VISIONING EXERCISES*
Conceptual planning of abstract ideas that transcend visual and/or dimensional information is typically dependent on WORDS or DIAGRAMS.
Examples: Organizational Designs, Strategic Plans and Objectives, Financial Goals, Motherhood Goals,
Things that can be built and occupy space can be rendered with limited detail to relative scale in a workshop setting.
DESIGN CHARRETTE (brainstorming with pictures)
In a limited amount of time: Take a concept to a physically dimensioned possibility , a built space
EXAMPLES: BUILDING; SET OF BUILDINGS ON A SITE; NEIGHBORHOOD; DISTRICT; CAMPUS; GREENSPACE; TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR
Also may include: RELATIONSHIP DIAGRAMS; CIRCULATION; WATER FLOW, etc which are ideas overlaid on a dimension-able space
RESULT ADDRESS AT SET OF PRE-DETERMINED CRITERIA:
Scale, Money, Materiality, Proportion, Context, Use, and Delight, etc.
There are several many types of design charrettes, such as “a critique-based design charrette” and a ‘scenarios-based design charrette’ described as follows.
Type I: A Critique Based Design Charrette:
In terms of specific (focused) design qualities, the goal is to characterize, compare and contrast, the differences between the neighborhood (as it is now) versus a new design (such as Grubb Properties’ April 2008 Concept Plan or a newer plan, if available)
GOAL OF CRITIQUE -
1. Compare and contrast design qualities of the original mixed use concept proposed by Grubb Properties in April 2008 to the existing qualities of Glen Lennox Neighborhood and (area impacts)- as a practical exercise to :
2. Identify the potential positive future development outcomes
(a variety of scenarios) in and near the neighborhood
3. Incorporate results into design and dimensional information for the NCD Design Guidelines
DESIGN QUALITIES - (Suggested beginning list)
PUBLIC/SHARED SPACES (PUBLIC LIGHTING (NIGHTSKY) REALM) PARKING (NEIGHBORHOOD/VISITORS)
NEIGHBORHOOD ENTRANCES BUILDING TYPES COMMUNITY SPACES RETAIL EDGES OFFICE GATHERING SPACES MULTIFAMLY, CONDOMINIUM SQUARES CO-OP APTS PARKS LIVE WORK/UNITS OPEN SPACES- SOCCER FIELDS SINGLE FAMILY - COTTAGE AVENUE, STREET, AND ALLEYS GREENWAYS SINGLE FAMILY -LARGE (OVER 2,500 CREEKS SF) URBAN WILDLIFE CORRIDORS SCHOOL TREE CANOPY CHURCH HARDSCAPE (PAVED) AND UNPAVED
Type II Scenarios-Based Design Charrette
SELECT A TIME PERIOD: 2015 2020 or 2030:
How would these scenarios look? (In Plan, Section/Elevation Sketch, and Vignette)
How and who would most benefit from them? (Words and Diagrams)
What impact - useful or negative -- could be envisioned from this standpoint. (Words)
Incorporate and not assumptions – such as planning assumptions provided by the town's professional development and transportation planners—and note alternative possibilities
SCENARIO PROCESS –
Large Group Presentation/Overview of the Major Scenario Categories
Large Group Presentation – Examples with Photographs of Very Relevant Infill Scenarios
(What is Possible? Is distinguished from What is Probable?)
Groups of 3 to 5 are assigning one scenario to explore for one hour. One group member records words, One group member will draw a dimensioned plan sketch and a section/elevation sketch (could be a hired designer), and one group member will draw a vignette following a 15 minute discussion of the key implications of the scenario. The last 15 minutes is used to prepare a 5 minute presentation to the larger group.
Following the presentation of the scenarios, the first workshop is concluded. The drawings and notes are collected, compiled, and scanned by the Town. The second workshop is a shorter (1 hour or so) presentation of the compiled “visions” Q&A and “where does it go from here” is addressed and instructions for further input are provided.
