BEYOND THE EDGE WATER + URBANISM IN WUHAN, CHINA
BEYOND THE EDGE WATER + URBANISM IN WUHAN, CHINA SWA L AGUNA BEACH IN COLL ABOR ATION WITH
CALIFORNIA STATE POLY TECHNIC UNIVERSIT Y, POMONA: DEPARTMENT OF L ANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AND IN ASSOCIATION WITH
HUAZHONG UNIVERSIT Y OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE & URBAN PL ANNING
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FOREWORD By Sean O’Malley
Most Chinese cities are river cities, evolving over thousands of years along the edges of waterways, linked thru trade to other cities, countries, and continents. The action was at the water’s edge where goods were packed up and unloaded, business thrived, and village gossip exchanged. The edge was the lifeblood of daily existence.
As new transportation technologies emerged over time, these edges lost their energy; boulevards, railways, and levees separated the rivers from the community. Formerly vibrant industries became abandoned and waterfront villages forgotten, leaving larger rivers and smaller canals to slowly become polluted and inoperative.
This studio explores the notion of rediscovery, rebirth, and reconnection. How do we reconnect a city of 7 million to the river? How do we protect citizens against rising floods, improve water quality, and celebrate a forgotten culture? How do we utilize a canal as an integral piece of open space within an established university?
Beyond the Edge investigates the edge condition as a model of adaptive density; a location that reaches back into the city as much as it pulls out from the city. The work exhibited here is dedicated to forecasting landscape-based strategies that address ecological, cultural, social, and design issues that complicate the future of urban development. We believe that future land-use and landscape systems must combat climate change and ecological and economic erosion. In order to accomplish this feat, new possibilities must be imagined, natural and cultural systems must be perfected, and the edge must be redefined.
Beyond the Edge Foreword
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 5
Foreword
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Table of Contents
40-43 44-45
Wuhan Workshop Montage Shanghai Exploration Montage
ANALYSIS BACKGROUND 10-11 12-13 13-14 15-16 17-18 19-20
Credits SWA + CPPLA Urban Design Studio Project Brief + Syllabus Tasks + Deliverables Huxi River Team Profiles Yangtze River Team Profiles
48-51 52-55
Precedent Studies Figure Ground Studies
PROJECTS Project 1 - Huxi River Site 58-75
Huxi Revival
76-93
Forest Campus
94-111
Blend
PROJECT FRAMEWORK 24-25
Project Context
26-27 28-29
Project 1 - Huxi River Site Project 1 - Site Photos
30-31 32-33
Project 2 - Yangtze River Site Project 2 - Site Photos
FIELD TRIP 36-37 38-39
Site Visit, Urban Design Workshop, and Contextual Research Schedule of Events
Project 2 - Yangtze River Site 112-129
Woven Islands
130-147
Wuhan, City of Memory
148-167
The Nexus
IC
Studio Photo
Beyond the Edge Table of Contents
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BACKGROUND CREDITS URBAN DESIGN STUDIO PROJECT BRIEF + SYLLABUS TASKS + DELIVERABLES TEAM PROFILES
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CREDITS STUDIO INSTRUCTOR
SPECIAL THANKS
Andrew O. Wilcox, Professor + Department Chair
Michal Woo, Dean - College of Environmental Design Jenkins Shannon, Senior Director of Development
Dean Huang Ning, Dean Meng Jianjun, Dean Rang Yumin, Dai Fei, Lu Zhou, Ji Donglan, Huang Yaping, Mark Merkelback, Jonnu Singleton, Elvis Wong, Diane McGill, Margaret Leonard, Dawn Perkins, Fran Hegeler, Julie Eakin, David Fischer-Militaru, Marlon Theilacker, and Wenrui Zhao
SWA TEAM
STUDIO PARTICIPANTS - CPPLA
Sean O’Malley, Managing Principal Pavel Petrov, Associate + Studio Coordinator Xiao Zheng, Principal Andrew Watkins, Principal Natasha Harkison Evan Lee
Christopher Valenzuela Patricio Yrizar Bin Nakatani Shelby Herbel Bessy Barahona Hyunji Kim Amy Chen Danqing Sun Pablo Hinojosa Ho Sun Chau
ADMINISTRATORS
PARTNERSHIPS Huazhong University of Science & Technology Wuhan Planning & Design Co., LTD. Wuhan City Flood Control Survey & Design Institute Wuhan Landscape Planning & Design Academy Green Earth Operations
ART DIRECTION + EDITOR Pavel Petrov
PUBLICATION + PRESS INQUIRIES Press@swagroup.com Copyright © 2018 by SWA Group. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, without written permission from the publisher.
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Rosa Mendoza Nermeen Aboudawood Grisol Ramirez Gustavo Coronilla Alvin Alvarez Kenneth Rodgers Eric Hunter Jesus Aguirre Galina Novikova Dwen-Dwen Wang
STUDIO PARTICIPANTS - HUST Zhao Wenrui Liu Congyi Wu Chen Huang Yinzhe Xiao Oscar Lv Yingrong Rong Huaiyu Deng Ying Chen Lay Luo Lu Yang Lu Yin Chujun
Li Hongling Wang Yanan Xu Wenfei Fang Junting Wei Liangjing Yin Zhiyi Yang Yu Xu Jingshuang Wang Yunda Ma Fujing Liu Xiaomeng Xu Jinwen
DONORS PLATINUM LEVEL Tom Donnelly + Brightview GOLD LEVEL Victor Pais + MM Cite David Fischer-Militaru + Pierre Landscape SILVER LEVEL Berliner Bison Innovative Products Buzon id metalco Scofield Quickcrete Products Rainbird Shaw & Sons | Shaw Construction AckerStone D.L. Cunningham BRONZE LEVEL Belgard Chaparral Coast Recreation Coldspring David Silverman & Associates Dynamo Playgrounds Forms + Surfaces Glasir Design Landscape Structures SiteOne Sweeney & Associates Hunter Industries Modern Outdoor Tri-C Natural Soilutions Tnemec Netafim USA
INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE In order to proceed with an Internationally focused design studio, Cal Poly Pomona required one condition. SWA was tasked with raising funding for students to embark on a field trip to visit the project areas and cultural sites, as well as participate in a workshop with students and faculty from Huazhong University of Science & Technology. SWA reached out and asked our industry partners to invest in the future, referring to the next generation of practitioners and students. Donations were provided to successfully fund the studio thanks to the generous group of vendors, contractors, and designers listed to the left. Their incredible support allowed for a 10-day excursion to China to visit Wuhan and Shanghai, an experience that won’t be forgotten. On behalf of SWA, Cal Poly Pomona, and all the students from the 2018 SWA Studio, we want to issue a special thanks to all the donors that made this remarkable collaboration possible. Thank you.
Beyond the Edge Background - Credits + Donor Recognition
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SWA + CPPLA URBAN DESIGN STUDIO THE HISTORY OF SWA For six decades, SWA has been recognized as a world leader in landscape architecture, planning, and urban design. Our projects, located in more than 60 countries worldwide, have garnered over 800 awards, and many of our principals are widely acknowledged as among the industry’s most innovative and experienced designers and planners. After emerging in 1959 as the West Coast office of Sasaki, Walker Associates, the firm became the SWA Group in 1975. Although SWA is one of the largest firms within the industry, we’ve organized ourselves into smaller studio-based offices to enhance creativity and client responsiveness. Historically, over 75 percent of our work has come from repeat clients. SWA has had the opportunity to work with some of the world’s most renowned public and private sponsors of projects, and some of the world’s most talented architects, engineers, and related professionals. Our work is fueled by a deep appreciation for nature and for the beauty of natural systems. We are also inspired by the complexity of human-made systems and the interactions they influence. Our projects have become recognized for their visionary
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aesthetics, exceptional functionality, and keen understanding of social design, as well as their emphasis on environmental sustainability. At SWA’s core is a passion for imaginative, solution-oriented design that adds value to land, buildings, cities, regions, and people’s lives.
URBAN DESIGN Successful urban design encompasses the infrastructure of an urban environment, synthesizing buildings, streets, corridors, and natural systems into a cohesive, fully functional, and aesthetically unified whole. SWA has designed new cities, districts, neighborhoods and waterfronts, as well as the specific components of urban environments, including plazas, parks, promenades, and urban streetscapes. As designers with a sophisticated understanding of the urban landscape, we are particularly adept at integrating nature into cities using the available resources as the foundation and framework from which livable, high-density environments can flourish. SWA’s international reputation in urban planning and design has evolved from our history of successful projects.
