Queen St and surrounds - RETAIL

 

My group's initial study indicated that the option of mixed use is a way to address the multi-dimensional nature of city issues by incorporating solutions via design to improve a precinct. Varying the types of mixed use adds more value to land as it can provide more activity than what a single-use building would. Certain types of uses can also guarantee a continual stream of revenue.

The core essence of this second project is to look at what the urban environment of Queen St and surrounds presents and what is necessary to improve this precinct. The fundamental use of the precinct is retail which led me to look at what the future of retail is. Also, how could retail interact with other uses to improve the region economically, socially and environmentally. Retailing can be done by either physical or virtual means. When thinking about the future, the battle between the two domains is of interest to designers.

 

History has proved that shopping is a social activity between humans which is often an experience, rather than a chore. However, in today's fast lifestyle, people often don't have the time to frequent shops. Online shopping is convenient, often cheaper and can be delivered directly to home. But on the other hand it is often a gamble with the product, deliveries can be delayed and lacks the importance of human interaction. One cannot say whether physical or virtual shopping is better than another. Statistics show that approximately 5% of all sales in Australia are online. This is quite small in the scheme of things but it is increasing. In 20 years, online sales could comprise 25% of sales (more or less, it is hard to predict as it is only a trend).

Apple stores are good examples of how physical retail outlet has triumphed over e-commerce. The experience of an Apple store is quite amazing. Ron Johnson, who worked at Apple creating the Apple Store experience said the following - 'For most stores, moving from a transaction mind-set—“how do we sell more stuff?”—to a value-­creation mind-set will require a complete overhaul'. The Queen St Mall is a pleasant experience as you walk up the street with the street front retail shops surrounding amongst the buzzing atmosphere of surrounding humans. When you get to the Myer centre, it is a completely different experience. It is like entering a box with cut outs for entry and once inside, you lose orientation of where you are, and become entangled in the complex planning and levels of the precinct. The experience of the Myer Centre is very much so introverted which is disappointing because of all the beautiful heritage buildings which surround it. 

In terms of this project, what does the future of retail mean? Interestingly, if online retail comprises more of the total sales, this does not mean physical retail will become redundant - they are increasingly integrated. Ron Johnson believes that the physical store needs to become more of an experience, helping to enrich the lives of the user. If a store can help a customer with their purchase, making informed decisions about how the product relates to the user enables the customer to feel good about themselves. So it’s not department stores’ size or location or physical capabilities that are their problem. It’s their lack of imagination—about the products they carry, their store environments, the way they engage customers, how they embrace the digital future. There’s nothing wrong with the capability. There’s a problem with the execution. (http://hbr.org/2011/12/retail-isnt-broken-stores-are/)   Since this site is set in an Urban environment, there will always be a need for city workers to sneak out of work during lunch to do their shopping, for loitering teens and general city visiters. 

One question which I am unsure about is what are the consequences of leaving the retail in city untouched, or anywhere for that matter. If retailers were to leave their tenancies untouched, what would happen? If the building offered a bland experience would this inevitably mean that people are too unmotivated to experience the atmosphere of the building and would rather use their personal devices to purchase things online? I think the underlying values such as human interaction, memorable experiences and social gathering space embody a successful retail precinct and are fundamental traits appreciated by human culture. Perhaps the Myer Centre should rethink the environment for the customers to encourage more sentimental appreciation? 

Besides the poetic notions of design, it is quite a commitment to retrofit or build a new precinct on an existing retail site. Retailers only have control of their space and when you have malls and buildings which combine lots of retail outlets, the overall experience of the shopping trip is dependant on the layout of the complex. For example, the Queen St mall is the high street of Brisbane. The street is outdoor with a sub-tropical vibe enjoyed by locals and visitors. The environment of the shopping experience is enjoyable and is complemented by the dynamic and varying shop fronts, heritage facades and awnings. Perhaps implenting similar characteristics into my design could create a similar feeling.

 

The future of the CBD as a region of economic and social prosperity needs to be considered. The Queensland Government developed a transit oriented plan to make Brisbane a more 'sustainable' oriented city by 2031. The major centres around Brisbane will become more well connected which could see the priority of localised shopping centres rather than CBD based shopping mall. So who is the Myer Centre directed at?

The Myer Centre is quite a large site. The operating hours of the site is dependent on the tenancy, however, generally, it is closed at night time. A recalculation of space and security could enable more social interaction during nighttimes. Potentially looking into residential, hospitality and public space to activate the site during night.

Week 9 Tutorial

I proposed to develop the Myer centre site with my proposal. I feel as though the Myer Centre in no way represents the identity or character of Brisbane. It is a shopping centre with a lot of retail and food outlets which is enclosed within a blank facade.

There are a few points to consider:

Should any building have to have a relationship with the surroundings? Should the facade have openings to let sunlight in?

If the Myer Centre was built in 1988, is it an integral part of Brisbane Culture? What actually defines or consitutes an influential building in a city? Since it was built, doesn't that make the building apart of Brisbane's identity? In 2030, will the end of life for the building be near?

Davor encouraged me to consider retrofitting the existing structure. This could be a cheaper and more sustainable option but reduces flexibility and restricts the aesthetic and form. I am quite certain that by demolishing the site it will allow for greater potential on the site. For such a prominent site in the city, I can have the freedom to propose anything rather than conform to the envelope which already exists.

