This week we had the privilege of having a lecture presented by Peter Richards from Deicke Richards, an architecture firm in Brisbane. Peter discussed urban planning and how to create a memorable place by considering walkability, diversity, proximity, connectivity, accessibility, legibility and community.
The first quality that is noticed when looking at a place is its setting or location, the geographical and typographical features create a place by altering its appearance naturally. The next important quality is an identifiable centre or edge such as a main street or shopping district and so forth. A town becomes memorable from the experiences a person obtains in city centres or entering the city from the countryside. Streets are also important in creating a memorable experience, they create mobility in a city for cars, bicycles and people who use them for a variety of purposes. Parks and Squares reveal the collective personality of a community, they usually host events such as markets, meetings places and areas of play. The architecture is another important element in creating a memorable place, urban facilities assist locals with everyday tasks and heritage structures give the city a rich historical diversity. Lastly, the activities and the people in the area contribute to the experience of place by providing something unique to the area or culture.
All of these elements are what create a place and more importantly make a place a memorable experience.
The first quality that is noticed when looking at a place is its setting or location, the geographical and typographical features create a place by altering its appearance naturally. The next important quality is an identifiable centre or edge such as a main street or shopping district and so forth. A town becomes memorable from the experiences a person obtains in city centres or entering the city from the countryside. Streets are also important in creating a memorable experience, they create mobility in a city for cars, bicycles and people who use them for a variety of purposes. Parks and Squares reveal the collective personality of a community, they usually host events such as markets, meetings places and areas of play. The architecture is another important element in creating a memorable place, urban facilities assist locals with everyday tasks and heritage structures give the city a rich historical diversity. Lastly, the activities and the people in the area contribute to the experience of place by providing something unique to the area or culture.
All of these elements are what create a place and more importantly make a place a memorable experience.
Project #3
This week I worked on completing a 3D version of my Cathedral model which can be seen below. I'm hoping when I go into University on Friday I'll be able to book myself in to use the 3D printer in the J-Block workshops. I think the 3D Printer is the best way to make such an intricate model and it will be a new learning experience for myself, as this is the first time using Google Sketchup and the 3D printer.
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| St Johns Cathedral |
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| St Johns Cathedral |
Reflections
This week has been productive on a number of different levels, I have learnt how to use new programs and create amazing objects with them and I have had the opportunity to look at a city from the perspective of a well known architect. Peters views however are very much in line with Mirko's idea of memorable places and it's nice to see that these ideas are considered and carried throughout the professional practice.
The topics covered in the lecture this week can all be applied to Brisbane city, even though I have limited experiences with different cities, I believe that Brisbane is a good example of a memorable city. Brisbane has a good public transportation system that allows you to access almost any part of the city as well as great walkability and proximity. However as a community Brisbane seems to lack a cultural identity due to mass diversity of people, we aren't as rich in community as most other places. As for legibility, Brisbane can at times be rather confusing unless your local and well adjusted to the area. Overall I believe that even if a city is missing some of these key elements or doesn't cover them sufficiently, the place may still have a chance of becoming memorable, just maybe not in a good way.