PARTNERSHIP SWA is pleased to partner with Cal Poly Pomona’s Department of Landscape Architecture for the 5th consecutive year in order to explore significant water + urbanism possibilities in Wuhan, China. This project has tremendous commercial, cultural, and environmental potential, which creates the perfect laboratory for students to test ideas within the urban context through various planning and design approaches. The 2018 SWA Studio is particularly unique among previous collaborations due to the funding contingency placed by the University in order to pursue an international studio project with a field trip component. SWA reached out to industry partners and successfully choreographed the funding of international travel for all twenty of our students and studio instructor. This privileged experience will be documented and donors recognized in the forthcoming pages. Our program provides students with an opportunity to learn and grow rapidly in a high stakes and fast moving environment. The obtain real-world design experience and get exposure to SWA’s process and design approach.
At SWA, we see this studio as a great way to explore innovative and exciting design ideas that reinvigorate our practice and strengthen our connection with academic research. Working with the University ensures that our ideas are fresh, original, and at the cutting edge of the design profession. We hope this collaboration will allow us to grow as designers, further developing our ideas and design thinking while challenging students to develop their design abilities and philosophy. The overarching goal of this course is to empower students with an expanded personal knowledge base, further develop and expand skill sets and provide an opportunity to examine deeper personal values of design. The course is designed to provide students a design collaborative experience that includes the sharing of mutual learning experiences, and to ensure that all students share an understanding of the roles of architecture and landscape architecture as their actions affect and design for ecological processes, diverse cultural contexts, and built systems. The course also seeks to reinforce issues of professional collegiality, mutual respect and collaboration.
Beyond the Edge Background - SWA + CPPLA Urban Design Studio
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PROJECT BRIEF + SYLLABUS PROJECT BRIEF The Department of Landscape Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona partnered with SWA Laguna Beach and Huazhong University of Science & Technology (HUST) on an academically rigorous and collaborative cross-cultural urban design studio. The intent of this studio project is to provide Chinese and American landscape architecture students the opportunity to work together to produce an urban design project that is local in practice but global in its example. This project is directly guided by the collaborative effort of CPPLA faculty and the experienced staff of SWA. The students were grouped into six teams to explore impacts of differential water bodies on the adjacent urban context. Three groups focused on a large waterfront site and the other three focused on an intimate canal site. The large waterfront site rests along the banks of the Yangtze River and the canal site is nestled between the urban fabric along East Campus of HUST.
ABOUT WUHAN Wuhan, China is a conglomeration of three cities that sit on the middle banks of the Yangtze River. With a population of more than 10 million residents, Wuhan is the largest city in central China and holds the position as capital city of Hubei province. The city is recognized as the political, economic, financial, cultural, educational, and transportation center of central China. Wuhan is a traditional trading center for central China. The city’s strategic position on the Yangtze River at the confluence with the Han River, has facilitated its growth
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as a significant trading crossroads with connections in all directions and the way to the Pacific Ocean. It is a city characterized by transportation; railways, roadways, expressways, canals and the Yangtze river. Wuhan has also been a significant industrial center for central China where local coal and iron ore deposits have developed a significant steel industry and automobile manufacturing. Building upon this foundation of trade and industry, Wuhan is currently positioning itself to become a more significant leader in modern industrial change and development as maintains a strategic position as a hub for distribution. Wuhan is now actively developing new manufacturing development in the areas of opto-electronic technology, pharmaceutical, biology engineering, new material industry, sustainable technologies and environmental protection. Wuhan’s GDP in 2015 ranked 1st in major cities in Central China and 8th among 100 major cities in China. Recent massive flooding incidents have caused extensive damage and made clear that a new approach to civic, economic and environmental infrastructure is necessary in this current era of climate change. Wuhan has been identified by the Central Government to be one of 16 pilot cities to be developed as a Sponge City. This government led initiative places a central focus on an integrated green infrastructure approach to hold, clean and drain water, especially storm water, through natural process. This climate responsive and adaptive approach seeks to make the city more resilient, reduce economic and environmental damage, while also invigorating the space and life of the city.
SYLLABUS Beyond the Edge: Water + Urbanism in Wuhan The LA 402L SWA|CPPLA project will look beyond the edge as a significant economic but spatially thin urban condition. Most waterfront development looks outward, towards the water, where the inescapable attraction is clear. The studio will explore the edge condition as a model of thickness and adaptive density; a location that reaches back into the city as much as it pulls out from the city. Edges in natural systems are the most diverse, they are the locations where ecotones emerge; locations where ecologies, habitats and species comingle and adapt in unimagined ways. The project seeks to develop projects that embrace the history of trade, the industrial strength of an educated workforce and the recognition of necessary resilience into an environmentally integrated urban development model. The Beyond the Edge studio project will focus on two scales of waterfront projects and seek to build upon the local context while exploring new directions in urban waterfront development. The studio will research, plan and execute ideas of a locally derived urbanism that reflect the emerging trends in an ecologically grounded, intermodal, vertical, mixed-use and sustainably integrated driven development. Each of the projects will explore the edge as a condition of urban linkage that functions to deeply connect and radically adapt the city.
The studio will begin forecasting landscape-based strategies and conceptualizing high-performing frameworks to address ecological and cultural issues challenging the future of human habitation. Current and future land-use systems will be approached as diverse and hybrid ecologies formulated to combat climate change, cultural dilution, biological diversity, awareness and economies. New possibilities will be modeled, economic ecologies will be proposed and territories will be formed through adaptation and informed speculation. This research period will explore Wuhan’s economy, ecology, future opportunities, and case studies in city-building. The studio will discuss future trends in mobility, transit, retail environments, residential, office, and environmental infrastructure. A focus on visual communication and argument development will be key to all phases, including diagrams, sketches, plans, modeling of proposed building massing, transportation systems, and a deep sense of the quality of the public realm. This course will utilize the University’s learn-by-doing philosophy as a primary method of instruction. This approach will blend theory with real application through the execution of short term assignments, exercises, individual critiques, field trips, lectures by faculty and guests will be amongst the means of instruction.
Beyond the Edge Background - Project Brief + Syllabus
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PRECEDENT STUDIES Urban Design “Kit of Parts� that organizes Buildings, Landscapes, Transportation, and Land Use associated with the practices of Urban Design. These documents emphasize diagrammatic design communication with an emphasis on application and benefits.
TASKS + DELIVERABLES LA 402L is an immersion into a design environment requiring both individual and group efforts in creative design explorations. The studio will be composed of both team and individual design projects. Teams will also have international student partners that are expected to be directly engaged in the projects.
FIELD TRIP + PROJECT SITE VISIT The Studio will travel to China for a 10-day trip to visit the project site in Wuhan, participate in a design workshop and charette, begin developing their projects in collaboration with their crossuniversity teams and ultimately visit cultural sites in Shanghai.
The studio aims to create a collaborative learning environment in which students can engage in the issues critical to the studio and the broader discipline of Landscape Architecture. The learning tasks are designed to maximize learning for the entire class as well as provide a basis for evaluation of performance throughout the course. Specific Requirements and formats are assigned for each assignment and include individual as well as team efforts to complete tasks. This spread provides a general description of the requirements associated with this course:
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PROJECT POSITIONING AND PRODUCTION SWA will be providing weekly project and design review, desk critiques to develop and position each project, lectures and overall guidance regarding the advancement and production of each project.
FIGURE GROUND STUDIES + TYPOLOGIES
MAPPING + INVENTORY / ANALYSIS
Exploration of the basic public space elements of urban design and the formation of a public realm in direct relationship to water, architectural program and resultant building type. The Figure ground describes the grain of each location.
This inventory expresses an individual point-of-view of the unique potential and opportunity of the site. Students will utilize these drawings as a means to research the systems of the place and connect the relationships of the site as a vision for development.
DESIGN WORKSHOP
URBAN DESIGN FRAMEWORKS
Students will collaborate with students and faculty of Huazhong University of Science & Technology, SWA and all faculty during a five-day urban design workshop. The workshop is intended to provide quick vision to their project ideas while working in China.
Students will propose large-scale frameworks that focus on typological development, ecological infrastructure, transportation and circulation systems, and phasing considerations. Each project will visualize systems and infrastructures of proposed development.
PROJECT NARRATIVE
DESIGN JOURNAL
Each phase of the project includes writing requirements. The focus of these is on brevity and clarity. The writing is expected to provide the outline for the narrative development of the project and serve as the body text for the team publication.
A design journal will be developed by each team throughout the studio. This journal will include each phase of the project as chapters/articles and document the entire process of design and collaboration.
