Workbook Studio 2_Vivian Tang
Karangahape Road has a very unique culture which should be retained in the redevelopment process. There should be a focus on pedestrian movement and making this site more open and accessible, especially due to the new train station.
Vision: A bustling and luscious green environment, filled with life and energy from the dense transport, retail and hospitality services. Pockets of open space are located within this unique site off Karangahape Road to give people breaks from their busy lifestyles.
Order:
- Key Moves
- SWOC
- Concept Ideas
- Three Concepts
- Final Concept and Cross Sections
- New Active Frontages
- Green and Open Space Networks
- Movement Networks
- Precedents
ONE: KEY MOVES
TWO: SWOC
THREE: CONCEPT IDEAS
FOUR: THREE CONCEPTS
These concepts involve different building footprints and land uses to create pedestrian connections in different directions. The entire idea is to increase permeability for pedestrian convenience and creating connections to the different land uses as well as the light path.
FIVE: FINAL CONCEPT AND CROSS SECTIONS
SIX: NEW ACTIVE FRONTAGES
SEVEN: GREEN AND OPEN SPACE NETWORKS
Its not always convenient for residents to walk for 5 minutes or more to enjoy an open space which is why I’ve included public open spaces in my final concept.
The open spaces, Mercury Lane and East Street have pervious pavement to reduce stormwater flooding on the motorway due to the sloped topography.
EIGHT: MOVEMENT NETWORKS
The main differences are the new pedestrian connections for convenience and accessibility as well as the shared pathways to encourage a pedestrian dominated thus safer street for the train station and residential users. This is because vehicles tend to travel slower on shared pathways. The train station network here is linked to other stations in East, central and South Auckland.
NINE: PRECEDENTS
The green walls exist to mitigate noise pollution from the motorway and the train station. It’s design is also simple so as to not overwhelm users of the site with the amount of greenery. The pocket gardens are shaped in an “unstructured” way in order to appear as if it is not part of a typical urban environment. The reasoning for this that it will encourage relaxation.
Pervious Pavement throughout the site reduces stormwater flooding on the motorway due to the sloped topography.
All green features mitigate the heat island effect as this site is located in a dense urban area. The green roof above the library is non accessible by humans whereas the one on the train station is a community garden for the public to enjoy and relax.
I wanted it to be green, open and welcoming whilst capturing and incorporating K road’s art and atmosphere. These places should also be a place for people especially due to the presence of the train station. It is envisioned to be a place where groups can gather and meet.
The old-styled library is to bring awareness to K road’s history: being the oldest road in NZ. The desired features of this residential precedent are that is it light coloured (feels more welcoming and open) and has various patterns on different sides. This somewhat reflects K road’s art.
This precedent is much closer to what I imagine because the design and the light theme creates an open feeling. And the large walls both act as a privacy barrier and works subtly as art. This would open the residential area while incorporating K road’s artsy culture with a modern twist.
The train station should be light coloured to match other train station developments in Auckland. The light colour palette and the ceiling lights contribute to the welcoming feeling. The exterior walls are made of glass to increase active frontages and public engagement. The stair seating area provides indoor resting spaces and is a good use of space to seamlessly incorporate the sloped topography of the site. It is also good for encouraging people to stay for a longer duration of time with the help of retail and hospitality.
One thing I would change however is the sloped ceiling despite it being unique (which matches K road as it is one of the most unique streets in NZ). This is because it is not entirely necessary and I have maximised the land use by placing residential uses above the train station.
This is the visualisation of Mt Eden train station and I believe this design or a similar design would increase the use of the site through people who not only use train transport networks but also a more diverse group of the general public. In addition, this street furniture is a type of art which provides both functional and aesthetic benefits. The seating area here also encourages people to stay in the site for a longer duration of time.