Vi Le, Architecture and Urban Design Portfolio by Vi Le

PORTFOLIO projects by Vi Le

EDUCATION

I am a recent graduate of a Masters of Architecture degree with a thirst to understand more about how our cities and the built environment around us work and how architects, planners and most of all citizens can develop ideas together to create a better environment for all

High School Degree 2002-2007 Fort Street High School, Year 12 Graduate, UAI: 98.55 Bachelor Degree 2008-2011 University of Sydney, Bachelor of Architecture (Stream: Urban Design and Planning) Masters Degree 2013-2014 University of Sydney, Master of Architecture, 1st Class Honors Masters Degree 2015University of Sydney, Master of Urban and Regional Planning

ACHIEVEMENTS

2008 Recipient of the Sydney University Scholarship Entry Award 2009 and 2010 Awarded Deanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s List of excellence in Academic Performance 2011 Recipient of John Stephen Mansfield Prize in Urban Design and Planning 2011 Nominated for the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) NSW First Degree Design Prize 2014 Awarded First Class Honors for Masters Thesis 2015 Volunteer with Aussie Action Abroad, partaking in construction work and design in Nepal

EXPERIENCE

Innovarchi Architects 2011 Architectural Assistant - conceptualization, development and implementation of large scale projects i.e. Commercial and School buildings. Scheduling, time budgeting and working on competitions

Mackenzie Pronk Architects 2011 Architectural Assistant - drafting, co-managing, analysing local LEPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and DCPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, meeting with clients, engineers and councils on small scale projects, i.e. Alterations and Additions to Residential Buildings Town Bike Pitstop/Redfern Bike Depot 2013-present Barista and Team Member - Coffee Making, Collaborator and advocate of Community Bicycle Programs, i.e. fun rides, maintenance lessons, bike rental TYP TOP Architects 2014 Architectural Assistant - brainstorming, problem solving, modelling, working to produce an entry for Green Square Aquatic Centre competition

SKILLS

Practical Skills Excellent Communication skills between client, council and co-workers Highly creative, adaptive with the ability to work/problem solve under competition conditions Excellent organisational and time management skills Comfortable with critical team work as well as independent work Technical Skills Highly skilled in the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator) Highly skilled in ArchiCAD Highly Skilled in the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel) Proficient knowledge and experience with Google SketchUp, Rhino and Revit

REFERENCES

Neil Mackenzie Principal Architect at Mackenzie Pronk Architects ph: 9559 4595 email: neil@mackenziepronk.com.au

Hugo Moline Co-Founder of design practice, The Lot ph: 0423 137 629 email: hugo@mapa.net.au

DETAILS

dob:

mobile:

email:

10/01/1990 0401 812 703 hole2095@uni.sydney.edu.au

CONTENT

p7. Home above the Train Tracks

p13. Affordable Housing in Liverpool

p23. Victoria Park Pool Structure

A studio project that focused on sustainability - situating housing above train lines to address population growth and the lack of space for growth in inner city Sydney.

A studio project that focused on affordability - how to create a community of adaptable homes, for multi-generational families - for less, in the suburb of Liverpool.

A studio project that aimed to design a free standing structure that would not only cover the open pool at Victoria Park, Sydney but engage with the surrounding public domain.

p29. Pyrmont: Planning for the Future

p35. The Underground Library

p43. Thesis: Space and Architecture

A studio project that focused on planning for a vacant lot of land in inner city Pyrmont, and engaging with the suburbs urban design and planning

A studio project of an underground library, designed within the abandoned train tunnels underneath Hyde Park, Sydney , explored through the writings of Jorge Luis Borges

A written work that explored the relationship of Space & Architecture - exploring notions of space and how it is planned at the Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy, Sydney.

p47. Maitland Regional Art Gallery

p51. 12 Moncur Street, Marrickville

A studio project that focused on the construction documentation of the Maitland Regional Art Gallery, including detail sections, schedules and tender specifications.

A professional project that follows the development application, construction documentation and build for the alteration and addition to 12 Moncur Street, Marrickville.

p55.

Construction

Nepal

A volunteer project that took place in the remote Nepalese Village of Siurung. The project entailed roofing, rendering and concreting of the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premises.

HOME ABOVE THE TRAIN TRACKS WITH LAND IN THE INNER CITY BECOMING SCARCER, IS THERE A WAY TO LIVE DENSELY IN THE CITY’S LEFTOVER SPACES? The project was based in the inner city suburb of St Peters, where the site was unique – above the train tracks of St Peters station. The

project aimed to answer the pertinent question of the future of inner city housing with both land becoming scarcer and scarcer and demand becoming higher and higher. Thus the site was not quite in the earth, but in the air, not exactly private land but not completely public either. The building would be in the air, exposed on every side, in space that was not comprehended as valuable or considerable before for dwelling. Thus, how does one live comfortably here?

Traditional notions of “corner” or “across the street” or “next door” suddenly have a different meaning. One will walk from the solidity of the ground to your home in the air. This type of

living can become a new typology for suburbs without a ground. For an understanding of what it means to dwell, vernacular architecture was researched for their simple understanding of what can constitute a home. They draw on modest resources, always direct in their construction, generic in their spaces and tolerate change whilst still retaining an identity.

Firstly, the pit house seen across areas of Japan and Native America from 10,000 to 300B is both primitive and basic in form. The living space is below the frostline and embedded in the ground so that during winter, the fire in the centre of the pit warms up the earthen walls and radiates in the space. Whereas in summer the walls of the earth keep the space cool. The simple act of embedding yourself in the ground helped communities foster and gain their identity with the land they dwelled

in. This idea of “embedding” or “bunkering” down into one’s home is something that could benefit in a site such as this – where the reality of living in the air can be combatted by creating this sense of “grounding” with ones home.

