Project One Reflection

Our project group had a relaxed vibe on presentation day, we all had printed our designated posters the day before, had organised digital copies, arranged mounting materials and divided our 2min summary among group members. Our speech was as follows:

 The world is becoming more ‘urban’ and the 'western-consumer’ lifestyle is spreading causing our current planet to become extremely unsustainable. We must commit to a series of achievable goals within a timeframe of 40 years to ultimate alter the way-of-life for communities, then eventually the world's way-of-life. Over this time period societies must learn to live in collaboration with a number of sustainable economic, social and environmental requirements and services; while striving for an equal balance between built-up and natural areas within our cities. Current communities shall commit to enhancing closed-loop services, environmental restoration of habitats, biodiversity and eco-systems through collective sustainable education, socialised sharing and lifestyle factors. Sharing is key because it can assist in breaking down society into more closer-knit localised community hubs. This is beneficial in providing richer and more diverse communities, it offers better opportunities for trade and resource sharing, reduces transport needs and ultimately helps develop a more sustainable future. Such goals, education and strategies will aid in reducing consumerism and urbanisation; and will loosen linkages between product usage, ownerships, resources and demands, becoming a key feature in developing self-sufficient communities. These schemes will introduce joint-ownership rights and it will equally divide and distribute responsibilities across all members, enhancing community spirit and social stability.

By the year 2050, the Woodford Folk Festival will become a regular and more popular celebration of sharing lore, environmental stability, de-urbanisation, diversity and human rights. The festival's past history, committed volunteers, current sustainable beliefs and future goals will aid in making this transition successful as sustainability is more than improving the environmental quality of an area, it’s about community development, decision-making processes, awareness, involvement and engagement. About reaching a common goal and maintaining a balance between economic development and environmental protection.

Woodfodia, built upon the principle of sharing. The communities are designed based on the famous pattern, the flower of life. It is important to create a greater relationship between people and the built environment where not only the building gives something to the people, but the people also gives something back to the building in return. The built form is designed is such a way that it allows maximum utilisation of natural energy resources. The surfaces areas towards the north east facades of the form are increased in order to absorb more solar energy. Its roof structures are to be used for agricultural purposes where people can yield various types of crops and vegetation, incorporating farming into the lifestyle of the building. Each of these communities will be designed with systems to collect renewable energy to allow them to function self-sufficiently, without depending on external sources for energy. This new lifestyle established in Woodfordia may start as a small contribution to sharing, but by 2050, it may be the story of people’s lives. 

 

Feedback for the tutors was mostly positive; they liked our overall principle of sharing and the direction we took in exploring our ‘sharing’ concept. They complimented our timeline storyboard band extending across the bottom of all four posters. This timeline emphasised our overall architectural goal of de-urbanisation and integrating farming, sharing and sustainability within all future cities. Negative comments included our graphical presentation and diagramming, the boards did not visually represent what the text and the speech communicated. Improvements would include better graphical communication, diagramming techniques and possibly better co-ordination among members.

Our Team - Regional Group 2

Other Student's Work



Individual Project One Statement

The aim for project one is to identify the various climatic, cultural, ecological, economic, geographical, political, social and technological contexts in term of the specific theme group site. Then extend on some or one of these context issues and opportunities to form a future vision and planning scenario for the site.

The world is becoming more ‘urban’ and the 'western-consumer’ lifestyle is spreading causing our current planet to become extremely unsustainable. To stop disaster from happening to our future generations, we must commit to a series of achievable goals within a timeframe of 40 years to ultimate alter the way-of-life for communities, then eventually the world's way-of-life. Over this time period societies must learn to live in collaboration with a number of sustainable economic, social and environmental requirements and services; while striving for an equal balance between built-up and natural areas within our cities. Current communities shall commit to enhancing closed-loop services, environmental restoration of habitats, biodiversity and eco-systems through collective sustainable education, socialised sharing and lifestyle factors. Sharing is key because it can assist in breaking down society into more closer-knit localised community hubs. This is beneficial in providing richer and more diverse communities, it offers better opportunities for trade and resource sharing, reduces transport needs and ultimately helps develop a more sustainable future. Such goals, education and strategies will aid in reducing consumerism and urbanisation; and will loosen linkages between product usage, ownerships, resources and demands, becoming a key feature in developing self-sufficient communities. These schemes will introduce joint-ownership rights and it will equally divide and distribute responsibilities across all members, enhancing community spirit and social stability.

