WIND| EVENTS SQUARE

Melissa Harrison
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The proposal for the Christchurch Events Square invents a new typology for a contemporary convention centre, employing a village-style approach with an assemblage of buildings rather than a single disproportionately large box structure. The new central city plan identifies a compact CBD to be bounded by Lichfield Street, Madras Street, Bealey Avenue and the Avon River. It was deemed appropriate that a development, so critical to Christchurchs economic recovery, be located within this compact CBD. It also presented itself as an opportunity to revitalise Cathedral Square which, even prior to the devastation caused by the earthquakes, was lacking vibrancy and activity. The proposed assemblage of buildings within the square relate and link with each other, acting as an adhesive to glue the square back together as well as attract people back to the centre. The flow of conventions and events within the square will revive the pulse of the city. A rigorous analysis was undertaken of the existing convention centres programmatic composition to unveil the short-comings and reveal potential. In addressing the centres location within the square, additional programs have been incorporated, including; a hotel, apartments, rentable retail space at ground level and office spaces on upper levels. The initial research undertaken to inform the design was an in-depth study into wind, a reliable and renewable resource. The design for the building was derived from investigations into forms that augment wind flow, taking into account the 3 predominant wind flows in Christchurch; North-East, South-West and North-West. The augmented air flow is utilised to naturally ventilate the convention centre - a civic institution that characteristically requires vast amounts of servicing for artificial ventilation.
events square site focus buildings mixed-use development design forum

FUTURE CHRISTCHURCH
COURSE THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND ADVISORS

V2

1st Semester 2012 Advanced Design 1 School of Architecture and Planning Camia Young & Jordon Saunders

north elevation_massing concept

east elevation_massing concept

south elevation_massing concept GROUP SITE PLAN

west elevation_massing concept

DESIGN CONCEPT
unidirectional bidirectional

The design was addressed with a similar framework to that of the wind scales, at a macro / synoptic, Meso and Micro scale. Synoptic |snptik| Initially the entire Cathedral Square site was developed at a synoptic scale and program was distributed accordingly.

wind section a-a

bidirectional Directionality

Mesoscale |mezskl; m-| Next, a selected area was developed at a Meso scale. The buildings that were chosen were those located in the southwest corner of Cathedral Square. These were selected because of their strong relationship with each other and with the other buildings. Micro-scale |mkr| Finally the micro (reduced or restricted size) was developed. This involved the development of the interior spaces, the formation of a material palette and, in particular, the building skin that has a certain scale-like quality with louvre system that enables the panels to open and allows the building to breathe.

As represented above in the Christchurch wind rose, the pre-dominant winds are the North-East, South-West and North-West. These wind directions informed the orientaion of the massing within the site. The catalogue of the effect of form on air flow highlighted the eye form as the optimal shape for augmenting air flow. Hence these forms were distributed throughout the empty sites in Cathedral Square and positioned according to the predominant wind directions. The augmented air flow would be used for the purpose of natural ventilation.

air flow into building air flow over building

proposed massing _ to augment air flow

scale 1:5000

wind section b-b

unidirectional bidirectional

wind over eye form 1

wind over eye form 2

absence of vacuum

EAST ELEVATION
scale 1:5000

wind section c-c

material investigation _ the effect of form on wind

macro / singular

scale 1:500 GROUND FLOOR PROGRAM

scale 1:5000

FIRST FLOOR PROGRAM

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THIRD FLOOR PROGRAM

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STRUCTURAL SKIN east elevation

steel frame

SIXTH FLOOR PLAN

scale 1:1000

scale 1:5000

scale 1:5000

MASSING STUDY_WIND BEHAVIOUR / PATTERN

The catalogue of individual forms, from the material investigation, exhibits the wind responding in a swooping action after it travels around and over the forms. When the three predominant wind directions were overlaid there is a strong s-shape pattern visible in the North-East to South-West axis. This behaviour of the wind has been applied to the forms to represent the fluidity and take on the movement of wind.

FOURTH FLOOR PROGRAM

scale 1:5000

FIFTH FLOOR PROGRAM

scale 1:5000

SIXTH FLOOR PROGRAM

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scale 1:500

INDEPENDENT FLOOR STRUCTURE east elevation

SECTION A-A
scale 1:100

FIFTH FLOOR PLAN

scale 1:1000

DESIGN INVESTIGATION
A world-class convention centre in the heart of the central city is critical for Christchurchs economic recovery and will enable the city to regain its strong position in the conventions market. The proposal takes on a village-style approach to the new Christchurch Convention Centre. The buildings will occupy the vacant sites within Cathedral Square (located in the proposed compact CBD). The driving idea behind the concept has grown out of an in depth study of wind and its relationship with form. The three predominant wind directions in Christchurch are the NorthEast, South-West, and North-West
7,000m2

