ARC6981 UDP2 Zhang Songnan

Urban Design Project 2 Re-appropriating Modernist Housing MAUD Songnan Zhang

Content Stuodio Brief & Project Background

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Project Methodology

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Precedents Study

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Position & Approaches

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General Context

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Context History

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Context Analysis

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Stakeholder

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Spatial Design Strategy

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Conclusion

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1

Studio Brief & Project Background

Project Location: Mehringplatz, Berlin, Germany Approach: Fieldwork/ On-off site In reaction to the concern that modernist housing have been always associated with social segregation and spatial discontinuity MAUD studio has carried out a six week project that primarily based physical model making in relation to exploring the new approaches of re-appropriating modernist housing.

Mehringplatz

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Modernist housing that developed largely from 1920s and onward has disproportional emphasis of function, social structure and spatial form.

From disconnected urban fabric and urban functionality to concentration of socially disadvantage groups and following social segregation, insurmountable shortfalls and problems have emerged from and dominated a certain proportion of modernist housing schemes.

Project Methodology Week 1

Week 2

Week 3 -- 5

Week 1 -- 6

PreField Visiting

Site Explorations

Towards A Proposition

Strategy Development

Situate into the area to gain first and direct impression of the plaec

Grathering and collecting brackground information

Collecting Traces & Photography Preparatoion of tools for site exploration

Subjective mapping of understanding of the study neighbourhood

Identify two specific stakeholders in the neighbourhood Interview with local people to get wider understanding

Speculate desires and aims of different stakeholder

Methods & Tools

Situating Surveying Mapping Gathering Communicating

City-scale Neighbourhood-scale 1:2000 site model 1:300 section model version 1 version 1

City scale mappings

Neighbourhood scale mappings

Mapping social relations and spatial practice

Proposal for re-appropriating Modernist housing

Analyse both imformation we collected and personal feelings about Mehringplatz

More specified stakeholders

City-scale 1:2000 site model version 2

Neighbourhood-scale 1:300 section model version 2

City-scale 1:2000 site model version 3 Strategy proposal draft

Urban detailed 1:300 section model version 1

Neighbourhood-scale Urban detailed 1:300 section model 1:300 section model version 3 version 2

Urban detailed 1:300 section model version 3

Interviewing

Proposing Mapping Gathering

Proposing Gathering Reflecting

Collecting Traces

Mapping social

Making & interactive

Walking Setting up a Base

Gathering

Photography

relations

survey models

Remote Sourcing

Mapping spatial practices

Remote Sourcing

Crits/Review

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Lucky Coin, Hong Kong, by 100 Architects

Position & Approaches classification

Precedents Study

Outdoor Spaces

Indoor Spaces

Diversified indoor function to attracting people to use the spaces

Diversified types of outdoor spaces that fit for different purposes and people

Ease of access

Proximity to residence

Diversified residential housing types

'The Plot' by Jonaathan Tarbatt

Sufficient community amenity Approaches

This project proposed 10 different platforms that could be able to hold different event and activities. From recreational plaza to food bar, the idea is to diversify the public spaces and encourage people’s interaction (100 Architects, 2015).

Promote community integration Fully used outdoor spaces/ No disused outdoor spaces

Spaces for community initiated event and activities Security Local resident

Another work that significantly informed our proposal is the book ‘The Plot’ by Jonathan Tarbatt (2012). In this book many examples of how does medium to low density housing with mixed housing types and use could work, and those ideas contribute greatly to our proposal.

