Landscape Architecture Analysis - Hardscape and Utilities

Project 1 : Exploring Urban Landscape Topical and Site Study

Landscape Architecture

Site inventory & analysis

Chloe Teh Shu-Ern 0324101 Dana Kan Jia Torng 0323648 Danica Gan Jia-En 0323708 Lee Kylie 0326655 Shum Li Sze 0322822 Tutor : Ms Norma

ARC 61413

content

1.0 Introduction

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2.0 Mood board

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3.0 Mapping & Hardscape Analysis 3.1 Hardscape and Softscape mapping 3.2 Pavements Types of pavements Advantages and Disadvantages Tactile Pavings in Brickfields Pavements vs movement patterns 3.3 Edging Elements Types of separating elements Advantages and Disadvantages Analysis of separating elements 3.4 Street Furnitures Locations Usage Advantages and Disadvantages

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4.0 Utilities & Services 4.1 Utilities Types of Utilities Location Mapping 4.2 Waste receptacles Types of dustbins Location of dustbins Advantage and Disadvantage 5.0 Condition of Hardscape and Utilities

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6.0 Design Features Line Texture Colors Visual Weight

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7.0 SWOT Analysis

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Landscape Architecture ARC61403

INTRODUCTION Hardscape & Utilities in Brickfields Page - 1

Hardscape is a design that is constructed using natural and man-made, non-living materials. Hardscape includes landscaping details such as stone and concrete walkways, decks, retaining walls, patios, potting containers, and other landscaping designs that use stone, wood, sand, pebbles, brick, metal, and other similar materials. Hardscape plays a very important part of landscaping, and every well-planned landscaping project includes at least some hardscaping.

Landscape design and Brickfields urban design are inextricably linked. The planning of hardscapes and utilities plan and design the space where the people live and enhance the quality of life and environment, giving Brickfields its identity for its significant hardscape elements.

Project 1 : Exploring urban landscape

Landscape Architecture ARC61403

BRICKFIELDS Hardscape & Utilities

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Landscape Architecture ARC61403

3.1

MAPPING Percentage Buildings 30% Softscape 70%

Axonopus compressus Page - 3

Loropetalum

Building Softscape

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Bucida buceras

Landscape Architecture ARC61403

3.2

PAVEMENTS Pavement is the solid surface a raised paved or asphalted path for pedestrians at the side of a road.

Our selected site, Brickfields consists of a variety of pavements, differs in size, shapes, textures. material types and functions.

Pavements Selected Site

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Landscape Architecture ARC61403

3.2

Types of Hardscape

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Tactile Pavings

Interlocking pavers

Ceramic Tiles with curb Stone pavers

Tactile pavings are textured ground surface indicators found along the pathway to assist pedestrians who are visually impaired, using a walking cane and provide a grip surface for wheelchair especially on a sloping surface.

Colour : Yellow

Stone pavers include limestone, sandstone and granite.

Ceramic Tiles are made up of Interlocking concrete pavers sand, natural products and are made up of paving stone, clays. tile, bricks.

Advantages Durable, high integral strength and density for maintenance and hard-wearing for side stone.

Advantage Advantage Dirt, stain, slip resistant. Fire Economical and strong. Water resistant with high durability. permeable and allow water to drain through

Advantage High anti-skid resistance

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Asphalt Asphalt consists of asphalt and aggregates.

Advantages High surface durability, wear and braking efficiency to manipulate roadway noise.

Landscape Architecture ARC61403

3.2 Advantages

Advantages Disadvantages of Pavements

Added features for activity indication.

Indication of direction.

- Suitability and comfortability of surfaces were considered for different type of users, example ; drivers (asphalt pavings) ; pedestrians (ceramic tiles) ; blind people or wheelchair users (tactile paving) - Differentiate and separate access to pedestrians and vehicular movements.

- Use as a focal point for temporary stopping.

Safety purpose.

- Prevent slipping.

- Help absorption of noise source.

