presentation should be embedded below.
final thesis prep presentation
12.13.2011
revised statement for final presentation
here it is (a little rough), will add presentation and post-crit thoughts later
statement: The overarching aim for this project is to redefine the relationship of downtown Chicago to its river. The intention is that the river becomes part of the urban fabric at once, affording possibilities for public habitation, and a functioning piece of sanitation infrastructure. The river was initially a vital part of the city, acting as an economic driver and sanitation channel. The river is now largely neglected by the urban fabric, serving as a secondary sanitation channel and small tourist attraction.
This project explores the hybrid systems that the density of the urban condition allows. Can layered functions produce urban space which are both socially constructive and functionally productive? What happens when opened ended systems are introduced into the architectural process?
The river once again becomes an integral part of the urban fabric. The river reclaims its original functions as a cleanser of the city, cleaning and managing water run off. Sewage is treated at the mouth of the river before being returned to the lake and used as a fuel for fertilization. The river also becomes a social scape, linking the downtown and river north areas. The way people use public space is highly influenced by their environmental conditions: temperature, light, humidity, sound, textures, pollution, wind speed. The environment relates to the climate and human body becoming particularly significant in order to improve the quality of the urban space. The perceptual experience of the space creates a connection between the functional and social aspects of the river. A staged plan of implementation, with inputs, constructions and feed-back mechanisms are designed to evolve the river into a productive and habitable scape.
statement: The overarching aim for this project is to redefine the relationship of downtown Chicago to its river. The intention is that the river becomes part of the urban fabric at once, affording possibilities for public habitation, and a functioning piece of sanitation infrastructure. The river was initially a vital part of the city, acting as an economic driver and sanitation channel. The river is now largely neglected by the urban fabric, serving as a secondary sanitation channel and small tourist attraction.
This project explores the hybrid systems that the density of the urban condition allows. Can layered functions produce urban space which are both socially constructive and functionally productive? What happens when opened ended systems are introduced into the architectural process?
The river once again becomes an integral part of the urban fabric. The river reclaims its original functions as a cleanser of the city, cleaning and managing water run off. Sewage is treated at the mouth of the river before being returned to the lake and used as a fuel for fertilization. The river also becomes a social scape, linking the downtown and river north areas. The way people use public space is highly influenced by their environmental conditions: temperature, light, humidity, sound, textures, pollution, wind speed. The environment relates to the climate and human body becoming particularly significant in order to improve the quality of the urban space. The perceptual experience of the space creates a connection between the functional and social aspects of the river. A staged plan of implementation, with inputs, constructions and feed-back mechanisms are designed to evolve the river into a productive and habitable scape.
12.11.2011
update!
so, been in a holding pattern lately. between a lack of direction in my thesis and the studio beast rearing its ugly head, i havn't been producing much for thesis lately. but here's an update post-crit-week presentation.
prez_12_11_2011
prez_12_11_2011
10.25.2011
revised statement and research objectives
revised statement:
The proposal is about designing a new type of public space, using mapping as an exploratory design technique to reveal latent conditions. The activity of mapping is a revelationary act. In architectural practice, mapping is used as formal generator, as intervention, and as analysis. James Corner gives four mapping categories: drift, layering, game-board, and rhizome. But these processes examine mapping as either intervention, or as form, without really examining mapping as analysis. The problem with these is that mapping as intervention becomes the total design practice, and mapping as form is too often arbitrary. The possibility of mapping to be integrated into the design as analysis is left largely unexplored by Corner.
In this project, mapping is utilized as a form of documentation and analysis. Mapping asks questions about activity and usage and what the spatial and temporal correspondences are. What patterns or events are revealed? What possibilities can the addition of mapping reveal, as a design technique, during the design process?
The proposal is to develop a design project that integrates mapping to extend James Corners idea. Mapping is integrated into the design process, not as a means in and of itself, but to make the design intervention more contextual and responsive to surrounding conditions. The two possibilities are the creation of affect in a empty public space, or the accentuation of affect in a densely populated public space.
research inquiry:
The method for the proposed inquary is mapping.
