Samuel Grasso

The project responds to the expansion of Clayton by proposing an introspective urban design, one that uses the arrangement of space as a way for the inhabitants to mentally recharge, reduce stress levels and boost productivity. The main strategy in doing this is through various types of “courtyards” arranged throughout the site so that the natural environment exists as a persistent aspect in the lives of the inhabitants. However nature does not just relate nature to just plant life as the influence of people is equally as important. The plan combines multiple programs on the site so that there is a constant presence of people to create a safer environment.

Where the existing site has a relentless pragmatic function with it being littered with business, financial office buildings wasting space with no clear composition, I instead wanted to utilize the courtyard to create a more efficient arrangement with nature being an active part of people's lives. This ever-present nature is related to the holistic plan as the various programs and developments work together with each other and the typology to create clear visual connections. Perhaps the most direct example is this gym having a direct visual connection to the indoor garden from the apartment complex.

The existing site has a disparate, sort of Euclidean zoning where industry, recreation and residential were very much separate, a quite inefficient way to activate space. The composition combines multiple functions and programs on the site so that there was a more constant presence of people to create a more safe and comfortable environment. This reasoning also led to the block size that I was using being an intimate 50x50 meters to help to enforce those ideas with it intended to retain clear visual connections without being claustrophobic.