How can minimal interventions create great change?

Term 3

How can minimal interventions create great change?

The beginning of the third term looked at how minimal changes to the site could create a greater change in fostering a socially sustainable community

The importance of spatial hierarchies

Local community can access all levels of public space

On the other hand other hand the general public should have limited access to local scale public spaces

Analysis of the character zones on site. The aim was to identify where changes in atmosphere of public space occurred

Transition space City scale space

Physical boundaries

This piece of analysis looked at how physical barriers affected character zones

Sightlines

Finally an analysis of sightlines into the ‘city scale’ space was conducted

City scale public space Lookouts

Pop up interventions

The resulting idea was to create a series of temporary lookouts which would frame a temporary public space, seeking to draw residents into a space that was previously off limits.

Gradual reclamation of White Bay as public space

After 6 months A ‘social hub’ is established to host community events and act as a centre for community discussion on the future of the public space

Inspiration was taken from other container ‘parks’ which started off as temporary and eventually became permanent as a result of their popularity.

Boxpark Shoreditch, London

NDSM Wharf, Amsterdam

Gradual reclamation of White Bay as public space

After 2 years The number of temporary structures on site may increase according to demand for more activity

Present

• Fences prevent access to White Bay and the adjacent road lacks activation

6 months

• Fences are removed and White Bay is made partially accessible, amidst other development • Toxic sites remain fenced off during the phytoremediation process • On road parking is removed in favour of pedestrianisation

2 years

• The scope of the public space is expanded • Fencing around formerly toxic sites is removed • Road capacity is further reduced

What happens next?

The site continues to develop in a similar vein The activity and program disappears to be replaced by something else