2020 Park Proposal Submitted by:

Torgeir NorheimRoger BostMichael ClancyChristpher CurtisHeidi HylandNicole HoffarthGarrett KilbrideElias LoganSamantha McCloudDylan PowellTimothy SandwegDanielle SmithJacquelynn StantonAndrew ThackerKeegan ThompsonCarrie WilbertJoshua WillamsLaura Wilson

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Walking along a street-side path, my gaze is gripped by a vertical tower in the distance. It is a new structure that speaks louder than the busy roads and fume-filled air. Drawn towards its reflection of light and gentle demeanor, I cross the chaotic intersection of corporate enterprise. Traversing into the open complex, the sounds of the street become muted and are replaced by green vegetation, both below my feet and far above the storefronts. Even the air becomes refined. The soggy smell of salt seems to have been absorbed and replaced by the clean scent of nearby flourishing flowers.

Through the glass walls of each shop, a continuous structural system is evident. Cantilevered balconies stretch above, level by level, each holding more shops containing activity. I observe the interactions taking place; the faces of the participants portray sincerity and true consideration. The spontaneous encounters among these strangers seem friendly, even neighborly. Expressions of understanding, imagination, and contemplation can be seen on the faces of most. In the distance, a group of young people converse excitedly. One waves his hands in explanation as the others smile and nod enthusiastically. Attracted by a pathway leading beyond, I begin my adventure inward.

Following a familiar aroma, I find a waffle café and order a meal of freshly made waffles and a fragrant cup of coffee. I find a seat nearby, under a structural overhang. It is not long before a gentleman approaches, requesting to borrow the unused chair at my table. Sensing my timidity, he asks if I am visiting or if I’ve recently moved into the new apartments. Still caught off-guard, I am slow to answer. He smiles and asks if he can sit with me.

He explains that he is a retired engineer, and now dedicates his time to his plot of agricultural land on the upper most stratum. The apartment building he lives in the same building upon which he grows his produce. Every Saturday he sells his fresh produce at the Farmers’ Market. He tells me the jam on my waffles is made from the fruit he grows and sells, and he insists that I join in the experience at next week’s Farmers Market.

I probe for more information about our surroundings. He begins to glow as he explains the innovative correlation of sustainability, self-organization, and engagement that fuses here. Tenants have the ability to be creative in the development of their space within these super structures, or as he calls them “superfloors.” He turns and points to an average-looking car dealership at the other side of the plaza. That space, he explains, becomes a trendsetting nightclub at night. Impressed with his sincere excitement for his built environment, I ask if he thinks this place has potential to change the concept of cities around the world. He replies: Yes.

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U rban PEACHES is an innovative design proposal to construct a catalyst environment towards a sustainable marketplace ecosystem fueled by a knowledge economy of intellectual and creative exchange.

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Through the interpretation and exploration of what defi nes and infl uences system

relationships, the concepts of permeability, harmony, imagination, diversity, and

adaptability surfaced to form the PHIDA principles of design. Because space is

choreographed by the articulation of its parts and the urban environment by the

connections among its systems, Urban PEACHES utilizes the PHIDA principles

as a philosophical and organizational value system for design decisions to be

rationalized.

The principles of PHIDA act as both an initiation point for the design process

as well as the fi nal expression for the urban setting to articulate. PHIDA sets a

design standard that connects the physical, philosophical, and emotional impacts

of design.

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Creating life within a permeable environment by providing light, ventilation, and movement is essential in keeping an ecosystem alive and healthy. Accommodating interstitial space, permeable environments allow endless opportunity for human interaction. Through a creative class population, permeability also exists in the availability and free flow of information. Without strong elements of permeability, an environment and community will become stagnant and deteriorate.

A harmonious environment creates a common fabric and identity providing a backdrop for members of the creative class and knowledge economy to showcase their craftsmanship and engage intellectual discourse. It promotes a holistic relationship between the community and natural environment, while distinguishing itself from other domains.

An imaginative environment allows a community to explore multiple possibilities and opportunities within any setting. This type of environment attracts creativity promoting human interaction and the exchange of knowledge.

Diversity within an environment paves the way for maturity and expansion of knowledge obtained by the community. It is not limited to any singular stratum, but may be applied to any and all systems allowing an environment to flourish. Because of the variety of personalities and vocational expertise, diversity presents itself as inherent within the creative class population.

