Ross O' Ceallaigh Urban Design Portfolio

Ross O’ Ceallaigh Urban Design and Masterplanning

Portfolio

Contents Introduction and CV

Page

5

Project 1

Productive Dublin

Page

7

Project 2

Lady Beck Valley, Leeds

Page

17

Project 3

Port City, Amsterdam

Page

29

Project 4

Kirkstall Wetlands, Leeds

Page

37

Hello, I’m

Ross O’ Ceallaigh

First of all, thanks for taking the time to consider my portfolio. It contains the work I’ve completed during my Masters in Urban Design at Leeds Beckett University. The degree has been totally hands-on, allowing me to learn my own creative process, key concepts as well as many technical skills. During the year, I have specialised in: Masterplanning

Public Realm Design

Green Infrastructure However, I’m not new to the built environment professions. I completed my BA in Planning, Geography and Environmental Policy (Upper 2nd Class Honours) at University College Dublin in 2014. This education gave me an understanding of the planning system, and the built and natural environments. I specialised in Climate Change, River Management, Regeneration and Urban Design.

I am passionate about the effect of Urban Design on Climate Change.

Student Member of:

CV / Education / Experience / Skills Education

MA Urban Design (Merit)

2014 - 2015

BA Planning, Geography and Environmental Policy (2.1)

2011 - 2014

Leeds Beckett University (formerly Leeds Metropolitan University) Class Rep (14/15)

University College Dublin Class Rep (12/13) Competitions Officer, Trampoline Club (12/13)

+353 85 777 1838

Skills

oceallaighross@gmail.com

Proficiency

Photoshop InDesign

Experience

Assistant Planning Officer

SketchUp

Aug/Sept 2014

Brighton & Hove City Council During my time with the council, I had three roles. I worked as a planning assistant to deliberate and give recommendations on planning applications. This involved speaking to applicants, going on site visits and writing reports. I learned a great deal about the UK planning system and application process and am more confident as a professional.

I also acted as a researcher to do the ground work for a technical document on building materials, which is still in production. This involved online research, site visits and formulating case studies. I acquired a new understanding of the aesthetics, durability and sustainability of various materials.

Finally, I assisted the Major Developments team as needed with preparing reports. This gave me an insight into the development of major schemes.

Work Experience - Urban Designer

Illustrator AutoCAD Drawing Photography Microsoft Office

Oct 2014

Leeds City Council Over three weeks, I worked with the Urban Design Team on a public realm improvement project.

I learned the nuts and bolts of public consultation and designing within a tight budget.

Volounteer at Open House Dublin

Research Writing

Oct 2015

My interest in the built histoy of Dublin led me to volounteer for the Open House Dublin festival which sees some of Dublin’s most interesting buildings open to the public. This two day event illuminated for me the differences in how designers, users and members of the public view the built environment.

References Trampoline Coach

2012 - Present

Supersonic Trampoline Club, Dublin and University College Dublin Coaching gymnastics with children, students, and adults has taught me clear, succinct communication skills, rational structured thinking, and how to adapt my demeanor to different personalities.

General Operative

2015 - Present

Jump Zone Trampoline Park, Dublin As a General Operative, I work as part of a team and independently to complete several objectives every day. This includes hosting events, public relations and upholding health and safety.

Jeanette Walsh Head of Development Control, Brighton & Hove City Council jeanette.walsh@brighton-hove.gov.uk Edwin Knighton Head of MA Urban Design, Leeds Beckett University e.knighton@leedsbeckett.ac.uk

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Productive Dublin

Strategy and Design Guide Originally presented as: A3 Book, 104 pages

This project, completed for my Dissertation (Advanced Urban Design Project), seeks to demonstrate how Dublin City Centre could become more sustainable by integrating urban agriculture. Strategies were created based on the Continuous Producative Urban Landscapes (CPULs) concept for the Greater Dublin Area and the Inner City. In order to guide design, 9 Typologies of spaces were created for the inner city, accompanied by Design Guidance and example redesigns of key spaces in the city.

Greater Dublin Area Strategy “How to Make a CPUL City”

Enhance and Connect Corridors New Connection Improve Corridor

This strategy follows Viljoen’s (2005) simple CPUL strategy.

