concept summary

My first solo study of the city for this project involved the city fabric. The concept I have developed involves the reevaluation of city grain and routes to regenerate the city centre. Alternative to the riverside walk. One of the main focuses of city planning in the 90's worked so hard to turn the city to face the water. Many of the problems in the city centre today can be attributed to fundamental flaws in planning decisions like this.

Conceptually, the city can be considered as a clash of two urban fabrics. Generally speaking, a lack of integration has left these two conditions in conflict, like a torn or broken zipper. This has lead to large portions of the city falling into decay, when it is these areas that should instead be the core of the city. These considerations have informed decisions of site, program and form for the whole project. 

Presentation Tuesday-

This is a study of a single typology to examine the effects of the presence of planned forms on site. These are high density solutions which allow the rest of the site to fulfil a more public function, providing the public with an inner city landscaped area. Bedrooms face east and are actually comparatively small. This is to encourage better use of the kitchen and shared areas, and greater interaction with house mates. And for those particularly opposed to sharing in this way Bedsits, that is, one bedroom apartments will be available. In 5-person apartments there will be a second living space. Outside, pedestrians access is encouraged between the city centre and the river adjacent across the site. The breakdown of threshold spaces needs to be re examined, and I have highlighted this as particularly important to the project’s long term success. 

Milk Market Motion

This one minute video took three hours to make. Some of it is just experimental with stop motion as a new medium, as I was generally playing with elements and spaces in a city scape. This is not to be taken as representational of my project, but it has helped me to consolidate some of my ideas about regeneration in the city. As a representational tool it is very time consuming, but as a design tool it forces you to make quick decisions, and can be included as work in terms of process.

mirror: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQtIP7C33Fk

some site photographs

Manifesto

Manifesto - Connections and Links 3rd March

The central focus of this project is on an urban area caught between two distinct meshes of urban fabric. One of these is dense, and overburdened while on the contrary the other is in decay. The Brief calls for accommodation for 500 students, but the incentive to restart Limericks core demands a much greater program.

In a way this observation defines the site at the same time. It suggests, in my opinion, that appropriate interventions at bridging points, with key incentive programming at the centre can attract the public back to the medieval centre of the city. I want to re examine the Kultur Hussett in Stockholm as a precedent. Bear in mind, Limerick is a city without a Cinema, a dedicated Theatre, a place for Concerts, Operas, Comedy gigs, or festivals.

I think it is possible to make a good enough case for the city’s rejuvenation, if we just plant the seeds and allow that to happen. People will have a short memory of this area’s problems when they are faced by secure, central, green, spacious, high-quality accommodation, near the city’s cultural heart.

Groody Drawings

some sketches..

site sections

site sections submission for the presentation of site research dated 17th Feb. these are the orthographical representations, two north, and south, and three each east and west.

-Ger          

Site research update

    contour map from spot heights -note: shaded areas go from 4 metres to 13 metres-

4th of February

Just wanted to load up some images re site investigations, &c- the plan is to use a combination of sketchup, vectorworks, photoshop, illustrator to make it possible to communicate the vast amount of information we're gathering for the site sections- This in turn should make it much easier to analyze the area, pick a site and develop a more coherent scheme later on- If you need any more information or a higher resolution image in particular of the above, don't hesitate to ask- We also want to make all of this info available in vector format-

Muchos Doritos,

Ger

Some sketches from my sketchbook-

a fraction of the work it takes to make worthwhile sections