Undergraduate Portfolio - Studios 3 & 4

UNDERGRADUATE PORTFOLIO | ELLIOT O. LEVI BACHELOR OF ENVIRONMENTS (L ANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE) THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

0413 888 088 | eorjlevi@gmail.com

STUDIO 4: DESIGNED ECOLOGIES The capstone studio for the landscape architecture major in the Bachelor of Environments. I completed the studio in semester 2, 2017. Our site was a 1.2 kilometre section of Moonee Ponds Creek near Travancore.

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My aspiration was to generate a design with varied spatial, hydrological, and expieriential characteristics at different points along the linear site by moving from ‘deconstructed’ or complex geometry at one end to ‘constructed’ or simple at the other.

PROCESS & EXPERIMENTATION The studio focused largelty on experimentation with different design approaches and technqies. On this page is an abstract sketch that was converted into Rhino geometry, which in turn provided inspiration for the sketches and design idea also shown here.

Formal/conceptual sketch

Sketch of possible features.

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A quick design for a portion of the site. It was derived from the formal sketch to the left and very much inflienced the final design outcome.

SITE MASTER PLAN & ILLUSTRATIVE MOMENTS

Irregular, ‘deconstructed’ geometry of mixed materials (rock, concrete, steel, wood).

MOMENT #1 - ‘DECONSTRUCTED’

Narrower, winding primary channel (for daily Flows below 300ML / day) with higher velocity flow. Secondary channel for flows above 300ML / day Includes retention ponds.

Path between routes at different levels along site.

WATER ENTRANCE POINT Narrow channel and lower levels of site accessible and planted with semi-aqautic/water resistant species.

LITTER TRAP & RETENTION POND

SEDIMENT POND (1.5  2.0 M DEEP)

MACROPHYTE ZONE (0.2  0.4 M DEEP)

WATERCOURSE

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MOMENT #2 - ‘TRANSITION’

Routes and spaces at multiple levels.

100 M detail & beginning

100 M

of constructed wetland.

50 M

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Gradually widening channel.

10 M Gradually widening, flatter channel as geometry becomes more ‘constructed’. Litter Traps, Retention SMALL ‘CHILL’ SPOT

& sediment ponds, and macrophyte zones form a constructed wetland

MAJOR GREENSPACE

to partially clean storm water.

Angular geometry with straighter routes and smoother transitions.

DENSE PLANTING

SPARSE PLANTING/OPEN SPACE

MEDIUM DENSITY PLANTING Constructed wetland system and wider channel (approx. 10 m by 0.2 m).

SEMIAQUATIC PLANTING

AQUATIC PLANTING/CHANNEL

MOMENT #3 - ‘CONSTRUCTED’

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Points of transition between routes take various forms: steps, ramps, simple sloped turfed areas.

100 METRE SPATIAL DIAGRAM & SECTION ‘CHILL’ SPOT

Litter traps and retention ponds in curved areas beneath pathways.

TRANSITION BETWEEN PATHS

Beginning of significant greenspace.

LITTER TRAP & RETENTION POND DEEP, COMPLEX CHANNEL GEOMETRY WIDENING CHANNEL & CONSTRUCTED WETLAND.

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PLANTING OR TURF PRIMARY PATH SECONDARY PATH

When primary channel not over capacity, lower levels are accessible and function as teritary path.

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WATER DIAGRAM Water was an integral element of the design. There was an enormous difference on site between peak flows (~4000 megalitres/day) and average flows (~100 megalitres/day), which meant the channel profile needed to be flexible.

HIGHEST WATER LEVEL (~4000 ML / DAY)

The way water was managed at different parts of the site also varied along with the geometry, with a constructed wetland at the southern end of the site. The below diagram describes the point where the wetland begins.

- Primary channel profile of approx 4 m / sq: 3 .7 m wide by 1.1 m Deep.

PRIMARY CHANNEL AT CAPACITY (~300 ML / DAY)

LITTER TRAP & RETENTION POND

- Primary channel profile of approx 4 m / sq: 3 .7 m wide by 1.1 m deep.

SEDIMENT POND (1.5 ďšş 2.0 M DEEP)

MACROPHYTE ZONE (0.2 ďšş 0.4 M DEEP)

- Primary channel profile of approx 4.5 m / sq: 4.5 wide by 1 m deep.

Tertiary and some secondary paths and ramps submerged during peak flows .

- 1 m drop and waterfall at this point.

Beginning of constructed wetland. Channel along rest of site alternates between sediment ponds (near water entrance points) and macrophyte zones, which form the largest portion.

- Channel begins widening out into constructed wetland.

