Reflection

This project allowed us to dig deep into the realm of speculative design research and situational understandings. Not only were we required to design architectural and urban interventions for the e-gate site, but we were also required to think of the entire design intervention as a system, learning about the core fundamentals of systems thinking and closed-loop solutions. The combinations of group based research and individual iterative design processes ensured a simultaneous process of gathering large bodies of data, whilst applying these to our finer grain individual analyses and design interventions. This unit aloowed me to become more comfortable and confident with approaching larger sites, and looking at how you can create design solutions at a systems scale, urban scale, architectural scale, interior design scale and product/industrial scale. After having completed this project, I cannot stop thinking about all the other ideas and interventions I could continue to test within the site, as well as how excited I am for the next couple of design research studios, within which I can implement my key learnings and insights from this unit.

Thanks to the wonderful, organised and supportive teaching team and course directors, this unit was highly successful and so valuable to my development as an urban designer. It felt great to get more experience with the urban design/planning side of things; super exciting. The guest lectures were also incredibly insightful and inspiring.