Beyond the Edge Background - Tasks + Deliverables
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HUXI RIVER TEAM PROFILES
HUXI REVIVAL
KENNETH RODGERS
PABLO HINOJOSA
PATRICIO YRIZAR
DWEN-DWEN WANG
This class has shown me that the Suburban Sprawl has to be redeveloped into the Urban Densification. Miles of travel should be transformed into minutes of walking or even seconds of cycling. Urban massing and localization of function and program might be the answer to reshaping our overdeveloped and land consuming sequestration. Thank you to SWA, and all the sponsors for providing me a great learning opportunity and a once in a lifetime experience.
My area of focus in Landscape Architecture is in ecological restoration projects and community based designs that serve underprivileged areas. I am fascinated with the role that ecology plays in an urban environment not only as infrastructure, but as a means of coalescing culture and natural biological systems. I also like peanut butter cookies.
My name is Patricio Yrizar and I’m twenty-three years old. I was born in Queretaro, Mexico. I grew up along my brother in a family of four, we loved to be outdoors and move around which led us to do activities that allowed us to be ourselves, so we joined sports. My passion towards the observed and its identity has made me look into the field of Landscape Architecture, a profession that has me realize how much more I can accomplish by learning from it.
Environmental design introduced me to the science and art behind hidden details. Its complex character has sparked my curiosity beyond this field. My interests often shift from one topic to another; yet, it all ties back into design. I am grateful to have stumbled upon landscape architecture, as it had turned the rest of my life into a never-ending learning experience. It allows me to explore art and philosophy while serving an impact to a critical and growing field that demands support and advocacy.
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FOREST CAMPUS
GALINA NOVIKOVA
BESSY BARAHONA
JESUS AGUIRRE
Galina enjoys feeling unbounded in her work. She intentionally takes risks and seeks new opportunities to grow and learn from her projects and life experiences. Her work is fueled by conceptual thought processes and ephemeral qualities. Growing up in a city like New York, Galina feels passionate for public space and artistic mediums that articulate the human experience and natural phenomena. In her travels abroad she has begun to appreciate public transit systems, regional planning and analysis.
Bessy grew up in a small town in El Salvador where her love for nature and outdoor spaces took root. She has always held a strong fascination for art, architecture and landscapes that evoke deep emotions. After attending community college, she transferred into the Landscape Architecture program. The program has enriched her appreciation of design and it has inspired her to continually stretch her ideas and concepts to create functional yet aesthetically appealing spaces.
Jesus was born in Guanajuato, Mexico. He Moved to the U.S. at the age of three and grew up in Ontario, California where he attended Chaffey High School. While attending college, Jesus began a new hobby with a club named Meals for Mankind, which is a group of students who volunteer in community centers, who provide food and shelter for people in need. Such experience helped him fully understand what it means to give back to the community and help him grow more as an individual.
BIN NAKATANI
HO SUN CHAU
GUSTAVO CORONILLA
Coming from a different country, the experience I had in California has definitely helped shaping my philosophy and perspectives on the idea of Landscape Architecture. Cal Poly Pomona has provided me with a new comprehension of Landscape Architecture. The experiences and understanding of the field at Cal Poly Pomona have only expanded my interest in the profession. I believe that the flexibility of the field allows it to be a continuum that blends the various ideas into the continuously changing environment.
Nicholas Chau is a Landscape Designer and Photographer. During his 4 years in Landscape Design, Nicholas explored different scales of design and different mediums to portray design ideas. Currently, Nicholas is focusing on a better connection between the artistic expression and the scientific problem-solving, his motto for Landscape Design is “Have Fun and Creativity will come to you.�
Cal Poly Pomona has enforced my academic curiosity in landscape architecture. My curiosity for landscape architecture and environmental design has grown over the course of my time in college. The field of landscape architecture is a vast multifaceted profession and I am very passionate about the role landscape architecture has in environmental justice. I feel landscape architecture can not only help me advocate for what I believe in, but landscape architecture can also make me the catalyst for change.
BLEND
Beyond the Edge Background - Huxi River Team Profiles
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YANGTZE RIVER TEAM PROFILES
WOVEN ISLANDS
ALVIN ALVAREZ
ERIC HUNTER
GRISOL RAMIREZ
ROSA MENDOZA
I was brought to landscape architecture through a combined interest in art history and engineering. Lately my interests have also turned towards advocacy and mapping; representing and collaborating with underserved communities as well as providing maps and analysis to assist in long term planning.
I am currently pursuing a BS in Landscape Architecture. I have designed Award Winning Rose Parade Floats where we took a design build approach to the process. I have studied engineering including thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and multi-variable calculus which gave me a great understanding behind how things work. A perfect job for me would be where I can create.
I always enjoyed drawing and as I grew up I realized that I can leverage my skills and passion into Landscape Architecture. This major has taught me a set of skills that have challenged me as a designer. As a fourth year currently in Cal Poly Pomona I have designed in a variety of ways to understand and experiment new ways of gathering and enhancing spaces. I believe that landscape architecture is the answer the challenges in spaces that are not used significantly, whether it be in boundaries, spaces or corners.
I am interested with the ideas about gathering and creating unity between the public. I came into this major with curiosity, not knowing what to expect. But I grew interested with the way the fabric of landscape design works. This soon turned into a passion in landscape architecture after realizing the power and function this career has towards my personal life and the way design in landscape can have an impact in a community.
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WUHAN, CITY OF MEMORY
DANQING SUN
AMY CHEN
HYUNJI KIM
My interest in Landscape Architecture is that every project can be a unique story. I enjoy understanding each place and developing the story through a designer’s eye. I create a space based on my understanding and make it a place. People might experience it differently, and those differences continue the story.
I lived and travelled to many places across the world. Much of those observations around my living environment influenced my design interests and helped me to understand many cultures that are so different yet similar in some ways. In almost everything I explore, I look for differences and conflicts of ideas. It is rather challenging to find the harmony within contradictions. But that is exactly how our environment and human minds are. And landscape architects make places for them.
Creating place rather than space is important to me. Space is simply defined as three directional voids. Place is connected to people’s experience of the environment and other elements like personal stories. Once every element is interwoven, it reflects individual’s unique inner landscape. I am always questioning about how i can design a place that lives in people’s memory and how to connect people to a place where they feel their time, turning minutes into hours and days into years on a personal level.
THE NEXUS
NERMEEN ABOUDAWOOD SHELBY HERBEL
CHRIS VALENZUELA
Design is a form of poetry. Designers are given two elements: tools and context. When these elements are applied, poetry unveils. Living in countries such as the United States, Lebanon, Egypt, and Dubai, and visiting many other countries, helps her understand the importance of narrative design. Conflicting languages might create barriers but when a designer is given the right tools and context, they can prove that design is a global language.
Chris has always had great curiosity about his surroundings. He constantly wonders where things come from, how they work, and why they are here. He has grown interest in how landscape functions to better the health and safety of the environment and how people feel and experience the stories a landscape is telling. The similarities between design and music have brought Chris much joy in how they both can tell stories, make people feel, and provide an opportunity to have an outburst of the soul.
I believe that landscape architects need an excellent understanding of context, and an intuitive understanding of the value of place. I have a strong curiosity and want to work at the edge of the discipline, pushing landscape architecture to the forefront of the built environment where I believe it belongs. Through landscape and urban design, we are capable of bridging barriers within development by bringing together sustainability, ecology, and architecture, all within the public realm.
Beyond the Edge Background - Yangtze River Team Profiles
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PROJECT FRAMEWORK PROJECT CONTEXT PROJECT 1 - HUXI RIVER SITE SITE PHOTOS PROJECT 2 - YANGTZE RIVER SITE SITE PHOTOS
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CITY OF WUHAN
HUBEI PROVINCE, CHINA
PROJECT SITE 2
YANGTZE RIVER
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PROJECT CONTEXT
DONGHU LAKE
EAST LAKE
PROJECT SITE 1 HUXI RIVER
Beyond the Edge Project Framework - Project Context
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PROJECT 1 HUXI RIVER SITE
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HUXI RIVER SITE Site Area - 127.8 HA (315.7 AC) The project site is situated within the eastern portion of the Huazhong University of Science & Technology campus to the south of the East Lake. A dense forest sets the eastern edge restricting development while a major arterial to the west disconnects the site from the main campus. Many undeveloped (and rundown developed) parcels weave along each side of a dilapidated and toxic looking Huxi River. A need for densification and modernized infrastructure is apparent along with remediation efforts. Many design opportunities exist to elevate the campus.