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Objectives/ Re-appropriating modernist housing

Visitors

Reactivate indoor and outdoor spaces that fully useable by different ages and group

People from nearby neighbourhood

Children and youth

Children and young people who grow up here have very positive images about the neighbourhood and might choose to continuing live here

Changing perception of the neighbourhood to attract a wider range of people to live in the area

Supported by wide range of housing types that this strategy proposed

General Context

Potsdamer Platz Check Point Charlie

Berlin

FriedrichshainKreuzberg

With a population of 3.5 milliom 13.9% of population are immigrants

Brandenburger Tor

Alexanderplatz

FriedrichshainKreuzberg

FriedrichstraĂ&#x;e Jewish Museum

Potsdamer Platz

Mehringplatz

Home to 278,597 people In Kreuzberg, 60% of population are non-German origin

Located at southern end of FriedrichstraĂ&#x;e Many tourist attractions at it north

Transport hub

Dominated by modernist high-rise housing

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Though 19th century, with refurbishment in 1830s and city extension plan in 1860s, the place developed into one of the significant traffic hub with mixed functions.

Berling Plan of 1798

Brandenburger Tor

Alexanderplatz

Berling in present day

Potsdamer Platz Mehringplatz

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FriedrichshainKreuzberg

The redevelopment of Mehringplatz carried out in 1960s, and the area designated into a large social housing scheme with former circular shape but without old street network.

Today the Mehringplatz became one of the disadvantage area that facing crucial social and environmental problems in Berlin.

2010s

1960s

1950s

Belle-Alliance-Platz was completely destroyed in the Second World War.

1930s

1940s

In 1810s, the area changed it’s name to Belle-Alliance-Platz and became one of popular place in the city.

1900s

1810s

Mehringplatz area was firstly developed in 1730s as part of city extension, and at that time it was called Rondell.

1770s

1730s

Context History

Context Analysis (The mapping works that presented in this section are greatly influenced by Larissa Fassler (2008).)

Subjective mapping In this subjective mapping, I highlighted not only personal experiences and feelings about the Mehringplatz, but also local people, visitors and commuters’ subjective observations and ideas of the buildings of the area.

Although, the subjective notes might be superficial and inaccurate, it could effectively capture the impressions of the area and the impressions might be also applicable for other visitors. It potentially reveal the people’s subjective understand of the urban spaces and buildings in Mehringplatz.

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Social mapping Instead of merely showing the social status or conditions of Mehringplatz, this neighbourhood scale social mapping work is trying to capture the dynamic character and complexness of social structure and network of the neighbourhood. Since the social complexity is continuously changing, this work start investigates from every pieces of evidence, trace and sign of the area, to reveal the social network that systematically shaping and connecting the community.

Different from the subjective mapping, the observations of this mapping are less subjective and more quantitative, with social indications that pointing out their social connections, this work also attempt to be qualitative.

In general, the neighbourhood has a large proportion of nonGerman residents, and with three schools that located at the north of the area and organizations such as KMA, which is a musical studio in the neighbourhood, and many art intervention and graffiti, Mehringplatz has a highly dynamic atmosphere of young cultural activities.

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Stakeholder Children from KMA perform at community event

Clown performs at community event for young children

School children past though the area after school

The main aim focuses on re-appropriation of open and indoor spaces with a special focus on children's as stakeholders. We create a range of spaces useable by different age groups within Mehrringplatz and possible surrounding neighborhoods.

Currently in the neighbourhood, there are organization such as KMA which is a musical studio that attracting young people and Common Ground which is a community integration specialist that holding community event and encourage young people nicely interact with the neighbourhood. But at the same time, we also find that there are many outdoor spaces that are largely unused and have the potential to serve as a good public space. Therefore, the strategy of this proposal is to strengthen current atmosphere of that children widely encaged in community event, and then further fully utilizes the indoor and outdoor spaces that promote housing type diversity as well as outdoor open spaces. Providing diversified indoor spaces and activity suitable for wider age group, and diversified accommodation types that attracting college students, young people and famliis.

Childlike graffiti in the area

Closed football place completely unused Not very well-defined open space

Young people use graffiti to occupy the unused space

Unused and undefined space

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3 - 5 YRS

6 - 10 YRS

Mostly walk everywhere guided by older siblings, teachers or parents. Social life exists around the area going to Kindergarten/crèche School nearby, playing in the playgrounds, going home.