Secondly,

the Japanese awareness of space is an understanding that from a single point of the observer, elements of our natural world are wrapped around us in layers. Rather than a simple division between exterior and interior, a series of spatial devices i.e. gate, wall, hedge, verandah, awning – create multiple, permeable boundaries between the street and the inside. Thus the Japanese house embodies an idea that the observer is a central point, and one designs from that point out which guided the projects design. The person is not only protected in the central pit of the house, but surrounded by different types of layers – thus creating a gradual, safe transition from the inner core of the house to the exposed, outside world.

Lastly the Australian Verandah house was studied for its simple allocation of space to combat the climate – an inner protected core opened to a layer of secondary spaces that can furthermore open up to the external elements on the verandah. Dependent on the climate, one can live anywhere within the house. Understanding the fundamentals of different yet relevant types of dwelling helped in the approach to understand the difficulties of the site and thus in the basic design of the multi-residential building.

plan view of a typical apartment, that can be changed from a

4 bedroom apartment or office/studio space with communal courtyard as entry

Sectional perspective of a typical apartment on a summers morning

Sectional perspective of a typical apartment with a typical east-westerly breeze

Sectional perspective of a typical apartment on a winters morning 8

Concept diagram of traditional horizontal planning vs proposed vertical planning

Site plan with apartment building offset from main highways and a public pedestrian bridge to cross the train tracks

Model for concept of apartment buildings to become modular and span over

railway lines over sydney

Architects

and urban designers traditionally design along a horizontal plane i.e. house, park, street etc. However now due to the specific nature of the site, the program is stacked vertically, where living desnsely requires a shift in thinking and planning.

building is to off set the pedestrian and traffic flow off the busy King St of Newtown and direct the inhabitants of the building away from the busy highway of Sydney park Road and the Princes Highway and create a sense of safety and privacy as the inhabitants come to and from their homes.

The design is placed between two suburbs, above a railway corridor, not really apart of either suburb. Thus the design essentially becomes a bridge between two suburbs never connected before in this way. The building is imagined to become modular and bridge all different sides of Sydney, over the previously useless spaces over railway lines, never previously possible. The

Futhermore by isolating the building and homes away from the main roads, the homes will have access to better cross ventilation, and not overshadow other homes or the pedestrian pathways. Through the design and planning of spaces, the core of the house will remain cool in summer and warm in winter. 9

The

apartments are connected by a communal courtyard that connect four separate apartments. The apartments each look onto the courtyard for an added sense of security as well as fostering a community environment typical to that of a street.

As each apartment, like that of a typical apartment, has little access to open space, the courtyard will become a source for open space for all residences and is large enough to hold events or become a connected informal dining area. The

building is to be of timber construction and clad in timber prodema. The timber post would be made from a hardwood with steel dowels in the four â&#x20AC;&#x153;clawsâ&#x20AC;? at the top of the post for structural stability.

Typical post and beam construction, with lvl timber

Perspective render of communal with 4 apartments using the

courtyard courtyard for access to and from their homes to the pedestrian bridge. Furthermore courtyard forms a communal space for residences to hold events , etc. Furthermore, the elevator shaft to the other levels are connected with the isolated fire escape stairs.

Trying to find elements of existing well-known Australian typologies that are already easily adaptable i.e. the attic and the carport

Can we create a new typology for a multi-residential building by combining the best elements of existing typologies?

Can we refine the design and make it modular to be built for ease of construction/cost?

Model of growth - first stage is the original unit, second stage

is building into the carport/garage, third stage is to build up the attic

Model of the site 12

LIVERPOOL: HOUSING AFFORDABILITY FOR THE FUTURE HOW DO WE BUILD FLEXIBLE, LONG-TERM, AFFORDABLE HOMES FOR A CHANGING AUSRALIAN DEMOGRAPHIC? Aware

of the growing inequality in income in societies, housing has become a deciding factor in determining not only the quality of life for the inhabitants but their life choices and opportunities. Housing affordability can determine where and how people live and unfortunately in Sydney, purchasing and owning a home is undeniably becoming more and more a dream for the current generation. This project addresses affordability in the developing suburb of Liverpool and asks the questions of how can peoples homes let them live

–

how can their home allow them to grow and contract when necessary, create ties to the community, offer people a foundation to move forward with their lives without financial burden, be comfortable and most of all, be affordable?

design w i t h i n realistic parameters , w e undertook a study of e x i s t i n g land and house prices throughout t h e Liverpool area. This was to help us understand what was already existing and how our design, with real land prices, could perhaps

offer a more affordable alternative. From a sample selection of existing land, we calculated the average price per meter squared and applied the calculated rate to our site. From that we could gauge the levels of density required on the site as a design parameter to make this project truly affordable.

We understood that different families, i.e single, couples, families all required different things from their homes. We attempted to design a home that could be flexible over time to differing circumstances and allow for growth, adopting the “in fill” model developed by Chilean architecture firm, Elemental. We applied their build-asyou-gain-income process to an Australian environment, focusing on how Australian families currently built and modify their homes. We focused on existing Australian typologies that were understood to be easily adaptable by the general public - “the garage” and “the attic”. Identifying

the need to house 24 families on site to reach our target cost goal, we began to test our module form on a larger scale. Looking at the home beyond its building form, we bgan to address the communal aspect of living in density. We understood the importance of creating a sustainable community was just as important as the home. We identified comfortable street environments familiar to us that fostered a shared communal lifestyle.

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The masterplan for the site, with main

pedestrian pathway in the centre. Gravel lanes for slower vehicular movement alongside the green pathway. Main vehicular pathways on the periphery of the site, away from the basketball court and pedestrian pathways. Eight buildings in total can fit on the site, with three units in each. Each unit will have access to two carparking spaces, whether in their carport (on the ground floor) or on the periphery, in the main vehicular pathways on the periphery.

