The Citizens House of Australia
Background
Active citizen participation is increasingly being recognised as essential to effective policy making, it not only improves the political process but educates and engages ordinary citizens. Citizens have a greater sense of representation when they are involved in the policy making process and bring a greater diversity to the political discussion.
My design proposal is to create a third house of parliament, “The Citizens’ House”
Solution
A large group of randomly selected citizens will come together to listen, learn, reflect on and discuss issues of public importance. Reflecting the carefully considered views of the broader community, they will form a deliberative assembly which recommends policy to be passed by the upper and lower houses.
The logistics of the Citizens’ House are based on a one off event held in 2009 called the Citizens Assembly. While the citizens’ assembly was successful in the way it worked and in generating ideas for policy, it was unsuccessful in a number of ways. Firstly the citizens were housed in student accommodation, making it only possible to do this outside the school semester. Secondly the assembly was held in old parliament house, away from where decisions are actually made, and thirdly it was not taken seriously by the government.
I propose to create a new space above parliament house, inside a megastructure, which will provide a space for the Citizens’ House.
How it will work
Every 3 months, randomly selected citizens are invited and the first 150 selected to become Citizen Parliamentarians, one from each electorate. They are sent a parliamentarian introductory kit with information and a tablet computer they will use throughout the process and keep afterwards.
The Citizen Parliamentarians participate in a special online forum with each other where they research and discuss topics that are important to the nation at that time and into the future. They are encouraged to do their own research into topics discussed in the forum and to talk with their family and friends and meet other Citizen Parliamentarians. As they are participating in the forum they vote on topics they believe to be most important. A small number of the highest rated topics are then selected to become the focus of a 5 day deliberative assembly in the Citizens’ House in Canberra.
At the end of the 3 months, the 150 Citizen Parliamentarians travel to Canberra where they live in accommodation within the parliamentary megastructure. During the 5 day assembly they attend presentations and Q and A sessions by experts on the topics chosen from the forum. The citizen parliamentarians, guided by facilitators, participate in small group discussions and brainstorming, full panel discussions and debates and informal casual conversations with each other. At the end of each day a report is written on the days activities and distributed to the media.
Together with professional facilitators The CPs develop a set of policy proposals based on their activities during the week. These policy proposals are then formally presented to a representative of the government who tables them in the upper and lower houses of parliament to be voted on.
The design
The Citizens’ House is built within the parliamentary megastructure. This megastructure is designed to fulfil the initial brief given to participants in the competition to design new parliament house. The megastructure allows for future, as yet undefined, physical growth and changes to parliament, without encroaching on services and circulation patterns. It provides a long term flexibility allowing parliament to evolve and change in the future. The public entry to the megastructure incorporates the mosaic in the parliament forecourt. Once inside a series of escalators and diagonal elevators transport visitors over 4 levels to a viewing platform where they can look down into the house of representatives or the senate. Two other entries are provided adjacent to the house of reps and senate entries for future expansions of parliament.
The Citizens’ House itself provides another level of short term flexibility. The central space is designed to assist the parliamentarians and facilitators in many different activities. It is a space that needs to change rapidly from a large formal chamber where debates and full panel discussions are held involving more than 150 people, to a series of small intimate informal spaces where groups of 6 or 7 people can chat and brainstorm ideas while facilitators move from group to group helping the discussions flow.
Spaces are provided for casual conversations around an interior courtyard where Citizen Parliamentarians share a coffee while the central space is being transformed. A control centre is provided for multimedia and the operation of the flexible floor and ceiling. Staff who work at facilitating the assembly during the 5 day sitting and arranging invitations and facilitating online forums and media promotion are provided with offices. At night the Citizen Parliamentarians return to accommodation and social spaces provided in another part of the megastructure.
Logistics
The central chamber has a floor and ceiling system that change quickly when the activities require. Pneumatic lifts below the floor raise platforms and benches to create tiered “in the round” seating for more than 150 people, while blocks in the ceiling, which also contain services such as lighting, air and sound, are raised to create a higher ceiling and a ring of blocks are dropped down to create a surface for projecting video allowing people in any seat to see the speaker or presentation. When smaller intimate spaces are required the floor is lowered to a level surface and the ceiling tubes are lowered to provide more private spaces and task lighting.
Symbolism
The megastructure and Citizens’ House are designed to be iconic and instantly recognisable. Extending from the mural in the parliament forecourt, the shape of the megastructure is designed to represent a modern interpretation of the symbols expressed in the mural, wavy lines represent paths of travel, while the oval shapes represent meeting places. The Citizens’ House is deliberately placed above the other houses of parliament in order to symbolise its importance. The viewing areas of the megastructure funnel into the exitsing house of parliament, representing a connection between the people above and the elected parliamentarians below, while also providing support for the structure. The futuristic shapes represents the ability for parliament to evolve.
