ROOT-v4

ROOT v4 invention

ROOT

v.4 Invention

Our mission is to encourage the discourse of landscape architecture by highlighting the designs, challenges and inspirations of students, faculty and professionals through print and digital publications. www.root-land.org

Introduction 4

REINVENTING LANDSCAPE Patsy McEntee, Editor

Working from Within 6 13

INTIMATE INFRASTRUCTURE Garden-Making as a Spatial Tactic in Post-Apartheid South Africa Meg Posey

FOUR SEASONS An Exploration into the World of Nature’s Adornments Erin Devine

16

THREE ESSAYS The Individual Cone, Retro-fitting a Tool Fetish, and Occupyable Space

22

THE GIFT OF INVENTION Fr8scape: Working with Next to Nothing

Becky Heavnor Anthony Mazzeo

Nature and the Urban 26

FROM THE WINDOW TO THE PLAZA Urban Agriculture Applications in the Unidad Vecinal Portales

32

URBAN ROOTS An Interview with James Urban, ASLA

35

Ben Bookout Jennifer Olson

DENVER’S AMBASSADOR STREET New Streetscape Vision for Downtown’s 14th Street District studioINSITE

Technology and the Contested 41 46 54 59

A CROWDED CACOPHONY The Effects of Technology on the Natural Soundscape

Ian Brighton

THE INTERNET IN THE GARDEN Design and Cyberspace Matt Annabel

27 WORDS FOR SNOW An Interview with Jane Wolf Will Viitanen

OF ANTS AND ANTHILLS Interpreting Sustainability for the 21st Century

Ben Brehmer

| CONTENTS

ROOT www. r oot - l and. o rg

three years ago, I had the priviledge of working with the ROOT founders, a

staff Editor-in-Chief Assistant Editor Copy Editor Content Editing Production & Layout Cover Design Cover Art Website Team PR & Marketing Faculty Advisors

When I first became involved in this project small group of thoroughly engaged and receptive students who saw this

Patsy McEntee

magazine as a dialogue and collaboration. Over the years, subsequent editors have shared and expanded upon the ideas and vision of the previous

Cynthia Guajardo

editors through a synergistic design process that crossed the boundaries

Benjamin Brehmer, Kathleen King, Jenna Pertslinger Benjamin Brehmer, Ian Brighton, Joey Meardon Patsy McEntee, Cynthia Guajardo Matt Fisher, Patsy McEntee Anthony Pozzuoli Michael Griffith Cynthia Guajardo, Ting Jin Ann Komara, Joern Langhorst, Michael Leccese

COVER AND INTERIOR GRAPHIC This abstract collage represents three specific pillars of design found within the field of Landscape Architecture: ecology, infrastructure, aesthetics, and how they

between three years of graduate students. It is my hope that this synergy continues and broadens; it is through the discussion of diverse ideas that our field grows and challenges itself.

th ank you

to the University of Colorado Denver Department of Landscape Architecture for continued support to help us publish this volume of work. Without the financial backing and belief in what we’re trying to accomplish, ROOT would be but a good idea among students and still just a conversation in the back of a van. Thank you to Ann Komara, ROOT’s fine and articulate proponent and to Joern Langhoerst for encouraging and supporting us to continue to build on the previous volumes’ success. Thank you to Michael Leccese, our advisor for journalistic excellence. Thank you to Don Gustafson of Print Matters for working diligently with us.

To our written and graphic contributors as well as our dedicated staff…you have made this our finest work yet. This has been a challenging project and while the finished product serves as a delightful reward, I have sincerely valued every conversation we have had along the way; I have learned something unique and wonderful from each of you.

- Patsy M cEntee, editor

have evolved over time. Studying and understanding successful processes, models, systems, and expressions of design inspired the image. The ground plane represents the basic foundation allowing permeation, growth and refinement over time. Specific elements were added to the piece to stress the importance of not only creative expression, but accuracy. The anatomical figure is symbolic of essential needs for human satisfaction: visual stimulation and reaction, comfort, and climatic elements. Overall, the artistic representation expresses the progression outward and the adaptation and evolution of design over time.

R O O Tv 4 |

-Anthony Pozzuoli

Please share, recycle or up-cycle this publication.

Copyright © 2011 ROOT. Nothing shown may be reproduced in any form without obtaining the permission of ROOT and its contributors.

R O OTv 4 C o v e r A r t C o m p e t i t i o n R u n n e r s U p This year was our second attempt to include contributions purely in the form of graphic art. We wanted to open up the possibility for individuals to submit a graphic that would become this year’s cover. The winning entry is an abstract collage from Anthony Pozzuoli and is our cover. We had such a wonderful turnout, however, we felt we needed to display the top entries we received. Below, are our runners up. Please be on the lookout for the next competition, as your work may become the next ROOT cover.

EmilyJosephs Computer Rendering Photoshop Landscape Architecture Design Studio 5: Haiti Design Competition

Nick Persichitte Photography + Photoshop Landscape Architecture Design Studio 8: Book-Ending Culture: Santa Fe Opera House to the Albuquerque Rail Yards

Tr e v o r To m s Photoshop Independent Graphic There is never one design solution, but rather a range of possibilities expanding outward as design parameters are diminished. Invention can be understood as a field bisected and punctuated by markers or wayfinders that inspire us and lead us through abstracted thinking space.

A l e x a n d e r Ta f t Computer Rendering Landscape Architecture Design Studio 2: Revitailzation and the Post-Industrial

| CONTENTS

RE INVENT I N G L A N D S CAPE

Introduction

Patsy McEntee

Invention.

also enticed me, romantic and whimsical, haunted

A product of the

characters themselves were a reflection of their

imagination. A creative act of making something new.

with brass notes echoing in the distance. These novels’ landscapes, the relationships between people, event and place while the influence of their stories survived uniquely in the readers’ minds.

Page after page, these were a few of the authors who captivated my youthful imagination with their

Sky as backdrop.

emotional stories and evocative characters. Each of

Ground as medium.

Space as canvas.

their tales was revealed within complex narratives over time and space, conjuring up visions of places I’d never been. Often, they were melancholy landscapes that

These are the tools of landscape architecture. ...

subsequently whispered and beckoned me over the years like memories drawn from previous lifetimes.

The subtle beauty of landscape is often cultivated in our minds before its making and physicality in space.

While words create imaginary spaces in the mind,

Previous experience and imaginings by both designer

design constructs stages for temporal experiences

and visitor often contribute to the meaning that is

in the built environment. Akin to evocative stories,

given to a place over time. Like drawing, literature is

landscape architecture can create a sense of wonder

a medium that can produce a palpable construction

about place. It engages our senses and piques

of reality without the visitor ever having been there.

nostalgic and emotional memories of the human past.

Such was my inspiration to explore place. From the

It manipulates such elements as light, form, space,

solemn misty moorlands of Emily Bronte’s Northern

texture, temperature and rhythm of movement to

England to the rugged wind-swept gulches of Norman

reveal a particular sense of space. It can also spark

Maclean’s Montana wilderness and the cultivated

impassioned creative relationships with nature. Such

fields of Willa Cather’s Nebraskan golden prairie, rural

landscapes are nurtured in the designer’s imagination.

landscapes promised experiences and adventures

Landscapes which elusively reveal the latent forces

beyond the scope of one’s upbringing. Similarly, Jack

working mysteriously under the surface of what we

Kerouac’s gritty, shadowy back alleys of 1950’s Denver

know and assume, their final product always a shade

LEFT Not far from Kerouac’s old stomping grounds of the Denargo Market area (BELOW), the diverse community of Denver’s Globeville in the River North District thrives quietly as a community in transition. Facing a number of planning efforts to revitalize vacant post-industrial spaces along the South Platte River, a quiet beauty has evolved on its own amidst vigorous successional plant life, defunct concrete forms, rusting steel and lonely footpaths..Images by author.

different than what we expected. Expressive and subtle,

Unexpected Landscapes, Resourceful Obstacles, and

technology while Matt Annabel discusses the qualities and

pastoral and urban, socially conscious and wild, acts

Forgotten Spaces, this fourth volume of ROOT is the next

implications of people’s experience of parks and public

of design in the landscape are often invisible to those

in the series which engages landscape architects in issues

space with the omnipresence of digital communication. Will

who stroll their footpaths. And yet, they create indelible

and ideas driven by landscape as a medium of process, a

Viitanen captures innovations in landscape thinking and

images in the memory of those who inhabit these

continual reworking and re-inventing of space.

representation in an interview with Jane Wolf, University of

spaces.

Toronto Director of Landscape Architecture. in A Crowded The articles are presented through three contemporary

Landscape historian John Dixon Hunt speaks of the

motifs: Working From Within explores a more

“Reception of Nature” and how each person’s experience

introspective side of the field. In The Gift Of Invention,

of a landscape is an evolving narrative, one which

UCD Senior Instructor Anthony Mazzeo challenges

encompasses cultural values and features of a place,

us to rework what is given on a site in order to invent

but also their personal emotional and phenomenological

through practice. Erin Devine’s Four Seasons photo-

experience over time (Hunt 2005, 16). In this way, both

essay explores the poetic imagery of landscape while

the designer and the visitor participate in the continual

Becky Heavnor’s Three Essays analyzes the toolkit of the

reinvention of landscape meaning. Such individual

landscape architect. Finally, in Intimate Infrastructure,

stories begin with the designer’s emotional imagery,

Meg Posey discovers the sensitive cultivation of the

drawings that create narratives that people experience

human spirit through the making of gardens in post-

in their imagination, far before the built works have

apartheid South Africa. In Nature and the Urban, studio

been realized. These places are molded through an

INSITE has re-envisioned 14th Street in Downtown Denver

iterative process developed between the designer and

while Jennifer Olson gives us a snapshot of James Urban’s

the community, founded in a collective imagination, and

recommendations for addressing urban microclimates

powerfully realized through their ability to acquire new

with street trees. In From The Window To The Plaza,

meaning over time.

Ben Bookout describes a case study in Santiago Chile

Cacophony. Lastly, Ben Brehmer interprets the implications of sustainability for the future.

Invention.

A product of the imagination.

A creative act of making something new.

Let’s begin.

where urban agriculture may be utilized to revitalize This magazine presents a written discourse of

a blighted community. Finally, Technology and the

landscape architecture to its readers, highlighting the

Contested challenges the field to consider the changing

challenges and inspirations that continually inspire

face of technology, its impacts and opportunities:

the evolution, the invention, of new landscapes.

Ian Brighton comments on our challenge to manage

While previous volumes have invited a discussion of

natural soundscapes and the infiltration of modern

References John Dixon Hunt. The Afterlife of Gardens. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004.

5| INTRODUCTION

INTIMATE INFRASTRUCTURE

Garden-Making as a Spatial Tactic in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Meg Posey

PREVIOUS “Shade Tree” This manicured tree belongs to an older man named Otto, who prunes it with a prize pair of shears and ladder. He likes to sit on the bench and just think and watch the neighborhood pass by. BELOW Depictions of proposed changes to land rarely acknowledge the mechanisms. Images by author.

According to Kenneth Helphand, the garden has lost its importance in our discipline. Ironically, that we associate the garden with the archetypal idea of paradise and the nostalgic allure of the pastoral may account for our marginalization of garden making, where we see gardens as luxury, frill, pastime, or leisure time activity, and not as an essential component of culture and human existence (2007, 6).

From the onset of my time as a student of landscape architecture, it became clear to me that the discipline is generally uncomfortable with “the garden”—the word, the idea, the associations.

agent in daily life. Although the discipline is deeply

garden from its social meaning; when we do so,

rooted in the garden, we outwardly seek a separation,

we run the risk of defining the garden in strictly

illustrated by the name of an internet group I was asked

esthetic or ecological terms—which is what

to join some time back, “The Infamous Landscape

many people are doing now” (1980, 121).

Architect… and No, I’m Not a F***ing Gardener.”

In an accordant opinion, the founder of Landscape

Both Jackson and Helphand implore scholars to heed

magazine and a catalyst of cultural landscape studies,

the social significance of the garden—to look beyond the

J.B. Jackson reflects:

garden’s wonderful and well-documented aesthetic and ecological values, and more deeply into the garden’s impact

“We are determined to see the garden in As a result, I pursued research that explored the garden’s capacity to be a creative, elastic, and positive

in our individual and communal lives. My research positively

terms of vegetation, and that may be one of our

contributes to this project through an exploration of the

problems…we can never entirely divorce the

social significance of gardens. I looked to gardens that have

7 | WORKING FROM WITHIN

BELOW “A Walk” A morning walk through the Makhaza district of Khayelitsha with Namhla and her sister. Image by author..

been largely ignored by garden study— gardens located

bare ankles, and a collage of colors brightened the otherwise

that day, since I brought no camera for fear of looking like

in the physical and psychological margin of society—

bleak landscape of the sand flats under the smoky haze. The

the rich American tourist that I was. Yet the images and

specifically those coaxed out of the everyday fabric of the

people of Langa had mixed reactions to our presence. Some

emotions of these gardens were softly planted in the soil of

post-apartheid South African township.

stared at us with seeming bewilderment and others beamed

my mind, like seeds that lay fertile, albeit dormant.

at us with wide, welcoming smiles. Among the bright colors, Seeds

I was keenly intrigued by the verdant greens and creative

In 2005, before launching my graduate studies in

compositions of peoples’ gardens. Although generally small

Cultivation In the spring of 2007, I attended a lecture by Kenneth

landscape architecture, I traveled to South Africa for six

in stature and modest in materials, these spaces spoke of

Helphand, who was there to introduce his new book:

months to pursue rock climbing in the Cederberg Wilderness

human care and perseverance in the face of formidable daily

Defiant Gardens: Making Gardens in Wartime—a truly

Area, two hours north of the Cape Town metropole. Although

challenges. I took not a single photograph of the gardens

pioneering endeavor merging history, archival research,

it was advised against, I visited Langa Township, on the

and an inspirational perspective on the garden. In Defiant

periphery of the city, with a local climber who once lived

Gardens, Helphand presents historically grounded,

there. Townships are a legacy of the apartheid policies that

evocative narratives about gardens created in the extreme

segregated African and mixed-race people into separate

state of war. Upon my initial read, I recalled the striking and

housing areas.

tenuous gardens of Langa, the images and emotions sown in my mind, lingering dormant from years before. I imagined

Although the regime of apartheid was officially dismantled in 1994, its legacy of racial segregation remains deeply

the opportunities to extend this research project with an investigation of contemporary defiant gardens in South Africa.

entrenched in the physical articulation of space, social structures, and collective memory in modern-day South Africa.

Helphand poignantly states: “A s I w r i t e a n d y o u r e a d t h i s , w a r r a g e s o n and defiant gardens are created somewhere in

Townships epitomize a condition of social and spatial

the world. It has always been so” (2007, 242).

marginalization, and are generally characterized by a high density of people living in makeshift or sub-standard housing

While the people of the post-apartheid South African

settlements, often lacking basic infrastructure services. The

townships are not presently at war, and living conditions

persistence of the word “township” to name these racially

are ostensibly improving, they continue to live in a racially

and economically segregated settlements exemplifies the

tensioned society, in the shadow of a violent past, and

insidious scar of apartheid.

with daunting daily hardships. These profound social and

My first exposure to life in Langa Township was a

political circumstances positioned South African townships

visceral sensory experience. This dense yet sprawling place

as compelling sites to develop a closer knowledge of the

smelled of burning wood fires, the wind spun sand around my

garden.

R O O Tv 4 | 8

RIGHT “Golden’s Sunflower.” Golden handcrafts these delicate sunflowers and thousands of other flowers from recycled aluminum cans. Image by author.

