Developing Whole Town Models - Educational Landscapes (Lisa Mackenzie Consultancy)

LMC

Lisa Mackenzie Consultancy / Landscape Architecture Urban Design / Design/ Office c/o School of Landscape Architecture / Lauriston Place Edinburgh / Scotland / UK Mobile: +44 7977 580 232 / Telephone: +44 131 221 6090 / Fax: 44 131 221 6005 l.mackenzie@eca.ac.uk www.lisamackenzie.co.uk

Lisa Mackenzie Principal

Senses of Place 3 - 18 A+DS Schools Programme Whole Town Exemplars 29 November 2009 Copyright Š LMC All rights reserved

Senses of Place: Whole Town Exemplars Project Background In Part 1 of this project: Senses of Place 3-18 facilitated by Sam Cassel’s of Architecture and Design Scotland we were asked to explore how a thematic ‘Sense of Place’ innovation might maximise its impact on a whole school and explore how this might look and feel different from a conventional school building.

LMC’s approach was to work with themes of Adaptability and Change and contemplate how to react against decisions made as a result of short term teaching and subject demands. We proposed ‘spatial’ mechanisms that would allow a school to modify its estate in dialogue with its existing users without excluding considerations of its future users.

Through developing this approach and making design explorations our aim was to initiate a highly applicable Exemplar that could shift in response to new theoretical developments in teaching practice or freely incorporate new technological innovations.

Lisa Mackenzie Consultancy Architecture and Design Scotland Senses of Place: Whole Town Exemplars

Whole Town Exemplars: Introduction

Lisa Mackenzie Consultancy Architecture and Design Scotland Senses of Place: Whole Town Exemplars

The Urban Landscape of our Towns and Cities underscores our interaction with the built environment. For young people this interaction can be particularly challenging with few urban strategies taking cognisance of their educational or behavioral needs or indeed identifying the complexities of their situation.

All towns possess ‘landscape thresholds’ such as interfaces to riverfronts, parklands, streams or gardens and these transitions in the urban fabric, are, in our opinion, ripe territory for new educationally related ‘assemblages’. Such spaces also offer opportunities to connect Neighborhoods into the structural system of a ‘Learning Town’.

In this phase of the project we will examine and explore the inception, design and vision for a ‘Learning Town’ In order to imagine an urban prototype that will

Our Scottish towns are often proliferated by untended open ‘voids’. In situations where potentially valuable townscape assets are positioned on the edges of such spaces they cannot be appreciated and are often negatively interpreted by both locals and visitors. The interface, setting and usability of these sites presents an intriguing opportunity to experiment with new interventions. For pupils, who spend time out of doors in the margins of inside and outside space the interfaces and voids between the buildings is a critical territory for exploration. If we return to our underlying theme of Adaptability and Change these sites also offer assistance by means of flexibility in the regeneration of existing school facilities. By providing opportunities to ‘displace’ elements of the school estate for short periods of time, reconstruction or repair of the established site can be implemented. Such an approach, developed in line with timing and programmatic constraints could prevent ‘conflicts’ in inner urban sites. Or as Kier Bloomer so aptly put it “redesigning the plane while still flying it”

and

“operate at a human scale facilitate improved continuity of educational experience establish an environment that promotes innovate learning approaches”

Dumfries Learning Town, Executive Summary, October 2009 - Sam Cassels A+DS

Our aim, within the brief we have been set is to explore the meaningful and strategic differentiation of the urban landscape in order to provide an exciting range of new learning opportunities for all ages.

The ability of our ‘Exemplar ‘ to integrate into the context of a Scottish town is paramount along side the potential consequences for activities and the programming of urban space. At present few schools have a strong synchronicity to the landscape resource of the town in which they are situated. We believe that this situation must be addressed and that opportunities exist for designers to ‘Strategically Weave’ both the interior and exterior landscape of the school into the wider landscape.