Aesthetical value - Enhance urban scape by complementing the softscapes.

- Design patterns and arrangement create a variety of movement patterns.

- Scale and contrast used to create various patterns - Establish the spatial character, giving impact on the feeling of outdoor space Texture of pavements allow blind people to identify paths and walk to their destination safely

Disadvantages

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High initial cost Generally rough riding quality High repair cost Maintenance - Pavers can separate from one another over time due to seismic distortion and cracking, causing uneven surface - Weed and grass can grow between pavers

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Landscape Architecture ARC61403

3.2

Tactile Pavings Straight road Tactile pavings with different types of paving layouts were Zebra crossing and carved into the pavements curb point along the pedestrian street in Brickfields. The difference in textures and surface patterns indicates the direction, helping the visually impaired Uncontrolled crossing people to move around the point at the side road city to their destination.

Hazardous surface and grade change of pedestrian walkway could be identified with their long canes, thus increase the walkability along Controlled crossing the Brickfields streets. point

Turning point Tactile pavings Selected Site Starting point Of tactile paving

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Landscape Architecture ARC61403

3.2

Application of hardscape at urban scale

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Pavement suggests separation of access Linear form Size : consistent Spacing : consistent Materials : not consistent Width : consistent The pavement helps to create a clear boundary by creating a contrast with different types of paving and elevated pedestrian walkway. The neat and consistent arrangement of pavements improves the walkability throughout the urban city, contributing to the urban landscape of Brickfields.

Pavement suggests directions Nervous form of pavement Size : inconsistent Spacing : inconsistent Materials : inconsistent Width : inconsistent

Pavement suggests points of entry Linear form Size: Consistent Spacing: Consistent Materials: Inconsistent Width : Inconsistent

The inconsistency of pavements helps in the zoning of activities and ownership for the shoplots along Jalan Tun Sambanthan. Paving pattern is different to create different intimacy and level of activity engagement for different functions. Curbs and elevated pavings help to create a separation between pedestrian walkway and the shop frontage, creating layering of accessibility.

Pavements appear to be same level. Difference in patterns and textures suggest the points of entry at the shop frontage. Complementing the other hardscape elements along Brickfields, it helps to create visual identity for the place at the urban scale.

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Landscape Architecture ARC61403

3.3

EDGING ELEMENTS Aluminium fence

Pedestrian safety post

Aluminium fence are durable and lightweight. It provides security and professional look in the urban landscape.

Pedestrian safety posts are embedded to the ground, to protect the pedestrian from the vehicles.

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Traffic cone

Urban planter box

Private planter box

Fencing Urban planters Selected site

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Traffic cones have different usage, catering for different needs. In Brickfields, they are used to redirect traffic in a safe manner.

Urban planter box are found along the street, at the frontal of the buildings such as NU sentral. It plays an important role in urban landscape by complementing the softscape. It softens the hardscape and increase the imageability and livability of Brickfields

Landscape Architecture ARC61403

3.3

EDGING ELEMENTS Ornate arches are located along the streets of Brickfields, dividing the Jalan Tun Sambanthan and pedestrian path. It creates a physical barrier and yet creating a continuous arch to frame the urban views along Jalan Tun Sambanthan.

Detailed ornate arches with vibrant color improves the cultural essence of the streets, complementing the Indian shophouses, improving the place making of the public realm.

Ornate arch Selected site

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Landscape Architecture ARC61403

3.3 Advantages

Advantages & Disadvantages of Edging Elements

Separation and security purpose - The edging elements separate or divide areas of ownership by identifying the public and private space.

- The permeability of the space were manipulated with different types of edging elements.

- By creating a boundary, it controls and limits the accessibility of users within the edging area.

Disadvantages

Helps in navigation - It controls the movement patterns of pedestrian and vehicles - It helps to ease the navigation od pedestrian

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Create visual clutter.

More expensive as compared to softscape dividers.

