first outdoor pin-up of 2011

The gang compiled their process diagrams from the early stages of site analysis and inventory. They are looking at three iterations of potential design concepts at a high level, related mainly to the existing context of numerous layers of urban design strategies and within the scope of each given program for their specific site. Warmest day of the year so far. high 50's F. We learned the wind likes trace paper. 

Tool #2

TIME

Hey everybody. I was thinking about the newest addition to our list of tools. These were some of the words that I thought could also be used to describe time and could possibly be added to the list...

Phase
Sequence
Period
Juncture
Span
Link
Schedule

I am just throwing these out for people to use and/or get some feedback.

-Austin

Lisa's Concept Collage

In conducting research for this project, both land and water struck me as fundamental but significant elements for the building of Anam New City. The base or backdrop of my collage is therefore an aerial of the region that highlights land and water.

As they currently exist land and water are important aspects for the people of Anam. The land provides an economic engine for many of the people through farming. The water, namely the Ezichi River, serves as the main transportation source; but is also a source of flooding in the area. To me, there appeared to be characteristics of the Anam region that possess a duality of having a potential ‘weakness’ as well as a potential ‘strength’. Creating an Anam New City would therefore entail the establishment of an ‘ecosystem’ that balanced all of the necessities that go into building a community while taking into account the push and pulls that exist between the ecosystem and its external forces. The resulting community would be self-sustaining community that capitalizes on what the area offers while minimizing impact on resources.

Agrarian Urbanism

The main idea of my reading is the development of agrarian could influence the urban form, such as the shape or structure of a city. More and more designers interest in building agricultural urbanism system. There are three famous masters in history whose theory influenced the whole development of this field. First, Frank Lloyd Wright's "Broadacre City", a movement of air, light and freedom. The model of Broadacre City described Wright's "damning critique of the modern industrial city." The spread of dense became important part to build such a Utopia. In my collage, I use abstract images to express Wright's Utopia spirit, which influenced the following theory: Ludwig Hilberseimer's "New Regional Pattern". Both of them concerned transportation and communication of the city, and the purpose is to build the low-density urbanization on natural environmental conditions. Then, based on the two formers' theory, Andrea Branzi developed his new social and cultural critique, "Territory for the New Economy". Compared to Wright and Hilberseimer, Branzi mainly focused on the social and political problems produced in the modern city. No matter if agriculture Urbanism would become real project, the theories of these leading thinkers explore the new development of urban landscape. In my collage, I make the abstract theory as specific images, and combine them together. The elements include transportation system, agriculture, products, food, light, and freedom. The whole atmosphere is happy and positive. For the Anam New city, agriculture might not be an important part from the research, however, we could learn how to shape a city from the beginning, such as make sure the transportation network or build community clusters. The further work will be done to search the suitable gate to start the site design.

concept collage

reflection
According to my two readings, my idea is to creat the two faces of water resource. Obviously, the left side is negative effect. The main thing I want is to express the problems they have now. For instance, the diseases spread by aquatic birds, flooding in rain season, mammals meat and skin for trade like otter, hippopotamus, crocodiles. We can see the bacteria at the bottom from left foot to leg and otter skin bag. Here are crocodiles skin on the shoulder, fish disease on the body and trichobilharzia ( a virus diseases) on the arm which is transmitted by fish, aquatic birds.
On the right side, we can see a good future in the condition of efficient environment system. The blue and green insturcture arund the body which provide a environment for the wildlife. Besides as a source of bush meat, the aquatic wildlife also can play an important role in economics. Like bird and fish watchers, tourist for mammals such as otter, manatee and hippopotanmus, frog museum, even a contact with crocodiles underwater safely. Besides, by water recycing, reuse, reduction and develop hydroelectricity, the costs for irrigation, energy decrease and in the meantime it produces a fridendly environment for social network and also promotes business development.

Bo's virtualpsychogeographicultural map

The people of the Anam region come from a rich history deeply rooted in their locale and respective of the larger Igbo people. My work illustrates the the cultural perspectives on the Igbo land and the consequent traditional landscape practices of the Igbo society, Nigeria. Ala is considered the ultimate judge of morality and conduct, among the Igbo, the culture respect for ala is so strong and has become the source of respect for land sustainable management and care of land resources.
The purpose of this is to show that the cultural belief system affects the traditional treatment of land and therefore the consequent landscape. Landscape practices in Igbo land is not just about aesthetics, they are designed to cater for both the spiritual and functional needs of the people and fit into sustainable management of land resources.

After reading the World Health Organization report on Ecosystems and Human Well-being, and the MCI/Vale Columbia Center business analysis on the potential for bamboo bicycles in Kumasi, Ghana, I was impressed with the potential of bamboo growth and use in this region. While the bicycle report is for a neighboring country, it highlights the adaptability of this resource. From clothing, to building materials, bamboo appears to be a significant part of the solution to the redevelopment of Anam.

Bamboo is also an excellent metaphor for describing this redevelopment process. It is hardy, resilient and propagates from cuttings in water alone. There are thousands of different varieties and probably just as many uses for it. For Anam, it also has the potential to be a catalyst for the merging of new and innovative ideas, technologies, designs and engineering, with the social and cultural morays, hopes and ideals. It represents the importance of rural activity and vegetation in the region (which is significant culturally as this corresponds to the areas represented in the national flag of Nigeria), the potential for rapid growth under the right conditions, and for Anam, the concept that one piece can survive independently and continue to grow while surrounded by water. Rather appropriate I thought ...

Austin's Cognitive Map

My readings for this cognitive collage were Lower Niger Freshwater Ecoregions of the World, Terrestrial Ecoregions Guinean Forest-Savanna Mosaic and Afrocentricity. In my opinion, the most important topics discussed were diversity, water and the people. The overall form of my collage is the watershed of the Niger River. I took the description of the landscape as a mosaic of trees and waterways and painted my interpretation as my background. The pieces are cut and stitched back together to represent how all areas of the land are a part of the watershed and without one functioning properly, it potentially disrupts the entire watershed.

The diversity of the land is seen in the different ethnic groups, as well as a multitude of plants,animals and environments. I found that the people seem to be happy and resourceful. People often fear that the world population is reaching carrying capacity, but I put economist Julian Simon on the poster because he believed that the greatest resource we have is human beings. With the increase in people, there are more people to solve the problems we have (pollution, resource depletion, etc). Essential in making Anam successful in its transition is the efficient use of water and other resources. My hope is that keeping these things in mind will help create a foundation for my design.

Cities as Living Organisms

My pyschogeographicultural concept collage stemmed out of the reading that I chose titled; Planning Sustainable and Livable Cities in Nigeria written by Kadiri Kabir O. Throughout this reading cities were compared and described as a living organism for example, "Cities are complex and dynamic places of contradiction that have been compared to living organisms." This visual relation developed further as I began to imagine the idea of cities being a living breathing thing; dissecting the diagrams of Anam New City brought out the graphic visualization that correlated with the idea behind the analogy. Cities have many parts that work together to make a working whole; just as similar to a human body that has many cells and organs that together make a body.

As landscape architects we analyze and put sites under the microscope; my collage visually shows an abstract idea of the diagrams from Anam New City being magnified along with the different textures and parts that make it a living entity.