Exciting discovery!

Did anyone else know about this?  The Old Vic has taken over disused tunnels under Waterloo station for performance space, underground artists in residence, parties, etc. Fantastic!

http://oldvictunnels.com/

Cycle Parking Solution

Covered cycle storage (Leiden) and footpath solution for areas where
there is a lack of cycle parking within pedestrian footpaths

Cycle Lane Improvements

As this week it was mainly about the Cycle Lanes I thought it would be useful to add a graphic representation of the introduction of new cycle lanes within the existing corridors where the wide pedestrian footpaths allow for this change.

Mitti

Cycle Lanes introduction for new Cycling routes along the main corridors

Cristina Amico – Design Theory – Gordon Cullen

From “Concise Townscape”

Cullen talks about the VISUAL IMPACT which a city has on those who live in it or visit it.

There is an ART OF RELATIONSHIP ( just as there is an art of architecture): to take all the elements that go to create the environment and to weave them together in such a way that drama is released.

PLIABILITY is the scientific solution, and precisely in the MANIPULATION OF THIS PLIABILITY that the Art of Relationship is made possible.

The aim is NOT TO dictate the shape of the town or environment, but simply MANIPULATE within the tolerances. This is possible by turning to the FACULTY OF SIGHT. Vision evokes our memories and experiences, those responsive emotions inside us which have the power to disturb the mind when aroused. So, if the environment is going to produce an emotional reaction, it is up to us to try to understand the 3 WAYS in which this happens:

1) Concerning OPTICS: The human minds reacts to a contrast, to a difference between things. This is the DRAMA OF JUXTAPOSITION. CREATING SERIAL VISION: Series of jerks or revelations. From our optical point of view we define two elements: existing view and emerging view. To walk from one end of the plan to another, at a uniform pace, will provide a sequence of revelations. The even progress of travel is illuminated by a series of sudden contrasts and so an impact is made on the eye, bringing the plan to life.

In a chain of events, the significance which may arise is fortuitous, but if we MANIPULATE THE LINKING OF VIEWS we find a tool with which human imagination can begin to mould the city into a coherent drama.

2) Concerning PLACE: Our reaction to the position of our body in its environment. Human beings feel the need for a sense of place and this sense of identity is coupled with an awareness of elsewhere. A person in street or square that he is in IT or entering IT or leaving IT. He will postulate a HERE no sooner than automatically creating a THERE.

POSSESSION: Out-of-doors is colonized for social and business purposes.

Some forms of possession:

- Occupied territory (shade,shelter, amenity and convenience)

- Advantage : there are line of advantage which can be colonized, the line along the parapet of a bridge which people seem to prefer for the sake of the immediacy of its view, for instance.

- Focal point, coupled with enclosure as an artifact of possession, it is the vertical symbol of congregation

- Indoor landscape: if the outdoors is colonized then the people will attempt to humanize the landscape in just the same way they they do for the interiors. We can therefore call it Outdoor room. Together with enclosure, is the most powerful of all the devices to instil the sense of position, of identity with the surrounding;

- Closure: is the creation of a break in the street which, whilst containing the eye, does not block out the sense of progression beyond;

- Anticipation: HERE is known but the beyond is unknown, is mysterious, or is hidden

- Linking and joining: the floor: as our purpose is to try to bring all parts of the environment together into dramatic relationship so that to form coherent chords and sequences, the floor is the simplest form. Floor must intrigue the eye in the same way buildings do, creating a unity in texture and colour.

- Pedestrian ways: the pedestrian network links town together in a viable pattern: it links place to place by steps, bridge and distinctive floor pattern. Sometime brash and extrovert, it may synchronize with the great traffic routes or with shops and offices, at other times it may be withdrawn and leafy, but it must be a connected whole.

3) Concerning CONTENT: Examine the fabric of the towns: colours, texture, scale, style, character and uniqueness. Avoiding conformity manipulating the nuances, JUXTAPOSING THEM IN ORDER TO CREATE COLLECTIVE BENEFITS.

Dumitru Furnea - Design Theory - Roger Trancik

My design theorist gave me inspiration for a critique of the existing open spaces and the reasons behind the issues of open spaces within the E&C area and overall on the entire site.

Please read below:

Cities and the Lost space...

Criticism through exploration of Functionalism and Functionalists

Without polemics, Roger Trancik addresses the biggest issue in architecture and urbanism today: how can we regain in our shattered cities a public realm that is made of firmly shaped, coherently linked, humanly meaningful urban spaces?

Twentieth century urban space is closely related to the almost universal acceptance of the Functionalist Program for architecture and Landscape Architecture – a program based on pure forms and unbounded, democratic or flowing space.

The movement started in Germany, Austria, France and The Netherlands during the 1920s and mainly offered fast and economical construction.

