Project One Statement

W.U.C.E (Woodford University of Culture and the Environment) is an architectural proposition based on future visions; a response to the predicted needs of upcoming generations. By the year 2020, it is proposed that a reverse will have occurred in the trend of urbanization. This 'ruralisation' is caused by a number of factors including the soaring cost of urban living, the inability of the urban environment to cope with bulging populations and a growth in the agricultural sector amid fears of peak food. Another key reason behind this shift is the dramatic rise in technology which has enabled immediate, reliable, long distance communication. This allows rural residents to maintain a strong connection with the urban environment while being able to enjoy a peaceful country setting.

Week 6 - Reflection

The following image is the final presentation for project 1

Presentation Panel - W.U.C.E.

Design Charette 4 - Architectural Possibilities

The last design charette before the interim presentation explored the architectural possibilities associated with our future vision.

Firstly, with the increase in people moving to rural settings, people will be willing to learn about the environment and all the associated aspects

Secondly, as people move apart, events designed to bring people back together will gain momentum and feature regularly in the social calendars of future beings.

There the proposal of a university allows A broad range of facilities be provided. As the festival shall remain the cornerstone of woodfordia, all buildings placed on the site should be designed for usage during the main folk festival as well as function as inspirational, sustainable everyday teaching spaces.

Week 5 - Reflection

This weeks lecture was presented by Phil Crowther and investigated the transformation of Manhattan from the development of the Highline. The Highline is a redeveloped train line which runs through the industrial region of Manhattan.

Week 4 - Reflection

This weeks lecture introduced the concept of people and lifestyles in future scenarios and concepts to consider. A simple way to describe a character is by explaing: who, what, when, where, how and why.

Design Charette 3 - People & Lifestyles

The week four, design charette 3, saw us investigating the people and lifestyles we envisage in our future scenario. For this task our group created 2 characters which we could plot a life for.

Character 1: Sasha

- With the ruralisation of Australia, social networking and events become more prominent and regular to allow former urban occupants to maintain their social and cultural lifestyle.

- Sasha envisages running her own festival in the near future and enrolls into the event management course at Woodfordia

- Woodfordia college allows Sasha to maintain her sustainable lifestyle while learn from and contribute to the success of Woodford folk festival.

Character 2: James

- middle aged family man with a high paying corporate job

- due to technology advances his work offers him the option to work from home (aspatial everywhere)

- this presents the opportunity for him and his family to live the idyllic rural lifestyle (urban form and location)

- cheap vacant mine sites entices the family to move rural.

- however, a lack of knowledge of the land prompts James to undertake some further education in land management and revitalization, an area Woodford has received many accolades for.

Design Charette 2 - Sustainable Futures

The week 3 studio was our first introduction to our theme group - Regional.  The Regional theme is based around a development for the site, Woodfordia, which hosts the Woodford Folk Festival over the Christmas/New Year period annually amongst other events. While the site does host several festivals throughout the year, the intent is to propose a development which will provide a year round income for the organisation.  Key to any proposal is the organisations 500 year plan for the site:

• We recognise, appreciate and graciously receive gifts from our ancestors. We understand these are the gifts of lore and the celebration of our existence.
• We aim to gift future generations a clean slate: an organisation unencumbered with financial social or environmental debt.
• We’ll cultivate a convention of decision making, strengthening through time, that will resonate in our work and nurture our future.
• We’ll plant a forest of goodwill and benefit from its shade.
• We will build with the eyes of artists.
• We’ll provide space for our descendants to meet the challenges of their generations with vigour, courage and imagination and encourage them to celebrate their journeys with levity and frivolity.

More information about the site and festival can be found at: http://www.woodfordfolkfestival.com/

http://www.woodfordia.com/

The activity undertaken during the studio focused on creating design principles, or sustainable principles.  The end result of our groups work was very similar to town planning policy.

Week 3 - Readings Reflection

This weeks activities included 2 readings, both of which had links into previous readings.  The first reading, The Aspatial City by Zelfde proposes the idea that distance is a concept that no longer exists due to the improvements in technology.  The reading investigates the concept that through technology, and the 'real time' publishing capabilities, people are so closely connected to one another that the physical distance between people no longer exists, or atleast exists as a constraint on communicating.

This article, combined with some thoughts from the previous reading, Urban Form & Locality by Barton, has informed a possible future vision & scenario.  With the constantly improvement in technology, and in some instances this is happening already, the possibility of working from home becomes a reality in the future.  The decentralisation of Central Business Districts.  And then the next step.....

The 'Urban to Rural Migration'

If people can work from home, maintaining jobs, a presence at work through the capabilities of technology, then what would prevent a shift towards rural living.  As Barton (2005) claims, living in a rural setting reflects the aspirationg of the consumer society.

So if in fact people do want to live rurally, and technology begins to allow people to work from outside the office, then the possibility of a urban to rural migration in the future may become more then a mere possibility, but a future reality.

