Blocks

Blocks - research for 3D massing strategy of gridded cities Seminar Class, 2012-2013 Spring Semester Instructor: Joan Busquets Solo work

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Gridded cities actually have the most simply and boring urban form. It is repetitive and accumulative in a simple method. However, the orthogonal grid as an abstract structure is also the most powerful and effective urban approach to deal with complicated spatial and social issues. The orthogonal grid is the most neutral and abstract structure which can provide multiple and diverse possibilities for people to develop the city with their own desires and complicated social rules. That is why the mix-used gridded cities have the similar urban structure, while have totally different street views, building forms and urban experiences.

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3D modeling of 6 Mix-used urban blocks

For different cities in different cultures, the methods to organize and mix multiple functions are also different. It depends on the specific urban density and developing mode. Trying to get a better and clearer understanding of different types of 3D massing strategies for different function spaces, my research will cover typical blocks in six cities, which are categorized based on its height from low to high. Beijing and Kyoto have long history of urban development and the mix-use of low-rise traditional blocks is formed organically during a long time. For Madrid and Taipei’s modern residential blocks, they are planned as residence zones but they still keep the ground floor as public use with multiple functions for convenience to live there. Blocks picked up for Hong Kong and New York are from the densest urban areas. They are both super high-rise with complex 3D massing strategies with different functions in a single building. These trans-cultural choices as mix-used urban samples for research have different forms and historical developments, but they share the same experience when we walk in these different areas in terms of sense of scale and urban diversity. The reasons behind the similar phenomena of mix-using and different methods of massing organization are worth of research and helpful for our future architecture and urban design.

Locations of 6 mix-used urban blocks

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Beijing

Kyoto

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One of the reasons for Beijing and Kyoto to have mix-used blocks in traditional context is the large modernism building which replaced the original houses. That means the old residential units have been combined together as a larger parcel to be developed as a commercial or business office building. To compare the function ratios of Beijing block and Kyoto block together, we can see that they are similar to share the same FAR about 1.5 and the main function of the blocks is residential. The main strategy for mix-using is focused on how to embed other commercial functions in small-scaled residential spaces. Most of them are placed in front of the original house and organized along the street around the block.

Madrid

For most residential blocks planned in modern era, there are many other functions embedded in the same block except for residence.

Taipei

Small commercial spaces and necessary religious places can meet people’s basic demand for living. Different with two-dimensional organization for lowrise blocks, there larger residential blocks using the simple massing strategy in vertical dimension with public functions on the ground floor and residential part on the top. It is three-dimensional bottom-up relationship.

Madrid Statistics

Taipei Statistics

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For the block of Carnegie Center in Manhattan, every single tower building has the uniform facade and exterior looking, but the interior space is developed with multiple functions and flexible divisions.

New York

To maximize the use of a single building getting the largest commercial interest, the blocks in central areas of super-dense cities like New York and Hong Kong are more functionally diverse in 3D space.

Hong Kong

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New York Statistics

Hong Kong Statistics

For all the six urban blocks analyzed before, people can walk in these areas with rich urban experiences with different functions.

No matter how large and how high the block is, they share the similar scale and diversity for ground space which is close to the pedestrian system on the street. The average spatial division for these shops, restaurants and entrance spaces are small and humane in the width about 6-10 meters.

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