Back-tracking

So now, i've hit a dead end as changing the house of representatives into office space doesn't really fit in with what I want to achieve in this project.
My solution to this problem is to go back to the beginning (again) and find out why I initially wanted to change parliament in the first place.

It takes me back to the inverted pyramid.

 My main goal of changing the parliament was to give more power to people in choosing how they tackle certain situations and problems. (i.e. deciding between carbon trading and a carbon tax)

By removing political parties I've removed the unnecessary debates and time/money wasting in parliament. But I also think that one of the main issues between the government and the population is a lack of understanding due to a gap in communication.

Parliament House

Above  is a general plan of the layout of parliament house in Canberra. I previously found out that the House of Representatives is a room that I do not need.

So to implement a new parliamentry system that is more efficient and fair and utilizes less tax-payers money, we need to re-fit/redesign the house of representatives to accommodate the new system.

The exisiting ministers and prime ministers offices can be used my the new experts.

Reflection to Date

So after the last tute on tuesday, Davor pushed me to re-think what my intentions were in the first assignment, and how I am achieving this in the current brief.

...So what we wanted to achieve in the first assignment is:

1. Remove politicians and instate experts in specific divisions to create new policies.
2. Divide parliament into each state, to allow more flexibility in laws.

However now when I think about this, there are several issues I can find with the logic behind them.

1. Splitting up parliament will render Canberra and the current parliament house useless.
2. It will bemore expensive and inefficient to run a parliament in each state.
3. There aren't that many experts in Australia to develop acts/rules for each state.
4. Businesses and people will exploit states which have rules which are more beneficial to them.

So now I'm thinking why did I want to split up parliament in the first place? And what factors do I need to implement to remove politicians without causing major upset to the government to allow a smooth transition.

The Parliament System

So after investigating how the current political system works, i've found that the House of Representatives is where the political discussions take place.

The senate review policies aggreed upon in the house of representatives and then revise them or approve them and implement them.

Driverless Airport Pods

I saw in a news article today, about new driver-less laser guided pods which have been implemented at Heathrow Airport. It would be interesting if it was possible to implement this kind of technology as a form on transport between government buildings, or just as pubic transport all-together. At the very least some food for thought and inspiration.

http://video.news.com.au/2136246441/Look-ma-no-driver

A link to a brief video about the pods.

City of Perth

Perth council house, is already considered an icon of Perth, which has undergone retrofits and refurbishments, including its LED light incorporation (which I personally think destroys its heritage meaning, and makes it look somewhat tacky)

http://www.australiaforeveryone.com.au/icons_per_councilhse.htm

To get an idea of what other architecture is like in Perth, i've been looking at some videos of Perth architecture and their lifestyle.

The Existing Council House

I thought, before I get ahead of myself I should do a bit of research about the current Perth council house which I plan to change. This way hopefully I can get an idea of what it useful and what isn't.

Turns out it was opened by the Queen in 1963 after Perth hosted the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

Council House is constructed from concrete-encased steel frame, with lifts and service rooms located at its eastern end and a fire escape stairwell at its western end. Level 9 houses the distinctive circular Council Chamber, which features wood panelling and has been restored to largely its original state in the 1990s refurbishment (by contrast to most of the other levels of the building). The building is almost completely clad with glass, which led to criticism about its excessive air conditioning costs. The glass exterior of the building has T-shaped white sunbreakers superimposed in an alternating pattern across the building, coated with fine mosaic tiles. With the newly-enclosed top floor, the building now has 13 levels above ground.
The building, which was the favourite creation of its designer Jeffrey Howlett, has been called the most important example of modernist architecture in Perth and "one of the State's modernist icons". The building has been described as demonstrating "modernist aspirations" from the Bauhaus school, exuding "brutalist warmth".Stephen Neille, the Chair of Architectural Design at Curtin University, described it as reflecting Perth of that time: a city "brimming with confidence and consciously promoting itself to the world as a modern city"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_House,_Perth
http://heritageperth.com.au/make-history/perths-treasures/council-house