The practice of making a garden has the capacity to empower a person, specifically a person living among

Grounding Once in Cape Town, and upon establishing a contact in

challenging circumstances such as poverty, segregation,

the townships, the fieldwork proceeded with routine, and

and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. I posited that garden-making

my partner, Alex, and I traveled to Khayelitsha on Tuesday

endeavors possess agencies that promote individual and

and Friday mornings for the duration of our six month stay.

community wellbeing. Helphand outlines five of these

Namhla, our contact, clearly instructed that we only visit in

agencies in Defiant Gardens: life, home, work, hope and

the mornings for personal safety reasons, as she explained

beauty. My research was also grounded with a strong

that the gang members were simply still asleep. Through the

theoretical tie to Michel de Certeau’s perspective in The

casual method of “walks and talks,” we established a rapport

Practice of Everyday Life. De Certeau contends that

within the community. While it was my preliminary intention

peoples’ daily practices are inherently tactical, as the

to perform structured interviews and collect measured

majority of practitioners operate in a perpetual power

data, the reality of fieldwork quickly modified this plan, and

struggle. De Certeau elaborates:

we kept interactions more informal, relaxed and friendly.

“Many everyday practices (talking, reading, moving

The language barrier was significant enough that formal

about, shopping, cooking, etc) are tactical in character. And

interviews were difficult and seemed to be invasive. On the

so are, more generally, many “ways of operating”: victories of

other hand, casual conversations were welcomed and easily

the “weak” over the “strong” (whether the strength be that of

facilitated by translation, gestures and the exchange of

powerful people or the violence of things or of an imposed

smiles.

order, etc), clever tricks, knowing how to get away with

On our walks we traveled at the pace of a stroll, ambling

things… maneuvers… joyful discoveries, poetic as well as

along the generally quiet streets, punctuated with many

English, with elegant detail, telling his tender story. Several

warlike” (1984, 19).

a pause—to take a photo, make a note and talk with a

years ago, Golden had a dream; he dreamt of abundant,

neighbor. The walk was our purpose, allowing the sensory

colorful flowers sprouting amid the rubbish at the nearby

and Helphand’s defiant gardens, I conceptualized gardens

Guided by this understanding of De Certeau’s tactics

details to flood our perceptions. We began to build an

dump. A voice told him to go to the dump and find the flowers.

created in the townships as tactical gardens: intimate,

intimate understanding about the significance of gardens

At the time, he was unemployed, struggling to support his

exterior spaces, created out of the basic human need

for individuals and the collective community. Multiple modes

family of seven. After a series of recurring dreams, he spotted

to negotiate an adverse situation. To guide the project, I

of garden meaning were evident and the capacity for the

a red Coke can lying in the dirt. It caught his eye and he paused.

developed a core research question to explore this idea of

garden to empower and transform was revealed. From these

He picked up the dusty Coke can and spit on it; he recalled

the tactical garden:

exchanges, I later constructed garden narratives—detailed

the bright flowers from his dream. That night be began to cut,

stories about the unique garden endeavors and spaces of

twist, and transform the metal can into a flower, his first daisy.

H o w, a n d i n w h a t w a y s , c a n t h e a c t o f m a ki n g

these people. The following is a sampling of these stories.

the marginalized landscape of post-apartheid South African townships?

He honed his skills and began crafting handsome flowers; he made hundreds, then thousands—daisies, poppies, roses,

a garden be understood as a spatial tactic in

Golden’s Flower Garden A humble man, father to six children, he spoke in simple

lilies, tulips, and sunflowers. Over time he established himself as a flourishing artisan in the community, supporting his family

9 | WORKING FROM WITHIN

LEFT “Building Rapport” In a casual encounter along a neighborhood walk, we met a woman who had lots of questions for us. Chiefly, “Why did you come all the way from America to look at our poor gardens?” Through conversation we built a rapport with her that developed into a trust over many weeks. BELOW Zelo’s intricate fence work. Images by author.

room shack until rather recently when she came up on the

The entire time she spoke with us in Xhosa she

waiting list for a “proper” house. The government built her

continued to mend, twisting the wire with her visibly

current house in 2007, constructed of cement blocks. It has

strong fingers onto the existing fence. She expresses that

a foundation, a “proper” roof and an indoor toilet. As Namhla

while it is sometimes bothersome, she does find a certain

translated, the word “proper” peppered the conversation;

satisfaction in mending the fence, closing a hole, making it

the house is proper, the roof is proper, and also her garden

more complete. She is always collecting scrap wire to patch

will someday be proper. She explains that since she has

it—clothing hangers work the best. With only a couple of

moved into this new house, she has yet to have a proper

exceptions, every time we visited Zelo, she was mending

garden—one that is healthy and productive. The sandy soil

her fence. I speculate that her mending practice is a sort of

with the sale of his bountiful flowers to world tourists. While

has been a challenge. She is thus preparing the soil with both

moving meditation for her, a meaningful negotiation with

he spoke, he worked methodically, painting the black centers

manure and ash, in anticipation of a healthier crop this year.

this site—a house issued by the government, a sandy garden

of pink poppies. He was modest, yet quietly proud that he had

It is a slow process to make the soil healthy, she laments,

patiently waiting for fertile soil. Mending the fence is a

picked his family up out of poverty and provided inspiration for

shaking her head, but she has this fence to deal with in the

purposeful way to make this site home, a “proper” life here in

his neighbors and extended community. Golden’s unexpected

meantime, she smiles.

the city away from her true home in the Eastern Cape.

garden was the first of many gardens in Khayelitsha that spoke to me about creativity, persistence, and hard work in the face of daunting daily challenges.

Zelo’s Proper Garden As we approached, she was fastidiously tending to her fence, cobbled together from multiple mattress springs, coils and salvaged metal wires. Zelo shares with us that she is constantly mending her fence—she must keep her chickens and rooster in, and the dogs, cows and goats out. She paused for a moment to shake our hands and exchange the Xhosa greetings that we had been practicing. She smiled kindly as she held my hand inside both of her slightly rough, yet gentle hands. This was a handshake technique that I had already come to know as customary and respectful: I reciprocated.

Zelo’s home is in the Eastern Cape, in the rural hills outside the province’s capitol of Umtata. She moved to the Makhaza district of Khayelitsha in 1990, to be near her children who migrated to Cape Town in search of work. She lived in a two-

R O O Tv 4 | 1 0

BELOW “A Garden Talk” With Namhla as my interpreter, I speak with her neighbor, Mandala, about his gardening endeavor. Image by author.

Nelson’s Subsistence Garden

from her home across the street. After the initial success of

broadly, we can open ourselves to the idea that the things

Nelson grows primarily tomatoes, along with other

the garden, she recalls that he began painting and tending

cultivated are not always living, physical, tangible material.

vegetables to help feed his family. Like the staggering 50%

the yard of the house: he built a mailbox, a stone patio and

Rather, the most vital things cultivated in the garden may

of people in Khayelitsha, he is unemployed. He began this

a new clothesline. With enthusiasm she explains that he is

also be metaphysical and psychological—methods of

garden two years ago and now has so many tomatoes that

always working on little projects here and there to improve

communicating, negotiating, and simply being in the world.

he both barters and sells to the produce stand on his street.

the place—like a busy bee, she says.

With this understanding, we recognize that cultivation is

In this regard, Nelson has entered the “informal economy”.

Nelson says the garden helps them to “get by,” but I suspect that the garden has done more for him that he immediately

implicit in all gardens. At its etymological origin, “cultivate” Sprouts These stories expose the delicate powers of the garden

means “to care;” it is an active verb that denotes a process: planning and preparation, fostering and development,

recognizes. As he shows us around his garden, he displays a

in the everyday lives of people who live in a reality defined

growing and maintenance, nurturing and dedication. In the

certain pride. He built the fence first to keep out the animals,

by the ugly legacy of apartheid. It becomes evident that

most traditional sense, Nelson cultivates a patch of sandy

and next, he bought starter tomato plants from the school.

the range of gardens experienced all share the powerful

soil to produce a crop of vegetables that sustains his family.

The garden was the first in a string of projects at Nelson’s

human praxis of cultivation. If the verb “to cultivate” is

In the more expanded sense, Zelo cultivates a way of being

home. Namhla describes that she has watched the progress

released from its strong biotic association and defined more

in the world as she methodically mends her fence. The most essential things cultivated are not ripe tomatoes or a robust fence, but purposeful work and hope for a better future. In the marginalized context of Khayelitsha, the capacity of the garden to cultivate wellbeing proves to be exceedingly important in peoples’ daily lives. Revealed in diverse forms—archetypal to imaginary—the garden is a tactic that township residents use to negotiate negative circumstances and promote the positive.

Gardens While the practice of garden-making is vital to the tactical repertoire of people living in Khayelitsha, it is but one of numerous tactics that people pursue daily as they maneuver through adversity. Of these tactics, some are distinctly spatial expressions. I conceptualized that the web of spaces that result from spatial tactics—a web that supports both individual and collective well-being—might be understood as the intimate infrastructure of a place.

The garden is a representative example of an intimate

11 | WORKING FROM WITHIN

infrastructure; a tactical practice physically and spatially

spatial constructions emerge only through the tactics and

manifested in the landscape. Other examples may include

routines of the people who dwell, inhabit, and maneuver

courtyards, alleys, paths, shortcuts, playfields, trading posts,

through these landscapes. However, research that seeks

and landmarks—spaces that emerge vis-à-vis the practice

close knowledge of this spatial framework may serve

of tactics. Intimate infrastructure provides fundamental

to inform a sensitive and dignified approach to housing

mental and physical continuities that sustain both

development in the future. It is my hope that this type

individuals and cohesion within their society. In Khayelitsha,

of research might serve to spark an unfurling of the

and other marginalized places, these spaces may have a

intimate infrastructure that exists beyond the scope of our

tenuous existence due to uncertainty of land-tenure and

traditional understanding of infrastructure. Knowledge

mobility, but this fact only makes intimate infrastructure

of this infrastructure has the power to inform the design

increasingly important. In the absence of stability—both

and development of future human settlements and civic

physical and political—intimate infrastructure fills a critical

spaces, which redirects the discussion back to landscape

gap as it encourages “rhythms of the everyday.”

architecture.

The contemporary practice of landscape architecture

“Everyday life is reliant on rhythm in ways we do

can be emboldened, not embarrassed, by the garden. As

ordinarily consider. Rhythm in daily life is that which

landscape architects, designers, and scholars, we should

gives it its taken-for-granted-nature, which patterns

not fear that the garden trivializes our important work and

it in relation to time and convention. Rhythm is not

complex projects. Rather, as we are looking for new modes

the same as uniformity. Suggestive of regularity and

of communication, we may enlist the garden for its capacity

predictability, it does not obviate the unexpected“

to converse across socioeconomic and cultural barriers.

(Ross 2010, 69).

Fieldwork experiences demonstrate that the garden speaks among people who live in the marginalized context

The spatial expressions created by tactical operations

of Khayelitsha. Yet, I believe the garden also resonates for

are the loci of the rhythms of everyday life—an autonomous

people who live in relative freedom from the burdens of the

infrastructure, formed by the people and for the people.

margin, but are challenged by more benign daily realities

Thus, intimate infrastructure—the spaces where one

such as consumerism, debt, technology overload, and

embodies rhythms of the everyday—cannot be designed

segregation from nature. These people, like myself, are in

or constructed by an external authority. These intricate

need of a revolution, an epiphany—a garden.

R O O Tv 4 | 1 2

References De Certeau, Michel. The Practice of Everyday Life. Berkeley: University of California, 1984.

Helphand, Kenneth. Defiant Gardens, Making Gardens in Wartime. San Antonio, TX: Trinity University Press, 2006.

Jackson, J.B. The Necessity for Ruins. Amherst: The University of Massachusetts Press, 1980.

Ross, Fiona. Raw Life, New Hope: Decency, Hope and Everyday Life in a Post-Apartheid Community. Cape Town: University of Cape Town Press, 2010.

FOUR SEASONS An Exploration into the World of Nature’s Adornments

Erin Devine

PREVIOUS This photograph depicts a woman surrounded by the powerful world of books. As she reads about nature and landscape, the words on the pages combined with her vivid imagination have created the personification of seasonal goddesses.

“Nature” is what we see -The Hill -- the Afternoon -Squirrel -- Eclipse -- the Bumble bee -Nay -- Nature is Heaven -Nature is what we hear -The Bobolink -- the Sea -Thunder -- the Cricket -Nay -- Nature is Harmony -Nature is what we know -Ye t h a v e n o a r t t o s a y - So important Our Wisdom is To h e r S i m p l i c i t y . “ - E m i l y D i c k i n s o n

Writers and poets have found inspiration in nature for centuries...

R O O Tv 4 | 1 4

FACING PAGE Spring - The springboard of the year and life cycle captivates with its awakening of slumbering verdure.

Centuries of writers and poets have turned to nature as

smell of fresh cut lawn, the sharp texture of a coneflower,

a source of lyrical inspiration for the regional nuances

the gentle massing of Alkali sacaton grass, the wind

of landscape found in seasonality, topography, and

blowing through the leaves: the simplicity of these

characteristics like mountains, fruited plains, and salty

elements are consuming.

beaches. These distinctions have all provided fodder for writers to transpose what they see onto paper. Many

It is our responsibility as thoughtful designers

written works have stood the test of time because of the

to explore these details. They are subtleties that

visual power behind the words. The language takes the

separate, define, and delineate character from one

reader into the places they create through the connection

place to another. Therefore, details should be studied,

of details, colors, textures and smells. This culminates in

annotated, and most of all, celebrated. We need to learn

painted imagery that transcends the individual mentally

how to best harness our vegetal materials, imagine them

away from their book, and brings life to a place outside of

in an idealized state, and then put that vision to paper. As

their reality.

writers visualize the course and flow of a book, landscape architects need to visualize the course and flow of our

This written power initially comes from the

changing built environments. We need to discover the

mind’s eye of the creator. Their well crafted words guide

place that falls between the conceptual and the real,

the individual into a meticulously designed world of

grasping onto the details, thus blurring the distinction

imagery. As readers drift, and the pages continue to turn,

between the two realms through design. In this way, the

the “built environments” engulf, as much as they delight,

guests of a built work will be able to savor the journey

the person experiencing the contextual break.

through the landscape.

Just like our treasured poets of past, landscape architects posses the power to transcend the v i s i t o r o f a l i t e r a l “ b u i l t e n v i r o n m e n t ”. O u r profession’s premier responsibility is to create places for people to inhabit.

Public or private, large or small, we construct a greeting with our natural surroundings. Like the words within books, our herbaceous tool palette can have the same visual pull on the sightseer. A garden space can allow the user to forget their larger urban context, as they become lost in the details. The shape of the petals, the

TOP Summer - The midsummer noontide of the year brings dramatic displays of colorful splendor.

MIDDLE Autumn - The mature, established autumn of the year is a time of harvest and maturity, when plant life has evolved into the most founded version of itself.

BOTTOM Winter - The winter heralds the letting go of the year and seasonal plant life as it had been known.

All photographs courtesy of the author. This photo essay was inspired by the Architectural Photography Elective taught by T. John Hughes. The final portfolio project was open ended, and as a landscape architecture student, Erin chose to interplay photography with the poetics of the four seasons.

15 | WORKING FROM WITHIN

THREE ESSAYS

The Individual Cone, Retro-fitting a Tool Fetish and Occupyable Space

Rebecca L. Heavner

international news—in both headings and body copy.

Circles in design can be social and political statements

The Individual Cone

movie, “Meet the Parents.” Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) invites Greg Foker (Ben Stiller), his future son-in-law, into “the Byrnes family circle of trust.” Designers may

“The Individual Cone” is a drawing based upon my interpretations of Merleau Ponti, Heidegger

be invited in, stepping out of their “sphere of influence” while media and forces can misalign the designer’s cone.

and Donna Haraway and indicates how media, art

I envisioned my cone as an art installation, a seamed

and landscape relate to the landscape architect.

piece of translucent fabric hanging from a single point

D e s i g n e r s o p e r a t e w i t h i n a “ s p h e r e o f i n f l u e n c e .”

from the ceiling with four steel circular rings increasing in size until it hits the floor. Heidegger’s “thereness” in

The Individual Cone is an invisible force that moves as a designer moves between the studio and the landscape.

this drawing is literally over there, outside of the circle; we are invited to see his picture of a topological setting.

Merleau Ponti’s idea of “thereness” originates from within the cone.

Carl Steinitz separates art from landscape architecture: “First, we must understand our world (as best we can,) and on that basis, our work can be individualized. This is not the position of an “artist”—one who understands the world through personal expression...” (Steinitz 1995, 189).