With the main green spaces mapped on the previous page, connections can be made and agriculture can be integrated.

If Dublin seeks to become a ‘CPUL City’, then existing Green Corridors need to be enhanced; designed for the cyclist and pedestrian. New connections can be made between Green Corridors to give a coherent structure to the city. This will create a kind of green grid, improving the cyclability of Dublin and reducing car dominance in the GDA.

Viljoen (2005) Continuous Produvtive Urban Landscapes

Integrate Urban Agriculture

Feed Dublin

Productive Land

Integrating Urban Agriculture into Green Corridors transforms them into CPULs. The type and size of this productive land will vary depending on it’s location.

Intensive commercial farms can locate in the peri-urban area and suburbs to take advantage of the large population of customers nearby. Smaller community gardens, allotments and educational plots can be located anywhere, but particularly in the city centre where space is limited.

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Growing food locally means it can be sold direct to consumer by delivery or through farmers markets. Instead of travelling around the world to a supermarket, the food miles of produce could be reduced to single figures and delivered by bicycle. This represents a dramatic reduction in CO2 emissions while also satisfying a growing demand for organic, non-GMO produce. It also creates opportunites for small businesses and passionate food growers to take market share away from large multi-national corporations.

Ross O’ Ceallaigh Dublin City Centre Strategy

New Public Space

Connection

Food Growing

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Typologies of Spaces Typologies of Spaces in Dublin City Centre Mapped • • • • • • • • •

Regional Green Space Civic Green Space Residential Green Space Urban Space Derelict Space Institutional Grounds Sacred Space Traffic Artery Residential Street

Regional Green Space Civic Green Space Residential Green Space Institutional Grounds Sacred Space Urban Space Derelict Site

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Ross O’ Ceallaigh Interventions The vast size of the park makes it ideal for commercial intensive or permaculture farming. The site chosen is the area around the Wellington Monument, the closest part of the park to the city centre. A permaculture farm over an acre in size has been plotted in two halves to allow for existing desire lines. It’s positioned by the roadside so it’s visible to passers by, who are invited to read the information boards positioned around the perimeter. The farm will have an educational function, through tours and workshops.

Typology: Regional Green Space Example: Phoenix Park

Proposed

Permaculture Farm (Proposed) Pedestrian Path (Existing) Obelisk (Existing)

Connections to Other Spaces and CPULs

Desire Lines

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Typology: Derelict Site Example: Site on Abbey Street Upper Interventions This derelict site could be a busy city centre green space. The design includes tree planting, benches, and ecological and edible planting. The space is paved through the centre with permeable paving to allow movement through the site. The space also allows some spill-over from the often crowded tram platform at Jervis. Commuters can stand or sit in the space with a view of approaching trams.

Connections to Other Spaces and CPULs

Proposed Plan Jervis Tram Stop (Existing)

Tram Line (Existing) Fruit and Nut Trees (Proposed)

Nodes Edible and Ecological Planting (Proposed) Benches (Proposed)

Green Walls (Proposed)

Permeable Paving (Proposed)

Allotments with Green Fence (Proposed)

Tram Line

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Tram Stop

Dublin Bikes Station

Ross O’ Ceallaigh Typology: Sacred Space Example: St Marks Church

Interventions To make the most of this little space, it should be visible from the road but shielded from the adjoining car park. Vegetation has been included to provide enclosure on the north-eastern edge. New paths (wood chips or permeable paving) meander through the site which splits the space into plots for edible planting. This is an educational garden where visitors can pick fruit, vegetables and herbs, which are accompanied by signage.

Connections to Other Spaces and CPULs

Proposed Plan

Trees (Existing)

Vegetation to Enclose Space (Proposed)

Seating with Grass (Proposed) Edible Garden (Proposed)

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Typology: Traffic Artery Example: Dorset Street Interventions In line with Dublin City Council’s ambition to limit private cars in the city centre, Dorset Street has been reconfigured with the pedestrian, cyclist and bus as pririties. There are now two bus-only lanes and two general traffic lanes. Pedestrians and cyclists are enclosed by a planted verge and trees. The Green Buffers can provide Sustainble Drainage, reducing the load on stormwater pipes. Pedestrian crossings have been improved with raised crossings. Cyclists can be given priority at lights in order to get a ‘head start’ on cars.