Beyond the Edge Project Framework - Project 1 - Huxi River Site
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Beyond the Edge Project Framework - Project 1 - Site Photos
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PROJECT 2 YANGTZE RIVER SITE
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YANGTZE RIVER SITE Site Area - 103.4 HA (255.5 AC) The project site is situated along Second Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge in Wuhan. An underutilized linear park stretches along the waterfront but remains separated from the inland village due to transportation infrastructure (roadway and train tracks). Defunct rail lines enter the open space terminating at a fairy station. This location used to consist of significant trade with train cars loaded onto ships at the docks to cross the river and for shipping up and down stream. The site has an opportunity to be a catalyst for new development and subsequently community.
Beyond the Edge Project Framework - Project 2 - Yangtze River Site
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Beyond the Edge Project Framework - Project 2 - Site Photos
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FIELD TRIP SITE VISIT URBAN DESIGN WORKSHOP CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH SCHEDULE OF EVENTS WUHAN WORKSHOP MONTAGE SHANGHAI EXPLORATION MONTAGE
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FOLLOW THE STUDIO ON INSTAGRAM
#SWA2018WUHAN 36
FIELD TRIP - 10 DAYS IN CHINA URBAN DESIGN WORKSHOP + SITE VISIT On January 18-28, 2018 the studio took a field trip to Wuhan’s Huazhong University of Science & Technology to participate in an urban design workshop to explore the future of waterfront development in Wuhan, China. For the the CPPLA students, the trip helped build a deeper cultural awareness and sensitivity to the climate, ecology, history and customs of Wuhan, Hubei province and the Yangtze river watershed. The trip included project site visits, meetings with site representatives, meetings with local design institutes, and a 5-day workshop that concluded with HUST and CPPLA students formally presenting their projects to numerous government agencies. The trip was concluded with a brief trip to Shanghai, Suzhou and Tongli to explore numerous historical and contemporary precedents to inform each group’s project.
This extremely unique opportunity, an experience beyond all previous academic experiences, will provide the ability for direct engagement in an urban design workshop and site visit. This trip has been made possible by the generous support of numerous donors, the staff of SWA and the collaborative partnership of the faculty and leadership of Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China. During this trip, the 20 students of the LA 402L SWA|CPPLA studio will be collaborating with 20 students from our host and partner at Huazhong University in a workshop that will provide the analog experience to current international practices. The collaborative teams of students will be tasked with looking ‘Beyond the Edge’ to address sustainability, climate change, transportation, and urbanization along the edges of river and waterfront in Wuhan.
Beyond the Edge Field Trip - Site Visit, Urban Design Workshop, and Contextual Research
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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS January 19-28, 2018 Friday 1/19 Arrival Day; Campus Orientation and Check-In. Workshop Introduction and International Team Organization: CPPLA and Huazhong University students broken into teams. Saturday 1/20 Wuhan City Visit - Contextual Research A series of visits to sites of significant cultural value to provide general background and context for the project. Students are expected to be on time and ready with sketchbooks and cameras. •East Lake •Yellow Crane Tower •Guiyuan Temple Complex •Hubei Provincial Museum •Wuhan Botanical Garden •Yangtze River Bridge
•Hubu Alley Markets •Hanjie Wand Square; UN Studio •Modern Industrial Museum; Daniel Libeskind •Wanda Movie Park; Stufish •Wuhan Garden Expo Park
Sunday 1/21 Project Site Visits + Formal Group Introductions •Site 1 - Huxi River •Site 2 - Yangtze River Workshop Kick-off with formal group introductions of all participants and stakeholders involved in the studio. Monday 1/22 - Wednesday 1/24 Urban Design Workshop •Visioning and Big Ideas •Project Development and Positioning •Final Presentations + Awards •Group Farewell Dinner Thursday 1/25 Travel Day to Shanghai Friday 1/26 - Saturday 1/27 Shanghai City Visit - Contextual Research •Nanjing Road (Peoples park to the Bund) •Fosun Foundation and Bund Finance Centre; Heatherwick Studios and Foster+Partners •Yuyuan Gardens •Shanghai World Financial Center; Kohn Pedersen Fox •Shanghai Tower, Gensler •Jing’an Temple •M50 Art District •1000 Trees; Heatherwick Studios •1933 Slaughterhouse Adaptive Reuse (Laochangfang) •Suzhou Museum, I.M. Pei •Humble Administrators Garden •Tongli Sunday 1/28 Departure Day; Flights back to Los Angeles.
Beyond the Edge Field Trip - Schedule of Events
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Beyond the Edge Field Trip - Wuhan Workshop Montage
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Beyond the Edge Field Trip - Wuhan Workshop Montage
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Beyond the Edge Field Trip - Shanghai Exploration Montage
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ANALYSIS PRECEDENT STUDIES FIGURE GROUND STUDIES
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PRECEDENT STUDIES This project emphasizes diagrammatic design communication of the specific morphology of the precedents as formed by the conditions of context. This project serves as the basis of the studio-wide understanding of the basic public space elements of urban design and the formation of a public realm in direct relationship to water in addition to understanding the architectural program and building type. The Urban Design “Kit of Parts” includes Buildings, Landscapes, Transportation, Land Use, and Organizational Types. Each of these precedents have been researched and diagramed in response to the studio discussion along with the questions and themes outlined in the syllabus.
WATER AS CONTEXT
WATER AS FRONT
Building type and organization in relationship to water. Role of water in organization of pattern and form.
Resilience strategies. Program distribution and circulation strategies. Connections back into the city.
•The Barbican, London, England •Borneo-Sporenburg, Amsterdam, Netherlands •Fuzhou Vanke City, Fuzhou, China •Bo01, Malmö, Sweden •Offenbach Harbour, Offenbach, Germany •Vathorst - De Laak, Amersfoort, The Netherlands
•San Antonio Riverwalk, San Antonio, Texas •Madrid Rio Park, Madrid, Spain •Chicago River Front, Chicago, Illinois •Rhone River Front, Lyon, France •Toronto Waterfront, Toronto, Canada •Dania Park, Malmo, Sweden
WATER AS AMENITY OR THEME
WATER AS INFRASTRUCTURE
Water use and source. Public interaction.
Ecological services and structural organization. Circulation and program.
•Postdamer Platz, Berlin, Germany •Cheonggycheon, Seoul, South Korea •Place de la Bourse, Bordeaux, France •Mesa Center for the Arts, Mesa, Arizona •Canal City, Japan •Schwabinger Bach and Eisbach, Munich, Germany
•Buffalo Bayou, Houston, Texas •Tanner Springs Park, Portland, Oregon •Liupanshui Minghu Wetland Park, Liupanshui City, China •Guadalupe River Park, San Jose, California •Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York, New York •Sherbourne Common, Toronto, Canada
•Featured Precedent Studies
Beyond the Edge Analysis - Precedent Studies
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Beyond the Edge Analysis - Precedent Studies
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UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS [Featured to the Left] Utrecht is a city in the central Netherlands that has been a religious center for centuries. It has a medieval old town, canals, Christian monuments and a venerable university.
FIGURE GROUND STUDIES The Figure Ground exploration of the basic public space elements of urban design and the formation of a public realm in direct relationship to water, architectural program and resultant building type provided a basis for comparison between Wuhan and various water-adjacent communities and cities around the world. These comparison points inform the studio of building footprints and dimensions, block structure, road layout, and the relationship between the water edge and the urban fabric.
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
ANNECY, FRANCE
BANGKOK, THAILAND
Amsterdam is the Netherlands’ capital, known for its artistic heritage, elaborate canal system and narrow houses with gabled facades, along with cycling which is key to the city’s character with numerous bike paths.
Annecy is an alpine town in southeastern France, where Lake Annecy feeds into the Thiou River. It’s known for its Vieille Ville (old town), with cobbled streets, winding canals and pastel-colored houses.
Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, is a large city known for ornate shrines and vibrant street life. The boat-filled Chao Phraya River feeds its network of canals, flowing past the Rattanakosin royal district.
Beyond the Edge Analysis - Figure Ground Studies
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BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND
BRUGES, BELGIUM
CAPE CORAL, FLORIDA
Birmingham is a major city in England’s West Midlands region, with many Industrial Revolution-era landmarks and home to a network of canals, many of which radiate from Sherborne Wharf.
Bruges, the capital of West Flanders in northwest Belgium, is distinguished by its canals, cobbled streets and medieval buildings. Its port, Zeebrugge, is an important center for fishing and European trade.
Cape Coral is a city in southwest Florida, known for its many canals. Home to manatees, Sirenia Vista Park has kayak routes to Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve, where birds wade amid mangroves.
JIANGSU, CHINA
ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
Jiangsu is a coastal Chinese province north of Shanghai.
St. Petersburg is a Russian port city on the Baltic Sea. It was the imperial capital for 2 centuries, having been founded in 1703 by Peter the Great. It remains as Russia’s cultural center.
Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, encompasses 14 islands and more than 50 bridges on an extensive Baltic Sea archipelago. Ferries and sightseeing boats shuttle passengers between the islands.
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DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
EL GOUNA, EGYPT
HAMBURG, GERMANY
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates known for luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture and a lively nightlife scene. A series of artificial islands just offshore include Atlantis and The Palm.
El Gouna is a modern resort town on Egypt’s Red Sea, near Hurghada. It’s built along the shore and on small islands, and is known for its lagoons, coral reefs and sandy beaches.
Hamburg, a major port city in northern Germany, is connected to the North Sea by the Elbe River. It’s crossed by hundreds of canals, and also contains large areas of parkland.
VENICE BEACH, CALIFORNIA
VENICE, ITALY
XOCHIMILCO, MEXICO
Known for its bohemian spirit, Venice is a buzzing beach town with upscale commercial and residential pockets. A picturesque enclave of canals is surrounded by modernist homes.
Venice, the capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region, is built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. It has no roads, just canals including the Grand Canal thoroughfare .
Xochimilco is one of the 16 mayoralities within Mexico City. The borough is centered on the formerly independent city of Xochimilco, which was established on what was the southern shore of Lake Xochimilco in the pre-Hispanic period.
Beyond the Edge Analysis - Figure Ground Studies
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PROJECTS PROJECT 1 - HUXI RIVER SITE HUXI REVIVAL FOREST CAMPUS BLEND PROJECT 2 - YANGTZE RIVER SITE WOVEN ISLANDS WUHAN, CITY OF MEMORY THE NEXUS 57
58 HUXI REVIVAL
HUXI REVIVAL PROJECT 1 - HUXI RIVER SITE
Huxi Revival - Huxi River Projects - Cover
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HUXI REVIVAL
HUXI RIV.IVAL
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THE RIVER IN THE PAST We walked the entire edge of Huxi River documenting, and sketching what we thought were moments lost in the unmonitored expanse of the surrounding environment. Construction debris and runoff littered the edge of what appeared to be a stream, but a stream choking from affluent of algae during its shallow trickle through the university. That didn’t stop local guerilla agriculture from flourishing on its edges like invasive vegetables. Every accessible terrace was opportunely planted by locals trying to exploit what water they did have. We interviewed local farmers, predominantly old, who spoke to a time where there was no disconnect. They weren’t seen as illegal before the land around them was bought up and profiteered. We realized there was a neglected importance behind the Huxi River to the community. We realized part of that disconnect did not stem solely through construction, but water quality concerns as well. The stormwater runoff, sewage runoff, and other unfiltered contaminants freely flow into the existing canal.
Huxi Revival - Huxi River Projects - The River in the Past
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HUXI REVIVAL
METHODOLOGY We came to the conclusion that it all starts with changing the canal. First, we implement a new grid system focused on directing the campus to the waterfront. By doing so, we develop a clear center of the campus. This center allows for the manipulation and massing of buildings to face the canal and speak to each other. The grid creates a matrix of needed density lacking from the current unpronounced campus layout and intimacy with Huxi River’s historical context. Second, we integrate water filtration to maximize the amount of water, whether through ground or inlet, through phytoremediation. The current water filtration plan will clean water from river outlets, which does not address surface runoff. Therefore, the future plan will incorporate rain gardens, green roofs, green walls, and bioswales to capture, clean, and filter the water before it reaches the Huxi River.
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Condense
Shift
Flood
Walking distance
River-facing
Campus connection
Vehicular
Pedestrian
Boardwalk
Huxi Revival - Huxi River Projects - Methodology
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HUXI REVIVAL
THE RIVER IN THE PAST
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THE RIVER IN THE FUTURE
Huxi Revival - Huxi River Projects - Past vs Future
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HUXI REVIVAL
WATER RELATIONSHIPS
Boardwalk + Bridge + Island
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A
Residence
Classrooms
B
A
Run-off filtration
B
Huxi Revival - Huxi River Projects - Water Relationships
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HUXI REVIVAL
LAND USE
Commercial Commercial Mix-use Low Density Residential High Density Residential Classroom/Labs Sports Field Open Space Water
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BUILDING TYPES
High Density Residential
Low Density Residential
Commercial Mix-use
Commercial
Classroom/labs
Towards River
Huxi Revival - Huxi River Projects - Land Use + Building Types
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HUXI REVIVAL
LANDSCAPE TYPES
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Plaza
Habitat
Residential
Canal
Lake
Pool
BRIDGE TYPES
Island
Under
Between
Above
Huxi Revival - Huxi River Projects - Landscape + Bridge Types
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HUXI REVIVAL
THE RIVER IN THE FUTURE By expanding and contracting the water edge it allowed for different opportunities to harness the canal when its narrow and deploy programming in the areas that it expanded. A reoriented circulation was derived out of the new grid that was implemented. The clear connection to the east and west ends of campus created a lateral movement for visitors to reach the river from any part of the campuses. A clear connection of travel from north to south provided a connection to the east lake as a terminus and draw movement from the northern and southern ends of the campus and surrounding community. The restructured routes allowed for the forest to creep into the rest of the campus creating a blurred edge of the natural forest and the constructed encroachment. Building massing was placed along the water’s edge to draw attention and activation from the surrounding communityto the Huxi River. Our land use and programming acts as the binding that helps hold the community together and creates a sense of place discovered through sustainability, ecology and recreation.
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Mountain East Lake
Forest Middle School
Campus Core
Huxi Revival - Huxi River Projects - Illustrative
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HUXI REVIVAL
RESIDENCE EXPERIENCE
COMMERCIAL CORE
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RESIDENCE VIEW
PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE
Huxi Revival - Huxi River Projects - Experiences
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76 FOREST CAMPUS
FOREST CAMPUS PROJECT 1 - HUXI RIVER SITE
Forest Campus - Huxi River Projects - Cover
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FOREST CAMPUS
FOREST CAMPUS
CONTEXT Located in one of the most spectacular natural areas of Wuhan and the Huazhong university of science and technology (HUST), the East Campus is adjacent to the remaining fragmented forest, carved by flooding events for centuries from nearby lakes and rivers. For thousands of years, these massive landforms have been broken down even further, defining the fragmented forest that remains along the Huazhong university of science and technology (HUST). From west to east, the campus is also fragmented, there is limited access and connection from all corners of the campus. In addition, non-university residential towers and commercial development has begun to fragment the institutional facilities. The fragmentation caused by development and present day landform, is most obvious when observed the site in a regional scale. The adjacent east lake, a large ecological amenity to the region provides an opportunity for unification, bringing the forest, the west and east campus, and flooding bodies of water to the university core and thus well-being for faculty and students.
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PAST LANDFORM PRESENT LANDFORM
Forest Campus - Huxi River Projects - Context
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SITE ANALYSIS CULTURAL AND REGIONAL CONTEXT
FOREST CAMPUS
STAIRS STAIRS
STAIRS SCENIC PATH
HARD EDGE+PEDESTRIAN ACCESS
GRASS VEGETATION+TRASH
STAIRS
HARD EDGE+PEDESTRIAN ACCESS
SOFT EDGE+VEGETATION
CANAL AND LAKE EDGE CONDITIONS
FLOODING CULTURE
PROJECT STATEMENT The East campus is an integral part of the university at large. However the lack of mobility, and connections between the West and East campuses impacts the lives of students and faculty daily. By acknowledging a culture that has lived with consequences of the monsoon season for centuries, the Forest Campus aims unite the fragmented by bringing the forest, the lake edge and the campus to a central axis, creating a core of wellness.
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MIXED EDGES
CULTURAL IMPRESSIONS
FOREST CULTURE
Focusing on the well being of students, and faculty and considering existing issues about circulation, public spaces, water treatment and a rising water line, the Forest Campus will re-define the future of HUST, one that embraces the ecology, culture and the resilient values of the people who use the spaces. The Forest Campus proposal aims to revitalize the East campus of HUST by reconnecting, embracing and de fragmenting the existing layers of the East campus fabric.
Forest Campus - Huxi River Projects - Site Analysis
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FOREST+WATER+CAMPUS
FOREST CAMPUS
CONVERGENCE+UNIFICATION
The Forest Campus proposal addresses the fragmentation of in the campus and the landscape by creating a dialog of fragmented landscape and development. Addressing the different issues that the East campus faces the Forest Campus proposal embraces the culture water and forest at the same time it puts students, faculty and residents wellbeing first.