Often enjoy playground spaces and school play areas.

Mostly can walk everywhere by themselves. Social life exists around the area going to school nearby, playing in the playgrounds or outdoor sports spaces, music or art studios . Often enjoy playground spaces, school play areas, workshop spaces and special skills or library spaces.

MUSIC STUDIO / PERFORMANCE SPA ART STUDIOS / EXHIBITION SPACES SPORT CENTER / PHYSICAL FITNESS LIBRABRY / STUDY SPACES WORKSHOP SPACES

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11 - 13 YRS

Mostly walk everywhere with group of friends. Social life exists around the area going to school nearby, playing in the playgrounds, outdoor sports spaces or skate park, music or art studios and studying at remedial schools.

Often enjoy outdoor sport spaces, school play areas and common lounge area.

14 - 19 YRS

20 YRS

Mostly walk everywhere with group of friends. Social life extends surrounding neighborhood. Most seek more physical outdoor activities such as basketball or football, skate park, music or art studios. Often enjoy outdoor sport spaces not necessarily close to home and chilling with friends. Also probably start part time jobs as they mature.

Mostly walk and cycle around, and attend universities close by. Social life extends surrounding neighborhood. Most seek more physical outdoor activities such as basketball or football, skate park, music or art studios. Often enjoy outdoor sport spaces not necessarily close to home and chilling with friends. Also probably have part time/ jobs or work in the area.

RECREATIONAL PARK

DAYCARE/ CRECHE COMMON ROOMS / LOUNGE

SPORTS/ FITNESS PARK WATER PARK

EDUCATION / REMEDIAL ROOMS SKATEPARK

Spatial Design Strategy

The overall strategies of this proposal is illustrated in this in this 1:2000 city scale model that take the form of masterplan which addressed the whole situation of the proposal.

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School’s Sports Playground Encourage community accessibility

School encourgage community/ children accessibility of facility

Outdoor Fitness Park Provide sport facilities for local residences

Obstacle Playground Provide diversed play spaces for children and young

School Children’s Playground - Encourage community accessibility Children’s Playground

Youth Plaza Encourage and diversify youth outdoor experiences

Functional change of the buildings

Playground - Enhance sitting experience

Playground Enhance sitting experience Multiuse Plaza - Provide spaces and platform for community event and outdoor intervention

School encourgage community/ children accessibility of facility

Physical and functional change of the building

Landscaped Greenery - Commuter friendly/oriented green open space Natural Park Enhace green experience

The aim of our strategy is to re-appropriate the existing functions and structure of buildings to enhance the activities for the young and the youth whilst focusing on different age groups needs.

The aim of strategy is to propose a diverse range of range of open spaces, usable by young and youth, focusing on different age group’s needs.

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Improve the existing function

Change/ redefine existing function

Open to children and community

Functional change

Physicual and functional change

In this conceptual model, the idea is to show a functionally mixed and socially dynamic nieghbourhood proposal. With the existing public space and historical landmark statue, the square will function as a center of diversified activities for the young and community.

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As illustrated in the city scale model and overall strategies, the current inner ring structure residential building is proposed to be functionally and physically changed over the next ten years. The physical changes as shown in the model are mainly focused on the physical appearances, green wall and roof of the building to promote the idea of low carbon living.

Additionally, there are also some ground floor structures modification for better public access and use.

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For the out door spaces, the strategy aim to provide a creative and varied ‘platforms’ that could encourage and promote young people’s interactions and uses of the public spaces.

Combine with the local community workshop for children and young, people in the neighbourhood could practically change those spaces with their own ideas and vision. Moreover, this intervention could also have a long lasting effect where changes could continue more than 10 years.

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In this detailed 1: 20 model, my strategy of diversifying housing types is clearly illustrated. The location of this section cut is shown on the neighbourhood model.

