Social Infiller A New Ground For Play
Syracuse Architecture Thesis Spring 2017 Advisor: Greg Corso by Krista Wong
“it was a regeneration of urban voids, filling them with life as a redeeming, therapeutic act of weaving together the fabric of a devastated city. “ -Aldo Van Eyck, Amsterdam
We decipher spaces through our growth and development of the things around us by playing. This action is brought to a different form as we grow older. A space that constitutes play is not the same to an adult as it is to a child. This disconnect prompted the exploration of what play and playground really entail. Play is universally known as a verb to describe how one is engaging in activity. To add to this definition, play is used to describe how one engages in activity but it takes different ways to enable it. How each of us plays differs by space. Playgrounds foster a social engagement of children congregating in a designated space to enjoy interactions between people and the elements (equipment) with play as a unifying factor. Moreover, playgrounds cater to a specific user type, typically families that have children, and anyone outside that demographic have no use or desire to use it; it remains as an arena for play to be solely activated by people. Ultimately, rendering a playground useless until filled with people. [Play] grounds are residual infill spaces. Upon that conclusion, the need to inhabit the uninhabited spaces in Amsterdam is prioritized. The urban fabric of Amsterdam is as dense as stone, but upon closer analysis, the noli plan of canal houses located in the historic district contains pockets - underutilized alleys that are currently blocked at street level. By re-activating these “pockets” within the city, a new ground for play is imagined. By expanding the idea that closeness is but a loose boundary to create intimate yet socially fluid and open experiences by moving through human scaled tubes, meant to sustain activities despite the obvious constraint of space. The intent of this thesis is to provide a social network of accessible nodes, to invigorate the alleyways of the city of Amsterdam; a city that thrives on the growing empire of consumerism, but lacks the initiative to develop “in-between” or wasted spaces. This thesis then takes three alleyways that enable nonactive, semi-active, active and hyper-active play by allowing the user to experience a closeness that is direct and social with program nested along and within what formally are infill objects connecting as a network. Tourists are traveling through tubes because it is another form of experiencing the city.
Contention
infill configurations
Infill Configurations
1]
What is [play]ground ?
> residual infill space
2]
> relationship with body, object & ground > playground as arena for play > tourism enforces the idea of leisurely play
What is small ?
> constraints/ boundaries
> direct relationship with amt. of space to amt. of activities > human scale
3]
What is formal movement ?
> alleys vs. playgrounds (formal distinctions) > fluid vs. rigid > closed vs. open
4]
Site Intervention: Amsterdam, Netherlands
> Aldo Van Eyck influence
5]
> tourist effect on movement of people > density of urban fabric (canal houses)
Design as New ground for Play
> �nodal� network of tubes
> experiencing closeness > ties to [play}ground ~programless to programmed ~no circulation path to a circulation path ~no constraints of movement to constraints > catering to the growing empire of consumerism/tourism
Table of Content
Levels of Movement
a network of nodal points that operate within these slots of the city, while catering to the commercialization of the city of Amsterdam. .
Playground as arena for Play
on a playground there are non-active, active and hyper-active levels of movement, these conditions are extracted and manifested into the infill spaces --utilizing wasted space & integrating fluid and open experiences within the constraints of its built environment.
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Site Plan
play enables movement in which a relationship between ground, body and object is present.
infill object 1 infill object 2
non-active (stationary)
semi active (inconsistent movement)
active
hyper active (constant movement)
Herengracht Canal
wa lki ng sit tin g clim bin g
read as a gradient to decipher the amount of movement users experience.
a sense of hierarchy is apparant.
these infills are represented as objects of infill but are treated as extensions from the street wall further contextualizing them.
Scale 1/200" = 1'
infill object 3
Exterior perspective of core & gallery space
Vertical Circulation
one way
non- active
active
hyper active
5’
> dining + bar > mini golf > gallery space
100’
Program
10’
Site Map Scale 1’ = 1/500”
Herengracht Canal
Levels of Engagement on a Playground
Infill Configurations
Herengracht Canal
Herengracht Canal Modes of Traffic Movement
when an overlap in circulation occurs a visual threshold is present through the floor plate
moderate car speed bike pathway
Circulation
coffee lounge
Vertical Circulation
Vertical Circulation
bakery shop + lounge one way
one way
one way
7’
27’
5’
Vertical Circulation
5’
coffee shop
ice cream parlor > dining + bar > mini golf > gallery space
100’
> coffee shop + lounge > ice cream parlor > bakery shop + lounge
Program
Program 135’
> juice bar > cocoa shop > beauty salon
Program 10’
Beuningenplein Playground, Amsterdam by Carve Landscape Architecture
230’
How do the users engage with the objects? 22’
attention to scale and how the actual object functions makes the interaction successful
40’ Modes of Traffic Movement moderate car speed
Circulation
bike pathway
Modes of Traffic Movement
Modes of Traffic Movement
how do you play?
