The identity of conducting a nation - Leadership, Control, Governance

A representation of a leadership role that brings a nation in order, sequence, resonance by distributing power and synchornization to a team that performs a perfect melody.

"Cultural Conductor"
- Art
- Culture
- Exhibition

Canberra has the potential in becoming a leading capital not just in Australia but even a role model for the rest of the world. Simply because Canberra is a very new capital city and therefore it has the opportunity to transform into a new way of managing a capital a nation a country.

Distributed "Tree of Life"

Relating Canberra political triangle to the structure of a tree, an interpretation of a seed which turned out to be the parliament house, trunk as the political system and branches and leaves as the distributed function conveyed through instructions from the parliament house that governs our nation. 

Fundamental of Griffin's concept & approach

"Good lives for everyone, simplicity, modesty, support for human activity, choices for rich experience and the dignity of free people were fundamental ideas of design team. Romaldo listed order, simplicity, human relationships, humanity, symbolism and natural environment as objectives..."



"Romaldo emphasized that Griffin came from a commitment to humanity and strong perceptions of relationships of his plan and buildings to the people and the nation. the architects concluded that the Parliament building should not be triumphal or imposing like a monumental dome."


www.griffinsociety.org


From the beginning of Canberra design to New Parliament House, their fundamental intention was strongly related to finding a unique identity that belongs to Australian context. An identity that represents harmony, peace, friendly, very much like a mirror that reflects the natural attribute of Australia, it's calmness, pureness, and a sense of belonging. On a remote location in a vast continent, could be expressed as a gentle giant sleeping soundly in existence.  

DISTRIBUTED - Definition

General Definition of the term:

Give shares of (something); deal out

• - information leaflets are being distributed to hotels and guest houses

Supply (goods) to stores and other businesses that sell to consumers

• - the journal is distributed worldwide

Occur throughout an area

• - the birds are mainly distributed in marshes and river valleys

Separate (metal type that has been set up) and return the characters to their separate compartments in a type case

Use (a term) to include every individual of the class to which it refers

• - the middle term must be distributed, at least once, in the premises

Sources from Google Dictionary.

My perspectives and understanding of the term DISTRIBUTED mean to myself:

separate, divide, multiply, disperse, spread out, coordinate, collaborate, administrate, give out orders, implement, copied, given, shared, inter-connectivity network, system, telecommunication, etc

My interpretation of what distributed means in a physical or architecture form:

Form – Geometrical with a consistent shape.

Connections – Linked joints that distributes structure and stability among a certain area.

Materials - Consistent use of repeated materials that promotes multiplication formation or layout.

Space – Formed separately organized in a spread out manner.

Functions –Encouraging a system of bringing something through a distributed system or network to and from another thing within the distributed web of connectivity.

Journey – Starting from a central location dispersed to a number of locations vice versa.

Land use – Distribution format of land use, purpose, and function that serves an overall functional of the entire system.

Political Site, Symbolism and Griffins' Legacy

"The process for selecting an appropriate site for a new and permanent Parliament House (NPH) was complex, lengthy and involved arguments over a number of decades on the merits of a range of potential locations within the parliamentary triangle. The final location would need to balance the history and status of the Griffin plan, the ambitions of parliamentarians and the sensitivities of a wary Australian public.

Walter Burley and Marion Mahoney Griffin won an international design competition for the new federal capital in 1912. Within this plan for Canberra they designated the site of Capital Hill as the focus at the apex of the urban design characterised by triangular geometry. The Griffins intended that Capital Hill would host an open public structure and not the legislative functions of government that were to be located down on the river plains to the north in what is now called the parliamentary triangle. The axes of roads and landforms within the Griffins’ plan anointed Capital Hill with an urban power similar to that of the Palace of Versailles but in the case of Canberra it was the public who were to have symbolic ownership of the site."

Illustration of triangular geometry in the heart of Canberra with intersection of land-axis and water-axis located in the center of the triangle

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/pubs/pops/pop55/c05.htm

Simple diagram showed the concept development of Parliament House which was strongly correlated with Griffin's original Canberra urban masterplan.

