June Progression

This sketch is striking.. fill of detail... a facade intricate style (looks like bricks/ or the cliffs) infront of a building of modules linked. The black thick lines depict the circulation. The users of the space will have varying changes of light... dappled... speckled... full.. dark... intimate... bright... depending on the time of day and positioning within the Wellness Clinic will get the user a very different experience.  

These abstract designs has helped with concept and trialling different combinations. The progression will be seen throughout this one post and progress I showed a week before it was due for myself. In this journal section I elaborate on the objectives and analysis earlier.
These abstracted forms are the overlapping modules of rectangular prisms and connecting each via circulation or a roof web striking form.

In contemplating the forms for the design there comes a struggle when you have too many ideas. This seems to occur more often than not with me so I decided to go back to the beginning of this project 3 and use my urban design knowledge learnt this semester to help in cutting back ideas. This ensured I understood the project and Howard Smith Wharves. The investigation commenced with the Amended Draft Plan proposal of Howard Smith Wharves by Brisbane City Council. The plan distinguishes what it approach and where to place necessary buildings and precincts. By following this guideline the design was able to follow through to be realistic. However, I do want to build partially into the cliffs or all the way into the cliffs which isn’t in the proposal plan. Near the cliffs buildings have to be 10 metres away. I was thinking of placing the building to have an entrance at the top of the cliffs and on the ground level. There are requirements outlining the entrance cannot be a big impact on top of the cliffs. Therefore, this suited my concept of camouflaging the building into the cliffs. I don’t want it to be noticeable from the top by provide a hint that it’s there. Therefore, the facade or sculpture can go past the cliff height to use this visual attraction to walkers by and residents but not draw full attention. The building itself isn’t allowed to go above the cliffs so my design will pass this assessment.

The Howard Smith Wharves has had many design proposal rejected by the public. So, I put myself in their shoes and decided what the problem on site is? What would I like to see? What would you think the rest of Brisbane would want? Public Consultation couldn’t be completed due to time so instead I investigated the reasons why other designs had been rebutted. The public eye required a public open space, no restricted views to the surrounding residents and an area for families. This consequently gave me the following diagrams in assessing the objectives for this project. The Urban Planning scheme helps to verify the importance for the site, what the public would want and analysis the land uses and activities for the area.

In the planning for the future land use of the Howard Smith Wharf, the major aspect dealt with is spaces where activities can take place in expressing our values. The logical planning scheme adapted to optimise the activities for the Brisbane community Wellness Clinic as it fulfils the values of comfort, recreation, health, security, rest, sustenance, nurture and self actualisation. In bringing forth awareness of the area and fulfilling the objectives that underlie the problems encountered on the site the relationship between the physical environment and human consciousness are assessed. The Wellness Clinic expresses health in the activity of yoga, meditation and spiritual practices from all types of cultures on a park-leisure orientated site. To accompany the value of comfort and rest, sense of belonging is generated through outdoor community sessions in a courtyard.

The diagram below demonstrates the Wellness Clinic designs aspects in helping to identify appearance, causes, analysis and planning by understanding the conceptual and spatial features on Howard Smith Wharf.

The Brisbane City Council proposed many new designs to the reconstruction of this site since 2008 of hotels until it was overridden by the public after not consulting them. Due to 2011 flooding this site had been under no access to the public or any form of construction

Past restoration projects had conflict of interest as local residents appealed the hotel and commercial development via the Planning and Environmental court.

After the appeal the council had proposed a new drafted change to the New Farm and Teneriffe Hill Local Plan thus permitting limited development on the site. The new plan intends to ensure 80% of the site is open space, delivers an unique riverside destination and offers three precincts, hotel and tourism; restaurants, entertainment and commercial; and active outdoor recreation and community facilities.

The Wellness Clinic is located third precinct, on the eastern side primarily for public open space where the heritage buildings are to be retained. The land uses proposed are categorised under park, community facilities and indoor sports recreation use.