An adaptable environment possesses the ability to continually progress, thrive, and incite growth. As an environment begins to deteriorate by means of the natural life cycle, it is equipped with the necessary tools to correct this process and revitalize its community and environment.

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When introducing a new element into a context, it is necessary to observe that

nothing in a thriving environment exists in the singular. An environment consists

of a multiplicity of components and connected systems, working together

through shared resources. Because human, built, and natural systems make

up the environment of Urban PEACHES, the strength of the environment as an

ecosystem depends greatly on the symbiotic interactions among these systems.

The familiar destinations, the repetitive informal encounters, and the physical

sharing of space are what spark the community shift of transforming strangers

into neighbors and casual conversation into intellectual discussion.

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Knowledge and creativity are two infi nitely renewable resources that human minds innately possess. The human component of an ecosystem thrives in its activity and exchange of these resources. Therefore, the existence of a knowledge based economy and a creative social class is vital to the success of an innovative and interactive ecosystem. Urban PEACHES pioneers the architectural setting for such a knowledge economy to develop and creates a sense of place that encourages interconnection among the creative social class. This communal pool of creative knowledge and the gathering of a diverse intellectual population will produce the human capital to support innovation, the social tolerance to stimulate change, and the access of information to foster new ideas.

The design of urban space holds the power to open or to limit relationships between people and the environment. Positive, encouraging relationships play a vital role in fueling inspiration and fostering interaction. The quality of contact between employees and their offi ce, children and their school, and families and their home defi ne life in Urban PEACHES. To support progressive self-organization and promote active engagement with the urban environment, a fl exible, adaptable infrastructure manifests a pattern in the built environment that responds to human needs. As this infrastructure evolves, it empowers community involvement, provides opportunities for intellectual convergence, and allows for trans-programming of the urban development. Urban PEACHES promotes pedestrian activity and communication among the creative class by enriching the experiential qualities of everyday urban life.

Globally, the resource requirements and construction of urban settings generate negative impacts on the natural system through toxic wastes and dependence on non-renewable energy sources. Urban PEACHES presents an ecological solution that connects the human, built, and natural systems by incorporating sustainable practice as an integral part of its community infrastructure. By proposing a Farmer’s Market attitude in creating a dynamic ecosystem, the urban environment becomes autonomously agricultural, marketable, and social. The activity and energy of a marketplace setting encourages growth and shared reaction from all systems.

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URBAN PEACHES aims to correct the prevailing sub-optimal condition of

privatized urban/suburban developments in the Sandnes/Stavanger region

through the use of three key conceptual strategies acting together: the Urban

Floor, the Stitch, and the Fabric. In concert, they produce a permeable and lively

urbanism that is able to become one with the current site while providing a strong

commitment to adaptability far into the future, thereby acting as a catalyst in

setting a new standard for developments in the region.

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The “other ground plane” that creates a diagram of connected spaces, generating societal creative output and social change by transforming the previously stagnant areas between buildings into active, well-used, safe pedestrian zones. It consists chiefly of an undulating, continuous walking surface that unites the entire site into a series of cohesive, social, economically robust spaces.

A repetitive cohesive texture related to the human scale and existing environment. The Superfloors are a primary ingredient of the fabric, as they establish an adaptable framework for building occupation that is flexible in three dimensions, allowing tenants to subdivide the space they rent into various configurations. This provides the maximum adaptability allowable in a diverse urban setting well into the distant future.

The development and enhancement of connections wherever they need to be in order to support a pleasant lifestyle. In addition to contributing to environmental permeability and circulation flows, the connections offer opportunities for interaction, also taking the form of social nodes within the urban development. The community open space of the Farmer’s Market, various communal gardens, and the Main Street act as a Stitch by bringing people together into common social zones.

Urban Floor

Fabric

Stitch

2020 Park Amenities:

Live.....

Work.....Play.....

Service..

Housing Units 300 units for 1,000 residents Hostel

Combining areas for live, work, play and service creates a mixed-use site with an adaptable future. Containing a variety of program contributes to the sense of community as well as provides for its surroundings.

