DESIGN PRINCLIPLES DOCUMENT- have got print out for everyone

Lavapies. Madrid
Design for communities
Groupseven.


Design proposal/


Inclusion.

We have decided to focus on “inclusion”. By inclusion there are a number of issues we feel the site can readdress in order to create a more productive and successful space.

1. The People
2. The sites integration into the surrounding area
3. The sites inclusion into the 24hr city


1. THE PEOPLE:

Lavapies has the most diverse population within Madrid, It is occupied by Spanish nationals, and also has a large immigrant population from areas such as Morocco and China.

The community, we discovered from speaking to people in Lavapies, and going over reports and news articles on the area is one that is fragmented. The different cultures have trouble mixing and there are few facilities or systems in place that make this communication and transition easier.

Also the people of Lavapies have long been overlooked during Madrid’s redevelopment and regeneration. The people of the area have been responsible for creating what facilities and opportunities there are there, and we feel there are areas where improvements can be made with some modest investments.

The people need to have more opportunities available to them.

2. INTERGRATION INTO SURROUNDING AREA

The sites geography and layout meant that there is clear physical barriers that cut the site from the surrounding area. The fencing and lack of clear openings onto the site meant that it was quite claustrophobic inside, and intimidating from the outside. It seemed the layout was more to “imprison” people within the site rather than keep people out. The site therefore was physically cut off from the surrounding areas. We felt that in order to allow the site to become more used that the bridge between the site and the surrounding area needed to be bridged. This is aimed to make the site a part of the neighbourhood and somewhere that flows into the surrounding areas to encourage use.

3. 24 hour use

We want the site to evolve and being to be used as a 24 hour facility in keeping with Madrid’s other areas. We want to do this to make more use of the space, and also to reduce the fear factor of the site at night, so it can be used more thoroughly.

EDUCATION/ EMPLOYENT FACILTY.

We looked into the facilities that were already on the site, and also the projects that already occurred there such as the schools and the community centre programme where the local council partnered local immigrant children with native Spanish women in order to teach them Spanish. We thought about how these facilities could be supported and extended. We thought that these programmes might not be successful if the children’s home life didn’t also support Spanish language. We also thought that the education and support in the area was for a younger generation of immigrants and locals- and that a generation was being missed in the area. We wanted to address this issue whilst also giving these people the skills to develop their education and employability opportunities and entrepreneurship.


We aim to incorporate a four story structure on site. This facility is going to incorporate a combination of systems aimed to equip people in the local area with the relevant skills to help themselves. The building is split up into floors aimed to give the sense of progression as you move onto the next level.

0. The ground floor is left open as we hope this will make the initial step into the facility less formal. Also free call centre area linked to migrant countries. (similar to key scheme)

1. Basic education centre. People can get help in a range of areas whether it is Language classes, IT skills, or community history/ Spanish history. This will help them begin to integrate and get skills that may help them find work or forge their own source of income.


2. Employment and start up help. A facility that provides access and guides the users into using the skills they have learnt and there own backgrounds to get an idea of types of employment to move into, or whether starting something themselves may be more suitable.

3. Site Administration/ legal. This section is where the users can go in order to get support and also book a section of market for a day, or period of time. This is the first step to starting their own businesses. Payment structure and support scheme s are signed.




MODULAR MARKET SYSTEM.


The modular market system is a multi purpose area, from which goods can be sold. This is a multi functional space that can be adapted to create a large open space, which can be used for local debates, lectures, and performances after trading hours. The aims are to;

Create spaces from which people trained within the facility can begin to trade from, opening a small business or selling goods. We anticipate these will be specific to the culture they come from.
The spaces are not owned by anyone but are assigned out to people who take part in the programme within the learning facility. What they earn within a day they then give 2% back to the facility helping to fund the programme. This means that they do not have to pay money upfront only a small percentage on what they make making it more accessible to people.
The site is modular which means that it can be adapted so that after trading hours some can still be rented as food vendors etc, and others can be formed into blank spaces.
The blank spaces can then be used by the community to hold local meetings and debates about social issues. It can also be rented as an exhibition, or performance space for community events put on by the schools, the visual arts centre, or outside visitors. These events are aimed to bring the community together and keep the site alive through the night.
The modular system means that as the scheme grows in success the market area can be extended into the surrounding space without any huge redevelopment.




SITE INCLUSION. SURROUNDING AREA/ 24 HOURS

We also felt that the sites layout and geography means that it is separate from the surrounding areas. This means that the site is neglected. There are only two main entrances on site, and the lighting and pathways do not invite users in. The lack of light means that during the evening the site is more baron than during the day- and also becomes an area that is prone to crime, and is a hub for problems relating to homelessness such as drugs and using the area as a toilet. It seemed to us that the site physically divides it self from the rest of the area.

We want to be able to blend the sites barriers into the surrounding area so there is a smooth transition between on site and off site.

The ways in which we are implementing these are as follows:

· Having a lighting scheme that runs into the surrounding roads. The Unique lighting is produced using photo luminescent plastics. These take advantage as Madrid’s wealth of sunlight that is absorbed and then used to create a glow. They are coloured and spread down towards the site getting closer together and lower to the ground as they approach the site and then map out pathways, entrances and seating areas to guide people into the site and also blur the boundaries. It is a way to drip feed the site into the local area without being to overbearing, and also opens the site up at night as it will be far better lit.
Creating more large entranceways that open large sections of the site onto surrounding streets to blur the boundaries. This also helps to create sight lines that open the site up so that users can see the site and making it a less intimidating place to go into.