framework for the implementation of a virtual design studio model in ...

years. They were asked to consider whether this was a small city, or big
neighbourhood, a large district or whether a neighbourhood even exists. Through
the students’ observation and interrogation they deemed it a district with
neighbourhoods and identified nine vacuums, holes in the city’s fabric, potential
development sites and opportunity spaces. Issues explored amongst the students
included the city’s connection or disconnection with the rest of the UK,
fragmentation, healing the city, t splintering urbanism, diversification,
consolidation and animation. It was here that the metaphorical ideas of the
students emerged.
Considering the impact of distinctive neighbourhoods nearby, consolidation into
larger neighbourhoods, the necessary requirements for livability, how small
neighbourhoods could be encouraged to grow and how a single district could be
created with smaller sub-centres, the students were required to intervene and
reinterpret their observations in an attempt to alter perceptions and meaning.
Required to create new dynamics when considering the connection and
disconnection aspects of Cardiff, the students were had to think about particular
modes of interrogation when considering which network, what cues and markets
they’d explore, what public realm and what form and focus would the networks
have.
The six zones visited on Day Two: Cardiff Bus and Walking Tour were not only
chosen to give the students a basic overview of Cardiff’s historical origins, but it
served to stimulate the students’ creative thought process. Through fundamental
research of Cardiff’s history and geography, the students could summarise the
urban conditions and problems of Cardiff’s infrastructure in relation to other small
cities in the UK and Europe. All students were required to read the key texts and
overseas students were advised to make use of Google earth at point of entry to
their studies.
1. At the Eastern Fringe, an area cut off from the city centre by railway
embankments, the students observed the area for possible re-development. The
area, having several re-development sites, one containing an important historic
building, is split by the London-Cardiff line. The students were asked to
consider how the sites could be re-developed/re-furbished in accordance with
the requirements of a quality district including worth-while uses and amenities.
One of the ideas was to create a student village around the nearby Atrium
another was to design a pedestrian bridge for over the railway line.
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