In order to treat the polluted water of the Huxi River and address the flooding issue terraced wetlands are distributed in the lake edge and the canal as well as elevated paths for pedestrian and bicycle use. To address the lack of open spaces, new green spaces at the edge of the lake, and surrounding areas are added. The new forest would create a dialog between buildings and landscape where people wellness is at the core.
Initial concept
We proposed a core development of institutional buildings that provide different services. In addition a surrounding development that mainly focuses in housing and mix-used facilities.
Conntecting the West and East campus.
Expanding lake edges for views and recreation.
Bringing the forest into the campus.
Convergence of Water, Forest and Campus
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EXISTING CONDITIONS
PROPOSED CONDITIONS
The existing conditions of the HUST East campus show different layers of fragmentations that are addressed by the Forest Campus proposal. A new dialog between each layer is added to create connection and wellness
Housing and Institutional development
CANTINES BUS STOPS PRIMARY CIRCULATION SECONDARY CIRCULATION OPEN SPACES WATER
Circulation and cantines
FOREST OPEN SPACES WATER
FOREST OPEN SPACES
Open spaces
WATER
Open spaces
FOREST INSTITUTIONAL RESIDENTIAL WATER
Campus landuse distribution
CANTINES AND COMMERCIAL INSTITUTIONAL DISTRICTS HOUSING DISTRICTS FOREST OPEN SPACES WATER
Landuse distribution
FOREST OPEN SPACES WATER FLOW DIRECTION CANAL WATERFLOW DIRECTION
Huxi River and water flow
BUS STOPS TRAM STOPS PRIMARY CIRCULATION SECONDARY CIRCULATION TRAM CIRCULATION
SOFT EDGES
WATER
HARD EDGES WATER
Huxi River and Lake edges
Circulation
Forest Campus - Huxi River Projects - Forest + Water + Campus
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WEST CA M P US FOREST CAMPUS
EAST LAKE
84 1
4 3 5
2
6
7
MASTER PLAN 1
EAST LAKE ACCESS
2
WELLNESS CENTER
3
PATH OF LOTUS
4
URBAN CANAL
5
FOREST RECREATION
6
RESIDENTIAL CANAL
7
GRAND CANAL EXISTING BOUNDARY GIVEN
FOREST PARK
Forest Campus - Huxi River Projects - Illustrative
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TYPOLOGIES+ STRATEGIES
FOREST CAMPUS
EDGE CONDITION + FOREST ARCHITECTURE
The development would respond to the existing forces of forest, water and program in addition to the orientation and views to open spaces and the lakes.
TREE HOUSE
SKY FOREST
EAST LAKE CONNECTION | FLOODWALL SUMMER
LAKE CIRCULATION | REACHING LOTUS SUMMER
URBAN STREAM | WATER FEATURE SUMMER
LAKE ACCESS | ACTIVATED EDGE WINTER
LAKE CIRCULATION | GEOMETRIC LOTUS WINTER
URBAN STREAM | ACCESSIBLE CANAL WINTER
FOREST CLASSROOM SOFT EDGE | CANAL PATHWAYS SUMMER
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SOFT EDGE | CANAL AS PATHWAY WINTER
DISTRICTS HIGHLIGHTS LAKE EDGE+WELLNESS CENTER+FOREST HOUSING
Forest Campus - Huxi River Projects - Typologies + Strategies and District Highlights
GRAND WALK
INTIMATE EDGES + CROSSINGS
LOTUS PATHWAY
Forest Housing
TREE-HOUSE LIVING
Wellness Center
WELLNESS CENTER
LOW-RISE LIVING
ACTIVATED FOREST EDGE
BRIDGE FOR ACCESS
East Lake and Huxi River Edge
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EAST LAKE + FOREST BRIDGE PARK
FOREST CAMPUS
EAST LAKE ACCESS + MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT
With adjacently to the East Lake and nearby forest fragment to the north, the east lake development strategy is intended to extend beyond the campus edge for greater views to ecological amenities and lake edge recreational access for students and faculty.
EAST LAKE
To the north of the site, remains the original vehicular circulation, transformed into a bridge, creating access below the bridge to nearby existing green spaces. When entering the mixed-use commercial district from the north east entrance, a park below the bridge emerges along with access to the flood wall walk surrounding buildings at the edge. This floodwall was designed to withstand the flood and rise in water levels. During the highest of water levels, the floodwall disappears meeting the edge of the water sinuously, creating the effect of a submerged building and forest. Bringing the viewer to the cafe below the bridge, creates an intimate spectacle to the east lake. The cafe sits on a sweeping form and is engulfed by a sweeping forest. Various views can be experienced from bridge pathways and a central elevated pathway that connects both side of the lake edges. The Forest Bridge Park invites users to become close with the edge, embracing flood conditions with spectacular views.
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BRIDGE
MIX IIXED IXE XED XED ED U US USE SE SE
E
500’
1000’
FOREST LAKE EDGE
Forest Campus - Huxi River Projects - East Lake + Forest Bridge Park
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WELLNESS CENTER+LOTUS LAKE
The proposed Lotus Lake sits at the intersection of an axis, central to the university’s core. It’s design intention is to bring and promote wellness; for the health of the body and minds of students and faculty.
LN
ES SC
EN
TE
R
LLOTUS OTU LAKE
EL
The east campus is disconnected from the classrooms and academic facilities at the west side of the lake and the recreational areas at the east side due to flooding events. Green spaces surrounding the lake were under-utilized. We propose connections to the west campus and around the lotus lake to connect both sides of the lake and create efficiency from classroom to classroom.
W
FOREST CAMPUS
UNIVERSITY CORE + WELLNESS
The wellness center would offer a range of programs to ease university stress and pressure, while pulling viewers closer to the edge of the lake, specifically to be near the magnificent blooming lotus in summer. Elevated paths encircle the lake weaving in and out of the edge. These paths provide more options for students to move from the recreational area to their classrooms and would be functional year around . An elevated path that crosses the forest, circulates around the wellness center providing access to all corners of the campus. This elevated path accommodates mobility during the wet and dry seasons and experiential qualities of walking through the forest.
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500’
1000’
REACHING LOTUS
Forest Campus - Huxi River Projects - Wellness Center + Lotus Lake
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FOREST HOUSING
FOREST CAMPUS
INTIMATE EDGES + SOCIAL WELL-BEING
The Residential district, south of university core, is where intersections of intimate canal edges and student faculty housing meet. Next to forest housing, is the Grand Walk, connecting the east campus residential district back to the west campus with an ecological greenway. Residential forest building typologies are embedded within the forest and newly proposed canals. Buildings with balconies and glass materials open up housing life to the forest ambiance. The social atmosphere is heightened by newly developed pathways and interactive spaces along canal edges. Multiple canals were introduced into the site to relieve the existing canal of rising water levels and damage. The new canals trace drainage patterns while providing access for students and faculty with extruded walkways along housing corridors and canal edges. Soft and hard edges along the canal emerge, defining new experiences for the individual walking home from class. Social interactions are promoted through new pathways and edge conditions. Connections are made through balcony dwelling, walks through the forest, stairs along canals and pocket park green spaces in between housing units to promote such social activity.
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STUDENT UDEN NTT HOUSIN N H HO O OUSING OUS OU U USIN SING SN
500’
1000’
FOREST NETWORK
Forest Campus - Huxi River Projects - Forest Housing
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94 BLEND
BLEND PROJECT 1 - HUXI RIVER SITE
Blend - Huxi River Projects - Cover
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SCROLL ANALYSIS
BLEND
The traditional Chinese garden is originated from scroll painting. Our group decided to follow the trace back to scroll painting and through our own observation, scroll painting generally highlight five elements in the paintings. They are: Nature, Community, Intimacy, Revealing and Ecology. The word Nature is interpreted as the landscape in the painting is often depicted whether subtle or bold. Some Chinese paintings will focus solely on the landscape itself, with small people as a sense of scale and a compliment. Chinese long scroll painting is often used to showcase a scene in towns with the community interacting with each other; these paintings also show the intimacy in scale of the ancient Chinese towns and also reveal certain elements that are nowhere to be found nowadays, such as the normality of animals running around freely in markets. Last but not least, Ecology is often a big topic in Chinese paintings as some paintings even solely focus on the relationship between an animal and a portion of a tree.
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SCROLL PHILOSOPHY Further research in the history and philosophy of the Chinese Scroll Painting, we discovered that Chinese painting, Chinese garden and Chinese Philosophy all comes to a common agreement that Humans relationship with each other, with nature and with flora and fauna is the most important component for us. The relationship with Nature is Man’s relationship with Land and Water, how they react, interact and how emotions are triggered or expressed through land and water, the thinking is similar to Landscape Architecture.