In the Modern era, mid 20^th century, regionalism and environmental identity were ignored. Architects and Landscape Architects reduced the condition to formal, abstract considerations resulting in exciting designs on paper but yielding segregated urban buildings and spaces. Somehow the ideals of free flowing spaces have evolved in to our present situation of individual buildings isolated in parking lots and access routes and highways. Public spaces merely serve the utilitarian function with little regard for the quality of the trip.

The Bauhaus is the most influential force of the Functionalism. Its aim was to unite art and technology under a purified aesthetic that removed all ornament and articulation from form and stressed the beauty of expressed function.

After the Functionalism suffered from avant-garde movements and overtones of the intellectual elitism the functionalists under the Bauhaus movement made a clear distinction between architecture and building.  Landscape Architects made a difference between landscaping and architectural design.

Tom Wolf said that the Bauhaus rejected all things “bourgeois” and functionalism became one of several euphemisms for non bourgeois.

De Stijl, pretty similar to Bauhaus followed the evolution as human self-improvement through art and design as a by-product, which had a profound effect on spatial attitudes of western culture in the 20^th century.

Le Corbusier as the third major contributor force in development of 20^th century space brought the 3 principles which influenced the modern urban space:

1.    The linear and nodal building as a large scale urban element applied to define districts or social units

2.    The vertical separation of movement systems – an outcome of Le Corbusier’s fascination with highways and the city of the future

3.    The openings up of urban space to allow for free flowing landscape, sun and light.

Together these 3 movements have had a major role in shaping modern urban space. The problem lies in the emphasis of the individual building at the expense of the space around it. The marriage of form and technology has been dramatically reexported to the urban form of developing countries with the sad result that all settlements have begun to look alike with almost every city with its core of lost space.

Recent criticism has clearly documented the impact of Functionalist thinking on the architectural forms. Functionalist thinking has also a great impact on the entire public exterior environment and has contributed to the current problem of urban spaces in which the connectivity between urban spaces and ultimately between buildings has suffered. Of course increase in the vehicle traffic and continuous rising number of cities’ population made this even more obvious making these issues more demanding for change.

A young group of Modernists attempted to redefine the principles and formal expression of urban space. They formed “The Group of Ten” or formally known as “Team 10 Primer” and published documents with the group’s philosophy in which is outlined their attitude about place definition and issues surrounding the design of urban space in response to the rules and disciplines within the context. A key word in their vocabulary was “Humanism”.

Since Team 10 there have been several groups who have examined the assumptions of Functionalism. A reconstructed Functionalism, rationalism promotes a concern for public open space over a preoccupation with the surrounding buildings.

But it’s not only the Functionalist ideology that has produces the lost space in the contemporary city. Ideals of social hygiene through abandonment of the city – the garden city/new town/suburban concepts – also directed attention away from the central city. As manifestations of ideas for social hygiene, the urban renewal projects of the 60s were undertaken with the idea that only by starting from scratch could the ills of the city be resolved. Zoning also destroyed the integrity of urbanism by separating functions that had traditionally been integrated into the total urban way of life. The needs for automobiles created the suburbanisation and increased mobility.

The high rise as an emblem of corporate success, furthermore, has produced cities of competing towers instead of cities of integrated spaces.

As a conclusion, there were many movements within the Functionalism movement since it started in 1920s and improved as it went along the process but the state of many of the existing places are a result of the Functionalist principles.

The main issue that it created is the lack of connectivity between spaces, disorientation of the pedestrians and the priority of the vertical over the horizontal. It is hard to make changes within the spaces created under these principles but the general hope is that many of the segregated open spaces still have potential for connectivity. The building facades can contribute towards the exploration of the open spaces designs giving guidance for colours and materials for better integration, with some of the buildings becoming expandable for the greater good of the city...

The Design Code

It took me longer than I thought but here it is:
The Design Code covering the whole Masterplan in relation to what we want to achieve.
Apologies if I didn't involve you in this but I thought that working alone on this would make it faster and more accurate. Of course, if you find it incomplete or you want to add or change the information feel free to do it.
Once we agree on the final version it should go as a document on skype. I have the word document already structured and formatted so any other addition or change would be easy to alter and post it on skydrive afterwards.

(Mitti)

The Code sets out both mandatory and advisory rules that ensure the vision of the masterplan is implemented.

It is intended to provide greater certainty to developers, designers and the local community as to the quality and character of individual parcels and their connections to the rest of the development and the greater context in acknowledging the likely development timescale.

The code must allow for a level of flexibility in order to respond to the changing local needs, market, regulatory and planning conditions over time. It is recognised that it may need to be updated over time to reflect these changes.