An Important Link Between Spaces

The Spire

Croke Park

Existing Cross Section

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Mater Hospital

Dorset Street

Proposed Cross Section

Ross O’ Ceallaigh Typology: Residential Street Example: St. Ignatius Road

Interventions This street has been redesigned based on Dutch “woonerf” principles (called Home Zones in the UK); instead of differentiating pedestrian and vehicle routes, a shared surface is placed along the entire width of the street. Pedestrians, bikes and cars can use the road. Diagonal car parking is used to calm traffic, which must slow down to navigate the space. Planters are provided along houses which residents can use to grow food, flowers or low maintenance wild grass.

Existing Plan Path Parking Street with Speed Bumps

Proposed Plan

Green Buffer along Houses

Shared Surface

Parking used as Traffic Calming

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2

Rediscovering Lady Beck Valley A Catalyst for New Connections Quarry Hill, Leeds, UK Originally presented as: Six A1 Boards

This project spans two modules, Site Analysis and Placemaking.

Analysis revealed Quarry Hill to be a hostile environment, disconnected from the city centre.

A map from 1903 shows the now buried Lady Beck, a river that explains the level changes on site.

Daylighting this stream became the driver for the project, leading to the title Rediscovering Lady Beck Valley. Another major driver was the covering of the motorway to the north of Quarry Hill with a new city park.

From macro to micro, two small sites were designed in detail, enhancing the public realm. Broader Urban Design aims are to catalyse development east and north, reverse car dominance, introduce cycle lanes and to integrate Quarry Hill with the existing city centre.

Below: Site Analysis

Opposite: Masterplan Positive Frontage

Traffic Hub

Negative Frontage Pedestrian Hub

No Frontage Good Architectural Quality

Car Dominated Road

Poor Architectural Quality

Pedestrian Friendly Street

Landmark

Future Pedestrian Route Edge

Feeling of Danger

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Pedestrian Paths

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Residential

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Green Area

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Serial Vision

Rail line

Inaccessible Open Space

Retail

Development Opportunity

Cultural

Food/Drink

Public Building

Offices

2 Surface Car Park

Retail with Residential Above

Food/Drink with Residential Above

Church

Multi Storey Car Park

Concepts Movement Map

City Expansion In years to come, expansion will be catalysed to the North and East of the city centre, by the connections made in this masterplan.

Car and Pedestrian Routes Pedestrian Only Routes

Present Day Figure Ground

Who Will Benefit

FigureDay Ground Present Figure Ground The City Centre will grow eastwards, expanding it’s mixed-use, high density urban form.

Present Day

The Residents surrounding Quarry Hill will have new green spaces and recreational activites, along with employment opportunies and retail.

The Light Industry areas will be next in line for regeneration as tin sheds and car parks get transformed into city centre urban villages.

Future Figure Ground Proposed

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Future Figure Ground

Ross O’ Ceallaigh “Revealing Quarry House” A Serial Vision inspired by Italian Hill Towns

North-South Cross Section: Underground Car Park This plan calls for the demolition of two multi-storey car parks and development on surface car parks. This is part of a larger ethos to reduce car dominance in the city centre. However, to provide some car parking for residents and workers, hidden underground parking is appropriate. This underground car park is accessible via the buried ring road.

Quarry House

New Park over Ring Road

Towards Mabgate

Buried Ring Road

Car Park accessible via Ring Road Stairs to Quarry Boulevard

Underground Car Park

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Leodis Linear Park

Barefoot Trail Barefoot trails are linear walks comprised of different materials, such as wood chippings, mud and pebbles.

Encouraging people to take off their shoes has many benefits such as improved gait, stronger feat and legs, and “grounding” with the earth’s electro-magnetic resonance.

It is an activity that can be enjoyed by all generations.

Leodis Linear Park covers the current inner city ring road, turning this barrier into a new city park.

