Inhabiting Urban Voids

INHABITING URBAN VOIDS

Final Year Thesis Report In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of

Bachelor of Architecture Presented by Sahr Farooq 102126

INHABITING URBAN VOIDS Thesis Report

Sahr Farooq

A thesis submitted for evaluation to School of Art, Design and Architecture on 19 June 2016, in partial fulfillment of the requirement for degree B. Arch.

(Signature)

(Signature)

Thesis Coordinator

Deputy Director Examination (SADA)

2017

School of Art Design and Architecture National University of Science and Technology

Declaration This thesis is the result of my own investigations, except where otherwise stated. Others sources are acknowledged by giving references.

Signed _____________________ (candidate) Date_______________________

Statement 1 I am familiar with the NUST Plagiarism Policy and I understand the potential consequences should my thesis be found to contain plagiarized content or violate this policy in any other way.

Signed _____________________ (candidate) Date_______________________

Statement 2 I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for interlibrary loan and for the title and abstract to be made available to outside organization. I authorize the School digital copy of my thesis for the purposes of inter-library loan, the supply of copies and as the archival copy for permanent retention in substitution for the original copy.

Signed _____________________ (candidate) Date_______________________

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor Ar Raza Zahid for his guidance, and encouragement throughout the thesis. I also would like to thank members of my dissertation committee.

Especially, I would like to thank my family I couldn't do without their unstinting support, and confidence in me, but most importantly for their endless patience.

I would also like to thank few yet real friends for their help, encouragements and academic advice during these five years.

ABSTRACT Void, when discussed in architecture and urban design are referred to as empty spaces within the urban fabric which have little or no use. The usefulness of these empty spaces, commonly referred to as urban voids, is an ongoing debate in contemporary cities.

The project has three major components that share a single objective of studying the role of the

void in creating incoherent urban landscape and at the same time the opportunities the void poses to bridge the discrepancies.

First component of the project caters to defining urban voids, why they emerge in various kind of urban realms? And what are the different forms in which the void can exist? And how they impact the urban fabric?

Second component was to identify an urban void within an existing city based on the premises that were set in phase 1. The void studied for this thesis is an abandoned railway track in Peshawar city. After series of studies and analysis phase 2 concludes the role the track plays in slicing the city and composing urban conflicts Final phase focuses on reintegration of the void in it urban context. The process of reintegration is twofold, firstly the project builds spatial relationships with the context to ensure the void is no longer detached from every day urban experiences. Secondly it focuses on making the void a social space.

Key words: Urban Voids, Peshawar, Railway track, Reintegration.

Contents CHAPTER 1....................................................................................................................................... 0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 Planning Voids......................................................................................................................... 1 Functional Voids...................................................................................................................... 2 Thesis statement ......................................................................................................................... 2 Aims and Objectives.................................................................................................................... 2 Methodology............................................................................................................................... 3 Theoretical research ............................................................................................................... 3 Design articulations ................................................................................................................ 3 Design Aspirations ...................................................................................................................... 3 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 4 CHAPTER 2....................................................................................................................................... 5 PRECEDENT STUDY AND ANALYSIS ................................................................................................. 5 HIGHLINE – NEW YORK ............................................................................................................... 6 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 6 Rationale to precedence selection ......................................................................................... 6 Concept and Context .............................................................................................................. 7 From urban void to public promenade ................................................................................... 8 Success of highline as a true public space .............................................................................. 8 Pitfalls of highline as a public space ..................................................................................... 10 Synthesis and Conclusion...................................................................................................... 10 OLYMPIC SCULPTURE PARK – SEATTLE ..................................................................................... 11 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 11 Rationale to precedence selection ....................................................................................... 12 Concept and Context ............................................................................................................ 12 From urban void to public park ............................................................................................ 12 Success of Olympic sculpture park as public space .............................................................. 13 Synthesis and Conclusion...................................................................................................... 13 CHAPTER 3..................................................................................................................................... 15

