UPROOTED.
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Competitions help to push students to test their skills and learn a great deal through the collaborative-competitive process as when dealing in real life professional scenarios. The aim for the competition is to showcase the students' capabilities in the public realm hence creating a better public awareness of good design quality. We have been given a project by the Rehabilitation Projects Office, to redesign a garden in Cospicua and the winning team's design has the possibility of being implemented, a chance f o r s t u d e n t s ʼ’ d e s i g n p r o p o s a l s t o b e r e c o g n i z e d . T h e w o r k s h o p w i l l b e c o v e r e d b y t h e m e d i a s o t h a t t h e a r c h i t e c t u r e s t u d e n t ʼ’ s c a p a b i l i t i e s is not overlooked anymore.
Redesign of Pjazza Santa Margerita.
PJAZZA SANTA MARGHERITA
Public Spaces encompass a wide array of spaces, from old historic centers to parks and recreational areas. Their form, uses and maintenance raise a host of important questions regarding urban planning from the local to the regional scale. If they are considered today as assets for urban renewal (economic stimulus, public health and well-being, the image of the city, mobility, conviviality), the need and the success of a public space is before anything else predetermined by its ability to bring together two main and necessary qualities upon which all the rest depend: accessibility and communication. Accessibility refers to its l o c a t i o n , i t s a t t r a c t i v e n e s s a n d i t s f u n c t i o n a l a n d r e c r e a t i o n a l a s p e c t s ;余 c o m m u n i c a t i o n r e f e r s to its ability to bring people together to talk, discuss, play, relax, hold cultural and recreational events and public meetings. Pjazza Santa Margerita, in Cospicua, has the potential to be both a garden and a square. The hybridization of the qualities found in these two urban assets can lead to a space which can serve the needs of the contemporary urban dweller.
A re-design of this space should take into account the following criteria amongst others: The connection with its surroundings: The location and its context shall be the backbone of the design. The new space shall provide physical and visual links to the surrounding streets, vistas, buildings and amenities. Public spaces can also be opportunities for information dissemination on the historic context and public art with local relevancy. Provide spaces for activities which keep it alive: Economic, recreational and cultural activities, all contribute to the vitality of a public space. Some of these can provide the necessary funds for the upkeep of the area by the local authorities. Strike a balance between security and openness: Active and passive surveillance is important in avoiding the transformation of spaces into no-go areas. An equilibrium should be found between providing a safe space and maintaining ease of access. The design methodology can take the public nature of the project into consideration, with opportunities for public engagement before, during and after the design workshop. Statutory authorities, local authorities and members of the public may all be sources of inspiration in achieving a truly usable public space.