URBAN DESIGN
In the Urban Design Specialisation, students develop a critical awareness of how cities are formed, as well as the effect they can have on people’s lives. In this unit, students are encouraged to work together to understand how spatial and physical aspects of the public realm contribute to the urban form. This is done by critically assessing taught design principles, resulting in the production of a masterplan. This year, students were given the opportunity to develop masterplans in both a local and international context. However, the most exciting aspect of this specialisation is that theory, practice, and design are inextricably linked in establishing a critical knowledge of contemporary challenges affecting cities and generating design approaches and procedures for building better places.
Arputha Romana Ponny Kamalanthan
Urban Regeneration:
Site: Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong
The design aims on a vision to aid spaces or community development order, an equitable society is formed with sustainable elements in accordance with nature.
The main aim and my design as an Urban designer and Architect is to make sure that the community is vibrant and self sufficient rather than being congested and mundane.
The design qualities such as sensory elements which are introduced induces the feeling of peacefulness and serenity, while achieving the visual quality which is also an important factor.
As a conclusion in total, based upon the literature study and conceptual thinking it is important to design considering the users, the key character and the other main elements of the existing environment.
the idea is to retain the character while implementing sustainable elements for an energy efficient future.
Ekatrina Petkova
As more and more cities are faced with the challenges of intensification, one aspect remains prominent: maintaining the Sense of Place and rootedness in new, sometimes revolutionary schemes. This is particularly important in places with very distinctive urban grain and architectural features - such as the city of Vienna - the core of which has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 2001.
This project combines two very important aspects in Urban Design in the 21st century - delivering a sense of place in high density and responding to local challenges and proposing solutions. Responsive design in this project means to understand the physical aspects of the city that deliver the sense of place, and with that understanding to propose solutions to contemporary issues.
This has been achieved through the creation of a Design code and applying it to three urban blocks and also careful consideration of local plans and documents by the local authorities.
The design is based on the concepts of walkability, permeability and mixed use.
The result - a scheme for the city of Vienna - where the north train station was once located - that reinvents the concepts of high density and innovation, but also feels familiar.
The design delivers housing, employment, retail and playgrounds and green spaces in the sky. The traditional viennese roof where small gardens pop up and people love sunbathing has been further developed into a combination of fully private and semi private areas for play and recreation.
Aerial View
Site Plan
Section
Joseph Leander
Masterplan
Building and Block Typologies
Realistic Render of the Inclusive City Scheme
SOCIAL INCLUSION + BLOCK TYPOLOGIES
The design tackles a specific approach to social inclusion in block typologies through its five principles of active streets, Vertical mixed tenure, connective mobility, biophilic spaces and vibrant open space connectors that helps connect people, communities, nature and built spaces.
Kryzta Castillo
Aerial View
Beirut Perspective Section
Top View Plaza
Beirut: Culturally Responsive Design
The proposed scheme aims to create a culturally responsive design that reconnects the city of Beirut to its roots, at the same time responds to the challenges of intensifying cities. The proposed scheme will be accommodating 800pp/ha in a reclaimed land in Beirut, Lebanon.
Sudharshini Thirupathirajan
Site Section
Perspective View
Masterplan
The Biophilic Neighbourhood - Enahcning well-being in High Densities in Rio de Janeiro
This design focuses on encouraging well-being to occupants in high density neighborhood through biophilic design concepts across the morphological layers. The Key set of design qualities such as establishing a biophilic connect, enhancing the local community, promoting environmental sustainability, encouraging sense of safety and sense of place are exemplified in this design proposal through biophilic design actions.