SITE STUDY AND ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................... 15 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 16 Site and Thesis Statements ....................................................................................................... 19 Site and program....................................................................................................................... 19 Site study and analysis .............................................................................................................. 21 Physical features ................................................................................................................... 21 Mapping activities on the site............................................................................................... 21 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 22 CHAPTER 4: ................................................................................................................................... 23 ARCHITECTURAL PROGRAM ......................................................................................................... 23 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 24 Architectural typology .............................................................................................................. 24 Perceived spatial nature ........................................................................................................... 26 Program brief ............................................................................................................................ 27 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 27 CHAPTER 5..................................................................................................................................... 28 DESIGN PROCESS........................................................................................................................... 28 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 29 Physical Divide ...................................................................................................................... 29 Social Divide .......................................................................................................................... 29 Design Strategies....................................................................................................................... 29 Site and Design Response ......................................................................................................... 31 ZONE A .................................................................................................................................. 31 ZONE B .................................................................................................................................. 31 ZONE C .................................................................................................................................. 32 Design Language ....................................................................................................................... 32 Design Iterations ....................................................................................................................... 34 CHAPTER 6..................................................................................................................................... 38 DESIGN OUTCOME ........................................................................................................................ 38 Design Culmination ................................................................................................................... 39 Connection and varying degree of interaction ..................................................................... 39

Cultural opportunities and public realm............................................................................... 39 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 40 References .................................................................................................................................... 41

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

Introduction The basis of the project is to emphasize the potential of the leftover spaces in the urban fabric, which lack identity and have no or little function. Every unspecified space challenges urban coherence and becomes a waste space with unfulfilled possibilities.

These urban voids have different forms and have various different generative causes. In order to identify these spaces, they were divided into two basic categories: 1. Planning Voids 2. Functional Voids

Planning Voids Planning Voids are voids that are created due to the faulty planning process. These are the voids that are most visible in an urban area, below are the examples of planning voids that exist within the urban fabric.

Figure 1: Planning Voids

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Functional Voids Functional voids are voids created due to left over space or a built mass that has become dysfunctional with time or if a site/building does not yield the activity it was expected to yield.

Regardless of the reason for the emergence, all of these spaces intersect with the public realm hence having the potential to be developed as a public space which begins to start stitching the fractured city together and simultaneously bringing the urban void back in the dialogue with the city.

Urban voids also most commonly occur and as a buffer space in neighborhood where social cultural and economic dichotomy exists, it becomes important to accommodate the diverse users in the context by creating multi-dimensional spaces and it becomes important to do the intervention through social integration.

Thesis statement The project explores the idea of inhabiting urban voids to re-integrate these space into the urban fabric through architectural landscapes, serving as an extension of social, cultural and physical activities in the context, and providing the opportunity of co-existence of the diverse user groups that make up the neighborhood.

Aims and Objectives 

The project aims to read the urban fabric to help define the role of these unclassified spaces in the urban fabric and improve their performance in a multi scale and fragmented urban tissue. Main base of the project is to emerge the voids as major role player in shaping the neighborhood to have more cohesive spaces.

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The project also deals with socio spatial fragmentation of the neighborhood, it tries to find common grounds between the diverse stake holders shaping the neighborhood and define a singular vision towards city intervention that allow for the co-existence of all the role players of the neighborhood.

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The project also aims to develop a public space which plays a role of social and spatial connector. Creating varied urban textures which allows the vast range of social activities in the context to flow into the site.

Methodology Methods involved in this project are based on the parallel systems of theoretical research and design articulations where one informs the other.

Theoretical research Theoretical groundwork for the project is set through literature review and precedent studies, study of already existing material on the research topic aims to find answers to the question embedded within a thesis topic.

Theoretical research reveals the possibilities of different approaches and perspectives that exist on the research topic and also help identify the complementary topics that come under the umbrella of the main thesis statement.

Research also aims to find an urban void where social cultural and economic dichotomy exists due to unstructured development, this urban void would serve as a site for the thesis project.

Design articulations Ideas and theories from the theoretical research are translated on to the site, the design response to the thesis statement is to introduce highly contextual architectural landscapes on the site. The architectural landscape would be an amalgamation of both landscape and built architecture which would be designed with an intent of knitting the diverse fragmented context together.

Design Aspirations The project seeks to highlight the unforeseen potential in the urban voids rather than looking them as instances of absence. Given present social economic and cultural disparity, urban voids provide a great opportunity for regeneration and restructuring of the neighborhoods. Urban voids don’t only provide the opportunity for the morphological development of the 3

neighborhoods but also for a social and spatial organization. Urban voids brought back into the urban plan by tapping into its potential of being a public space provides the opportunities of encounter and interaction, leading up to the creation on spaces of co habitation of the diverse user groups.

