Arundhati Ghosh arundhati.ghosh@asu.edu (480) 297 5144 The Design School, Arizona State University 2011 Urban Moiré : Fostering relationships between people and the environment Design Process Indian School Rd.
Education Masters in Architecture. ASU Bachelor in Architecture. India Experience Graduate Teaching Assistant. ASU jan2010 - May2011 Architectural Intern - LEA Architects.Phoenix summer 2010 - S.Ghosh Architects.Delhi.India jan2008 - Aug2009 Proficiency Revit, AutoCAD, Navisworks, Sketchup Adobe-Photoshop,Indesign,Illustrator An Urban Moire is formed when two or more patterns making connection to the local condition are overlapped or merged to form a new pattern. If the originating patterns are derived from conditions of habitation and the natural environment, then the resulting new urban pattern will: strengthen social interaction, sense of community and identity, and promote environmental stewardship through a direct connection to nature. Making better places for people in the residential neighborhoods of Phoenix requires the creation of more diversified infrastructural systems and an enhanced sense of social interaction.The current issues need to be addressed at various scales – the superblock, the neighborhood, the street and the house. To create a richer fabric at these scales, we adopt a process of patterning and overlays, identifying new layers to form a palimpsest of opportunities. This project is part of the studio thesis ‘More in the Middle : Sustainable growth renewing neighborhoods’ Project partly done in collaboration with Christine Naiman.
Closed Loop Infrastructure Patterns from the habitat and the natural environment are identified and mapped. Layers are then extracted based on factors such as proportion and size of spaces, depth, open and covered areas etc. to identify the spatial pattern. These layers are then overlayed on the existing mapping of the site conditions to achieve a rich and dense fabric. 1 The pattern becomes the facilitator, guide and sometimes just a backdrop for the creation of new layers of meaning, while engaging the realities of the site - forming a moire.
The new layers that are overlayed are subsets of infrastructural development that Energy the city lacks. Normally, infrastructures run through the city in a linear path. A more sustaining model for urban development is the ‘closed loop’, which designs the city Transportation and its elements in a closed system to create a self-sustaining area which combats sprawl and its detrimental effects.This idea of the closed loop is carried through at Nature each scale for an integrated design.
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Trash N
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Thomas Rd. 36th st.
Superblock
40th st.
Infrastructure Palimpsest : Connections and Loops
Pattern extracted from the Pueblo Grande Hohokam settlement in Phoenix,AZ
Neighborhood Block
Adding ‘more’ to the neighborhood
Through research, we identified five city infrastructures that are easily modified to become more sustainable: Energy, Transportation, Nature, Waste, and Water.
Water
The Closed Loop system as applied to Metropolitan Phoenix, AZ
Block Transect
Building Transect
Defining spatial relationships
Merging with reality
The existing conditions show an increased concentration of multi-family residential units to the south and west of the superblock, closer to the major commercial arterial streets. Consequently, there are larger areas of impermeable hard surfaces and fragmented green surfaces in these zones. This adds to the urban heat island effect and inhibits recharging of the aquifer, reducing the growth of nature, increasing ambient temperatures, and the stress on related energy demand. These conditions create non dynamic urban environments, with low levels of interaction and a low level of visual interest, making it harder to have pedestrian communities. This disconnection and a sense of alienation to public space, makes the middle of Phoenix non-livable and pushes residents to the edge. The resulting ‘more’ is a conglomeration of additional and missing infrastructure and densified housing. The flexibility of the units allows for the substitution of various other programs promoting the idea of a work-live situation or the option of renting out space for living or small commercial activities. rain water harvesting
horizontal space addition
shaded pathways
vertical space addition