The result of this consultation/agreement process is an Illustrative Masterplan which demonstrates how the application of the Strategic Design Codes and Outline Development Plan can come together to produce a coherent physical, economic, social and environmental design for the neighbourhood.

The Strategic Design Code and Development Plan are aimed at delivering the key development principles for the project.

These have been developed in response to the vision for the area as set out in the Masterplan.

Design Principles

The following key design principles have been established:

v  Use & Amount

v  Layout

v  Scale

v  Landscape

v  Appearance

v  Access

v  Sustainability & Energy

Use and Amount

1.    Appropriate and Sustainable Mix

1.1. Use types and amounts which reflect a mix of factors including planning policies, local aspirations and market emands.

2.    Contextual Response

2.1. Disposition of the uses and amount in response to the surrounding context and the nature of each Character Area as set out in the next section.

3.    Residential-led Mixed Use Development

3.1. Create new neighbourhoods with a variety of complimentary uses which meets the needs of both short-term visitors and long-term residents;

3.2. Provide a mix of uses, both horizontally across the site and vertically across buildings, that reflects the transition cross the site from pubic, vibrant quayside to residential zones.

4.    Public Realm

4.1. Provide specific uses which reinforce the nature and enhance the quality of the public realm;

4.2. Active quayside that incorporates retails and tourist attractions;

4.3. A residential heart at the centre of the new neighbourhoods with residential frontages.

5.    Flexibility

5.1. Provide plot and block layouts which allow for flexibility in use over time;

5.2. Flexibility specifically at ground level along key public spaces and main routes.

6.    Housing Mix

6.1. Provide an appropriate mix of housing types, tenure and sizes that caters for local needs, including an appropriate amount of wheelchair accessible homes and affordable housing;

6.2. Provide housing that responds in type, scale and density to the nature of its character area;

6.3. Homes that meet appropriate sustainability standards.

Design Principles: Layout

1.    Masterplan Grid

1.1. Provide clear and legible structure that integrates the link roads;

1.2. Provide clear and strong connections within and beyond the masterplan;

1.3. Create plot structure which corresponds to the masterplan grid and key routes;

1.4. Establish a logical scale of plots that reflects the use and amount disposition within the masterplan.

2.    Character Area

2.1. Create character areas that reflect the varied vision and relationship with the immediate context;

2.2. Provide clear identity to each character area while maintaining a cohesive approach to the overall masterplan.

3.    Linked Spaces

3.1. Provide a hierarchy of streets which are clearly legible;

3.2. Provide routes that are pedestrian and cyclist-friendly and help define the nature of the spaces and uses along them.

4.    Place-making

4.1. Create places with identity that reflect the importance of their locations, through placement of key buildings and treatment of building frontages;

4.2. Create well-defined public spaces within the masterplan which link into the pedestrian network;

4.3. Allow for appropriate layout and relationship between different uses so they do not compromise one another.

5.    Residential Quality

5.1. Design homes of high quality;

5.2. Create quality residential environments through block layouts that ensure appropriate levels of privacy and access to daylight;

5.3. Create clear boundaries between public and private spaces.

6.    Safe and Secure Environment

6.1. Provide well defined routes, spaces and entrances that provide for convenient movement without compromising security;

6.2. Structure the layout so that different uses do not cause conflict;

6.3. Place specific uses to introduce a level of activity which is appropriate to their locations;

6.4. Ensure all publicly accessible spaces are overlooked.

1.    Design Principles: Scale

2.    Contextual Response

2.1. Create massing that reflects the varied vision and relationship with the immediate context.

3.    Defining Public Realm

3.1. Create a massing strategy that reinforces the significance and legibility of the public realm

3.2. Create a strong edge to the new link road, establishing the wider significance of this link and marking the boundary of the neighbourhood.

4.    Appropriate Scale in Use Terms

4.1. Appropriate scale to create buildings and public realm fit for their purpose.

5.    Appropriate Density Distribution

5.1. Ensure appropriate distribution of housing numbers, type, tenure and density that responds to the nature of the character area and surroundings.

6.    Creating Accents and Focuses

6.1. Create identity for the development through the use of taller/ landmark structures at key points within the masterplan, which is complementary to the new bridge; and

6.2. Mark the development gateways and other key focal points with buildings of appropriate scale.

7.    Varied Roofscape

7.1. Create a variety of storey heights that provides visual interest.

1.    Design Principles: Access

2.    Permeability

2.1. Public routes through the site with a permeable and a flexible network that different people can use in different ways.

3.    Appropriate Scale in Use Terms

3.1. Promote movement that is not restricted to the boundaries of the sites;

3.2. Improved links with the surrounding areas;

3.3. Links into existing streets and places to provide an appropriate degree of permeability and create direct routes for walking and cycling.

