Instant Urbanism.

InstantUrbanism Tutors: Ben Milbourne & Marcus Westbury

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Urbanism often focuses on large scale and long term plans, as a means to improving and producing livable urban environments. While large, long term changes, can produce significant effects, it is less obvious that small scale, grass-roots and immediate change can also lead to the production of dramatic, lasting and positive effects in our cities.

Newcastle, Australia’s largest non-capital city, has endured decades of de-industrialzation and sub-urbanisation, leaving large tracts of the CBD vacant, vandalized or decaying. While the long term prospects for the redevelopment of Newcastle’s CBD are good, in the meantime many sites are boarded up because they are no short term for uses them and no one is responsible for them.

The Instant Urbanism studio partnered with Renew Newcaslte, a community based initiative established to find short and medium term uses for buildings in Newcastle’s CBD that are currently vacant, disused, or awaiting redevelopment, providing students with exposure to an immediate and tangible program for revitalizing the city. Renew Newcastle aims to find artists, cultural projects and community groups to use and maintain these under utilized buildings until they become commercially viable or are redeveloped.

The Instant Urbanism studio successfully provided research assistance and design solutions to Renew Newcastle, while challenging both students and studio leader’s assumptions about the role of the architect and architecture in urban renewal.

This studio was made possible through the time and expertise generously provided by the Renew Newcastle organization, and the hard work and commitment of all of the studio participants.

Studio Participants: Hisham Ariffin, Alto Lap To Au, Jon Chun Hung Chiu, Melisa Febriani, Has Grounds, Yenita Kurniawan, Arlene Lim, Zi Lim, Lucy Maplestone, Imran Mohd Annuar, Sean Seah and Laura Ulph.

Studio leaders: Ben Milbourne and Marcus Westbury

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PRECINCTS

WITHIN HUNTER STREET

PRECINCTS

PANORAMAS

PANORAMAS

VISIBLE SKY

WITHIN HUNTER STREET

VISIBLE SKY

EXPERIENTIAL ANALYSIS civic monumental

grand offices

EXPERIENTIAL ANALYSIS civic monumental

grand offices

business nice money pleasant law clean business nice money pleasant law clean

retail trees offices quiet shaded slow retail trees offices quiet shaded slow

retail shops nice place to sit people walking

slow shady greenery

relaxed quiet

retail shops nice place to sit people walking

slow shady greenery

relaxed quiet

noisy people waiting trees shady cars noisy people waiting trees shady cars

trains buses people one-sided changetrains buses people one-sided change

noisy trains office buildings busy boring

ugly

noisy trains office buildings busy

don’t stop boarded up boring

ugly

don’t stop boarded up

big monumental city nice busy big monumental city nice busy old conflict

empty new

old conflict

conflict not defined

empty new

conflict not defined

open train line cars

open train line cars

new buildings conflict of old and new tall separation

new buildings conflict of old and new tall separation

hot bright new stuff shaddy green hot bright new stuff shaddy green noisy buses cars pollution shops noisy buses cars pollution shops starting to work starting to work

empty cars noisy big desolate nos- empty cars noisy big desolate nostalgia ghost town road talgia ghost town road

Hunter St mapping: Lucy Maplestone, Yenita Kurniawan, Jon Chun Hung Students initially engaged in site investigation and mapping during an intensive site visit to Newcaslte, exploring analytical and experiential qualities of the Hunter St Spine which forms the backbone of the Newcaslte CBD. Students also met with existing and potential Renew Newcastle, establishing the user group’s needs and expectations for the project.

Working in teams of three, students developed their observations and analysis, over several weeks into strategic plans and organizational models to be used by Renew Newcaslte in the future deployment of the program.

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TRANSPORT HOURS

WEEKDAYS

SATURDAY

9-12am

12-3am

6-9pm

3-6am

3-6pm

6-9am

SUNDAY 12-3pm

9-12pm

transport connections

HUMAN TRAFFIC

Weekdays Weekend

7AM

Weekdays

12PM

9PM

Weekend

Weekdays Weekend

foot traffic

Hunter St activation analysis: Melissa Febriani, Sean Seah, Alto Lap To Operating individually, students developed material pallets and systems suitable for use by arts and community groups with extremely limited budgets, and able to be demounted within 30 days as-per the Renew Newcaslte lease requirements.

Students then developed individual design interventions for sample vacant buildings identified, and documents while in Newcaslte, demonstrating the ideas and strategies developed in the strategic plan and materials pallet stages of the project.

