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School of Community and Regional Planning • University of British Columbia Plan 587B–Introductory Urban Design Studio February 22 to April 5 • Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:30-4:30pm • Lasserre 207 Dr. Maged Senbel • senbel@interchange.ubc.ca • Lasserre 207b • 604.822.9158 • Office hours by appointment

Description This is the second in a series of Urban Design studio courses offered at SCARP, and the first where students have the opportunity to participate in project-oriented urban design. The course will expose students to the skills and issues associated with planning practice in urban design. Concentrating on direct and indirect design techniques, students will undertake group and individual work leading to the production of both design proposals and urban design plan components. Working on issues pertinent to local jurisdictions, participants in the course will undertake diagramming and spatial decision-making necessary for creating visions, goals, policy statements and designs for urban neighbourhoods. Students will be expected to engage in the professional discourse and skills of the urban design field, including: graphic presentation techniques, public presentation and communication methods, critique, and a variety of other analytical and observation methods. Prerequisites Students enrolled in this course must have successfully completed PLAN 587A or must have prior experience in design and graphic representation and must obtain the instructor’s consent before registering.

drawings and designs courtesy of Max Goldstein and Rob Bateman, Final Urban Design Projects

2 Plan 587B – Introductory Urban Design Studio

Studio Project For this 6-week introductory studio, we will develop urban design and land use proposals for Vancouver’s Chinatown. The project is visionary in its objectives of creatively exploring options for a dynamic and diverse community with a strong commitment to fostering youth friendly environments, new business development, and real estate development that includes affordable housing.

The class will include individual and group work. Students will have the opportunity to explore a variety of design options for the public realm, land use and urban form. Student groups will have three major presentations during the course of the studio beginning with individual conceptual designs and culminating in team master plans.

Format The studio will meet twice per week for 3 hours each session. We will meet collectively at the beginning of each day for brief lectures, course administration, explanation of exercises, and discussion of issues related to the projects. Various methods and techniques will be demonstrated and explained as needed throughout the course. As needed during the semester we will venture into the field for observation, mapping and site reconnaissance. On these days there is a strong likelihood the sessions may run longer than expected. Transportation options for fieldwork will be discussed in class. Students will also be expected to undertake group work in the field outside of class times. Students will set up individual workspaces in the studio where they will be able to work on projects. Much of the course time each session will be used for group and one-on-one desk critiques with the course instructor. Successful studio experience demands that students physically work in the studio outside of scheduled class time to enable collaborative work, allow for cross-fertilization of thinking and learning, and provide an outlet for constant feedback and input from peers. Please remember that the course will require substantial time inputs outside of the regularly scheduled course sessions. In past semesters, students typically average 16-20 hours per week outside of scheduled course time in the urban design studios at SCARP, with heavier workloads and time commitments associated with project deadlines. Students will periodically present their work to the class and other guest critics at various points of completion during the semester for feedback. Objectives This course has a number of learning objectives nested within the urban design specialization sequence at SCARP. The course offers students a number of tools for developing their creativity and design capacities and for interpreting design work and representing their own design work. The course also offers conceptual tools for guiding urban design projects. The specific learning objectives are outlined on the following page. At the end of this course you will be able to achieve the objectives indicated under the third column on the right hand side of the table.

3 Plan 587B – Introductory Urban Design Studio

 Urban Design Learning Objectives Across SCARP Urban Design Courses Higher order learning ***, middle order learning **, lower order learning* (A score on the right of 3 = primary objective in the course, 2 = secondary, 1 = tertiary)

PLAN  548L  Term  1  

PLAN  587A  Term  2a  

PLAN  587B  Term  2b  

1 Understand basic concepts, issues and priorities in the urban design field* 3   1   1  2 Read 3-dimensional form at different urban scales* 3   3   2  3 Articulate the component pieces of urban form* 3   2   2  4 Articulate the characteristics of urban form that cities aspire to achieve* 3   2   2  5 Interpret the general parameters of zoning and related urban development policy instruments* 3   1   1  6 Articulate major trends of urban design theory over the last 4 decades* 3          7 Interpret built form as a convergence of design requirements and competing interests* 3   1   3  8 Differentiate between successful and marginal public space* 3   1   2  9 Identify spatial relationships across buildings and open spaces* 3   2   2  