It’s a highly sensory place, where visitors are brought close to nature to play, exercise, walk and cycle in a beautiful setting.

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Ross O’ Ceallaigh Leodis Linear Park

Natural Playground Natural playgrounds encourage children to be imaginative and brings them close to nature. There are many physical and cognitive benefits to outdoor play in nature and psychologists suggest that it is important for childhood development.

Outdoor Fitness Providing free outdoor gym equipment encourages healthy lifestyles and makes living in the area more attractive to certain demographics.

This playground will benefit the existing residents in Maybeck and will encourage families to live in the city centre.

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Meander Square Stormwater Treatment on a “Micro-Floodplain�

Plan

Meander Square incorporates two sloped green areas which can act as a floodplain when necessary. These areas incorporate wetland plants that filter pollutants from stormwater. Examples of these plants are shown below.

Permeable paving surrounds Lady Beck throughout the site, which alleviates flooding during storms.

Planting Scheme

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Aquatics: Fennel Pondweed

Aquatics: Fan Leaved Water Crowfoot

Wet Zone: Bur Reed

Wet Zone: Yellow Flag Iris

Damp Zone: Marsh Marigold

Damp Zone: Ragged Robin

Dry Zone: Sweet Vernal Grass

Dry Zone: Common Sorrel

Ross O’ Ceallaigh Visual

Wheelchair Accessible, Sculptural Bridge.

Artistic Benches

Cross Section

Dry Zone

Damp Zone

Wet Zone

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Eastgate Square Eastgate Square,

the former city centre

loop roundabout, incorporates the same

“micro-floodplain� design as Meander Square. Building on the beautiful memorial statue already on site, this design uses three new art fixtures to give the square an identity. The building on site (once a petrol station) will be renovated as a cafe/restaurant with outdoor seating, making use of the stunning environment.

Desire Lines

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Plan

Ross O’ Ceallaigh Visual

Left: Inspiration for sculptural and unorthodox seating.

Left: Inspiration for new public art, located at the orange dot symbol.

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3

Port City // Forests Edge Amsterdam Originally presented as: 178cm x 84cm Poster

Masterplan for a new urban neighbourhood, north-east of Amsterdam city centre. The site is a former industrial port, on the River Ij. The development aims to be as sustainable as possible. In this car-free community, virtually every street is shared-surface or pedestrianised, based on the model of Vauban, Freiburg.

The compact, medium density urban form is served by two new tram stops, connecting to the city centre.

Half of the site is devoted to a Forest Park and Wetlands, seeking to re-naturalise the city, promote biodiversity and make this a city-wide attraction.

Visitors are encouraged too, by the Theatre Amsterdam and associated cultural offerings.

Residents are provided space for urban agriculture, particularly the co-housing scheme which features shared permaculture spaces.

Port City’s strength is its multitude of public and semi-private open spaces.

Existing Site

A mixture of light industry “tin sheds� and impressive new office buildings. The area is in transition but has no cohesive plan or guiding philosophy. The businesses and Theatre Amsterdam that exist form the basis of this Masterplan.

Concept

Action Plan

Car-Free Community

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Connect Port by Public Transit

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C

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Shared Space

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Multi-storey Car Park

Port City is heavily inspired by the carfree community of Vauban in Freiburg.

The majority of streets are Shared Surface, meaning that cars are allowed to use them, but they are secondary to pedestrians and cyclists. The streets are not split into lanes, but are homogynously tiled with permeable paving. This makes them feel safe and more interesting than typical roads. Ultimately, cars are discouraged and unnecessary in Port City.

RossMasterplan O’ Ceallaigh 1. LongArm Park 2. Landmark Building 3. Cultural District 1

4. Theatre Amsterdam

2

5. Multi-Storey Car Park Integrated into Block 6. Multi-Storey Car Park 7. “Floating” Residential Square 8. Portside Park 9. Main Entrance to Forest Park and Wetlands 10. Wetlands and Forest Educational Centre 11. Co-Housing with Permaculture 12. Existing Allotments 13. Sport’s Facilities 11

14. Commercial Permaculture 8

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Wetlands

Urban Forest

Tree Planting

Wild Grass

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New Tram Stop New Tram Line Existing Building

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Portside Park Portside Park is the central open space in Port City. It greets you as you exit the Tram. It’s the obvious place to meet people, hang out and enjoy the panoramic view of the two “Arms” that jut out on either side.