4.    Appropriate Density Distribution

4.1. A combined consideration for car-based and non-car movement as an integrated approach that fosters a modal shift to greener and more sustainable modes of transport;

4.2. A pleasant and convenient environment for walking and cycling and good public transport.

5.    Inclusive Place-making

5.1. A humane streetscape which is conducive to walking and cycling;

5.2. Places are connected with safe routes which are well overlooked;

5.3. Welcoming with no disabling barriers that might exclude some people.

6.    Shared Routes

6.1. Routes are shared instead of segregated to create safer places;

6.2. Where there is an area of shared space, for example in the mews street, there will be clearly designated ‘safe space’ areas for pedestrian use.

Design Principles: Sustainability & Energy

1.    Water

1.1. Minimise the use and disposal of water

2.    Waste and Energy in Construction

2.1. Reduce waste and energy through all phases of the project.

3.    Materials

3.1. Ensure whole life environmental impacts are considered when specifying materials and construction techniques.

4.    Waste

4.1. Adopt a Reduce, Reuse, Recycling approach to waste management across the development.

5.    Transport and Movement

5.1. Encourage the use of low carbon modes of transport across the site.

Street Types

Spatial definition should where possible be achieved with street tree planting and by applying the appropriate dimensions. Where facades of buildings lining the road are greater than 36m apart there should be provided an additional treelined pedestrian route (for example the ‘Green finger’).

Tree Species:

1.    Tree planting : semi mature London Planes (Platanus x hispanica Acerifolia (min 30-35cm girth) planted in opposite pairs at 10m intervals. Species and specification approved as part of Bridge Contract.

2.    Carpinus betulus (Hornbeam) 25-30cm girth min, specimen tree. 4 x transplant

3.    Prunus avium (Cherry) ‘Plena’ 25-30cm girth min, specimen tree. 4 x transplant.

4.    Acer platanoides spp 25-30cm girth min, specimen tree. 4 x transplant.

5.    Sorbus Aria (Whitebeam) 25-30cm girth min, specimen tree. 4 x transplant.

6.    Quercus rubra (Red Oak) 25-30cm girth

7.   

Shrub Species:

1.    Carpinus betulus

2.    Euonymus ovatus

3.    Elaeagnus commutata

4.    Prunus lauocerasus ssp

Idea for the E&C stage area. Not sure how sound the theory is - it's still a roundabout, but not as we know it, now more of an amphitheatre - public square/performance space. The red bits are 'curtains' (some kind of metal screens), and potential for grafitti walls under the bridges. Still needs a lot of working through...

There's major potential for 'dressing up' the surrounding buildings as 'scenery' - regularly changing for different shows. The shopping centre I would redevelop as mixed use - retail (covered market and 'artisan' shops - Spitalfields more than Westfield!), studio units and residential. And how about a Southwark branch of the Brixton Remakery (http://remakery.posterous.com/pages/about) - they could do the set dressing??

Trail ideas

Some more ideas for the trail - different parts of the route would be focussed around different arts. The themes are taken from the courses run by Southwark College and are linked (sometimes quite loosely) to the areas in which they are, e.g.performance on S. Bank, millinery/fashion on Hatfields (originally home to hat makers), catering with the restaurants, film next to the film studios, photography near the old Colorama photo processing building, media with the college of communication... (not too sure about floristry though!).

Historic map #2

Here's the map overlay showing the old Broad Wall route - much more prominent in 1870 than it is now, and right where we are now proposing our walking/cycle route.
(If you're having trouble working it out, it's the road down the middle with the bends in; pink is current and the overlay is the historic map)

Lend Lease proposals for E&C

Summary:

• value: £1.5bn
• due for completion: 2025
• around 2,800 new homes, new shops and restaurants.
• new parks and squares.
• Improvements to roads, public transport, pedestrian and cycle routes.
• Net zero carbon growth

Area

• 10.2 hectares
• 2,800,000 sq ft residential   [don't you just love the way we can't work out whether to be metric or imperial?!]
• 50,000 sq ft office and workspace
• 150,000 sq ft retail, community, leisure and restaurant

The scheme aims to "create a new environment serving the needs of the existing community and expanding future population, by way of an integrated approach to living, shopping, downtime and work.

"The challenge is to build on the areas strengths and overcome its challenges to create a new district of central London whilst retaining its uniquely diverse South London identity. 

"The scheme will re-establish a new public realm of squares and streets, which mirrors the old Georgian street network and reintegrates the new development with its surrounding city context. "

More info at:
http://www.lendlease.com/en/Group/Lend-Lease/EMEA/United%20Kingdom/Projects/elephant-and-castle-regeneration.aspx

What there isn't is any info on income generation. Will keep looking!

Proposed Cycle Route

The Elephant Trail!