Vita Nova by Rylan___Jackson

VITA NOVA

The University of Newcastle ARBE 3221 STUDIO 6 Tutor: Prof Michael Chapman Name: Rylan Jackson

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MANIFESTO HISTORY SITE ANALYSIS GREATER NEWCASTLE AGRO-URBANISM CIRCULAR ECONOMY MODULAR/SPACE EFFICIENT LIVING THE MATRIX DESIGN PHASE 1 DESIGN PHASE 2 FLOOR PLANS DESIGN DEVELOPMENT MODEL APPENDIX & REFERENCING

4 6 10 16 19 23 26 29 33 38 43 51 56 67

MANIFESTO

VITA NOVA Vita Nova Latin for new life explored the opportunity to create a brand-new city that resides 6000 people in Mayfield East on the historically rich BHP site. The proposal investigated the appropriate foundations for a city to survive while shut off from the greater Newcastle’s political and social dogmas. This push for uprise and change to our day to day lives create a superior ideology with three core concepts at its heart to unearth “A City within a City” and independent body of greater Newcastle. Vita Nova is based on space efficient living, agro-urbanism and circular economies. These core concepts have shaped the city drastically from building structures and functions, to the interactions of citizens on a day to day basis as well as the economy of the city and how it develops and grows based on resident contribution and interaction.

HISTORY

[1] BHP STEELWORKS 1915

[2] "NEWCASTLE STEEL WORKS"

THE HISTORY

The Broken Hill Proprietary company was established in 1885. It has been an influential and crucial company not just in the development and success of Australian exports and trade but also shaping Australian towns and communities. One in which being Newcastle in NSW Australia. BHP's journey of building Newcastle to where it is today began in 1915 where the Newcastle Steel Works was built being at the time Australia’s biggest steel works plant. This plant gave Newcastle financial injection and support to many within the community. Creating a true working-class town. This was proven with BHP’s peoples fund supporting workers with education, medical, housing and social services. The company changed thousands of peoples lives across many generations of novacastrions. In 1999 after 84 years in operation supporting war efforts, trade and domestic development the plant ceased operations. The site at Mayfield East is now capped and being managed while Newcastle is moving on and evolving into a new city distant from its industrial times but never forgotten. The notion of a new "City within a City" has now been reborn...

SITE ANALYSIS

BHP MAYFIELD EAST SITE 1:5000

BHP ADMIN BUILDING EASTERN ELEVATION

THE ROLLING SHED

The site located in Mayfield East, west of the Newcastle CBD is a site that is vastly flat and lifeless due to it being capped to keep harsh chemicals underground. There are however some forms of vegetation on the site which does suggest this type of activity can occur. The limited topography and historical research indicates that at the eastern end of the site it is susceptible to flooding activity in harsh rain. There are still five original buildings on the site including the heritage listed BHP administration building.

REMAINING BUILDINGS & INSIDE A STEEL LADDLE

GREATER NEWCASTLE

In 2017 Newcastle City Council released the Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan, which was an attempt to focus and redevelop Newcastle by 2036 to support issues that the area is facing. One of these is housing stock. In 2036 it is predicted that there will be a growth of 30,000 new residents to Newcastle which is a 20% surge in population. Newcastle’s availability in housing stock, transport, jobs, education and other services does not support this type of increase, thus a redevelopment and new strategy must take place. A change in the way Newcastle operates is required moving away from its industrial ways to a new era of an information and services economy. This change requires people closer to city services yet council believe the site at [3] GREATER NEWCASTLE METRO PLAN CATALYST focus should still be facilitating Port AREAS FOR NEWCASTLE PORT of Newcastle works & development of freight and logistics. This is for all areas on the waters edges with wasted potential to stop urban sprawl and use and re plan existing sites to make them contribute to the city of Newcastle effectively and adaptively. 17

[4] HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES GREATER NEWCASTLE METRO PLAN

existing urban area with infill opportunity housing release areas

The areas for possible redevelopment are extremely high. However the type of redevelopment such as typical housing means this doesn't improve anything to the Newcastle area in regards to housing stocks thus proposals like this need to be considered to assist in population increase and improve housing stock creating affordable housing solutions for everyone.