This is essentially design experimentation. In terms of research, I have to study and catalogue different mapping practices. The actual design project involves the documentation of site and the collection of data, and the production of images showing important relationships.
I would like to have site documentation and data collection done by the beginning of the next semester, allowing for an entire semester of design production.
My objectives are to produce a pamphlet documenting the design process and design intervention along with the installation.
Issues: What/why of the site?
The proposal is about designing a new type of public space, using mapping as an exploratory design technique to reveal latent conditions. The activity of mapping is a revelationary act. In architectural practice, mapping is used as formal generator, as intervention, and as analysis. James Corner gives four mapping categories: drift, layering, game-board, and rhizome. But these processes examine mapping as either intervention, or as form, without really examining mapping as analysis. The problem with these is that mapping as intervention becomes the total design practice, and mapping as form is too often arbitrary. The possibility of mapping to be integrated into the design as analysis is left largely unexplored by Corner.
In this project, mapping is utilized as a form of documentation and analysis. Mapping asks questions about activity and usage and what the spatial and temporal correspondences are. What patterns or events are revealed? What possibilities can the addition of mapping reveal, as a design technique, during the design process?
The proposal is to develop a design project that integrates mapping to extend James Corners idea. Mapping is integrated into the design process, not as a means in and of itself, but to make the design intervention more contextual and responsive to surrounding conditions. The two possibilities are the creation of affect in a empty public space, or the accentuation of affect in a densely populated public space.
research inquiry:
The method for the proposed inquary is mapping.
This is essentially design experimentation. In terms of research, I have to study and catalogue different mapping practices. The actual design project involves the documentation of site and the collection of data, and the production of images showing important relationships.
I would like to have site documentation and data collection done by the beginning of the next semester, allowing for an entire semester of design production.
My objectives are to produce a pamphlet documenting the design process and design intervention along with the installation.
Issues: What/why of the site?
10.19.2011
questions, questions, questions
interesting review from last night, as per david's recommendations i wrote 5, 1 sentence questions trying to describe my project in the simplest terms possible:
how can/are emergent behaviors revealed and actuated?
how can activities outside of those supported by built form be provided
for?
how can architecture rewire the top down assignment of program and site?
how can investigative research generate program and site?
how can uninhabitable sites/programs be reinhabited?
how can/are emergent behaviors revealed and actuated?
how can activities outside of those supported by built form be provided
for?
how can architecture rewire the top down assignment of program and site?
how can investigative research generate program and site?
how can uninhabitable sites/programs be reinhabited?
10.11.2011
rework of statement statement
Statement: The Chicago river acts as a physical cut through the city. It acts as a datum to understand the existing city. It creates a void in the grid where emergent behaviors and environments arise. It is an intersection of local and global. Recently ignored in the traditional architectonic sense, the river represents a huge variety of emergent events and affects not catered to in the constructed urban fabric. Mapping is proposed as a method of understanding the relationships of river and city, emergent affects, and functions. Drawing on the mapping practice of Raoul Bunschoten/CHORA, a datum or set of data are overlayed on the city and mapped as formal generator. Yet, the work of Bunschoten is fragmented, it lies in the tradition of the deconstructionists. I am interested in a contextual architecture, one which draws out the latent opportunities of the site. One which engages its participants in a dialogue, between participant, architecture, site. The desire is not to create a false naturalism on the river, in the manner of the lake front, but to accentuate existing affect in constructive manners and to reinhabit the river.
10.08.2011
updated x,y,z statement
Revised (of the revised, revised, revised) XYZ statement:
Borrowing from the mapping practice of Raoul Bunschoten, which uses historical or global overlays as datum to generate mappings and study affect, the Chicago river is taken as an existing, physical cut through the fabric of Chicago, providing a datum to understand the city and to reexamine a part of the city which has been ignored. The river is mapped, exploring the functions, environments, and affects which have emerged, both as a revelationary act towards an important feature of the city, and as a driver of site and program. The result is the creation of a contextual architecture which goes beyond the fragmented, deconstructionist space of Bunschoten, a public space which creates dialogue between participant, architecture, and affect.