Different from group’s detailed model, which emphasized the outdoor activities, this individual version of detailed model gives main concerns to the indoor space, and more specifically focused on the residential/ private space. Physically, as the model take the shape of perspective and therefore emphaisised distant between front and rare and each floor have it’s own perspective, the each room of the model is more like a theatre that playing different stories.

Therefore, one of another features that completely different from previous group model is that different scenarios have been simulated, which gives the model a more lively character.

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Group Model

Individual Model

From top, the fifth floor of the model is student accommodations which each room is one flat that aims to accommodate one to two students.

The relevantly smaller space of that flat allowing multiple unites could staying at same floor and relevantly cheaper and affordable for student.

The fourth floor’s plan is to transform into family flat where two to three bedrooms are provided and aims to attract young family to the area.

The third floor is smaller in space and only with one bedroom, when compare to the fourth floor. This floor plan is considered to attract young couples and family that currently have no children, and because of smaller in size, the flats on this floor are cheaper than those above, make it more attractive for young couples and young people who might just graduated from school. The smaller size of those flats allows one floor to accommodate more units than fourth floor.

Finally, for the ground and second floor, it is the coffee and some public spaces for the neighbourhood.

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Student accommodation – the guy living here is a university students who always invite his friends to come to his place, and they love the place.

Family flat – This family is also just move to this new flat, and they come from a near by neighbourhood. They decide to move to here after they just have their second child, and they are strongly motivated by the local daycare centre and other children oriented community programme.

Student accommodation – The girl who live here is just move to the area, she loves reading and like the local youth atmosphere.

The older brother loves rock music and move home also allow him to be closer with the musical studio.

One bedroom flat – The young couple living here are two artists who both just graduated from school. They decided to settle here because of the affordable price of the rent and the youth facilities developed in the neighbourhood.

Coffee Shop – A great place for the local people to gathering and meeting friend, also for the visitors to stop by and have a rest.

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Conclusion In conclusion, the proposal presented in this individual portfolio has addressed the general group strategies and also has some changes of my individual thinking and reflections.

In general, this project encouraged us to use model making as a way of finding possible solutions for reappropriating deprived modernist housing, and our approaches has used three completely different style and method to approach the model making on three scale dimensions.

At the city scale, as the model cover the largest area and has less detail about the architectures at the street level, this model primarily focused on illustrating the spatial relationships of our strategies. The model emphasized the key point on different level allowing viewers to easily identify the location of our intervention, and at the same time keeping the model different from a 2 dimensional map which could also illustrate strategy easily.

For the strategy at this level, the strategy might lack of a social intangible and governance perspective of thinking to motivate people and promote the efficiency of our group strategy.

For the strategy at the neighborhood level my main focus is the renovation of the building, change some of

the internal space structure to accommodate new and wider functions, from diversified residential housing types to space for community workshop and ground floor public space for sharing. For the out door spaces, the main focus is on the provision of diversified outdoors facilities and space for children and young. The short fall of this strategy might be the insufficient consideration of the existing local residents apart from children and young, and massive changes of the building may economically irrational.

For the urban detailed model which is completely illustrate my individual’s idea of emphasis and key point of this strategy. Different from the group one which has less emphasis on the story that what is really happening in here and might just populate the model without a rational meaning and motivation, individual model might cover this shortage and give priority to the people and people with their space.

For the strategy at this level, one shortage is that the strategy might neglected the current function of the building and structure.

Reference 100architects, (2015) Lucky Coin: 12 FUNCTIONS, a programatic landscape in a single object. [Online] available at: http://100architects.com/ project/lucky-coin/ Jonathan Tarbatt (2012) The Plot: Designing Diversity in the Built Environment : a Manual for Architects and Urban Designers, London: RIBA Publishing.

Larissa Fassler (2008) Kotti, [Online] available at :http://www.larissafassler. com/startside.html 19