Blend - Huxi River Projects - Scroll Analysis and Philosophy
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BLEND
APPLYING THE CONCEPT TO THE SITE As our group found out the flooding problem is severe, we decided to turn it into an opportunity, making water the driving force of our design. Focusing on solving Water, by give in to water. Creating more area for water to flow into, allow the land to interact more with the water, and also allow water to be a prominent experience in the users’ life. After precisely creating more interaction of water with human, the community bond and human’s bond with nature shall emerge within.
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EXISTING SITE ANALYSIS
EXISTING SITE ANALYSIS
EXISTING POLLUTION ANALYSIS
Blend - Huxi River Projects - Applying the Concept and Existing Site Analysis
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BLEND
Existing Water bodies
100
existing node density
higher congestion
proposed node dispersion
higher capacity
Existing Node Density
Proposed Node Dispersion
Pedestrian Vehicular Existing Circulation
Proposed Water bodies
Blend - Huxi River Projects - Analysis
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BLEND
PUBLIC PRIVATE
PROPOSED PUBLIC AND PRIVATE OPEN SPACE
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WETLAND
PARK
LOTUS POND
COURTYARD
PROPOSED OPEN SPACE PROGRAMMING
Blend - Huxi River Projects - Proposed Open Space + Programming
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BLEND
CHECK DAM
BARRAGE
NEW HUXI RIVER MAIN CANALS STREET CANALS
PROPOSED CANALS, DAMS & BARRAGE
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BUILDING FORM IN RELATIONSHIP TO GREEN SPACE & BUILDING FORMS Blend - Huxi River Projects - Illustrative
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BLEND
CONDENSE
BREAK DOWN REFORMING BUILDING FORMS
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EXISTING BUILDING FORMS
PROPOSED BUILDING FORMS
Blend - Huxi River Projects - Diagrams and Scroll Perspective
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108 BLEND
Blend - Huxi River Projects - Scroll Perspectives
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110 BLEND
Blend - Huxi River Projects - Scroll Perspectives
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112 WOVEN ISLANDS
WOVEN ISLANDS PROJECT 2 - YANGTZE RIVER SITE
Woven Islands - Yangtze River Projects - Cover
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WOVEN ISLANDS
CONCEPT
Observing the geography of Wuhan, we noticed to distinct types of edges. One was a push-and-pull-like form of the lakes, encouraging a much stronger relationship between the city and the waterfront. Additionally at a larger scale we noticed that along with the more literal islands within Wuhan, the lakes and river massed together began to form larger isolations of land where much of the city has formed. Looking at our railyard site specifically, we noticed to distinct barriers; one dividing the river to the park and one dividing the park to the city. In an effort to bring this richer relationship to the Yangtze River into our site, we began reflecting this islands idea not only onto the edge of the river, but also into the urban fabric itself. We pushed and warped the edges on both sides of the park and in some instances even perforated it so that park begins to bleed into city at various moments.
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PARK AS BARRIER
PUSHING AND PERFORATING THE BARRIER
Woven Islands - Yangtze River Projects - Concept
115
WOVEN ISLANDS
MASTER PLAN
116
circulation
CIRCULATION
scale: 1/16” = 1’ - 0”
STREETS TO ISLANDS
connection streets to park
pedestrian access to islands
scale: 1/16” = 1’ - 0”
roads connected to the area
main street
ENTRANCE TO ISLANDS
scale: 1/16” = 1’ - 0”
ISLANDS MANIPULating road
Woven Islands - Yangtze River Projects - Master Plan
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WOVEN ISLANDS
LAND USE
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ISLAND VOIDS
Woven Islands - Yangtze River Projects - Land Use and Island Voids
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RIVERFRONT ISLAND
WOVEN ISLANDS
ECOLOGY
RIVERFRONT ECOLOGY
120
RIVERFRONT PROGRAMING
Woven Islands - Yangtze River Projects - Riverfront Island
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WOVEN ISLANDS
COMMERCIAL PROGRAMING
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CIRCULATION
COMMERCIAL ISLAND DYNAMIC HUMAN SPACE
Water Show
Water Jets
Ice Skating
Live Concerts
Woven Islands - Yangtze River Projects - Commercial Island
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WOVEN ISLANDS
EDUCATION ISLAND EDUCATIONAL
124
EDUCATIONAL + ECOLOGY
Woven Islands - Yangtze River Projects - Education Island
125
LAKE - WATER FILTRATION 1 2 3
WOVEN ISLANDS
4
5
7
6
Water Collection
1
126
Aggragate Settling
2
Subsurface Filtration
3
Heavy Metal Removal and Bio-Purification
4
Pathogen Removal and Bio-Purification
5
Aeration and Biological Purification
6
Clean Water Impoundment
7
LAKEFRONT ISLAND WATER FILTRATION
Woven Islands - Yangtze River Projects - Lakefront Island
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WOVEN ISLANDS Woven Islands is an idea meant to soften the edge of the Yangtze riverfront park, while reflecting the island imagery onto both the littoral and urban edges of the park. This helped us envision a cohesive and distinct grain to the city. Our project has a unique potential in its focus on large portions of open space integrated into the urban fabric. The original purpose of this proposal was to reintroduce community scale spaces into the city. These islands would not only provide some ecological relief from dense urbanism but also an opportunity to build stronger relationships within a neighborhood. This idea went further by utilizing certain set programs that would also help give back to the neighborhoods, such as schools museums, and a water reclamation plant. The potential growth within a portion of a city and how to accommodate that growth through building form and layout was subject to several points of enhancement within our project. Woven Islands is our proposal and it is a concept that builds upon its unique potential strengths; small scale community building, ecological, environmental relief, and direct connection from the city to the waterfront.
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Woven Islands - Yangtze River Projects - Narrative and Perspective View
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130 CITY OF MEMORY
WUHAN, CITY OF MEMORY PROJECT 2 - YANGTZE RIVER SITE
City of Memory - Yangtze River Projects - Cover
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CITY OF MEMORY
PIER
RAIL ALLEY
132
ECONOMIC STRENGTH
COMMUNITY COHESION
The identity of Wuhan is clearly unique but is at the verge of loss as the urban developments came in. The cultural richness is diminishing, and memories are slowly forgotten. Little is there to remind people of how Wuhan first became an important trade point and advanced city in China. It was meant to be. Interestingly, the geological feature, shallow riverbed, forced ships to terminate and build piers on the river banks of Wuhan. Exchange occurred near the pier, settlements expanded, and a culture emerged. As the world continued to advance, rail was built, and alleys were full of everyday activities of people. The life, routine, and memory passed on for generations yet may be fragile at this critical time of fast our changing world. Our vision for the city of Wuhan is to continue its economic strength, to continue community cohesion, to facilitate intergenerational interaction, and to preserve identity while responding to growth and change. In making the economic strength, we will not neglect the increasing elderly population as a major phenomenon in China.
SMALLNESS AS IDENTITY
INTERGENERATIONAL INTERACTION
City of Memory - Yangtze River Projects - Vision
133
CITY OF MEMORY
PIER
CONVERGE DIVERGE RAIL
ALLEY The approach to work toward these goals should keep in mind of the identity. In the smallness of alleys, people gather, chat, trade, get breakfast, site and relax.
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PIER
EXCHANGE RAIL
ALLEY We see values from studying the old photographs of Wuhan. The three significant cultures, pier, rail, and alley suggest the important performances, converge, diverge, and exchange.
City of Memory - Yangtze River Projects - Converge, Diverge, and Exchange
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RAILYARD
AR
K
RIV
TU RA
LP
GT ZE
WUHAN OF TECH
EH
AN
RA
ILR
OA
DC
UL
YA N
5
N
HA
1
3
WU
PR
OJ EC TS
ITE
YU
4
2
N 0
1
ER
CITY OF MEMORY
PRESERVED IDENTITY
100
200
300
500m
The urban design project, Wuhan, City of Memory, developed its circulation network from the preserved existing sites. Using weave as a strong structure and texture to tie together the city fabric and make mosaics of spaces. Around the edge of each superblock are economic activities, and within each holds a strong community that is then connected to another through alleys.