AGRO URBANISM

Agro urbanism or agricultural urbanism is a way in which food and city meets together to create complex and unique diversification and distribution of food supply for cities as well as being independent to facilitate and sustain food consumption. Vital for Vita Nova’s succession,investigations into the way agro urbanism can work in cities was undertaken and developed over design phases until a unique and relevant balance between people, farming and consumption of these goods and services was met.

Conceptual Visualisation of Agro Urbanism

CIRCULAR ECONOMY

A circular economy is one that focuses on eliminating waste and the strong focus on reuse and readaptability of products or services. This is an ideal opportunity to implement this strategy into a city; creating an independent body of greater Newcastle. During the development of the site there can be ways a design can incorporate current site parameters to reuse or recycle components or methods once used on site. An investigation into the site’s economic history and general laws and governance it can be encouraged that a city focused on reusage, recyclability and opportunities to bring financial benefit could prove crucial to the city’s survival.

Conceptual approach exploring the old and the new. The history of trade and profit on the site can be revolutionised with a new circular economy approach.

MODULAR/SPACE EFFICIENT LIVING

Modular and space efficient living is a model that is strongly distant in Australian culture and one that is a struggle to convince people to convert too. However the focus of this project is to give between 20-30sqm of liveable space per person to enable sustainable and responsible living conditions to give Newcastle its best opportunity to house a growing population. This is currently compared to Newcastle's average dwelling and land size of 700-900sqm.

Conceptual research into ways modular and space efficiency might be achieved through shared spaces open public and private balconies creating resident interactions

THE MATRIX

Having this research and investigation at hand a matrix was made to be the core focus of the project moving forward. Using our three core ideas of agro-urbanism, space efficient living and circular economies. Further research led to finding projects using these ideologies. Habitat 67 by Moshe Safdie supported our space efficient living/modular claims. Its concrete precast form and reduce living quarters as well as its open balcony systems proved a good precedent case to begin investigating with. Agro-Urbanism was influenced by research into Spatial City by Yona Friedman and Gardens by the Bay by Grant Associates. The focus was creating harvestable and usable spaces above ground level allowing for other forms of programming to take place. Fujian Tulou's by the Hakka people of 12th century China proved not just a good building to research and understand but the way the buildings where operating socially and politically. The Circular economy of each was to share and distribute what was a collective by each Tulou such as food, clothing and weapons. Excess sold to others within the village creating independent wealth but creating a shared economy. Living programs where tight but effective distributing rooms vertically rather than horizontally.

[5] GARDENS BY THE BAY

[7] FUJIAN TULOU DIAGRAMATIC SKETCH

[6]VILLE SPATIALE

[8] HABITAT 67

IDEAS MATRIX 32

DESIGN PHASE

1 33

Securing three key focuses we moved into the first design of the building. We believed the Fujian Tulou's of the Hakka people was a great precedent to build upon which led us to try and develop 12th century living into the 21st while trying to meet the brief of homing 6000 people. Living in a world full of diversification we aimed to have multiple variations of housing options for all family types. It was also important that the model for our housing approach was equal to all, suggesting a flat rental price for all residents with a hybrid co housing model.

HYBRID VISUALS OF MODEL AND CONCEPT SKETCHING

Our first phase of design led us to house 6000 people within 15 of our structures across the site creating vast open spaces for other forms of programming allowing for further densification if required to 8000 people.

35 1:100 50 PERSON CLUSTER MODEL WITH 3 DIFFERENT SIZED APARTMENTS

1:1000 MASTERPLAN 36

VIGNETTES OF DESIGN PHASE 1 37

DESIGN PHASE

Design phase 2 had a strong focus on narrowing down ideas developed in phase 1 of the design and strengthening those to create a stronger vision of the city. The development included focus on the architecture of our buildings enabling more light into the core as well as into apartments themselves and forced interactions with other residents through careful and tactical design decisions. This included more adaptable public and private balcony spaces and how residents could change their programming which added diversification internally and externally. Further development of skywalks and there use where explored enabling two tiers of paths across the site with cafes, bike racks and public gardens along these walkways enabling a different experience compared to the ground plane.

Testing of a "push and pull" method of apartments was conducted to enable diversification to each floor plan as well as focusing on penetrative light into the building. As a result from the apartments we removed to create light wells we increased buildings on the site from 15 to 20 and had variations of 10 storey and 13 storey buildings which also benefited the site architecturally.

