scholarly journals Design dialogues. Ambiguity of “Design” within Architectural Studio

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Annabel C. Pretty ◽  
Peter McPherson

<p>The ambiguous nature of the word “design” offers up a complex dialectic dialogue for the architectural studio lecturers to impart to their students. Discussing the “design”, more commonly referred to as the programme or scheme, is quite a different beast to the process or design methodologies the students use to create an architectural proposition or “design”. Clarity around this notion of design as both the process, in being design-led, and also as the end result, becomes a necessary task for studio lecturers to inculcate into the student body.<br />This paper aims to navigate through the mire/path of the design methodologies as adopted within architecture studio teaching at second year level within the Bachelor of Architectural Studies, Unitec Department of Architecture – by way of using the tried and tested notions of First Insight / Empathy, Preparation, Incubation, Illumination, Verification, with the anticipation that these are the essential tools with which to interface teaching and practice, within the context of a “live build project”.<br />Three years’ worth of case studies of large scale Interdisciplinary and collaborative “live build projects” in Christchurch in conjunction with the Festival of Transitional Architecture (FESTA) are used to demonstrate and investigate the heuristic design processes that are an integral part of a prospective architect’s arsenal of skills. These case studies offered a complex window of tasks, not least that the students were designing in Auckland 1000 km away from the Christchurch sites, and each year posed a different set of problems and clients-related issues. Luxcity 2012 / Canterbury Tales 2013 / CityUps 2014 were the students’ responses to FESTA’s call to rejuvenate the city centre after the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011, and all of which were assembled only for a 24-hour period over Labour Day Weekend.</p>

Author(s):  
Silnyk O ◽  

The central part of Lviv was formed over several centuries and in several stages. Favourable demographic, economic and political prerequisites in the XIX-XX centuries positively influenced the quantitative and qualitative state of urban homes. Demolition of defensive walls, the formation of a new citywide centre, measures to improve the central part of the city, regulate the street network, and increase the population are the main factors that underlie the planning and development of the city. The city was actively built up. Most of the houses were profitable. These are buildings that brought profit to their owners through rented premises and commercial parterre floors. The modern architecture of Lviv is developing under the influence of tourist infrastructure and the ordinary household needs of Lviv residents. The urban space of the central part of modern Lviv needs to be regularly updated to perform functions that are dictated by time. It is also important to preserve the existing historical centre that attracts tourists, represents the historical value and pride of the country. Professional implementation of projects requires a detailed study and analysis of the existing architecture. Since the second half of the XIX century, the development of houses parallel to the main roads of the city became popular. Dense buildings spread in concentric circles from the city centre and gradually replaced low-rise buildings in the peripheral part of the city. During this period, housing construction is carried out on a large scale. These are mostly two- or three-story houses, often with a courtyard. The size and configuration of the houses were dictated by technical capabilities, existing buildings and streets. The sites often had a complex shape, the development was carried out already in the conditions of reconstruction, which significantly complicated the solution of new projects. The houses had rectangular forms of plans, the dimensions of which averaged 400 m2 until the end of the XIX century. During the twentieth century, slightly larger plots – 570 m2 – were already allocated for construction. The built-up area on the plots ranged from 30 to 87 per cent. The density of buildings was dictated by both economic and practical factors that are relevant even today. The houses were distinguished by interesting planning solutions with a thorough set of architectural details both in the exterior and in the interior. The range of rooms includes dining rooms, offices, boudoirs, bathrooms, corridors and storerooms. During the nineteenth century, in the decisions of facades dominated Italian neo-Renaissance and neo-Baroque; in the twentieth century – secession. The style solution was based on the choice of details that were prototypes of classical architectural images. The architecture of Lviv of the XIX-XX centuries represents a wide range of artistic interpretations. The study of houses built during this period reveals both their development and the transformation of spatial planning, compositional and stylistic solutions. The necessary formative periods of historicism opened up new angles for the development of subsequent stylistic trends in the following years. The experience of architects, which is connected with the historical past of Lviv, testifies to the significant importance and place of the architecture of the XIX-XX centuries for the further development and development of the city.


2014 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 392-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriella Esposito de Vita ◽  
Stefania Ragozino