- Maintenance were required from time to time Page - 11

Landscape Architecture ARC61403

3.3 Accessibility Portability Movement patterns

Application of hardscape at urban scale

non accessible non movable

high accessible movable

non accessible non movable

high accessible movable

high accessible non movable

high accessible non movable

high accesible non movable Page - 12

Visually permeable but poor accessibility of the barrier restricts the accessibility to the site itself. However, it ensures the visual engagement in and out, encouraging activity flow throughout the space.

The separating elements act as a transitional point within the space.

Highly permeable edges create opportunities for pedestrians to move without restriction, thus encouraging high activity flow throughout the space.

Barriers line parallel to each other along the street, creating linearity. It guides and forces the movement patterns to move in a linear pattern.

The separating elements act as a transitional point. It is movable and therefore it changes the landscape from time to time, depending on the human activities itself.

Project 1 : Exploring urban landscape

Urban planters create a more flexible movement along the street and at the same time soften the edge between spaces compared to the other separating elements. This raw material hardscape complements with the softscape, creating visual and movement variety.

Landscape Architecture ARC61403

3.4

Bus stops seats Plenty of them are found along where high density of traffic occurs.

STREET FURNITURES

Seatings

Sculpture

These portable seatings are found at the frontal of buildings. The arrangement of seatings are placed randomly, sometimes in clusters and sometimes surrounding the columns or structures of buildings.

The sculpture serves a multiple purpose where multiple human activities and behaviours are identified along the street. The users tend to sit at the seats provided under the sculpture or even stand under the perforated shelter.

Project 1 : Exploring urban landscape

The street furnitures in Brickfields comprise of bus stops and seats, concrete block seats and modern sculptures. They provide important amenities for the pedestrians by improving the functionality and vitality of the urban public realm. It increases the comfortability of the urban landscape, making the users to feel more engaging by creating a more permeable threshold along the streets. Instead of having a variety of street furnitures, repetitive of usage of street furnitures allow users to identify the identity of Brickfields, increasing the imageability of the city.

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Landscape Architecture ARC61403

3.4

Usage and Materiality

Placement of street furnitures The best locations for benches are placed where there is heavy pedestrian use. In high-activity areas such as pedestrian junctions at Nu Sentral, there is access to seatings every 60 metres. Benches are set up near other amenities and arranged where there is protection from the wind and allowing a choice of sitting under the sun or in the shade. It is also separated from the walking path by a space of 30-60cm. They are set at right angles to each other, to facilitate conduciveness for socialization. The usage of these street furnitures however depends largely on the time and weather of the day.

Concrete

Steel

Majority of the street furnitures are made of raw concrete instead of colored wooden or plastic benches to complement the monotonous ceramic tiles and concrete pavements.

Steel furnitures are used mainly at the frontal of modern buildings such as Nu Sentral, Ascott Shell Buildings. It creates visual balance of the urban landscape by complementing the glass facade architecture.

Strength: May not need to be mounted Difficult to vandalize (except with spray paint).

Long durability Aesthetically attractive Weaknessďźš Does not drain or ventilate well after rain

Majority of the people that are commonly found in that area are students and white-collar workers.

Strength: Versatile Has a high strength/weight ratio Can be shaped to any aesthetic designs Durable Resistant to corrosion and impact Requires no maintenance Cheap in terms of life-cycle cost Fully recyclable Weakness: Low fire resistance rating unless coated

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Landscape Architecture ARC61403

3.4 Advantages

Advantages & Disadvantages of Street Furnitures

Seatings encourage pedestrians to linger, benefitting the businesses and encouraging communal gatherings.

Provide comfortable environment for people to enjoy their surroundings while waiting.

Create attraction and visual interest.

Stimulate social encounters

Disadvantages

Potential visual clutter.

Allows homeless people to sleep on seating areas.

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Landscape Architecture ARC61403

4.0

UTILITIES & SERVICES Utilities are basic essential services to homes and businesses in Brickfields which consists of sewers, fire hydrants, telephone booths and the Tenaga National Berhad (TNB) switch boxes.