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The Masterplan to extend across Liverpool to reach Liverpool Memorial Park, and consequently connect residents with the Westfield and the main shopping strip

Proposed section through the site, revealing the shared pedestrian path between houses and the

widths required for a comfortable pedestrian network

Proposed site (15-17 Castlereagh St) in Red, Liverpool Westfield Centre in Blue, Red marked street the main Shopping Strip of Liverpool (Macquarie St) 15-17 Castlereagh St, Liverpool 1m2 = $829 (calculated average across Liverpool area) Therefore: The site land price = (80x50) metres2 x $829 = $3.32 million

IF... we can fit 24 units on the site,

3.32 million = 140k from each family for just the land 24

BUT... If we want to offer the units for half of what is the current average (230k is half of the average house price in liverpool), that means: $230k – $140k (the land) = $90k (per family for the unit + amenities)

address Sydney’s exorbitant housing prices, the units to become any bit “affordable”, it was decided at the early stages that if the units could be offered for half the price of what was currently in the market for a similar type of home (i.e. 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 2 car spots) then that would be more than ideal for the average liverpool income.

Thus

by costing the land, it was identified that the site required at least 24 families on the site to reach our target cost Goal. Thus we began to test our module form at a larger scale.

However, looking at the home beyond its building form, we began to address the communal aspect of living in density. We understood the importance of creating a sustainable community was just as important as the home and added value to the home themselves. We identified comfortable street

environments familiar to us that fostered a shared communal lifestyle as well as a safe vehicular environment that could be phased out with the hopefully decreased use of the car.

Taking the model a step further, we began to test the design as a possible future for suburbia. Addressing the existing site parameters and cues we proposed a natural street progression to expand and connect into the existing pedestrian street leading into Westfield. With

the Westfield complex’s current blank facade edge conditions providing an unengaging connection to the suburb, our design sought to generate a pedestrianised suburb of walking and cycling opportunities for locals, as well as small scale retail that would relieve the “Liverpoolcity-centre” of its foot traffic and re-engage with the outer ring of suburbia.

Ground Floor unit with parents, two children and grandparents. The red walls indicate the walls that have been added to the original unit in what was the carport area to create more rooms and adapt the house for growing use. The unit can eventually be split into dual occupancy with separate entrances

First Floor unit with parents, two children and aunty. With the attic to build into, the first floor unit can adapt for future use. The first floor unit also has a shared open space with the neighbour opposite, that is above the rentable retail space below.

Perspective view of the units from the street

Developing the plan relied on an efficient use of the

maximum minimal space possible for a comfortable lifestyle. It required the allocation of services to be central for cost and construction efficiency, as well the living spaces needing to be flexible for future growth. Each unit, though different in appearance, was designed with an equal amount of floor space in terms of living, future growth, and car parking.

Understanding

the immediate Liverpool environment is heavily reliant on the car, the design saw to each family having an allocation of two parking spots that could eventually be phased

out once public transportation services reached the site.

In planning the street it was realised that the designs of the houses could facilitate opportunities for residents or locals to rent additional retail/ working spaces, which could further aid in relieving the families of their mortgage debt. The space would sit between two module complexes and would provide additional outdoor space for the units above. We attempted to propose how differing lifestyles could use and modify these homes.

Rental unit between houses. One scenario could be a home office for an accounting firm, start up company etc.

The rent received from this unit will aide in the repayment of the mortgages of the tenants of the housing units as well as enlivening the street and promoting business in the local area.

Life in the street: Seating and stairs as opportunities to linger and meet

Small retail: Potential for community growth and many businesses to start small with local help

Community spaces: Parks, courts and leisure spaces to break up the housing with active street life

shared site landscaping: paving and bitumen planting basketball court

= $171,165

+ retail unit: kitchen and bathroom

= $14,298

floor: timber flooring floor framing bathroom tiling

= $35,329

Service core diagram with material palette

Our

key values for the construction and safe, sound living were: - Privacy - Sound-proofing and fire-proofing between units - a minimal central core - a differentiation between the immovable elements of the house (i.e. the structural walls) and the movable elements that can be easily taken down and extended/adapted by the tentants. - Cost efficiency yet not compromising on quality

The overall design followed the logic of a ‘sturdy bottom’ of double brick construction with timber stud frame walls and a ‘light top’ that was just timber stud frame construction. internal and external stairs

= $41,088

roof

= $18,840

ceiling

= $24,337

doors and windows

= $29,429

walls: double brick stud frame lining insulation

TOTAL COST:

= $104,500K per family (unit) + $140k (Land) = $244,500k (per family)

= $96,755 bathroom and kitchen

= $17,410

slab on ground

= $5412

VICTORIA PARK POOL STRUCTURE A STRUCTURE TO COVER A MODERN POOL IN THE HEART OF A MODERN CITY (In collaboration with Kim Lange, Zoya Kuptsova, Alex Moore, Kate Fife and Kevin Luu)

1. Context conscious and sensitive response to landscape

The aim of the assignment has been to design a long span structure for the Victoria Park Swimming Pool complex in Camperdown, Sydney. The design has always been a focus on the integration of structural efficiency with architectural creativity. The pool is an Olympic size swimming pool (50m x 25m) and the roof structure is to cover the entire length.

Victoria Park pool is situated in the centre of a 9 hectare public park, surrounded by tranquil grassy fields. It is a rare oasis to be found just 4km away from the city centre and within the chaos and density of the inner western Sydney suburbs. The park is flanked by two major arterial routes - Parramatta Road and City road yet this

Structural efficiency for this exercise has been an attempt to address the following criteria: 1. Optimisation of behavioural requirements: Satisfying

the strength, stiffness and stability required for the structure to span the length and width of the pool.

2. Optimisation of structural efficiency and economy: While efficiency is usually achieved by minimizing the weight of the structure, economy is achieved by minimizing the costs. In this assignment the weight

of the structure and the average percentage capacity of structural members used in the design are considered as indicators for measuring both the efficiency and the economy. The number and length of the primary members and their respective cross-sections will be considered when designing for optimum structural and economic efficiency.

Architectural

creativity has been an attempt to address the following criteria:

surrounding context is hardly noticeable or felt when swimming in Victoria Park pool. The existing out책door pool is currently exposed to the elements while suspended sail shading devices are hung over the neighbouring baby pool and grassy recreational areas.