By the year 2050, the Woodford Folk Festival will become a regular and more popular celebration of sharing lore, environmental stability, de-urbanisation, diversity and human rights. Its localised sharing implementation strategies and sustainable community development will lead by example and set a benchmark for communities and cities elsewhere to adapt their social trends routines and lifestyles to those that are environmentally aware. The festival's past history, committed volunteers, current sustainable beliefs and future goals will aid in making this transition successful as sustainability is more than improving the environmental quality of an area, it’s about community development, decision-making processes, awareness, involvement and engagement. About reaching a common goal and maintaining a balance between economic development and environmental protection.

Future Visions and Scenarios Poster

Poster References

Timeline Fact 1: 1900 – 1950

Reserve Bank of Australia. 2010. Bulletin – September Quarter 2010, Structural Change in the Australian Economy. http://www.rba.gov.au/publications/bulletin/2010/sep/1.html (accessed August 29, 2012)

Timeline Fact 2: Federation – 1976

Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2011. Population Distribution. http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/1370.0~2010~Chapter~Population%20distribution%20(3.3) (accessed August 29, 2012)

Urbanisation:

United Nations. Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Population Division, Population Estimates and Projections Section. World Urbanisation Prospects, the 2011 Revision. http://esa.un.org/unup/index.html (accessed August 5, 2012)

Woodfordia:

Queensland Folk Federation. 2012. Woodford Folk Festival. www.woodfordfolkfestival.com (accessed August 13, 2012)

The Future of Sharing:

Mondragon S. COOP. Humanity at Work. http://www.mondragon-corporation.com/language/en-US/ENG.aspx  (accessed August 20, 2012) 

Steffen, A. 2005. Ted Talks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20ckLCGcT14 (accessed August 5, 2012)

 

Remaining posters acounting for Project One

 

Future Visions and Scenarios

Urbanisation

The growth of urban areas or urbanisation is caused by rural migration and population shifts, increases in urban populations can be commonly linked to influxes modernisation, industrialisation and rationalisation. Resulting in shifts in social orders, from communal 'village' culture with a sense of stability, to a wide spread urban culture where individuals can get lost and forgotten about in the madness.
Urbanisation is forecasted to intensify greatly by the year 2050. Societies must learn to live in collaboration with a number of sustainable economic, social and environmental requirements and services in order to reduce humanity's ecological footprint. Society must strive for an equal balance of urban and regional integration within our cities.
http://esa.un.org/unup/index.html

The Site of Woodfordia

Once degraded pastures, the site is currently a 500 acre landscaped cultural parkland dedicated to the arts, humanities and lore. Held by the Queensland Folk Federation, the festival's organisers are a part of a non-profit community group that helped bring infrastructure to Woodfordia. The site has a closed loop water treatment system – all water for the festival is collected on site and treated in the onsite waste water treatment plant, the recycled water is used for irrigation. The festival currently uses approximately 6.2 million litres of water over 6 days, recycles up to 100m3 of cardboard and 10 tonnes of co-mingled recyclable waste within its waste management system. It uses energy efficient LED bulbs in all street lights and has been regenerated with over 95 000 plants by patrons of the annual Planting Weekend and a team of volunteers.

