Architecture and the City DAB525
Reflective Journal
Dennis Hill n7128338
Week 1: History of the City
Reflection:
Apart from a brief explanation of the unit at a glance we covered some prominent architect’s concept of “Architecture, what is architecture, and some basic concepts on what constitute a city - e.g.: buildings, open spaces infrastructure, political, economical, social and cultural influences etc..... We touched briefly on the city as a living organism, how a city comes to be, how it is used throughout time and even how sometimes it dissolves.
I can relate much of this lecture to some of my travels throughout Europe in ancient cities like Rome and Athens where there is a very tangible difference between periods of time and city uses. Rome, in particular, as we all know was once the most powerful city in the world. Today it is just another European city. Although this lecture was a brief overview I look forward to future lectures and gaining the tools to correctly analyse a city.
Homework:
My thoughts on the images of the building complex by the lake: An obtrusive building set amongst an almost residential surround. Mountains in the background and residential structures might suggest it is located around Switzerland? Could be a cultural centre? Regardless, it looks completely out of place and dominates the picturesque surroundings in a brutal style.
Week 2: Perception of the City
Reflection:
This week’s lecture on the perception of the city raised a query for me: How do I personally see a city? For me each city that I have ever visited is a series of landmarks in my memory. I guess if we use Lynch’s concepts of nodes, paths, districts and edges – I would have to call it nodes for me.
Walkshop:
For me the city "walkshop" helped to raise awareness of the varied socio-cultural zones within the city cbd. I also took a greater interest in scaling of the build environment and it's relationship to human scale.
Our route started toward King George Square via the cycleway under the Riverside Express.
For many years there has been a "neglected" aura in this area, and today was no different. This cycleway could be considered as an "EDGE" because of the relationship to the river. We then arrived at King George Square and began analysis.
King George Square:
Our route started toward King George Square via the cycleway under the Riverside Express.
For many years there has been a "neglected" aura in this area, and today was no different. This cycleway could be considered as an "EDGE" because of the relationship to the river. We then arrived at King George Square and began analysis.
King George Square:
- Category = Square
- Gathering Place
- Ritual and Interaction
- Sense of Belonging
- Versatility
- Dominated Square (Terminal Exit)
- Contains a Landmark (Steel Balls)
Analysing King George Square
Notes "on-the-run".
Building scale (looking north along George St towards Roma St).
King George Square analysis (built, pedestrial, transport, landmark).
We continued up George Street and our tutor raised a question as we passed the courthouse: Is the entrance courtyard a public place or a private place?
I beleive that it is meant to be a public place, and yes, some people do use it as such. However, due to the criminal stigma attached to the courthouse - not many people stop to enjoy this area. Therefore, it has become, a private enterance to the courthouse - used largely as a path or transit to the courthouse foyer.
Our "Walkshop" route.
We entered Roma Street Station and boarded a train to Brunswick Street Station.
There was a noticable difference in the presence of these to stations. Roma Street Station is a major node that services the North West area of Brisbane's CBD. The Terminal Structure is a very large, almost brutalist building that dwarfs its much older reincarnation (which still exists behind the new terminal). In contrast, the Brunswick Street Terminal is hidden within the existing commercial buildings. You really have to look hard to find it! Why is it so when the Brunswick Street Station must surely cater for similar numbers of travellers? Perhaps the Valley area was never expected to become as popular as it has over the past 15 or so years due to its colourful past and socio-cultural stigma?
From here we entered the Brunswick Street Mall.
Buildings in this area remain largely unchanged and represent an interesting mix of eras, and due to this, appears to attract people of all economic classes. Perhaps they feel comfortable, or feel a sense of belonging to this area. The presence of law enforcement in this entertainemnt node is strong, and perhaps this would make it seem safe to the homeless population that inhabit the area. This is obviously a very different "zone" of the city.
We headed along Brunswick Street toward the Petrie Bight / Howard Smith Warves area of the Brisbane River, the site for our proposed architectural folie. Recent flood damage has made this site inaccessable to the public. We were left to analyse the area at a distance - not an ideal situation for a thorough site analysis considering I have never been through this area.
Our Site for the Architectural Folie.
At first glance this is a very promising site with unlimited potential for improvement, however, access is unclear, especially from the street above. It would be a good opportunity to preserve history whilst also providing an exciting, new experience for the users of the Howard Smith Warves.
Week 3: Elements of the City
Reflection:
This week’s lecture on the elements of a city reflected back to some of the issues that we touched on in the first lecture. The most recurrent building typologies interested me, and the fact that a city has the obvious elements: Buildings, streets, parks etc is too obvious. When we look deeper we realise that a city has feeling, culture, typologies and character. The myriad of differences in roads e.g. avenues, boulevards which are attributed to the services that they have to accommodate is something I never considered past an aesthetic nod.
Tutorial Drawing Exercises:
A practice in mapping progress: Focussed on Brisbane CBD.
Week 4: Urban Analysis
Reflection:
This week we had to choose a city on which to conduct research for our upcoming assignment. I joined the group “Inter-American Highway” formed a group and eventually decided on Guatemala, Mexico.