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strategic plan: Culture Farm and Market CULTURE FARM Large Filming Space Pottery Studio Photography Studio

Film & Photography

Craft Illustrator Studio Film Editing Space Drawing Studio

Small Art Studio

Sewing Studio

Art Filming Studio

Sculpture Workshop Film Production

Large Art Studio Fashion Design

Small Rehearsal Space

Small Rehearsal Space Small Recording Studio Theatre Workshop

Music

Performance

Digital Production Space

Large Rehearsal Space

Large Rehearsal Space

Sound Recording

Dance Studio

Sculpture Displays

Local Cinema

Craft Gallery & Sales

Theatre Performance

Street Performance

Art Galleries Craft Gallery & Sales

Bar Spaces Public Art

Art Sales

Mucic Performance

Art Displays

Media Galleries

CULTURE MARKET

Performance Spaces

Produce Display and Sales

The identification of constraints bounding Newcastle’s existing active center led to the proposal of a Culture Farm in the vacant, inactive areas of Newcastle’s East.

Composed of individual creative tenancies with no direct public interaction, the Culture Farm enables local generation of unique cultural ‘produce’ to be distributed in the dense active network of

the proposed Culture Market.

Creation and distribution of locally produced art, music and performance inspires unique public interaction, reinvigorating the dwindling activity of the Hunter Street Mall.

Hisham Bin Ariffin, Has Grounds, Zi Lim

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strategic plan: Three Precincts

CIV

Opening hour

Time

Florence st.

Wood st.

Steward Av.

National Park st.

Hannel st.

Steel st.

Steel st.

Worth Pl.

Union st.

Auckland st.

Merewether st.

Darby st.

Crown st.

Brown st.

Perkins st.

Thorn st.

Wolfe st.

Wolfe st.

Morgan st.

Market st.

Newcoment st.

Bolton st.

Bolton st.

Newcoment st.

Watt st.

Watt st.

RS

Time

Lot

In this project two key observations emerged from the site investigation and mapping of the Newcaslte CBD; That the Hunter St spine currently has three distinct points of functional intensity, and that these zones, or precincts, effect a shifting of activation and intensity over time (day/week/month) along the strip.

The strategic proposal taps into these existing forces, dividing

prospective tenant groups into ‘arts production’, ‘performance ‘ and ‘retail’, placing them into the identified nodes to reinforce the existing activity rather than further disperse activity along the strip, while encouraging the shift in intensity during the day and over the week, between these precincts.

Melissa Febriani, Sean Seah, Alto Lap To

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materials pallet development: UnCycling Uncycling - Alternate Material lifecycle facilitating Newcasle Renewal Produce

Breakdown

Transport

Recycle

Use

Store

Transport

Uncycle Temporary altarnate material use

Concrete Reinforcing Mesh

Timber Stud Framing

Scaffolding

Insulation Batts

Sound Proofing Foam

Carpet Underfelt

Insulated Sisalation

Sarking Foil

Ceiling Insulation

Uncycling provides an alternative to using recycled or reusable materials in an attempt to provide a diverse choice of cheap and sustainable solutions for short term, low impact architectural interventions. The system proposes the temporary appropriation of materials from their normal lifecycle for use that does not prevent the material being returned for its original purpose. Con-

Milk Crates

crete reinforcing mesh and timber stud framing are examples of materials that can be ‘uncycled’ from storage, used in a system to frame and manipulate space and then be returned to their normal cycle for their originally intended purposes.

Has Grounds

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materials palette development: Renewing Newcastle... The Hard Rubbish

hard rubbish survey

prototype development ‘Renewing Newcastle... the hard rubbish way’ investigates transforming the vacant Market Square Mall into an active and alive studio space for local artists and designers. The large space is divided into smaller secure sections in which artists can work individually or collectively. Each studio user is provided with a market capsule, in which they can sell the good produced

in the studio space. In response to the temporiness and budget restraints, the production space and market stalls are made from hard rubbish collected off the street. Whether it be cardboard from a dumpster, discarded and pulled apart pallets or bicycle tyres, it is all free and readily available!

Laura Ulph

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design intervention: Tetris Hub Male toilet (2) 7.3m2

1 2 3

4

5

7

2

6

5

7 4

7

2 6

7

2 3

6

5

5

6

InformaƟon Centre Hiring booth 8,7m2

4

4

3

1

1

carpark

Male & Female shower 11.4m2

carwash

1 2 3 5

1

7

2 3

4

5

drive-in cinema

1

1

2 3

4

1

outdoor cinema

5

7

2 3

4

5

7 4

7 6

Sports: basketball volleyball tennis badminton 13m2

7

6

6

7

7

7

7

7

1 tennis

6

7

6 badminton

7

3 volleyball

half-basketball

1

1

2 3

7

7

5

5

4

5

4

5

7

6

2 6

TETRIS HUB 145.6m2

7

4

6

6

7

2

2 2 2

7

2 2

3

3

3

7

1

sports event

1

1 performance

small performance

2 performances

1 7

Food shop public/ market kitchen 31.6m2

5

7

2

4

5

1 7

2

4

5

2 3

4

5

6

6

7 4

6

6

2 2 2 3

3

Female toilet (4) 9.7m2

Bar: alcohol milkcrate stool boundary 14.4m2

fesƟvals

5

kids fesƟvals

7

2

Storage: table chairs bean bag boundary stand 13m2

3

1

1

5

1

7

2

4

bar

live bar

7

4 5

4

2 3

6

5

7 4

6

6

?