In the history of European cities, public spaces always played a pivotal role, representing key places for developing social interactions and for enhancing the sense of community. Squares, commercial streets, market places as well as traditional retail and art-and-crafts areas can be considered the core of the city. The social, economic and demographic crisis and the loss of cultural identity has affected the capacity of attraction of local small retailers, giving the floor to the aggressive strategies of suburban shopping malls, centers, arcades or precinct, forming a complex of shops, movie theaters, restaurants and food courts with interconnecting walkways [. Typical expressions of a globalized economy, the different categories of suburban shopping mall have transformed behaviors and paths at a large scale [. One consequences can be identified in the loss of traditional commercial activities within the city centre, producing a situation of urban decline, mirrored by the impoverishment of public spaces [[. This paper suggests that, by activating the existing cultural and socio-economic capital it is possible to undertake a successful regeneration process based on a participative approach and on public and private integrated tools. By focussing on the experience of the Centri Commerciali Naturali (Natural Commercial Centres) established in Italy as partnership between Municipalities, cultural operators, public services providers and associations of shops owners to exploit the commercial activities in the historical centers the ongoing research is oriented to explore successful experiences of private-public partnership to be implemented in a regeneration process of areas traditionally dedicated to retail and art-and-craft small enterprises. The paper discusses the potentiality and the criticism of the NCC as engine for the redevelopment and regeneration of the inner city abandoned retail areas. In so doing, the experience developed in Campania (Southern Italy) will be analyzed in order to show how the activation of the social capital within the framework of the CCN could contribute in renovating the traditional commercial identity of the area, supporting the public spaces regeneration process. This paper aspires to offer useful insights to all those policy makers, city managers and planners who seek to revitalise traditional market areas in European city centres.


2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 41-52
Author(s):  
Jarosław Kazimierczak ◽  
Piotr Kosmowski

Abstract The Nowe Centrum Łodzi project that was completed in 2007 in Łódź, Poland is one of the biggest contemporary large-scale urban (re)development projects in Europe and the largest project of this type in Central Europe. The principal goals of the mega-project in question include the regeneration of degraded post-industrial and post-railway land in the city centre of Łódź and the enhancement of competitiveness and the metropolitan position of the city. The authors seek to identify spatial and functional changes at a mezo-scale, i.e. in the so-called immediate neighbourhood of the urban regeneration megaproject (URMP), which have accompanied the implementation of the Nowe Centrum Łodzi project over the years 2013–2016. The other aim was to classify urban areas neighbouring the URMP based on features of spatial and functional transformation identified in these areas. The studies allowed the researchers to identify three categories of urban area in the immediate neighbourhood of the URMP which revealed differences in spatial and functional transformations. We indicated that the transformation of the immediate neighbourhood of the URMP involved not only the local authorities responsible for the overall improvement of the quality of public space but also other users, inter alia, residents, local urban activists, the business community, public institutions, and NGOs, that in most cases complemented efforts initiated by the Municipality. From the methodological point of view the authors use a case study including desk research, an urban planning inventory, and direct observation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7183
Author(s):  
Piotr Lorens ◽  
Łukasz Bugalski

The Gdańsk Shipyard—the birthplace of the Solidarity movement—is host to a unique example of a multi-layered brownfield redevelopment project, an area that is burdened by a complex history, overlapping heritage, and multiple memories. These circumstances require an integrated yet differentiated approach to the site’s heritage and make the creation of one homogeneous narration of its future impossible. At the same time, the size of the area, as well as its location within Gdańsk city centre, has meant that its future has been the subject of numerous discussions and speculations conducted over the last 20 years—starting from the creation of a large-scale open-air museum and continuing to the localization of the new Central Business District of the city. Consequently, that broad discussion carried out regarding the scope of redevelopment projects has been rooted in the possible introduction of diverse models of adaptive reuse. This variety of possible approaches also includes discussion on the mode of integrating heritage in the redevelopment processes. The goal of this paper—written just before the initiation of the final stage of the conceptual part of the project—is to present the complexity of approaches to issues related to redevelopment and heritage preservation.


Porta Aurea ◽  
2018 ◽  
pp. 218-243
Author(s):  
Alicja Melzacka

The following article explores the recurring stylistic tendencies in the architecture of Gdynia after 1989, and seeks to identify their origins. The study encompasses four distinguished areas in the city centre, and places emphasis on the relationship between the contemporary (and postmodern) architecture and the architectural legacy of Gdynia’s inner city, which can be broadly defined as ‘modernist’. Based on a series of case studies, the Author has distinguished three intertwined architectural tendencies, each of them referring in their own way to the local context. Often manifested in the same architectural designs and, therefore, inseparable, these tendencies cannot be strictly delimited. They are: ‘regionalist tendency’ deploying architectural forms of the interwar origin, ‘semiotic tendency’ which perceives architecture as the system of signs, and ‘technologising tendency’ of which strive for the ‘high-tech’ appearance can be considered an ideological continuation of the modern imperative of progress. To conclude, contemporary architecture in Gdynia represents, widely understood, contextualism: comprising all of the aforementioned tendencies. Tis status quo is reinforced by the strong need to maintain the continuity of the city’s architecture, but also of its identity. As a result of operating with a relatively limited range of means of expression, architecture in Gdynia constitutes a coherent whole, which can be considered an advantage for the local landscape. Nonetheless, the notorious and often naive application of widely accepted patterns originating from the vocabulary of West European modernism, and the limitations inherent in that approach, should be definitely pointed out for further scrutiny.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 1674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmet Cezmi Savaş ◽  
Abdurrahman Angay ◽  
Mehmet Alp