Tutorial Drawing Exercises:
Based on Brisbane CBD
Week 5: Design of the City
Reflection:
Design of the city focussed on the design layout of cities. Four prominent grid styles were covered in the lecture: Roman (based on 2 major intersecting axis roads), Spanish (as per Roman but rotated 45 degrees), American (North-South grid approx 6 miles square per block), and British Grid – a much more complex grid that incorporates an inner city surrounded by an outer sprawl to accommodate growth. What is Brisbane’s Grid? I would have to say British Grid?
Tutorial: Based around assignment.
My group and I have opted for a change in cities. Guatemala has proven difficult and refuses to accommodate us with research material. We are now basing our assignment on Monterrey City, Mexico. A quick Google Earth of the city has revealed some interesting elements that could be worth researching.
Week 6: Around the world in 8 cities
Reflection:
Lecture began with some points on the requirements of our assignment. Following that we looked at 8 very different cities from around the world.
Assignment Progress:
Progress is slow at this stage. We each have our set tasks and are working on them individually. For my part, I have the required research material and have my text organised. I also have to produce a mock-up layout for our poster. But my most pressing task is to document all of the building heights in our 600m x 600m square of Monterrey. I am using Google street view to map this information – slow going indeed!
My colour coded building heights map.
Week 7: Cities and Desire
Reflection:
I missed the lecture and tutorial this week as I was stuck in the workshop all day waiting for a laser-cutter to become available. The risk is too large to leave the room and miss out. Finally we have the laser-cut components and we can begin to piece together our model. We have chosen to use clear acrylic for our buildings and the supplied MDF for our base. This should give us a nice clean look.
Assignment Progress:
We are seeing some great progress now and most of the text is complete. My initial mock-up has been rejected and revised.
My initial mock-up
Model – Laser-cut pieces.
Model finished.
Week 8: City Exhibition
Reflection:
We are very proud of what we achieved as a group and of the finished product. We received many compliments are hopeful of a good grading.
Whilst we received compliments from our peers, we also have feedback that will improve our layout for the digital submission including adjustments to our nolli map regarding scale.
Note: Andrew did a great job of explaining our presentation to the tutor.
Final Presentation
Week 9: Labour Day
Week 10: Cities and Memory
Reflection:
This week’s lecture was about the links between places and memories. This is yet another issue that needs careful consideration when urban planning. Societies Memories revolve around heritage and history and can be either; mono- dimensional (audible, music, sounds, etc), bi-dimensional (visual, paintings, etc), tri-dimensional (tactile, sculptures, etc), or quad-dimensional (architecture as it exists in time being the 4th dimension).
I have to indulge and reflect this lecture back to my experience in Rome; I remember vividly the feeling that I got when I walked across the 2000+ year-old marble floor tiles of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill and thought to myself, “I could be walking on the exact spot where Julius Caesar walked!” – A very powerful memory! Rome is full of them.
The examples of project 3 shown in the lecture have inspired me in regards to layout and content.
Week 11: Architecture & Architecture
Reflection:
I did not attend this week’s lecture as looming assignments have kept me from the commute. I think that it is fair to mention that to attend a lecture at this stage of the semester – It will take at least 7 hours out of my day. Most of it in travel (Sunshine Coast – Brisbane – Sunshine Coast). It is much more viable for me to stay at my PC.
I did however peruse Peter Richards Lecture slides.
Assignment Progress:
Big dramas this week as I chose to aim my assignment at a residential typology and how it relates to its context. Big mistake! There is absolutely no research material on Monterrey residential homes and layouts of the period in which I’m searching. I have checked Google Scholar, regular Google, QUT library and the QUT journal search etc. NOTHING!!!!!!
I have since decided to select a prominent architectural feature of Monterrey City – the Paseo Santa Lucia (Santa Lucia Canal), a man-made canal that stretches 1.55 Miles and plays host to a myriad of cultural paintings, sculptures and fountains. I have been able to find 2 reputable websites so far...
Paseo Santa Lucia
Week 12: Eco Cities
Reflection:
I can’t help to compare these idealistic views of eco cities to some of the utopian cities conjured up by master architects of the past. Are they really viable? I know we must pursue these ideas in order to secure a sustainable future, but when you deal with the human element – with so many variables, can it really work. Consider some of the failures of the past in attempting to provide a speculative approach to living. LeCorbusier’s utopian schemes, in particular, come to mind.
I know that this was maybe not the point of the lecture, but it has helped me to appreciate what we are learning about here. It is not until I looked at the failures of the past that I can see the massive importance of this subject.
Assignment Progress:
Nothing exiting to report here, I have started to work on layout at this stage. Usable text has been hard to find.
Layout so far.
Week 13: Cities and Signs
Reflection:
I was unable to attend due to a more pressing Architectural Technology assignment due. I have perused the Week 13 Lecture on Blackboard and my comments on the pictures from week 1 and my comment remains the same. The structure still appears unsympathetic to many of the issues covered in this unit. I can’t say how the local community feels about it or weather it has enriched their lives, but to me, it looks wrong.
Assignment Progress:
Almost there! I have only my text to finalise now. And, of course, my referencing!