Offices 10,000 work spaces

Commercial 165,000 sq.m. totalLibraryGrocery Store RestaurantsMicro breweryCar DealershipWaffle CafeArt GalleryCinemaDay-care CenterGymFresh MarketRetailCoffee ShopBakeryNews StandNight ClubGarden Space 66,900 sq.m. total

Parking 2,000 parking stalls Bike Storage 1,000 bike stallsLaundromatAppliance StoreServer StoreButcher Shop

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Residential

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Residential

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Urban PEACHES manifests itself as a bold community that responds harmoniously with the surrounding business parks and residential areas. Playing off of these adjacencies, homes and business are placed to help strengthen the sense of community, while at the same time meshing together to foster synergetic spaces. An active creative exchange through personal interaction is encouraged in these places through the use of a permeable scheme that highlights this synergy.

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Vehicular Traffic

Pedestrian Traffic

A vertically oriented city has a vast amount of achievable sustainable qualities. It encourages a much higher density, which, at the same time, promotes pedestrian traffic and urban development. Implementing different stratum of various volumetric proportions allows for creative zoning strategies. Urban PEACHES is vertically zoned but in such a way as to allow for a multiplicity of diverse activities to utilize the same footprint. The needs of businesses and individuals can all be met while graciously providing increased communal exterior spaces.

On the lowest stratum, below the Superfloor of the buildings, is where visitors and residents will park their cars before entering the site on foot. Permeability through the site allows ease of access to the Farmer’s Market and the surrounding context. Multiple paths onto the site exist whether individuals choose to arrive by car, foot, bike, or tram.

Urban plaza activating the entrance corner of Urban PEACHES.

Urban plaza activating the entrance corner of Urban PEACHES.

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Location of Vertical Circulation Vertical Circulation

Parking Implied 6,0 x 6,0 x 6,0 Meter Grid

Urban Floor Possible Configuration

Structure Possible Configuration

Superfloor Plates Possible Configuration

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The Superfloor presents itself as a three-dimensional urban armature upon which the fabric of a new knowledge based economy is placed. This form of structure offers a maximum degree of flexibility between a building’s interior and exterior. Puncturing through the Urban Floor, the Superfloor can be used as an architectural infrastructure for a dense mixed-use community. Office space can be placed between nine and eighteen meters above the level of the Urban Floor to help make a tranquil working environment. Fresh air and sunlight are introduced into commercial spaces along the perimeter of the structure with a spaciously lit circulation corridor. The adaptability of the Superfloor over time allows for additional levels to be added, accommodating future market demand should higher densities be desired.

To give an idea of the size of the Superfloor, 20,0 meter wide triangulated structural bays allow columns to be placed in coordination with parking on the lowest stratum. Within these bays, a smaller implied system adopts a more human scale. Secondary structure is snuggly placed within this implied system by tenants to fulfill their individual needs. Vertical transportation is pushed out to the edges of the building façade to allow for a maximum degree of open space within the buildings. Lateral bracing for the superstructure is pushed out against the exterior perimeter of the circulation zone to further maintain the openness of the interior. These circulation cores penetrate through all strata from the underground parking to the roof deck. This system of architectural infrastructure has the potential to evolve into much more elaborate schemes. The tenant has the option of allowing their floor plate(s) to cross through the façade when needed to help link separate spaces or create private exterior spaces.

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A view from the main street connecting the urban plaza to the Farmer’s Market.

A view from the main street connecting the urban plaza to the Farmer’s Market.

Placed on the southwest and northeast corners of Urban PEACHES are small residential developments that correspond with the existing neighborhoods adjacent to the site. While the context is carried over, a different sense of place is established: a dense urban fabric that provides easy access to a large range of activities and environments. Flexible amenities are provided for each residential unit, creating an adaptable living environment that can be used to fit various types of creative lifestyles. A flood of natural light is brought deep into the heart of each dwelling through large glass walls in the living and study areas, accentuating the warmth and openness that each resident feels. This sense of openness permeates outside of each unit, expanding upon its own sense of space. Additionally, residents are offered the opportunity to cultivate their own plot of land for gardening or other purposes within close proximity to their own home.

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Trans-prommaming demonstrated through the combination of a car dealership and night club.

Trans-prommaming demonstrated through the combination of a car dealership and night club.

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Urban PEACHES, as a forward-thinking urban development, is sustainable

in every aspect of design. An architectural vision of the emerging knowledge

economy, Urban PEACHES is positioned in stark contrast to the aging world of

corporate oil that currently surrounds the site. Acting as an integrated urban

ecosystem, the development addresses all three aspects of sustainability:

stemming degradation of the natural environment, promoting social equity, and

fostering an economy that endures.