I interpret this in the following way: An artist is many things to many people. In my mind there is a distinction

My “thinking” is influenced by “media.” As I drew this,

R O O Tv 4 | 1 6

of inclusion and exclusion. I remembered a scene in the

between a fine artist and an artist. A fine artist

I daydreamed about circles. Everywhere I looked, I saw

establishes constraints and situates her work between

the word “circle.” It was especially noticeable in The New

particular ideas beyond expression—they relate to the

York Times—”the circle” was in the style section and

context of the time. A fine artist enters into a contextual

BELOW Illustration by Rebecca Heavner

conversation of topics that relate to people, place and time. A landscape architect, is not a fine artist, but like a fine artist, should be situated.

Since I am an artist, I have an internal debate regarding landscape architecture; is it a craft—or— an art—is it both or neither? I think about the creative well and how to keep it full and accessible. Important museums often have stairs that lead up to the entrance; it is a required ritual, a liminal space of transition; prepping the body to be enlightened. I envision the landscape architect grounded but able to access the creative well through personal rituals that allow for a similar kind of transition.

The empirical point represents Donna Haraway’s theory regarding the objectifying perspective of science gazing down on nature (Haraway 1991, 22). This point is also imperial. It is the far away perspective of many of the media technologies that are used by landscape architects. The faraway perspective is the plan view and is useful only in collaboration with a situated designer in context to the landscape.

What would happen if my creative well shifted down into the landscape? It would relate to the “dross” of people and their relations on the ground.

References

Carl Steinitz, “Design Is a Verb; Design Is a Noun,” Landscape Journal 14, no. 2 (1995).

Donna Jeanne Haraway, Simians, Cyborgs, and Women : The Reinvention of Nature (New York: Routledge, 1991).

17 | TOOLS OF THE TRADE

R e t r o - f i t t i n g a To o l F e t i s h

Donna Haraway’s writings about the history of science have given the world a feminist insight into how organisms interface with technology.

“Gazing at tools we may choose to forget that they only mediate our labour” (Haraway 1991, 22). Once I tried my hand at selling my art in an art festival. I designed the space within the tent, but the pure white walls made my tent look more like a hospital than an art gallery. I found a coarse brown wax-coated fabric used by fisherman at sea and decided to sew the walls of the tent connecting piece after piece with french seams. As soon as I got the fabric, I realized that I would have to retro-fit my sewing machine to be ABOVE Illustration by Rebecca Heavner.

R O O Tv 4 | 1 8

able to sew this heavy fabric. The quantity and weight created too much tension to feed it through evenly. I

set up PVC pipes to take and release fabric on either

long as we understand that the relationship exists and

end of the machine to make it “do” something beyond

has a certain power. The potential for design resides in

what the machine was designed to do.

bringing things close. Crank up the fetish for what we create—not for the tools.

References Donna Jeanne Haraway, Simians, Cyborgs, and Women : The Reinvention of Nature (New York: Routledge, 1991).

A tool is a thing. Heidegger defines things (jugs, temples, peasant shoes) by what they do. Bridges

“Man puts the greatest distances behind him and

Kristine Stiles and Peter Howard Selz, Theories and Documents of

allow for people to gather and a jug is a vessel that

thus puts everything before himself at the shortest

Contemporary Art : A Sourcebook of Artists’ Writings, 2nd ed. (Berkeley Calif.:

holds wine. Heidegger warns that we can’t reduce the

range. Yet the frantic abolition of all distances

University of California Press, 2012).

objects and tools to what we see of them. A jug is a jug;

brings no nearness; for nearness does not consist

a shoe is a shoe, and a computer is a computer. They

in shortness of distance” (Heidegger 1971, 163).

have an inner life and he explains that things are what

Tools like Geospatial Information Systems provide

we make of them and their identity is found in their

an example of the abolition of distance. Designers

function (Heidegger 1971, 163)

reach through their computers to see a macroscope

Science has set up the perfect condition for

Martin Heidegger, Poetry, Language, Thought, [1st ed., His Works (New York,: Harper & Row, 1971).

National Public Radio. http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered

view of something far away, but must be used in

/2012/02/24 /147364732/googles-goggles-is-the-future-right-before-our-

collaboration with the senses and other tools to

eyes (Accessed 5/2012).

creating a continual “fetish” towards nature. Using

understand and construct a story of events. Visual

microscopes scientists have established a narrative

information gathered from the tools that design from

that nature is to be something to be gazed upon; an

afar provides an important perspective, and detect

object that must be scrutinized in order to understand

unperceived patterns that might not be seen from a

and control the outcome. Cybernetics is a mechanism

ground level perspective (National Public Radio 2012).

to understand the tensions between the natural (art) and the constructed (media technology) found in the

Technological tools such as glasses with smart

“post-industrial interchange between organically

phone capabilities, designed to stream data just a few

human and digital life” (Stiles 2012, 384). “We have

inches from the eye (National Public Radio 2012) are

allowed our distance from science and technology

an example of technological tools that are creeping

to lead us to mis-understand the function of natural

closer and closer to the body. We are becoming

knowledge” (Haraway 1991, 8). Haraway points out

cybernetic design tools. But in their nearness, we need

that there is a spatial closeness that needs to occur

to remove them from them from their use, to interpret

between body and machine in order to understand the

the messages that they generate, to see that they can

natural world. Designers must situate technological

be more than what they are designed to be; they can

tools closely and scrutinize them for better fitness and

be what they are challenged to be.

control. A fetish is not necessarily a negative thing as

19 | TOOLS OF THE TRADE

stadium in an urban neighborhood within the viewshed of the Washington Monument.

Even the Washington Post reporter that broke the news dismissed the citizens as people “sitting on their porches hoping for a breeze,” and didn’t understand that the neighborhood was full of capital hill aides and politically-minded citizens who had opinions

Occupyable Space

(Boswell 1992, C1). Overnight, as part of a citizen action group, I helped to establish an advertising campaign to convince our local representatives that

It is important to allow a certain amount of empty space for possibilites— in the mind and body.

this was an issue that went beyond the argument of “not in my back yard” but it was an inappropriate location because of the viewshed and potential traffic congestion on a two lane road. It was certainly a bad location.

I silkscreened powerful images that illustrated how this kind of development would impact the community; it would become a parking lot of cars that would fuel existing congestion and air pollution. We

When the occupation leaves, the evidence remains.

What is left controls what the space could be.

created brochures, posters, a commercial, t-shirts, then picketed the capital in Richmond. The stadium was not built. But the land was valuable and so it would

In 1992, the governor of Virginia made an inside deal

R O O Tv 4 | 2 0

not remain empty. Big box retail moved into the space

with Washington Redskins football owner Jack Kent

as part of a 20-year occupation plan. What happens

Cooke. They decided without asking the public, to build a

first affects what could be later. The space was

BELOW Illustrations by Rebecca Heavner.

filled and that action, good or bad for the space, will determine what it could be in the future.

“We have allowed the distance from science and technology to lead us to misunderstand the status and function of natural knowledge.” How has this happened? It is the condition of a scientific observational fetish that has prepped nature to be scrutinized as an object that has occupyable space.

The body (mind, body heart, feelings, landscape) can become rejected as irrelevant. When an importance is attributed the object of desire, such as one form of media representation, it becomes consuming and creates a spatial dominance.

In landscape planning there is a gaping hole to be filled. An obsession shifts the gaze outward beyond the body to a revered thing that is objectified. In a machine-determined mentality, “the body” or a “landscape body” becomes disregarded and occupyable. The body is a temple. What is put in it is what it is.

References Thomas Boswell. “Cooke Just Did It”. TheWashington Post, July 10, 1992, C1.

21 | TOOLS OF THE TRADE

THE GIFT OF INVENTION

FR8scape: Working with Next to Nothing

Anthony Mazzeo

PREVIOUS Collage perspective drawing through the length of the “ghost truck” garden exploring the scale of the site. BELOW Narrative collage exploring the measures of the sites previous use as a freight yard aimed towards formal and performative potential. Drawings by author.

“The gift belongs to a thought beyond knowledge, a desire beyond mere wishes, a naming beyond ordinary nomination. Indeed there is passion only to the extent that we are impassioned by the impossible. Anything else, anything less would be too presentable, too pedestrian, and too possible, to be worthy of thinking, desire, or passion. Anything else would remain within the horizon of the same, as inventions of the same, as merely new m o v e s w i t h i n o l d g a m e s . . .”

(Caputo 1997, 169-170)

How does invention happen within practice?

How does invention give to practice – or better yet, how does invention give practice its chance?

As such, how do we avoid mistaking “new moves within old games” as invention?

A word or two about the relationship between invention and practice: There is always and already a built-in relationship

without action, invention is all dressed up with nowhere to go. As such, invention is less about thinking outside the box, and more about finding ways to open the box from within

between invention and practice… though it is a bumpy one

with a great deal of responsibility and just enough well

at that. Within this relationship invention can be seen as

intended disregard to let something new happen, maybe

something that drives practice on; that drives it to its limits.

even something unexpected.

Practice, derived from the Greek word praxis, meaning

The practice of invention requires a posture of vigilance,

action; to translate an idea into action, is the process of

an active being-on-the-lookout for the cracks and gaps

performing and doing, in our case, landscape architecture.

through which something new or different might break

In the Derrida sense, invention is a gift: something given to

through, an active-being-on-the-lookout for the more, always

practice as a means of giving practice its chance. Without

and already lurking beneath the surface, latent within the

invention, practice cannot be set in motion. Without practice,

given.

23 | WORKING FROM WITHIN

BELOW A pre-existing network of cracks.Image by Tang Jian.

FR8scape: Working with Next to Nothing FR8scape is the name given to the landscape concept developed for the Freight Project: a 30,000 S.F., 50 year-old

FR8scape is rooted in the idea of working with next to nothing.

through the most conventional demolition methods, as well

Where are the cracks, the gaps, the handholds? Where

as how each pattern might perform socially and ecologically.

are the seeds? What is the code of the of the site’s latent

work space at the mixed-use development TAXI, along the

potential?

How is the site already a garden, an “accidental garden” of consequence and neglect, where the threads of culture

Working with next to nothing is a design posture of vigilance and pragmatics, of working from within, an active being on the lookout for the more coded in the already given; a design philosophy invented from the desperation often associated with working with post-industrial sites with limited resources.

The criteria for determining the most appropriate pattern strategy was based on a simple ratio of intervention to performance:

and nature are woven intricately thick as hybrid ground?

what were the most modest means towards

How do we demonstrate the expressive potential of this

achieving the greatest gains?

byproduct landscape produced by human industry and neglect without totally erasing its memory?

What are the givens? Can we make more of the givens?

How?

We decided on a linear subtraction pattern, the cadence guided by the measures of the sites previous use as a freight yard. We named the chosen concept “ghost truck.” The

How do we begin?

existing tarmac was restriped and re-numbered with yellow

Why is such a posture of working from the middle so

paint, delineating the loading spaces of the past. Between

unconventional, so unfamiliar, and so radical?

The existing Freight site is approximately three acres, entirely covered by asphalt and concrete, with a 30,000 SF single-story building in the middle. The site is situated

loading docks, long narrow linear strips of exiting asphalt and concrete were surgically removed with concrete saws and backhoes, then stockpiled onsite for reuse.

Over the ghost truck pattern, a second pattern was

more or less at the center of the TAXI campus with potential

superimposed; a new pattern of utility, the patterns of storm

connections to the river (to the east), TAXI 1, 2 and 3 (to the

water conveyance and groundwater recharge - through the

south), and future development sites (to the north).

center of the tarmac heading towards the river, another

Our initial forays into design pointed towards the

section of asphalt and sub-grade was removed and replaced

idea of repurposing the existing freight yard tarmac as

with two feet of pea gravel, amended soils, native seed,

campus green; a gathering place for both people and natural

and cottonwood whips for filtering runoff pouring off the

processes, a hybrid ground. The question asked, can we

30,000 SF Freight roof on its way to the Platte River. As

instigate a variety of landscape effects by strategically

the cottonwoods mature, the roots will reach out under the

slicing open the existing tarmac while leaving remnants

remaining asphalt, continuously breaking it down, seeds

of tarmac in place for paths and stages? Could inspired

from the native grasses taking hold in the cracks.

reconsiderations of existing ordinary methods and materials result in extraordinary opportunities?

A number of pattern studies were performed as a means

R O O Tv 4 | 2 4

We considered what types of patterns could be achieved

A few more questions:

former trucking terminal recently repurposed as creative Platte River in the River North area of Denver, Colorado.

of testing the fitness of various subtraction strategies.

In addition to performing as a filtering machine, this network of “cracks” frame and delineate social spaces: the paths and stages of remnant tarmac. Precast concrete

LEFT Collage perspective imaging a movie night in the events plaza. Drawing by author. RIGHT Site photographs provided by the owner of the sites transformation from early construction to near completion to event.

ephemeral underground stream connecting the south building entry with the existing campus to the south.

Just to the west of the plaza is the cinema lawn, an area of turf, trees, and metal skinned bin block benches designed to accommodate events.

Sky as backdrop….

FR8scape is designed to receive the sky - the snows of winter, the rains of summer, the light of day, the dark of night.

Ground as medium…

Considering the dual meanings of the word ground, as the physical surface of the earth and a foundational principle; as surface or substance; as form or meaning; as topography or argument; the ground was truly our medium and the efficacy of its emerging landscape the result.

Space as canvas…

The canvas was given, a 50 year old freight yard tarmac.

The patterns cut into its surface were not only determined through measures of composition, but through strategies of organization as well, instigating a kind of always coming together of diverse events and processes.

FR8scape: the place of the question. “bin blocks” with metal folded seating lids are sprinkled

Can we invent new possibilities latent within the given?

throughout, providing additional legibility and allure as well

Can we rework the already given in new ways in order to

as place to sit in the shade of the cottonwoods. The bin

produce extraordinary effects from ordinary means? Can

blocks are manufactured by the adjacent concrete plant

we refocus on the workings of the landscape medium as a

to the north, a byproduct of the concrete delivery process.

means of giving material form, shape and legibility to the

When the trucks return to the plant after the delivery, the

landscape experience?

remnant materials leftover are poured into 2’ x 6’ forms, cured and reused for a variety of industrial purposes.

A plaza of 8” thick repurposed concrete chunks leftover from the first phase of demolition crosses the artificial

References Caputo, John. The Prayers and Tears of Jacques Derrida: Religion without Religion. (1997) Indiana University Press.

25 | WORKING FROM WITHIN

FROM THE WINDOW TO THE PLAZA

Urban Agriculture Applications in the Unidad Vecinal Portales

Ben Bookout

PREVIOUS La Unidad Vecinal Portales present day. BELOW Example of open space occupation prevalent in UVP. Images by author.

There is a recognizable pattern in most

H i s t o r y o f L a U n i d a d Ve c i n a l P o r t a l e s

Bresciani, Valdez, Castillo, and Huidobro (B.V.C.H).

Originally a modern housing development for 11,000

cities: an integrated city surrounded by

inhabitants, it was a Le Corbusian-style development

cultivated land that is evolving into

From the Window to the Plaza, La Unidad Vecinal

a city with sprawling suburbs

Portales (UVP) in Santiago, Chile is a typical example

on 76.5 acres with large housing blocks constructed

of an aging housing development which has changed

in ample public space. The development featured a

from a model of modern middle class living in the late

system of pedestrian overpasses separating vehicular

1960’s, to a place largely dependent on distant and

and pedestrian movement. The architects offered an

intensive resources for water, food and electricity.

interesting alternative to this design type by introducing

By the late 1980’s, the urban landscape had become

one- and two-story single-family houses into the

severely degraded and neglected. La Unidad Vecinal

common spaces. Many of these single-family housing

Portales was originally designed and constructed

units had the pedestrian overpasses directly on their

between 1954 and 1966 by the architecture firm

roofs. Such design strategies illustrated the combining

and distant farmland.

A city increasingly dependent on lengthening food supply chains.