The requests were for additional open space, concerns on loss of view and footprint of the building development areas; and support for proposed mix of uses, building locations and heights. The public was able to continually make comments on the revised plan and were continually informed of progression via quantitative methods of mass media and communications of newspapers and qualitative methods through their representative. This enhanced the plan for more public support and increased design relevancy to the society. Using the public consultation during the plan development gave the council insight into what the community desired and hoped for on Howard Smith Wharf, a public open spaces that does not adhere to restrict views and height guidelines.

The objectives were specifically developed through personal intuition, brainstorming and group work. There was brainstorming exercises completed with other designers given the same task in encouraging inner multiculturalism of Brisbane

Further developing objectives existing policies of the New Farm and Teneriffe Hill Neighbourhood Plan was only verified towards the end of the proposal but would have been identified at the beginning by head designers. These objectives are validity in recognising and interpreting goals from the local Brisbane City Council. In addressing these profession goals it helped to pursue a desirable design and planning based around the specific activity of the area. It affects the whole community not only the surrounding residents but the commuters and visitors from other suburbs.

The proposed placement of Wellness Clinic intends to follow the strategic plan of a vision for the City of Brisbane to celebrate inner multicultural and enhance the cities character to create a more liveable and ecological sustainable community. The area in the parks precinct whereby a community use park with indoor sports and recreational uses is classified directly from Area and Assessment Processes.

The uses of urban planning processes are useful tools in guiding the design process from; preparation, development, stating objectives, methods of analysis and relevance of the design with benefits. Using Draft Howard Smith Wharves Amendments to the New Farm and Teneriffe Hill Local Plan including associated and consequential amendments to Brisbane City Plan 2000 (September 2010).

To help verify the appraisal of problems through diagramming to understand the awareness of sensation, response and ideas required to improve Howard Smith Wharf. It classifies the values achieved; activities proposed and generated land uses to designing a Leisure orientated area situated in a public open space.

The synthesis of planning brings all the significant parts of the planning process together; the objectives, information and resource analysis to create a proposal. The combination of information and bundling related objectives and information to help create a design scope for Howard Smith Wharf. The rationalist approach was used to direct the imagination to shape and evaluate the Amended plans to resolve the objectives in achieving the most comprehensive beneficial change. By using a feedback process of learning from problems of other proposals; trialling out designs; and using forms of diagrams to reflect the Wellness Clinic was able to be redefined further.

From Le Play’s 19^th century theory of basic human social and settlement needs of home, path and work it exemplifies the plan between the three diverse precincts. Subsequently following our values in Wellness Clinic’s concept design.

Extending the urban design of the Brisbane culture, endorsing to celebrate cultures and experience new spiritual meanings to life. The task is to design a multicultural space on Howard Smith Wharves for all cultures to come and experience and celebrate the unity Brisbane offers. The master plan is derived to bring together residential areas, gardens, shopping places, car parking and a wellness clinic; essentially creating a Utopian community that could survive on its own and venture out to Brisbane for everyone to experience.

The clinic will be a place within the city where you can go and feel a million miles away; it feels like home but tailored to your senses. It will bring the home into the city. The design will reflect the values of inner multiculturalism where everyone is treated the same on the outside and on the inside everyone is uniquely different. The exterior of the building reflects the camouflaged effect of diminishing itself into the surroundings while the interior tailors the human senses and where the individual is able to connect to their unique self in the activities they want to participate in. The overall concept brings cultures together to experience new spiritual forms and religions of cultures. So the wellness clinic will embrace the body, spirit and health of each and every person either interiorly or exteriorly in the courtyards.

These values will be a consequence of the Wellness Clinic as people are conditioned to learn other cultures to the residents and visitors of the public space. Although the value of community peace and comfort is pivotal in reality society may not want to be pushed. The segregated cultures at the moment need to come together to learn and experience community interaction and capture a more healthy lifestyle. The existing land use of a park has no activity at the moment but was an area of access to the city centre and a river walkway. The new possible land uses area mixed used parkland with new activities of health, commercial, access and relaxation place. It will generate new values of culture, recreation, path of transport, comfort and shelter. So in the future it will bring a more secure harmonious Brisbane culture where nurture yourself and one another bring happiness, comfort, social areas and longevity of life. 

