Interview about Intertwine Transit Nexus, winner of the A' Engineering, Construction and Infrastructure Design Award 2024
A city comprises multiple layers, buildings, open spaces, and humans. Inspired by Jan Gehl, Intertwine integrates mass transit to prioritize social interaction and city fabric, proposing comprehensive planning for vibrant public spaces while addressing urban growth and challenges. Fostering a human centric approach enhances economic and environmental impact through open hub designs and inviting spaces. Intertwine, a visionary concept for immersive urban living. Seamlessly blend city life to promote social interaction and enrich the urban experience.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsJan Gehl's human-centric design principles greatly influenced my vision for Intertwine Transit Nexus in Brno. Inspired by his focus on creating spaces for people, I aimed to design a transit hub that not only serves transportation needs but also fosters community interaction and connection. By integrating green spaces, pedestrian-friendly pathways, and areas for social gatherings, I sought to make the station an inviting, active part of the urban fabric—one that enhances everyday experiences and encourages a stronger sense of place. This approach ensures that the design prioritizes human comfort, accessibility, and engagement, aligning with Gehl’s vision of vibrant, people-focused cities.
The choice of morphogenic columns and ETFE panels in Intertwine Transit Nexus was inspired by a desire to create an architectural presence that is both visually impactful and highly functional. The morphogenic columns add a dynamic, organic quality to the space, evoking movement and flow that mirrors the bustling energy of a transit hub. Functionally, they provide structural support while maintaining an open, airy environment for travelers. The ETFE panels were selected for their lightweight, translucent properties, allowing natural light to flood the space and reduce energy consumption. This combination not only enhances the station's aesthetic appeal but also contributes to a sustainable, user-friendly environment that feels integrated with the surrounding urban landscape.
The design process for Intertwine - Transit Nexus focused on creating a seamless connection between land and waterfront areas through a sustainable, human-centric approach. By conducting a thorough site analysis, I integrated natural elements like green spaces and water features to enhance the environment while minimizing ecological impact. The multi-modal transit hub was designed for smooth transitions between different transport modes, prioritizing accessibility and user experience. Sustainable features, such as solar panels and rainwater harvesting, were incorporated to support long-term environmental goals, ensuring a harmonious integration of the built structure with the natural landscape.
The inclusion of museum displays and restaurants within Intertwine - Transit Nexus transforms the space into more than just a transit hub—it becomes a vibrant community focal point. This multifunctional approach encourages social interaction by offering a variety of experiences in one location. The museum displays provide cultural enrichment, fostering curiosity and learning, while the restaurants offer spaces for relaxation, dining, and community engagement. By integrating these functions with the transit hub, the design creates a dynamic environment where people can connect, explore, and engage with both the space and each other, enhancing the overall community experience and making the transit hub a destination in itself.
The innovative electric bike trails in Intertwine - Transit Nexus are a key element of the vision for comprehensive urban mobility and environmental sustainability. These pathways encourage eco-friendly transportation by providing a safe, efficient, and enjoyable way for people to move through the city while reducing reliance on cars. By integrating electric bikes, the design promotes sustainable mobility, helping to lower carbon emissions and alleviate traffic congestion. The trails connect key areas within the transit nexus, seamlessly linking with other transportation modes and ensuring a smooth, multi-modal experience. This approach not only enhances urban mobility but also contributes to a greener, more sustainable city environment, aligning with the overall goal of minimizing the ecological footprint while improving accessibility.
The strategic placement of stops near amenities in Intertwine - Transit Nexus was guided by a combination of site analysis, user behavior studies, and urban planning principles. In-depth research into Brno’s existing city fabric highlighted key areas of high pedestrian traffic, popular destinations, and local amenities such as parks, cultural spaces, and commercial hubs. Understanding how people interact with public spaces and their travel patterns was crucial to ensuring that transit stops are not only convenient but also enhance accessibility to important parts of the city. Additionally, principles of integrated city planning, like those advocated by Jan Gehl, were applied to ensure that the stops create smooth connections between different modes of transport and encourage sustainable mobility, fostering both functionality and a sense of community within the urban environment.
The use of advanced tools like Grasshopper and Rhino played a crucial role in achieving the complex geometric forms and functional requirements of Intertwine - Transit Nexus. Grasshopper, a parametric design tool, allowed for the creation of dynamic, flexible models that could easily adapt to the site’s topography and environmental factors. This flexibility was essential for developing the unique, organic shapes of the structure while maintaining efficiency and precision. Rhino provided the platform for detailed 3D modeling, ensuring the design’s intricate geometries were accurately visualized and refined. Together, these tools enabled me to explore innovative forms while ensuring that the functional requirements, such as circulation, structural integrity, and integration with the surrounding environment, were met seamlessly.
The central concourse plaza in Intertwine - Transit Nexus was designed to be both a vital community space and a functional transit hub. By creating open, flexible areas with wide walkways, seating, and interactive spaces, the plaza encourages social interaction and community engagement. The layout is designed to handle the flow of thousands of daily commuters by organizing movement into clear, intuitive pathways that minimize congestion. At the same time, the plaza’s design incorporates calming elements like green spaces, water features, and natural light to provide a welcoming atmosphere for both commuters and visitors. This thoughtful balance of functionality and social space transforms the plaza into a dynamic, multifunctional area that promotes interaction and provides a sense of connection in the midst of the daily transit routine.
Balancing the macro-scale infrastructure with the micro-scale urban fabric in Intertwine - Transit Nexus required a careful approach to integration, ensuring that both large-scale transit operations and the intimate experiences of the surrounding urban environment were addressed. At the macro scale, the design focused on creating efficient and well-connected transportation routes, ensuring smooth transitions between different modes of transport and connecting key parts of the city. The infrastructure was designed to be functional and scalable, capable of handling the flow of commuters while maintaining a strong sense of place.At the micro-scale, the design considered the human experience by emphasizing pedestrian-friendly pathways, engaging public spaces, and thoughtful placement of amenities. Small-scale details like seating, green spaces, and local amenities were strategically integrated to foster a sense of community and encourage social interaction. By aligning both scales, the design creates a cohesive transit experience that addresses the needs of both commuters and residents, ensuring seamless connectivity while enhancing the quality of the public space.
Intertwine - Transit Nexus is designed with the future of urban mobility in mind, particularly in historical cities where preserving cultural heritage is essential. I envision this design influencing the evolution of transit hubs by demonstrating how modern infrastructure can coexist with and enhance the historical context of a city. The design incorporates sustainable, innovative technologies and human-centric principles without disrupting the fabric of the existing urban landscape. By using local materials, respecting the scale and character of surrounding architecture, and incorporating public spaces that invite interaction, the project creates a model for integrating contemporary needs into historical settings. It shows that transit hubs can be more than just functional; they can be cultural landmarks that preserve and celebrate a city's heritage while fostering future growth and connectivity. This balance between innovation and preservation is key to shaping the future of transit infrastructure in historical cities.
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