Conclusion The project focuses on the integral role urban voids play within the planning framework of a fragmented city. As the project aims to stitch the diverse user groups, it focuses on planning systems which can help with more inclusive development particularly on conformation of public spaces.

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CHAPTER 2 PRECEDENT STUDY AND ANALYSIS

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This investigation addresses the urban void through the contributions of these designers: James Corner Field and Piet Oudolf (highline project) and Marion Weiss and Michael A. Manfredi (Olympic Sculpture park). Each group of designers through their respective projects highlight the need to break free from the formal context of urban society in order to rethink the empty spaces in the urban environment.

HIGHLINE – NEW YORK Introduction

Figure 2: Highline image after regeneration - Source: The Browery Boys: New York city history

Figure 3: Highline image before reform - Source: The Browery Boys: New York city history

High Line project in New York designed by designed by New York firm Diller Scofidio + Renfroin in collaboration with landscape architects James Corner Field Operations and Piet Oudolf.

The railway line fallen to disuse falls under the category of an infrastructural void and functional voids, the project reclaimed part of a disused elevated abandoned railway line by developing it as an urban park reintegrating it with the urban fabric.

Rationale to precedence selection The High Line was an elevated railway line that opened in 1934. Its purpose was to transport meat, milk and other produce to and from the factories without disturbing the traffic and pedestrian movements at street level something that had previously led to accidents. The trucking industry and relocation of factories rendered the line redundant in the 1980s. After 6

series of campaigns by ‘friend of highline’ the demolition of highline was prevented and was conserved as 1.45 mile public elevated park.

High line sets precedence for developing disused urban infrastructure into revitalization projects. The project brings the focus on the potential of developing the urban voids as public spaces and how this development as social and spatial connector impacts the surrounding context.

Concept and Context The park is meant to be an oasis in the middle of dense urban fabric, regenerating the surrounding neighborhoods by attracting users from all the walks of life by offering diverse spaces. The railway tracks are surrounded by diverse programs ranging from Hudson ship yards and the meat packing district to area includes official, residential and commercial buildings that overlook the Hudson river. The context is not only programmatically diverse but social and economic diversity also exists.

Figure 4: Context of highline project - Source: Jack Broad, University of Nottingham

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From urban void to public promenade Joshua David and Robert Hammond, the cofounders of the organization ‘friends of highline’, were awarded the Jane Jacobs Medal for New Ideas and Activism. The park is regarded as a space that matches Jacobs’ ideals, which she articulated in her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961) regarding importance of truly natural and truly public constructs within urban environments.

Success of highline as a true public space For a democratic urban space, it is important it is developed through participatory planning.

Highline project was realized through initiatives taken by the resident of surrounding neighborhoods as well as from business owners and other interested members of public.

For a place to be truly public it has to be inclusive and largely accessible to all the potential users. The High Line offers a platform for social interaction, the primary access to the park is through stairs which is present every two blocks. Despite it being 30 feet high stairs are designed such that allow the users to transition from the street to the elevated park easily.

Figure 7: Slow stairs section - Source: http://files.thehighline.org/original_site/sites/files/images/plaza5.jpg

Figure 5: Access and other services, High line Source:https://files.thehighline.org/pdf/high-line-map.pdf

Figure 6: Access Stairs, High line - Source: Iwan Bean - Arch Daily

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The High line is freely accessibly to public and it accommodates walking jogging and meandering through the park through the varied ground textures created. Street furniture also provides opportunities of various levels of interaction to users among each other and with the park, in form of communal seating, seating looking either the park or the city or lounge chairs provided to create sundecks. Along with these completely public programs like tracks and seating privatized programs are also introduced to the park to help generate activities to attract users.

Programs introduced to the site are largely food stalls providing the opportunity to purchase snacks and drinks throughout the park. The park also has commissioned art work displays and provides opportunities for artists for performance arts and instillations this extends the ambiance of the park to match that of a gallery or a museum attracting a diverse group of audience. Along with those two major programs public washrooms and gift shops are also present all of these combined not only attracts a diverse range of users but also allow the users to spend a longer time in the park as they have opportunity to engage in diverse range of activities.

