Chapter 09_Architecture as Assistive Devices_Lecture

This lecture discussed particular to the project, how an architectural intervention can be a catalyst for change.

First the purpose of a building was discussed as a device for protection, or defense (from weather, privacy or even conflict). Buildings should and will be designed accordingly.
To design a good building or usable spaces, consider what it is about - what does the building do? this includes the inverse uses. For example: making/using or thinking/reflecting. 

To briefly reflect upon what I anticipate the Paddington Central has potential for.

• an arena for lifting the veil on food - food as the focus of a theatrical expose.
• building on this the user can take away a number of different experiences - the diagramme below illustrates how I am purpose could arrange itself...

For each activity or use in the building must consider how best to provide for: 

1. number (as in quantity) of people
2. space
3. facilities
4. logistics

Specific to our site, I think that I would anticipate a larger use of the site after my intervention. I plan for it's focus to shift predominantly in the direction of an 'informer' where the building or activities are enticing the user to experience food on a new level, rather than just consuming. For example... new ways of cooking, or learning GIY (Grow It Yourself). Self-sustainability is the key theme here.
Spaces will be arranged in a way to reflect the food as a theatrical means for program where the veil is lifted on the currently hidden process.
Facilities; maintain a typical 'supermarket', restaurants (formal and casual, and open to emergent cooking or cooking lessons), parkland, farming, market place, learning facilities.
Logistics? - still not sure about this part.

Yasu made an important (and welcome!) reminder that we shouldn't resolve everything.

Yasu also raised a keyword - Play.

How can the different spaces interact and have different causes, or change the experience for the user of the building?
Thinking quickly, I like the idea of a layered building which unites the different elements of the food process. The arrangement of these layers, I think, will allow for interesting play of spaces and emergent activities could begin to form...

This specific discussion of a site-specific device then lead onto Architecture as an assistive device for contextual, locale and global agendas. Which I think is an important, reoccurring theme in my posts to date:-  where architecture should "the abstract global and the proximate everyday or local."

Ultimately, I hope to address the homogeneous anti-interactive community of Paddington through an agenda which takes the popular global issue, sustainability, and develop it through simple community-based commerce and trade in an ambient, surreal park-come-farm environment.  A comfortable atmosphere such as this will broaden application of sustainable green practices particular to food, from the intimacy of own home to the broader city and country.