Out of the commonplace corporate sprawl, Urban PEACHES stands as a

visionary model for future development. Living in absolute accord with the

environment, creating a vibrant sense of social equity, and nourishing a budding

economy, Urban PEACHES is a ground-breaking example of the sustainable

settlement pattern that will define our collective future.

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Urban PEACHES lives in harmony with the natural world through the use of sustainable systems. These systems embody all aspects of PHIDA while giving the development an active ecology that will thrive for generations to come.

Agricultural land can be found on all strata and atop nearly every roof. These elevated landscapes yield fresh produce that can be grown for sale or use on-site. Strategic positioning of different crops also creates a more efficient urban environment. For example, wheat, barley, and hops are grown in close proximity to a micro-brewery while tomatoes and cabbage are cultivated in residential plots for everyday cooking or sale in the Farmer’s Market. While acting as agrarian fields, the green roofs also insulate the structures below and capture rainwater that could potentially be wasted runoff.

In addition to absorption atop strata levels, rainwater is retained in an on-site wetland located in the southwest corner of Urban PEACHES. Here, black water and grey water will undergo treatment for reuse in watering crops. This recycled water is also vital in the nurturing of on-site fish farming.

Composting will create rich organic matter to be added to the soil of the agricultural plots, utilizing the inherent energy of biowaste for the growth of new crops.

A centrally-located cogeneration plant recovers radiated waste heat from the structures of Urban PEACHES that might otherwise have been discarded. This heat is converted into thermal energy that can be used for heating and cooling of the buildings within the development. This cogeneration plant is a sustainable means of energy production with 70%-90% effective electrical efficiencies, compared to just 33% from traditional fossil fuels. Additional energy is derived from the capture and refinement of methane gas and geothermal wells.

The design of buildings within Urban PEACHES capitalizes upon natural forces. For example, central light wells bring daylight and ventilation into housing units. This measure reduces utility consumption while increasing individuals’ sense of connection to the natural world.

The harmful emissions of fossil fuels are reduced through the inclusion of a light rail station and allocation of all parking to the lower stratum of Urban PEACHES. These design decisions make this development a truly pedestrian community, greatly enhancing the resident and workers’ quality of life.

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Through the integrated action of these systems, the needs of Urban PEACHES can be met without extensive harm to the environment. Unlike the oil-hungry visages of the past, this development embraces innovative ideas to create a sustainable urban ecology.

In order for true sustainability to be achieved, social equity must exist. As a community for creative exchange amongst pioneers in professional fields, Urban PEACHES will benefit from a high level of social activity. Aspects of PHIDA, including the principles of permeability and harmony, will allow all residents and workers access to resources and information that will impact their livelihood as well as quality of life.

The architectural infrastructure of the Superfloor will serve as both a catalyst and canvas for expressing the desires of the people. The Superfloor’s inherent spatial flexibility allows for a self-organization that accommodates the occupations of all users within Urban PEACHES.

The design of Urban Peaches encourages socialization and free flow of knowledge through a large amount of retail on the Urban Floor, the linkages provided by the Stitch, welcoming pedestrian streets, and shared public spaces like the Farmer’s Market. When all are engaged in intellectual, but also informal, discourse a feeling of general equality and cooperation is established.

Equity

Sustainable systems, while positively impacting the environment, also add to the communal feel of Urban PEACHES. These beneficial systems are to be experienced together. Parking one’s car on the lower stratum, one ascends to the entirely pedestrian Urban Floor. By eliminating automobiles on this level and incorporating the light rail station, social interaction can more freely occur through chance encounters. Daily exchanges as one awaits the arrival of a train or passes an outdoor coffee shop will be commonplace. In the residential areas, seeing a neighbor’s teeming garden plot might prompt an enlightening exchange upon fertilizer composition or vegetable varieties. Amenities from the waffle café to the gymnasium serve as social nodes for the free flow of information between professionals. As a user of Urban PEACHES, one would not be surprised to hear the experimental data of a biochemist traded with the artistic theory of a sculptor over lunch or on the treadmill.

These casual, but informational, conversations are the cornerstones of both the social atmosphere of Urban PEACHES and the developing knowledge economy. Healthy relationships and open access, stimulated by the design of Urban PEACHES, will allow the development to sustain for generations.

Sustainability is not complete without considerations for prolonged economic success. Urban PEACHES ensures commercial sustainability through several intelligent strategies. Chief among these strategies is an overall density of activity. By consolidating and combining programmed spaces, Urban PEACHES accommodates 1000+ residents in 300+ apartments.

