Week 9 - Underground Communities

Underground Communities concept

As the concept of my design is an underground community, I thought it would be best if I did some background research on other conceptual or actual underground designs existing. Within this research I found the Sietch Nevada a subterranean terrace system within Nevada, USA (seen below).

1

Before finding this concept I had a similar idea, that would create an underground community such as this. Obviously however there are major differences in my preferred layout, and I think for my underground community to work,the layout will look somewhat opposite to this one. The penetration of the sun (seen in this concept) is an important idea that I would like to incorporate into my design and I think it is important that people within the space are able to see the sun, to have a sense of what time of the day or night it is, and always have that connection to the outside world.

Within my design I think rather than having big open voids with activity centres separated from each other, such as what can be seen above, there will be bigger areas taken up with residential apartments for people to live in. There will also be several 'pods' or open areas where there will be vegetation growing and constant access to the sky above. This idea is not too dissimilar to what can be seen in image (3) and can be understood by looking at the section and plan below (4)and(5).

2

If you look closely, you are able to see that the vegetation recesses in the ground are actually positioned within the activity centres seen above in image (1). This allows those within the space to always have close access to the vegetated spaces, no matter where they are walking in the underground space.

3

The image above gives an idea of what I would like to create in these underground spaces. However my design will look at positioning  areas of residence rather than voids between these pods and activity centres. These shafts in my design will include dense vegetation from top to bottom and will have water bodies located on the bottom floor. This will provide water for the vegetation and facilitate those within the underground community. All water will go through filtration systems that can purify all water, so there is very little water lost throughout the cycle.

4

The plan above shows a rough concept sketch I drew, showing the various 'pods' with the open vegetation and community areas and the residential housing around these spaces. These spaces will be connected with each other through various paths and the underground community will be vegetated throughout through technology with the ability to reflect and transfer light into underground spaces. The underground community will also have underground connections to other communities (the dotted lines) which may facilitate shopping, health care and other necessary amenities.

5

The section above shows the what the pods and shaft spaces with the vegetation would look like. These areas will always have access to the outside environment and will allow light for the vegetation throughout the underground spaces, air for increased air quality and vegetation for those underground and those working in the car recycling centre to enjoy.

Obviously as the air shafts will move through the car recycling centre  the centre will need to be designed around these voids, still with maximum efficiency in mind. These vegetated voids will also improve air quality within the recycling centre and give the workers within 'natural' and interesting spaces to enjoy.

Image 1 + 2 + 3: http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=2530

Week 9 - Design Tutorial

Imagine yourself as one of future users of your proposed architectural entity. Identify all aspects of spaces and services and imagine how you would use and navigate between and through them. Draw sketches, make photo montage  etc. to begin considering these spaces in relation to your own body. In a typical architectural scale, you would be working with 1:5 - 1:10

The drawings I have included on this page are not at a scale of 1:5 or 1:10, but are mainly aimed at indicating some of the main ideas I would like to include in my design.

1

Image 1 shows the reflecting and transference of light into the underground space. The section is no indication of the actual layout of the spaces underground but looks more at getting the light into those spaces. These areas underground will be large and open for community activities. There will also be other light shafts protruding off the main shafts to allow light into all areas of the underground spaces including peoples apartment spaces and the corridors.

2

Image 2 looks closer at one of the community areas underground. The light will be reflected and transferred into the underground spaces and in those areas will be mirrored around the room to give the natural daylight feel underground. These reflectors will also be equipped with technology that will store some of the u.v. power and use it for lighting at night time. Allowing this light in will allow the vegetation to grow within the space and make it more like an outside environment.

3

The image above looks at the possible layout of the residential apartments over the few floors. Lynches theory on adaptability states that different uses should be kept in different places. Being to specialized doesn't allow for change when it is necessary, therefore different housing types (singles, couples, families) should be kept separate from each other. As the walls will be interchangeable so they can suit different family typologies, it is important that the different sized walls and pieces should be grouped so that the don't put the rest of the pieces out. Like in the image below the smaller apartment should be kept together whilst the bigger family ones are kept together too. This also means that families can live with families and couples or singles live in areas where it is quieter with other couples or singles. 