Figure 8: Context of high line project - Source: Jack Broad, University of Nottingham

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Pitfalls of highline as a public space The park tries to be inclusive and become a platform for social interaction of all the member of the society but it doesn’t entirely succeed in doing so as it operates within the larger social and economic framework. With the development of park, the area became from a devalued place of production (industrial area) to a space of consumption and culture and the property value went up, this resulted in the first wave of gentrification which forced artists and students to move out and the neighborhood is taken over by wealthier gentrifies. Subsequently as the economy kept improving as a result of the highline project the surrounding neighborhoods kept losing their diversity to a point that they became homogenized.

Existence of private programs within the context of park starts contradicting with the idea of inclusiveness, introduction of retail and food stalls and art undoubtedly does attract a larger demographic of the society but these programs only cater to people who have money to spend on leisure and also reinforces the consumerist culture.

Synthesis and Conclusion Main base for this case study is to look into the untapped potential of urban infrastructure in highline project distant character of urban infrastructure providing public space and greenways and the role the public space plays in shaping the neighborhood. After the analysis of the project it is safe to conclude development of highline project had a huge impact on the surrounding neighborhood but not all impacts are positive. While implementing projects like these the repercussions of the project like gentrification should be accounted for.

The highline also brings under the light the concept on public space in 21 st century. With the urban fabrics becoming very dense the project romanticizes the idea of green. Keeping in view the scale of the context public space focuses on combining the flow of the city with intimate human scale. The case study also reflects how the park deals with the challenge of being in a diverse urban context, blurring the boundaries between the level of intimacy and inclusiveness.

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OLYMPIC SCULPTURE PARK – SEATTLE Introduction Olympic sculpture park in Seattle is designed by Weiss/Manfredi. The project is located on an industrial site at the water’s edge which was formerly owned by union oil of California. The site is not only just an industrial brownfield but also sliced by train tracks and an arterial road which limits the access to the water front. This site falls under the category of an infrastructural void.

The project was envisioned as a new model for an urban sculpture park. The design creates a continuous constructed landscape for art by providing an uninterrupted green platform over the existing infrastructure, which links the core of the urban fabric to the revitalized waterfront.

Figure 9: Olympic Sculpture Park - Source: Benjamin Benschneider, Arch Daily

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Rationale to precedence selection The project spans over highway and train tracks which are playing the role in causing a tear in the urban fabric, and gradually descends to meet the water front, in a way re stitch the urban environment by exploring the relationship between art landscape and the urban life.

Designers provide a deep and passionate understanding of empty space in the urban environment. It focuses on the potential vacant condition of the present to shape the future aspirations of reintegrating the void.

Concept and Context This project is located on Seattle’s last undeveloped waterfront property. Olympic Sculpture Park capitalizes on the forty-foot grade change from the top of the site to the water’s edge.

Planned as a continuous landscape that wanders from the city to the shoreline. “The design not only brings the sculptures outside the museum walls but also bring the park itself into the landscape of the city.” - (Firms website)

From urban void to public park

Figure 11: Site before construction of Olympic Sculpture Park - Source: Benjamin Benschnieder, Arch Daily

Figure 10: Olympic Sculpture Park - Source: Benjamin Benscnieder, Arch Daily

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Before construction of the park, over 120,000 tons of contaminated soil were removed. The remaining petroleum contaminated soil is capped by a new landform with over 200,000 cubic yards of clean fill, much of it excavated from the Seattle Art Museum’s downtown expansion project.

Three of the native landscapes were introduced in order to create the new topography to link the east side of the park with the shoreline, starting with the ever green forests with ground cover of ferns transitioning to deciduous forests and ultimately ending with the tidal terrace of salmon habitat and salt water vegetation.

Figure 12: Olympic Sculpture Park - Source: https://www.weismanfredi.com/project/seattle-art-museum-olympic-sculpture-park

Success of Olympic sculpture park as public space The Olympic Sculpture Park provide invaluable amenity to the city by generously offering this private collection of art, open and free to the public. It is the first in the city to clearly and actively engage a connection from urban to natural landscapes. Its design connects the joy of discovering landscape with the joy of discovering art.

Synthesis and Conclusion This project sets a premise to break free from the formal context of urban society in order to rethink marginalized spaces and reconnect them to vital urban activity. This regeneration of space challenges the conventional form, function, exploitation, and manipulation of urban land.

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Design intervention pushes the limits of urbanity and encourages a non-violent transformation that allows local residents, workers, and visitors to define and become part of public space.

