Diba Behshad

While looking at the Caulfield Station Precinct, it was identified that safety was something the site lacked, with notice being taken of its general unwelcoming feeling and lack of safety features in place in comparison to other stations along the same line. From this the importance of creating an intervention addressing these complaints and activating Caulfield was realized - done so by producing a precinct that draws people in not only during the day, but at all hours, as it currently does not invest much into safety, let alone safety at night.

This intervention employs the use of a bridge to connect either side of the railway, providing an alternate pathway in crossing the station without the need for spaces like the current underpasses, alleviating the uneasiness felt with their use. This bridge will be accessible through ramps, lifts and staircases, and also contain civic spaces throughout in order to draw people in not only for its use as a transition space, but also as a space for people to reside within.

This Precinct proposal mainly focuses on the urban perspective of Caulfield, being the implementation of a bridge that leads to two separate pedestrian walkways composed of stalls and green spaces all within the same curvy contouring language. These curves create civic spaces that suggest the public to stay in the precinct for longer periods. Which act as another tactic to help increase feelings of safety, as the area will be busier and thus lead to and increased sense of ease for those within it.

The main Civic Spaces allow for the public to rest and stay within the projects extents for longer hours, containing stalls which may be occupied by cafes, retail or even gallery spaces in order to provide the public with a range of amenities along the Precincts span - hoping to transform Caulfield into an inviting 24/7 hub while still taking into account the safety of those who interact with it.

The Connecting Bridge doubles as an extension of the Civic Spaces found at ground level, as it also contains curvy language, stalls and places to rest throughout. The bridge can be seen as one continuous ramp which extends over the Caulfield train tracks, providing access to either side as an alternate pathway for those who wish to cross over as opposed to under. Staircases and lifts are also available for use to increase the bridge's accessibility.

To further tie together the bridge and civic spaces to the site, lighting was used throughout the intervention as another common language. This feature will not only provide illumination of the spaces for longer hours, but will also act as a type of public artwork that will attract people to those previously neglected areas, and when a space is active into the night it provides a sense of safety in comparison to a space that is deserted at night.