TWO HIGHLY POSSIBLE SCENARIOS
1. No change – The Glen Lennox apartment complex is preserved as it is (2010)…The group measures the neighborhood and area impact with regard to predicted changes to the adjacent areas (Raleigh Road/NC 54 Corridor, population growth, impact of new East 54 project, traffic, neighborhood amenities, etc--this scenario should give consideration to the economic or consequential impacts of little or no change for a given time period, say 20 years out.
2. Grubb Properties provides an updated plan (their current “Plan B” working scenario of a mixed use project) that includes modifications to portions of the apartments, but retains the Glen Lennox Shopping Center buildings as it is.
ALTERNATE OR RADICAL CHANGE SCENARIOS – (for brainstorming purposes and to understand potential impacts to the neighborhood and area given different assumptions)
3. The Glen Lennox Shopping Center is modified to include a pedestrian plaza between the historic building and Raleigh Road and now includes small retail kiosks (artists market) in lieu of the current surface parking; new structure parking (a parking deck) is built behind the existing shopping center—the parking deck has a public plaza on the top and retail/office at different levels (like the new deck in 1111 Lincoln Road, Miami designed by HERZOG & DE MEURON)—Additional multi-family – brick/brownstones or cottages (3 story each unit) form a neat row of new housing along Fordham Boulevard and with entrances to the east onto a a grassy linear court. Some of the brownstones are live/work units, artists galleries (Southside-Greensboro; Adams Morgan – Washington, DC). The complex of new buildings are eclectic in style, but adhere to formal court organization that includes off street parking in tree lined (mostly from existing tree save) gravel car park.
4. A new (Glenwood Elementary) school is built adjacent to The Church of the Holy Family with significant frontage on Fordham blvd and Play areas on the east side -- and an intensely developed mixed use area (ala 54 east, but higher) is built on the area that is now Glenwood Station the current Glenwood elementary school site – this “swap justifies” major federal funding for a Transit-Oriented Development that incorporates a light rail station at grade level
5. A dark scenario - all of the apartments are gone and the concept plan of 2008 is largely implemented except Glen Lennox Shopping Center remains…Since this plan is already drawn (Phase III Concept Plan Apr 2005), this group could identify evaluate the specific adjacencies that are problematic (or actually work) with many section/elevation, vignettes, and adjacency diagrams to illustrate this plan in terms of its suburban vs. urban geometries
6. Similar to Scenario #2, but the Fordham Boulevard portion is more dense and modern in style like Greenbridge, and includes a small co-op grocery like So. Village’s Weaver Street, but with a Carrboro Weaver Street “lawn” opposite the Church of the Holy Family. (The remainder of Glen Lennox Apartments from Maxwell Street east toward Oakwood Dr. remains unchanged except a greenway linkage north/south from Raleigh Road to Cleland is built (this is shown in the Apr 08’ Phase III plan by Grubb Prop.)
7. A very dark scenario - the Glen Lennox apartments and shopping center are gone and become a Target and Apartment mega-plex similar to the development at South Point (Durham) or Briar Creek (Raleigh)
8. A Costco (big box is incorporated into a structure parking deck behind (north) Glen Lennox Shopping Center –..the structure includes a cafeteria (ala Ikea) for staff and customers as well as some affordable housing units as well as office spaces on the upper levels; the entire massing is carefully integrated into the existing adjacent tree line and the scale of residential is buffered by public green spaces—cars quickly enter and exit the structure parking
9. Where the apartments are now, is replaced with new tony, $1 million+ housing and office/retail lots in its place (all of Glen Lennox now looks like a combination of Meadowmont/East 54 and The Exchange - with a conventional suburban office building screened from Raleigh Road)
10. On Rogerson Drive and Oakwood Drive, all single family houses between Raleigh Road and Berkeley Road are razed to created multi-family to facilitate "transit oriented development" of higher density -- like a 3-storey apartment building with balconies to Raleigh Road (south) and little shops on the first floor – (This is shown on the NC 54 Corridor Study as a desirable option)
11. A scenario where whatever the physical changes there is no net increase in automobile traffic (not net increase in cars in the neighborhood, no increase in parking spaces)…density without cars… (This group would calculate the number of parking spaces currently permitted in the GL Apts/Shopping area and come up with another design which maintains or decreases that number by 30%) and economically sustains the new costs of new development
12. Same as #9 without any decrease in open space or destruction of old growth trees.
13. A “tweaking” scenario that replaces some of the existing Glen Lennox Apartment buildings with new buildings within the existing footprint of the existing buildings with sensitive improvements to drainage and landscaping without destruction of old growth trees.