10 Apply the design characteristics of vibrant and economically viable urban centres** 2   2   3  11 Engage a public audience in informed discussions about urban design issues and ideas** 3   2   2  12 Conduct critiques of urban design projects*** 3   1   2  13 Prioritize the characteristics of low carbon urban development** 1   2   3  14 Apply your memory and experience of cities as a design reference** 1   3   1  15 Produce basic orthographic drawing** 1   3   2  16 Produce basic graphic design** 1   3   2  17 Read and interpret detailed drawings**     3   2  18 Produce basic digital 3-dimensional visualization using SketchUp**     3   2  19 Analyze the functionality of human scaled built urban design projects**     3   1  20 Map the physical, social and economic characteristics of urban spaces**     3      21 Produce an urban design brief establishing the parameters of an urban design project**     3      22 Employ a heightened awareness of urban form at different scales*** 2   3   1  23 Articulate a subjective assessment of design features of public space***     3   1  24 Produce a professional quality written report summarizing client’s design goals and principles *** 2   3   2  25 Produce a professional quality written report summarizing design & urban system precedents ***     3   1  26 Produce basic 3-dimensional design at a neighbourhood scale*** 1       3  27 Develop conceptual approaches to urban design proposals*** 1   2   3  28 Create diagrams that represent your design ideas*** 1   2   3  29 Summarize your design proposal’s transportation, energy, water, food and waste systems***         3  30 Iteratively develop and improve design ideas*** 2   1   3  31 Graphically represent your own design ideas to represent your intent for the built environment**     2   3  32 Recommend your proposed ideas to a public audience*** 3   1   3  33 Evaluate critiques of your design proposals to better articulate your vision*** 1       3  34 Produce professional quality verbal, written & graphic representations of urban design proposals*** 1       3  35 Know yourself relative to the field of urban design*** 2   3   2  

 Total  (to  illustrate  balance  of  learning  objectives  by  numerically  represented  emphasis  across  courses)   55   67   69  

4 Plan 587B – Introductory Urban Design Studio

Course Requirements Students will be evaluated on their successful completion of the following course requirements. Design Brief Draft Brief Draft Brief 25% March 1 Final Brief Produce a design brief that summarizes the goals

of your design as well as the target figures for density, total floor areas, population, number of jobs and energy and water strategy.

March 3

Conceptual Design by Individual Students Draft Review of Master Plan

Statement of Principles Statement of Program Requirements Concept plan of entire Chinatown site

25%

March 10 student filmmakers present

Final Review of Master Plan March 17 Final Design in Groups Draft Review of Group Master Plan 15% March 29 Final Review of Group Master Plan 35% April 5

Each assignment will be thoroughly discussed and illustrated through course workshops at the time students are expected to begin working on it. The table below provides a brief description of each assignment with its scope and intended purpose for meeting learning objectives 26 through to 34 from the table on page 3. Design Brief Task Medium Scope Purpose Precedent study One poster per study.

Posters should include photos, descriptive statements and any quantitative figures available and a statement of lessons for us for the Chinatown

2 studies drawn from international examples to show relationship between heritage preservation, economic development and urban densification.

To learn from other peoples work and experience and to generate exciting new ideas for a holistic and integrated approach to design in Chinatown.

Concept Plan Diagram that depicts the Chinatown area with a new vision based on ideas from the combined recommendations from your systems report and from the precedent studies

All of Chinatown

To develop an inspiring vision for Chinatown that can position Vancouver as a leader in integrating ecological functioning with human habitat

Density Text, table or chart on poster or labeled on plan diagram (use table A as a reference)

All of Chinatown including your vision and currently built or approved development

To understand how your vision adds or takes away from the density currently planned for the site

Population Text, table or chart on poster or labeled on plan diagram (use table A as a

All of Chinatown including your vision and currently built or approved development

To understand how your vision adds or takes away from the population currently planned for the

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reference) site Gross floor area Text, table or chart on

poster or labeled on plan diagram (use table A as a reference)

All of Chinatown including your vision and currently built or approved development

To understand how your vision adds or takes away from the built floor space currently planned for the site

Land Use Included in your plan diagram or a smaller plan insert on your poster

General land use plan for all of Chinatown with designations for housing, commercial, institutional, mixed use etc.

