The Meeting Place A cultural community centre for Aranda, Canberra ABPL90169 Design Thesis | Semester 1 2022 Amber Young | 914452
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How can existing neighbourhood shops be optimised to facilitate positive social capital for the post covid suburban neighbourhood through life-learning pedagogies and cross-community engagement?
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From the late 20th century, changing suburban demographics has spurred neglection of Canberra suburbs’ community and retail amenities. Community infrastructure that was designed for the 1960’s suburb is no longer fit for purpose.The impact of COVID on teaching pedagogies, shifting daily routines and the rise of the gig economy has resulted in a need for local community infrastructure to be revitalised and become fit for purpose for the post-COVID suburban lifestyle. Nestled within the suburban landscape of Aranda in the bush capital of Australia, the meeting place is where all generations can gather to exchange ideas and knowledge, much like the indigenous Ngunnawal people did on the lands where Canberra stands today. The Meeting Place aims to facilitate the generation of positive social capital, education and well-being outcomes for a post-covid community including lifelong learning and collaborative experiences between students and others in the neighbourhood. The site’s adjacency to Aranda Primary School provides unique opportunities to integrate pedagogical approaches between the school curriculum, existing community groups in the area and the skills of local residents.
Historical Context
2020
Students feel isolated during online school, new technologies such as zoom are heavily utilised to connect with others, many people utilise local amenities due to movement radius limits
POST-COVID FUTURE
Understanding of new pedagogical techniques for students that steer away from traditional didactic teaching styles, popularisation of the “gig economy”
New life skillbased pedagogical approaches for primary school students, new purpose for local shops as neighbourhood hubs
2025+
1970’s
1957
PRE-COVID
Residents move into the new suburb of Aranda, serviced by the local shops that provided convenience functions including a supermarket, butcher and hairdresser.
Founding of the National Capital Development Commission (NCDC) to plan, develop and construct the Nation’s Capital
DURING COVID
Local shops become derelict due to globalisation and popularisation of the larger town centres
2010’s
1912
1960’s
1990’s - 2000’s
NCDC begins planning Canberra’s New Towns of Belconnen and Woden
Design Competition for the Nation’s Capital won by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahoney Griffin
Key Design Drivers
Main Entry from Bandjelong Crescent
Spatial Strategy - Existing Conditions
Spatial Massing Strategy
Regional Site Context 1:25000
lin Driv e
STREET
Organised Spaces
Spaces In-between
For organised group interactions - the “new” form of social engagement
For circulation through the site, facilitating incidental interactions
Lake Ginninderra
Site Access + Porosity (Physical and Visual)
Physical and visual connectivity to nature allows natural light and air circulation (necessary post-covid) and highlights the significant bushland surrounding the site
Each cluster has its own entry from the street. There is also a main entry in the centre of the site allowing access to the large atrium.
Connectivity to the street NEW SPATIAL STRATEGY
EXISTING CLASSROOMS
Increasing the safety and passive surveillance around the site at night and during the day, also inviting the community in
(Meeting Place)
Physical connection - entry
Formal spaces
Visual connection
Spaces In-between - circulation
Incidental interactions Planned interactions
Belconnen Town Centre
n onne Way Belc
EXISTING SHOP POROSITY
Connection to Nature
Gu ng ah
STREET
Location of Primary Programs around Central Atrium The 3 primary programs are located around the central atrium, allowing visitors to progress from the atrium to a cluster of their choosing.
Introduction of Secondary Programs
Heirarchy and Wayfinding
Connection to Green Space + Spaces In-between
The secondary programs stem off the primary programs allowing a progression from large scale spaces to more domestic scale intimate spaces.
The secondary programs were pushed down to create single storey massings to emphasise the double height primary programs
The existing bushland to the east and west of the site are connected through a green spine at the rear of the site, increasing privacy to the units behind. The spaces inbetween also reflect this bushland to the inside of the building.
Ginn
inderra Drive
Bruce Ridge Nature Reserve Aranda (Suburb) Black Mountain Nature Reserve
Aranda Bushland Nature Reserve
National Arboretum Canberra
Spaces In-between - outdoor connections
N
500m
0m
1.5km
1km
Ground Floor Plan 1:250 et tre lS de Bin
0m
N
1m 2m 3m 4m 5m
Daycare
Aranda Primary School
Aranda Primary School Oval
Renovated Music Centre
Native Discovery Garden Pedestrian
Street
Ban
djel
ong
Cres
cent
The Meeting Place
ga C
Jalan resce
shl rac dT
an
10m
30m
N
B
20m
k
Site Plan 1:1500 0m
nt
Bu
Aranda Preschool
04
01
02
05
03
01. Store 02. Fire Stair 03. Additional Green Room/Store 04. Lift to Foyer 05. Water Tanks for Landscape Irrigation
Basement Plan 1:500 20m
10m
0m
N
A
Primary Programs 01. Community Hall 02. Bolt Bar (PM), Cafe (AM) 03. Atrium 04. Makerspace
First Floor Plan 1:500 0m
N
20m
10m
Veggie Garden and Beekeeping
Nature Discovery Garden Renovated Aranda Primary School Music Centre
Pedestrian Street
Existing Aranda Primary School Oval
Pedestrian Bushland Track
Long Section A 1:200 0m
North East Isometric 1:800 10m
5m
15m
0m
Roof form reflects original suburban shops as well as the Sydney School style
The double height primary programs become dominant in the streetscape
10m
20m
30m
40m
The contrast bewteen the single and double height forms blends the building into the suburban context
Bandjelong Street Elevation 1:200 0m
10m
Imagined User Profiles
5m
Short Section B 1:200 0m
15m
Matt
Charlie
Age: 22 y.o Occupation: Lives with parents, uni student Interests: Coffee, performing music and acting
Age: 30 y.o Occupation: Aranda Primary School Year 3 teacher Interests: Art and craft, pilates
Dorothy
Hanna
Age: 75 y.o Occupation: Local Aranda resident, retired Interests: Bushwalking, gardening
Age: 9 y.o Occupation: Year 4 student at Aranda Primary School Interests: Craft, outdoor activities
5m
10m
15m
integrated solar panel roofing system
exposed timber rafters on underside of sloped gable roof mimicing the surrounding Sydney School architectural style
curtain wall system with 300mm deep vertical timber mullions
brick veneer wall using bricks from old shops
timber suspended ceiling to mimic Sydney School rafters
Makerspace Perspective Plan 1:50
Intergenerational Interaction 1:2 0m
30mm
60mm
90mm
N
120mm
Aranda Primary School Refurbished Music Centre with Native Discovery Garden
Scribbly Gum Eucalyptus rossii Used by Indigenous Peoples for it’s medicinal properties
Kangaroo Paw Anigozanthos flavidus Used by Indigenous Peoples as a food source and for medicinal purposes
Kangaroo Wheat Grass Elymus scaber Used by Indigenous Peoples to make cord and string
“ Canberra
Dolly Bush Cassinia aculeata Used by Indigenous Peoples for it’s medicinal properties
Kanberri, Koyanberra - Ngunnawal Language Meeting place, a traditional gathering place where Indigenous clans had ceremonies, arranged marriages, shared news and traded goods.
“ This project acknowledges the Indigenous People of Canberra, the Ngunnawal People, the Traditional owners of the land
False Sarsaparilla Hardenbergia violacea Leaves eaten by Indigenous Peoples, also used for medicinal properties
0m
1m
2m
Makerspace Detail Section and Interactions 1:50 0m
3m
Gallery Atrium (Primary Program)
Makerspace (Primary Program)
Green Strip Landscaping
Yoga Studio (Secondary Program)
1m
2m
3m