Relationships: object + user
moderate car speed
moderate car speed
Infill Object 1
bike pathway
Circulation
bike pathway
Circulation
Exterior perspective of dining & bar (infill object 2)
Singelgracht
Herengracht
Keizergracht
Prinsengracht focus Herengracht Canal
The city is divided by waterways and along these are beautiful canal houses that bring character to the waterways. Formal characteristics include: cramped, thin, tall to save on taxes, but that aside, although the housing blocks are packed in rows, occasionally there would be cracks, crevasses in the reading of the street wall. Giving way to an alley - a small space.
Amsterdam Up Close
Interior perspective walking towards the cocoa shop (infill object 3)
Verti
one way
7’
old city
liveable land
135’
canals
informal
world heritage site 22’
Site: Amsterdam
-6-
40’
Modes of Traffic Movement moderate car speed bike pathway
C
1]
What is a [play]ground?
> residual infill space > relationship with body, object & ground > playground as arena for play > tourism enforces the idea of leisurely play
playgrounds have boundaries. There is always a clear separation between vehicle traffic and pedestrian foot traffic.
public amenities that fill residual space and are often activated by children.
play is the program for a playground. It facilitates actions and is dependent on the user.
users would travel from one component to the other forming a web of circulation paths with an undetermined spatial sequence.
playgrounds are programless.
playgrounds are a designated safe spaces for play, static, active, hyper-active, often activated by children.
on a playground, the circulation and use of equipment is repetitive.
generic playground plans that have clearly marked primary and secondary boundaries.
through play, the familiarity of space is learned by repetition.
-7-
-8-
movement. play. activity. playground. infill. tourism. sequence of spaces. intersections. overlaps. congregation. core. circulation paths.
non-active
active
hyper active
active
ground
+
user
+
object
=
play (needs no context)
hyper-active active
non-active -9-
the circulation of a playground is spuratic consisting of static, semi-active, active and hyper-active movements throughout space. - a designated safe space for interactive pl human activity - non-linear sequence of space dependen -the circulation is random; there is no spec
movement. play. activity. playground. infill. tourism. sequence of spaces. intersections. overlaps. congregation. core. circulation paths.
non-active
ground
+
active
hyper active
semi-active non-active
user
+
object
=
non-active
play (needs no context)
- a designated safe space for interactive play, non-active, active and hyper active, often activated by human activity - non-linear sequence of space dependent on user; there is no program - socially activated -the circulation is random; there is no specific path
Aldo Van Eyck playgrounds
- 10 -
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play enables movement in which a relationship between ground, body and object is present.
Playground as arena for Play
nship between between ect is present. present. between p between present. s present.
gg
gg
thsswrw russii ntntttii ainiwlnkgg o nngg ininigngg ccllimim rrusui n n t ntninin bbinin gg gg c splimi wa nbni lki ng ng
play enables movement in which a relationship between ground, body and object is present.
play enables movement in which a relationship between ground, body & object is present.
- 11 -
non-active (stationary)
semi active (inconsistent movement)
active a
r
t
i
f
a
c
t
hyper active (constant movement)
*these levels are then adopted into the design as new ground for play
read as a gradient to decipher the amount of movement users experience.
~at what degrees do people play ?
a sense of hierarchy is apparant.
by deciphering the different levels of movement, one can infer a sense of hierarchy within a given space by the use of color coding.
- 12 -
these infills are represented as objects of
s
3M tourists per year
31,000 hotel rooms number of tourists per hotel star class 15.5%
21.1%
37.8%
20% 5.6%
top attractions
1M bikes
Magere Brug
3M tourists per year
31,000 hotel rooms number of tourists per hotel star class
2500 houseboats
15.5%
21.1%
37.8%
20% 5.6%
1281 bridges
Dutch heritage
1M bikes
165 canals
coffee shops
2500 houseboats 1281 bridges 165 canals
top attractions
as the empire of consumerism is exponentially growing, attention to what brings tourists into the area or why one might inhabit the space was valued and taken into consideration for design. Magere Brug
top attractions
Dutch heritage
red light district
coffee shops
cheese products canal houses
red light district
cheese products
rent-a-bike Rijksmuseum
Hermitage
- 13 -
Van Gogh Museum
canal houses
rent-a-bike
Rijksmuseum
Hermitage
Van Gogh Museum
Site Map Scale 1’ = 1/500”
~where do adults like to play?