On a larger scale, the megastructure retains the Griffins initial idea of Capitol Hill being a place for the people to be above parliament. The gentle curve of the megastructure reflects the landscape around Canberra and aligns to Mount Ainslie, Mount Stromlo and Mount Mugga Mugga. Not all spaces are filled in, allowing the grass to continue to grow beneath.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the design of the Citizens’ House of Australia and the parliamentary megastructure will assist in active citizen participation in government and allow for the citizens to feel more a part of the parliamentary process, while allowing citizens to have a better understanding of parliament and Australia’s capital.
Background
Active citizen participation is increasingly being recognised as essential to effective policy making, it not only improves the political process but educates and engages ordinary citizens. Citizens have a greater sense of representation when they are involved in the policy making process and bring a greater diversity to the political discussion.
My design proposal is to create a third house of parliament, “The Citizens’ House”
Solution
A large group of randomly selected citizens will come together to listen, learn, reflect on and discuss issues of public importance. Reflecting the carefully considered views of the broader community, they will form a deliberative assembly which recommends policy to be passed by the upper and lower houses.
The logistics of the Citizens’ House are based on a one off event held in 2009 called the Citizens Assembly. While the citizens’ assembly was successful in the way it worked and in generating ideas for policy, it was unsuccessful in a number of ways. Firstly the citizens were housed in student accommodation, making it only possible to do this outside the school semester. Secondly the assembly was held in old parliament house, away from where decisions are actually made, and thirdly it was not taken seriously by the government.
I propose to create a new space above parliament house, inside a megastructure, which will provide a space for the Citizens’ House.
How it will work
Every 3 months, randomly selected citizens are invited and the first 150 selected to become Citizen Parliamentarians, one from each electorate. They are sent a parliamentarian introductory kit with information and a tablet computer they will use throughout the process and keep afterwards.
The Citizen Parliamentarians participate in a special online forum with each other where they research and discuss topics that are important to the nation at that time and into the future. They are encouraged to do their own research into topics discussed in the forum and to talk with their family and friends and meet other Citizen Parliamentarians. As they are participating in the forum they vote on topics they believe to be most important. A small number of the highest rated topics are then selected to become the focus of a 5 day deliberative assembly in the Citizens’ House in Canberra.
At the end of the 3 months, the 150 Citizen Parliamentarians travel to Canberra where they live in accommodation within the parliamentary megastructure. During the 5 day assembly they attend presentations and Q and A sessions by experts on the topics chosen from the forum. The citizen parliamentarians, guided by facilitators, participate in small group discussions and brainstorming, full panel discussions and debates and informal casual conversations with each other. At the end of each day a report is written on the days activities and distributed to the media.
Together with professional facilitators The CPs develop a set of policy proposals based on their activities during the week. These policy proposals are then formally presented to a representative of the government who tables them in the upper and lower houses of parliament to be voted on.
The design
The Citizens’ House is built within the parliamentary megastructure. This megastructure is designed to fulfil the initial brief given to participants in the competition to design new parliament house. The megastructure allows for future, as yet undefined, physical growth and changes to parliament, without encroaching on services and circulation patterns. It provides a long term flexibility allowing parliament to evolve and change in the future. The public entry to the megastructure incorporates the mosaic in the parliament forecourt. Once inside a series of escalators and diagonal elevators transport visitors over 4 levels to a viewing platform where they can look down into the house of representatives or the senate. Two other entries are provided adjacent to the house of reps and senate entries for future expansions of parliament.
The Citizens’ House itself provides another level of short term flexibility. The central space is designed to assist the parliamentarians and facilitators in many different activities. It is a space that needs to change rapidly from a large formal chamber where debates and full panel discussions are held involving more than 150 people, to a series of small intimate informal spaces where groups of 6 or 7 people can chat and brainstorm ideas while facilitators move from group to group helping the discussions flow.
Spaces are provided for casual conversations around an interior courtyard where Citizen Parliamentarians share a coffee while the central space is being transformed. A control centre is provided for multimedia and the operation of the flexible floor and ceiling. Staff who work at facilitating the assembly during the 5 day sitting and arranging invitations and facilitating online forums and media promotion are provided with offices. At night the Citizen Parliamentarians return to accommodation and social spaces provided in another part of the megastructure.