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N 0
50
100
200m
2
OLD FACTORY
3
OLD RESIDENCE
IMPORTANT EXISTING CONDITION
EXISTING PRIMARY ROAD NETWORK IMPORTANT EXISTING NODE PRESERVED AREA
4
OLD RESIDENCE
PRIMARY WEAVE NETWORK
PROPOSED PRIMARY CIRCULATION PROPOSED SECONDARY CIRCULATION REALIGNED ROAD PRESERVED ALLEY NEWORK
5
OLD FACTORY
SMALLNESS WEAVE NETWORK
PRESERVED ALLEY NEWORK CIRCULATION NETWORK
EMERGED SMALLNESS City of Memory - Yangtze River Projects - Preserved Identity
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K NP AR BA
RA ILY AR D
PA
YA NG TZE RIV RK
ER
UR
PA RK
YA
NG
TZ
E
RI
VE
R
CITY OF MEMORY
EXISTING BRIDGE
CIRCULATION AND CONNECTION
138
PROPOSED URBAN PIER METRO LINE 5 STATION
YA N PA GTZ YANGTZ E ER RK RI IVE NP VE R AR K R
PA RK
PEDESTRIAN BIKE
CAR
CAR
CAR
CAR
BIKE
BA
K
NP AR
PA RK
BA
UR
E
YA NG TZ
R
VE
RI
PEDESTRIAN BIKE
CAR
CAR
BIKE PEDESTRIAN
PEDESTRIAN
PEDESTRIAN + BIKE
Projects - Circulation and Connection
139
City of Memory - Yangtze River
PA RK UR BA NP AR K YA NG TZE
RIV ER
PEDESTRIAN
BUS
CAR
MEDIAN PUBLIC SPACE
CAR
BUS
PEDESTRIAN
ALLEY
UR
BOULEVARD
AVENUE
STREET
PA RK UR BA NP AR K
YA NG TZE
RIV ER
CITY OF MEMORY
BUILDING MASS
140
STORIES
A’
40 20 0
B’
0
50
200m
100
SECTION A-A’
STORIES 40 30 20 10
C
0
25
50
100m
50
100m
SECTION B-B’
A
B
C’
MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL RETAIL SCHOOL HEALTH CARE
STORIES 40 30 20 10 0
25
SECTION C-C’
UNDULATING SKYLINE
E L AVAT E D P U B L I C S PA C E
A C T I VAT E D E D G E S IAL P FTO ROO
CE SPA
BOULEVARD
BOULEVARD
NT IDE RES IL A RET
CE SPA OP OFT RO ICE OFF IL ETA E R C A SP OP OFT RO
ICE
OFF
ICE
OFF
AIL
RET
AIL RET
AVENUE
AVENUE
ICE OFFAIL PACE S RET FTOP ROO ICE OFFAIL RET
ER FOY
L TIA
ER FOY
N IDE RESAIL RET
STREET
STREET
MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL RETAIL SCHOOL HEALTH CARE
E PAC
S OP
OFT
RO
TIAL IDEN RES IL A RET
ER FOY L NTIA A IDE RESICE OFF
City of Memory - Yangtze River Projects - Building Massing + Typologies
141
CITY OF MEMORY
GREEN CONNECTION
WA T
ER FR
ON
TP
AR
K
GREEN CORRIDOR OPEN SPACE FOYER
142
ROOFTOP OPEN SPACE
R RIV E UR B
AN PA RK
YA NG TZE YA RIV NGT ER ZE K PAPA RKR
ROOFTOP SPACE URBAN PIER
URBAN PIER CONNECTION TO PARK BOULEVARD GROUND LEVEL ACCESS
ALLEY
GLA SS W ALL
URBAN PIER
AVENUE
AVENUE GROUND LEVEL ACCESS
EXI
STIN
City of Memory - Yangtze River Projects - Green Connection + Urban Pier
GR
AIL
TRA CK
143
144 CITY OF MEMORY
EXISTING RAIL
PROPOSED TOPO
WATERFRONT PARK BOUNDARY
U SHAPED RIVER WALK
INTIMATE EDGE
ELEVATED CIRCULATION (URBAN PIER EXTENSION) ELEVATED LEVEL ACCESS
ELEVATED RIVERWALK
GROUND LEVEL CIRCULATION GROUND LEVEL ACCESS
WATER DECK
City of Memory - Yangtze River Projects - Waterfront
145
CITY OF MEMORY Every space in the city allow for the performances (converge, diverge, and exchange) to take place. And every space allows intergenerational interactions. The cultural texture deeply in the memory of the elderly is found at alleys and corners. The urban façade and magnificent view of the skyline reflect the working class’s hope and pursue for a better life. The art elements and places of relief and freedom encourage young people to create their new memory and future of the city. In the end, the project looks into the old memories of Wuhan and moves forward to continue its story. The economic strength, community cohesion, smallness as identity, and intergenerational interaction will make up the city of Wuhan, the city of memory.
146
City of Memory - Yangtze River Projects - Perspective Renderings
147
148 THE NEXUS
THE NEXUS PROJECT 2 - YANGTZE RIVER SITE
The Nexus - Yangtze River Projects - Cover
149
150 THE NEXUS
TEAM MANIFESTO Throughout our design process, our team took part in different stages of collaboration. The first joint effort was with our fellow colleagues at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China. In a three day conjoint workshop, our team analyzed the three major disconnections of the project site. The protective barrier that made these disconnections between the river, park, and the existing urban fabric was the flood wall. Our strategy of creating connections was to re-imagine how a flood wall could protect the city without serving as a distinctive barrier. The second partnership was with the team at SWA Group in Laguna Beach, California. Their expertise in creating building massing and carving out spaces between a dense urban city helped us in coming up with our overall strategy. By reshaping and re-aligning the flood wall we allowed
for the park to seep into the city through green corridors and the city extend out to the park through new density blocks. This exchange allowed for a seamless connection between the Yangtze River, the park and the urban fabric. Our exploration of how these systems begin to interconnect include: a railway park museum, historical Chinese garden, a wetland forest habitat, fluctuating filtration lake and a new commercial waterfront plaza. Our grounded research and exchangeable systems attempt to explain how an active city demonstrates layers of interconnections and interactions. Our project illustrates a synergy between different types of architecture and landscape architecture and how these
The Nexus - Yangtze River Projects - Team Manifesto
151
SITE ANALYSIS
THE NEXUS
RIVER PARK CITY
REGIONAL SCALE URBAN SCALE SITE SCALE
152
[DATA] site boundary: 71 hectare wuhan population 2015: 10.6 million wuhan population 2050: 12.3 million park to urban ratio: 25:75 river front length: 2000m scale comparison: 140 football fields
OUR GOAL IS TO UTILIZE THE SEA WALL AS A SEAM BETWEEN THE RIVER, PARK, AND THE URBAN FABRIC. RATHER THAN A BARRIER [FINGER JOINT CONCEPT]
EXISTING FLOOD WALL
PROPOSED FLOOD WALL
The Nexus - Yangtze River Projects - Site Analysis
153
CONCEPT DESIGN
THE NEXUS
[GREEN CORRIDORS]
154
[FLOW+CAPTURE]
[EXISTING MASSING]
[PROPOSED MASSING]
The Nexus - Yangtze River Projects - Green Corridors
155
CONCEPT DESIGN [BUILDING TYPOLOGIES]
THE NEXUS
EDGE
LIGHT
VIEWS
AIR
[PARK SECTION]
156
POCKET SPACE
TERRACE
[PARK TYPOLOGIES]
The Nexus - Yangtze River Projects - Building + Park Typologies
157
CONCEPT DESIGN
THE NEXUS
[MASTERPLAN]
158
The Nexus - Yangtze River Projects - Illustrative Master Plan
159
CONCEPT DESIGN
THE NEXUS
[AERIAL VIEW]
160
WETLAND
RAIL CULTURE
URBAN PLAZA
FILTRATION
The Nexus - Yangtze River Projects - Aerial Perspective
161
CONCEPT DESIGN [RAIL CULTURE+WETLAND]
THE NEXUS
RAIL/RIVER MUSEUM TRAIL FOREST TRAIL
MAIN PLAZA
FERRY
162
WETLAND
The Nexus - Yangtze River Projects - Rail Culture + Wetland
163
CONCEPT DESIGN [KINETIC FILTRATION]
3
THE NEXUS
3
CIRCULATION
164
WATER SYSTEM
The Nexus - Yangtze River Projects - Kinetic Filtration
165
HO TEL HO TEL HO HO T TE LH OT EL
CONCEPT DESIGN [URBAN PLAZA]
TA
E ILR
THE NEXUS
TA
166
E ILR
TA
RE
The Nexus - Yangtze River Projects - Urban Plaza
167
BEYOND THE EDGE WATER + URBANISM IN WUHAN, CHINA
2018 SWA + CPPLA STUDIO BEYOND THE EDGE - WUHAN, CHINA XIAO ZHENG, PRINCIPAL PAVEL PETROV, STUDIO COORDINATOR SEAN O’MALLEY, MANAGING PRINCIPAL
EVAN LEE NATASHA HARKISON ANDY WILCOX, PROFESSOR