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CHAPTER 3 SITE STUDY AND ANALYSIS

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Introduction The thesis builds an argument on the important role the urban voids can play in bridging the gaps that exist within the urban fabric. Categories of urban voids defined in chapter 1 helped lay down the guidelines for selecting the site.

The site selected is a part of an abandoned railway track that goes from Peshawar to Landi kotal. It falls under the category of both functional and infrastructural void. This 50-kilometre railway track from Peshawar to Landi Kotal area of Khyber Agency has been abandoned since 2006 due to extensive flooding in the north, the track was never reconstructed after that because it wasn’t deemed viable.

Figure 13 shows the master plan of Peshawar and how the railway track is acting as a slice through the city and composing urban conflicts. The diagram clearly represents the socio economic gap between the neighborhoods present on the either side of the track and architectural intervention done would aim to bridge this gap.

Figure 13: Peshawar Master Plan - Railway track composing urban conflicts

For the thesis, 14km of abandoned track that runs through Peshawar city is divided into zones, similar programs existing in close proximity to each other are grouped in one zone. This helped 16

determine the acupuncture zones along the track, where any architectural intervention would result in a significant impact on the urban fabric. Of these acupuncture zones one would serve as a site for thesis. Any intervention done on the site would be contextualized to that particular site but the overall goal of the project would be to re stitching the urban fabric, hence any intervention done on the site could be applied to the entire length of the track by adding the layers of contextualization to it.

Figure 14: Abandoned Landi Kotal track through peshawar city - Track divided in zones

Zone 5 becomes the focus for this project, it comprises of Peshawar cantt and muhallas in and around the walled city of Peshawar, making it the core of the city that caters to a diverse group user group.

Figure 13 marks the site within Zone 5 and maps the programs and activities within 20 minutes of walking radius of the site. It highlights the distinct activities and programs that take place on either side of the track, reflecting the social structure, life style, behavior social and economic status of the inhabitants of the neighborhoods on the either side of the track. The diagram also brings to light the possibilities of bridging the two neighborhoods by finding the common grounds between the mapped activities and programs.

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Figure 15: Track Zone 5 - Walking radius from the site

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Site and Thesis Statements This thesis takes up the problem of void spaces, these pockets of leftover space cause fragmentation in the city not only physically but also socially economically and culturally and the thesis seeks to bridge the gap through inhabiting of the void.

Figure 16: Site Plan

The site falls in line with the site selection criteria 1. Urban Void in a city, the site falls under the category of both functional and infrastructural void.

2. Has little or no dialogue with it surrounding context 3. Existing as a barrier between two socially and economically diverse users, figure 16 shows the stark difference in built environment in the north and south of the track.

Site and program Dichotomy on two different levels exists in the context of the site, social dichotomy and economic dichotomy. This diversity calls for a design that fosters the chances of meeting, discovery and exploration for both the user groups.

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To the north of the site is Peshawar cantt, which caters to relatively more affluent members of the society. While to the south of the site are organic neighborhoods in and around the walled city of Peshawar. A lot the residents of these neighborhoods depend on crafts for their lively hood. Figure 15 maps the areas famous for the crafts over the 20-minute walking radius from the site. This particular combination of the user group allows for the void to be developed as a craft center.

The site is flanked with two roads, one is the main Saddar road and the other is a service road of the muhalla and the scale of the built environment on either of the roads is greatly different from one another. Saddar road is lined with 5-6 story plazas and a shopping mall while the built environment towards the service road is more horizontal in nature at most having 3 stories.

The design of the crafts center would respond to the varying contexts. Towards the muhalla the design adopts a more horizontal nature and as it begins to bridge over the tracks towards the saddar road the project starts focusing on having a strong vertical presence on one of the main roads of the city.

Figure 17: Site Section

Zoning of the building also respond to the distinct context on the either side of the site.

Towards the muhalla the programs are more oriented towards crafts production and cater to the spaces needed by the craftsmen, while project becomes more exhibitory in nature towards Saddar road and design starts focusing on celebration and exhibition of the crafts for the visitors to appreciate and purchase.

The project also acknowledges that despite the site being unkempt it serves as a public open space. In between the dense fabric the slight breathing space provided by the abandoned tracks is appreciated by the residents of the muhalla. The crafts centre is designed to have two

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different kinds of spaces one that are formal indoor spaces, other are more public in nature and aid in allowing the built program to flow into the surrounding public space.

