HUB 145.6m2
7
4
6
6
7
2
2 2 2
7
2 2
3
3
3
7
1
sports event
1
1 performance
small performance
2 performances
1 7
Food shop public/ market kitchen 31.6m2
5
7
2
4
5
1 7
2
4
5
2 3
4
5
6
6
7 4
6
6
2 2 2 3
3
Female toilet (4) 9.7m2
Bar: alcohol milkcrate stool boundary 14.4m2
fesƟvals
5
kids fesƟvals
7
2
Storage: table chairs bean bag boundary stand 13m2
3
1
1
5
1
7
2
4
bar
live bar
7
4 5
4
2 3
6
5
7 4
6
6
?
6 3
3
1
Convinience store 25m2
market
1
community acƟvity
seafood market
program modes 1
ProjecƟon screen sound system storage 4.5m2
3
2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
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sunday saturday friday thursday wednesday
4 x Performance stage 7m x 2.5m
tuesday
quaterly event
monday
exploded axonometric
activation over time
Tetris Hub is a hyper program space at the existing carpark site, an intervention of promoting new activity to achieve the maximum use of existing infrastructure. Each components of Tetris Hub provide infrastructure for programs to occur to maximize the carpark space at different time. It explores the possibilities of how the components being used
at different programs and time by moving around the components within the site to achieve the highest interaction with the programs and the users.
Melissa Febriani
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monthly event
Artist and individual requirements
amount of space needed to work method of working storage of work individual preferences for spaces
design intervention: The ‘Store’ Arts Hub Nicholas building infrastructure
The Store studios infrastructure
Re-use for artist studios & hub
Pauls Warehouse usable objects
bench in cafe/bar library shelf/ artist studios
ceiling cladding in cafe/bar
Sams Warehouse usable objects
ceiling cladding in cafe/bar
wall partitions in hub area
seat in cafe/bar
partitions in artist studios seat in cafe/bar
benches in cafe/bar
table in cafe/bar
Nicholas building: adapt requirements to fit building
bench in cafe/bar
construction of slope / seats in cafe/bar
site materials survey
the Store: adapt building to fit requirements
Adapt requirements to fit infrastucture
Adapt infrastucture fit requirements precedent to Study: Nicholas building, Melbourne
female toilets artist studios male toilets
ar
artist studios
art classes
male toilets
female toilets
disabled toilet
informal gallery area
kitchenette
art studios store room
informal gallery area
gallery office
bar/cafe service area art library
cafe/bar spillage films seating
gallery store room gallery
Key: point of intersection of circulation path
First Floor Plan
artist studio space
This project investigates the adaptation of a largely dis-used shopping center, as a creative arts hub. Artist studios and supporting functions are inserted into the empty spaces of ‘The Store’ shopping centre. The circulation space provides for points of intersection, initiating conversation and networking, the largest being the main hub.
Second Floor Plan
proposal plans
Artists are given flexibility in their studios with minimal infrastructure of chain link fencing provided to demarcate circulation and studio spaces and a kit of parts system to adapt the studios to their needs. Lucy Maplestone
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design intervention: Connective Tissue
This project investigates the adaptation of a group of disparate unconnected buildings into a collaborative and vibrant arts hub. The project is established on a thesis that interaction and communication are key ingredients in any creative environment. The project focuses on a connective tissue that is set around its parameters of various programs. Maximizing circulation routes,
between ‘generic’ production spaces, and promoting chance encounter. The design proposal utilizes standard scaffold systems to provide circulation and congregation spaces, while allowing for demountability and adaptation to alternatives sites. Sean Seah
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design intervention: Experimental Theatre Studio PERFORMER’S ACCESS
PERFORMANCE AREA
PERFORMANCE AREA
AUDIENCE’S ACCESS
PERFORMANCE AREA
PERFORMANCE AREA
GROUND FLOOR STUDIO
PERFORMER’S ACCESS
AUDIENCE’S ACCESS
SEATING AREA
GROUND FLOOR STUDIO
SEATING AREA
MAIN STUDIO
FIRST FLOOR STUDIO
MAIN STUDIO
SEATING AREA
STUDIO GALLERY
FIRST FLOOR STUDIO
The project focuses on the idea of instantaneousness, mobility and functionality, much to the like of a theatre set. Its instantaneousness reflected in the utilization of abandoned shelves found onsite, to be manipulated to form various functions. The modularity of shelves boxes allowsSTUDIO multiple configurations which SEATING AREA GALLERY would suit to each particular function/ performance set. Its flex-
ibility is demonstrated through the use of curtain as a porous boundary around the performance area, allowing multiple access for the audiences, performers and sceneries. MORNING DANCE CLASS
STREET/OUTDOOR PERFORMANCES
Yenita Kurniawan
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