Alan Berger describes this phenomenon in the following way: “Waste landscape emerges out of two primary processes: first, from rapid horizontal urbanization urban sprawl, the second, from the leaving behind of land and detritus after economic and production regimes have ended” (Berger 2006, 198).

Often, the spaces left behind by this horizontal urban movement are economically disadvantaged, and therefore lack the resources to maintain or redevelop non-functioning public space. When introduced into the civic realm, urban agriculture can provide a dynamic community- building experience for people as an alternative to public space redesign in repairing the damage of urban blight.

2 7 | N AT U R E A N D T H E U R B A N

BELOW RIGHT La Unidad Vecinal Portales circa 1966 just after construction had finished. Image courtesy oficina de arquitectos B.V.C.H. (Bresciani, Valdés, Castillo y Huidobro), the architectural office BVCH. BELOW Example of the abandoned system of pedestrian bridges and overpasses. Image courtesy the author.

of modern design theory and industrial technology to

standards, with 28% of the residents struggling with

realize the vision of a modern city. UVP had major design

daily necessities and 92% living in a state of poverty

flaws however, which would be exposed in the coming

(Censo de la Universidad Alberto Hurtado 2007). As

decades.

one walks through its spaces, it is an uncomfortable and

As socioeconomic and political variables began to

stagnant landscape, mainly used by residents to go from

change within Santiago during the 1970’s and 1980’s,

point A to B. The plazas resembled ancient ruins with

UVP began to change as well. Resources to maintain

crumbling benches, playgrounds and unkept or dead

the common space diminished and the appearance

plant material. Other parts of the landscape contained

of the development began to degrade. Many of

sidewalks that doubled as access roads, improvised

the pedestrian overpasses were walled off as the

parking and fenced off public areas.

population demographic converted from owners to

After talking with the residents about their

tenants. The UVP changed from a middle to a lower

experiences living in UVP, I began to understand

class neighborhood and the common spaces fell into

that they have collectively lacked the resources and

disrepair.

organization to improve the conditions of the shared spaces. It is also unclear who is responsible for the

The municipality was forced to completely c u t i r r i g a t i o n t o L a U n i d a d Ve c i n a l P o r t a l e s public spaces, as residents were pirating the water connections and using them for their d o m e s t i c w a t e r.

By the early 1990’s, the area had become a scene for crime, drug use and poverty. UVP as a whole was never designed to be separate from the public spaces of Santiago like the majority of apartment blocks in the city. Because of the developing problems, it didn’t act to link the surrounding public spaces of the city, but instead it isolated the complex. The dry, deteriorated public space offered little benefit for the majority of the population residing in the enormous housing blocks.

The social and economic problems of the city played themselves out through the landscape of the UVP. Even today, UVP is considered poor by Chilean

R O O Tv 4 | 2 8

maintenance of these common or public spaces of the

LEFT The UVP with a diagram of the system of plazas which acted as common space nucleus between groups of blocks and houses.

Drawing by author.

UVP. Legally, the space has changed definition a number

to change residents’ relationship to their landscape by

financing proposed urban agriculture projects. The

of times as new laws have been introduced to try and

bringing people together through the act of cultivation

proposal’s educational piece would work to inform

regulate public and private space at a city-wide level.

and recuperation, especially as a community-building

people about the local and organic food movement,

The landscape of the UVP continually stands outside

project. I propose a development strategy which would

and its importance in urban infrastructure and in the

the definition of these laws and therefore leaves

incorporate educational programming in order to grow

neighborhood’s economy. It would also link to pilot urban

responsibility unclear. Furthermore, the residents are

the desire for and knowledge of urban agriculture in the

agriculture projects in the area.

separated economically and physically within the UVP.

UVP. The strategy would address the legal challenges

Luz Cardenas, Professor of Urban Development at the

of the site, as well as suggest possible avenues for

A community network could be organized to facilitate three different teams. One team would handle

University of Chile, describes these separations as not only physical, in terms of the fenced off, occupied space, but also economic, since residents with more resources began to migrate, preferring to live in the first-floor apartments and houses (Cardenas 1990, 106). The rise of the automobile and increase in the number of improvised parking spaces and access roads in Santiago have also impacted the use of public space.

The actions of ground-floor dwellers who fence off and occupy large portions of public space as their own also breaks up civic corridors. This not only works against a functioning outdoor space, it further separates the residents socially. In many instances, these divisions have been festering for 20 plus years. Some houses and apartments have been sold with the fenced in areas as part of the deed. Thus, any group discussion about changing the common space quickly becomes emotional with most residents.

Design Intervention: Urban Agriculture Given the complex problems of the UVP, it is difficult to see how urban agriculture can be part of the solution. But urban agriculture has a unique ability

2 9 | N AT U R E A N D T H E U R B A N

TOP Example of a niche installation using the hay bale raised bed examples to the bottom right. This method would work to recover a small, highly visible portion of the public spaces at UVP to demonstrate what is possible. BELOW Possible scenario using suspended crate gardens to recover use of abandoned pedestrian overpasses. Drawing by author.

the financial and legal aspects of varying expressions of urban agriculture. Another team would handle the various workshops and lectures needed to educate people about urban agriculture while the third team would implement the pilot urban agriculture program in the UVP. During the first phase of the project, residents will be encouraged to keep plants on balconies, in windows and on terraces as an ideal way to grow small amounts of food using relatively low-cost recycled materials. By offering these low-cost or subsidized opportunities to residents, the conversation can begin to address how portions of the 76.5 acres of common space might be used for additional urban agriculture expressions. This phase of the project will plant the mental seeds for The dynamic of social and physical separations require that any proposal of a large-scale community garden should work to include all residents.

more cultivated space once residents see what can be grown in windows and on terraces.

The second phase of the project will concentrate on implementing a highly visible pilot project. By using simple methods and materials, an abandoned niche of the UVP will be converted into a highly productive pilot project for the residents to see. The chosen site is on a major thoroughfare bisecting the area and receives higher amounts of vehicular and pedestrian traffic than other spaces. It is important in this phase that residents and non-residents see the successful regeneration of a portion of the common space. This will facilitate

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BELOW LEFT Examples from phase 1, attempting to implement window gardens in apartments above ground level with low-cost prototypes.

BELOW CENTER Example of typical apartment block window at UVP with window garden examples. BELOW RIGHT Crate garden with PVC frame meant to attach to balcony walls or pedestrian overpass walls. Drawings by author.

the recuperation of larger portions of common space

Maggie Roe, sustainability expert from Newcastle

maintenance. As a result, community gardens create a

and begin to include growing numbers of residents in

University, describes the primary problem as the

more enduring recovery from urban blight.

neighborhood’s implementation of urban agriculture.

disassociation of the urban human from natural

The third phase is based on the cresting wave of

processes:

growing interest in urban agriculture. It could be many years before residents reached a tipping point that

As we make recuperated land dear to the people, it is less likely to fall into disrepair in the future. With the incorporation of values for education, cultivation,

“The heart of the problem lies with the

and personal expression into public space, those values

might make the reclamation of a large part of the

dissociation between urban humans and natural

resonate with the local community and the public as a

landscape possible.

processes...leading to the idea of using the urban

whole.

A proposal that fails to include all stakeholders

landscape to raise environmental awareness

may exacerbate the fracturing of the UVP socially and

and self-reliance within communities by the

physically. This would require a hybrid of community

development of community gardens” (Benson

garden and park, letting one neighbor enjoy the park

2000, 13).

Benson, John and Roe, Maggie. Landscape and Sustainability. New

I would argue that community gardens raise

Berger, Alan “Drossscape.” In The Landscape Urbanism Reader. New

setting alongside the other cultivating her/his own vegetables. It would convey the message that we are not trying to force this model of community garden upon

environmental awareness and increase self-reliance

them, but providing the choice of participation or simple

as well as build community. In the case of the UVP, this

enjoyment.

strategy can provide opportunities for the interweaving

The complexity of the UVP offers many similar challenges as comparable projects of recuperation.

References

York: Routledge, 2000.

York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2006.

Cardenas Jiron, Luz Alicia. “La Unidad Vecinal Portales : el disfuncionamiento de los espacios exteriores : un problema de diseño urbano?”

of public space while motivating stewardship, thus

Santiago, Chile: Universidad de Chile, Facultad de Arquitectura y

lowering reliance on exterior stakeholders for

Urbanism. 1990.

3 1 | N AT U R E A N D T H E U R B A N

INTERVIEW WITH JAMES URBAN

A Renewed Perspective on Trees In The Urban Context

Jennifer Olson

PREVIOUS “Many factors determine whether the soil resources for a project can move successfully from concept to construction.”

(Urban 2008)

J a m e s R . U r b a n , FAS L A , i s k n o w n fo r h i s c o n t r i b u t i o n s t o u r b a n a r b o r i c u l t u r e a n d s o i l s , e s p e c i a l l y in regards to the preservation and installation of trees within the urban environment. Since the founding o f h i s p r a c t i c e i n 1 9 7 8 , M r. U r b a n h a s c o n t r i b u t e d t o t h e r e d e ve l o p m e n t o f s t a n d a r d s r e g a r d i n g u r b a n tree plantings, including an authorship of the urban tree planting section in the 1998 Supplement of the Architectural Graphics Standards. He has also lectured extensively on the topic at several top universities in the United States, including Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Virginia. All of his research and expertise has been compiled in his recent book, Up By R o o t s : H e a l t h y S o i l s a n d Tr e e s i n t h e U r b a n E n v i r o n m e n t . I n 2 0 0 7 , M r. U r b a n r e c e i v e d t h e American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Medal of Excellence for his significant contributions to the industry’s knowledge of urban trees.

The following interview with James Urban took place over breakfast on March 2, 2012 at Prima in Hotel Teatro in

JO: Are the root systems of trees found in nature different than those grown in nurseries?

Denver, Colorado,.

JU: Root systems are very different in nature versus Jennifer Olson: Do you have a favorite tree? What makes it special to you?

nurseries. Nursery plants have balled roots that create all types of problems. It’s up to landscape architects to fix this problem or else virtually every tree is a dead tree.

James Urban: Oak trees are number one on my list.

Second on my list is the male cultivar of Ailanthus; it is a

JU: The Initiative is ridiculously thought-out and counterproductive. Fewer, better trees should be planted – the program will fail simply because of the word ‘million’.

JO: How do you provide enough soil volume to

perfect urban tree much maligned by environmentalists

accommodate for tree growth within the urban

who do not understand that we are nature and our imported

environment?

trees are part of our natural evolution.

JO: Are there any large-scale urban forestry programs or initiatives that you view as innovative? What factors make them stand apart?

JU:The first step should always be soil analysis. Then JO: How do you decide what trees to plant in which regions – Denver for example?

JU: The number of species you can grow in Denver includes Zones 2-7, I believe. However, there is a misguided

there are three main ways to provide for the growth of tree roots. First, place loose soil under the pavement

North Carolina and Apledorn, Holland. The political support

in trenches. Second, make a soil system that holds up

for these urban forestry programs makes them successful.

the pavement. Third, build a structure that holds up the sidewalk and then fill that with soil.

view of the environment. There are no native plants to the urban environment. Plants can now grow in Singapore and Alaska; but the soils and the climate need to be matched for a plant to actually be native.

JU:Toronto is by far the best, followed by Charlotte,

JO: What do you think are the biggest challenges facing urban forestry programs today?

JO: How do you feel about the Million Tree Initiative that is taking place in Denver?

JU: The biggest challenges revolve around the politics of trees.

3 3 | N AT U R E A N D T H E U R B A N

BELOW RIGHT ”Organic matter is removed from urban sites. Compost as a part of site management must be added on a regular basis” (Urban 2008). BELOW LEFT “Tree size and life expectancy will respond proportionally to increases in soil volume.” (Urban 2008)

JO: There is a significant expense associated with the infrastructure needed to create loose soil conditions in many urban settings. Have you found that clients are receptive to paying this expense once they understand the long-term benefits for the tree? Or do they tend to favor traditional installation methods due to the up-front costs?

JU: Some clients understand the long-term benefits, but

the day and into the night. Our designs have to accommodate the growth of trees.

I changed, and in doing so created a market for myself and the knowledge I have collected.

JO: What do you think landscape architecture students are missing in their college education?

JU: Students are lacking the knowledge found in my

most do not. Changes in the funding of urban trees must

book – they have no knowledge on how to plant trees. It is

start with governmental regulations. The private sector will

our responsibility to learn what we need to know. There is a

not do it themselves.

mathematical equation to planting a tree. The excuse, ‘We would like to design the landscape correctly, but we’re not allowed to’ is

JO: How did you make a niche for yourself within the profession?

exactly that, an excuse. Master arborists know how to plant trees, but not landscape architects. If you want to know something,

The passion that James Urban possesses, coupled

learn it. Passion can override degrees.

with his continual drive for knowledge, has

JU: I was introduced to Tom Perry in 1979. I was sent to a conference where he was the keynote speaker. He said landscape architects know nothing about trees; I

furthered the profession’s understanding of

JO: Do you have any advice for students looking to further the profession like you have?

completely disagreed. However, I went to a second one of his lectures, this time in New York City. I listened to his talk and afterwards introduced myself. I talked to him the rest of

urban trees and soils. By continually striving to understand the complexities of arboriculture, Urban has created a niche for himself within the

JU: Landscape has come to mean plants. The term has slipped

field of landscape architecture. Through this

away from us and we have alienated the term with words like

interview it became strikingly apparent that

hardscape and streetscape. The next generation of landscape

while knowledge acquired through classes and

architects need to redefine the term and the profession – they

universities is important, it is often the pursuit

need to correct people when it is used incorrectly. We need to

of knowledge outside of these settings that can

protect our profession. I’ll leave you with this: from truth comes

be the most influential. It is the pursuit of the

strength. We must use our terms correctly so that we can

unknown or the misunderstood that can ultimately

communicate with the rest of the profession.

lead to new inventions, new discoveries, and new ways of thinking.

References Urban, James. Up By Roots. Champaign, IL: International Society of Arboriculture, 2008.

R O O Tv 4 | 3 4

DENVER’S AMBASSADOR STREET A New Streetscape Vision for Downtown’s 14th Street

Text and images courtesy of studioINSITE

Project Description: 1 4 T H S T R E E T:V I S I O N , U R B A N D E S I G N & C O N S T R U C T I O N D E N V E R , C O LO R A D O 14th Street Initiative Client: D O W N T O W N D E N V E R P A R T N E R S H I P, I N C . 2 0 0 5 – 2 0 0 7 14th Street Construction Project Client: CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER, 2009 – 2012

studioINSITE is a local Denver firm specializing in landscape architecture, urban design and planning for urban and campus settings. The firm was commissioned to develop a design vision for 14th Street in Downtown Denver – a process which began with the14th Street Initiative in 2006.

Creating a Sense of Place for Downtown D e n v e r ’ s “A m b a s s a d o r S t r e e t ” In 2006, 14th Street was a mundane urban corridor for visitors. Running from Colfax Avenue in Downtown Denver toward the Colorado Convention Center, the stretch is busy with pedestrians, bicyclists and automobile traffic. It passes numerous hotels and restaurants as it runs into the Denver Performing Arts District, eventually ending in vibrant LoDo.

R O O Tv 4 | 3 6

Its three lanes of traffic occupied much of the real estate between the buildings lining the street, leaving

The 2007 Feasibility Study This study included the initial project survey of

narrow sidewalks, few trees or other plantings and little

existing conditions. It was determined from this

else to invite tourists and local pedestrians. Residents,

survey of utilities and existing grades that the curb

business owners, and owners of property along the

line would only be able to be moved an additional 3’

street knew they had prime Denver locations, but

on the north side, to provide only 19’ as opposed to

realized they needed a concerted effort to change the

the originally projected 22’ with the curb line moved

character of the street in a big way.

6’. To maintain drainage patterns and avoid impacting major utilities, the curb line could be extended out

The 2006 14th Street Redevelopment

3’ to create a 19’ pedestrian area on the north side.