In our ‘Whole School Exemplar’ we explored the potential of the ‘L shaped classroom’ as a means of allowing different learning experiences to operate simultaneously. In this next phase of the project we will investigate how a desire for individual learning, group learning and community interaction could manifest spatially in the Scottish townscape and allow a similar flexibility in programme.

riv er

pa

rk

ne

igh bo n rh tow bric vo oo id d fa

ne ig oo d

rh

hb o

k par

1.0

Transitions and Integration in the Scottish Townscape

Whole Town Exemplars Approach Local Integration Approach:

Lisa Mackenzie Consultancy Architecture and Design Scotland Senses of Place: Whole Town Exemplars

Strategic weaving In contemplating the local integration of a ‘Learning Town’ it is essential that the spaces between the buildings are understood and given priority within the design process. Pupils should be encouraged to spend time out of doors in the margins of inside and outside space. The experience of the interfaces between the buildings could be used to amplify and differentiate the learning experience.

Gap sites become binding agents for the exchange of ideas and interaction between the school and the wider community. These sites would be selected on the basis of orientation and their potential interconnection to common townscape elements such as council buildings, stations, leisure centre, churches, historic core, river frontage or parkland through the creation of new external landscape + architectural assemblages. Typologies would be designed and integrated to allow safe transit and circulation of pupils but also ignite curiosity and interaction.

Legibility and walk-ability are vital to the success of such an approach and would require the consolidation of the urban structure along side the ‘demotion’ of vehicular routes through the town. In many situations this may mean a simple ‘de-cluttering’ of the urban realm to activate surfaces. Key destinations in the townscape linked into a town circulatory system would allow students to orientate themselves within the urban realm and also provide security in the form of school ‘thresholds’ and facilities populated by teaching staff. Routes would be easily negotiated by pupils and involve short walking distances of up to 10 minutes. The appropriation of Landscape Interface sites (such as river edge or parkland thresholds) would allow the continuation of this approach into the urban fabric beyond the town centre and hence offer opportunities to connect residential neighborhoods into the system.

This approach of ‘Strategically weaving’ new architectural and landscape typologies would break the homogenisation of the town fabric with a new confident simplicity. The interface of proposed or converted architecture with external ‘surfaces’ can lead us to imagine a network of interrelated assemblages with a strong synchronicity to Landscape. Conceptually this tactic is intended to provide an antidote to the decay of our Scottish town centre’s and facilitate a community and extra curricular overlap. One objective of this approach is to develop a social maturity and confidence in our young people.

2.0

De-cluttering our townscape and activating surfaces

Whole Town Exemplars Approach Local Integration Approach:

Lisa Mackenzie Consultancy Architecture and Design Scotland Senses of Place: Whole Town Exemplars

Strategic weaving continued

External Landscape Typologies

In order to initiate meaningful community participation in the design process and encourage a widened field of participation it is essential that engagement is facilitated at the earliest possible stage of project development. We propose that in the inception and translation of ‘Strategic Weaving’ skilled professionals could work with local people in order to establish a methodology for townscape analysis. LMC propose that a series of ‘Exploratory Inventories’ and ‘Explanatory Itineraries’ could engage all members of the community and help the Council to coordinate funding, prioritise its implementation and generate dialogue around the appropriate delivery mechanisms for the town. By employing this approach we imagine that short term ‘experiments’ in the urban realm could be used to construct a long term vision maximising connectivity of the Educational Resource at all scales - International - National - Regional - Local - Neighborhood.

‘Intervention’ Experiments are intended to be a series of small highly practical and achievable maneuvers implemented through the town to generate conversation and activity. These spaces would function as urban curiosities to engage and delight.

They are as follows: An Urban Cabinet

A small teaching space with apparatus to allow small spontaneous performances

The approach outlined above would be the first step in establishing social sustainability in the urban regeneration process.

An Urban Gallery

A Covered Space - A place for drawing interpreting and sharing of ideas

Consultation would allow designers to determine critical activities, associated user groups and potential conflicts in both internal and external space. By appropriating redundant architectural elements and abandoned landscape resources our intention would be to activate ‘streetscapes’ with live frontages. Retail would benefit and the opportunity exists to allow permeability and insight into the educational resource of the town encouraging wider participation.