The second reading for the week, Shearing Layers by Brand (1997), explores the layers within a building, including the systems required in buildings and the evoloution over the years.  Again this reading has a connection with previous readings, and also the proposed, Woodfordia.  The article by Brand (1997) highlights the need for buildings to be flexible in order to enable to constant change of systems and uses within a building, a concept heavily investiged in the first reading of the semester, Beyond Architecture by .........  However the concept I found more significant was the importance placed on site, and the infinite timeline associated with site.  This concept is extremely relevant when proposing development for the site at Woodfordia.  This concept is also relevant when proposing a future urban to rural migration.  The significance of the land and land management will become more evident then ever before and portraying this through a development at Woodfordia could be crucial.

References:

Brand, S., 1997. Shearing Layers, in How buildings learn : what happens after they’re built, London: Phoenix Illustrated. pp12-23

Zelfde, J. V., 2012. "The aspatial city." The continuous partial everywhere.
available from: http://juhavantzelfde.com/post/23506562343/the-aspatial-city.

Week 2 Summary

Week 2 was still introductory in nature with information presented about the themes for our project.  We have been given the choice of; Urban, Suburban, Regional, and Virtual.  The two topics which stand out to me are Urban and Regional and fortunately I was able to be placed in the Regional theme.

Our studio again introduced us to all themes asking us to look into future scenarios for each theme.  In groups of 4, we discussed possible scenarios, all which seemed to have a grim outlook on our future (This studio topic will be discussed in greater detail in a later post).

This negative view was also evident in an associated reading for the week by Motavalli titled: A History of Greenwashing: How Dirty Towels Impacted the Green Movement.  This article looks at how large corporations are beginning to use 'green' actions in order to benefit their business. It challenges the authenticity of some people’s willingness to become green.  Whether they are in it to help the environment, or for financial gain.  Either way I believe any move towards more environmentally sustainable developments is a positive, if someone is smart enough to gain financially then congratulations is in order.

This week’s major reading investigated urban form and locality, linking strongly to the regional theme which is investigating regional development.  The article by Barton (Urban Form and Locality, 2000) begins with the argument of dispersal versus concentration.  Interestingly the argument for dispersal claims that only by decentralisation can we become truly self sufficient (Barton, 2000).  Self sufficiency is a key topic of the regional theme and links with the environmentally conscious views of key stakeholders of the proposed site at Woodford.  On the contrary, a key argument for the concentration of cities is the opportunity densification creates for creative and dynamic activity and a rich and diverse cultural life, principles also key to the success of Woodfordia.  This article has presented interesting arguments relating to land use and form and will relate strongly to the upcoming project at Woodfordia.

References:

Barton, H., 2000. Urban form and locality. In H. Barton, ed. Sustainable communities: the potential for eco-neighbourhoods. London: Earthscan, pp. 105-122

Motavalli, J., 2011. A History of Greenwashing: How Dirty Towels Impacted the Green Movement. Accessed 28 July 2012.
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/12/the-history-of-greenwashing-how-dirty-towels-impacted-the-green/

Design Charette 1 - Social & Cultural Contexts

The first design charrette for the semester investigated possible future visions and scenarios and the associated social and cultural contexts.  In a group of 5, several ideas were discussed, many with a grim outlook on the future ahead.  The main overarching theme (or element) in each idea was technology.  In particular the unknown future and endless possibilities of where technology can lead us in times to come made this task challenging.  The following video is just an example of the possible futures technology is capable of presenting us.

 http://www.ted.com/talks/pranav_mistry_the_thrilling_potential_of_sixthsense_technology.html

One concept included:

The possibility of technology imbedded in each person with the ability to monitor health.  This would reduce the reliance on medical services for diagnosis and allow medical personnel to concentrate on fixing any problems.  Several implications would arise not only in the built environment but could be socially and culturally unacceptable for some portions of society.  However it could also impact positively by reducing the present gap in health conditions between different sectors of society.  So…. could something as small as this divide society? Or could it in fact bring society together?

This concept definitely explored the future capabilities of technology and leads to some more research into the exponential growth of technology.  Again this thought of exponential growth lead to the grim view of our future.  A key question arises relating to exponential growth in a finite environment.  A topic way over my head.

Some interesting articles:

http://www.albartlett.org/articles/art_forgotten_fundamentals_part_4.html

http://www.kurzweilai.net/the-law-of-accelerating-returns

Week 1 - Readings

The week 1 reading, Beyond Architecture (2005), by Sadler, focuses heavily on designing for the future, linking strongly to the theme for this semester, Architecture Fiction.  While the article was extremely confusing at times, one key topic was prevelant.  Change is inevitable.  It is how we, as architects, chose to foster development, and provide infrastructure easily adaptable to changes that will determine the way we live in years to come.  By creating flexible spaces, not specialised facilities we can cater for the inevitable change which will occur in the future.

On the contrary though, it is important we still design life into our entities and refrain from designing blank boxes which can house any use.  Moving forward, architects will need to find the line between flexibility in buildings and user specific space and be able to design for both.

Week 1 - Introduction

Hello all,

DAB810 has begun! This weeks lecture was introductory in nature and exposed us to the thought of designing for future scenarios.  A thought never considered by myself until the inception of this class.  My personal view until now has very much been focusing on deisgning for the now.  However this weeks lecture and subsequent readings and supporting information have exposed me to the endless possibilities of the future.  So who knows where this will lead me but nonetheless im excited and can't wait to begin.

Luke