- 14 -
2]
What is small ? > constraints/ boundaries > direct relationship with amt. of space to amt. of activities > human scale
how one moves is dependent on the formal distinctions and implications of space.
in small spaces, levels of movement occur depending on user.
playgrounds and alleys have different givens (constraints).
when confronted with a small space, the amt. of activity is limited.
moving in a playground is fluid yet closed; there is a boundary unlike an alley.
moving through an alley is rigid yet open; there is no boundary like a playground has.
therefore, rethinking small spaces to make them fluid yet open is desired; extracting givens from a playground and alley to contest smallness.
- 15 -
- 16 -
User conscious - targetting specific user types by limiting the proportions of the component. Smallness is explicitly used to cater towards children.
smallness “Play cubes� by Richard Dattner, 1976
~size does matter smallness relates to how one interacts with an object.
- 17 -
proportions
Scale of Space in relation to Scale of Body
~different ways of interacting with an object
through
over - 18 -
depending on the user to object, the level of interactions are limited. a child crawls though while an adult would go over the same object.
-by playing, the familiarity of the space is learned through reduncancy -pedestrian- friendly, no vehicles allowed
Street
-
Sidewalk -
Playground
- Building
Aldo Van Eyck // Playgrounds in Amsterdam 1950s - 1960s
19 Extracting the attitude of a -playground’s circulation, concentration, repetition & redundancy, to manifest
boundaries set zones where people can and cannot go.
primary boundary secondary boundary
primary boundary secondary boundary
primary seconda
primary boundary secondary boundary primary boundary secondary boundary
formal
plans
of
formal boundaries.
formal
- 20 -
playgrounds
formal
3]
What is formal movement ? > alleys vs. playgrounds (formal distinctions) > fluid vs. rigid > closed vs. open
the movement of how one moves within a space is directly effected by its boundaries.
people are effected by the space they inhabit.
due to Aldo Van Eyck, the need to fill vacant, irregular spaces in the urban fabric of Amsterdam is idolized.
movement is directly influenced by its built, social environment.
- 21 -
- 22 -
Levels of Movement
on a playground there are non-active, active and hyper-active levels of movement, these conditions are extracted and manifested into the infill spaces --utilizing wasted space & integrating fluid and open experiences within the constraints of its built environment.
infill object 1 infill object 2
non-active (stationary)
semi active (inconsistent movement)
active
hyper active (constant movement)
read as a gradient to decipher the amount of movement users experience.
a sense of hierarchy is apparant.
these infills are represented as objects of infill but are treated as extensions from the street wall further contextualizing them.
infill object 3
to access the infill object, one must walk under it to the vertical circulation core and process accordingly from a start to finish manner. Traveling in tubes as circulation with program nested within as the bookend of the procession, much like how tourists travel with a destination in mind, it’s traveling from destination A to destination B.
- 23 -
movements are from one destination to another in no specific order.
Herengracht Canal
Herengracht Canal
Vertical Circulation
Vertical Circulation
one way
one way
7’
5’
> coffee shop + lounge > ice cream parlor > bakery shop + lounge
> dining + bar > mini golf > gallery space
100’
Program
Program
135’
10’
22’
40’
Modes of Traffic Movement
Modes of Traffic Movement
moderate car speed
moderate car speed
Circulation
bike pathway
Circulation
bike pathway
Herengracht Canal
when an overlap in circulation occurs a visual threshold is present through the floor plate
one way
5’
27’
Vertical Circulation
infill
> juice bar > cocoa shop > beauty salon
Program
230’
Modes of Traffic Movement moderate car speed bike pathway
- 24 -
Circulation
objects
1,
2
&
the urban fabric of Amsterdam has it so that even though the canal houses are side by side, dense like stone, the occasional pocket of space would open up for the potential to inhabit.
3
4]
Site Intervention: Amsterdam, Netherlands > Aldo Van Eyck influence > tourist effect on movement of people > density of urban fabric (canal houses)
Aldo Van Eyck played a major role in orchestrating the curation of over more than 700 playgrounds in Amsterdam.
it is easy to overlook these pockets in the city because thier existing states are masked by fake facades made to look like a continues street wall of canal houses.
his influence was pivotal in that he used bottom-up architecture to give space to the imagination.
contrary, these pockets should be filled to unlock the potentials to inhabit the uninhabited.
his need to design specifically to the location and street context came through as his designs worked to stitch together the disperate urban fabric of Amsterdam at the time.
