Summation

To summarize our overall scenario concept, I wrote a short paragraph to give a concise description for those who have not been following our progress. This can also be seen on the first panel.

"Along with the introduction of a congestion charge for vehicles in the city centre of Brisbane came an extensive transition from a conventional concentric CBD acting as a bustling yet detached thoroughfare, to an established community of mixed activities defying the traditional city layout. The eventual ban of cars produced a pedestrian-dominant CBD, resulting in a radical lifestyle and infrastructural shift towards an innovative metropolitan approach, incorporating a reversal in the residential and commercial precincts. Social and environmental sustainability radiates throughout the new vibrant centre, providing various opportunities for unprecedented architectural interventions."  

Below is a compilation of our four finalised panels, which when presented at the exhibition will be displayed side by side to form a continuous timeline.

Panel Contribution - Architectural Opportunities

As four architectural opportunities (minimum) were required to create a foundation for our full design development throughout the remaining of the semester, each group member provided one major opportunity that was determined through individual interests. My opportunity was that of vertical circulation. As it was to remain at a very conceptual level, I did not provide a full design but instead produced an explanatory diagram with a sketch to create visual support.

Description on panel: Vertical pedestrian circulation is developed to allow for easy transition between buildings at different floor levels. This is necessary due to singular function buildings resulting in public spaces at higher levels. Multi-level circulation also creates opportunities to demonstrate sustainability  on a social level by accommodating a larger pedestrian population with a multitude of areas for varying activities and functions. 

Panel Contribution - People and Lifestyle

Along with a transition from a vehicular accessible city centre to a pedestrian-dominant precinct comes a radical shift in city lifestyle. This has been a primary focus of our future scenario as every architectural and structural change must respond to this alteration.

This is reflected along with sustainability in my individual architectural opportunity diagram as the vertical circulation aids in accommodating the new lifestyle of pedestrian only access. I also included a small simplistic diagram to identify the major change in atmosphere and mood in the CBD in relation to the lifestyle transitioning from a hustling thoroughfare to an established community of activities. This diagram can be seen below.

I also produced a diagram showing a public space in the scenario that incorporates a great amount of greenery to show that as the spaces are converted to pedestrian access only, the setting should be altered to form a more pleasant and natural atmosphere to establish a sense of place that creates a foundation for social activities. This green space diagram can be seen below.

Panel Contribution - Sustainability

In our future scenario, sustainability is a crucial facet, though it is more in a social sense than environmental. By focusing on the accommodation of a large number of pedestrians, social sustainability is a forefront in our set scenario as well as architectural opportunities. In this way of thinking, the term sustainability is brought back to its root definition of 'allowing something to continue,' which in this case is the fluid circulation of people despite the potential for massive influxes in population.

My individual architectural opportunity of vertical circulation (which will be described later in more detail) falls primarily under the category of social sustainability, as it provides an ongoing infrastructural requirement that aids in the necessary movement of large numbers of people, which will become an increasing concern as the population continues to rise. By supporting foot traffic rather than motorised vehicles, this can also be categorised as environmental sustainability due to the dis-encouragement of polluting methods of travel.

My research into the use of maglev trains can also be perceived as environmental sustainability for reasons mentioned in the previous post about their features. As these trains have much less of an impact on the environment as other commonly used methods of public transportation, they are establishing a move in the direction of sustainable thinking at a metropolitan scale. There is also, of course, the obvious point of the total ban of cars in the CBD that directly contributes to environmental sustainability as it results in a transition to more eco-friendly modes of transport.  

Panel Contribution - Scenario

Throughout the process of our future scenario development, our group (myself, Alex, Jack and Hannah) have worked together quite seamlessly, each contributing a great amount of equal work that gets finished consistently and on time each week. This has allowed a fluid progression towards the end of the future scenario output.

Similarly, the four aspects that must be focused on through four separate panels (future scenario, sustainability, people and lifestyle, and architectural opportunities), have ended up becoming intertwined with one another. This is because for a truly integrated design to be produced that considers all aspects, these points cannot be perused individually but must compliment one another through complete amalgamation. As such, these concepts have been compiled in a manner that allows our four panels to be read as a single piece organized chronologically to maintain a clear and concise analysis of our scenario.

Due to following a timeline, our future scenario is the backbone of the panel layout and continues through all four. It's hard to sort out individual contribution to this aspect as it was continuously developed as a joint effort. A rough sketch of our scenario timeline layout across the four panels can be seen above in its development stage.

