Joshi
M.Arch Thesis
Made in Hulme: Proposal of a design system for creating a liveable urban space
Mapping green spaces in context
The project aims at redeveloping the Hulme neighbourhood by creating open spaces, amenities and green spaces walkable and accessible to its residents. We [myself, Raya Pavlova and Aaron Underhill] started the project with a preliminary analysis and understanding of green space required per person and the total area of amenity and green space required for the site population and its immediate context.
Hulme Park: Reimagined
With providing equal access to amenities and green space, we understood that it was important to develop a character for each of the green spaces that are being provided. Hulme bridge being an important landmark, just adjacent to the site, joined by the Stretford road cutting through the site, it provided an opportunity to design a breather green space which acts like a leisure park for the residents and to people travelling from Hulme to MMU campus.
Walkability measured
Through our research and analysis of walkability and population requirements we mapped a walkability chart mapping the mode of commute, the neighbourhood population and the amenities required for each category of population and their number, size.
Design Iterations
Use of computation as a tool to design the urban neighbourhood enabled us to analyse numerous design parameters all at once and hence the complexity of the project was tackled effectively. Parameters like retention of few of the existing streets, determining size and shape of green spaces, positions of amenity spaces, retention of secondary school space on site, etc were among a few parameters which were fed into the computational system and conditions were set according to their relationship to each other.
Generating Building Heights
A building hierarchy was followed keeping green spaces as the main attractor point. A hierarchy of low rise, mid rise to high rise was created starting from the closest plots to the green spaces to the furthest. Such a hierarchy provided an opportunity to develop amenity spaces on high rise, commercial plots and private, residential housings near the green spaces.
User Groups and their Spatial Requirements
Using participatory urbanism as a tool to understand resident's requirements, we surveyed roughly 100 residents belonging to various age groups to understand their amenity requirements, mode of commute, preferred housing typology and the kind of spaces needed for interaction between various age groups to aid their growth as a community.
User Groups and Amenities Required
Through the survey, we also inferred a variety in the amenity requirements of each user (agent). We profiled a few diverse set of users as our agents whose survey data we used to feed into the computational system we designed. This enabled us to create a design system which considers diverse users and also provided us with the potential list of amenities that can go on the site.
Amphitheatre
A multi-purpose open air amphitheatre cum community space was one of the features added as a space that boosts community interaction, a space for events and expression.
Parameters of Generative Design
The chart displays the input parameters of design considered to generate a variety of iterations for the generative design process. These parameters were evaluated against the area of green space achieved per person, the area of amenity achieved per person and the walkabity score achieved.
Measurables of final Design Outcome
The final design outcome was evaluated to configure the location of amenities achieved, the green spaces, housing typology placement and mapping walkability extents.
Celebration Park
View of the Celebration Park acting as a green space cum public square that encourages residents participation and expression of talents.
Residential Parks
Apart from the main promenade, Hulme Park and Celebration Park, three other green spaces are developed having a majorly residential character and catering to it's surrounding residents. These parks are smaller in size and aim to provide a private/restricted access public park to the users.
Character of green spaces
The Stretford promenade, the Hulme park and the Celebration park each was designed with a unique character in mind. When the Celebration park is more of a landmark green space, the Hulme park is designed as being a buffer, leisure and relaxation space. The pedestrian versus vehicular movement conflict is resolved by splitting Stretford road into a sole vehicular road and a fully pedestrianised promenade.
Celebration Park
View of the Celebration Park near MMU created as a landmark and a threshold feature that establishes the transition from campus area to Hulme neighbourhood.