Borrowing from the mapping practice of Raoul Bunschoten, which uses historical or global overlays as datum to generate mappings and study affect, the Chicago river is taken as an existing, physical cut through the fabric of Chicago, providing a datum to understand the city and to reexamine a part of the city which has been ignored. The river is mapped, exploring the functions, environments, and affects which have emerged, both as a revelationary act towards an important feature of the city, and as a driver of site and program. The result is the creation of a contextual architecture which goes beyond the fragmented, deconstructionist space of Bunschoten, a public space which creates dialogue between participant, architecture, and affect.
reading...and lots of it
So its probably time I updated my reading so far and got a little bit of brain activity on here. Next on the reading list is Sean Lally/Weathers and Tschumi's event cities.
First, bibliography so far with some thoughts/annotations:
Koolhaas, Rem. Delirious New York: a Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan. (New York: Monacelli, 1994). Print.
Summer reading. Agree with Rem's assertion that architectural manifestos or thesis need to be supported with rigorous evidence. Not strictly mapping/urban design, but shows the subjectivity and power of mapping and how perspective/aim influences the act of mapping.
Tuan, Yi-Fu. Space and Place: the Perspective of Experience. (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1977). Print.
More summer reading. Wide ranging book, nice to read something not written by an architect once in a while. Applicable take-away is that mapping reflects the personal or cultural experience of space (ie. big satellite maps in the space age). That maps are subjective.
Gissen, David. Subnature: Architectures Other Environments. (New York: Princton Architecture Press, 2009). Print.
'Subnatures' are defined here as latent conditions in cities, usually with negative connotations, in contrast to 'desirable' natures. Good grounding in historical writing and thought contrasted with interesting contemporary thought and practice. Locates the subject of 'clean' nature in modern and contemporary discourse. The interest here is in creating a contextual architecture and not separating architecture and 'nature', one which draws on the latent opportunities of a given site.
Bunschoten, Raoul, CHORA, ed. Institute for Cultural Policy. From Matter to Metaspace: Cave, Ground, Horizon, Wind. (New York: Springer Publishing, 2005). Print.
Goes into the process of CHORA's work. Heavy on the work, light on the theory. Projects looks for a previous or outside context (historical object or event, some sort of universal geometry overlay) to situate the project. The project is then created around the intersection of local conditions and the global overlay (or historical event). I think the methodology could be very useful, but by using existing geometry as opposed to 'phantom' geometry. Also going beyond the 'deconstructionist' output which is carried throughout their work.
Bunschoten, Raoul, CHORA. Public Spaces. (London: Black Dog Publishing, 2002). Print.
Public space as instruments of change for a society, public space = playground for society. Talks about the use of diagram and operational mechanism to create architectural space and urban dynamics. Good understanding and importance of public space in the city.
Bunschoten, Raoul, CHORA. Metaspaces. (London: Black Dog Publishing, 1998). Print.
Posits that the city is an expression of actions, of individuals and collectives organized by rules. The dynamic nature of the city leaves traces and that these traces become urban characteristics. Urban space is a result of the intersection of local and global conditions. The theory here is more useful than the output. The question becomes how to extend the thought and process of CHORA beyond their fragmented output.
Corner, James, “The Agency of Mapping: Speculation, Critique and Invention,” in Mappings, ed Denis Cosgrove. (London: Reakton Books, 1999), 214-252.
(see previous post)
Bracken, Gregory, Heidi Sohn, “Mapping Urban Complexity in an Asian Context” Footprint 2: Mapping Urban Complexity in an Asian Context 2 (2008): 1-4.