Utility installation, maintenance and upgrading occur as a part of urban landscape improvement and affect the imageability of the place.

Utilities are necessary in urban landscape as they often constrain and affect the ability and planning of landscape as it can create a disorderly visual environment. Therefore, well-organized utility design and placement help to minimize visual clutter to achieve cohesive urban landscape.

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Landscape Architecture ARC61403

4.1

UTILITIES There are two types of fire hydrants found in Brickfields, the red and Fire hydrant yellow ones.

Red - Privately Owned Yellow - Government Owned UBBL 2012 Part VIII No.225 Served by at least one fire hydrant located not more than 45 meters from the fire brigade access and not more than 90 meters apart from each other.

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Public Telephone booth

Commonly used in the past decade, when technology was not that advanced. Majority of the phone booths in the area are still functioning.

TNB Switch box

Majority of the TNB switch boxes were found blending in with the softscapes and are placed at appropriate location to avoid disturbing the pedestrian walkway.

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Landscape Architecture ARC61403

4.2

WASTE RECEPTACLES

Public rubbish bin

DBKL rubbish bin

Rubbish bin location

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Waste in Kuala Lumpur is managed by solid waste management namely the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (PPSPPA) in 2008 and is now managed by SWCorp Malaysia but sub contracted to a few companies such as Alam Flora Sdn. Bhd. and Jitu Harta Sdn. Bhd. Waste is collected on a daily basis.

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Landscape Architecture ARC61403

4.2 Usage of waste receptacles at Brickfields Location Instead of putting waste receptacles everywhere, the rubbish bins in Brickfields are placed appropriately where it is highly visible and accessible in order to minimize littering. They were located in crowded areas such as intersections at traffic lights and along Little India were high density of pedestrians exist. They are planned to space equally throughout Brickfields to increase efficiency.

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Issues However, there are insufficient rubbish bins for some designated areas as rubbish are found littered all over the place. Good habits are not practiced throughout the area where littering is found.

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Landscape Architecture ARC61403

3.4 5.0 CONDITIONS Most of the hardscapes are damaged due to : 1. Inconsistent maintenance 2. Vandalism by inconsiderate people 3. Low quality hardscapes

Damages

Vandalized

Disjoined

Illegal dumping of concrete remnants

Effects on urban scape 1. Places look abandoned 2. Eyesore 3. Uncomfortable for pedestrians as the road pavements are undulating 4. Might cause danger to blind people Solving the issue : 1. Clean up vandalism and remove or repair any damaged items as soon as possible.

2. Install surveillance camera

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Landscape Architecture ARC61403

6.0 3.4 LINES Page - 21

Hardscapes form line and create perimeter and boundary of space. They direct eye movement and control physical movement. Straight lines are structural and forceful, curved lines are relaxed and natural, implying movement.

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Landscape Architecture ARC61403

TEXTURES Page - 22

Provides variety, interest, and contrast.

Affects perceived size.

Texture is referred to as coarse, medium, or fine.

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Landscape Architecture ARC61403

COLOURS Page - 23

Complementary

Complementary

The hue of the hardscape materials provide variety, interest, and contrast.

The colours used affect human emotions and perceived distances. Basic color schemes - monochromatic, analogous, and complementary.

Monochromatic

Contrast

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Landscape Architecture ARC61403

VISUAL WEIGHTS The characteristics of the elements that attract our attention. Hardscape and utilities with high visual weight, measured by upright forms, bold textures and bright colors create visual attraction and awareness.

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7.0 3.4

SWOT ANALYSIS Increase accessibility, aesthetics and safety of the city

Could improve overall urbanscape condition

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Strength

O

Opportunity

W

High initial, maintenance and Weakness repair cost

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Threats

Poor maintenance could lead to negative effects that would affect the image of the city

In conclusion, sufficient and well planned of placings for the hardscapes and utilities has been installed for the comfort of the people. However, the misused of those items has caused deterioration of these facilities.

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