Solene Gaborit
Architecture, 2021
If the last two years have been anything for me, it’s a brutal reminder of how much I value social interaction. Professionally, and largely due to the industry experience that I have been lucky enough to receive, they have also marked a shift from a naïve fear of densification to a keenness for what it will mean for the future of urban design. My graduation project has been a catalyst for me in terms of starting to apply the above realisations into my own practice. Taking on the form of an episodic highline and circulation spine around City Hill, the project relies on the hypothesis that future efforts to revitalise our Civic Centre will need to address both density and pedestrian mobility. It has allowed me to develop my own assumptions around the future of London Circuit and Vernon Circle and the impact that this will likely have on the broader urban fabric. At this point in my career, my goals are to talk to as many people as I can, ask as many questions as they will let me and hopefully start to contribute positively towards social and environmental outcomes across the built environment.
Selected Portfolio
The Civic Line provides an informal "back door" and service gateway to existing and anticipated building programs along London Circuit and Vernon Circle.
Selfless in its nature and manifold in its use, the unifying element comprises three layers that each respond to a different implication of increased density around City Hill.
At and above ground level, a hierarchy of urban promenades provides a catalyst for macro-mobility around City Hill. At a subterranean level, a service sewer allows for vehicles to access the basements of adjacent buildings, restoring priority at street level to the pedestrian.
Movement between the levels occurs via a series of parasitic pencil towers. Beyond accessibility, these vertical elements provide an opportunity to embed various micro programs into the active urban spine.