12 : Final Design Brief

My design brief has been a bit all over the place, just a whole lot of buzzwords like 'design for dissaembly', 'mobility of people' etc.. so I've written a more extensive brief which address each criteria, just so that I can stay on track over the next two weeks.  All of these criteria answer the questions in my lecture notes found in 07 : Lecture

INFRASTRUCTURE

• STRATEGY: Woden Valley Depot is supported by various existing systems such as extensive cycle routes, the Westfield Woden bus interchange and Athllon Drive which connect Woden town centre to Tuggeranong.  On an urban scale, the depot is located directly opposite the Westfield shopping centre and town centre which is a central access point for residents in both east and west locations.
• LOGISTICS: The light rail carriages itself become parts of the circulation of the station.  The structure of the depot allows for a variety of configurations and is designed to a grid system which allows the light rail carriages to line up and connect to form these integrated corridors between the permanent structure and the 'mobile' carriages.

 TECTONIC RESOLUTION

• PURPOSE AND FUNCTION: To simplify the built form for the presentation, I will use a basic greyscale format for general information and colour where necessary.  I will use an exploded diagram to demonstrate the three structural elements of the Woden Valley Depot, The internal steel framing, backlit skin of perforated steel as cladding and concrete as overall structural base.
• CIRCULATION AND ACCESS: axonometic floor plans will be used to help illustrate how users move from one for to another, through the use of elevators, stairs and ramps.
• STRUCTURAL / OPERATIONAL: I will endeavor to display a variety of possible operational outcomes, such as displaying simple diagrams with convey how the structure will react and move in relation to the people who are using the space.

 POETIC RESOLUTION

• PRESENCE AND IDENTITY: I will present my proposal in a variety of scales.  On a ACT scale, on a Woden Valley scale and from the user perspective.  This will allow me to show how my architectural entity is integrated with the existing context.
• USER EXPERIENCE: My whole panel will be based on how a variety of people interact with the light rail system over a 24 hours period.  This project diagrams on how the interior spaces of the light rail cater for a variety of needs during the day, as well as how the depot is activated at night time for public forum events.
  
• AESTHETIC RIGOR: As with all of my projects, I take a lot of pride in how I communicate my ideas.  I have decided to do one continuous landscape panel, possibly equivalent to 2 x A2 panels which will feature a train line down the centre of the panel, explaining the different stops with icons the represent the needs of that particular area.  It will also include maps of existing cycle/bus routes.  Above the train line with be images/sketches/plans of the light rail carriages.. and then below will have images/sketches/plans/diagrams of the Woden Valley Depot.

07 : Lecture

The lecture was really great yesterday at breaking down the required elements for the individual project.


Here are my notes in the lecture:

06 : Reflection

Obviously, there is not much that can be done about the project now, but I think it's still worth reflecting on what can be improved for the rest of the semester.  I assumed that everyone was on the same page and trying to put as much effort in as possible, after completing 7 design studios before that, but obviously not. 


Jess wrote a really good reflection on our project which can be found at http://jess-hammond.blogspot.com/2011/09/final-panels-and-post-presentation.html
Here are our panels from the presentation:

Dee's last panel (which was supposed to display our architectural entity) was not to the standard that I expected.  I think it would have been important to be more explicit in the drawing style that everyone wanted, and to make this very, very clear from the beginning.

Over the weekend, I am going to use Dee's sketchup file and re-analyse and visualise in a style I would have done if this was an individual project.

06 : Interim : Statement

GROUP STATEMENT:

Our group has proposed to convert every state in Australia into a separate country with its own parliamentary system. This will allow each country to be more self sufficient and sustainable, and possibly reduce migration and travelling around such a mass area. Canberra will ultimately act as a ‘union’ and meeting place for all of these countries to gather and discuss common issues, which is why improving mobility within Canberra is essential for the future.

Canberra is very spread out with the only form of public transport being buses, and a main focus on walking and cycling. It is near impossible however for everyone to be able to access all areas of the capital both easily and cheaply. This affects everyone from tourists holidaying in the city, people living in the area, children visiting the capital for school camps, and politicians staying in the city whilst using Parliament House on a regular basis.

So, we have devised a new light rail network that connects all major areas in the city to enhance mobility within Canberra. This will in turn attract people to the capital and allow Canberra to appeal to a wider demographic of people.  The proposed network will create an additional layer on top of the current infrastructure, with the majority of rail elevated above median strips of main roads within Canberra. Links to the existing airport and country rail will be designed to allow people coming in and out of Canberra easy access to the centre of the city and Parliament house. All main tourist attractions are connected for visitors, and routes that join surrounding suburbs with the centre are implemented for residents. There are also proposed stations at common school camp accommodation and local politician lodges within the city that connects to Capital Hill. The Parliament house station has been strategically placed to not interfere with the precinct, and all stations across the area are positioned to avoid the blocking of views to Capital Hill. Improved scale and proportion within large streets and unused spaces across the city is also a main strategy, with the possibility left open to create urban spaces on the elevated rail for future densification.

Overall the proposal will promote and cater for future population growth within Canberra through creating an area that is both mobile and accessible and provide a common ground for every politician representing each country.

05 : Interim : Panels

Here is my final panel, without the header.  Finally seeing starting the see the end of this project...
I think the other girls are almost finished so I'll upload all of our panels together once they are done.

The little blurb on the side says: Country or continent? Will Australia’s capital cities become so self-sufficient and independent, that one-by-one it will begin to break away? The scattered design of Canberra is currently influencing its significance identity and presence as the country's capital. So if Australia the country became Australia the continent, perhaps Canberra can become an exemplar city, a common denominator between the various needs of its citizens.