The flexible infrastructure of the Superfloor means that there are a total of 10,000+ work spaces for commercial use that can be customized for individual tenants’ needs. In fact, the entire development could be converted to residences should the needs of the future demand it. Without feeling overcrowded, Urban PEACHES hosts a maximum of economic activity upon the site.

Economic stability is also fostered by the inventive and eco-friendly nature of industry within Urban PEACHES. As the world transitions away from oil, this development will be on the cutting edge of the new knowledge economy with established practices including the Farmer’s Market and renewable energy development. Thus, others will look to the example of Urban PEACHES as a standard for sustained economic success.

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The Farmer’s Market provides space for a variety of outdoor activities.

The Farmer’s Market provides space for a variety of outdoor activities.

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The project is based on creating a vertical city by creating a series of Superfl oors that will continually be constructed on the site in a series of phases. The Superfl oors will act as a catalyst for continued construction and growth once completed and will be the superstructure on top of which Urban PEACHES will grow.

The phasing of Urban PEACHES has been determined by the program which responds closely to the site. The western side of the site was chosen for the fi rst phase of development because of its favorable location next to the highway and proposed light rail station. This portion of the project is also the most diverse of all the phases within the program, ranging from both business and residential. Having a diverse program gives this phase of the project the greatest opportunity for revenue generation, which will help pay for future phases of the project. As this phase develops and companies start to move in, it will draw more people to the site and become an increasingly desirable place to live.

Phase two of the project is developed on the eastern side of the site. This portion of the project will be housing due to its close proximity with existing residential neighborhoods. When the site has begun attracting occupants, there will be a greater need for housing in the region. This phase is free to expand and conform to the needs of the residents moving into the housing as it is completed. When the edges of the site are reached it will set the stage for phase three to begin development in the center of the site.

Since there are existing buildings located within phase three it will be the last phase to be developed. By developing phase three last the existing buildings have time to adapt to the needs of the rest of the project. As this phase matures a marketplace will begin to emerge and give opportunities for community programs like a Farmer’s Market and other outdoor activities to fl ourish. Although phase one and two work effi ciently and independently, it is phase three that activates the neighborhood on a grand scale.

Though the future remains uncertain, what is certain is that economies based on the exploitation of fossil fuels cannot sustain themselves indefi nitely. A new type of economy rooted in developing existing conditions to the fullest must be used to ensure ecological, social, and fi nancial well-being in the 21st Century and beyond.

Urban PEACHES is a self-sustaining development produced by the complex interaction of simple ideas. Simple yet robust strategies, such as the Urban Floor, the Stitch, and the Fabric, activate the site at every stage of the project, while operating on the PHIDA principles to ensure a beautiful, harmonious, and adaptive environment far into the future.

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The Urban Floor, by generating a dense urban development, will make the project a success from the initial phases of development. By tapping into existing uses on the adjacent sites, the urban floor createspedestrian paths that traverse the site from all sides and intersect in the Farmer’s Market. Establishing these flows of people will generate economic activity within the site, creating a sense of community and vibrant social spaces.

Products of the Stitch, the Farmer’s Market and other social spaces of Urban PEACHES will attract members of the Creative Class, influential and innovative professionals from various fields that thrive in dense, social, mixed-use environments where work and amenities are not far from home. As leaders of the knowledge economy, the Creative Class will ensure through their innovations that the economic engine of Urban PEACHES continues to renew itself. Without using the Stitch to create this sense of community, the Creative Class will choose to take root elsewhere, preventing Sandnes and Stavanger from becoming a leader in local and global affairs.

The Fabric, by regulating a texture of Superfloors, permits large buildings to be able to be built at much lower costs by focusing on providing flexible three-dimensional volumes for tenants rather than two-dimensional floor plans. Lower operating costs for all tenants can be achieved through the use of communal passive and active sustainable systems, which will allow the development to pay back initial costs much faster by saving energy. The Fabric permits access to daylight and fresh air making for happier and more productive employees, reducing expenses for absences, and creating a more positive work environment. The distinctive texture of urban agriculture and the Farmer’s Market created by the Fabric will increase the revenues of the internal and nearby retail businesses, as well as allowing the residents to grow their own food, making Urban PEACHES a truly sustainable economic, social, and urban ecosystem.