2. Strong conceptual and aesthetic understanding

of the structure

truly understand the structure means architectural manipulation can occur to create a unique design that still follows and adheres the behavioural requirements of materials yet simultaneously is a celebration of the structure and a visible expression of the designs structural limits.

TECHNICAL STRATEGY: The Hyperbolic Paraboloid system had been chosen as the long-span structure for the aquatic centre

for its unique means of spanning the length and width of the pool efficiently and economically, while having a strong and distinct architectural language that references the existing sail shading devices.

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VICTORIA PARK

SITE PLAN: Plan revealing the existing open pool in Victoria Park, the roof will be visible from all areas of the park and city road and Parramatta road

Diagram of the structural breakdown of the roof

The

natural shape of the Hyperbolic Paraboloid allows for efficient and economic construction as it is a spatial surface system that is inherently double curved, thereby being less susceptible to buckling. The double curvature also allows for a wider variety of possible load paths for the forces that result from different loading conditions. While double-curvature usually presents a challenge in construction, the Hyperbolic Paraboloid is relatively simple, as the shell structure can be constructed with the repetition of similar linear members

This continuous and homogenous structural system over the whole span of the structure can therefore be prefabricated off site. The economy and efficiency of construction again plays an intrinsic role, because the structure can be separated into integral prefabricated elements arranged as strips that are then assembled on site into a working, closed, structural system. Thus

an important factor in choosing this structure to analyse was the efficient choice of materials. glulam timber members were chosen for the primary structure as it is both lightweight as a material and efficient in tension and compression in relation to its weight. As the strength of the timber member depends on the density, direction of the grain and proportion of knots in the section, glulam timber presents a reliable, homogeonous option when it comes to long spans. The layering of the wooden lamella pieces in a member would result in a stiffer beam, with a lower likelyhood of knots and grain disruption. Furthermore the

aesthetic qualities of timber was chosen specifically for its relation to the park environment and in keeping with the tranquil nature of the site.

In keeping the structure as light as possible, the polypropylene roof membrane is a lightweight cladding that can be easily stretched and fixed across the double curvature of the structure. The membrane doubles in function and efficiency in being not only a cladding element but a structural element. The capability for the membrane to allow for specific translucencies, controlling the blocking or transmitting of radiant heat, is an innovation made possible by new fabrication technologies and by the inherent properties of the material itself. The translucency of the membrane further allows for the structure to light up at nighttime and highlight the primary structure underneath, creating visual interest in the park and city landscape. However the cladding will also help to stiffen the structure, from twisting and warping and thus

the application of the roof to the physical model was carefully considered.

Thus overall, the structure proved to be the most architecturally and structurally challenging and engaging even though the structure appears inherently simple. A three-dimensional structure supported at only two points made up of similarly sized members intrigued us for its untraditonal approach to long spanning structures and for the problems it brought up.

Members were cut from basswood and layed out with their corresponding members. Once the members were put in place the structure began to take on its natural curved form. The food is added to stabilise the structure from bending and twisting. Footings were attached to ground the structure and prevent rotation.

Judging

by the images. the red circles indicate two types of failure. We can only speculate once the cladding had detached itself, whether the notches snapped and failed first (indicated in the red circle) which proceeded to place more weight and subsequently stress on the following beams and caused the beams in the blue circle b. to snap out of place.

Alternatively, we can speculate the opposite - that the beams in red circle. had not been

notched together well enough and thus snapped out of place as weights were being placed on top. As soon as they fell out of their place, the beam in the red circle, subsequently was taking more load than it should and cracked and failed. Overall however, the notches were successful in keeping the entire beam structure together, failing at no points internally.

At the other footing, it is interesting to note that the structure snapped and sheared completely where the triangular footings ended. We can speculate had we increased the surface area of the footing along the external beams the shear would have occured further on the beam.

To test our design we added weight to see how much structure could physically hold. On the 28th and 29th weight (58kgs) the cladding began to seriously deform. Thirty seconds later, the structure completely failed.

Our assessment of the structure would be that if we had oversized the members at the footings and somehow found a more efficient way of placing a uniformly distributed load on the structure, the design of the structure would ultimately be able to handle more load. A suggestion of increasing the surface area of the footings along the beams with the ground could occur as well yet raises a question of compromising the architectural intent of a visually lightweight structure.

Monorail line Major road access to pyrmont Green open space

The site Major destinations Surrounding district

An overview axonometric perspective of the site, looking north-east towards the water,

revealing the site conditions

PYRMONT: PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE TO ENRICH THE EXISTING SUBURB WITH BETTER SERVICES, SPACES AND ACTIVITIES TO CATER FOR LOCALS AND GREATER SYDNEY Pyrmont,

an inner city suburb of Sydney in the immediate vicinity of the city and the water, is a suburb of opposition. Although extremely close to the water and the city, the suburb itself succumbs to an identity that it is far removed with difficulty in access. It is Sydney’s most densely populated suburb with 13, 850 residents per square kilometre (according to the bureau of Statistics in 2012) yet walking around the streets of pyrmont, one does not feel or see the kind of density Pyrmont boasts. It has had a tumultuous history, once a vital lifeline to Sydney’s industrial waterfront, with wharfs and shipyards, factories and woolstores still existing in Pyrmont today. however industry has declined and with recent redevelopment, residential and commercial interests have taken hold of Pyrmont to create a suburb that is somewhere in between the past and present and the future.

It is important to acknowledge the large scale urban precinct that is Pyrmont and to suggest

that within the confines of the site it will be attempted to better the existing environment and improve the existing conditions of the area as

much as possible. However, it is acknowledged that this site in particular may not be able to solve all of Pyrmont’s urban issues but can only hope to initiate a further change throughout the area.

Thus the main points to extrapolate from the studies is that the site lacks a place for the local community to express themselves. The site should cater for the existing demographic as well as for visitors to the area. The site being off Harris St and so close to the water and public transportation, should take the iniative and create a more engaging pedestrian environment, in terms of street edges and activities.

