company profile march small

www.BigCityUrbanist.co.za

BIG CITY URBANIST - 2 - MARCh - 2016

- Concepts -

Design Principles of B.C.U

All our design implementations are largely influencedby the following 8 principles:

Designing in cities must respect itsland.They should not be intrusive; they should fit within the landscape they occupy.

Creation of well-designed enclosures. Rather than clusters of open space, spaces that are bounded and enclosed are not only more visually satisfying, butencourage mobility and safety.

Design is a language. We have to abide by the grammatical ground rules, otherwise dissonance and confusion abound. This is why a building code is so valuable.

Materiality in design. We have becomedependent upon bland, standardizedbuilding materials. This flaw leads a place having no distinctive character.

Scale is key. Not only should buildings relate to human proportions, they should correspond to the scale of the other buildings and elements around them.

.

The pedestrian must be at the centre of the design process. Streets must be reclaimed from the car.

Harmony − the playing together of all parts. Richness comes from diversity, as Nature demonstrates,but there must be coherence

.

Space is at a premium, but we do not have to resort to high-rise tower blocks which alienate and isolate.

1 5

2 6

3 7

4 8

- Concepts -

B i g C i t y u r B a n i s t - 3 - M a r C H - 2016

Company Profile

Nature of Implementation

Creation of well-designed enclosures. Rather than clusters of open space, spaces that are bounded and enclosed are not only more visually satisfying, butencourage mobility and safety.

Materiality in design. We have becomedependent upon bland, standardizedbuilding materials. This flaw leads a place having no distinctive character.

The pedestrian must be at the centre of the design process. Streets must be reclaimed from the car.

Space is at a premium, but we do not have to resort to high-rise tower blocks which alienate and isolate.

Big City Urbanist aims to transform public and private spaces through custom designed urban interventions. All of our interventions aim to achieve three different tiers of sustainability: social, economic and environmental.

Through our innovative design ideas and principles, Big City Urbanist will produce safe public realms that promote and enhance local character, diversity, connectivity, safety and comfort.

By achieving these, communities, neighbourhoods and the broader city will benefit from continuous vibrancy and will also have the ability to exercise resilience and resistance against dilapidation and degeneration.

Big City Urbanist will intervene in ways that allow space within the street network for larger events than everyday activity. This will boost community activities and interaction. Big City Urbanist will design products that drive and uplift individuals, neighbourhoods and city centres.

Big City Urbanist is governed by three directors drawn from development practitioners, academia and private sector. The expertise of the directors ranges from urban and regional planning to small scale architecture and accounting.

Our mission is to enhance connectivity across the city through progressive design interventions which will invariably promote habitable and sustainable conditions for all spectrums of society. Our design implementations will strive to develop a more positive, pro-city attitude that conserves and enriches the natural and built environment. Through our designs, we seek to alter mind-sets in a way that will drive liveability, sustainability and resilience.

We will serve as a platform of bringing African cities to the forefront of liveable cities around the world. We envision Big City Urbanist to be a leading provider of innovative street furniture products that spans from human scale interventions to city wide connectivity mechanisms.

Big City Urbanist is involved in four thematic areas. These thematic areas are objectively focused on providing integrated economic and development planning which informs spatially referenced contexts through innovative designs.

The company will set itself apart from competitors by breaking away from standardised design principles.

Our creativity and cost-efficiency methods will not jeopardise the quality of our products, but will rather enhance them. Through human scale interventions, we aim to turn broader spatial development frameworks into a reality.

Given the urban planning and architectural backgrounds of the company owners, Big City Urbanist possesses an analytical understanding of what is needed to turn built environments and open spaces into plea-surable avenues.

The focus of the company is to develop and maintain excellent facilities and places for public regeneration. These will build communities through mediums of play, relaxation, gathering and solitude.

Every product of Big City Urbanist will be developed specifically in relation to the developmental needs of particular site contexts. The company will offer products resulting in networks of lush gardens, courtyards and landscaped pathways that weave between buildings.

This will promote a walkable, habitable and sustainable environment.

- About B.C.U -

``


Design InterventionsAt BCU we aim at designing for all spectrums of society. Our designs are split up, however integrated, between

four themes

- Our product themes -

Enhancing open spacesThis theme is focused on producing high quality

urban space designs which help define and enhance public life of a community or city by strengthening

the ‘local spirit’. Designs under this theme will promoteinteraction, diversity and physical activity.

Some of these designs include:

Bus/Taxi stopsStreet furniture

Outdoor gymnasiumsMind stratergy games

Economic Development StimulatorsThis theme is focused on how to design and promote an efficient, equitable and socially responsible business environment.