Initiative Study

The feasibility study also developed a detailed cost

The Downtown Denver Partnership, Inc. took the

estimate that was submitted to the “Build a Better

reins and collaborated with developers, business

Denver” Bond Board requesting $10 million in funding.

owners and public institutions to commission a set of

Private property owners along 14th Street played a

design guidelines to direct the redevelopment of 14th

major role, contributing $4 million toward the design and

Street. The idea of a redevelopment was viewed as a

construction.

“once in a generation” opportunity to redefine a major street in Downtown Denver. The goal was to establish

The Design and Construction Process

14th street as a “cultural spine,” while contributing to the

(2007-2012)

overall improvement of Downtown Denver’s physical environment.

The Initiative study looked at various ways

Building on the success of the Design Initiative and Feasibility Study, the implementation of the $14 million roadway and streetscape improvement project was

to improve the environment for all modes of

led by Parsons Brinckerhoff in Denver. As part of the

transportation (pedestrian, bicycle, automobile).

implementation team, studioINSITE was selected as the

studioINSITE consulted with transportation planners

urban designers to complete final design drawings and

Felsburg, Holt and Ullevig to create vision and design

ultimately help build the project they had spent three

principles for streetscape development. In order

years championing.

to support a pedestrian thoroughfare, the study

The extensive design and programming has

determined that the street’s vehicular travel should be

established a new cultural core for Denver with this

reduced from three to two lanes. The elimination of

“Ambassador Street.” Welcoming visitors from around

parking on one side of the street was studied but the

the world to hotels, events, and world-class restaurants,

decision was made to leave the parking in place.

the street introduces and orients visitors to Downtown Denver. The 14th Street streetscape redesign converted

3 7 | N AT U R E A N D T H E U R B A N

a driving lane to a flexible driving/parking lane for four

back and presented to the property owners. The Denver

construction teams including studioINSITE, Parsons

blocks of the corridor, added a bike lane, widened the

community was able to learn from these examples and

Brinckerhoff, and the contractor, Concrete Works of

sidewalk on the north side of the roadway, installed

understand how these global precedents related to

Colorado.

distinctive wayfinding signage designed by ArtHouse,

14th Street. In addition, local precedents included 17th

and enhanced the sense of place with high-quality

Street, California Street, and Larimer Street, each of

streetscape amenities and details.

which was presented as design options for translation

To start the design process, studioINSITE sent six individuals to New York City, Chicago and Vancouver

to 14th Street.

A 40-person stakeholder group comprised of

The street tree planting plan was designed in close coordination with City of Denver Forestry Department. Species diversity was one of the primary goals of the tree planting design.

to study streetscape systems, standards, and new and

residents and property owners played a crucial role

upcoming projects in these three cities. The team that

in the development of the 14th Street design. The

visited New York City focused on the integration of bike

design and development team hosted a total of seven

Regal, and Central Park Splendor). The Espresso variety

lanes and public spaces, and studied narrow streetscape

stakeholder design meetings, each with a specific topic

of Kentucky Coffeetree (a recent seedless cultivar),

environments. The team sent to Chicago focused on

to help advance the design. Upon completion of the

Princeton Sentry Ginkgos, Turkish Filberts, Schumard Oak

streetscape sections that included planter curbs and

final design, studioINSITE met individually with each

and State Street Maples were newer cultivars of trees

porous paving opportunities within the streetscape.

property owner along the corridor to share the design

utilized in the streetscape design.

The team in Vancouver had the opportunity to see

and make any necessary modifications to the design

projects in design for the 2010 Olympics as well as

prior to construction. Funding for the project has

typical street tree spacing be 30’-45’ on center, the

Vancouver’s latest streetscape/theatre district project,

included significant public and private investment for

Forestry Department was in support of denser spacing

Granville Street. Field measurements of pedestrian

capital improvements, and has been the impetus for the

on 14th Street due to the design of improved soil

walks, amenity spaces, and tree spacing were brought

formation of a General Improvement District (G.I.D.) to

environments for the planned street trees. On 14th

assess property owners annually in order to maintain the improvements.

Design Details The infrastructure, materials, and water conservation efforts that have been made have established the 14th Street streetscape as the first in the United States to receive Silver “Green Roads” certification from the Green Roads Foundation, with a score of 43 points. The effort to achieve such recognition is unprecedented in contemporary streetscape design, and required a great deal of coordination between the design, management, and

R O O Tv 4 | 3 8

Three varieties of elms were specified (Triumph,

While the Streetscape Design Manual suggested

Street, trees are spaced as close as 20’ to 25’ on center, creating a more inviting pedestrian experience while also reducing the urban heat island effect.

One of the distinct forms located along the corridor is the motif of a softened triangle, repeated in granite seating elements, planter pot form, corner monuments, and the trash/recycling receptacles. This triangular form was derived from the converging city grid systems that surround 14th Street. It establishes an innovative form that is repeated through a variety of custom streetscape elements.

Project Challenges The most significant challenge that the team faced was the promotion of a healthy landscape within this densely urban environment. studioINSITE’s response to this challenge integrates a revolutionary in-ground planter design that is predicted to significantly increase the lifespan and growth capacity for street trees in urban environments, positioning 14th Street as one of the nation’s most sustainable streets. As opposed to the typical individual tree grate, 14th Street creates 35’ x 5’ below-grade root zones combined with porous paving and efficient irrigation. This planting approach has established an exciting new precedent that the City of Denver is encouraging as its preferred method for

have two levels of design which would result in two

future, property owners within the Standard Zone will

streetscape design.

levels of assessment along the corridor. The corridor

be required to install Premium Zone improvements

The scale of the project presented a challenge for

was divided into sections to address budgetary

when redevelopment of their property takes place,

the design team. Encompassing a total length of twelve

concerns: the Standard Zones are located from Market

creating a phased-in opportunity for transition to the

city blocks, there was no single programmatic solution

to Larimer and from Welton to Colfax, while the

higher level of design and assessment.

for the entire length of the streetscape project. While

Premium Zone is located between Larimer and Welton.

The Standard Zone includes concrete pavement

working on the assessment model for the property

The Standard Zone areas were determined by whether

with accents and porous paving around tree plantings,

owner contribution, the property owners decided to

they contained land that can be redeveloped. In the

enhanced signage, pedestrian and roadway lighting,

3 9 | N AT U R E A N D T H E U R B A N

expanded sidewalks, and “bulb-out” curb extensions at intersections. The Premium Zone includes standard elements in addition to sculpted planter pots, granite seat walls, granite planter curbs, theater and accent lighting, and enhanced light poles with banner elements. This diversity of design provides visitors with a vibrant experience as they traverse the length of 14th Street.

Altogether, $1.5 billion in public and private investments have been made to properties along the corridor since 2002. This new streetscape project built on these investments to strengthen the new ambassador street identity. Construction of the streetscape project was substantially completed in Fall of 2011 with a few remaining urban elements added in 2012. The elements added in the Spring of 2012 included trash/recycling receptacles, bike racks, and annual plantings in planter pots. A postoccupancy evaluation of the project is scheduled to be prepared in Summer 2013.

In May 2012, the Downtown Denver Partnership honored the 14th Street Redevelopment project for completing an extensive streetscape leveraging a unique public/private partnership. Other awards that have been given to the project include the 2011 Women in Transportation “Big Project of the Year” and the 2011 American Public Works Association “Project of the Year” in the Large Community EngineeringOperations-Maintenance category.

The results of the project have enhanced downtown Denver’s urban environment with a dynamic streetscape of exceptional quality for visitors, residents, and business owners alike.

R O O Tv 4 | 4 0

A CROWDED CACOPHONY

WIND

WIND TRAFFIC

FROG

The Effects of Technology on the Natural Soundscape

INSECTS

BIRD ECHO OF AIRPLANE

Ian Brighton

AIRPLANE

PREVIOUS “Soundscape” “image based on N.P.S. Graphic credit: http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/soundscape.html BELOW CENTER With over 3 millions visitors annually, traffic during Rocky Mountain National Park’s summer season can be impactful. Image by author. BELOW RIGHT Although visually obscured from the pond, Bear Lake Road sits less than 700’ away.

Tackling the problem will not be easy. Noise pollution has

The trail down Prospect Canyon in Rocky

become so widespread that even the interiors of our vast

Mountain National Park passes by a small unnamed pond that attracts a diverse

wilderness areas aren’t immune. In the US, for example, flight

range of birds. On a pleasant summer day

paths carpet the skies, making practically every remote area

you can hear the happy honk of a mallard,

susceptible to jet engine noise. The non profit One Square Inch of Silence (OSI) is one of the few groups dedicated

t h e h o l l o w k n o c k o f t h e d o w n y w o o d p e c ke r,

to addressing this issue. Led by self-described “sound

the chirping of mountain chickadees,

tracker” Gordon Hempton, OSI’s mission is to “protect and

and possibly even the shriek of a

manage the natural soundscape in Olympic National Park’s

goshawk protecting its nest.

backcountry wilderness.” (OSI 2012). Hempton argues that a single square inch of space permanently protected from

Enthusiasts know that bird “watching” is as much an aural experience as it is visual, which is why they will likely notice that Prospect Canyon is also exposed to a constant barrage of humaninduced noise.

human-induced noise will create a buffer of quiet that 200 yards to the north directly across the valley. The result

benefits the entire area. It helps that Olympic National

is a variety of vehicle sounds echoing among the aspens and

Park is more than twice the size of Denver, and covered by a

pines. From the vacuum-like whine of the Estes Park shuttle

temperate rainforest that naturally filters noise. Frequent

laboring up to Bear Lake to the Harley rider gunning it around

cloudy days also keep low-flying aircraft from buzzing the

the curve, Prospect Canyon acts like a natural amphitheater

area, a major source of noise pollution in other national

to the long parade of summer tourists. Adding to this chorus of combustion are frequent commercial airlines that provide a strange sonic whoosh as reverberation emanating from jet engines catches up to the pond in a big compressed wave. Although many visitors find ways to ignore these intrusions, ecologists are finding evidence that they are impacting natural processes more than we once knew. Recordings by scientists have documented icebreaker ships in the Antarctic interrupting the vocal chatter of beluga whales and low-flying aircraft silencing the croaking of spade-foot toads near Yosemite National Park (Stover 2009). Try as we might to tune out the new chorus of noise makers, sound continues to affect our lives and our environment. By addressing sound pollution through design

The main culprit is Bear Lake Road. Although visually obscured by coniferous forest, it passes by the pond about

R O O Tv 4 | 4 2

and layout, we can reconnect to a soundscape that existed before the noisy industrial revolution began its crescendo.

BELOW Digital artist/designer Aaron Koblin created this image by mapping the flight paths of over 205,000 aircraft tracked by the FAA over a 24-hour period. Few blank spaces exist, illustrating how air-traffic carpets the skies on a daily basis.

parks. Nonetheless, commercial flights still criss-cross the

that animals use sound frequencies much like radio stations use

The implications for chronic hearing loss are significant.

park, piercing a natural soundscape that has existed for

bandwidth (Strain 2011). Just like an orchestra is comprised of

Studies are proving that hearing loss can occur through

centuries.

a range of frequency-producing instruments, animals find their

repeated exposure to loud noise over time though even

own unique sound that fits within nature’s soundscape. These

the most expensive hearing aids can’t restore perfect

for a no-fly zone over the park. Hempton explains that the

sonic signatures become learned assets for survival, and are likely

hearing . This means that the majority of people who

inconvenience of a no-fly zone would barely be noticed,

passed on through genetic selection. The introduction of a new

live and commute in urban environments are likely at

stating; “it would cost less than a dollar per passenger

persistent sound may drown out a particular frequency range,

risk United States Department of Labor (Occupational

and less than a minute of travel time to avoid the National

rendering it useless for other animals.

Safety & Health Administration 2012). Dr. Deanne Meinke,

To ensure a quiet environment, the organization is asking

Park.” Despite this seemingly small price to pay to preserve

For humans, the stakes may be even higher. Hempton

Associate Professor of Audiology at the University of

the aural integrity of an ancient ecology, many question

warns that urban noise is reaching epidemic proportions,

Northern Colorado, explains, “the reality is it depends on

the harm done by jet engine noise passing by at 18,000

“Noise pollution is so widespread that Noise Induced Hearing

what you do throughout the day, every day of your life.”

feet. Unfortunately for quiet seekers like Hempton, one

Loss (NIHL) has become the number one occupational illness.

She points out that a daily bus ride with the headphones

such entity is the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The medical community is now calling noise pollution the new

on isn’t going to create instantaneous hearing loss, but

Hempton states, “Very simply, the FAA does not feel that

second-hand smoke that is stealing our health” (Hempton 2011).

with time, sounds are likely to lose their luster (Meinke

low-level noise, that is, sound levels below those of the human voice, is significant.” Although the National Parks have implemented noise ordinances designed to protect natural sound, it limits them to areas below 18,000 feet.

This opens virtually every national park to outside noise.

Dr. Hempton argues that these efforts to preserve natural quiet are inadequate: “Unless specific legislation is enacted to make our most pristine National Parks off limits to all aircraft, just as many areas of the United States are off limits to aircraft for military purposes, we will most certainly lose this precious natural resource” (Hempton 2011).

In fact, many are pointing to evidence that invasive noise may be changing the ecological makeup of places that have existed for thousands of years. Research has shown

4 3 | T E C H N O LO GY A N D T H E C O N T E ST E D

BELOW Sound frequencies of nature in comparison to frequencies produced by human technology

2011).

For noise pollution, physical hearing loss due to loud noise exposure is just one part of the problem. As Dr.

small events can add up to create a stressful environment for

devices. Using the analogy of speed limits, she states: “We don’t

everyone (Meinke 2011).

all drive as fast as we can in our cars, we watch the speedometer.”

Despite these warnings, the urban sound-meter seems

Meinke explains, “The leaf blower may be hazardous

to rise year after year. Dr. Meinke points out that efforts

to the operator’s ear, but it’s also annoying to the

to regulate noise were largely stymied in the 1980’s when

person across the street.” Studies have shown that the

President Reagan defunded the Office of Noise Control, part

psychological effect of unwanted noise can raise blood

of the Environmental Protection Agency. She says that today

pressure, disrupt focus, and interrupt sleep. When taken

we’re significantly limited in our ability to regulate noise, and

into account over an entire lifetime, these seemingly

it’s even affected how we label the health hazards of noisy

Allowing for an unchecked sound environment may eventually result in a type of collective sound amnesia (Meinke 2011).

Design Solutions Although it may be impossible to build environments completely free from noise pollution, landscape architects can help deflect its impact. A lot of times, this is easier said than done. In a profession that relies heavily on visual experience to sell ideas, noise and sound perception are most often a secondary consideration. In addition, Dr. Meinke explains that “there’s a lot of myths about environmental sound… you could put up a wall that cuts noise right next to it, but it doesn’t do much for the park bench 10’ away.” She recommends consulting with an acoustic engineer early in the design process, pointing out that “A retrofit is usually much more difficult and expensive down the road” Luckily, a few basic design concepts can help change a landscape, from sound propagating to sound dampening.

(Meinke 2011).

First, rigid and smooth materials like concrete and glass are especially good at reflecting soundwaves through the atmosphere. An abundance of these materials placed within a close proximity of each other can actually increase the background noise of a space (Heutschi 1995). The use of porous and flexible materials placed in a terraced manner can absorb and deflect sound waves.

Another major impact on noise pollution is maintenanceintense landscapes. A heavily manicured public park with an

R O O Tv 4 | 4 4

abundance of turf grass and vegetation needs a small

take it all in.” Living in an unchecked noise environment may

arsenal of mowers, leaf blowers and pruning tools that all

put us all at risk of missing out on nature’s grand symphony.

crank out significant decibels. Keeping our natural spaces as self-sufficient and maintenance-free as possible can go a

References

long way to reducing the collective urban hum.

Solutions for the national parks aren’t as straightforward. Building sound buffers along the length of Bear Lake road in Rocky Mountain National Park would be a visual blight as well as prohibitively expensive. In this case, quieter technology may provide the best avenue for restoring the natural soundscapes. Zion National Park, for instance, has prohibited personal vehicles on its major access road during peak seasons, and employed the use of quieter propanepowered shuttle buses (NPS 2012). The result is a much more natural sounding environment that still provides access to the millions of tourists who visit every year. Rocky

Hempton, Gordon. interview by Ian Brighton. April 22, 2011.