A Garden Vennel

A Linear Binding Element in the urban fabric for safe transit and outdoor learning in a bounded space. A walled garden

An Urban Clearing

A simplified surface Pulls together the various components of the urban scene

Facilities such as Art Centre’s have a good ‘through flow’ of users and encompass a shared vision for creativity.

These centres could be used as catalysts to provide controlled environments for experimentation and observation in line with our Phase 1 (Whole School Exemplars) approach. These small ‘catalyst’ projects could be embedded in the fabric of the centre or function as ‘entrance’ sites serving as a continuity of the neighborhood. ‘Urban Apprenticeship’ schemes could provide important ‘stewards’ from the community to liaise with design professionals council officials and educationalists.

A tactic may be to take elements of the ‘rural’ landscape that surrounds the town as a means to integrate or ‘displace’ nature into the urban fabric. Such interventions are meant to function as catalysts for debate and get people interested in the inception of new projects.

The Geese of the Garden Santa Eulalia, Barcelona 3.0 An urban curiosity

The L Shaped Classroom

Allow for alternative learning exercises to run simultaneously Highly adaptable structure to ‘repeat’ and cluster forming useable outdoor spaces

3.1 Urban Insert Typologies (Intervention Experiments)

Whole Town Exemplars Approach

Lisa Mackenzie Consultancy Architecture and Design Scotland Senses of Place: Whole Town Exemplars

This concept diagram illustrates a new woven fabric of spaces and educational resources. It has been conceived in order to facilitate an integrated network of movement through a town. The scale and layout suggests the use of connective spaces such as ‘lanes’ and ‘vennels’ to embed a finer grain and a human scale.

Smart Surface

The approach is intended to ensure the safe transit of learners between the school estate components and encourage walking and exploration. Public, Semi-Public and Private Space are considered and distributed through the public realm.

A ‘Control Edge’

Ga rd

en

Ve n

ne

l

Find adjacencies

C

B

Natural Resource ‘Blue’

Initiate Human Scale adjacencies

se mi M axi

Natural Resource ‘Green’

Fro n

tag

e

Make incremental additions over time

A B C D

Town Centre Integration

D

Urban Quarter Natural Setting Spaces Campus (Stand Alone)

4.0 Conceptual Framework A

Whole Town Exemplars Approach

Lisa Mackenzie Consultancy Architecture and Design Scotland Senses of Place: Whole Town Exemplars

An urban clearing

Placement of Intervention Experiments to regenerate the townscape at key thresholds. Learning at the heart of an evolving townscape.

A Garden Vennel

Urban Gallery

Urban Cabinet

L Shaped Classroom

5.0 Conceptual Framework B

Whole Town Exemplars Approach: Urban Quarter

Lisa Mackenzie Consultancy Architecture and Design Scotland Senses of Place: Whole Town Exemplars

AG ard

en

Ven n

el

The placement and clustering of buildings and landscape.

The Urban Quarter typology ‘gives back’ useable space to the town. Architectural arrangements can be incorporated into neglected ‘patches’ of the townscape in order to initiate a resource created through negotiation with local people. Within the ‘matrix’ of the urban quarter design should be able to facilitate multiple forms of communication. Sensitivity towards the delineation of Public, Private and Semi - Public space presents an acute challenge for the design professional who can only make meaningful interventions through listening to stakeholders and presenting a balanced tactic.

Surfaces and Landscape Spaces determine important psychological transitions as the public or learners move into the vicinity of the space. A design sophistication is necessary to capitalise on the potential of different unities and assemblages between architecture and landscape.

Sa fe Ur ba

rou

tes

nG all

ery

Vegetated Strips - Linear plantings divide the public space initiating a human scale, platforms lifted slightly above the base level delineate crossing points, orientate, organise movement and anchor assemblages of landscape form into the urban surroundings. The Urban Quarter is fundamentally a garden where a profiled surface unites the architectural fragments.

Ur ba

nC ab

ine

t

An intertwine of pupils, teachers and community.

