Cape Town
East City Triangle Site

 Designing the East City Triangle Site was one of the most interesting and challenging experience that i had in Urban Development and Design.  We had an interesting trip with our teachers to south Africa which was a great opportunity to become familiar with the area,culture,issues and opportunities more closely. Furtheremore we had the chance to work with urban designers in council and use their opinions on our works.As group work we practice different paradigms to achieve the best design for the Triangle site. After our trip we started to work in new groups and use the information and experiences that we achieve from Cape Town.Our team consisted of three people with architecture and planning back ground. Therefore we used our skills and provided the best underground parking that could be built there and also the best built form. 
Description of Design:

To rethink the potential of ‘city making’ using elements of urban design such as open spaces, built form and transport. In response to the key issues of the site, the proposed scheme acknowledges the increased demand for parking within the CBD and proposes to transform the existing site that is located at the edge of CBD, where the built environment is fragmented and requires a catalytic project such as an underground car park to trigger further development.

Ground floor plan

Future developments in east city site reinforce a walk able environment with an opportunity for ICT

innovation, media, creativity and entrepreneurship development. The Innovative Park will be developed as a place favoring people rather than vehicles. Apart from creating jobs and contributing in economic growth, it will also serve as a new destination and link in the neighboring area.

Conceptual diagram

Development phasing from catalytic interventions

 Phasing 1: Demolish the original car parking, build the central park and
underground car parking.
Phasing 2: Building the business park, providing office to attract
enterprises, so there will be more job opportunities to attract users.
Phasing 3: Provide mixed use and residential buildings serving for the
prople work in the business park. Because the site is the gateway of
the eastern suburban to Cape Town CBD, sit will allow higher FSR as
incentives to encourage high quality built form or provision of more
affordable housings.
Phasing 4: Finalize the rest landscape part, include the small park in the
west corner and beside the pedestrian lane.
Phasing 5: Demolishing the existing buildings in the northeast of the
site and encourage amalgamation development. By considering the
shadow impact to the central open space and in response to Castle of
Good Hope, the west tower should lower than the east one, no more
than 45m.

The principle was to create a well-designed central park with the underground parking as the catalyst. Master plan for the site would be able to accommodate future changes in the market, as well as providing high-quality office space that is flexible, well-serviced and able to adapt to occupiers needs. Designed for pedestrian priority, all vehicular activity is routed around the edge of the site, to surrounding car parks or underground parking built on the site. The creation of a low-rise business park would engender a sense of community and integrate with the local context, providing a place for both work and recreation.