To understand how your vision affects the overall land use plan for Chinatown

Boundaries of detailed study area

Diagramed on Chinatown plan

Subset of Chinatown, approximately 4 to 5 hectares

To define a Chinatown sub-area that will showcase your vision and that will be designed in greater detail

Conceptual Design and Master Plan

Task Medium Scope Purpose Craft a master plan that includes a vision for land use, density, massing, circulation, open space, public and private space, building orientation and the general distribution of services and amenities

• Vision statement • Systems and distribution diagrams

• Plan and section diagrams at any scale.

• Program summary • Concept diagrams • 1:1000 Plan • 3 to 4 3-D views, • 2 Street Sections • Collage photos to

convey desired character

Your Chinatown sub-area

To begin understanding the relationships between the different characteristics of urban design through designing at the neighbourhood scale.

Students will receive a marking rubric for each assignment at the time they are expected to begin working on it. The rubric illustrates the level of work required to achieve the desired grade. The individual and group design projects will be assessed using the following marking rubric. Vision Statement Outstanding (90-95%) Eloquently-articulated vision with a clear concept of goals and proposed solutions

Excellent (85-89%) Well-articulated vision with a clear concept of goals and proposed solutions

Good (80-84%) Well-articulated vision with a mostly clear concept of goals and proposed solutions

Adequate (75-79%) Poorly-articulated vision with an unclear concept of goals and proposed solutions

Poor (74% & below) Poor articulation of vision or goals

Concept Diagrams Outstanding (90-95%) Effective use of simple yet clear diagrams to powerfully communicate main concepts

Excellent (85-89%) Effective use of simple yet clear diagrams to effectively communicate main concepts

Good (80-84%) Effective use of simple yet clear diagrams to communicate main concepts

Adequate (75-79%) Effective use of diagrams to communicate main concepts

Poor (74% & below) Ineffective use of diagrams to communicate main concepts

Program

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Outstanding (90-95%) Complete and accurate accounting of all the program elements

Excellent (85-89%) Complete and accurate accounting of most program elements

Good (80-84%) Complete accounting of most program elements

Adequate (75-79%) Incomplete accounting of program elements

Poor (74% & below) Poor and inaccurate accounting of most program elements

Master Plan Demonstration of vision Outstanding (90-95%) Clear and strong articulation of vision in the designation of land uses and urban form

Excellent (85-89%) Clear articulation of vision in the designation of land uses and urban form

Good (80-84%) Legible articulation of vision in the designation of land uses and urban form

Adequate (75-79%) Poor articulation of vision in the designation of land uses and urban form

Poor (74% & below) No articulation of vision in the designation of land uses and urban form

Integration of program elements

Outstanding (90-95%) Every program element is integrated into the whole with strong location, relationship and proximity rationale

Excellent (85-89%) Every program element is integrated into the whole with location, relationship and proximity rationale

Good (80-84%) Most program elements are integrated into the whole with location, relationship and proximity rationale

Adequate (75-79%) Most program elements are integrated into the whole with poor location, relationship and proximity rationale

Poor (74% & below) Few program elements are integrated into the whole with no location, relationship and proximity rationale

Completeness

Outstanding (90-95%) The plan is complete with all aspects of the program and all elements of urban design clearly drawn and presented

Excellent (85-89%) The plan is complete with most aspects of the program and most elements of urban design clearly drawn and presented

Good (80-84%) The plan is complete with most aspects of the program and basic elements of urban design clearly drawn and presented

Adequate (75-79%) The plan is incomplete with few aspects of the program and basic elements of urban design clearly drawn and presented

Poor (74% & below) The plan is incomplete with most aspects of the program not included

Street Section Outstanding (90-95%) Effective communication of all thoroughly developed sectional relationships in a well chosen location

Excellent (85-89%) Effective communication of thoroughly developed sectional relationships in a well chosen location

Good (80-84%) Effective communication of sectional relationships in a well-chosen location

Adequate (75-79%) Partial communication of sectional relationships in a poorly chosen location

