the meerzicht project
					Meerzicht is a residential neighbourhood in Zoetermeer. I chose this location as case study to test my exploration on the relationships between telecommunications and the city. The goal was the re-design of Meerzicht as a neighbourhood of the Network City, where virtual services are introduced above all for the benefit of the elderly citizens of the area. The main design theme is the transformation of an 'industrial' residential area in a 'post-industrial' mixed socio-spatial setting. This design creates the conditions for a positive introduction of telematics applications in the daily activity range of individuals, operating the connection between physical and virtual networks. I developed a repertory of design solutions in my exploration that I applied in this case study to realise meaningful physical-virtual connections. see another 3D view of the design
						This design mainly concerns the routes of physical communication and the territorial scales, and the position and significance of telematics access points in relation to routes and scales. Three scales are considered: A - the neighbourhood as a whole, and its potential role within territorial networks at city and regional level. B - the districts as basic units within local networks. C - the dwellings as departure and arrival points for the daily socio-spatial behaviour of people.   From left to right, the white schemes above show the interventions at different scales. 1 - The meaning of Meerzicht as meaningful urban locus is reinforced by recreating a social and physical centrality around the central areas and the main street. These are the most accessible places too, where city-regional networks meet local networks. 2 - A second neighbourhood axis will cut across the neighbourhood pleasently accented by water. 3 - The districts will be supported by a system of low-threshold telecentres with local meaning, connected in a network of physical routes creating a 'ring' around the central area. 4 - The building pattern will be completed in the highrise area. 5 - The private initiative of dwellings' owners in 'strategic' areas will be facilitated and guided as much as possible.