Heutschi, K. “A Simple Method to Evaluate the Increase of Traffic Noise Emission Level Due to Buildings, for a Long Straight Street.” Applied Acoustics 44 (2/3 1995): 259-74. Koblin, Aaron. “Flight Patterns.”

Electronic Image. San Francisco, CA: Wired Magazine, 2009.

Meinke, Deanne, MD.. interview by Ian Brighton. April 19, 2011.

One Square Inch. “What is One Square Inch?” One Square Inch. June 29, 2012. http://onesquareinch.org/about/ National Park Service. “Soundscape/Noise.” In Nature & Science, edited

by Yosemite National Park, 2009.

Mountain National Park could employ a similar strategy, or perhaps even rethink the use of roads completely.

Alternatives could be a quieter light rail system, or even gondolas to shuttle visitors in and out of the park. Existing road segments could be opened up to bicycles, allowing for a return to the natural sounds to dominate Prospect Canyon once again.

As our national parks continue to see more visitors, and as we shift towards denser, more centralized urban space, noise issues are likely to expand. Although the

ABOVE Although a gondola can make significant noise, it’s limited to a fixed location. This makes it easier to control and design around.

Employing quieter technology is often the most cost-effective way to limit excessive noise.

National Park Service. “Shuttle System.” National Park System, August 28th, 2012.

Stover, Dawn. “Not So Silent Spring.” Conservation Magazine, JanuaryMarch 2009 Strain George M. “How Well Do Dogs and Other Animals Hear? Deafness in Dogs & Cats,” LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. April 6th, 2011. http://www.lsu.edu/deafness/HearingRange.html United States Department of Labor. “Occupational Noise Exposure.”

Occupational Safety & Health Administration. http://www.osha.gov/

difference might seem slight at first, man -made noise may

SLTC/noisehearingconservation/healtheffects.html, September,

be drowning out a world that we should protect. As Gordon

2012.

Hempton puts it, “when we go to a national park today and hear a passing plane, helicopter, or jet every few minutes,

All images courtesy of the author unless noted otherwise.

yes we can screen out those annoyances, but when we do we also screen out the very delicate expressions of nature and essentially don’t learn how to truly listen, to truly open up and

4 5 | T E C H N O LO GY A N D T H E C O N T E ST E D

THE INTERNET IN THE GARDEN Design and Cyberspace

Matt Annabel

BELOW Cyberspace experiences defocus our presence in physical space. Photograph by Matt Annabel.

“Within the lifetime of a single generation,

Several questions followed. First, is it really possible

a rustic and in large part wild landscape was transformed into the site of the

for someone’s mind to dwell in cyberspace? Second,

world’s most productive industrial

is there an experiential overlap (competition for our attention) between cyberspace and the public park

machine” (Marx 2000, 343).

that might help explain my experience in the park On a recent evening walk with my dog Nali through

that evening? Lastly, what are the ramifications of

a South Boulder Park, I took note of the other visitors:

cyberspace for the practice of landscape architecture?

three boys throwing a Frisbee in an open field, a man What Is Cyberspace?

on his cell phone walking a dog, four small children exploring a playground, and one adult woman joining the

Cyberspace is a relatively new term that was first

children on the playground while two other women sat

used by science fiction author William Gibson in his

under an adjacent shade structure tapping away on their

1982 short story entitled Burning Chrome. Gibson

phones. Nali had a momentary conversation with the cell

considered the word cyberspace to be an “evocative and

phone man’s dog. A nod to the man (my sole attempt to

essentially meaningless” buzzword, yet it has become

communicate) either went unnoticed or was ignored.

ubiquitous in its use to describe anything having to do with the Internet (Thill 2012). Today, cyberspace is a term used to stand for “the electronic medium of

He was not fully

computer networks in which online communication takes place” (American Heritage Dictionary 2012). In

present in the park as we passed each other… his primary attention was diverted towards his phone.

The same seemed the case for the two women sitting under the shade structure only four feet apart.

its physical form, cyberspace is the global network of information technology infrastructures and computer isolate them from each other despite their close

processing systems that we refer to as the Internet.

proximity. Furthermore, their limited presences had an

The Internet allows for the rapid dissemination of

effect on my experience of the park and its sense of

information, simulated alternative realities, and

community. It occurred to me that their mental presence

high-speed modes for connecting and communicating

had to be somewhere if not in the park. Where then

with one another. The Internet’s physical presence is

were they… and what was so seductive about that

described with infrastructural terms like colocation

other place that these people could not wait until their

center, router, hub, port, gateway, website, locator, and

park experience was finished to have the alternative

transfer. All of these terms have spatial connotations

experience.

and collectively describe a system created to move

Cyberspace, I thought. Cellular and wireless

electronically encoded information (with our minds

The experiences they were having via their phones

networks were porting their minds to virtual places

in tow) between servers. Architects and engineers

seemed to fully absorb their mental presence and

while their bodies lingered in the real space of the park.

of systems and software design this infrastructure.

4 7 | T E C H N O LO GY A N D T H E C O N T E ST E D

BELOW The Internet traces other human infrastructures. Networks of highways, power lines, cables, and pipes link the earthly places we build. Humanity dwells within. Adapted from: Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center. London at Night. http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov (accessed July 29, 2012)

Developers construct it. The resultant infrastructure creates an internal environment capable of hosting an unlimited assortment of virtual experiences, many of which have consequences in the real world. These experiences range from functional (shopping and

According to geographer Timothy Cresswell, “spaces have areas and volumes. Places have

Cyberspace As Dwelling: We traditionally associate landscape with

space between them. Space may liken to

experiences in the real world. Experiences in cyberspace

movement and place to pauses – stops along the

clearly do not occupy physical space in the same manner

way” (Cresswell 2004, 8).

that real world experiences do. Cyberspace exists within

banking), to informative (researching and reading),

the infrastructure and algorithms that were designed

social (communicating, connecting, and collaborating

The fact that the term cyberspace was authored to

to support it. How then could landscape exist within the

with other humans), and entertainment, exploration,

include the word “space” suggests that the cyberspace

non-physical, virtual reality of cyberspace?

imagination, and escape (gaming and virtual role

experience has inherent spatial qualities. Its spatial

playing).

qualities allow us to relate it to our ideas of landscape

German philosopher Martin Heidegger’s ontological

and place. In a cyberspace network, information moves

philosophies concerning what it means to be, to dwell,

“cyber” and the word “space”, each with specific roots

electronically between servers and computers. It is

to build, and to think. Heidegger traced the meanings of

and meanings. “Cyber” is derived from the word

often interpreted and output in some way, sometimes

what it is to dwell and how building and thinking belong

“cybernetics” which has been traced back to the

visually or audibly. Physically speaking, the movement

to dwelling. Heidegger states, “Dwelling is the basic

ancient Greek word “kybernetes”. Kybernetes meant

of information through this network relates to space

character of being in keeping with which mortals exist”

steersman, or navigator, and is the root word for both

while the servers and computers equate to places built

(Heidegger 1971).

cybernetics and governance (Barnabas 2012). In 1948,

both to send and receive the information, process the

Norbert Weiner wrote a book entitled Cybernetics,

information and interface with external users: humans.

Control and Communication in the Animal and Machine,

Virtually speaking, the output information can be

by means of building. The latter, building, has

which began transforming the definition of cybernetics

represented by the computer in ways that cause the

the former, dwelling, as its goal. Still, not every

towards a modern meaning that makes room for

external users (you and I) to interpret it as a dynamic and

building is a dwelling. Bridges and hangars,

computer systems and networks. Weiner is credited

interactive alternative place or landscape.

stadiums and power stations are buildings but

The term “cyberspace” is composed of the prefix

with the suggestion that machines are capable of being connected in ways that allow them to take actions based on the flow of information (Pangaro 2012). In the context of the modern word “cyberspace”, “cyber” captures the idea of a system designed to take specific actions based on the flow of information between users and the system.

“Space,” the second part of “cyberspace,” has been defined as “a boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction” (Encyclopedia Britanica 2012).

R O O Tv 4 | 4 8

Many critical landscape theorists reference

Of building he writes, “We attest to dwelling, so it seems, only

LEFT Cellular network. We synaptically communicate with our environment through networks of neurons that sense, process, and respond to our experiences. Our minds connect to both the real and the virtual through this mechanism. Adapted from: Colicos, Michael. Pictures Reveal How Nerve Cells Form Connections to Short- and Long-term Memories in Brain. http://biology.ucsd.edu/news/article_112901.html (accessed July 29, 2012)

confronts us with major ontological questions. Is

Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG’s) allows players

dwelling dependent on having a physical presence on

to create and role-play characters in an extensive and

earth? What of the mind’s presence? Do we dwell in

highly experiential online environment that is dynamically

the place our body inhabits… or the place our mind

inhabited by thousands of other characters controlled

inhabits… or can we dwell in both at the same time?

by their respective human counterparts. In some of

As we sit in front of a computer screen, our minds

these games, players can individually or collectively take

can wander across the Internet to a simulated virtual

actions that change the simulated environment their

space that exists on a server anywhere in the world. In

characters inhabit. The game provides a sense of dwelling

describing his concept of hyper-reality Jean Baudrillard

in interactive (environmentally and socially) alternative

relates the idea that in a technologically advanced

landscapes and contains places complete with visuals and

not dwellings; railway stations and highways,

world, our consciousness has difficulty distinguishing

sounds and signs of other life. Gamer’s minds are drawn

dams and market halls are built, but they are not

between reality and simulations of reality (Baudrillard

into, and contribute to the collective simulated game

dwelling places. Even so, these buildings are in

1994, 75-78).

reality that exists wholly within cyberspace. Significant

the domain of our dwelling. That domain extends over these buildings and yet is not limited to the dwelling place. ” (Heidegger 1971, 100).

attention is paid to the creation of place in these games.

Cyberspace allows us to create simulations of reality, and today technology has advanced

Great in-game places have similar attributes to great places in the real world. Players are drawn to in-game

to the point where the experience of simulations

places by their experiential characteristics and enjoy the

He follows with the thought that, “Building as

are powerful enough that we may choose it

places in ways that were both designed and unintended.

dwelling unfolds into the building that cultivates

(over reality) as temporary housing for our

Online game realities have become experientially rich

growing things and the building that erects buildings”

consciousness.

(Heidegger 1971). Cyberspace is building in both external and internal ways. Externally, it appears as a

enough for some, that they are willing to spend unhealthy portions of their lives housing their minds in the game as

The works of Heidegger and Baudrillard lead us to

opposed to reality (Grohol 2012).

infrastructural non-dwelling similar to the highways,

the theoretical possibility that humanity’s construction

railways, bridges, and power stations that Heidegger

of the Internet has created a new space where our

writes of. However, this external shell of cyberspace

minds can consciously dwell while removed from the

gives way to an internal environment capable of hosting

physical location of our bodies in real space. Can we

critical testing grounds for the theory and practice of

our imaginations, cultivating our thoughts, and allowing

place-make for our minds in cyberspace? For that to

landscape architecture. As such, they are acutely valuable

us to construct experiential virtual realities in which

work in practice, the cyberspace place must be highly

to our profession. When we describe the concept of

our minds may temporarily dwell. It is this internal

experiential, sensorial and stimulating. This appears to

the public park, many experiences and characteristics

experience of cyberspace that is built for dwelling -- the

be a goal of today’s online gaming industry, the state of

come to mind. The ideas of community and connection

digitally constructed places that our minds can visit but

the art in widely available virtual reality development. A

are prominent. So too are the practices of recreation

our bodies cannot follow. The invention of cyberspace

genre of online games known as Massively Multiplayer

and leisure. People visit parks to be inspired by nature

The Internet In The Garden: Public parks have long been, and continue to be,

4 9 | T E C H N O LO GY A N D T H E C O N T E ST E D

LEFT Modern revolution; cyberspace, people, and public space converge. Adapted from: Omar, Mohamed. Clashes in Tahrir Square.

From (Mohamed Omar/EPA/Corbis). http://www.corbisimages.com/photographer/mohamed-omar (accessed July 29, 2012). BELOW The smartphone is mightier than the sword. Credit: Abed, Mohammed. Egyptians Use Their Mobile Phones to Record Celebrations in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. http://www.gettyimages.com (accessed July 29, 2012).

larger and more diverse than communities based in the

and valued places in the world. It’s possible to form

physical world. Social networks allow like-minded people

an appreciation for those places without actually

to quickly gather, brainstorm ideas, and generate interest.

visiting their physical location. Furthermore,

We no longer have to find a time when everybody can

the Internet is full of information and dynamic

meet. Cyberspace affords the option of contribution while

thoughtful reactions to that information. As such,

maintaining temporal and spatial independence from the

it is a petri dish for the growth and expansion of

group.

new ideas. Cyberspace environments are capable of rapidly seeding, germinating, and growing

Recreation and Leisure: Public parks have long

ideas. Through this mechanism, cyberspace has

and to connect with it, but parks have also served as the

provided mental and physical refuges from the stress

the potential to accelerate the growth of many

grounds for public protest and revolution. In recent years,

of daily life, particularly in urban environments. Seeking

fields without requiring the real physical spaces in

all of the above characteristics and human uses of the

refuge (mental, physical, or both) through a park

which conversation and discourse have historically

public park have also come to apply to cyberspace. We can

experience requires the relocation of one’s self in physical

occurred.

seek inspiration, communicate, connect, recreate, protest,

space. Seeking refuge for your mind on the Internet does

and revolt --all with our touchscreens from anywhere our

not require physical relocation. Cyberspace affords some

wireless signals reach. The public park has competition. The

of us the option of winding down from a long day with

have a history as the grounds for protest and

lines between virtual and real are beginning to blur. That has

Internet browsing or online gaming as an alternative to

revolutionary movements. This is primarily because

major ramifications for the theory and practice of landscape

taking a stroll at the local park. Some are willing to forsake

public parks allow civic agitators to legally gather

architecture.

active physical recreation for a passive virtual experience

and many are located in close proximity to population

online.

Connection and Communication: Today we have the option of turning to the Internet to connect and

Inspiration: People are

communicate with each other. Social networking via online

often inspired by what they see

media is a significant way in which people keep in touch

on the Internet. Cyberspace

with family and friends and meet new people. Instant

hosts incredible access to other

messaging, texting, voice over Internet protocol, and cellular

people’s work, art, and thought.

phone connections also occur in cyberspace. People meet

It is possible to quickly do a

on dating websites and message boards. The Internet has

focused search for inspiration

communities for almost every human interest or issue.

that is based on your individual

Online community members have the ability to meet and

interests. For example, you

converse in cyberspace, regardless of their geographic

can readily find imagery of

location. As a result, cyberspace communities are often

many of the most beautiful

R O O Tv 4 | 5 0

Protest and Revolution: Public parks and plazas

Zuccoti Park due to its close proximity to Manhattan’s

live in. Its influences on earth and humanity continue to

financial district and because its regulations technically

grow. As such, it is incumbent on landscape architects

allowed 24 hour inhabitation by the public. Though both

to understand how the evolution of cyberspace may

these protests were staged in physical park spaces, the

change our view of landscape, the way we design and the

online presence of each movement was arguably just as

experience of the places we build.

important as the physical manifestation. Cyberspace allowed for the rapid and strategic organization and

Public Space and Presence: It may be time to amend

coordination of each movement’s followers in physical

our definitions of landscape and public space to treat

space. It also provided a forum for driving a frenzy

cyberspace’s apparent relationship to landscape. Public

of support via instant uploading and distribution

spaces are important parts of our contemporary human

of virulent images and video of regime brutality,

experience. However, our attention currently seems to

corruption, and misdeeds. In Egypt, Mubaraks’s former

be split between real world public spaces and Internet

regime recognized the impactful power of the Internet

public spaces. Furthermore, our real world public spaces

on the protests and attempted (unsuccessfully) to quell

are partially populated with people wielding smart-

the uprising by shutting down access to the Internet

phones and laptops whose physical presence is in the

nationally (Mail Online 2012). This only further infuriated

park, but whose mental presence is at least partially

Egyptian protestors and may have contributed to the

in cyberspace. We must ask how this is affecting the

rapid success of their movement (Figure 4). In New York,

experience of our parks and other public spaces. If the

officials responded to the encampments in Zucotti

Internet were to be disabled today, what would the

Park by altering park rules to dis-allow sleeping in

impact be on our real world landscapes? What is the

the park, effectively stifling the permanent physical

impact if cyberspace’s influence continues to expand?

and power centers. Two major recent protests based

presence of the occupy Wall Street movement. Today,

We must answer these questions and decide whether or

in public parks occurred in Tahrir Square (translates

Occupy Wall Street dwells primarily in cyberspace,

not, and how, to treat cyberspace in our designs.

to Liberty Square) in Cairo, Egypt, and in Zucotti Park

with sporadic forays into the physical realm, digitally

(formerly known as Liberty Plaza Park) in Manhattan,

exploring ways to sprout again in a more restricted

NY. Both were focal points and staging grounds for

physical realm (Preston 2012). The notion that protests

dwell in cyberspace, the idea of place in cyberspace

uprisings against the establishment. In Tahrir Square,

and revolutionary movements have the ability to fluidly

becomes very important. Our landscape architectural

massive protests and democracy demonstrations led

move between physical space and cyberspace may have

representations have potential to evolve into

to the downfall of the regime of former president Hosni

consequences for the design of public spaces in the

inhabitable landscapes and places in their own right.