Existentialism in Architecture

Existentialism is a term not typically associated with art, architecture, or other forms of design. However, when considering the indeterminacy of future societal scenarios, one has the potential to question a large array of realms that may initially seem irrelevant. E. Winters does just that in his book, "Aesthetics and Architecture," headlined by the chapter, 'Politics and the Situationist International.'

Concluding the reading of this chapter, it is not entirely clear how Winters intends the reader to interpret architecture as a partner of existentialism. It is stated that the existence of this concept is rare, as in our society only those who are entirely aware of their complete freedom to make choices during every second of their life are truly happy. According to the book, the bourgeois live passively, accepting what is handed to them without questioning it. 

This is the point in which I was able to relate the theme of the chapter to architecture. If architecture is seen through the same perspective it can be argued that future designs must not follow the current trends and norms, otherwise they will meet the same fate at the bourgeois; existing as a passing element that remains unnoticed.

Manhattan Skyscrapers - the soaring buildings follow the same design pattern resulting in a lack of character and presence in the architecture 

(image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/66080755@N06/7223095112/) 

On the contrary, if design is seen as autonomous and free to reflect the architect's personal choices then the design can succeed as a thriving and living presence, positively affecting those who experience its presence. This, however, depends upon the designer's ability to reflect the needs of society throughout the architectural entity.

Guell Park by Gaudi - by creating innovative designs that rebel against the current norm while maintaining functionality, the architecture emits vibrancy and life that can be felt by those around it 

(image source: http://nextours.wordpress.com/about-spain/touristic-places-spain/park-guell-by-gaudi/) 

Chronological Progression

The progression of our scenario has resulted in the need to recreate our ideas into visual format with supporting written evidence and summaries of a concise nature. The four major focuses of the concept that must be clearly stated are:

- Future scenario
- Sustainability
- People and Lifestyle
- Architectural Opportunities

As these aspects are intertwined with one another, it made sense to separate the ideas through chronological order by following a timeline. This shows that the scenario follows a gradual transition that allows a fluid thought process. The base timeline can be seen below:

The majority of the segments on the timeline will be replaces with diagrams, and will inform the layout of the four presentation panels.

Concept Development

As a studio exercise presented to expand critical thinking within our concept, we were required to create a character(s) for our future scenario. This allowed us to imagine ourselves in the future scenario to consider all daily aspects that should be at least considered for our general concept. Our chosen characters were a family of three; a husband, wife and young child. The future concept we have begun to develop results in a surge of residential development within the CBD due to the outward shift of commercial and major retail buildings, allowing a family to thoroughly exploit the characteristics of this new layout. Important features of the new CBD that would be required to support a family are as follows:


1- workplace access
2- general access
3- established sense of community
4- residential options for various levels of income
5- recreational space
6- educational facilities
7- safety


1&2) I conducted research into innovative and effective forms of public transportation and came across a very intriguing solution: maglev trains. Maglevs are magnetic levitation trains, and are becoming more popular due to their environmental friendliness, speed, zero maintenance, lack of noise and low pollution as they run on electricity. Currently there is only one low-speed maglev in operation in Japan, and is appraised as being extremely effective in a dense urban setting. An article on this train can be seen here:  http://www.gizmohighway.com/transport/japan_maglev_train.htm  

We decided upon a circular raised ring track similar to that of a monorail that runs in both directions for quick transportation. Within the inner CBD are four nodes that act as transportation hubs to allow access further into the city. This will also allow inner hubs to develop that contain small retail or other buildings requiring access for stock. A diagram of the transportation network can be seen below.

3&4) Residential buildings will incorporate a vertical layout similar to that of Architectural Design 6, where an amalgamation of room sizes and quality will form structures suitable for all demographics. Open and communal space should be abundant within each building to encourage interaction with other residents to form a sense of community, while creating public spaces that are still sheltered from the exterior to maintain a sense of privacy.

5&6) As commercial and major retail buildings shift outwards, large expanses of space (though much of it occupied by buildings) will open up, providing great opportunities for new functions to be introduced. Many old buildings can be retrofitted into schools or recreation centres, while outdoor areas can be expanded through the reclaiming of road space and demolition of unnecessary buildings.

7) As mixed use areas tend to be visited more frequently at all times of the day, safety is largely increased due to a large decrease in deserted streets. A shift in the major demographic residing within the area to families will also gradually increase safety as those likely to commit crimes will gradually disperse or transition towards the transport hubs.


These issues and solutions are what have inspired our four choices of architectural possibilities, which will be developed and presented in week six as starting points for the final assignment.

Congestion Charge Case Study

Before the commencement of yesterday's studio, I decided to do some background research on the London congestion charge (introduced in 2003) on which our future scenario is based. The findings proved to be quite significant, especially when considering how populous London really is.

