Traces Upon the Land | SA-152
Atisha Varshney Masters In Landscape Architecture, RISD 2010
Traces Upon the Land | SA-152
time
Surface 20’ 20’ 60’ 10’ 45’ 20’
porosity
Material properties of Geological Strata
The diagram explains the site in relation to time. The time is cyclical, various small cycle make bigger cycles. This cycle occur is linear pattern making time perpetual. Thus cyclical time becomes the measure for perpetual time.
present surface use
The Site
vegetation
material in natural t strata
Traces Upon the Land | SA-152
Boston Fens
on Comm
th
Weal
Ave,
Charles River
Copley Square, 2010
v
Public Gardens
Copley Square, 2010
Boston Com-
Copley Square in contexts of larger Back Bay urban fabric. The map shows Copley Square in relation with other civic open spaces in the city.
Copley Square, 1860
The Surface
Pedestrian Movement: There is heavy pedestrian movement on sit due to the two train station on the north and south of the site. The large number of people cut thru the site diagonally towards the Boston commons.
T
T
Facade d IInteraction: i Th The bbuildings ildi on the h site i bbelong l to different eras. They are of varied material and architectural form; rather they are in a high disparity. This makes the urban morphology of Copley square highly chaotic and critical while responding to the landscape.
Traces Upon the Land | SA-152
volcanic activity
compression
thick ice sheet
land lling
deposition
silting
land lling
urban movement/ utility
Process
global warming
tides/river
capital
urban needs
catalyst
present time
time
Analysis to Concept
Elementss
architecture people vehicles
Natural
Cultural
Cultural
Resonance
Natural
Copresence
Inter-relation
Traces Upon the Land | SA-152
The idea
These models conceptually explore different methods of revealing the geological layers and their interrelation
The idea is to bring the layers of the geology and culture, to the surface of Copley Square, while registering the passage of time. The formal language of these layers on the surface will make people aware of the natural and the cultural phenomenon acting on each of these layers.
Traces Upon the Land | SA-152
Plan
A MTB NCE
RA ENT Dynamic water body
Church fore court
Hard scaped Tree
Traces Upon the Land | SA-152
Traces Upon the Land | SA-152
peat and wetlands boston blue clay
land fill
Layering of geological strata on the horizontal surface
o
oad r l i ld ra
granite bed rock
roxbury & cambridge. marking the chnage: measuring time
boston blue clay
sand
The key challenge to design process was to achieve a formal language of the landscape which would allow the layering of the geological strata on a horizontal surface in its true hierarchy, as well as responding to the functional needs of Copley Square.
Hard scaped Tree
Traces Upon the Land | SA-152
t
g
sand
soft scape
Layering of geological strata on the horizontal surface adapts to the functional use of Copley Square. This language also responds to the strong facades of the Trinity Church and the Public library.
en n a hum
wild flower beds
en m e g a
s
ath
dp
pa ve
it me
Hard scaped Tree Grove soft scape
Traces Upon the Land | SA-152
MBTA entrance
MBTA entrance
Each of the section explain the layering of the strata as a thick veneer on both horizontal and vertical surface and their response to vegetation and water. The sloping landform allows rain water to collect and also respond to the porosity of each material.
Traces Upon the Land | SA-152
MBTA entrance
MBTA entrance
A B CD
Traces Upon the Land | SA-152
The titled landform allows human to experience a constant shift in scale. This forms also help to create big urban gestures like large steps and flat softscapes integrated into the design language.
Traces Upon the Land | SA-152
The titled landlord allows rainwater to collect on the landscape and form a dynamic water body. The form of the water body will constantly change depending on amount of rain and the porosity of each material.
Traces Upon the Land | SA-152
Traces Upon the Land | SA-152
The thesis interweaves different scales of time cycle within the landscape. The drawing shows how the proposed landscape crafts places of both moment and pause for humans to engage. This in itself becomes a registry of time.
Traces Upon the Land | SA-152
The geological layers finds an urban presence and undergo both natural and cultural processes to register change, hence time.
Registry of time through - exposing the geological layers.
Geological time
Traces Upon the Land | SA-152
The tilt of the landform allows weathering through water leaving the marks on landscape. The human also leave marks on landscape, be it consciously or unconsciously.
Registry of time through - weathering by water and human.
Natural Time
Traces Upon the Land | SA-152
The landscape remembers the old rail road a new subterranean MBTA entrance.
Registry of time through - marking the old railraod.
Cultural time
Traces Upon the Land | SA-152
The changing foliage of tree register the annual time. The trees proposed on site are red maples, white ash and cornus kousa,
Registry of time through changing seasons
Annual Time