The design should also address the built up environment that already exists in Pyrmont and continue the existing language. It should follow the existing view lines of streets and try to adopt and enhance the best aspects of the suburb.

Several site analyses

that reveal the site conditions. There are main axes to the site that need to be considered and a real lack of active edges around the site. There are beautiful vistas to the water as well as a real potential to break up the harsh block-like environment of the site to create a much more transparent and porous neighbourhood.

objectives for the site were gathered from the analysis and attempted to be diluted to their basic points to be followed

Flexible office spaces on Bowman St to not only continue the identity of Bowman St as a commercial St but create competition and interaction between offices

The buildings will work with each other to collect rainwater and dispose of waste in a sustainable matter. All tenants of buildings will be able to have access to the private space and utilise the shared laundry/gym/bikes/cars/goods and services.

Continuing the line of activity on Harris St but introducing small retail/office opportunities on Harvey St and Mount St to continue the interest further in the streets, rather than solely on Harris St. Setbacks on Harris St to suit the activities of the buildings and individual lots for individual uses.

a place for residents and employees to rest and convene in a private outdoor green space. Access would be from Harvey St, with a mixed use space at the entrance i.e. a cafe/bookstore/speciality store as not only as a security measure but as a soft buffer for residents to enter their personal realm. the Carpark exists underneath the buildings and can be rented to anyone in Pyrmont with special priority to those who work/live in the buildings.

The basic Framework for the site 31

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Several designs were discussed and weighed up for their abilities to address the objectives. From understanding the site, guidelines were created for heights that

Site area: 3150 sq.m FSR achieved: 4.61:1 GFA: 14,507m2 Commercial Sq.m: 5,456m2 Office: 3,683m2 No. of Employees: 184 (based on 20 m2 / person) Retail: 1228m2 No. of Employees: 82 (based on 15 m2 / person) Residential studio: 4 1 bedroom: 8 2 bedroom: 40 3 bedroom: 14 Terrace houses: 9 Total: 75 No. of Residents: 186 Affordable housing 4 units: Parking 107 Development Cost: $100,269,993 Development margin: 20%

An overall design was chosen for its ability to meet all the objectives

as well as being economically viable without compromising on quality.

2.7m 3.6m Harris Street storey heights guidelines Ground floor height of Harris St shall be 3.6m Minimum to allow for flexibility in use. From the second story to the maximum storey, the heights can vary but should be a minimum height of 2.7m residents in the

apartments above

Mixed use

apartment/

terraces below

Harvey St should primarily be a residential street that will utilise the mixed â&#x20AC;&#x153;office/residentialâ&#x20AC;?housing typology on the ground, first & second floor. Ground floor height shall be 3.3m minimum to allow for flexibility in conversion to office or home etc. From the second storey to the maximum storey, should be a strata apartment of minimum height of 2.7m with a mix of studio, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments

From Built form height, storey heights, carparking, communal garden and facilities, building typologies and uses, lot sizes, setbacks, street edges and facades, guidelines were created for each of the four streets that the site addressed. An overall

parking is out of sight, mixed-use terraces Harris St increase street engagement.

1. Local Identity: large open space allows for interaction between residents and employees, terraces on Harris St conform to local character, while other blocks mirror surrounding buildings.

4. Sustainability: space for communal facilities within design, good solar access to residential block and terraces.

design scheme was detailed that best addressed the objectives.

2. Street Engagement: some overshadowing on Harvey St and Mount St Walk, underground

3. Diversity: good diversity in building forms and heights, more emphasis on residential than commercial, design allows for individuality on Harris St and Bowman St.

5. Economic Viability: high density design, 20% development margin, harbour views from corner of residential block increase apartment value.

His short stories and essays are usually based on seemingly timely, common and concrete concepts such as dreams, libraries, memory etc. yet are then either assimilated, interconnected or contrasted with existing philosophy, fables and religious stories. His stories thus become centered on the very raw confrontation of literature and life - breaking down the mental walls between each as reality and literature intersect at different moments, always asking the questions of which one is more â&#x20AC;&#x153;real.â&#x20AC;?

diagramming conventional library typologies it was obvious the architecture was subservient to the functions inside. The functions were segregated in terms of furniture, scale and experience whilst the architecture enclosed and supported these functions. The challenge would be to accomodate all the necessary spaces and elements a library needs to function, yet in a much more wholistic manner where the architecture speaks and challenges the traditional experience. Furthermore, the challenge would be to create and connect these segregated programs into an experiential narrative that could resonate with Borgesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; thinking, the experience in the library becoming a story unto itself.

THE UNDERGROUND LIBRARY A LIBRARY FOR SYDNEY IN THE ABANDONED TUNNELS OF ST JAMES EXPLORED THROUGH THE WRITINGS OF JORGE LUIS BORGES The

brief for the library was set conceptually on the poetic thoughts and imaginings of Argentinian born writer, Jorge Luis Borges. Borges’ fantastical and alternate worlds that he describes so aptly in his texts, such as Ficciones (1945), El Aleph (1945) and Labyrinths (1962) were to be the starting point to the brief, challenging and subverting the typical demands of a real site and functional program.

The brief outlines the site loosely in the abandoned train tunnels underneath Macquarie Street and Hyde Park in the CBD of Sydney City. The program is uncommitedly defined as that of a library. However this “site” and “program” was not mapped or responded with typical architectural gestures. Rather this “site” and “program” was mapped and dictated by the methodologies of Borges, where

the existential and metaphysical disorientation in his stories would both provide and challenge the questions to an underground site and to notions of what a library is and what it could be.

The

brief is a direct challenge to existing architectural typologies for both tunnels and libraries. How the thoughts of Borges intertwine and enforce the architectural process and architecture itself is the challenge amongst responding and addresing the tangible and real issues of context and program.

“the plane of life, the plane of literary fiction, of dreams, and the divine, all contradicting one another, until finally we wonder whether we are real beings or shadows.”