Mubarak. In the United States, Occupy Wall Street

future.

Digital models we construct to represent our design

ABOVE Binary Landscape. Graphic by Matt Annabel.

ideas may become habitable without ever being built

organizers chose Zuccotti Park as the staging ground for their movement against economic corruption, greed and inequality in the U.S. financial sector. They chose

Creating Place in Cyberspace: If our minds can

Ramifications The Internet is a reality of the modern world we

in the physical world. The virtual gaming industry is already stretching Landscape Architecture’s boundaries

5 1 | T E C H N O LO GY A N D T H E C O N T E ST E D

and our communities, how we “are” (our presence) when out in nature and our communities, how we interact with others in the physical world, and how we interact with the physical world itself. Our identity as a species is also affected. Our grid and cyberspace are rapidly layering over millions of years of natural history, and tens of thousands of years of cultural history… all in the interest of expanding our realms of experience and increasing our efficiency. Do we see this in the world? Do we see it in ourselves? Is humanity losing its roots?

How Will We Respond Throughout history, the practice of landscape architecture has evolved in response to cultural, environmental, and technological change. Today’s cyberspace technologies offer us new and virtual cultures, environments, and dwellings. Cyberspace is in its youth. However, it has already shown its in this regard. Landscape architects are being consulted

is the next step? How do we further insert ourselves and

power to influence humanity and our built world. We

to create virtual landscapes and place-make within

our clients into the experience of our representations?

may anticipate that these influences will expand in

games and other virtual realities. As an example,

It could well be to follow the lead of the gaming industry.

parallel with cyberspace’s rapid development. Change

message boards for the online virtual world of Second

We may allow our clients to navigate, experience, and

brings opportunity and opportunity elicits innovation.

Life contain postings that seek landscape architects

interact with the digital model, and its other inhabitants,

Landscape architecture will respond, and our response

for the design of virtual places (Second Life Online

in a dynamic way.

may have great bearing on humanity’s relationships with

Forums 2012). The advance of the representational technology we use is facilitating our crossover into

both nature and our constructed realities.

Culture Shock: The physical infrastructure and

virtual design. We’ve moved from hand drafting, the

widening availability of cyberspace is having an impact on

traditional representational technique of our field,

our culture and landscape at both local and global scales.

to 2D computer aided design (CAD), which in turn has

Availability of cyberspace is of huge importance within

evolved into digital 3D modeling. Textures, lighting

humanity’s modern cultures of power because it expands

effects, and sound have been added to our 3D modeling

the realms of our experience and influence. However, it

repertoire. We have the ability to fly through our digital

comes with heavy cultural and environmental prices. Its

models or zoom in and stop at our favorite place. What

demands impact the amount of time we spend in nature

R O O Tv 4 | 5 2

References The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. “Cyberspace.” Accessed June 11, 2012. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/cyberspace.

Baudrillard, Jean. “Chapter VII: Hypermarket and Hypercommodity” in Simulacra and Simulations trans. Sheila Faria Glaser. University of Michigan Press, 1994.

Cresswell, Tim. “Chapter 1: Defining Place” in Place: A Short Introduction.

Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing, 2004.

Encyclopædia Britannica Online. “Space.” Accessed May 08, 2012. http:// www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/557313/space.

Grohol, John M. Psychcentral.com. “Internet Addiction Guide.” Accessed July 03, 2012. http://psychcentral.com/netaddiction/.

Heidegger, Martin. “Building, Dwelling, Thinking” in Poetry, Language, Thought, trans. Albert Hofstadter. New York: Harper Colophon, 1971.

Johnson, Barnabas. Jurlandia.org. “The Cybernetics of Society: The Governance of Self and Civilization.” Accessed June 12, 2012. http:// www.jurlandia.org/cybsoc.htm.

Mail Online. “How the Internet Refused to Abandon Egypt: Authorities Take Entire Country Offline... But Hackers Rally to Get the Message Out.” Accessed July 05, 2012. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1351904/Egypt-protests-Internet-shut-hackers-message-out. html.

Marx, Leo. The Machine in the Garden: Technology and the Pastoral Ideal in America. Oxford University Press, 2000.

Pangaro, Paul. Pangaro.com. “Cybernetics – a definition.” Accessed June 12, 2012. http://www.pangaro.com/published/cyber-macmillan.html.

Preston, Jennifer. The New York Times. “Protestors Look for Ways to Feed the Web”. Accessed July 5th, 2012. http://www.nytimes. com/2011/11/25/business/media/occupy-movement-focuses-onstaying-current-on-social-networks.html.

Second Life Online Forums. “Professional SL Landscape Architect Wanted for SL Antebellum Home Project”. Accessed July 23rd, 2012. http://community.secondlife.com/t5/Inworld-Employment/ Professional-SL-Landscape-Architect-wanted-for-SL-Antebellum/m-p/1123711/highlight/true#M2127.

Thill, Scott. Wired. “March 17, 1948: William Gibson, Father of Cyberspace.” Accessed June 11, 2012. http://www.wired.com/science/ discoveries/news/2009/03/dayintech_0317#.

5 3 | T E C H N O LO GY A N D T H E C O N T E ST E D

27 WORDS FOR SNOW

An Introspective with Jane Wolff

Will Viitanen

PREVIOUS Aerial of the California Delta Aerial Imagery provided by TerraMetrics. Copyright 2012 Google.

J a n e Wo l f f, d e s i g n e r, a u t h o r a n d d i r e c t o r o f t h e M a s t e r o f L a n d s c a p e A r c h i t e c t u r e Pr o g r a m a t t h e U n i ve r s i t y o f To r o n t o , h a s m a d e d y n a m i c c o n t r i b u t i o n s t o t h e f i e l d o f l a n d s c a p e a r c h i t e c t u r e . W o l f f g r a d u a t e d f r o m t h e Harvard Graduate School of Design in 1992 with studies focused in landscape architecture and documentary filmmaking. Wolff spent time in firms and self-employed as a landscape designer in the San Francisco Bay Area of California with projects ranging over a multitude of scales and contexts. She has taught at the California College of Arts and Crafts, Ohio State University’s Knowlton School of Architecture, Washington University, and the University of California, Berkeley. Wolff’s works include Delta Primer: a Field Guide to the California Delta (book and playing cards), an exploratory project to inform broad audiences of the vast c o m p l e x i t y a n d c o n t r a d i c t o r y c o n d i t i o n s o f t h e S a c r a m e n t o - S a n J o a q u i n R i v e r D e l t a ; a U n i v e r s i t y o f To r o n t o / Washington University student-teacher research project on storm water practices in New Orleans entitled “Gutter to Gulf;” and “Flash Cards for the Edge of the Bay” a series of cards created for the Exploratorium in San Francisco to develop an accessible ecological and environmental vocabulary for San Francisco Bay. In the time since Hurricane Katrina, Wolff has continued to work with grassroots organizations such as the Dutch Dialogues Initiative, Make It Right and Longue Vue House and Gardens to produce plans of action to amend and rehabilitate the New Orleans landscape.

grid-spaced notebook, in a soft-spoken yet very deliberate

arenas where key decisions about the built environment

time away from work in Toronto to speak to the students

voice, Ms. Wolff imparted her views on her practice, her

were being made. It seemed important to use my design

and faculty of University of Colorado, Denver with a lecture

politics and her persona.

training to frame public discussion about the long-term

On Tuesday March 21st 2012, Jane Wolff took some

entitled, “27 Words for Snow”. Twenty-seven is the number of distinct words that the Inuit people in Alaska have for snow.

costs and benefits of what was happening.

Meet Jane Wolff:

Similar to the rich complexity of the Inuit’s language, Wolff values defining the often overlooked, forgotten or invisible.

Wolff’s body of work has largely taken her principles and

I began working on Delta Primer because it seemed Jane Wolff: I had no idea when I finished design school that I’d be doing the kind of work I’m interested in now!

grounded itself within spectrums of public education, awareness and political activism.

Delta is a complicated, interesting, intensely contested place, but in the late 1990s, it didn’t have a significant place

Will Viitanen: How did you find yourself invested in

in most people’s consciousness. It had been the centre of

political works based in public education and awareness?

public discussion in California in the early 1980s, when its

At the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Downtown Denver on the warm morning of her departure back to Toronto, Ms.

like a compelling example of this dilemma. The California

key role in the state’s water supply produced calls for a canal JW: I was working in practice in northern California

to circumvent it. However, after that debate ended, most

Wolff was scheduled to meet me for a conversation over

in the mid-1990s, where landscapes were being rapidly

people lost track of the landscape and its significance to

breakfast at Altitude restaurant. For having experienced a

transformed—and homogenized—by the pressure for

California’s economy and ecology.

busy yet brief trip, Wolff seemed quite calm and collected,

development, and I found myself surprised that designers

yet, admittedly a bit tired. So over two cups of coffee and a

had removed themselves from the political and economic

WV: Why was the Delta so important?

5 5 | T E C H N O LO GY A N D T H E C O N T E ST E D

BELOW The Queen of Garden’s ,a playing card from the Delta Primer depicts a timeline of agricultural land converted to urban uses

JW: The Delta is at the centre of California’s water

don’t necessarily understand what’s at stake. So articulating

region since the 1950s.

delivery system. Almost all of the state’s major cities

clear, thoughtful, nuanced information about landscapes

depend on water imported from somewhere else: southern

is an important task for designers. As for the Delta, the

California’s urban constellation gets its water from the

landscape continues to be subject to serious strains from

Delta, and the San Francisco Bay Area gets its water further

water export and development. I don’t know whether the

upstream, from the Hetch Hetch reservoir in the Sierra

region will survive in a way that preserves its extraordinary

Nevada Mountains. Beyond that, the irrigated agriculture

beauty and complexity. But I am glad that Delta Primer

results of Delta Primer. But I can tell you that people from

in the San Joaquin Valley, which feeds a huge proportion of

provided a record of the richness that has existed there—it

many different arenas in the management of that landscape

North Americans, also depends on water from the Delta.

was the first comprehensive cultural landscape study of the

have said that the project changed and expanded their

This is the reality of a large population living in a dry region.

Modern advances in technology have allowed people to forget where they are: southern California has 23 million people living in a desert!

Most of the time the infrastructure system works so well that we can turn on the tap and the water comes out— we don’t have to know where it came from. Then we flush the toilet and the water goes away—we don’t have to know where it goes. That kind of invisibility helps to make people careless about the way they manage resources.

WV: Yet, it’s part of the way we function within our daily lives. It’s based on adherence of things we don’t know; strictly to get by and survive. If everyone was to continue on that path how do you think the future will look? And what about the future of the Delta?

JW: In general, I think that better information helps people to make better choices about the way they use resources.

Everyone I know wants to do the right thing, but people

R O O Tv 4 | 5 6

WV: So the results seem indistinct at times? How do you know whether you’re making a difference?

JW: It’s hard to measure impact! I can’t tell you the exact

LEFT A screen-shot of the Mississippi drainage basin from Gutter to Gulf, an initiative to develop water management strategies for New Orleans (Gutter to Gulf).

realms of design and politics? Who do you look to as a model

issues. How do you think others can begin to do the same?

for this?

JW: Design is cultural production: we always have to JW: Frederick Law Olmsted and Charles Eliot were

situate ourselves in our moment in time, in our own culture.

both designers and activists—each of them worked to

We’re not only designers—we’re also observers, critics,

create public consciousness about the need for designed

advocates, and citizens. It’s important to ask ourselves how

landscapes at different scales. Documents like Eliot’s

we can work toward something better than what we know

report to the Metropolitan Parks Commission explain not

now and not just perpetuate the status quo. Our professional

only his proposal for a metropolitan parks system but also

training teaches us to do excellent work at site scales,

his reading of the region’s ecology, including geology, soils,

case by case. What I wonder is how, in addition, we can also

drainage, plant life, and cultural patterns. Olmsted’s work as

develop our skills as advocates for better public policy.?

a writer and publisher also argued passionately for the value of public landscapes.

WV: And as a designer voice can help to steer large solutions to the environmental and ecological issues of our time, people must make concerted effort to support them. Is understanding of the place and its dilemmas. So: it made

there an underlying problem within this system?

people who knew a lot think twice about what they were doing.

Is that a victory? I think it is. But it’s not the same as a

lunch on the patio.”

With “Gutter to Gulf” it’s clear that we have played a

JW: I believe that people want to make good choices, and environmental issues are everywhere in the news right now.

their decisions will be. That defines a really e x c i t i n g r o l e f o r d e s i g n c o m m u n i c a t i o n ..

we-do.

Wolff, Jane, interview by William Viitanen. 27 Words for Snow- Jane Wolff

Wolff, Jane. “Drawing, persuasion politics: a case study in the California Delta.” In Making the Metropolitan Landscape: Standing Firm on Middle Ground, edited by Jacqueline Tatom and Jennifer Stauber.

London: Routledge.

Part of what needs explaining is that short-term gain— whether in resources or in dollars—often has long-term

involves a museum audience and structured venues for

costs. We need to work together to come up with reasonable

education, and the political implications are less immediate.

compromises that don’t cause landscape catastrophes

It will be interesting to see how the Exploratorium measures

down the road.

WV: Do you believe a designer can operate within both

“What can we do? New Orleans needs a water plan.”, Gutter to Gulf,

Interview. March 21, 2012.

completely undocumented. My work with the Exploratorium

learning outcomes.

Delta By Jane Wolff.” Places: Form and Territory, Summer 2004: 54-61.

T h e m o r e p e o p l e k n o w, t h e b e t t e r i n fo r m e d

role in enabling public discussion by providing extremely clear base information about a situation that was almost

Andersen, Marc. “Review: Delta Primer: A Field Guide to the California

accessed August 31, 2012, http://www.guttertogulf.com/what-can-

situation where you have a commission, you make a drawing, the client builds it, and then everyone gets together and eats

References

All images courtesy of Jane Wolff, unless otherwise noted.

WV: And within your design values and process you have explicitly placed yourself against those systemic cultural

5 7 | T E C H N O LO GY A N D T H E C O N T E ST E D

BELOW A sample flashcard from Wolff’s project, Flash Cards for the Edge of the Bay, exploring the marine ecology of the San Francisco Bay in Calilfornia.

The vast majority of Wolff’s work has been centralized within her own personal questioning.

Flash Cards for the Edge of the Bay is based on Wolff’s own exploration and understanding found pertaining to the marine ecological system in San Francisco Bay. The project examines two w o r d s , L A N D a n d W AT E R . T h e p r e m i s e b e h i n d t h e p r o j e c t i s t h a t a s t u d y o f l a n d , w a t e r, a n d their various correlating meanings can lead to a better understanding of the forces shaping landscapes and life. For the project Wolff has designed a series of study cards to provide an interactive exploration of the marine ecology.