LS ha

pes

Cl

ust

ers

6.0 Urban Quarter Integration Plan

Whole Town Exemplars Approach: Urban Quarter

Lisa Mackenzie Consultancy Architecture and Design Scotland Senses of Place: Whole Town Exemplars

Garden Vennels ‘Vennels’ are a common yet often forgotten and unappreciated resource in the Scottish Townscape. In the context of this project we have appropriated the term to apply to proposed connective spaces in the urban fabric. The Garden Vennel can function as a central element in the evolution and incremental assemblage of an ‘Urban Quarter’ learning environment and are conceived as highly flexible - useable spaces.

The Garden Vennel can offer shelter, connection and where necessary, division. These are places to inhabit, to sit, to read, to play and to learn and they offer a safe threshold into the architectural composition of the Learning Town. These spaces are intended to offer an element of ‘urban theatre’ as spontaneous events and impromptu collectives find space and a fleeting home.

It is intended that these spaces within the Town can strengthen a sense of ‘identity’ and give meaning to the complex ‘personal’ relationships that people have with the urban fabric on their doorstep, surrounding their place of work or on the edge of their learning environment. These spaces are deliberately tactile to encourage people to engage with materiality and want to linger in the space.

Thoughtful adaptation and improvisation can give teachers ownership over gaps in the urban realm. These spaces are full of growing nature and within them the school and community can establish a resource to watch, enjoy and learn about. These are external learning environments that can be used throughout the day and night. they are conceived to have a strong internal - external dialogue.

Tactile Surfaces Growing Spaces Sunlit outdoor rooms

7.0 Garden Vennel

Whole Town Exemplars Approach: Stand Alone

Lisa Mackenzie Consultancy Architecture and Design Scotland Senses of Place: Whole Town Exemplars

Landscape Synchronicity The Stand Alone campus must stimulate collaboration and interaction and contribute to a positive regional consciousness. A facility of this scale, although confined by its own territory should not be an autonomous entity. It should give rise to many unilateral and bilateral opportunities for relationships to other learning resources and to the wider community of the town.

Placement of the Stand Alone facility within the landscape is paramount so that new architecture can synthesise to an existing environmental situation and allow the continuity of the functioning landscape. No site is a Tabula Rasa and idea’s of creating exploratory inventories gathered in communication with site users also apply in this situation.

Effective assemblages of learning resources may contribute to an existing architectural vocabulary but must also initiate a meaningful Sense of Place.

Exploration The ideas illustrated on the right are intended to explore an intensification of the idea of the L Shaped Classroom presented in Whole School Exemplars by LMC. Slight modifications in form and the adoption of a dis-symmetry in places allow an integration and repetition of the unit through a site to encase spaces, maximise adjacencies to natural resources and provide sun-lit outdoor learning ‘gardens’. Our hope is that days spent in these spaces can stimulate and invigorate learning activities.

The ‘style’ of the prototype in this situation is anonymous. It could either be inserted into an existing situation/ configuration of buildings (irrespective of age or an existing aesthetic) or begin to generate new space. ‘Richness’ would be derived from an engagement with landscape.

This approach moves very deliberately away from the notion of ‘iconic’ institutions and the rigors of a ‘masterplan’.

We proposed synthesised solutions that liberate the plan. The outcomes are intended to generate a learning ‘fabric’ across the site - localised spaces that connect to nature rather than single forms. This approach comes from a belief that building’s should evolve in time and cannot be wholly designed and that the forms and spaces between and inside buildings are vital to the working ‘life’ of a school.

8.1 Landscape ‘Joints’

8.0 Clustering of L Shaped Classroom

(Above) Joints between the buildings are functionally important to control entry.

Clustering allows occasions of privacy, individual space and small group working. Scale, movement and flow are controlled, the spaces evolve over time.

Whole Town Exemplars Approach: Stand Alone

Lisa Mackenzie Consultancy Architecture and Design Scotland Senses of Place: Whole Town Exemplars

Connect to neighborhoods

The incremetal generation of the Stand Alone Learning Environment in the context of this document is intended to provide opportunities for all stakeholders to engage in design evolution. By treating the territory as an ‘Experimental Laboratory’ Public awareness could be facilitated and engender a reversal of current project delivery trends. Initiatives that are led by the community could be facilitated by design professionals in order to build trust and mutual understanding.

