Exercise 1: Switzerland, Zurich
FC-01x Future Cities (1st Run) - Exercise 1 : "Making the Invisible - Visible"
Uploaded on 2015-04-19 by MarcusCap
[1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14294576643087396.jpg **Visible information:** - It is an early-spring day with fine weather (late afternoon). - 4- to 5-storey housing complex, numerous elongated apartment blocks with similar massing and same facade detailing (cladding with prefab concrete elements). - The terrain is sloping. In fact a hill is visible in the background (Uetliberg), on top of which an antenna and a viewing platform are places. - The open space between the buildings is designed as a shared outdoor green space for the residents, but it is not fenced-off. A number of trees and pedestrian walkways can be seen. - A group of people (adult with children) can be seen outside, in front of the left-hand building. - Residents of the penthouse apartments have placed their own greenery and plants on their roof terraces. **Invisible information extracted from visible information** - Given the people visible in the picture and the kind of green, quiet location, a great number of couples with children can be expected among the residents. Residents are using the shared open space, but only to a limited degree. It is not exploited in its full potential, especially given the fine weather in the picture (taken on a Sunday) - Given the appearance of the buildings and their style, it can be inferred that this is a recently-built development (<5 years), with an underground parking that limits the trees' size. **Knowledge toward a more liveable urban space** - A better understanding of people's behaviour, especially considering their family needs and their lifestyles and preferences, would help designing more fitting housing, with the right mix of typologies (e.g. size of the apartments) and attractive open space that is effectively used and managed. One might find, for instance, that what we see in this picture is a too monotonous complex or that the outdoor space is not ideal for children's play.