Mobile Recycler UnitsGuerrilla marketing through street furnitureUrban art work/marketing

Living and Working spaces

This theme is focused on developing design configurations and combinations of architectural design parameters for specific urban space typologies and densities, to enhance the living and working environment for increased social and community interaction within high-density environments.


Nap podsCompact office and retail spaceCompact living unitsInformal centres & Trading Stalls

Urban Planning SolutionsThe urban planning theme is focused on drawing from urban design theories and practices related to sustainability and urban space in high and low

density environments, as wellas providing guidelines for analyzing, evaluating and designing liveable

and high-quality public spaces.

This includes the following:

Policy analysisSpatial Development Frameworks

Research

- Concepts -

Conceptual DesignsAt BCU we aim at designing for all spectrums of society. Through our designs we aimed at improving connectivity,

promoting creativity and productivity whilst stimulating physical and mental well-being.

Below are a few conceptual diagrams to help you understand our vision.

01MOBIlE RECYClER UNIT

Recyclers cycl ing

through the ci ty

ef feciently and safely

along the bicycle lanes.

BRAAMfONTEIN,

JOhANNESBURG


02GUERRIllA MARkETING STREET

fURNITURE

Bold market ing stratergies using street

furniture as i ts platform. Bringing smart

ideas to Smart c i t ies.

JUTA STREET,

BRAAMfONTEIN,

JOhANNESBURG

03URBAN ART WORk

An urban bookshelf that acts as both a creat ive land-

mark, as well as a system of increasing the access of

knowledge in an uncoventional way. This artpiece could

al low people to donate books by placing i t on the book-

shelf. By doing this, other indiv iduals could relax in the

outdoors by reading and replacing donated books.

BEAChES AND pARkS, CApE TOWN

- Concepts -

04BUS STOpS / RESTING STATIONS.

providing creat iv i ty dr iven

structures to s imple everyday

units.

JOhANNESBURG, SOUTh AfRICABIG CITY URBANIST - 6 - MARCh - 2016


- Concepts -

05MEDITATION GARDENS

providing ergonomic spat ial planning

in open spaces to promote tranquil ty

in the busy working environment.

WITWATERSRAND UNIVERSITY,

SOUTh AfRICA

06OUTDOOR GYNASIUMS

passive outdoor training faci l i t ies

promoting social interact iv i ty and

cardiovascular health benef i ts.

lINBRO pARk, SOUTh AfRICA

- Concepts -

08STREET fURNITURE

Ergonomic benches, shading devices

and other designs to enhance

movement in everyday pedestr ian

act iv i ty.

CITY CBD,

JOhANNESBURG

- Concepts -


07MIND STRATERGY

GAMES

Enhancing outdoor

parks and open f ields

by instal l ing mind

st imulat ing act iv i ty

games. These games

drive healthy minds

when placed in the r ight

spaces.

UNIVERSITY Of

WITWATERSRAND

JOhANNESBURG


- Concepts -

10INfORMAl OffICE AND

RETAIl STRIpS

A micro unit for informal

business owners to network

themselves amongst the

bigger corporat ions.

MAfIkENG,

SOUTh AfRICA

09NAp pODS

Custom buil t nap pods in off ices,

outdoor spaces, and universit ies.

UNIVERSITY Of WITWATERSRAND,

SOUTh AfRICA

JOhANNESBURG BOTANICAl

GARDENS, SOUTh AfRICA

- Concepts -


12ENhANCING MICRO-ARChITECTURE

WITh MICRO-SOCIAl SpACES

Improving squatter camp sites with

sustainable, strong and l iveable

spaces for the homeless and deprived.

SOWETO,

SOUTh AfRICA

11COMpACT lIVING UNITS

Simpler, more effeic ient methods of l iv ing for students or hol iday makers.

These designs double up as feesible housing solut ions in low-income areas.

lOTlAMORENG DAM, MAfIkENG

SOUTh AfRICA

- Concepts -

``CONTACT US

+27 (11) 403-6296

[email protected]

www.BigCityUrbanist.co.za

ThE TEAM

MUhAMMED KOLABhAI

+27 (83) 589 2747

[email protected]

MUhAMMAD ShABIER TAyOB

+27 (72) 373 4126

[email protected]

MUhAMMAD AyOB

+27 (72) 427 4579

[email protected]

13INfORMAl TRADING STAllS &

INfORMAl TRADING MAll

providing a more aesthet ical ly pleasing,

safer and effecient system of the informal

business sector. These spat ial designs

enhance the streets and open city centres

with diversity , creat iv i ty and culture.

These designs upl i f ts the community with

posit ive change and a sense of pr ide.

Integrat ing these two wil l only further

strengthen our economy by formaliz ing the

informal.

hECTOR pETERSON MEMORIAl MUSEUM

SOUTh AfRICA

company profile march small

Documents