Poor (74% & below) Poor communication of sectional relationships in a poorly chosen location

Birds-Eye 3-D Visualization Composition Outstanding (90-95%) View that best communicates and highlights main features of the design

Excellent (85-89%) View that effectively communicates and highlights main features of the design

Good (80-84%) View that communicates and highlights main features of the design

Adequate (75-79%) View that poorly communicates main features of the design

Poor (74% & below) Ineffective view that presents the design in a poor light

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Clarity Outstanding (90-95%) Clear communication of all the elements of the neighborhood

Excellent (85-89%) Clear communication of most elements of the neighborhood

Good (80-84%) Clear communication of some elements of the neighborhood

Adequate (75-79%) Poor communication of some elements of the neighborhood

Poor (74% & below) View partial incomplete and unattractive

Vitality Outstanding (90-95%) Effective communication of a desirable and highly attractive overall urban form

Excellent (85-89%) Effective communication of a desirable overall urban form

Good (80-84%) Communication of a desirable overall urban form

Adequate (75-79%) Poor communication of a desirable overall urban form, or communication of an undesirable urban form

Poor (74% & below) Communication is weak and urban form is ill-considered

Pedestrian Level 3-D Visualization Communication of design Outstanding (90-95%) View communicates a complete and well-developed design

Excellent (85-89%) View communicates a well-developed design

Good (80-84%) View communicates a mostly developed design

Adequate (75-79%) View communicates a partially developed design

Poor (74% & below) View communicates an incomplete design

Composition Outstanding (90-95%) Chosen view is clearly optimum for communicating and highlighting main features of the design

Excellent (85-89%) Chosen view is effective for communicating and highlighting main features of the design

Good (80-84%) Chosen view communicates and highlights main features of the design

Adequate (75-79%) Chosen view communicates some features of the design

Poor (74% & below) Chosen view does not communicate the proposed design

Activity Outstanding (90-95%) Street level activity is highly convincing, desirable and appropriate for proposed design

Excellent (85-89%) Street level activity is mostly convincing, desirable and appropriate for proposed design

Good (80-84%) Street level activity is somewhat convincing, desirable and appropriate for proposed design

Adequate (75-79%) Street level activity is not convincing, desirable and appropriate for proposed design

Poor (74% & below) Street level activity is non-extant.

Late Assignments Late assignments will be deducted 3% of your final grade/day up to a maximum of two days. Assignments more than two days late will receive no credit. In the event of an emergency please contact the instructor as soon as possible to notify him of your intended absence. Class Participation Students are expected to attend every studio session. Missing a studio session will result in an automatic 3% reduction in your overall grade. During studio you are expected to participate in discussions and reviews of each other’s work, and to conduct yourselves in a courteous and professional manner. You are expected to

8 Plan 587B – Introductory Urban Design Studio

be critical yet respectful and supportive in your engagement of each other’s work. You are expected to be attentive to whoever is speaking whether we are in studio or out of the studio touring or on a professional visit. Readings and Handouts Students will be expected to generate their own reference lists based on their team’s precedent studies and urban systems analysis. Additional readings may be distributed during the semester as required. Studio Culture Above all be sensitive to and respectful of each other’s comfort levels in studio. While spending time in the studio can be a celebratory, collaborative and joyful experience, it must also be a safe and respectful one. At times you will want to be loud and animated and other times you will want to be quiet and focused. Please be sensitive to the mental space of your colleagues. Offensive or disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated. Academic Integrity The University is an environment that fosters learning and the free exchange of ideas while maintaining responsibility and integrity. Violations of academic integrity include but are not limited to plagiarism, cheating, dishonesty, fabrication of information, submitting previously completed work and misusing or destroying school property. Any material or ideas obtained from digital or physical sources must be appropriately referenced. Special Needs Please inform the instructor right away if you have special needs and require accommodation of any kind. Please visit http://www.students.ubc.ca/access/ for more information on campus resources. Supplemental Resources UBC has numerous research, pedagogical and health resources available to students. These include The centre for Teaching and Academic Growth (TAG), the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, and the Writing Centre. Please make use of these resources or contact the instructor if you have any questions.