The Exemplary Landscape

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Published! Does that mean I now live forever?? #thebigquestions

The major change between the structure plans lies within the residential cells. This is where I see a chance to gain back some GFA through density and intelligent mixing of retail and light commercial. The largest chunk of residential is rural on the southern end of the site. This remains unchanged and is largely unaffected by either proposal. However I have added to a greater heterogeneity by increasing density and allowing that to contain some retail and light commercial. This also allows the proposed structure plan to gain back some of the residential numbers lost through the increased area of the linear spine and the inland islands. I also believe this type of housing with a variation in density and allowing some retail/commercial into the mix provides a stronger and more robust tye of urban development. 

The work cells are generally in a similar location to the current plan however these is a need to now be sensitive to the inland islands. This has taken some gross area away from this cell type but it is not a significant number and with the mixing of retail and light commercial in the new higher density residential on the fringes of this zone there is the possibility to gain some back. But the main strategy here is that with the increased environmental and social outcomes predicted we will get a higher productivity and tenanted value to more than make up for this loss in GFA.

The inland port is at the heart of both the current and proposed structure plans. As discussed earlier I agree in principle to the idea so as with the current plan the logistics zone remains clustered around the infrastructure links. There is a slight shift in locality but this is insignificant. 

In this map we can start to analyse to new ecological core on site as well as the topographic features that are now left as prominent features for public open space. This forms the spine of the new structure plan concept and all infrastructure and services run of this central core. This membrane will be planted out in the early phase of the timeline and provides a rehabilitation for the ecology within as well as public program whilst the land around it remains as pasture. Once there is a development need then the membrane will become the facilitator. Providing the infrastructure and links through the site as well as relief and amenity value. 

Here we now have the proposed structure plan for comparison. We can see there is a more heterogeneous mix of program across the site. We also see the result of the cell diagrams and breaking the land use zones down into a more flexible field of cells that can replicate with variation. This will be explored further in depth. The obvious changes from the current structure plan is the respect for the sites topographical and connective nature. Of course this new program whilst it can encompass some of the current activity does mean we have a restriction on certain land use types within the structure plan area. This new density map uses techniques of cell size and layering to build an analysis model that can show both program and intensification of program on the site. These layers of program will be explored individually to understand how the proposed structure plan works.

This shows a breakdown of the current structure plan as a basis for comparison for my proposed alternative. In both Ha and percentage we can analyse the land use of particular programs on the site and their interrelationships. 

To many charts!

From here the alternative can be assessed and massaged into a more workable field with valid reasoning and conclusions for any differences to the current plan. Better environmental and social aspirations that through a spatial rearrangement can seek to maintain the current goals and surpass them.

The Exemplary Landscape. 2014.

at Hobsonville Point Farmers Market

To sum up my progress and relate it back to my issue and question. I am attempting to reveal and leverage a hidden natural landscape system as a way to create a more euphorigenic type of growth. One that in a context that has no barriers to sprawl, and the perfect set up of conditions for a potential proliferation of negative sprawl and its associated problems and effects. In doing this I am using the Ruakura structure plan as a basis for comparison. The pure size and scale of this project in all aspects is massive and I cant expect to be able to critique or criticise the current plan as I am never going to be able to fully understand the many and profound issues and problems which may distill what may have been a bold plan into one that seeks to please all. 

Another issue on such a complicated site is not only the framework that growth is controlled from, but how the growth itself propagates over the site. The idea of cells came from the same thinking as the membrane. We can break apart the zones currently installed into the master plan and create individual cells. These cells can then replicate over the site independent from the zones in which they are prominent. Through slight variation and replication we can have a system where occupation over the site is dynamic as opposed to static. It is able to change and adapt in time to internal and external forces. We can also assign a density and specific values or content to these cells to determine the way in which they replicate over the site.