6,000m2

scale 1:500 FOURTH FLOOR PLAN

1,200m2 1,400m2 1,400m2

INTERNAL COLUMNS east elevation

5,000m2

scale 1:1000

scale 1:5000

cathedral square pre-earthquate

scale 1:5000

cathedral square buildings to be demolished

total site area = 23,000m2

PROPOSED SITE _ CATHEDRAL SQUARE

scale 1:5000

north-west

south-west

PROPOSED PROGRAM _ GROUND LEVEL

N W E S W S N E banquet hall plenary space cafes/bars breakout rooms trade halls

THIRD FLOOR PLAN

scale 1:1000

cathedral square wind flow pre-earthquate

cathedral square wind flow after demolition

north-east

PROPOSED SITE _ CATHEDRAL SQUARE

The new convention centre calls for double the amount of hall space and a corresponding increase in breakout rooms. They would like a dividable plenary that can hold 2500 people so that they are no longer reliant on the Christchurch Town Halls plenary space. There is also a desire for an on-site banquet hall that can be used whilst the halls are set up for events. Consideration is to be given to the possibility of incorporating a hotel within the new convention centre. The incorporation of networking spaces, such as bars and cafes, are crucial to the convention centres success as they would encourage delegates to stay on-site and would also act as an attractor of flow. Flat floor access is very important for the trade-halls so that exhibitions can be packed in and out easily and efficiently. Consideration should be given to futureproofing and expansion

PROGRAM DIAGRAM

BUILDING SKIN DETAIL

scale 1:500

SECOND FLOOR PLAN

RESEARCH
Air above land mass heats up more rapidly during the day causing it to rise and expand. The cooler, denser air above the water rushes to fill its place causing the wind to blow. During the night, air above land looses heat more rapidly than air above water, resulting in air from the land rushing to fill the air over water. Air drops most of its moisture on the winward slope due to decreasing atmospheric pressure and increasing altitude. Different adiabatic lapse rates of moist and dry air cause air on the leeward slope to become warmer.
U P WI N D SI DE

scale 1:1000

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

scale 1:500

DO

PE

higher air pressure on the upwind side

DOW N WI N D SI DE

WN

S LO

WIN

IND

E LO P DS

UPW

lower air pressure on the downwind side cross ventilation diagram If the building is located with respect to predominant wind directions, higher pressure air on the upwind side will be forced to move through the building via openings. Maximum performance occurs when inlets and outlets are placed at a diagonal in both section and plan.

wind over a mountain

wind over a building When wind hits a building the air will speed up in order to flow around the building to the opposite side. This creates a positive pressure on the upwind side and a negative pressure on the downwind side.

DAY WIND CYCLE DIAGRAM

NIGHT WIND CYCLE DIAGRAM

square

circular

triangular

octangonal

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oval

eye

A wind rose is a graphic tool used by meteorologists to give a succinct view of how wind speed and direction are typically distributed at a particular location. Presented in a circular format, the modern wind rose shows the frequency of winds blowing from particular directions over a thirty year period. The length of each spoke around the circle is related to the frequency that the wind blows from a particular direction per unit time. Each concentric circle represents a different frequency, emanating from zero at the centre to increasing frequencies at the outer circles.

convex/ concave

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circular

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octangonal

rectangular

oval

eye

convex/ concave

sq u a re

ci rcu l a r

tri a n g u l a r

o cta n gonal

rectangular

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norwest wind

norwest wind

n o r we st wi n d

south-west wind

south-west wind

so u th -we st wi n d

north-east wind

north-east wind

n o rth -e a st wi n d

CHRISTCHURCH WIND ROSE

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o ve rl a y

Type: Synoptic |snptik| adjective 1. of or forming a general summary or synopsis Synoptic scale winds are measured at a large, general scale. These general or over all conditions have a direct relationship with mesoscale phenomena, providing conditions that either enhance or suppress them. This affect is exerted through wind speed and cloud cover which can affect the solar gain of the ground and building mass. Mesoscale |mezskl; m-| noun chiefly Meteorology an intermediate scale, esp. that between the scales of weather systems and of microclimates, on which storms and other phenomena occur. Meso scale winds are measured at an intermediate stage between micro and synoptic scale wind systems. This scale is where the conflict occurs which creates storms and unstable wind patterns. Mesoscale wind systems transfer heat and moisture to the overlaying synoptic wind system. Micro-scale |mkr| combining form 1 small : microcar. reduced or restricted size Micro scale winds are local scale and relate to regional and city areas.

square

circular

triangular

octangonal

rectangular

oval

eye

convex/ concave

square

circular

triangular

octangonal

rectangular

oval

eye

convex/ concave

square

ci rcul ar

t ri angul ar

oct an g o n a l

rectangular

oval

eye

convex/ concave

nor west wind

norwest wind

nor w est w i nd

south-west wind

south-west wind

sout h-w est w i nd

north-east wind

north-east wind

nort h-east w i nd

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overl ay low wind speed moderate wind speed high wind speed