There are heritage listed facades on site which need to remain.

Week 8 - Tutorial

Below are just a few ideas for city scale future ideas. To some degree they may not be related to my project- they are just interesting ideas:

Week 8 Lecture/ Reading

'On the one hand, there are bureaucracies, hierarchical structures with conscious goals and overt control mechanisms. On the other, there are peasant and small-town markets, self-organized structures that arise spontaneously out of the activities of many individuals, whose interests only partially overlap'. - Manuel De Landa, 1997
 
Yasu showed the diagram below in the lecture. It shows a four dimensioned chart which includes ephimeral (short-lived), hierarchical (ranked), permanent and spontaneous characteristics of design. This is an interesting concept chart which I think has opportunities and constraints for each aspect. Often architecture can be static, often designed for short-term gain and no longevity plan associated.

 

The urban region for this project is predominantly retail. I think there is an opportunity for a permanent/ spontaneous architectural solution. The city is conducive to spontaneous actions because its primary function is the 'Central Business District' for Brisbane. Users of the city are typically workers, students (from QUT), tourists and visitors who typically frequent the city for alternate reasons other than retail. An architectural device should allow for spontaneous retail experiences and encourage interaction and engagement with its surrounds.

Densification

Densification of the built environment should underpin future decisions. Stopping the spread of cities has benefits on numerous levels. It stops the expansion of systems established to collect and distribute resources and can stop the depletion of valuable biodiversity around cities.

Building engagement with their context and surrounds is minimal when looking at tall buildings with small sites. Maximising GFA of a site is the clients interest in projects which is why most buildings in the city are square rectangular prisms with little engagement to the street. I often look at the city from a distance, impressed with the density and scale of the built environment. However, when actually within the city, rarely do I ever look up and actually engage with the buildings.

The ground level is basically the scope of most users of the city which is quite superficial and insulting to the rest of the building. Whether this is the architects fault, or just the reality of cities, I think that this needs to be addressed.

Tutorial Week 7

Talked to tutor Davor about submitted project and what direction to take for this project.

Discussed the importance of mixed-use in diversifying regions. Other than exploring mixed-use in the CBD site, have not really decided on a concept to persue.

The rest of this blog involves looking at what cities around the world are doing in terms of built environment systems and operation which makes them successful in some regard.

New York City Skyline

 New York City is one of the most environmentally efficient cities on the surface of the planet because of its density. Suburban sprawl is more of an issue for cities as precious land continually succumbs to the built environment. (Massive Change - Bruce Mau 2004)

'We need to draw lines in the group and say, "The concrete stops here." That forces people to build in and up, rather than out - and there's othing wrong with high, dense urban environments as long as they're planned correctly. They can be extremely livable. They tend to require less transportation, fewer sewer lines, fewer power lines, fewer roads, and more tightly packed structures, which in and of themselves are more energy efficient'. - Patrick Moore, Greenpeace cofounder and environmental consultant.

Curitiba, Brazil

Transport system in Curitiba is one of the best in the world. The efficient bus system for its time was a revolutionary 'surface based network'. Land based transport systems allows for more frequency and faster connections.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Almost a third of residences in Copenhagen use bicycle transportation  to get to and from work and other places. Designated road infrastructure allows for a safe journey for cyclists. Bikes are popular because the climate and landscape encourages bike use. Copenhagen is flat and is not an overly hot climate (well for most of the year at least) which means people can ride to and from work without working up a furious sweat. 

You could say that bike riding is a more accepted and popular activity because of the culture, history, environment and climate. But really, because bike infastructure is so convenient and supportive of bikes in the CBD that it is literally a 'better way or equivalent' to travel.

Week 7 lecture

Lecture on Architecture fiction by Yasu.

'A fictitious story to place our architectural entity in.....'
We are to tell a visual story to explain our building.

The entity is to be set around 2025 in the future. 13 years is not a significant amount of time - however will be a crucial time for architects. This time frame allows for predictions about the course of human advancement.

While this assignment is about 'architectural fiction', it has to have some degree of realism according to Yasu. It is difficult to gauge what is real and what is not in the future. Realism could be intepreted as a comfortable prediction of the future, following some sort of linear progression of what is established in the present. But from what we have seen in the past, reality is never a guarenteed or linear progression. Reality could be anything. Future reality should transcend present reality. 'Realistic' predictions in my opinion are stagnate predictions of the present.
 

Why should the future challenge normal?
On a basic human level, it is important to continually learn and develop. This is partly the reason to human existance. So why shouldn't the built environment reflect the evolution and continual development of natural organisms on earth. Humans are faced with current issues which are a result of the past. By addressing these issues, it enables humans to learn and progress on an issue with the world. It is impossible to predict whether the world will ever be in a equiquibrium or 'utopian', which makes the future so exciting and devestating. 

What am I interested in the future?
I am interested in experiences, innovation/ primal development, comfort/ uncomfortable built environments and preservation/adaptability of 'this' all with the interests of natural beings, creatures and organisms. I am interested in dynamic and stimulating environments which engage the senses, exercising our brain.