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Reflections_ Between the lines

by David Gregersen Reynolds
davidhair@hotmail.co.uk
tutors
Héctor Piña
Eva Kun
course
Diploma project
location
Horten havn, Norway
Tags
Generation bridging meeting places Non-commercial social sustainability Sustainability
years
2021
Introduction
Horten marina development / Public Library Horten Havn is undergoing a development and a transformation. The decisions that are made in relation to this development are decisions that will impact the people in Horten for decades to come. That is why it is crucial to establish the underlying needs that should be driving this development forward and at what cost. There are clear challenges in some of the existing area plans that should be discussed, relating to human scale and situational qualities. And many of them do not add up with the municipal plans if they are to be taken seriously. What are the actual needs? What resources are already there? In my diploma I am proposing a program that is non-commercial and that is available to everyone. A new public library where people can meet, read, study, play or just be. The role of the modern library has an important part in communities today and can help to bridge the gaps between generations and between different cultures. The municipal plans for developing Horten Quay are ambitious. They cover many aspects of community and aim to offer opportunities to the people who live there and to give incentives for more people to relocate there. The plan adopts four focus areas for the long-term development of the Horten community with the following main goals: Attractiveness
  • Horten should be a good place to visit, establish yourself and live.
  • Horten municipality will be the most exciting and innovative place to work and run a business in the Oslofjord region.
  • Both residents, businesses and visitors choose to use Horten municipality as a natural place for trade and experiences. -The municipality has a varied and rich cultural, sports and association life with good cultural experiences and meeting places.
  • The inhabitants are proud of their municipality
  • Interaction and growth culture is an integral part of the municipality’s way of working
Good upbringing
  • Children and young people in Horten are prepared for a good social life, further education and professional career
  • A health-promoting upbringing environment
  • Safe and engaging local communities
  • Child poverty is significantly reduced
Security for the inhabitants
  • The local community is able to meet tomorrow’s needs
  • Services are offered to the necessary extent and quality in all phases of life and population groups
  • Good and active local environments Nature and environment
  • Care and further develop nature and outdoor areas
  • Cultural environments strengthen the identity of Horten
  • Local community takes a climate responsibility
These are all important values to consider and there are ways we can stage the foundations for these values to manifest when planning an urban layout. Planning for an inclusive society and programs that focus on the right values and interests is important. And to question; what is the leading motivation for this transformation?
Horten town
Horten Town

This project is focusing on a program that can offer something to the people of Horten of all generations and backgrounds. Taking into consideration the existing conditions and ambitions of the municipality, proposing a public space that can help bridge the gaps between different generations and people from different backgrounds. There is an urgency today for people to understand each other and the different needs. There are great many challenges arising on a global scale today, and the importance of adapting to far more sustainable ways will be difficult if there is a divide amongst people and a split perception of the critical conditions in the world today. A large public space that can help to start a dialog that does not encourage materialistic values but can be an extension of home. An indoor public space that can be used for many different purposes and that can be an attractor not only for the people in Horten, but also for people visiting Horten. A place where one can sit and read, work, think, meet, play, eat or simply just be.

The book: Developing this project came together through site analysis and through a series of explorational exercises using the book and its qualities to discover new ways of connecting spacial and material qualities.
The book is used in a literal way for its physical qualities and it’s structure of organizing chapters and paper. Structural qualities of hard and soft materials. Metaphorically the book opens up to a number of transferable narratives. ‘The imagining of space’ being one of many I have focused on in this project. And the way a building in many ways can be like a book that can take us on a journey into an imagined place. Surprising new ways of experiencing space and light. Hidden corners to be found. New perspectives to be seen.

Book Exercises Book Exercises
Axo plan / zones Axo plan / zones
Facade Facade
Plan Plan
Situation Situation
Model Photo Model Photo
DAV_ charcoal DAV_ charcoal
Horten town Horten town
Conceptual model Conceptual model