Conceptual Perspective 41

1:1000 MASTERPLAN 42

FLOOR PLANS

The floor plans for Vita Nova offer three variations. A one, two or three bedroom apartment which is distributed vertically up the building rather then separate rooms on the same level. This creates more space for other apartments and variations in all floor plans. Depending on push and pull backs, voids and windows may alter allowing each resident to have a unique experience within their home.

FIRST FLOOR 1:75

Isometric Apartment 1 Bed 46

SECOND FLOOR 1:75

Isometric Apartment 2 Bed 48

THIRD FLOOR 1:75

Isometric Apartment 3 Bed

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

A development for Vita Nova can be looked at via the scope of Food, Technology and Circular Economy. All crucial for the development of the city into a clearer form. Technology acts in most cities across the globe and Vita Nova should be no different. Using technology as an instrument creating faster economic networks between goods, services and people to aid in the prosperity of the city as an autonomous body of greater Newcastle. Having a circular economy at focus the progression of this idea is distributing old services or items further then Vita Nova itself. Each structure already has in place a redistribution and collection point in the communal ground floor. This is so residents can give away surplus food, clothing, technologies etc in a convenient and affordable way. This approach benefits not just other individuals who may require this service but the city collectively; thus, creating equality to a possible 6000 residents. This process can happen with excess food from our targeted approach of agro urbanism. Surplus not wanted by apartments can be distributed to restaurants in the below common area or for resident profit can be placed online and sold to other people within the city or greater Newcastle using drone services.

Section model of how excess goods can create profit for towers holistically as well as individually via technology

This gives the ability to stay connected with surrounding areas financially without having to conduct traditional trade methods. A solution like this could also see Vita Nova become disconnected completely from the outside creating a 100% independent and viable "city within a city”. Using drone technology enables faster access to services and products required , creating wealth for residents and the city itself becoming a fresh economy one of technology and service. This type of economy being targeted by NCC by 2036.

Greater independence of towers could see a reduction of external foot traffic meaning this model could be adapted for higher density

This ease of service whether it be food delivery or exportation of materials can be done via residents balconies or within the communal grounds of the buildings themselves. This type of extra income and common interest could make communities inside the buildings stronger then before and the ease of distribution could even suggest creating Vita Novian structures in higher density areas as further redevelopments moving forward. This would reduce the need to find new land to assist in appropriate and sustainable urbanisation

EXCESS GOODS AND SERVICES

SELL

DONATE

GIVEN TO VITA NOVA'S DISTRIBUTION TO BE RECIRCULATED LOCALLY

FOOD

TECHNOLOGY

OPTION TO SELL EXCESS FOOD GROWN IN APARTMENTS OR FOR OWNERS OF CAFES AND RESTRUANTS TO SELL. % TAKEN BY VITA NOVA FOR USE OF SERVICE

CLOTHING/OTHER GOODS

DISTRIBUTED BY VITA NOVA DRONES EXTERNALLY OR INTERNALLY % TAKEN FOR USE OF SERVICE

CLOTHING ITEMS DISTRIBUTED BY VITA NOVA DRONES EXTERNALLY OR INTERNALLY LARGER ITEMS TRANSPORTED BY COMMUNAL VEHICLE SERVICE. % ONLY TAKEN FOR DRONE SERVICE

$ $

$ MONEY MADE FUNDS MAINTENANCE AND REDEVELOPMENT OF SITE ALONG WITH RENTAL INCOME WITHOUT RELYING ON OTHER FACTORS

MODEL

3D PRUSA PRINT OF TULOU'S 1:1000 SCALE PRINT

APPENDIX & REFERENCING

[1] BHP STEELWORKS IMAGE 1915 (WILLIAM RUDDICK, UON COLLECTION) [2]"Newcastle Steel Works” by David Moore 1963 [3] Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan Figure 17: Catalyst Area Newcastle Port page 69 [4] Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan Figure 8: Housing opportunities page 42 [5] Gardens by the Bay Joey M. Atienza Photography [6] Spatial City by Yona Friedman 1958 [7] Fujian Tulou diagrammatic Sketch Chinese Houses: The Architectural Heritage of a Nation, page 187 [8] Habitat 67 by Moshe Safdie 1967 phot source unknown Black background model photos taken by Jed Cranefield

Research Collective

Further graphic analysis of design and ways we could improve from phase one to phase two

CREATED BY 20

RYLAN JACKSON 20