Logistics
The central chamber has a floor and ceiling system that change quickly when the activities require. Pneumatic lifts below the floor raise platforms and benches to create tiered “in the round” seating for more than 150 people, while blocks in the ceiling, which also contain services such as lighting, air and sound, are raised to create a higher ceiling and a ring of blocks are dropped down to create a surface for projecting video allowing people in any seat to see the speaker or presentation. When smaller intimate spaces are required the floor is lowered to a level surface and the ceiling tubes are lowered to provide more private spaces and task lighting.
Symbolism
The megastructure and Citizens’ House are designed to be iconic and instantly recognisable. Extending from the mural in the parliament forecourt, the shape of the megastructure is designed to represent a modern interpretation of the symbols expressed in the mural, wavy lines represent paths of travel, while the oval shapes represent meeting places. The Citizens’ House is deliberately placed above the other houses of parliament in order to symbolise its importance. The viewing areas of the megastructure funnel into the exitsing house of parliament, representing a connection between the people above and the elected parliamentarians below, while also providing support for the structure. The futuristic shapes represents the ability for parliament to evolve.
On a larger scale, the megastructure retains the Griffins initial idea of Capitol Hill being a place for the people to be above parliament. The gentle curve of the megastructure reflects the landscape around Canberra and aligns to Mount Ainslie, Mount Stromlo and Mount Mugga Mugga. Not all spaces are filled in, allowing the grass to continue to grow beneath.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the design of the Citizens’ House of Australia and the parliamentary megastructure will assist in active citizen participation in government and allow for the citizens to feel more a part of the parliamentary process, while allowing citizens to have a better understanding of parliament and Australia’s capital.
Diagrams Needed
Collages BOARD 1
1- person receiving invitation
2- person receiving intro kit
3- person using online forum on ipad
4- list of topics on forum
5- plane flying in to canberra
6- small group of people around a table
7- large group of people in full panel discussion/debate
8- people chatting over coffee
9- a formal presentation
COULD TAKE UP HALF A BOARD
Interior Shots
- inside entry to megastructure, going around and looking at mosaic LEAVE TIL LAST
- courtyard of citizens house showing people talking, trees, tables, standing BOARD 4
- different configurations of main chamber BOARD 3
Exterior Shots
- overall axonometric with parliament house and surrounds FRI MAYBE IN MAX? STILL DONT KNOW BOARD 1
Plans
- diagram, overall with different configurations in megastructure over time THURS BOARD 2
- overall of citizens house, then others showing configurations of chamber 1:200 THURS BOARD 4
- overall of bedrooms 1:200 THURS BOARD 4
- very simplified site plan reduced to aboriginal type symbols USE SAME BASE AS CONFIGURATIONS
- city scale plan showing alignment to mountains USE SAME BASE AS CONFIGS BOARD 2
Sections
- overall showing circulation through megastructure (or as a wireframe showing this) INCLUDE IN ELEVATION? BOARD 3
- citizens house showing detail of construction and floor, ceiling 1:200 THURS PLUS ONE BOARD 4
- large scale to lake showing continuation of hill BOARD 2
Elevations
- side elevation showing funnel down to houses COMBINE - FRI EXPORT JPG FROM MAX AND TRACE BOARD 3
- front elevation showing a crane building a space FRI BOARD 2
Collages BOARD 1
1- person receiving invitation
2- person receiving intro kit
3- person using online forum on ipad
4- list of topics on forum
5- plane flying in to canberra
6- small group of people around a table
7- large group of people in full panel discussion/debate
8- people chatting over coffee
9- a formal presentation
COULD TAKE UP HALF A BOARD
Interior Shots
- inside entry to megastructure, going around and looking at mosaic LEAVE TIL LAST
- courtyard of citizens house showing people talking, trees, tables, standing BOARD 4
- different configurations of main chamber BOARD 3
Exterior Shots
- overall axonometric with parliament house and surrounds FRI MAYBE IN MAX? STILL DONT KNOW BOARD 1
Plans
- diagram, overall with different configurations in megastructure over time THURS BOARD 2
- overall of citizens house, then others showing configurations of chamber 1:200 THURS BOARD 4
- overall of bedrooms 1:200 THURS BOARD 4
- very simplified site plan reduced to aboriginal type symbols USE SAME BASE AS CONFIGURATIONS
- city scale plan showing alignment to mountains USE SAME BASE AS CONFIGS BOARD 2
Sections
- overall showing circulation through megastructure (or as a wireframe showing this) INCLUDE IN ELEVATION? BOARD 3
- citizens house showing detail of construction and floor, ceiling 1:200 THURS PLUS ONE BOARD 4
- large scale to lake showing continuation of hill BOARD 2
Elevations
- side elevation showing funnel down to houses COMBINE - FRI EXPORT JPG FROM MAX AND TRACE BOARD 3
- front elevation showing a crane building a space FRI BOARD 2
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