Implant learning centres to act as magnets en route.

Activate safe routes

The opportunity exists to facilitate a meaningful conversation around Sustainability. Stakeholders could be presented with factual information in order to determine an ethos and build consensus through conversation.

The Experimental Laboratory would allow teachers to take some ownership of the design process.

Professionals, along side duties related to design development would record views, observe and then test thinking through design prototypes. Utilising ‘Research by Design’ in this way becomes a vehicle relevant to the complex requirements of Educators and the often invisible relationships that people have with their urban environment.

Through use of prototypical classrooms on site learning could centre upon Climate, Energy and Environment and allow teachers to manage their spaces both environmentally and pedagogically.

Key Themes: Soft Connection Studies and Landscape Weaving - Use of multi-dimensional connections (Lanes and Vennels) Integrated wetland systems Slow Evolution - Unfolding over time to alow flexibility and adaptability. Short Term Experiments - Long Term vision Use of primary source materials in architectural experiments.

Campus evolves over time in response to changes in Educational requirements

‘Translocation’ of some elemts from the urban realm into the ‘rural’ scene

9.0 Stand Alone Matrix

Whole Town Exemplars Dumfries

Lisa Mackenzie Consultancy Architecture and Design Scotland Senses of Place: Whole Town Exemplars

Whole Town - Dumfries This project has been initiated to provoke discussion around the theme of a Learning Town exemplar. Although the ideas within this document are applicable to any Scottish town Dumfries has been selected as a Case Study.

The notion of an exemplar is important to an evolving philosophy and architectural discourse focused on the School’s Estate in Scotland. As designers, however, it is the task of registering the complexity of a ‘place’ and responding through design that is critical to developing a ‘Sense of Place’.

As mentioned in earlier chapters of this document : All towns possess ‘landscape thresholds’ such as interfaces to riverfronts, parklands, streams or gardens and these transitions in the urban fabric, are, in our opinion, ripe territory for new educationally related ‘assemblages’. Such spaces also offer opportunities to connect Neighborhoods into the structural system of a ‘Learning Town’.

For Dumfries the Parkland and Riverscape Influence of The Nith are important considerations. The diagram (below right) illustrates the composition of Dumfries. At present the Schools Estate is distributed across the town. In diagram 10.1 we have ‘Inserted’ our developing concepts and interlinked educational spaces in a route that joins the historic centre with the Crichton Campus to the South of the City.

Existing School estate element

10.0 Dumfries

10.1 Dumfries - Concept Insertion

Conclusion Phase 2 - Whole Town Exemplars

LMC believes that the essential nature of site specificity, of responding to specific situations and specific circumstances should never be forgotten.

In this project we have shown a series of spatially co-coordinated concept plans in order to imagine how separate design themes relate to each other in different urban situations. Rather than focusing on the idea of a single ‘campus’ we have imagined the appropriation of the whole Townscape to ‘Strategically Weave’ Educational facilities into the urban grain.

‘Intervention Experiments’ (An Urban Cabinet, An Urban Gallery, A Garden Vennel, An Urban Clearing) have been created to engage the community and give useable and space back to the town. We hope that through implementing these small projects the Council can observe their use, collect ideas generated in and around them and as such co-ordinate funding and prioritise its implementation. This process is intended to maximise the connectivity of new projects at all scales from the Neighborhood through to a Regional, National and International consciousness.

Our aim has been to create a territory of architectural and landscape assemblages that will enrich people’s lives by giving them beautiful, useable, productive connections between educational facilities.

By de-cluttering the urban realm and inserting a series of ‘friendly’ landscape typologies we hope to make learning more accessible and more enjoyable for everyone. Although our plans are not specific, the placement of interventions at key thresholds has been a precise tactic. By taking this approach we hope to initiate a sustainable and educationally led regeneration putting learning and landscape at the heart of the evolving townscape.

Lisa MacKenzie Consultancy Architecture and Design Scotland Senses of Place