Wolff’s work truly shines and communicates the intricacies of the relationships between land, water and life. In the format of a flash card system, one can play through a series of terms and find in the conscious and subconscious that linkages between the terms are being created.

Through the development of the Edge of the Bay vocabulary Wolff hopes that different disciplines will better be able to communicate about the marine landscape.

The Delta Primer also features an interactive

provides fifty-two stories about the Delta

yet extremely powerful components inherent to

component in the form of playing cards;

creating a complete deck. Each story is of a

the Delta. As a player becomes more intertwined

h o w e ve r, t h e p r o j e c t c a n p r o d u c e s l i g h t l y

specific quality corresponding to the landscape,

with the convolution of the Delta, Wolff carries

d i f fe r e n t r e s u l t s i n t h e m i n d ’s e y e o f t h e u s e r.

yet draws larger questions of scale into mind.

a common thread throughout the process. The

Delta Primer presents the thesis that all with

The most intriguing aspect in which Wolff

Delta, as most know it, was designed to fit the

knowledge of the Delta Primer view it as a

pulls in the attention of the reader is through

needs of humans and the strife between humans

garden, a machine, a wilderness, or a toy. Wolff

a game with the cards. With each shuffle new

and nature lie particularly deep within this

replaces the four suits of a standard deck of

information is revealed. Within one hand, a

contentious landscape.

cards with the aforementioned categories and

player holds a series of often-contradictory

R O O Tv 4 | 5 8

OF ANTS AND ANTHILLS I nterpreting Sustainability for the 21st Century

Benjamin Brehmer

PREVIOUS The Ancestral Pueblo people built a highly complex and productive society. Although their civilization collapsed long ago, remains of their architectural and cultural significance can be seen today throughout the American Southwest, including here at Mesa Verde National Park. Photo by Benjamin Brehmer. BELOW Every living organism affects their surrounding environment through the manipulation of physical resources. Being conscious of their use and availability is what separates the human species from all others.

What makes humans so unique among the species of earth? For one, we have a remarkable capacity for intelligent and reflexive thought. Secondly, we build. We alter our environment. Combining this talent with our recent technological and scientific feats has driven our kind upon a path that transcends normative evolution.

Although all other species reside, influence, and impact their surrounding environment, only humans have been able to do so with conscious intent globally.

Where does this leave humans within earth’s natural history, and what are the true consequences of our environmental influences? The term “sustainability” has enjoyed vogue lately, especially as we consider the results of our actions from the local to the global scale. Today, sustainability encompasses an array of themes, and economies, societies, and our environment alike can harbor sustainable qualities. For the purposes of this article, and to provide greater clarity to its meaning, I define

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sustainability as the mindful use of resources necessary

capacity, and this is playing a role in negatively impacting

to ensure continued productivity and health of the human

critical global assets such as biodiversity, atmospheric

species over its evolutionary existence. Yet, how does this

CO2 levels, ozone densities, global weather patterns, and

interpretation of sustainability align with that of modern

air and water temperatures (Daily et al. 1992, 761-777). Our

science, society and media? Can we truly comprehend

continued reliance on fossil fuels to meet our needs is

the full impact of our human history and culture - and will

reducing the viability of our biosphere to regulate itself.

we ever fully realize a truly sustainable place within the

A move towards sustainability is a response to such cold

biosphere?

evidence, and programs from the United Nations’ Inter-

Constructing the Anthill Beyond a reasonable doubt, and with mounting and clear evidence from leading researchers around the world, it is obvious that the burgeoning use of biophysical resources by the human species is exploitative and unrealistic. Our population levels are reaching beyond our global carrying

governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), to local movements in urban agriculture, the trends show that our global society is increasingly dedicating itself to reduce current levels of resource consumption. Even colossal corporations have jumped on the “green” bandwagon, and for good reason. Just look at advertising from modern

BELOW Select political groups are actively working to paralyze the sustainability movement, and have stymied numerous past efforts to enact national policy change.

major corporations, to the policy decisions their CEOs are

architecture are the reinvigorated movements of permac-

national-level policy which set goals for sustainable

making, and to the positive publicity they enjoy as a result

ulture, urban agriculture, local consumerism and so-called

growth in the U.S., we have demonstrated that we are not

(see: California Leafy Green Products Handler Marketing

“slow food”. Education and environmental awareness can

yet ready to commit to preserving our country’s status

Agreement, The Examiner, MSNBC). Today, being “green”

be incorporated into design methods as well. But do our

and wealth for future generations of Americans. Drastic

is a highlight of successful advertising, and even the most

actions within our careers and workplaces mirror those in

incentives and sweeping policy initiatives are required to

consumptive of businesses, corporations, and organiza-

our private lives, via free speech and our other civil rights?

secure the lifestyles we enjoy in the developed world, and

tions utilize such propaganda to increase their net value or image, regardless of any actual reductions in resource consumption (see: U.S. Federal Trade Commission).

The sustainability movement suffers from a lack of public support and political agreement.

Regardless of the intent, such efforts represent only a

Negative publicity is consistently placed on the issue

small fraction of movement in the right direction, and we

by select right-wing organizations who, for their own

are only at a nascent stage of curbing our dependance

reasons, want to paralyze the issue politically. As a result,

on nonrenewable resources. If we wish to truly mitigate

our national government has signed, yet refuses to ratify

our impacts and improve our methods of conservation,

the Kyoto Protocols - the only one to do so (see: United

we need to fundamentally alter our approach. Instead of

Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). At

treating our once abundant and rapidly degrading natural

the same time, the government of Japan has aimed for a

resources as cheap commodities, higher costs need to

seemingly implausible target by proposing an ambitious

be applied to their extraction, use, and availability. Only

plan to assist the global community in any way possible

through increased monetary value of the biota, minerals,

to reduce our global carbon footprint 50% by 5050 (see:

and water of our planet will we finally curb our waste-

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan). By failing to enact

to convince the non-industrialized world to progress within sustainable limitations as they aspire to our standard of living. A bipartisan policy focus on dematerialization, ethical consumerism, and circular material flow would go a long way towards supporting sustainable lifestyles, and can feasibly even be done with a long-term growth in our GDP (see: United Nations Environment Programme).

If sustainability is to succeed, such an investment in our “natural capital” needs to occur; a nonpartisan, invigorated, 21st century environmental movement. As educated professionals and citizens we have the ability to enact change; both in our work as well as via free speech, and thus through our elected officials. With public backing, our federal government could serve a more powerful role

fulness in their use. In addition, our individual role - as knowledgable consumers, good environmental stewards, and conscientious citizens - needs to be bolstered.

The Worker and the Queen Sustainability plays a significant role within the design and construction industries. LEED principles aim to change the way buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated (see: U.S. Green Building Council).

Design and construction that incorporates the reuse or preservation of building materials, soil, or vegetation is a current popular LEED practice. Tied to landscape

6 1 | T E C H N O LO GY A N D T H E C O N T E ST E D

LEFT The cultural artwork that remains from a sophisticated societal hierarchy, the moai of Easter Island remind us that great feats of construction can have devastating environmental consequences. Image credit to Howard Garrett, www.DirtDoctor.com (accessed 8/10/2012).

Preservation of a Species Just as ants construct their anthills, the human built environment is a result of our biophysical impacts and engineering pursuits. Yet ants have no awareness of the consumption of

References Daily, Gretchen C., and Paul R. Ehrlich. “Population, Sustainability, and Earth’s Carrying Capacity”. BioScience Vol. 42, No. 10 (Nov., 1992): 761-771.

California Leafy Green Products Handler Marketing Agreement

their surrounding resources. We do. We have the ability to

(LGMA). “New McDonald’s Ad Campaign Features California Lettuce

consciously choose the path of an r or K selected species: that

Farmer”. Accessed July 31, 2012. http://www.caleafygreens.ca.gov/blog/

is, “whether we will reach a stable level that can be sustained

new-mcdonald’s-ad-campaign-features-california-lettuce-farmer.

for an indefinite period; or whether we will grow to a peak and

Diamond, Jared. Collapse. New York, Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 2005.

collapse” (see The Sustainable Scale Project). We need to

The Examiner. “McDonald’s Latest Advertising Push Goes Green,

recognize that not only does every action we take impact our

Touts Local Ingredients”. Accessed July 31, 2012. http://www.examiner.

environment in some way, but that we have the capacity to alter

com/article/mcdonald-s-latest-advertising-push-goes-green-touts-local-

the course of our history, even on a global scale. Our recent ad-

ingredients.

vances in civil rights, science, and technology have shown that it is within our power as humans to accomplish olympian feats.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. “New Proposal on Climate Change, ‘Cool Earth 50’”. Accessed July 31, 2012. http://www.mofa.go.jp/ policy/environment/warm/coolearth50/index.html.

Looking back through time, it is amazing that we have come to

July 31, 2012. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18180996/ns/business-going_

the bleak times, though, for it is upon their reflection that

green/t/wal-mart-launches-ads-touting-green-products/#.

we can truly comprehend how our actions can have negative

as a center for scientific analysis and policy guidance (see: U.S. Global Change Research Program).

In addition, technology has a special place within our sustainability efforts. Clear and swift communication methods, as well as high powered analytical tools, allow for greater efficiencies in transportation, availability of goods and services, and reduction in waste. As computers become more capable in aiding us to analyze data and identify possible

MSNBC. “Wal-Mart Launches Ads Touting Green Products”. Accessed

such heights, even through all our plights. We should not forgot

The Sustainable Scale Project. Accessed July 31, 2012. http://www.

consequences. The fall of former elite civilizations, such as the

sustainablescale.org/ConceptualFramework/UnderstandingScale/

Mayan and Roman Empires, and that of Easter Island, hinged

MeasuringScale/CarryingCapacity.aspx.

largely on the overexploitation of their available resources, often working in tandem with other forces (Diamond 2005).

Now that our communities are global and we are simultaneously impacting our natural world more than ever before, we need to proceed with caution to avoid the pitfalls of our past.

Our species is reaching a pivotal point in its bizarre and rapid evolution. If it is within our power, individually and communally, to find our sustainable niche within the biosphere, then the fact that we can choose to dictates that we must.

U.S. Global Change Research Program. Accessed July 31, 2012. http:// www.globalchange.gov/.

U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Accessed July 31, 2012. http://www.ftc. gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/general/gen02.shtm.

U.S. Green Building Council. Accessed July 31, 2012. http://www.usgbc. org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=124.

United Nations Environment Programme. Accessed July 31, 2012. http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Accessed

solutions to our problems, the potential to better optimize

July 31, 2012. http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/status_of_ratification/

our energy and resource banks increases as well.

items/2613.php

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BELOW This image is a graphic representation of a contested terrain - a community grappling with internal and external forces that have the power to alter its physical, cultural, social, political, and economic landscape. 2010 digital collage of three drawings exploring the Denver, Colorado neighborhood of Westwood for LA 5502 Studio II. Graphic by Cynthia Guajardo.

6 3 | T E C H N O LO GY A N D T H E C O N T E ST E D

Matt Annabel (UCD MLA expected 2013). His prior background spans both Natural Resource Management and Information Technology. He is intrigued by the dynamic relationships (historic, present, and theoretical) between humanity and the places we build, dwell, and chose to be. Matt currently serves as PR/Marketing person for UCD’s Student ASLA chapter.

Ben Bookout is a Boulder native and often calls Colorado home between adventures. He studied architecture at Universidad Catolica de Chile. Among other endeavors, he has worked as a landscape designer on the Front Range for several years.

Ben Brehmer, MLA (2012 UCD graduate). With an affinity for the natural world, Ben currently serves as a landscape architect with the planning division of the National Park Service. He received his MLA from UCD in 2012, and resides in the Jefferson Park neighborhood of Denver with his affectionate wife, Katie, and affable malamute, Rolfie. He finds metropolitan life intriguing, yet was raised in rural Minnesota, and will always be a country boy at heart. He has a keen interest in exploring other places and cultures, and is a proponent of sustainable lifestyles.

Ian Brighton (UCD MLA expected 2013) began his professional life working on recreational trails around the Boulder, CO area. He considers himself a life-long steward of the outdoors, and looks for designs solutions that promote human recreation and ecological restoration.

Currently, he works as a trails surveyor at Rocky Mountain National Park.

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AUT HO R B I OG R A P HIES

BELOW A collage of two studios by Tracy Graham: Studio 6-Infrastructure- Concept: the project focused on a HYBRID TREATMENT of water in the URBAN CONTEXT to create PERFORMATIVE results of landscape by utilizing CRACKS as OPPORTUNITIES to: absorb, capture, cleanse,collect,contain, decontaminate,filter,infiltrate, and screen. Studio 5: Sherman Creek;Manhattan, NY-Concept: Threading material through the site to enhance historical and cultural roots and build through: RESTORATION, WILDLIFE, WATER,COMMUNITY;RECONNECTION.

AUT HO R B I OG R A PHIES conti nu ed

Erin Devine is a New Jersey native and moved to Denver four years ago.

A new semi-arid landscape palette was an exciting challenge for her to learn.

Erin’s passion for plants and drive to seek out new design ideas lead her to the recent completion of a masters in Landscape Architecture, at the University of Colorado Denver. Her goal is to be able to combine her 13 years of floral design skills with her newly developed landscape architecture knowledge in clever and innovative ways.

Cynthia Guajardo, MLA (2012 UCD graduate) was an “army brat” and grew

Program (RTCA) since June 2011.

Jennifer Olson (UCD MLA expected 2013) was born and raised in Albuquerque and graduated from the University of New Mexico with her Bachelors of Environmental Planning and Design in 2010. Jennifer has received her LEED AP certification and hopes to work within the governmental sector focusing on sustainable concepts and solutions as well as reclamation and conservation projects. She spends as much time as she can outdoors doing a variety of activities including biking, snowboarding, and hiking.

up all over the the United States and Europe. Attracted to the deep blue skies, mountains and plains of Colorado, Denver is the place she finally decided to call

Meghan Posey, MLA (2011 UCD graduate), built upon a BA earned at the

home. Cynthia is a recent graduate of the Masters of Landscape Architecture

University of Michigan in 2003 from the School of Natural Resources and

program at the University of Colorado Denver and is currently a contract designer

Environment. At UCD, she was recognized with the Award of Excellence (2008),

for a local landscape architecture firm.

Brandes Scholarship (2009), and ASLA Award of Merit (2010). In 2009, she studied at the University of Cape Town, and pursued independent research

Becky Heavner , MLA (2012 UCD graduate) has been a regular contributing

for her thesis: Intimate Infrastructure: Garden Making as a Spatial Tactic in

illustrator for The Washington Post and many national and international

Post-Apartheid Kayelitsha,South Africa. Meghan is currently living in Seattle

clients. One of her most highly visible projects was to design for the store-

and pursuing professional practice in the fields of environmental design and

front of Whole Body/Whole Foods in New York City. In 2011, She worked as an

landscape architecture, and opportunities for continued research, writing, and

intern with Michael Vergason Landscape Architects. In 2012 she presented her

teaching.

design thesis, “Digital Pouchade: Design Thinking and the Influence of Media on Landscape Architecture.” She pursues freelance design projects and this fall is teaching a studio drawing class in the College of Art and Media.

Will Viitanen (UCD MLA expected 2013) began to question the implications of human development during his undergraduate studies in environmental design and his experiences within the construction industry. Will looks to use

Patsy McEntee, MLA (2012 UCD graduate). After growing up in the suburbs

his degree to help shape a more integrated future for landscape architecture.

of New York City Patsy spent an invigorating year and a half working and traveling

Will finds relaxation in hiking, camping, photography, and above all writing

Eastern and Western Europe and the U.S. She has resided in Boulder ever since.

music and performing with his band Rocktin Grove.

Her design career has enabled professional opportunities with Boulder County Parks & Open Space, the City of Denver Parks & Recreation and Living City Block LoDo. She is a passionate outdoors enthusiast, road and mountain cyclist. In May 2012, Patsy defended her thesis “Deconstructing the High Line: the Representation and Reception of Nature in Post-Industrial Urban Park Design.” She has been a landscape architect with the National Park Service Rivers Trails and Conservation