PROJECT ONE: INDIVIDUAL STATEMENT

OUR PADDINGTON

“Supporting each other through knowledge”

Our future scenario has been communicated through a carefully planned timeline. The timeline runs from 2010 until 2110, it runs parallel to a specific resident we have focused on. The timeline begins with the negative impact that online shopping has on “bricks and mortar” businesses. As a result food prices soar and people begin to grow their own produce, in effect causing the Paddington store to close. This occurrence caused the community to come to together to create a solution which initially begins with a community market arrangement.

Sustainable future then comes into effect with a NFP organization established by residents, consisting of the shared ownership of Paddington Central. Residents have the opportunity to each buy a share in the property to ensure ownership belongs within the community as a whole. Retail spaces then no longer need to be centralized, a diverse range of professions and trades of residents are established in a home business set up in order to service the community. This leads to changes within the community dynamics. Elder generations remain within the community and adopt roles such as mentors. Families also want to stay within the community, and multi- generational family homes are established with exchangeable floors and rooms that can be circulated within the community to cater for different housing needs at different stages of residents lives.

This runs alongside our individual resident. Jaques is born and raised in his family home in Paddington. His education commences at Petrie Terrace State School, and continues on until his Architectural studies at QUT. He feels compelled to travel during this university years, but soon returns to his place of origin again in Paddington. Three years after he meets his wife, they are married and purchase a family home within Paddington to start a family. Overtime he experiences changes in his family dynamic with his elderly family moving into his home, as does he when he is older and needs to rely on the support of his own children. Due to the unique social changes occurring in Paddington by 2080 he is respected in his mature years and his knowledge valued by the community. Jacques eventually passes away, but his life experience and knowledge remains within the Paddington community.

Based on this model we have established certain architectural possibilities. With Paddington Central now belonging to the community, it is transformed into Multi- Generational Homes. Housing becomes flexible with the idea of living pods being exchangeable according to the needs and family dynamics of the time. Nothing is packed when a move occurs. The whole house/pod is moved to integrate to another when the older generations wish to link their homes with their adult children for support in their mature years. The retail spaces are moved to the residential sectors and the amount of home businesses increase. A community center is constructed in the core of the community. The elderly live near the community center so they can interact with the younger residents and share their valued knowledge with the later generations.