“the objects were not specific by themselves but has open function and therefore stimulated a child’s imagination.� -Aldo Van Eyck, 1962
- 25 -
Playgrounds contain elements for play, constructed of materials for close interations. The circulation of a playground is spuractic building locked with consisting of static and nonstatic movements Chicago Park District throughout space. Users would travel from one one entry to the playground element to the other forming a web of circulation paths.
extended sidewalk parcel as a playground with four elements
Playgrounds are public amenities that fill residual space and are often activated by children. They exist on abandoned lots, extended sidewalks, in-between buildings, the “left-behind� spaces that are separate from vehicle traffic. Within the city, playgrounds are fenced off, safe guarded and distinguished through the use What is a playground? of its ground plane.
-a designated safe space for interactive Moreover, its relationship with parks does not play, both static and nonstatic mean that playgrounds are parks. Parks can be playgrounds but playgrounds cannot be parks. - the circulation is concentrated yet unogranized Playgrounds contain elements for play, constructed of materials for close interations. -use of the equipment is repetive The circulation of a playground is spuractic -by playing, familiarity the space is consisting of staticthe and nonstaticofmovements learned through reduncancy throughout space. Users would travel from one element to the other forming a web of circula-pedestrian- friendly, no vehicles allowed tion paths.
- 16 -
- 17 -
distinct separation from the sidewalk and the street for safety; easily accessible
blocked by three sides, open on one; total sense of safety is prevalent
What is a playground? -a designated safe space for interactive play, both static and nonstatic - the circulation is concentrated yet unogranized -use of the equipment is repetive -by playing, the familiarity of the space is learned through reduncancy Street
- 18 -
S
- 26 -
-
Sidewalk -
Playground
- Building
-pedestrian- friendly, no vehicles allowed
Aldo Van Eyck // Playgrounds in Amsterdam 1950s - 1960s - 19 -
Site Plan
a network of nodal points that operate within these slots of the city, while catering to the commercialization of the city of Amsterdam. .
Scale 1/200" = 1'
- 27 -
Amsterdam - 28 Up - Close
5]
Design as New Ground for Play > ”nodal” network of tubes > experiencing closeness > ties to [play]ground ~programless to programmed ~no circulation path to a circulation path ~no constraints of movement to constraints > catering to the growing empire of consumerism/tourism
how to integrate vacant sites in urban developments?
the benefits of squeezing into alleys is that the space is optimized for efficient use.
wasted space is no space.
program is dependent on the space (ex. coffee shop, beuaty salon, gallery space, etc.)
what the “givens” can and cannot allow for a specific activity/movement to occur.
experiencing the space as its deliberate function with no “interpretation” as to what or how the space functions. (ex. coffee shop is a coffee shop, use it as such despite the constraints of space)
- 29 -
social infills that cater to adult play space.
coffee lounge
bakery shop + lounge
coffee shop
ice cream parlor
Infill Object 1
program > coffee shop + lounge > bakery shop + lounge > ice cream parlor
- 30 -
dining + bar
gallery space
mini golf
Infill Object 2
program > gallery space > mini golf > dining + bar
- 31 -
cocoa shop 1
beauty salon
juice bar 1
outer transparent glass wall
frosted glass shading direct sunlight 10ft
cocoa shop 2
inner transparent glass wall
insulation layer
juice bar 2
Infill Object 3
program > juice bar > cocoa shop > beauty salon
- 32 -
the real and the fantastical, as these infill objects give movement and imagination to these three pocket nodes, connecting as a network.
- 33 -
Exterior perspective of core & gallery space
Exterior perspective of dining & bar (infill object 2)
- 34 -
the transition zones are the tubes of circulation that connect the nodes; from vertical circulation core to another.
- 35 -
- 36 -
the transition zones are wild cards, meaning that the levels of movement range from non-active, semi-active, active, to hyper-active dependent on user. the space of circulation allows for the user to experience the city at their own pace.
the real and the fantastical, as these infill objects give movement and imagination to these three pocket nodes, connecting as a network.
- 37 -
Interior perspective walking towards the cocoa shop (infill object 3)
Exterior perspective of connectors (infill object 3)
- 38 -
Playgrounds invigorate the liveliness of it space and its surroundings. They attract the movement of people and by nature have boundaires. We can extract these concepts and insert them into alleys- the extreme polar opposite of what’s considered playground-ess.
wasted space is no space.
making alleys a more social, desired, interactive, intimate space - embracing the smallness and working with its given obstacles.
Conclusion - 39 -
infill
object
1
infill
object
2
infill
object
3
- 40 -
Thank you.