6 3

3

1

Convinience store 25m2

market

1

community acƟvity

seafood market

program modes 1

ProjecƟon screen sound system storage 4.5m2

3

2

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

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sunday saturday friday thursday wednesday

4 x Performance stage 7m x 2.5m

tuesday

quaterly event

monday

exploded axonometric

activation over time

Tetris Hub is a hyper program space at the existing carpark site, an intervention of promoting new activity to achieve the maximum use of existing infrastructure.

Each components of Tetris Hub provide infrastructure for programs to occur to maximize the carpark space at different time.

It explores the possibilities of how the components being used

at different programs and time by moving around the components within the site to achieve the highest interaction with the programs and the users.

Melissa Febriani

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monthly event

Artist and individual requirements

amount of space needed to work method of working storage of work individual preferences for spaces

design intervention: The ‘Store’ Arts Hub Nicholas building infrastructure

The Store studios infrastructure

Re-use for artist studios & hub

Pauls Warehouse usable objects

bench in cafe/bar library shelf/ artist studios

ceiling cladding in cafe/bar

Sams Warehouse usable objects

ceiling cladding in cafe/bar

wall partitions in hub area

seat in cafe/bar

partitions in artist studios seat in cafe/bar

benches in cafe/bar

table in cafe/bar

Nicholas building: adapt requirements to fit building

bench in cafe/bar

construction of slope / seats in cafe/bar

site materials survey

the Store: adapt building to fit requirements

Adapt requirements to fit infrastucture

Adapt infrastucture fit requirements precedent to Study: Nicholas building, Melbourne

female toilets artist studios male toilets

ar

artist studios

art classes

male toilets

female toilets

disabled toilet

informal gallery area

kitchenette

art studios store room

informal gallery area

gallery office

bar/cafe service area art library

cafe/bar spillage films seating

gallery store room gallery

Key: point of intersection of circulation path

First Floor Plan

artist studio space

This project investigates the adaptation of a largely dis-used shopping center, as a creative arts hub. Artist studios and supporting functions are inserted into the empty spaces of ‘The Store’ shopping centre.

The circulation space provides for points of intersection, initiating conversation and networking, the largest being the main hub.

Second Floor Plan

proposal plans

Artists are given flexibility in their studios with minimal infrastructure of chain link fencing provided to demarcate circulation and studio spaces and a kit of parts system to adapt the studios to their needs.

Lucy Maplestone

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design intervention: Connective Tissue

This project investigates the adaptation of a group of disparate unconnected buildings into a collaborative and vibrant arts hub.

The project is established on a thesis that interaction and communication are key ingredients in any creative environment.

The project focuses on a connective tissue that is set around its parameters of various programs. Maximizing circulation routes,

between ‘generic’ production spaces, and promoting chance encounter.

The design proposal utilizes standard scaffold systems to provide circulation and congregation spaces, while allowing for demountability and adaptation to alternatives sites.

Sean Seah

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design intervention: Experimental Theatre Studio PERFORMER’S ACCESS

PERFORMANCE AREA

PERFORMANCE AREA

AUDIENCE’S ACCESS

PERFORMANCE AREA

PERFORMANCE AREA

GROUND FLOOR STUDIO

PERFORMER’S ACCESS

AUDIENCE’S ACCESS

SEATING AREA

GROUND FLOOR STUDIO

SEATING AREA

MAIN STUDIO

FIRST FLOOR STUDIO

MAIN STUDIO

SEATING AREA

STUDIO GALLERY

FIRST FLOOR STUDIO

The project focuses on the idea of instantaneousness, mobility and functionality, much to the like of a theatre set. Its instantaneousness reflected in the utilization of abandoned shelves found onsite, to be manipulated to form various functions. The modularity of shelves boxes allowsSTUDIO multiple configurations which SEATING AREA GALLERY would suit to each particular function/ performance set. Its flex-

ibility is demonstrated through the use of curtain as a porous boundary around the performance area, allowing multiple access for the audiences, performers and sceneries.

MORNING DANCE CLASS

STREET/OUTDOOR PERFORMANCES

Yenita Kurniawan

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