4

Image 4 shows the grouping of smaller apartments together and bigger family apartments together for better adaptability. This image also shows the transference of light through the corridors for natural lighting and vegetation, and the ventilation movement through the apartment spaces. The aim will be to ventilate and light the underground community like it would be above ground.

5

Image above shows an indicative layout of apartments. The walls between apartments and the inter apartment walls can all be moved depending on the needs of the family, if the family moves and for new residents to move into. All the main furniture like benches can be moved around too, and a family may choose to bring their own furniture or use the general furniture.

6

Image 6 shows an indicative sectional layout of possible apartments. People will learn to live in smaller spaces and as stated above, all walls between apartments and inter apartment walls, fittings and furniture can be moved, changed and customised. The lighting in the apartments and outside are powered from solar power.

Week 9 - Lecture

Architecture as assistive devices

Protection - means to defend
opportunities - means to progress

Protect people from
- Natural environment (weather)
- Other people and their intentions (conflict)
- Social obligations (privacy)

Provide opportunities for 
- Making and using
- Thinking and reflecting 
- Thinking and taking actions
- Selling and buying
- Presenting and watching
- Sharing and collaborating

Need to taking into account the number of people space, facility, logistics

1 - The locals close off the road and draw games on the street. Is able to be washed up afterwards. Letting the locals program their own spaces

Provide the platform for people and allow them to expand on it. I don't think you need to design everything right down to the detail, but you provide them with a space or an object or something different and let them play their own ideas on it. Sometimes you might not take into account the way will use it properly, therefore you design something that wont be used to the fullest potential. 

2

2 - Rather than just being a front yard, the loacls usie it a as a community, meeting and relaxing space. Alot of community interaction seen where other places would be deserted or soley thoroughfare

like the lecture says, Using architecture as an instigator. Provide the first block and let everyone build on it from their. The people know what they want the best or how they are going to use it the most.

3 - The kids design their own block set ups ad play games with their imaginations. No adult could mimic and design for a child's imagination

Like we have seen in past lectures, you can program a space for something, but people may want to use it for something else (e.g. the bank foyer in Asia where people meet up weekly or fortnightly for a picnic. You can give kids a simple space with a hole heap of block lying around. those kids will move and place those blocks where they like to suit the kind of game they are playing. You can't program all these blocks so they suit every kids imagination, therefore it is better to let them do the designing themselves.


Images from 
1 + 2 http://www.greenpointnews.com/news/4605/bedford-avenue-rethinks-its-public-space
3http://kristin-senseofwonder.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/blocks-rock.html

Week 8 - Lecture

Sustainability isn't about being green

Sustainability - Able to be maintained at a certain rate or level. conserving an ecological balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources...

The whole greening effect just looks good for companies images. They look they are up to date with the worlds environmental problems and like they actually care. What they are doing though is merely changing and improving their image and cutting costs whilst making it look like they are doing it all for the right reasons. This facades of greening is generally hardly any more sustainable.

Current Standards

Some companies may spend money on improving services or making them more environmentally friendly, but generally they are doing it for a monetary gain or some other benefit. The problem is that their are few people or companies out there that are willing to spend money without expecting something in return. They cant do it for the greater good without getting something back.

I think that the materials from all the buildings built today should be recycled upon decommission of the building. Nothing should be wasted, all concrete should be reused and any other materials in new buildings should come from buildings and building materials that have been demolished. Why bother making and wasting new materials when something can be recycled and reused just as well. 

As for companies being sustainable... All companies should be forced to work under more sustainable guidelines.  This obviously would create extra monetary problems for companies but you could have offsets, reductions of costs and other rewards for companies doing this. We should also have more researching in new and existing fields that are constantly looking at expanding and improving technologies rather than just being comfortable with what we have got now. What we have now isn't sustainable enough and everybody needs to do their part to improve sustainability.