The congestion tax was initially introduced to the central area of London (the CCZ), and was later extended to the west (the WEZ). The original charge was 5 euros, which was eventually increased to 8 euros, and presently sits at 10. A great amount of observation and research has been provided to gain an understanding of the charge's effects. Some of the gathered findings can be seen below in table format.

The overwhelming result of the charge introduction is that it created a large shift from personal vehicle use in the CBD to either public transportation or bicycles over a very short amount of time. This shows that the introduction of a congestion charge has proven to be a believable foundation for the transition into our scenario of no cars in the CBD over a much greater expanse of time. The tables also show that rather than diverting around the charge area, most people switched transportation methods altogether, which would mean there would be a smaller impact on traffic around the area when the toll is implemented. 

Future Thinking Through Adaptability

S. Brand’s “How buildings learn: what happens after they’re built”, presents a very interesting idea that is widely understood but rarely acknowledged in such a meaningful way. The concept of buildings having six layers (site, structure, skin, services, space plan and stuff) is identified as separated by their average lifetime, from longest to shortest respectively. Because of this, the structure must support future adaptability as the functionality will advance consistently throughout the building’s lifetime in order to allow for evolving external factors that affect the internal space of the building.This is reiterated in a quote by Frank Duffy, stating, "thinking about buildings in this time-laden way is very practical. As a designer you should avoid such classic mistakes as solving a five-minute problem with a fifty-year old solution, or vice versa". 

A perfect example of this within Brisbane is the powerhouse, which has been altered from a warehouse into a modern multi-arts venue with only minor changes to the original structure. This can be seen below.

Image Source: http://2009.2highfestival.com/blog/

This article intrigues me in regards to its relation with the concept of architectural fiction, as the discussion of the fundamental building characteristic of adaptability is directly tied to future thinking in design. Although it is a very obvious concept, the idea of adaptability can be expanded upon greatly to form new types and forms of buildings that respond to a currently non-existent scenario.

Briefly mentioned in the article is the notion of an “edge city” (proposed by Joel Garreau in Edge City: Life on the new Frontier), described as an urban area where a new commercial zone surrounds the older city. I found this strikingly similar to our proposed idea of a future CBD where the commercial buildings requiring vehicle access circle the residential and retail district. After reading Garreau’s book summary, the major difference appears to be that his edge city acts as an independent economic entity, as the commercial ring resides on the outer boundaries of the overall city limits. Because of this, his argument is proven as impractical due to increasing suburbanisation, although this would not be an issue in our scenario as the commercial ring is within the city, and only surrounds the actual CBD. His concept is roughly shown in the image below where the original city is on the interior of the new commercial precinct. 

Image Source: http://intrusionesarch.tumblr.com/post/22041118345/edge-cities-new-suburbanism-the-term-edge

Initiation of a Conceptual Scenario

After nearly three weeks of confusion and worrying about producing a believable yet interesting concept for a future architectural scenario, we finally delegated groups in the design studio to begin constructing concrete ideas. As I was allocated into the urban theme our scenario is to expand on the scenario of an introduced congestion tax into the CBD, thereby reducing vehicular traffic. The obvious starting point was that of a massive increase in pedestrian-friendly spaces and the reassigning of roadway functions.

From here, our group went on to identify the outer CBD roads as access points, while the majority of inner streets would become entirely for pedestrian usage. Because of the limited roads, buildings would acquire singular functionality as those requiring vehicular access would cluster together. Due to a large increase in foot traffic, circulation spaces would expand and multiply to manage the large number of people through a systematic approach. We also decided that this growth would transcend vertically, creating multiple levels of circulation space.

After speaking to DaVour, he cautioned us to develop the transition from congestion tax to no cars carefully to achieve believability. In doing so, we produced the following timeline:

Through this gradual transition, the societal norm on using vehicles within the CBD will shift towards a negative view to provide acceptance of an eventual ban on cars within the area

It was further suggested to us by Yasu to question the reasoning for vertical development, as well as to expand further to create a more intriguing and less obvious scenario. This initiated the idea of a transition in the traditional CBD functional layout. This concept can be seen in the diagram below. 

Commercial and residential zoning will reverse, creating a node of mixed-use activity geared towards more pleasant inner city living that escapes association with the traffic, stress and harshness typical in a traditional CBD

Modern Ties with Future Scenarios

The presented article for this week by H. Barton (Urban Form and Locality, 2000) was a much more grounded approach to the concept of architectural fiction, providing a more tangible idea with which to grasp. The ideas presented were much more realistic and relatable to modern architecture and urbanism than "Beyond Architecture", focusing on self-sufficient communities rural communities versus increasingly dense urban areas. The idea was to question whether it is more practical to sprawl and develop green space, or to further develop populous areas, or “brown space”.