The commitment of the Queensland Folk Federation to sustainability and environmental restoration of habitats, biodiversity and eco-systems has become integral to the festival. Future goals for the site include long term aims for sustainable education, closed-loop services; and sharable, enriching community growth for all residents, festival patrons and surrounding communities. By the year 2050, the Woodford Folk Festival will become a regular and more popular celebration of sharing lore, environmental stability, de-urbanisation, diversity and human rights. Woodfordia will become a festive headquarters for providing, educating and sharing resources, community spirit and environmental appreciation.
www.woodfordfolkfestival.com


The Future of Sharing

Sharing is not only a part of social society, it's a part of life. Expanding this concept loosens the temporal linkages between usage, ownership, resources and demand; becoming an environmental and economical aid to communities. Socialised sharing schemes along with resource education could even effectively alter and improve public behaviour and lifestyles to those that benefit self-sufficiency and sustainability. Communal sharing is a key feature in developing self-sufficient communities because it can assist in breaking down society into more closer-knit localised community hubs. This is beneficial in providing richer and more diverse communities; offering better opportunities for trade and resource sharing within close proximities, reducing transport needs and ultimately help develop a more sustainable future. Such schemes will introduce joint-ownership rights, it will equally divide and distribute responsibilities across all members enhancing community spirit and social stability.

Woodfordia's localised sharing implementation strategies and sustainable community development will lead by example and set a benchmark for communities and cities elsewhere to adapt their social trends routines and lifestyles to those that are environmentally aware. A considerable amount of change is needed to achieve renewable communities, green societies and sustainable development as significant adjustments are required. The festival's past history, committed volunteers, current sustainable beliefs and future goals will aid in making this transition successful as sustainability is more than improving the environmental quality of an area, it’s about community development, decision-making processes, awareness, involvement and engagement. About reaching a common goal and maintaining a balance between economic development and environmental protection.

http://www.mondragon-corporation.com/language/en-US/ENG.aspx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20ckLCGcT14

Project One Planning

Project One is broken into four posters, the team has agreed to divide them into an introductory and summary poster, then one each focusing on sharing in terms of the economy, society and environment.

Poster Planning

 
Each poster will have a heading band running across the top and a timeline band running across the bottom of the page. The timeline will act as a story board explaining past chapters, present lifestyles and what is to come in the future. An example of what could be a very simple and readable approach is seen below. 


http://ffffound.com/image/061f964a6d203e73ff9eaf5012aca5f624b8d6fb?c=9939973

 

A generic base layout will be constructed for each member to use as a template for their poster, a consensus has also been made to use simple silhouette symbols and diagrams. 

Base Layout

I've been allocated poster one, the introductory and summary poster relating to the week two tutorial activity - Future Visions and Scenarios. I must identify and explore possible future issues, as a group we have chosen to focus on urbanisation. The first poster will introduce urbanisation, the site of Woodfordia and how sharing could be used to encourage future de-urbanisation. A story will be told through the timeline about the back-history of urbanisation and what needs to happen to support de-urbanisation in the future.

Possible Graphical Layout

Once the posters are in their final stages of completion, a coordination check will take place to ensure consistency across all posters in terms of fonts, sizing, colour schemes and labelling techniques.

 

 

 

Graphical Layout



Divide one's own and give

Project One will explore the idea of SHARING as a way for Woodfordia to become a self-sufficient community.

• To divide one's own and give part to others
• To have joint-ownership and equal responsibility
• To be a part of a community
• To divide and distribute
• To lend and to borrow 

Sharing is not only a part of social society, it is a part of life. Expanding this concept loosens the temporal linkages between usage, ownership, resources and demands; becoming an environmental and economical aid to communities. Sharing along with education could even effectively alter and improve public behaviour and lifestyles to those that benefit sulf-sufficiency and sustainability.

Our Project One team believes that sharing is a key feature in developing self-sufficient communities because it can assist in breaking down society into more closer-knit localised community hubs. This is beneficial in providing richer and more diverse communities; offering better opportunities for trade and resource sharing within close proximities, reducing transport needs and ultimately help develop a more sustainable future.