Desired Sustainability Standards

Week 8 - Recycling Cars

A major part of my design will include the fact that cars are being largely reduced on roads in an attempt to make more sustainable, more efficient and better vehicles for individuals and families. This reduction in personal transport on roads will cause an increase in public transport and new vehicles that will use hydrogen fuel rather than petrol. In an attempt to reduce the cars on the road and reduce the traffic in the inner city, underground and above ground car parks will be retro fitted to allow for other activities rather than cars. 

This reduction in fuel cars will mean the leftovers of many car bodies and parts. The government will pay for the buy back of these cars and use all available materials in the cars to recycle them for uses of people and the making of the new hydrogen powered vehicles. 

Australia discards up to 600,000 cars every year. 
Currently 75% of materials from cars at this stage will be able to be reduced. The steel recycled from these cars saves significant amounts of power every year.

Materials from cars like Steel, aluminium, mercury, iron, tires, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, gear oil, motor oil and antifreeze, car batteries and many other parts are recyclable. 

http://earth911.com/recycling/automotive/auto-bodies/benefits-of-recycling-car-bodies/
http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor-news/the-right-fluff-20100603-x1lf.html

Week 7 - Lecture

Architecture Fiction

Should be a fictitious story...

tell a visual story to explain fictitious architectural entity...


.....My architectural entity will focus on the major reduction of cars on the roads. For this purpose I think I would like my centre to incorporate the recycling and separation of cars into parts that ca then be sold off to people and made into different things that the people need. 

I also think the car park level of the Myer centre will be used for residential or some important purpose. If it is used for residential then many of the people living in those spaces may have shops above that work the recycled parts into things that people may want to buy.

The architectural entity that occurs within the car parks below ground may also be a cheap housing commission solution or possibly these places become the housing facilities for people immigrating into Brisbane. May only be when they first get here though.

The very large wide spaces in the car parks can be broken up into smaller spaces and changed around for families, couples and singles to live in. Will be large wide open spaces as communal areas and new technologies will allow into spaces underground. Could use some mirror technology to reflect light into the car park levels. This can then be reflected throughout the whole space and give the day light feel underground.

Week 7 - Reading by Lynch

Environmental Adaptability

Why should we be worried about having to change buildings later. Maybe just use better or more easily recycled/movable internal materials so walls can be knocked down and rearranged easier?

Obviously with hospitals and laboratories there is a constant need for change so those buildings should be updated constantly as they are. But when does this stop? Will we stop building new ones when the perfect layout is found? or is it a hygiene thing?

Adaptability makes the opportunities level throughout all stages but it doesn't allow for good design or use now or later. So rather than it functioning really well now and not so well later, reduce it now so they even out or vise-versa.

Being too narrowly specialized is bad because whilst it allows more uses, when something needs to change it effects all those uses rather than just the one specialized one. 

I think I would like to have a project that works on adaptability at some scale. I am planning on using the old car parks and underground structures for possible housing and use while creating centers above to recycle old cars. What if something big happens and the spaces need to be changed? Maybe these people will have to move out so these structures can be used for something else in emergency. Then they would need to be able to be changed quite quickly. I think I would like to have this as an underlying idea within my project. Perhaps I look at public transport instead? Or mix the two... Housing and Transport.

"If it were not desirable that a rolling center move too far from its original location, it might be arranged to roll on a circular track, eventually returning on its traces. In theory, too, an activity zone might be arranged in a ring shape, which could renew itself by perpetual outward movement, like the growth of certain molds. The ring shape would be retained,but the increasing length of the circumference might in the end 'prove

dis-functional"

-     You could have a number of city centers that you can change throughout over a cycle. So maybe one center is in action for five years before the center moves elsewhere for five years and so on. Then people have an option of moving with the city center or living in one of the other centers that aren't currently in use. When one is moved on from, that center undergoes a redesign and change so that when it is in use next, it suits the need.

"There seems to be a continuous conflict between future adaptability and present efficiency"

-     This is exactly what it was talking about before. You can't win either way. Either its good  now and bad later, bad now and good later, or consistently average the whole way through. I think if you make buildings with a movable element within, you could definitely improve the use now and later.