(Jorge Luis Borges, Labyrinths, 1962) Jorge Luis Borges, born in Argentina in the late 19th century, wrote collectively in his prolific career hundreds of short stories, essays, poems

and translations to become not only a much loved and heralded spanish writer of the 20th century but an inspiration for much creative magic-realist literature and philosophy. His work intended to expose the “unreality” in the tangible world around us, revealing the shortfall of certainties and “truths” to claim that literature is often either more telling or apt in describing concepts and the world we live in.

From this understanding, the library is placed conceptually between these two worlds and like Borges, attempts to link and expose the two to each other to reinforce and contrast the nature of their realities. Thus

the focus moved away from reinterpreting one specific Borges story to rather exploring the methodology he uses to actually create his stories. His short stories in particular undermine the traditional and typical narrative plot structure of beginning, rising action, complication and resolution. Borges does not specifically have a beginning or end in his texts. We are rather plunged into a contained world, in the direct centre of a complex story where there is uncertainty as to whether a protagonist exists or this is the reader’s story he is describing. Borges describes so accurately and descriptively these alternate worlds that the reader believes that these realities could exist alongside the world the reader inhabits.

The abandoned tunnels underneath Hyde Park CIRC

QUA

The social and cultural significance of Hyde Park in the centre of the CBD cannot be understated, for it acts as a centre of relaxation and reprieve for many residents, tourists, workers etc. bridging and connecting the districts of five different urban areas - the dense CBD to the north west, the wide and open spaces of the Botanical gardens to the north east, the dense neighbourhood of the Eastern suburbs to the east, the inner city suburbs down south and the busy transport interchange hub of Chinatown to the south west.

ME S

WYNYA

ULAR

PARK ST

MUSEUM

REET

HYDE PARK

Axonometric revealing the program and the layout of the library extrusions or “shards” ranging from 3metres to 5metres in width and up to 10m to 20m in length. Some “shards” lead into sunken courtyards, whilst others connect to each other. Each “shard” has its own categories of books.

The site lies within the two abandoned north and

south train tunnels that start at the south of end in Sydney CBD and travel north just over a kilometer underneath historical Macquarie Street to end at Shakespeare Square outside the NSW State Library. The tunnels originally were part of the initial construction of the city circle line in the 1920’s as part of a plan to connect Gladesville to the Eastern Suburbs line, but this was never completed and hence has remained to this day disused, lying dormant underneath the bustling city of Sydney.

Hyde Park

Developing the program through the conceptual lens of Borges would dictate the scale of spaces and the lengths the library would traverse. The thinner extrusions would house a more intimate experience whilst the larger spaces would house more communal spaces. Spaces would flow onto courtyards, as if Hyde Park has sunken into the libray space itself.

The library itself would inhabit the train stations, infiltrating the existing infrastructure and beginning in the ticketing and concourse area by allowing users to borrow and return books whilst simultaneously being able to tap on and tap off into the train with their Opal Cards. The library was to be imagined to be a connection of all train stations in Sydney, as one could take a book from this library, commute on the train and borrow it out where they alight. The storage of the books of the library would create a physical barrier in the centre of the tunnels, which provides an opportunity for the library to inhabit the space of Hyde Park as now the library continues across a bridge, over Park St, to then be plunged back into the tunnels. The bridge was a solution to questions of connectivity as well as inciting the curiosity of those on the ground plane. The bridge would become an

Section of the library as it intersects with the abandoned tunnels

and the working tunnels. The library intersects with the tunnels - acting as a metaphor for the way the reality of the working world often intersects the fictional world that occurs in our minds when reading and vice versa - and how often the distinction of what is real can be blurred. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;shardsâ&#x20AC;? often end in a reading room with a central skylight. The render reveals how the reality of the trains - the lights and sounds - will spill into these library shards.

model perspective of the sunken gardens of

Hyde Park and the proposed bridge over Park st to connect the two sides

of the library

Plan of the tunnels between St James and museum station, with the library “shards” as offshoots to the original tunnels connecting to the sunken courtyards. The dotted line shows the bridge above ground

extension of the library, housing books and an informal cafe. It would only be accessible from the underground tunnels.

Thus the library would become a series of “shards” that branched off the main tunnels with the existing working tunnels puncturing through the walls of these “shards”. Some library shards

Sectional model of reading room

end with a reading room for private reading with a skylight to Hyde Park. These rooms, like the shards, offer glimpses to reality - asking the reader to immerse in both a fictional world and a real world - which is decided by the reader.

SANDSTONE CAPPING FIXED TO CONCRETE

SANDSTONE CLADDING HUNG ON METAL ANGLES, BOLTED TO CONCRETE

CONTRACTOR TO SUPPLY STONE OR COMPACTED FILL AS REQUIRED BY SITE CONDITIONS FOR BACKFILLL AS REQUIRED BY SOIL REPORT

10MM FILTER FABRIC 3MM WATERPROOF MEMBRANE 900MM POURED

CONCRETE RETAINING WALL ON CONCRETE FOOTING, SMOOTH FORM FINISH

400MM POURED CONCRETE RETAINING WALL ON CONCRETE FOOTING, SMOOTH FORM FINISH

18MM DIAMETER DRAINAGE PIPE HAUNCH FILL, COARSE SAND RECOMMENDED BY SOIL REPORT

METAL ANGLE FIXED INTO CONCRETE FOR SEAT

1500MM WIDE METAL

LANDING FIXED TO METAL BRACKETS METAL ANGLE SET INTO CONCRETE

800MM DEEP SOIL WITH SLOPE TO SLUMP

18MM DIAMETER DRAINAGE PIPE

400MM CONCRETE SLAB WITH 1:100

PVC DRAIN PIPE TO SUMP PUMP OUT SYSTEM

FALL TOWARDS DRAINAGE

GEOTEXTILE FABRIC

200MM SLAB ON GROUND

1:20 Detail (@A1) revealing 40

one of the library “shards” connecting to a sunken courtyard

Sectional model of sunken courtyard in Hyde Park to the bridge over Park St

The 1:20 Detail

section (@A1) highlights the material choice and construction methods to build the new library tunnels and additional courtyard spaces. The choice for the tunnels of exposed concrete was to reference the original tunnels materiality, yet would be finished white, not only for lighting but to complement the softer sand stone hues within the courtyard spaces. Furthermore, the section reveals how the tunnel shards and courtyards would be waterproofed and constructed.

