8/9/2019 Foundation Design Studio - City Limits

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Maidy Lewis

A RC H 1142 / A RC H 1154Fo und a t io n Desig n Stud io

C i ty Lim i tsRM IT LA N D SC A PE A RC HITEC TURE SEM ESTER 01 , 20 10 STUDIO PA M PHLET

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Foundaton

1. the basis on which something is grounded

2. the fundamental assumptons from which

something is begun or developed or calculatedor explained

3. the act of startng something for the first tme;

introducing something new

various web definitons

This course is the first Design Studio in the Landscape

Architecture degree program at RMIT. In this founda-

ton course, students are introduced to the discipline,

discourse and culture of Landscape Architecture:

what it is, how it is theorised, and how it is practced.

The thematc basis of this semester is the concepton

of urban space as a phenomena produced within a

system of inter-relatons. These relatonships will

be explored in the City Limits studio through three

projects which introduce students to a series of ap-

proaches to landscape architectural design. Each

project will be driven by a specific design generaton

technique allowing students to experience and en-

gage with a range of design methods. This is an inten-

sive studio which aims to introduce a number of key

approaches to designing. The projects are intendedto foster creatvity, imaginaton and experimentaton.

Throughout the semester students are required to

re-imagine the City or city-ness - through design

projects that engage with Melbournes CBD at three

distnct scales.

1. (Sml) Urban Explorer

2. (Med) Urban Surface

3. (Lge) Near Futures

Hamish Smillie

Giles Redward

BretFrost, Heath Blair, Jake Orvad

st u d io a b st ra c t

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Found a tion Stud io Co od ina tor: Ka te Churc h

Tuto rs: Roha n Buc kley, Joc k Gilbe rt, ClaireMartin, Andrew Miller, Caitlin Perry, SaskiaSc hut

Carl Hong

Carl Hong

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This is the first of three projects which engage with

the city and ask you to stretch students imagin-

ings about the urban landscape. It asks students to

explore the city as a laboratory of different types of

spaces, to learn ways of seeing and drawing space,

to experiment with ways of modelling or materialis-

ing spaces. The Urban Explorer project is a four week

project which explores the city at the small scale,

introducing students to the micro, the detailed and

the fleetng aspects of the urban environment. This

project utlises narratve as a tool to generate and de-

velop design - drawing from art, literature and film to

consider ways engaging with space, movement and

tme. The tasks students undertake are aligned with

partcular drawing and making techniques such as

mapping, model making, film and collage. The project

includes camp,workshops and culminates in a public

exhibiton.

Maidy Lewis, Michael Ryan, Tom Chapman

u rb a n e x p lo re r

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As Landscape Architects, our medium is the land-

scape itself: the ground, the surface, the terrain. This

second project engages with the city at a somewhat

larger scale. This project asks students to design a

new surface alongside Federaton square, over the

rail tracks to the Exhibiton Street bridge. In this proj-

ect students are literally creatng a new ground, a

surface where there was previously just air. What can

this new surface, this urban terrain offer to the city?

What does it change?

This project asks you to explore and develop your un-

derstanding of surface and through this to challenge

the assumpton that surface is two dimensional, flat,

thin or statc. Urban Surface is framed around ap-

proaches to bringing students individuality to the

design process and considering the ethics of the re-

latonship between the designer and the public. It is

intended to build on techniques from the first project

and introduces ideas of (formal) compositon.

Carl Hong

u rb a n su rfa c e

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ima ge (s)

THE FUTURE IS NEAR...

and the Melbourne CBD is not how you remember

it. It is now almost entrely inundated by sea water.

There are great fluctuatons in climatc conditons

with long dry winters followed by searing summers

during which there are frequent storm events. There

is no clean water source. There is no petrol. Global

trade networks are no longer operatonal, promptng

an economic crisis far worse then the recent

GFC. These changes have induced a mass exodus

from the city.

Most buildings have been abandoned and are no lon-

ger configured by corporate spatalisaton.

BUT:

A group of people have recently returned and are re-

appropriatng the abandoned spaces of the CBD.

These inhabitants are all young. Their ages range

from 18-30. They have survived this massive change

through their resourcefulness and ability to adapt

their living habits.

HOW DO WE (RE)MAKE THE CITY?

HOW DOES THE CITY OPERATE?

WHO IS THE CITY?

NEAR FUTURESn e a r fu t u re s

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ima ge (s)

Upon their return, they have notced:

The entre city and its related infrastructure has

changed.

Open space has entrely transformed.

Food producton has become localized.

Water collecton has become a necessity

The power grid is non-operatonal

New micro economies and systems of exchange

have emerged.

The entre transportaton system has adapted

and new forms of transport have materialised

For this scenario-driven project students create an

enclave for these inhabitants in one of Melbournes

abandoned buildings. The enclave must respond to

the new climatc conditons and produce food, clean

water and energy for 100 inhabitants as well as recre-

aton spaces and living space.

How will these inhabitants reappropriate the city?

What opportunites exist within the present infra-

structure that express themselves in the future?

This final projects is based around around conceptual

thing and understanding systems.