The Mondragon Corporation located in Spain is a great business model and a great example that sharing can work and be beneficial for local communities. Mondragon is based on a humanist concept of business with strong participation, solidarity, innovative and shared business foundations among its co-operatives. It is a business-based socio-economic initiative created for and by people and inspired by the Basic Principles of co-operative experience. It is firmly committed to the environment, competitive improvement and customer satisfaction in order to generate wealth in society through business development and the creation of, preferably co-operative, employment, which:

• Is based on a firm commitment to solidarity and uses democratic methods for organization and management.
• Fosters participation and the involvement of people in the management, profits and ownership of their companies, developing a shared project which unites social, business and personal progress.
• Fosters training and innovation through the development of human and technological skills, applying its own Management Model aimed at helping companies become market leaders and fostering co-operation.

http://www.mondragon-corporation.com/language/en-US/ENG.aspx



Woodfordia

Woodfordia is located along Woodrow Road outside the town of Woodford in South East Queensland, the site is a part of the Moreton Bay Regional Council and is approximately a 90 minute drive northwest of Brisbane.

Woodfordia Site Boundary

Once degraded pastures, the site is now a 500 acre landscaped cultural parkland dedicated to the arts, humanities and lore. Woodfordia is home to many including the ever-growing Woodford Folk Festival since 1994. Held by the Queensland Folk Federation, the festival's organisers are a part of a non-profit community group that helped bring infrastructure to Woodfordia. In 16 weeks organisers built a 16 mega-litre dam, water tanks and a water treatment plant; installed underground water services and 2 kilometres of sewerage lines; quarried road-base and constructed 6 kilometres of roads. They also installed underground communications, built bridges, constructed four amenity blocks, pathways and designed a layout and plan for the festival. It's infrastructure allows 47 venues to run concurrently and the festival grounds include 13 bars, 46 selected cafes & restaurants, 160 craft, merchandise and information stalls, an on-site doctor’s surgery, 2 general stores, an internet cafe and treed camping grounds for 15,000 campers. Woodfordia has a closed-loop water system, all water for the festival is collected on site and treated in the waste water treatment plant, the recycled water is collected and used for irrigation. The festival uses 6.2 million litres of water over 6 days, recycles up to 100m3 of cardboard and 10 tonnes of co-mingled recyclable waste within its waste management system, and uses energy efficient LED bulbs in all street lights. The Woodford Folk Festival is one of the only major festivals in the world to have a permanent home, and over 2400 volunteers contribute to the set up and daily running of the festival.

Woodford Festival Map



Maintenance and site care requires regular attention, Woodfordia has been regenerated with over 95 000 plants by patrons of the annual Planting Weekend and a team of volunteers. The commitment of the Queensland Folk Federation to sustainability and environmental restoration of habitats, biodiversity and eco-systems has become integral to the festival. The organisers' have long-term aims for sustainable and enriching growth:

The 500 Year Plan

We recognise, appreciate and graciously receive gifts from our ancestors. We understand these are the gifts of lore and the celebration of our existence.

We aim to gift future generations a clean slate: an organisation unencumbered with financial social or environmental debt.

We’ll cultivate a convention of decision making, strengthening through time, that will resonate in our work and nurture our future.

We’ll plant a forest of goodwill and benefit from its shade.

We will build with the eyes of artists.

We’ll provide space for our descendants to meet the challenges of their generations with vigour, courage and imagination and encourage them to celebrate their journeys with levity and frivolity.

The 500 year plan lives in our minds. It is our myth. It is a vision for how we might be and sensed by all who feel our welcome.

(www.woodfordfolkfestival.com)
 

 

Tree Density, Road Location and Water Flow Diagram 

Planning Pattern Principles

A stronger awareness of the underlying principles and patterns used in planning is required to design self-sufficient and sustainable communities. Principles an patterns focus more on the elements of planning - how one is used and how one may relate to another. Exploring these various elements provides a deeper understanding that supports the ultimate vision -  a self-sufficient and sustainable community.

Project 01 exploration involves examining selected principles and patterns that could be used for the Woodford Folk Festival's new self-sufficient community.