Acts an an introduction to the issue, introducing mapping and the special issues of the Asian context. It goes over some history of maps, as tools of navigation and power, as forms of analysis, and the philosophical background. The problem that this jounal issue sets out to examine is the translation of mapping theory to meaningful practice.
Robin Visser, “Diagnosing Beijing 2020: Mapping the Ungovernable City” Footprint 2: Mapping Urban Complexity in an Asian Context 2 (2008): 15-30.
Looks at the relation of historical Chinese planning in Beijing to current city and how this relates to governance. Critiques the massive city model built to showcase Beijing in 2020. More about the role and affect of governance on the city and urban design. Not particularity useful.
Qiang, Sheng, “Spatial 'Complexity': Analysis on the Evolution of Beijing's Movement Network and its Effects on Urban Function” Footprint 2: Mapping Urban Complexity in an Asian Context 2 (2008): 31-42.
Focuses on the movement network of Beijing in an attempt to find the middle ground between the overly architectural study of urban fabric, or overly sociological study of economics or social structures. It begins with a study of pre-industrial Beijing and how the street network was planned and analysis of programmatic use. The changing patterns of regional/metropolitan scale urban functions are analyzed and how changes in the transit network are related. A good example of more a scientific approach to urban analysis, 'mapping' is not particularity evident.
Karandinou, Anastasia, Leonidas Koutsoumpos, “Performing Mimetic Mapping: Non-visualisable Map of the Shuzou River Area of Shanghai” Footprint 2: Mapping Urban Complexity in an Asian Context 2 (2008): 53-66.
The project is set on the premise that 'mimetic mapping' is actually the reperformance of the experience and exploration of the mapped area. Both the philosophical underpinnings of mimesis and the process of the mapping are discussed. The result is not a map but a multilayered model. The process of creating the map (or game-board rules) are informed by the experiences from the trip and creative input from the designers. The mimetic mapping allows a certain amount of neutrality in the making process and final product. A good piece detailing the process and production of the mimetic map, and the philosophical underpinnings, useful.
Lucas, Raymond, “Getting Lost in Tokyo” Footprint 2: Mapping Urban Complexity in an Asian Context 2 (2008): 91-104.
A mapping project with the initial assumption that, as a microcosm of spatial complexity in Tokyo, understanding and mapping the subway system will reveal insight about Tokyo in the largest sense. The author maps Tokyo in a partially mimetic manner, creating diagrams from navigation of complex transit stations. An installation is created from the mapping excersize showing the diagrams, resulting axon drawings, and locations of similar morphologies in Tokyo. The mapping exercise is not particularly applicable, but the installation could be.
Shannon, Kelly, “The 'Agency of Mapping' in South Asia: Galle-Matara, Mumbai, Khulna” Footprint 2: Mapping Urban Complexity in an Asian Context 2 (2008): 105-119.
The article looks at mapping in the 'ad-hoc' urban context of South Asia, as understanding and intervening in a complex context. The mapping largely relies on topographical maps and figure ground maps to looks at different morphologies. Some good analysis ('stan allen-ing') of the maps but remains largely descriptive.
First, bibliography so far with some thoughts/annotations:
Koolhaas, Rem. Delirious New York: a Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan. (New York: Monacelli, 1994). Print.
Summer reading. Agree with Rem's assertion that architectural manifestos or thesis need to be supported with rigorous evidence. Not strictly mapping/urban design, but shows the subjectivity and power of mapping and how perspective/aim influences the act of mapping.
Tuan, Yi-Fu. Space and Place: the Perspective of Experience. (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1977). Print.
More summer reading. Wide ranging book, nice to read something not written by an architect once in a while. Applicable take-away is that mapping reflects the personal or cultural experience of space (ie. big satellite maps in the space age). That maps are subjective.
Gissen, David. Subnature: Architectures Other Environments. (New York: Princton Architecture Press, 2009). Print.