14. A discrete insertion of four daringly interesting architecturally splendiferous buildings into surprising places on the site. The group defends an unconventional, but sensitive reading of the opportunity of this local site
15. A group is challenged to come up with better scenarios than these…
CAN A VISIONING WORKSHOP ADDRESS HOW THE GLEN LENNOX INFILL -- AS A TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT -- PRODUCES A GREATER BENEFIT OVERALL TO WHAT WE HAVE TODAY?
Was the initial concept a good Transit Oriented Development?
What are examples of beautiful, architecturally splendiforous, and pedestrian exciting new urbanist development?
Have we found the most successful model for high density mixed use? East 54 the best model? Southern Village? Meadowmont? UNC Campus? Greensboro -South Side?
Glenwood Elementary School
NCD Page 15 But Glenwood Subdivision isn't a typical suburban sprawl neighborhood, because it is already pedestrian friendly and is already accessible by public transportation...
Could Glen Lennox be more dense without a net increase in car traffic? Or would new business/retail and residential additions depend on a terrific increase of automobile trips to sustain the economic metrics required to build new infrastructure?
NCD Page 3 Corridor Planning? Small Area Plan? - Complementary Visioning? Construct a Conceptual Framework that works for the town, the neighborhood, and provides useful guidance for the developer. If kids can not walk to school because of the "HIGHWAY 54" and The Town of Chapel Hill and UNC believe a light rail station is a good idea south of 54, why not plan a new school on the neighborhood side?
Segregate the non - neighborhood residents traffic and commercial intensity from the quieter north side of 54.
What if this entrance was a green edged gateway -- consistent with the Comprehensive Plan?
NCD Page 8 54 Corr Study - Recommend Land Use
NCD Page 14 Trail at Glen Lennox - 54 Corridor Study
Excerpt for Ped/Bike Portion of 54 Study
Grubb 4/08 Plan - A bike path at the property line
Connecting Augmenting Existing Neighborhood Green Park Amenities and Open Spaces
NCD Page 9 Retail/Church Tuesday, September 07, 2010 12:01 PM
PARKING
P PARKING PARKING
STRUCTURE (DECK) PARKING PARKING
What if the building fronts we arranged to create a stronger street presence -which would be truly pedestrian oriented instead of car parking oriented.
Why could not the bottom level of the parking deck have retail frontage on most of it's perimeter?
What is nice or pleasant about walking along these roads?
NCD Page 2 existing
NCD Page 13 phase 3
NCD Page 12 Flow
NCD Page 13 existing
NCD Page 1 Charrette Images
ECOLE DES BEAUX ARTES
FORM BASED CODES - TRANSECT
NCD Page 2 MODERNIST ROWHOUSING - MATERIAL STYLE
PERSPECTIVE RENDERING
COURTYARD VIGNETTE
SITE/BLDG SECTION DRAWING - Showing Floor Levels in relation to the Street
STREET ELEVATION
NCD Page 3 POST-CHARRETTE DESIGN PRODUCTS
NCD Page 4 charrette sketches Thursday, September 09, 2010 9:11 AM RELATIVE HEIGHTS OF THINGS
THUMBNAIL SKETCHES WITH CONCEPTS THAT CAPTURE GROUP IDEAS
SECTION SKETCH AT RALEIGH ROAD AT SHOPPING CENTER
CONCEPT SKETCH - PLAZA AS A QUIET CANYON BUFFERING HIGHWAY/BUSY STREET NOISE
PLAN DIAGRAMS - WHERE THE DESIGN CONCEPT MEETS A PHYSICAL LOCATION
DIAGRAM - TIME PROGRESSION/ASSUMPTIONS
NCD Page 5 pattern and grain
NCD Page 6