Principle: Power

Sustainable Goal: Authorities need new and more friendlier implementation strategies and approaches to rules, regulations and planning methodologies to actively engage and adapt the community. This is because sustainability is more than improving the environmental quality of an area, it’s about community development, decision-making processes, awareness, involvement and engagement towards a set goal.

Pattern: Political power within society should be broken down enough to encourage co-operation and a sense of equality among the community and the authorities.

Principle: Sharing

Sustainable Goal: Breaking down a city's 'power' centre into multiple more localised city hubs will create a richer and more diverse communities. The hubs will offer better opportunities for trade and resourse sharing within close proximities, reduce transport and distribution needs, and ultimately develop a more sustainable future. 

Pattern: City hubs are located at the center of the community, each hub should be no more than 2km apart to allow for trade and resource sharing.  

Analysis of the pattern developed within the explored principles reveals a composition much like the 'Flower of Life'. A geometrical figure composed of overlapping circles creating a pattern resembling flowers.

­Spiritual associations believe that the 'Flower of Life' acts as a template from which all life springs, therefore it is an appropriate basis for sustainable community planning patterns.

(http://www.sangraal.com/incubation.htm)

The Project 01 team explored the 'Flower of Life' concept in more detail as a group. The following community pattern was developed as a possible planning option for the Woodford Folk Festival's new self-sufficient community.

This model for future community hubs allows societies to live in a balance between built-up and natural areas. It enables societies to live in collaboration with a number of economic, social and environmental requirements and services, reducing humanity's ecological footprint. The community hubs are at most 2km apart, allowing sharing and making resource distribution simple. The community development involved along with sustainable environmental education will enrich the lives of all residents and festival patrons.

Community Pattern Model

Each community is to hold approximately 1000 people. It is important that these hubs provide interwoven sharing and give-take relationships between its people, the built environment and the nature environment; allowing direct and in-direct benefits to establish and allowing its people to do more with fewer resources.



Future Chapters

"There isn't such a thing as a building, a building properly conceived is several layers of longevity of built components".

(Brand, S., 1997. Shearing Layers, in How buildings learn : what happens after they’re built, London: Phoenix Illustrated. pp12-23)

Frank Duffy president of the Royal Institute of British Architects (1993 - 1995) argues that any building is made up of different life expectancy layers, the structure lasting the lifetime, services that will be replaced approx. every 15 years, building program will change approx. every 7 years, and finally the occupants and fitout could be altered yearly.

His argument specifically aims to assist reshaping office work environments but can be applied to any built forms. The goal is to "invent building forms which are very adaptive", enabling the different building components to last much longer. Adaptability also allows the occupants to closer relate to the building and vice versa, altering it and making it theirs.  

An example of housing adaptability is seen in the video of  Michael Jantzen's MH House.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8zat-gRnxo

 

World Changing

Alex Steffen argues that reducing humanity’s ecological footprint is incredibly vital now, as the western consumer lifestyle spreads to developing countries. He explains that our current planet is be used extremely unsustainably and it is disturbing in terms of our future generations, as they too want a life that is more prosperous for them. Future societies need to be environmentally sustainable and sharable with everybody on the planet and promotes stability, democracy and human rights for all. These societies also need to be achievable in a timeframe that is necessary to face future challenges. The video below explains this and shows examples of specific tools, models and ideas that will help achieve future idealistic sustainable societies.

the unthinkable or the unimaginable?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20ckLCGcT14

Another key issue that needs to be addressed in terms of sustaining our future within individual societies' is the issue of urbanisation. It is the growth of urban areas caused by rural migration and population shifts. Resulting in changes in social orders, from communal 'village' culture with a sense of stability, to a wide spread urban culture where individuals can get lost and forgotten about in the madness.

From Federation until 1976, the percentage of Australians living in capital cities increased steadily from 36% to 65%, and then from 1977 to 2008 the percentage of residents living in capital cities has stayed relatively stable at 64%.
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/1370.0~2010~Chapter~Population%20distribution%20(3.3)

However the percentage is forecasted to dramatically change in coming years... 

Urbanisation is forecasted to intensify greatly by the year 2050