'Subnatures' are defined here as latent conditions in cities, usually with negative connotations, in contrast to 'desirable' natures. Good grounding in historical writing and thought contrasted with interesting contemporary thought and practice. Locates the subject of 'clean' nature in modern and contemporary discourse. The interest here is in creating a contextual architecture and not separating architecture and 'nature', one which draws on the latent opportunities of a given site.
Bunschoten, Raoul, CHORA, ed. Institute for Cultural Policy. From Matter to Metaspace: Cave, Ground, Horizon, Wind. (New York: Springer Publishing, 2005). Print.
Goes into the process of CHORA's work. Heavy on the work, light on the theory. Projects looks for a previous or outside context (historical object or event, some sort of universal geometry overlay) to situate the project. The project is then created around the intersection of local conditions and the global overlay (or historical event). I think the methodology could be very useful, but by using existing geometry as opposed to 'phantom' geometry. Also going beyond the 'deconstructionist' output which is carried throughout their work.
Bunschoten, Raoul, CHORA. Public Spaces. (London: Black Dog Publishing, 2002). Print.
Public space as instruments of change for a society, public space = playground for society. Talks about the use of diagram and operational mechanism to create architectural space and urban dynamics. Good understanding and importance of public space in the city.
Bunschoten, Raoul, CHORA. Metaspaces. (London: Black Dog Publishing, 1998). Print.
Posits that the city is an expression of actions, of individuals and collectives organized by rules. The dynamic nature of the city leaves traces and that these traces become urban characteristics. Urban space is a result of the intersection of local and global conditions. The theory here is more useful than the output. The question becomes how to extend the thought and process of CHORA beyond their fragmented output.
Corner, James, “The Agency of Mapping: Speculation, Critique and Invention,” in Mappings, ed Denis Cosgrove. (London: Reakton Books, 1999), 214-252.
(see previous post)
Bracken, Gregory, Heidi Sohn, “Mapping Urban Complexity in an Asian Context” Footprint 2: Mapping Urban Complexity in an Asian Context 2 (2008): 1-4.
Acts an an introduction to the issue, introducing mapping and the special issues of the Asian context. It goes over some history of maps, as tools of navigation and power, as forms of analysis, and the philosophical background. The problem that this jounal issue sets out to examine is the translation of mapping theory to meaningful practice.
Robin Visser, “Diagnosing Beijing 2020: Mapping the Ungovernable City” Footprint 2: Mapping Urban Complexity in an Asian Context 2 (2008): 15-30.
Looks at the relation of historical Chinese planning in Beijing to current city and how this relates to governance. Critiques the massive city model built to showcase Beijing in 2020. More about the role and affect of governance on the city and urban design. Not particularity useful.
Qiang, Sheng, “Spatial 'Complexity': Analysis on the Evolution of Beijing's Movement Network and its Effects on Urban Function” Footprint 2: Mapping Urban Complexity in an Asian Context 2 (2008): 31-42.
Focuses on the movement network of Beijing in an attempt to find the middle ground between the overly architectural study of urban fabric, or overly sociological study of economics or social structures. It begins with a study of pre-industrial Beijing and how the street network was planned and analysis of programmatic use. The changing patterns of regional/metropolitan scale urban functions are analyzed and how changes in the transit network are related. A good example of more a scientific approach to urban analysis, 'mapping' is not particularity evident.
Karandinou, Anastasia, Leonidas Koutsoumpos, “Performing Mimetic Mapping: Non-visualisable Map of the Shuzou River Area of Shanghai” Footprint 2: Mapping Urban Complexity in an Asian Context 2 (2008): 53-66.
The project is set on the premise that 'mimetic mapping' is actually the reperformance of the experience and exploration of the mapped area. Both the philosophical underpinnings of mimesis and the process of the mapping are discussed. The result is not a map but a multilayered model. The process of creating the map (or game-board rules) are informed by the experiences from the trip and creative input from the designers. The mimetic mapping allows a certain amount of neutrality in the making process and final product. A good piece detailing the process and production of the mimetic map, and the philosophical underpinnings, useful.
