2004-2005 Pemberton - Wilson
Aerial View (Scheme 2)
Master Plan (Scheme 2
Vocabulary of Urban Form
The studio attempted to provide various development scenarios to a brown-field site in the City of Botany Bay. Close to the airport and the port, this site currently zoned primarily as industrial land presented an opportunity for residential development as well as income generating activities. The site had the wetlands and open space of Sir Joseph Banks Park on one edge, the primary vehicular connection of Botany Road, a local business centre, existing residential and industrial interfaces as well as some existing heritage buildings in the vicinity. Potential contamination issues, a drainage easement and a high water table affected the site.
The emphasis was on developing a “Vocabulary of Urban Form” -a morphological approach to the elements of urban design where streets, squares, street walls, edges, paths, landmarks, building types, building envelopes street sections and elevations, the ground plane, urban landscape, public art, signage, lighting and street furniture form the physical building blocks of urban environments.
While this is incomplete as a com-prehensive design approach it does allow a better understanding on how cities form physically. Familiarity with this vocabulary provided the students with a better grasp of scale, enclosure, articulation and the structure of urban environments.
In addition to this, emphasis was also placed on quality of life considerations in the urban environment. Factors such as climatic response, sustainable design, barrier free design, access to employment, transport and amenity need to be qualified by considerations such as social justice and affordability, safety by design, in addition to image, identity and cultural values of a place. This studio attempted to translate generic urban design theory into a specific precinct design structured by a sound understanding of urban morphology.
Within the course of the studio, students were asked to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary groups, build on existing strengths and skills as well as inform each other and broaden their horizons in design and development. The studio involved active participation by learners, application of acquired knowledge, informal presentations and peer feedback.
After a series of site visits, the group were able to formulate a set of objectives for the study area. Among these objectives were:
- To establish the future character for the urban residential areas and the mixed use nodes along Pemberton Street and Botany Road.
- To establish a comprehensive urban structure, layout and form of development for the precinct.
- To ensure the development responds positively to the precinct’s existing and future context.
- To achieve a high quality urban design.
The strategies to accomplish these objectives included making Botany Road a focus for retail/commercial uses, and a transport node, with public services and amenities to support residents and workers and to provide focal elements for the precinct. This was done with the expatiation that it would encourage a strong sense of community and identity. Since Botany Road is an important arrival place and entrance to the precinct, a ‘gateway’ has been emphasised through building design
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