Macrophyte zones heavily planted with rushes and sedges (eg. juncus holoshoenus, ficinia nodosa - see materials).

Secondary channel at capacity Primary channel at capacity

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- Primary channel profile approx. 4 m sq.: 8 - 11 m wide by 0.2 - 0.4 deep (macrophyte zone)

MATERIALS

Medium - Large Trees: Paths, ramps, & seat-steps: smooth, fine-grained concrete.

- Casuarina cunninghamiana - Corymbia maculata - Callistemon Viminalis

Boardwalk: - Treated pine - Black steel - Steel wire

Shrubs - medium trees: - Callistemon subulatus, splendens - Cassina arcuata - Correa alba, ‘dusky bells’ - Acacia acinacea, floribunda, glaucoptera

Wetland Species: Semi-aquatic Species:

- Juncus usitatus, procerus, holoschoenus

- Ficinia nodosa

- Eleocharis acuta, sphacelata

- Cyperus gunnii - Carex appressa, fascicularis, tereticularis - Phragmites australis

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- Lomandra longifolia

- Crasula helmsii - Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani

STUDIO 3: URBAN OPEN SPACE A third year design studio with the Queen Victoria Market carpark as the site. I completed it in semester 1, 2017. My aspiration was to design a public square for the north-western portion of the city that would balance Federation Square, functioning as the social and physical hub of City North.

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OPEN SPACE FRAMEWORK & ‘MARKET SQUARE’ On top of my design, I had to develop an ‘open space framework’ that described the surrounding urban context in 2040 and how my design would function within that context. Market Square will function as an anchor point for the social and civic activities of City North.

CONCEPT SKETCHES

Medium-rise, mixed-use area with diverse dwelling and building types and community facilities.

URBAN CONTEXT 2040 SURROUNDING URBAN FABRIC

LEGEND ACTIVE FRONT

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ACTIVITY HUB PEDESTRIAN STREET

Medium-rise, mixed-use area with diverse dwelling and building types and community facilities.

POCKET PARK/SECRET SPACE LANEWAY INTERSECTION LANEWAYS (EXISTING & NEW) FRANKLIN ST  REDIRECTED

Peel Street closed to cars adjacent to Flagstaff gardens to allow direct pedestrian connection to square and access to transport hub.

High-rise development with diversity of dwelling types and sizes, with principles of vertical urbanism integrated into building typology. Roughly 80% of fronts to be active.

Transport hub: Tram interchange, driverless car drop-off point, and entrance to much-extended flagstaff station (new line running N-E and linking up with South Morang and Hurstbridge lines).

PEDESTRIAN & CYCLIST INFRASTRUCTURE, TREE CANOPY & COVERED AREAS

LEGEND

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HIGHFREQUENCY PEDESTRIAN CROSSING COVERED AREA PEDESTRIAN STREET TREE CANOPY GREENSPACE SEPARATED BIKE LANES & LIMITED PARKING WIDENED FOOTPATHS & ADDED STREET FURNITURE

Pedestrian and cyclist focus: more pedestrian-only streets and separated bike lanes on every major street.

Much increased canopy despite much drier climate.

Fewer cars, most of which will be driverless; few cars will be privately owned, and therefore there will be little on-street parking, leaving more space for other infrastructure.

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WORKING MODEL Part of the design process was the creation of a physical model.

Building it helped me better understand the site layout, refine certain spatial relationships, and identify different kinds of spaces for different purposes (see forthcoming diagrams).

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GENERAL SITE DIAGRAM

MOVEMENT & POROSITY

Amphitheatre for large gigs with flexible programme at other times.

*Arrow thickness reflects expected weight of traffic.

Main entrance to/frommarket.

Active Structures around here.

Museum about Melbourne: its development, culture etc.

Large, licensed rooftop with connections to Bars etc. below.

Culinary school, culinary museum, and mixed use.

Porous ground level: through atrium to amphitheatre.

Multiple laneways penetrate southern end of site.

CIVIC STRUCTURE

RESTAURANTS, BARS

ADMIN/STORAGE

EDGE STRUCTURES  DOUBLE FACING, ACTIVE FRONTS

TYPOLOGY DIAGRAM Laneway

Rooftop

- Narrow paths.

- Flexible, licensed space.

- Small shopfronts, low rents.

- Attached to bars and restaurants below via stairs.

- Dense planting.

- Seating area.

- Street furniture.

- View to amphitheatre.

- Busking areas.

Active Exterior - Multiple bars sharing an outdoor space.

- Music/performance area.

- Much greenery and furniture.

- Passage through to amphitheatre.

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High Street - Wide walkways.

- Large trees.

- Larger shops.