The amended plan promotes recreation and leisure area, encourage security and access; to reflect a connection between the Brisbane City, maintain the dominance of the story bridge, retain historical values and maximise public access through walkways and pedestrian safety. It adheres to the survival driver values of security, health and sustenance and to enhance the values of harmony, peace and progression of design.

 The benefits were ranked accordingly:

To connect pedestrian routes to the pre-existing walkway to the city centre and linkages to the surrounding suburbs. To allow time for users to embrace their inner self and form social interactions with others visitors and cultures. To create an innovative design in a mixed use development that addresses the wider urban context and public needs for a healthier lifestyle. To enhance accessibility and public and private transport options. Lastly, allowing for new development integrating mixed uses, heritage, parkland and public access provision.

These were more beneficial towards the future users of the space, tourists and the Brisbane Community while businesses are considered important with their economic growth being dependent on the activity. Thirdly, the surrounding residents were considered to be a high performance user also.

The approaches ensure people gain happiness for the community away from the busy lifestyles we all life today. This notion of exercise and relaxing is close by to residential and pathways that is convenient. It uses the Social Justice approach in advancing the life of the people who cannot afford yoga classes and interacting with other cultures. It all involves cooperation of the Brisbane community to embrace the meaning of finding oneself and learning about other cultures.

The design will bring together an active experience of communication via pedestrian walkways and through spiritual enhancement. Therefore bringing social interaction amongst the community and surrounding areas; reducing environmental concern for pollution from cars and promoting a healthier lifestyle. All to which considers the communicative approach to the wellbeing of society.

The following three sketches reflect enveloping staircase building with each section representing the activities of spaces. The top being the most public... then progressing down to semi private down to private which is closer to the cliffs. Being close to the cliffs will give a more intimate secure feeling. In these modules they are placed into the cliffs to give a direct sensation of cliff nature to the user. They will love the different experience and feel closer to nature which research has shown that people feel more relaxed when near nature. Throughout the modules there is nature to enhance this experience.

 

These five modules incapsulate the cliffs and a central courtyard like chinese house plan section of a house floors encompassing a central private courtyard. This courtyard is partially private with a facade enclosure but there is still a visual connection present to view out and people to view in and be suspicious and enjoy in next time. These modules also surround the ramp... the main celebatory and main user of circulation. Ramps are very hard to consider and hopefully I will make it more enjoyable for users. There are parts where the user can stop to view out into the CBD and out into the Kangaroo Point beautiful picturesque viewing. I've placed the deck and stopping points to enhance these views and draw their attention to the particular aspect of viewing. (below)
The entrance at the top isn't big and draws attention; the second deck (left purple) is a 4m decking space for people to view to other areas of the utopian community and bring forth the cliff forms and intricate patterns. This deck is just below the top of the cliff so a more intimate space where the wind is protected but can get close to the nature of cliff rock wall. The orange deck is a designated spot to view out to the Kangaroo Point. I've place the top module to restrict the viewing back to the Utopian Community but draw more attention out to the river in particular Kangaroo Point and the Story Bridge. This is a great view to get people relaxed before the next landing which is the entrance to the main reception leading into the museum. There is then internal ramp and circulations which further teaches people about the spaces of multiculture and creating a learning environment.

There is other landings that frame views between modules and looking out into the CBD (middle purple); the middle landing between the two middle modules. This has a clear directed view out and a view to look up and see other ramp circulations and a view back to the cliff. Here they experience all the different types of views. This is a medium landing to let other commuters to continue walking or just to stop for a small amount of time. This directs them to continue throughout the Wellness Clinic. There are other opportunities to stop longer at the next (grey landing) which can be used for parents to sit or partners of pregnant women in this yoga suite. This enables families to feel secure with one lookers of their own. It can be cut off if not desired and depending on the particular activity taking place.