Site study and analysis Physical features Site exists as a slice between the two diverse contexts. Figure 18 shows the transition from 2 lane double road lined with 5-6 floor concrete plazas to a double story dense urban fabric.

Figure 18: Indicative site section - social gap created across the railway

Mapping activities on the site The abandoned tracks running through the very dense part of the urban fabric are now interpreted as a public space by the surrounding neighborhoods. Vast range of informal activates, which are temporary in nature have started spilling out onto the tracks. The abandoned tracks make up for the lack of presence of any social space, shopkeepers from the surrounding shops pull out chair/charpai onto the tracks for a tea break between their work, it also provides space for informal sporting activities and temporary bazaars catering to the needs of the muhalla have also popped up along the tracks.

It is not the absence of built space, but instead the absence of activating programs that make these voids detrimental to the urban core. All the activities mapped onto the site are primarily just an extension of activities of the muhalla. Despite the lack of activating program, the breathing space between a densely built fabric is celebrated, but there is no spillover onto the site from Saddar road as the site has nothing to offer to cantt users, just the presence of an open space doesn’t give the users from the cantt an incentive to explore the site.

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Figure 19: Mapping activities on site

Conclusion The architectural intervention on the site not only begins to physically bridge two distinct contexts but also provides a space that allows for co habitation of the users belonging to diverse social and economic class.

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CHAPTER 4: ARCHITECTURAL PROGRAM

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Introduction The premise of the project is to bridge the urban disparities composed by the abandoned railway track that runs through the city, by designing these void spaces while preserving the inherent character of the site. The method employed to attempt to propose the programs or interventions for the site was to let the site inform the design and program.

During the process of the revival of the void, the original characteristics of the site are retained.

Instead of making interventions that drastically give the site a new meaning and a new character, interventions made would respect the uniqueness the abandoned tracks bring to the space. The interventions respond to the site instead of commodifying the void.

On the basis of the activities mapped on the site, instead of commodifying the unutilized railway tracks which currently serve the purpose on urban open space within a very dense urban fabric the project would focus on uplifting the left over space as a social space. Social spaces can be identified as spaces of transaction, where different types of human interaction occur. These can also be defined as areas of exchange where events between individuals may transpire.

The project in not only limited to the demographic that exists in the close proximity of the site but also caters on a larger urban level. Mapping the user group and the activities within 20 minutes walking radius of the site made the social economic and cultural gap between the demographic existing on either side of the track evident, calling for a program that would allow for the coexistence of the diverse user groups.

The south of the track brings in the skilled crafts men for the traditional crafts while north of the track brings in the in affluent people from the cantt. Arts and crafts center allows for the coexistence talked about previously and can potentially start neutralizing the stark divide that exists on the either side of the track.

Architectural typology What is unique to the chosen site is that dichotomy on three different levels exists in the immediate context of the park, social dichotomy, economic dichotomy and cultural dichotomy.

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Having such diversity in the user group generates the need for a design that fosters the chances of meeting, discovery and exploration for both the user groups.

Currently the users of the site are dominantly people from the the muhalla existing in the south of the track, who primarily use it as a public space. Since the current site users are not very diverse the kind of interactions would not vary greatly in nature. The project seeks to cater the diverse user groups that exist in the surrounding context and encourages diverse transactions.

Figure 20: Programs

Arts and crafts center effectively caters both the user groups. Towards the cantt side the project becomes more exhibitory in nature catering to the users from the cantt while towards the south of the track the programs are more oriented towards the needs of craftsmen and in 25

general also caters to a larger population of the muhalla, other than those involved in some craft making.

Perceived spatial nature The project creates a spatial identity that is compatible and in coherence with its existing users and context. The building is designed to be a physical and a metaphorical bridge between the two different social classes. The built architecture generates circulation patterns across the site bridging the diverse users and plugging in of the program which brings in a very different kind of social class into the site from the one which is dominantly preexisting on the site results in forced interactions and a new kind of social dynamics emerge.

The project also focuses on iterating the abandoned tracks with the context as a social space. and programs like galleries workshops and studios give the opportunity for that. On the saddar road (towards the cantt) the building has a formal presence and becomes and extension on the existing bazaar blurring the boundary between the built architecture and public space. Moving south from the saddar road towards the muhallah the programs start becoming more informal in nature and start catering to different demographic and allow for the opportunity of social interactions.