The lighter tones of the tunnel was to reinforce a reflective, more contemplative atmosphere, whilst the warmer hues of the sandstone would be more inviting for interaction and Sectional model showing the above bridgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interaction with the ground relaxed reading. plane of

Hyde Park

The Tent Encampments at Zucotti Park, New York in protest to social and economic inequality. How the tent encampments in the 21st century, as a piece of architecture, has changed how space

is conceived and used and essentially produced is proving to become a powerful tool in exposing the nature of space and ultimately planning.

Lived

a.k.a “Representational Spaces”

“Meaning”

the space that attempts to capture the immediate and visceral dimension of everyday life, in its dynamic, transitory, situational state, that is often only expressible through representations, images or symbols.

Conceived a.k.a

“Representations of Space” “Knowledge”

produced by planners, architects etc.

Social Space

Perceived a.k.a

“Spatial Practice” “Material”

the aspect of space that filters through people’s perception of their surrounding world in their daily practices.

A diagram of Spatial theory of French Sociologist, Henri Lefebvre in how Social Space is produced. It must be made clear that Lefebvre’s theory is not about what space is in itself. Lefebvre’s theories rather illustrate that space is to be understood as an active process, a continuous production between these three elements

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPACE & ARCHITECTURE FROM THE PROTEST CAMP TO THE ABORIGINAL TENT EMBASSY (2014 - ) From Tahrir Square to Taksim Square, from Puerta to Sol to Zucotti Park, the recent

architectural occupations of organised tent encampments in the public spaces of major cities from 2011 have brought to the attention of civilians, architects, urban planners and reigning authorities the incredibly complex and often conflicting relationship between architecture and space.

Spatial studies and architectural discourses have until the 21st century been treated as separate bodies of work with limited recognition of the other, adhering to their own logics and ideologies and developing in theory and practice over time in discordance with each other. Although they both undoubtedly encompass and inhabit each other’s domains and discourses, the way they have been both mutually conceived, perceived and consequently experienced say otherwise. As 21st century cities experience incredible social, economic and political changes like never before, the ramifications this has on space and society is indisputable, visible in the recent Occupy Wall St occupations and Arab Spring uprisings, causing many disparate disciplines and fields to collaborate and ask how and why space is produced and what can be done. Almost forty years prior to these events, French philosopher and sociologist, Henri Lefebvre wrote in 1972 his seminal text The Production of Space that sought to analyse these exact questions and develop a spatial theory that could explain how space is produced. Thus his writings have resurged in importance and have become even more relevant for analysis today.

The thesis aimed to navigate the history of the production of space, understanding why it has emerged so late in the “Occupy is stubbornly about the designing physical reality of space. Others disciplines, may write books and organize culminating with Lefebvre’s seminars. Occupy puts up tents. It unitary theory takes up space. It is there. Except of spatiality. However the of course, now it is not…and that overarching says it all. It never was an issue q u e st i o n of access to St Pauls cathedral of the – that was a convenient legal relationship of architecture argument.”1 with space is threaded through the 1 “Occupy Exeter offered no analysis and invitation, only invasion “ The Guardian, extrapolated accessed 13th October, 2014, http:// in the study www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/ of the tent belief/2012/mar/10/occupy-exeter-ofarchitecture fered-no-invitation of protest c a m ps , specifically that of the local and current Aboriginal Tent Embassy (2014 - ) in Redfern, Sydney. Although smaller in scale, the questions still remain and thus the thesis attempts to investigate and reveal firstly, how space is produced and secondly, how architecture can play a much more active role the production of space.

State environmental plan indicating land zoning for the Redfern-Waterloo district, including the area of the Block where the Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy Resides. The plan reveals how space becomes ‘abstracted’ as the specific boundaries of sites have been defined, the purpose of each space and the types of architecture to be built has been policed through the allocation and prohibition of certain programs. The question of who has the responsibility to conceive such influential plans for a space is just as important as knowing under what pressures, knowledge or visions.

Render revealing “The new vision for the Block” altering the site’s zoning from residential to “mixed use”, increasing the height limits on buildings from two to three storeys and encouraging business developments. The Renders, like the plans, Kurt Iveson stresses further that although these renders, plans, elevations etc are “powerful as all this is. . .while spatial design may seek to exhaust the possible meanings, identities and uses of a place, this ambition is rarely fully achieved in practice.”1 1 Kurt Iveson, “The Spatial Politics of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, Canberra,” The Aboriginal Tent Embassy: Sovereignty, Black Power, Land Rights and the State, p253

By applying the conceptual framework of Lefebvre to the Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy, an

understanding can be made as to how and why the civilians here have engaged both space and architecture to produce their own alternative social space as Andy Merrifield states, “to know how and what space internalizes is to learn how to produce something better, is to learn how to produce another city, another space; to change life is to change space, to change space is to change life.”

At the end of The Production of Space, Lefebvre

suggests that any spatial intervention must be put through a “trial by space” whereby “whatever is being tried - philosophy or religion, ideology or established knowledge, capitalism or socialism - is put radically into question. ”1 This is undeniably true as the dominant western, capitalist ways of thinking have become rapidly unraveled and exposed for its rampant inequality through its application of space over the past several years. Movements such as Occupy Wall Street and the uprisings of the Arab Spring and much closer to home, the Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy are the dramatic resistance of civilians against such inequality and they too have trialled their philosophy through space and with the aid of architecture have succeeded where other dominant and oppressive modes of thinking have failed.

