M. Urban Design, MSD, Australia Advisor: Leire Assensio-Villoria March, 2021
Located in the centre of Melbourne CBD, the Hoddle Grid, designed surveyor Robert Hoddle, create a simple grid plan for the urban space, with thick and thin street cutting through the city, creating the 200-by-95-meter rectangular blocks along the north side of Yarra River. Nowadays, the Hoddle grid mark the heart of Melbourne with the coexistence of Victorian and comteporary architecture in the city.
The study take on the existing grid system and question the ideological aspect of the Hoddle grid at its core.
team member: hexin zhang wattana songpetchmongkol
PART 1: The Block
Melbourne Hoddle Block got it's charm not only from the grid alignment but also the infinite possibility of building layout and typology. In this part of the study, we take a look at what make each block stand out from its neighbor and what are the takebacks we can learn from the growing density of the city itself.
What does water do to the city? What do cities do for the water? (or is this a one-way relationship?).
The study take on the relationship of water and city and propose a middle ground as an alternative water catchment and management system in urban area.
What are laneways and how come these (death-end?) alley are popular and serve as the important part of the city's charm. Proposals are raised on a block scale to question and push the boundary of these laneway to the next level.