Figure showed original Canberra landscape contour and the modification landscaping to complete the Parliament House design integrating with existing Canberra urban master plan.

Brief illustration of Canberra Parliament House Floorplan

http://www.engineer.org.au/chapter13.html

Canberra Urban Design - Walter Burley Griffin's Unique Plan

"Other competitors had responded to the site as a blank page, distorting it to conform to various aesthetic principles. In contrast, the Griffins were sensitive to the site’s natural features.
The Griffins delineated a land axis, aligned with the summits of four local mountains. It went from Mount Ainslie to Mount Bimberi in the Brindabellas, passing through Camp Hill and Kurrajong. Crossing this at right angles was a water axis along the river, which in the plan became a chain of ornamental basins. By integrating the site’s topography with their design, the Griffins presented the site itself as a symbol ‘of a democratic national identity’ (Vernon, 2002)."


"Lacking the cultural history, artefacts and monuments of Old World capitals, the Griffins’ Canberra would showcase nature instead. The city’s hills became key nodes in a sophisticated three-dimensional urban geometry. The main street of the city (Constitution Avenue) ran parallel to the water axis, on the base of the triangle whose apex was Kurrajong Hill."



http://www.idealcity.org.au/win-1.html

Canberra

"Canberra today is an exciting small city. It is home to over a hundred overseas embassies, commissions and missions. It is also home to many lobby groups, jostling to bask in the light of power.


The city is small enough to have fresh air, lakes and mountains within a moment's reach. It has all the shops of any of the large Australian cities. 


The Canberra summer peaks over 40 degrees Celsius, while in winter ice can be on the road and snow in the mountains. In Canberra a spring is spring, an autumn is autumn, and summer and winter do not meld into one.


While Canberra is not a true tourist spot, it has parks, gardens and national monuments, plus its own water supply. It is a very natural resources conscious city. 


Canberra has some of Australia' finest architecture. There is Parliament House, with its pyramid shape, on a pyramid Capital Hill, open to the public. Nearby is the National Library,  National Gallery, National Archives, Old Parliament House, the High Court of Australia and more. Around Lake Burley Griffin is the National Carillion, the National Capital Exhibition, the National Museum of Australia, the Captain Cook Memorial Water Jet, and a lake cruise for fun. Plus there is the Australian War Memorial."


http://www.scientology-canberra.org.au/canberracityhistory.html

Development on relationship of 4 Domain Strategy

This is a more refined version of my understanding and investigation of connection between these 4 strategies. Flexible, Mobile, and Distributed can be physically expressed represented in circles - red, yellow, blue. Virtual can be expressed with a none physical form that could represent other 3 domains in a certain way or method through technologies, photo imaging, color projections etc. From this simple diagram, we can deduce that there are a lot of areas that different strategies overlay each other having similar characteristics or functions. The middle intersection presents an area which all strategies interact with each other. 

Flexible - Mobile - Distributed - Virtual

Architecture Design 8 (2011), we were given 4 strategies namely Flexible, Mobile, Distributed and Virtual. From this we are limited to these four approaches but have the freedom or to simply put, randomization of ideas regarding these 4 approaches. There are many different definitions or interpretations for each of these words. If you draw a circle domain for each of these 'idea' we will end up with something like 4 circles of domains interlocking with similarities and differences in between each of them. But this is just my individual interpretation of the idea. 

Flexibility, not just in terms of architecture but in a much broader sense. Something that can be bent, shaped, altered, adapted, changed, evolved, moved, universal etc.

Distributed, something that can be duplicated, multiplied, copied, delivered to different locations, none fixed site, a network of inter-communication system, linkage of things, people & information etc.

Mobile, something that can be moved with requirement or needs, ability to move people or things, ability to move environments (passengers perspective), easement of no permanent location or site etc.

Virtual, is a very unfamiliar concept or an idea quite difficult to digest. In my perspective and understanding, it could be something that is communicative, representative, visual effects, an invisible or illusive interpretation of something.