However, the article is quick to brush green space development off as a bad option in such a way that their strong bias towards “urban intensification” becomes obvious despite a lack of exploration in the possibilities of rural developments.

This discussion opens up an entirely new perspective into the consideration of future scenarios by reiterating the point that although the fictional concept we are to produce may be extreme, it is also important to relate to fundamental modern issues and their potential solutions. Something as simple as the idea of a self sufficient community can transition into a more complex idea, which can be commonly seen in the design of conceptual vertical farms as seen below. 

Image Source:  http://grinding.be/2009/12/02/skyscraper-vertical-farm-planned-for-china/

Exploring the Concept of Architectural Fiction

Through team-based design charettes in our studio class, the general intended theme of architectural fiction has become clearer while the actual architectural outcome has grown more difficult to grasp. During the charette exercise we explored the following “what-if” scenarios for the future:

Urban: What if Brisbane introduced a congestion fee for entering the CBD, which in turn greatly reduced vehicle traffic?

Suburban: What if all retail stores shifted to online shopping but kept their physical properties to create new forms of retail experience?

Regional: What if the Woodford folk festival site became the home of a self-sufficient community? 

Virtual: What if the Queensland government decided to tackle their issues through virtual means?

Our group found that the urban scenario was the easiest to provide basic solutions for as it is the most realistic concept of the four, and is therefore most easily imagined. It also seems to more directly address architectural issues as new building designs would need to compensate for the large shift in vehicular to pedestrian access. The virtual scenario proved the most difficult in an architectural sense, as it was easy to envision future virtual concepts due to endless sci-fi movies, though none of us could successfully produce an idea that was directly related to architectural work. Although it was the most difficult, it was the most intriguing as it requires the most unconventional thinking, which is lacking in the majority of design efforts today.

After being informed that our final assignment and concept doesn’t necessarily have to be a building design, I (along with many others) was perplexed at the thought of our final design assignment having the potential to be a mere flowchart or sci-fi-esque movie. Because of my lack of confidence in producing such an extraordinary concept that I can avoid designing a building, I chose ‘urban’ as my tutorial theme as it will hopefully prove to be the most directly related to architectural design. However, I do know that I’ll need to extend past my comfort zone of traditional architecture to succeed in producing a unique design and concept for this unprecedented semester.

The importance of out-of-the-box thinking in future design

The theme of architectural fiction for the final semester of design was initially an intriguing yet confusing concept. Although the overall concept of each design semester begins with an air of ambiguity, this one has certainly topped the rest. After reading “Beyond Architecture. Archigram: Architecture without Architecture” by S. Sadler, the intended approach to the unit became clearer while making it obvious that this “design” assignment would be quite unlike any prior. It seemingly aims to broaden everyone’s minds as to what is considered architecture, and how it constantly evolves in relation to happenings of the world.

The article was written as a summarization of a series of magazines published by Archigram, all of which were produced in the 1960’s. Because of its coinciding with an emergence of new computer technology, the writers of Archigram used the newly found technology to significantly influence their opinions on the future of architecture (which ties in strongly to the semester’s theme of architecture fiction).  

As the issues of Archigram progressed, their ideas evolved from discussions on modular structures to more abstracted forms of what is considered traditional architecture. Although I disagree with the practicality of many of the proposed designs and concepts, the general notion that architecture has the potential to change so drastically is a very fascinating idea that requires extensive of out-of-the-box thinking. Rather than a shift in style, it is a shift in the overall meaning of design. This can be seen in the image below.

Evolution of Design (Archigram: Architecture Without Architecture, 2005)

However, towards the end, the Archigram writers seemed to take some of their ideas to the extreme causing many readers of their work to criticise it with quotes such as, "The pill and the plastic liver have ended the concern that we are all part of some wonderful inevitable natural process”, hinting at the creation of cyborgs where design overtakes human function. This shows that any single idea or concept regarding architecture or any other form of innovation must be critically analyzed during its entire lifecycle and process or the developer may become enveloped in a reclusive state where new opinions fail to be heard. When a particular idea such as this becomes so linear, narrow-mindedness often ensues. This reiterates the importance of regarding all aspects of an issue and its solution from an objectified perspective. This is especially important in a society where values and needs are constantly changing as new situations arise, and new information must constantly be processed when addressing these needs.  

Article Reference:

Sadler, S., 2005. Beyond Architecture. In. Archigram: Architecture Without Architecture, Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press. pp 90-138.