This thesis has attempted to chart how we as people, not as consumers, can share in the shaping power of the cities we live in and this is only possible by understanding how cities are made and remade By understanding how space has been conceived throughout time it is then possible to break the shackles of such simplistic thinking and engage with other disciplines to 1

understand the problems of space. Henri Lefebvre has revealed this undeniable complexity of cities in his text The Production of Space yet as well has developed through his analysis a unified spatial theory, attempting to simplify how space is produced. Thus the challenge inherently lies with space yet for this essay has ultimately been for architecture to do more than just follow the flows of capital and comply with abstractions of space.

Therefore the Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy in its simple tent architecture that is ultimately spatial as much as it is architectural, has exposed the levels of production, just and injust, that occur in the making of space - the superficiality that occurs in the conceived, the mental weaving we make in our perception of space,and ultimately the social bonds and lived experience we share as humans. By exposing the levels of production that occur in space through the Tent Embassy, the essay has hoped to reveal that space is neither a container, nor is architecture simply an object, but rather for any hope for an alternative mode of living, a mutually dependent relationship is required where these questions are constantly asked - how is it produced? why so? and most importantly, what if?

Henri Lefebvre, The Production of Space, p416.

MAITLAND REGIONAL ART GALLERY DOCUMENTATION TO DOCUMENT FOR TENDER THE EXTENSION TO AN EXISTING PUBLIC BUILDING (In collaboration with Zoya Kuptosva, Kim Lange, Courtney Owen and Braden Pederson) Maitland Regional Art Gallery is located in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;heart of the hunter valleyâ&#x20AC;?, a river side city with architecture that dates back to the 1800s. The redeveloped Gallery is the cornerstone of the planned re-emergence of High Stvreet as its civic core.

The Gallery needed to unite the existing complex of two early 20th century buildings. A richly-detailed streetfront building designed by Walter Liberty Vernon in 1908 in the Federation Gothic style was

only partly completed before budgetary constraints halted the two grand wings planned for the rear. Instead, a pragmatic and economic separate building was constructed in 1911.

Thus the tender was for an extension to this existing gallery, that was much more modern, open and flexible to changing exhibitions. The project required a group effort to document all the necessary drawings and specifications needed for a full tender. The

Front view of the building with the new modern addition

in the background.

end result was a full tender package that documented the construction of the building with material and product specifications to match.

The building addition is primarily a brick/masonry and steel construction, clad in corrugated steel. There

was a high level of detailing involved in the connection between the old and the new building as well as ensuring there was enough sound proofing between levels with the appropriate lighting for a gallery.

The

photo reveals how the new addition connects lightly and harmoniously with the original building.

12 MONCUR STREET MARRICKVILLE DOCUMENTATION OF AN ALTERATION AND ADDITION TO AN EXISTING TERRACE Whilst working for established architects, Mackenzie Pronk Architects in Marrickville, I had

the oppurtunity to work on the the alteration and addition of the federation stye terrace at 12 Moncur St, in Marrickvillefrom start to finish.

The clients were a couple that wanted to utilise the

space in their backyard to create a new kitchen and dining area with a renewed living room to overlook the kitchen and dining. The project required an intense scrutiny of heritage standards set by Marrickville council as the facade of the terrace was to remain intact as well as the addition to not be visible from the street.

The design was to be a modern addition to an old terrace yet simultaneously not offend or rupture the unity in roof lines or sightlines.

There was careful consideration of neighbours and privacy, extending one wall of the building to creep out long enough to soundproof the space yet as well not overshadow their existing neighbours backyards.

as well as a consideration into the environmental components of the space - ensuring wide and long overhangs to protect in summer yet short enough to allow for northerly sunlight in winter. Careful choices in glass louvres and glass windows to BASIX standards were also chosen.

The project was an enjoyable collaboration between client and architect with regular meetings to discuss ideas, products and test new materials. The end result was a year long process that saw an initial sketch turn into a beautiful finished product.

The project was detailed from Development Application stage to Construction Certificate Stage to the actual on site building gonstruction stage. The graphics show

the ongoing process in designing and developing the project through the Development Application stage, ensuring to show Marrickville council the exact heights of the addition and ensuring that the design would follow the regulations of the LEP and DCP i.e. floor space ratio, landscaping, basix standards etc.

CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN IN NEPAL VOLUNTEER WORK TO REDESIGN, REPLAN AND RESTORE THE LOCAL SCHOOL IN THE VILLAGE OF SIURUNG, NEPAL Upon

finishing the Master of Architecture degree, the opportunity to apply all the skills learnt from both the degree and working in the architectural profession, in the country of Nepal was an opportunity too rare to miss. In December 2014 with the prestigious volunteer program Aussie Action Abroad, ran and directed by pro-active architects, several Australians volunteered their time and their money to contribute to the build of several buildings across several villages of Nepal.

was fortunate enough to be on a team with nine other Australians, from all walks of life, in the build of a school in the remote village of Siurung, 2400 metres in the mountains of the Annapurnna Circuit. A village of over 500 people, the school itself was as big as a pre-school by Australian standards yet

managed to squeeze in over 90 students from both primary and high school years.

Thus

for three straight weeks, work began with creating a concrete floor (which involved carrying cement and sand across time and making aggregate from chipping larger rocks), rendering existing rooms and putting new alucabond sheeting on the timber framed roof.

This was the most challenging three weeks in terms

of learning construction skills by locals in an uncommon language, working in collaboration with what was essentially at the beginning strangers, and working consistently with the locals to ensure the highest quality design.

The

skills gained in the three weeks were incredibly useful and insightful in understanding how drawings done by computer or hand are actually conceived in reality with hands and material. There were always discrepencies and the drawings would never be 100% accurate yet there was a beauty in putting in place what was drawn just previously.

The team I had the honor to be apart of consisted of ex-labourers, architecture students, architects, urban planners, project managers and even a hairdresser. We all applied our skills and our knowledge to the best of our abilities and engaged in work that we could only dream of. The work has definitely changed my perspective in how architecture is produced and the labour and the love that is required to see drawings come into fruition. Yet the most rewarding moment is when the jobs were finished and we could offer the school back to the community in a condition that they could never conceive.

THANK YOU