Using Deconstructive Design Process Framework to Reactivate Lost Spaces Based On Human Perspective — Green Space Beside Dominion Road Flyover, Auckland, New Zealand

Abstract

The inefficient utilization of "lost space" in urban areas has become more apparent due to rapid city growth and suburbanization. Its fragmented and marginal nature often cuts off movement and crowd activity lines. Unlike other public spaces, its inability to impart positive and high-quality significance has made its reactivation a concern in urban and architectural renewal. Concepts of deconstructionist design enable the implementation of an optimization scheme capable of reactivating and rationalizing the majority of lost space, thereby converting it into a public space of superior quality. This thesis focuses on the urban lost space as the research subject and the deconstructionist design theory as the design framework. By employing literature research methods, case analysis, site exploration, and questionnaires, this thesis first summarizes the 'lost space' research background to elicit the argument that ' urban development is not the primary factor contributing to lost spaces, but rather human consciousness'. The research goal is to transform these lost spaces. This thesis analyses the characteristics of lost spaces through dualism, figure and ground map, and order of space theory. Afterwards, it summarises the critical negative factors in lost spaces based on human instinct, behavior, and consciousness. Three optimization schemes are categorized for different combinations of factors according to worldwide cases. Moreover, by examining deconstructionist concepts and a case study, the central design outline involves "extracting the site's problems (unfavorable factors) one by one and merging the layers after each issue is solved separately" to customize high-quality optimization strategies for lost spaces. The site selection for the research is within the urban region of Auckland, New Zealand. Ultimately, the Dominion Road Flyover intersection was selected as a case study to test the feasibility of optimizing lost space using a deconstruction design framework. The problems extracted from macro and microsite analysis are solved and reconstructed to assess the feasibility of the deconstruction optimization framework. Lastly, by comparing the before and after optimization, this thesis evaluates the effectiveness of using a deconstruction framework to reactivate lost spaces by focusing on the factors that affect human activities.