Lucas, Raymond, “Getting Lost in Tokyo” Footprint 2: Mapping Urban Complexity in an Asian Context 2 (2008): 91-104.
A mapping project with the initial assumption that, as a microcosm of spatial complexity in Tokyo, understanding and mapping the subway system will reveal insight about Tokyo in the largest sense. The author maps Tokyo in a partially mimetic manner, creating diagrams from navigation of complex transit stations. An installation is created from the mapping excersize showing the diagrams, resulting axon drawings, and locations of similar morphologies in Tokyo. The mapping exercise is not particularly applicable, but the installation could be.
Shannon, Kelly, “The 'Agency of Mapping' in South Asia: Galle-Matara, Mumbai, Khulna” Footprint 2: Mapping Urban Complexity in an Asian Context 2 (2008): 105-119.
The article looks at mapping in the 'ad-hoc' urban context of South Asia, as understanding and intervening in a complex context. The mapping largely relies on topographical maps and figure ground maps to looks at different morphologies. Some good analysis ('stan allen-ing') of the maps but remains largely descriptive.
9.27.2011
9.20.2011
9.19.2011
examples from below
Drift: Richard Long: A Seven Day Circle of Ground
Layer: Rem Koolhaas: Park de la Villette
Game-board: Raoul Bunschoten: Four Planning Fields for Bucharest, Romania
Rhizome: James Corner: Pivot Irrigators 1
Theory Reading 1: James Corner, The Agency of Mapping
Corner, James, “The Agency of Mapping: Speculation, Critique and Invention,” in Mappings, ed Denis Cosgrove. (London: Reakton Books, 1999), 214-252.
Maps are a representation. Maps are never neutral. Maps always have an orientation.
James Corner is writing to advocate mapping as a creative tool in the artistic/design practice. He is very careful to separate 'mapping' from 'tracing' or 'cartography'. Mapping being a creative act revealing possibilities in what exists, but also actualizing that potential. Mapping that is not just for the sake of the finished product, but the process of mapping as a creative activity, and as a design tool.
Corner brings in many philosophers and thinkers to support his view of mapping, citing Harvey, Deleuze and Guattari, de Certeau. Corner certainly pushes mapping in relation to his view that socialization and spatial arrangement are changing too rapidly and that formal expression does not evolves quick enough to be relevant. His view is that design should be of process as opposed to form. Mapping is broken into three parts, as Corner terms, fields (the frame orientation, coordinates, scale, units of measure, and graphic projection), extracts (objects but also other informational data: quantities, velocities, forces, trajectories) and plottings ('drawing out' of new and latent relationships that can be seen amongst the various extracts within the field).
These are the essential elements to a creative act of mapping and the questions which must be answered. What is the context(frame)? What elements are being mapped(extracts)? How are the elements overlapped/juxtaposed(plottings)?
Corner breaks creative mapping practice into four catagories: Drift, Layering, Game-board, Rhizome
Drift: Richard Long, Guy Debord
Layering: Koolhaas, Tschumi; Park dela Villette
Game-Board: Raoul Bunschoten
Rhizome: James Corner: Pivot Irrigators 1
In the end, Corner is pushing his creative objective, that of designing interactions and processes as opposed to form per se.
9.13.2011
Diagram time!
In my reading and thinking, (which makes sense from my precedents) I continually find myself coming back to the notion of rationalism, or rather hyper-rationalism. Is it a good thing? A bad thing? To what extent does it affect my thesis?
Theory
MVRDV: Datacity/Metacity
Manuel DeLanda: Philosophy and Simulation: The Emergence of Synthetic Reason
Manuel DeLanda: Philosophy and Simulation: The Emergence of Synthetic Reason
Contemporary Precedent; Architecture
Atelier Bow-wow: Furnicycle
Carlo Ratti: Digital Water Pavilion
Carlo Ratti: Digital Water Pavilion
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)