<p>In this study, the relation between organizational commitment and organizational justice notions which are effective on teachers’ organizational citizenship is demonstrated. This research is a descriptive study in correlational survey method. In the study, high schools in the city centre of Gaziantep were examined, and consisting of 283 teachers. The study was carried out on the easily accessible sample. The data were collected by using a personal data form, organizational justice, organizational commitment and organizational citizenship tools. The data were analyzed with correlation and multiple linear regression methods. In a middle or large scale, positive and meaningful relations between organizational justice, organizational commitment and organizational citizenship the perceptions of teachers were examined. Whether personal and vocational factors are effective on organizational citizenship, or not, was also examined. It was confirmed that organizational justice directly affects organizational citizenship, and also organizational commitment is a partial mediation predictor to organizational citizenship. According to findings obtained, various suggestions were made.</p>


Author(s):  
D. V. Goloukhova

The article is focused on the spatial structure of modern Moscow and features distinguishing it from the cities of Western Europe and the US. The city has hybrid spatial structure combining elements which emerged on different stages of the city development. In the 14th century two tendencies appeared: the prestige of the city centre and opposition of Western districts as more prestigious to Eastern districts as less prestigious. Crucial spatial characteristics emerged in the Soviet era and up to now they define the image of Moscow. Firstly, it's a peculiar density profile. Population density in post-socialist cities tends to increase as we move further from the city centre while in Western European cities population density is the highest in central districts. Secondly, elementary units of Moscow spatial structure are so called micro-districts (neighbourhoods). The concept of a microdistrict was very popular with Soviet urban planners and widely applied in the residential construction. Another peculiarity of Moscow spatial structure is social heterogeneity of districts and absence of ethnic quarters or ghettos. Furthermore, significant part of the city area is occupied by former industrials zones which are not used anymore and need to be reconstructed. With transition to market economy a number of spatial changes emerged. They were partly related to the large-scale privatization, infill construction and lack of effective urban planning policy. In conclusion the article states the need for the new model of spatial organization which would take into account the specifics of Russian reality.


Author(s):  
Uwe Neumann ◽  
Lisa Taruttis

AbstractUsing Dortmund as a case study we analyse whether rents and housing prices responded to local demographic change in a German city between 2007 and 2016. In a two-step analysis based on a spatial autoregressive hedonic pricing model and a discrete choice model of housing location we find that during the study period as a whole, higher local mortality induced a negative effect on apartment prices and rents. Yet, the neighbourhood effects of local ageing vary across sub-city districts. Most prominently, the study period was characterised by a strong and rising desire to purchase or rent housing in the vicinity of the city centre. Furthermore, prices for owner-occupied apartments and houses increased rapidly in the more well-off southern part of the city and particularly in a previously declining community, where a large-scale urban regeneration and environmental upgrading project has been implemented since 2011. The characteristics of households likely to move to this neighbourhood switched from low to high income.


Author(s):  
С. Л. Подвальный ◽  
О. А. Сотникова ◽  
Я. А. Золотухина

Постановка задачи. В настоящее время формирование современной комфортной городской среды приобретает особое социально-экономическое значение и выдвигается в число приоритетных государственных масштабных программ. В связи с этим необходимо разработать концепцию благоустройства ключевого общественного пространства, а именно: определить основные и сопутствующие функции данной территории, создать эскизное предложение проекта благоустройства с учетом всех необходимых норм и стандартов, внедрить современные технологии. Результаты. Выполнен эскизный дизайн-проект «Аллеи архитекторов» по ул. Орджоникидзе г. Воронеж, включающий в себя основные элементы по зонированию территории, проектированию акцентных объектов и внедрению инновационных технологий «умного города», позволяющих повысить уровень комфорта горожан. Выводы. Благоустройство населенных мест приобретает особое значение в условиях дискомфорта среды. С выполнением комплекса мероприятий, направленных на благоустройство, и с внедрением современных технологий значительно улучшается экологическое состояние, внешний облик города. Оздоровление и модернизация среды, которая окружает человека в городе, благотворно влияет на психофизическое состояние, что особенно важно в период интенсивного роста городов. Statement of the problem. Currently the formation of the modern comfortable urban environment is gaining a special social and economic value and moving forward in the priorities of state large-scale programs. The purpose of development of the concept of improvement of public space is definition of the main and accompanying functions of this territory, design of the outline offer of the project of improvement considering all necessary norms and standards and implementation of modern technologies. Results. The conceptual project of “Alley of Architects” includes the basic elements of territory zoning, design of accent objects and implementation of technologies of a “smart-city”. These elements allow one to increase the level of comfort of inhabitants. Conclusions. Improvement of the inhabited places is of particular importance in the conditions of discomfort of the environment. Carrying out a complex of the actions directed to gardening and improvement, introducing modern technologies, the ecological condition, the physical appearance of the city considerably improves. Improvement and modernization of the environment which surrounds the person in the city influences a psychophysical state well that especially important during intensive growth of the cities.


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