For it to be a successful public space it is important to cater to the edge conditions. How the designed intervention flows into the existing urban fabric greatly determines the success of the public space. If the edges act as a deterrent for people to access the site, it would not be a good public space and people would naturally opt for more accessible sites for their social activities.

The necessary offsets that are present around the site like footpaths and buffer zones are designed to have seamless transitions from the surrounding context into the site. Other than the alteration of these physical characteristics the program is zoned to have some of the outdoor displays and informal workshop spaces zoned adjacent to or with a visual access from the pedestrian paths flanking the site creating the instances of pauses and intriguing the passersby to visit the site.

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Program brief The major part of the program encompasses galleries and workshops. The gallery has both indoor and outdoor display options. Within the indoor display options different galleries cater for display of different form and scale of art work. The outdoor displays vary from more formal to informal display areas which largely cater to blur the boundaries between the urban open space and the built program. Some of the outdoor galleries just have visual connection with the public realm while others spill out.

Along with the outdoor displays intersecting the public realm the workshops are also designed with the varying degree of privacy. Separate workshops are designed to cater to the needs of professional artisans, apart from that two other kinds of workshops are designed, the first type is the exhibitory workshop which serve the purpose of exhibiting the entire process of making the crafts and the second kind are the workshop studios where the skill can be taught. This program is giving the opportunity to people from different walks of life to come together in one place and interact with each other.

Conclusion All the programs incorporated within the architectural intervention work toward stitching the divide by catering for the co-existence of the diverse social classes that exist within the context of the project.

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CHAPTER 5 DESIGN PROCESS

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Introduction The project focuses on the urban divide caused by the railway track hence proposes the idea of bridging at two different levels, bridging of the physical divide and bridging of the social divide.

Physical Divide Chapter 3 (site analysis) discusses railway track posing as physical barrier for pedestrians, especially at instances where it runs parallel to the major roads like in the case of the project site where the railway track is parallel to main Saddar road. Informal interventions in form of encroachments over track as an aftermath of the abandonment have further rendered unfavorable conditions for crossing over. At instances where crossing over becomes necessary, people have to take long routes to get across to the other side of the track.

The project takes form of a habitable bridge which spans over the railway tracks providing a physical connection across the tracks which was acting as a crack in urban circulation patterns.

Social Divide The track defines the boundary between the Peshawar cantt and an organic settlement (Muhalla). The railway track forming the edge further highlights social discrepancies as it does not have anything to offer to either of the neighborhoods that could help the edge act as an urban condenser The bridge is plugged in with programs that allow for the coexistence of the distinct user groups existing on the either side of the track, attempting to metaphorically bridge the existing social and cultural gap.

Design Strategies The project re-integrates the abandoned railway track into the urban fabric by responding to the social construct and the built environment on the either side of the track.

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Figure 21: Concept model and sketch

The proposed program does not exist in isolation to its context rather it serves as an extension of social, cultural and physical activities in the context.

Figure 21 shows a concept model and sketch which explore the amalgamation of the formal architectural program with the informal programs of the project, informal programs are direct repercussions to needs generated by surrounding neighborhoods, reiterating the abandoned tracks back with its social context.

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Site and Design Response Site can be divided into three zones based on the either internal unique site character or based on diverse edge conditions calling for a distinct design response Zone A is adjacent to Saddar road which is flanked by four to five story high plazas which primarily cater for commercial activities Zone B is characterized by the railway tracks Zone C is adjacent to a service road of the Muhalla which is flanked by maximum three Figure 22: Site zones

floor high mixed used buildings.

ZONE A Zone A reciprocates the verticality of the surroundings context the verticality also compliments the exhibitory nature of the programs zoned adjacent to Saddar road.

ZONE B

Figure 23: Zone B design strategies

Zone B encompasses railway tracks, even though the tracks are not functional right now, project is designed with the consideration that tracks might get functional at some point in the 31

future. No permanent structure is proposed on the track; models Figure 23 explores how the built structure can span over or lie under the tracks without obstructing them.

ZONE C

Figure 24: Zone C design strategies

Zone C responds to the need of urban open space of the dense adjacent neighborhood, models in figure 24 explore the opportunities for provision of public space either through having subterranean structures or by having roof as accessible public space.

Design Language

Figure 25: Railway track movement patterns

Physical significance of the railway tracks along with the role it plays in composing urban fabric, has led them to become one of the major organization factors in the design.

