the city: the raised prefab city

the city is a field of layers which is differentiated in to many defined areas, it is a space which needs heterogeneity of spaces in order to be inhabited.












A grid structure of 10mt was tested on the scale of the full site . Blocks were placs in to the structure as simple squares prefab elements.




possible city vision in elevation

diagram of blocks (red) being inserted in to the grid structure.

a city must provide dialoge between citizens, connections continuity and it should allow changes in the system.

the city is elevated from the ground. It has a system wich use a wire structure to generate connections and areas for the blocks that need to be inserted.

urban field - testing the layering system on 1:500 scale

as we studied in the previus tests the module from plan seems be always the same pattern.

Althought in plan the module is the same as the 2d pattern in the 3d axo the system starts generate different spaces which affect the elevation of each side of the module.

the test was moved to bigger scale sperimenting the module on a big area.

the module was mirrored horizontally and verticaly and it generated an interesting urban field that has multiplicity of spaces such as : many blocks sizes, links of different scale, different heights, and alternating relation between solids and voids .

this is a good start in order to analyze urban field systems.

pattern research : the urban field

the following studies analize the patter as a system which could generate different fields for a urban layout.

the rule used is insipred by the one used to generate the 2d pattern: the layering system

slice of the pattern tested on site

the squar e area for the model was selected area from the pattern in order to test the model on scale 1:500

second option: sliding the leyers

As we can see in the image above each layer of the model is around 2mm that in scale 1:500 corrispond to only to 1 mt. In order to start analyze urban field we need to get the proportions right therefore in the following studies the layers are changed to scale and each of them measure 3 mt.

the smaller blocks measure 5 mt going up to a max of 20 mt.

elevation density: the previus systems were generated by layers of same plans what if we change the elevation density of the system?

( see image below)

prefab studies/ jean prouvè / tropical house 1949

links and DENSITY

In th eprevius system (see images above) was studied the condition of a mirrored line which develop a grid from which are defined all the components of the system : solids, voids , links

The next studies will be focus on understanding how those links could change their properties and how could be modifed the pattern's density.

in order to generate a system that allows more multiplicity and heterogeneity the grid is changed from the previus pattern.

DISTORTION

The grid's lines are rotated and mirrored.



Test of the pattern in 3D :
The pattern from the top is always a 2D image, when it come to a more complex 3D space all the pattern components start generating new floors, and different spaces.
Every floor in the model is te inverse of the floor below , this system reflect the mirror rule used for the composition of the pattern.

test on site

DENSITY

In the previous patterns (image below) the density test was only sperimented by dimantling the pattern's modules.














The following pattern are generated by scaling the grid size and therefore change the pattern density.

The density change only on the grid scale and not on the solid components (the black and white filled areas, see image below).

Pattern F - Density studies- Triangles modules

It is interesting to see that the density change both on grid scale and on the solid components (the black and white filled areas). Infact black and white colors are still arranged on 2 alternate colors but their density is different from the previous square pattern ( see image above)

The pattern density is even more strong when we delete the grid.

The question is how could this pattern be represented in a 3D space? (°.°)

patern A tested in the 3d space

pattern research

What if the pattern start be dismantled...

In the image below the pattern fill all the square area, it is interesing to study if the pattern
can be extended. Therefore (view image above) I extended the structure grid and modified the pattern area.





In this pattern was added a third grid which is rotated of 40° see image above.












By
rotating the grid of 5° the pattern start to change see image above.

Rule of the kissing pattern. In this pattern the grid is still very strong and the pattern seems be very homogeneous.

Mieczyslaw Szyszkowics " Pattern Composed with Squares"
examples of pattern generated by using squares as a basic structural theme :
the first pattern is created with the roule of "constrained randomness"(square which do not kiss). In the second image the situation is very different: a new placing square must have one common point and at least one previously located square. (squares which kiss)


My pattern studies of the grid testing different modules.

pattern start with a grids, which are used as reference for the construction of the drawing.

Square pattern C.Scarpa Querini Stampalia project, Venice 1961

This pattern is called cosmateschi. The Cosmateschi of Scarpa is generated by 4 rotations of each of these modules give 16 different oriented unit. the image below is the overall result of the combination of the 16 units.

utopian city / " Green City Web"

What distinguishes urban from for example rural communities?
Describe this ideal in spatial terms this ideal!
What is the minimal set of parts that constitute a city?

Urban / Rural

In history Urban form has been the centre of internal change and development of countries. The progress of human civilization therefore has been reflected in the Cities development and growth. Urban centres started as large areas engaged primarily in commerce and industry. Differently, rural areas are large and isolated areas of a country, often with low population density.

Urban form / functions

Urban forms are always changing and have always reflected economic needs. Therefore depending on functions, cities have a different form and morphology. Moreover this can be seen in the modern cities which has become the stage of a private and super competitive economic. Modern cities are in fact loosing their identities leading now to city design depending only on the profit of the area and its function.
Utopian City / the city start with connections
All areas of the city should be connected by public high speed trains. The city network should allow people to travel easily around the city and should promote citizen to use cleaner forms of transport. Therefore the logic of the streets will be an interchanging network which will change its routes between high speed trains, cycling and pedestrian paths. The interchanging of routes will help pedestrians or cyclists to use trains when needed and to travel around the city quickly. This network will work on different scales and interchangeable levels of the city, ground underground and over ground.


The city / interaction with nature

The city energy will be sourced from green supplies. The city will embrace natural green spaces such as city Parks and urban green areas. Those spaces will be public and integrated with the city establishing an important part of the city’s social structure.

The city Form / vertical – horizontal

The city structure will spread horizontally and few vertical structures will be constructed in order to create heterogeneous spaces for the city. Therefore public and private will be in-cooperated in a network designed to stimulate movements but also to allow people to rest in quite spaces if needed.

Interactivity / sharing

The city will be design to encourage interactive activities between people and city zones in order to eliminate the suburb that will not exist anymore as an isolate areas as defined by M.Friederick (2007) “Suburban buildings which are freestanding objects in space. Urban buildings are often shapers of space.” The city will be able to reproduce its structure just expanding itself. As a motherboard works on transmitting signals and sharing information the city is designed in order to share resources and to be a space of freedom that will stimulate the possibilities of emerging new structures.