mt druitt town centre reserve
DESCRIPTION
University Project focusing on Mt Druitt Town Centre Reserve revival. Multidisciplinary Design elective with Designing Out Crime, UTS. Student Team: Ben Peake (architecture), Caryn Streeter (architecture), Sharon Madem Moiselle (industrial design), Julian Soco (architecture), Dookee Chung (architeture) Tutors: Genevieve Furzer, Olga Camacho DuarteTRANSCRIPT
Mt Druitt Town Centre Reserve
Develop design concepts to enliven the Mt Druitt reserve at Ralph Place and make it a vibrant, attractive, well connected and inclusive open space.
Comfortable pedestrian access from the south is restricted by the train line.
100m
6min 12min
Town Centre Reserve6min Walk12min Walk
100m
Commercial - Westfield- Shops- Parks
Westfields and other commercial zones provide a gravitational pull for consumers.
100m
CommercialServices- Schools- TAFE- Medical Centre
Numerous ‘Human Services’ and education institutions concentrate around the reserve.
100m
Civic functions are sprinkled through a zone which takes 10 minutes to walk across.
CommercialServicesCivic- Hospital- Train Station- The Hub
Mt Druitt Town Centre Reserve is hidden within behind the backs of adjoining sites
Looking West- Rear of Chinese Supermarket site- Rear of Chambers Cellars
Looking South- Rear of TAFE- Fence limits access to site
Looking North- Rear of Shopsmart outlet complex- Visual Connection limited by dense low lying vegetation- Dead End road provides access to site without thoroughfare
The reserves isolated position withing the urban fabric makes it vulnerable to misuse....
Out of Sight, Out of Mind GraffitiVandalism to council and private property is
costly to remove and visually disruptive.
Alcohol MisuseReports of alcohol misuse in various locations
around the site.
Careless Needle DisposalThe proximity to Hospital needle vending
machine makes the park a convenient and quiet place for injecting.
These issues combine to create significant problems for positive use of the park.
The Wider Field...
200m
Extracts from B.C.C. Management plan;- Sports grounds are “barometers in assisting the maintenance of community health and well being”- Reflect the community and designed to assist their needs- Planned to be within walking or cycling distance form homes- Cultural interface between private lives and porting life of community
Mount Druitt Town Centre Reserve is 1 of 800+ natural parklands under B.C.C. management.
Plumpton Park Sherwood Park Rooty Hill Leisure Centre Mt Druitt Town Centre Reserve
The Wider Field...
200m
Plumpton Park Sherwood Park Rooty Hill Leisure Centre Mt Druitt Town Centre Reserve
Mount Druitt Town Centre Reserve is 1 of 800+ natural parklands under B.C.C. management.
Any proposals must address the grass roots problems with affordable & ‘doable’ solutions.
100m
Civic Strip
Building on the well known design mantra ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts’ we believe in creating an integrated network that brings together all the existing parts to create a safe and uniting pedestrian thoroughfare.
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”
100m
Key Points- Train Station- The Hub- The Pools- Town Centre Reserve- Kevin Betts Stadium- Hospital
By creating a pedestrian and cycle thoroughfare from the Transport Hub at the Station via the shops, services, The Hub, The Pool, The Reserve, Kevin Betts and the Hospital, the reserve will live up to its name as the Town Centre Reserve.
The existing pedestrian experience is dictated by the car
No Pedestrian Crossing Vegetation Blocking Visibility Uncomfortable Pathways Redundant Fencing
More clearly articulated pedestrian and bike zones.
View east along Pedestrian Network at Ayres Grove
Provide safer street crossings
Cobled roads to provide drivers with audible warning
Planter boxes for aditional safety
Lighting elements or coloured paving to further enhance crossing
Ayres Grove Mou
nt S
treet
Ralph
Relocation of pool fence along Ayres Grove.
Existing Fence Realigned Winter Mode - Park offered to community
Improving visibility and signage to increase awareness of nearby civic functions including; The Town Centre Reserve, The Hub, and Pool.
Transport Interchange
Dawson Mall The Hub The Pool
Health Clinic
The Park Kevin Betts
Mt DruittHospital
Chinese Supermarket ShopSmartHeadSpace
Westfields
Area Map
A new method of communication promotes pedestrian connectivity.
Develop design concepts to enliven the Mt Druitt reserve at Ralph Place and make it a vibrant, attractive, well connected and inclusive open space.
Mt Druitt’s two football field sized ‘blank canvas’ awaits rejuvenation...
RALPH PL
The current condition of Mt Druitt Town Centre Reserve involves ambiguity, poor pathways, and limited passive surveillance.
PedestrianVehicleParking
Reconfiguring vehicle access to the site by linking with existing parking to the north, and opening up towards the hospital.
PedestrianVehicleParking
Moving the cars to create a safe pedestrian zone
PedestrianVehicleParking
North South Site Section
Northern Edge Section
Shopsmart Bike & Pedestrian Network Playing Fields TAFE Grounds
Potential for passive surveillance through increased activation along northern edge.
Kevin Betts & Basketball
Bike Stop & Cafe
Public Toilet
Seating
Bus Stop
Table Tennis
Chess Boards
Rock Climbing Wall
Mt Druitt Town Centre Reserve reframed as a revitalised sporting and outdoor venue.
PedestrianVehicleParking
13 m
0.5 m
Solar Panel
LED lights
Solar panels mounted on top of stadium lights also provide renewable energy used in secondarly lighting along the civic strip.
Stadium Lights Stadium Lights are fitted with a low level solar powered motion activated light, that illuminates zones of the field where motion is detected. Acting to improve facilities for sports people and deter misuse of the field.
Location of stadium lights, & secondary path lighting.
Providing additional amenity while deterring misuse.
100m
Civic Strip
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”
We hope by focusing on pedestrian connectivity the benefits of what already exists in Mt Druitt the advantages will be multiplied.
- Stronger Connection from Transport Interchange throughout Civic Strip
- Safe thoroughfare to reserve and hospital
- Better use of existing Council open space
- Providing more varying and interesting places for people
- Increase in access to reserve, which will
- Bring more people to the park, to
- Increase natural surveillance
- Enhancing existing facilities and services
- Reinvigorating existing reserve
Advantages
Future: Kevin Betts Stadium
Existing - Twin Undervocered Courts
Expand- Four Undervocered Courts
Offset- Restricting access along rear fence to prevent missuse of area.- Create space for outdoor court and bus bay parking at rear.
Seperation allows connection- Walkway through building and visual connection to Civic Stip
Insert- Attrium celebrates the entry to both frontages and provides space for office & meeting space.- Additonal activation and passive survailance to drive away missue.
Future: Bike NetworkTown Centre Reserve as a pit-stop in an expanded bike network linking existing open spaces, Cumberland planes, and Blacktown Olympic Park.
Proposed bike trail connecting Cumberland Plain & surrounding parks
Town Centre Reserve as a Bike Track Pit Stop
Mini Soccer
Universal Playground
Kevin Betts & Basketball
Bike Stop & Cafe
Public Toilet
Seating
Bus Stop
Table Tennis
Chess Boards
Rock Climbing Wall
Future: Potential expansion can bring additional facilities for a new population of users. Ping Pong, Chess, Mini Soccer.
PedestrianVehicleParking
A strong, connected network that is planning for a better future...
View east along pedestraian network into upgraded Mount Druitt Town Centre Reserve