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Figure 26: Conceptual scheme

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Conceptual scheme formalized by studying the behavior patterns of the railway track. The overall geometry of plan mimics the behaviors of the track on the site and the three instances of track behavior shown in figure 22 are used as design elements for the composition of the plan.

The programs are designed to flow into one another and fork out at other instances depending on the inherent requirements of the programs or on the circulation patterns across the site.

Design Iterations

Figure 27: Process Model 1

This iteration focuses on exploring a form which dictates movement and also the opportunities overlapping and intersecting urban tracks can generate for design.

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Figure 28: Process Model 2

The fluidity of tracks which was missing in the initial model is explored here.

Figure 29: Process Model 3

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Figure 30: Process model 4

Figure 31: Process model 5

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All the exploration through models focuses on translating the patterns of railway track to architecture. Along with clear visual connection of the design to the railway tracks the design also addresses the context. The design response determined for each zone of the site earlier are kept under consideration in all the subsequent design iterations.

The project talks about two major ideas which begin to visually influence the design. The focus on establishing connections puts emphasis on movement, circulation patterns and bridging. On top of that there is a layer of contextualization which allows the project to have a dialogue with its built context. All of this has direct repercussions of design reflecting characteristics of an infrastructural project.

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CHAPTER 6 DESIGN OUTCOME

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Design Culmination The project started off with exploring the idea of inhabiting urban voids to re-integrate these spaces into the urban fabric through architectural landscapes creating environments and spaces which allow for coexistence of diverse groups of people that make up a neighborhood. To cement the idea of re-integration project focuses on creation of physical settings and activities that encourage social encounters between the people who are unlikely to interact with each other under other situations. The project has dealt with linkages, public spaces and how the spatial configuration effects the perceived environment of the people and creates opportunities for co-existence.

A physical setting is designed to cater for the needs generated by the context but at the same time aims to stir the curiosity and desire to learn about each other’s unique culture

Connection and varying degree of interaction The proposed scheme is centered around curating interactions for the diverse stake holders of the project. The project gives multiple options for connection which entertain various degree of interaction to the users.

Cultural opportunities and public realm "when someone is doing something there is the tendency for others to join in, to either participate themselves or experience what others are doing, ... something happens because something happens" (Gehl, 1987,75-77).

An urban space with things to see, do, look at, and/or go to, stimulate the use of space. Seeing people being involved in social activities captures attention and stirs the curiosity. The proposed Arts and Crafts Center allows people to come into contact with the creative aspects subsequently coming in contact with each other.

All these Programs are interconnected with a series of public open spaces and gardens; this allows the programs to spill out and addressing to a larger audience. Based on the preference of the user, users can begin to either passively or actively interact with the designed activity 39

nodes. Cultural exchange becomes a catalyst for the process of familiarization of the two groups. Create new connections -both physical and social- that encourage cultural contact in the divided city.

Conclusion The other main resolution in a leftover space similar to this thesis site is creating the multiuse space that functions socially. The thesis proposes new connection through a program that not only reconnects the broken fabric of the city but also functions in multiple ways. Due to the various options and activities that the design provides, people are attracted to the site.

The site would also function as an urban open space. Choice and flexibility of the space becomes another main important attribute of a successful connection. Ultimately, this thesis suggests that void spaces can be transformed into a cohesive space through different ways of connection. Attributes of successful place such as choice, sensory, spatial, and functional qualities can make this connection a strong one.

Multi-functional characteristics can be applied as a solution to successful reconnection of fractured urban spaces.

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References 1. Trancik, Roger: Finding Lost Space: Theories of Urban Design 2. Jacobs, Jane: Life and death of great American city 3. Lerner Jaime: Urban acupunctures 4. http://www.thehighline.org/about 5. https://centerforactivedesign.org/highlinehistory 6. http://files.thehighline.org/pdf/high-line-map.pdf 7. Karen Cilento, 9 June 2009, The New York high line official open, Arch daily 8. http://www.weissmanfredi.com/project/seattle-art-museum-olympic-sculpture-park 9. Kelly Minner. 6 January 2011, Olympic sculpture park/ Weiss Manfrid, Arch daily 10. Sebastian Jordana, 22 Feburary 2010, Traces + Patterns at the Olympic Sculpture Park / PIQUE

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