The space is delineated by a row of trees along the tram line, and more planting by the waters edge.

On the water, are all kinds of small boats; kayaks, dingies and rowing boats paddle about in leisure.

The Port inlet can also hold large events such as a Tall Ships Festival or Wakeboarding Championships, which have been held in other European ports.

“Floating” Residential Squares Where two canals meet, there is an opportunity to create a “floating” square, rather than four seperate bridges. This provides easier movement and several open spaces for residents to enjoy.

They are modular by nature. Perhaps a place to grow food. Another is a playground. Kids can play as parents overlook from their apartments.

Somewhere to meet friends, and make new ones.

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Ross O’ Ceallaigh LongArm Park LongArm Park, so called because of it’s location at the end of a strip of land that juts into the Ij, has amazing views. Visitors come to see across the water to Northern Amsterdam. It is planted with clusters of large native trees. It has wooden boardwalks and wild grass planted at water’s edge. This gives it a soft, almost wild aesthetic, contrasting to the hard lines of the Port.

It is also home to a 15 storey Landmark Building, which acts as a way-finder in the area. This has up-market offices and apartments. However, the Green Roof is open to visitors to enjoy the spectacular view.

Cultural District The Cultural District centres around the existing Theatre Amsterdam. This is already attracting people to the area. The proposal is for three new buildings of a similar scale around the theatre that can house other cultural and creative centres. Considering the location, an Industrial History Museum may be successful in the area. Perhaps an Art Gallery, or an artistic branch of a University, could find a home here. This will surely have a effect on the office space in Port City, encouraging creative industries to locate here. The district is served by a tram stop outside the Theatre and a multi-storey car park imbedded into a block (although the use of this will be limited).

These large institutions will face onto the Ij, but the sides and back of the blocks will contain small plots for bars, cafés and restaurants. These will encourage people to stay in Port City after an event and avoids negative facades.

Theatre Amsterdam

Cultural District

Landmark Building

Existing Offices

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3D Model Flythrough This project also included a 4 minute long, 3D flythrough; created in Sketchup.

The video can be viewed at this url:

www.vimeo.com/flythrough/portcity

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3

Kirkstall Wetlands Leeds, UK Originally presented as: 30 Page A3 Book

A Masterplan for a new community at the edge of Leeds City Centre that represents a growth of city centre morphology and an extension of an existing green infrastructure network (“green wedge�) into the city. The two driving forces of the design was the implementation of a Wetlands along the river course and historic buidlings, which were the basis of the built form. The Masterplan aims are to create a biophilic environment which accomodated ecosystem services, such as storwater cleansing and biodiveristy, in a medium density, built environment.

Existing Site

Kirkstall Valley “Green Wedge”

Wood

Sports Pitches

Ag r

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The Kirkstall Valley is known as one of Leed’s “Green Wedges” that permeate from the countryside to the city. A key aim in this project is to show how a single development can interact with a wider green infrastructure network and provide ecological, environmental and recreational benefits

The current site is mainly comprised of light industry warehouses, sitting at odds with some beautiful hitoric buildings that have been maintained. The entire area is traffic-dominated, the inner ring road motorway shown above. The canal tow path is a lost asset, being underused because of lack of surveillance. A strip of scrubland on site will be maintained, keeping with the project’s ecological goals.

Park

Sports Pitches

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Canal

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Ross O’ Ceallaigh Masterplan

Wetlands shown at low water level

River Aire

Existing Building

Leeds-Liverpool Canal

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Visualistion of Wetlands

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Ross O’ Ceallaigh Sustainable Travel

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Views and Vistas

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Green Roofs

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Direct Views Terminal Vista

Pedestrian Permeability

Building Use

Street Types

Pedestrianised Mixed (Retail/Services and Residential

Shared Surface

Residential

Road with Parking

Offices

Boardwalk

41

Visualisation of New Canalside Residences and Cycle Path

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