Danielle Siler_Learning Portfolio_Arch 103 - Midterm

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Is there a relationship between the perceived and actual perspective among architecture versus film? And what might those relationships be? Film provides both the actual and fictional experiences, depending on your perspective, derived from our own unique life experiences. Architecture can also provide these spatial and visual experiences. Many techniques in film and photography are used to tell a story of memory or history of time and place. These same techniques encourage and nourish our spatial experiences through design in architecture. Techniques used to create THEME + VARIATION are implemented in the design process to develop a stronger language within these spatial experiences. We can start to manifest a conversation in architecture, with patterns of theme and variation as well as contrast, transparency and transformation.

RELATIONS OF ARCHITECTURE + FILM Mise-en-Scène Montage

Narrative

Arrangement of actors/scenery on a stage for a theatrical production Process of technique of selecting, editing and piecing together separate sections of film to form a continuous whole; Producing a new composite whole from fragments of text, pictures and music. Spoken or written account of connected events. A story.

Script

Written text of a play, movie or broadcast

Storyboard

Sequence of drawings, typically with some directions and dialogue representing the shots planned for movie or television.

PROCESS TECHNIQUES – constructed narrative With the use of different editing and process techniques, a narrative of architecture through film and photography can be developed. Not only can this help to emphasize certain design aspects but it can also inspire further design explorations. These are just a number of possible process techniques that can further develop our spatial experiences within architecture… zoom, pan, repetition, crop, paste/edit, cut-shots, hierarchy, contrast, time, shadow, transition, tracking, motion, focal points, lighting, tone, POV, scale, tension + release, contrasts, transformation, etc.


ASSIGNMENT As an urban actor, consider what are the most compelling relationships between you and the city of San Francisco. Photo-document both the perceptual and conceptual aspects of at least three of these interactions. Create a three-dimensional, wall-mountable photomontage that communicates your significant MESSAGE +APPROACH engagement with The City. I want to approach this assignment by showing my adventures through San Francisco, from the ocean to the bay and the things in between. My message is to show the contrast between our busy city life versus the calm, meditative ocean and bay scenery. I will do this by investigating public transit, streets, buildings, ocean and bay edge conditions. San Francisco Embarcadero

This assignment was inspiring to me. I love San Francisco, yet at times, I find that I only travel from certain areas in The City and do not explore further. So I set out to document my daily journeys throughout The City with the use of photography. A new camera for Christmas doesn’t hurt to have for this either!

Fort Funston, San Francisco

Muni Metro/Church Station, San Francisco

Using different process techniques, i.e. zoom in/out, contrast, focal points, perspective, etc., I was able to photograph my specific encounters and discoveries among the places I travel the most. The three-dimensional requirements of the project would promote the visual narrative of my experiences.

San Francisco Embarcadero

San Francisco Embarcadero Levi’s Plaza, San Francisco

Photography, Danielle Siler


I had a clear idea of how I wanted to approach this assignment but I still had to develop a message that would bring the viewer on the same visual experience as they would if they traveled along side me. Using layering, hierarchy and contrast in density, I would develop a language for this visual experience. By further enhancing this, I could clearly define my message for this assignment – show the contrast between our busy city life versus the calm, meditative ocean and bay scenery. I tried to bring the viewer on a voyage of my daily adventures. Our “island” of a city helps to bring nature close at hand. I take advantage of that with trips to Fort Funston along the Pacific Ocean coastline. Here, “doggie Disneyland” as we call it, connects me back to nature and an escape from the built environments of The City. Using less dense configurations of photos to promote a calm, relaxed feeling. Traveling back toward the center of The City, my home is in the Lower Haight district of SF. Close proximity to transit, public open space, retail and residential living, Lower Haight is a beautiful neighborhood with a lot of history and architectural diversity. But I wanted to show the more intimate and hidden features of my neighborhood. Layering these photos on top of each other as well as differentiating sizes, forces the viewer to look deeper and find those hidden features only I know of. Increased density explores the contrast in activity and vitality from that of Fort Funston.

As the journey proceeds underground and East toward the Embarcadero, the contrast in size and layering of the photos increases as well as the density to represent the busy nature of the busy downtown, underground muni metro and Embarcadero areas. Additionally, I wanted to show a higher level of contrast in subject and context to develop a sense of increased activity.

3D Photomontage, Danielle Siler

I believe I was successful in illustrating and configuring a good start to something that I can develop further. There are weak connections in the general form of my photomontage that I could have developed more with increased evidence and data.

DISCOVERIES •Strong edge conditions provide contrast of natural versus built environments •Speed a function of proximity, size, scale, editing & composition •Vitality needs to be defined in terms of architecture and design •Environment supports, enhances or undermines human activity

ISSUES •Craft •Satisfy requirements •More repetition •Permeate and punctuate dense urban environments with diverse open public spaces

CONCLUSIONS – VITALITY •Discover attractions •POV alters city experience •Texture of City, transformation •Forms with vibrant colors attract •High level of contrast throughout urban layout of City Personal Notes, Danielle Siler


Using the ideas of path, edge, node, district and landmark found in Kevin Lynch’s “Image of a City”, we can explore the urban forms of our own vital locations within San Francisco to investigate the changes in these relationships. These changes can enhance, or subsequently decrease, the vitality of any particular location.

DEFINITION The Image of the City Lynch's most famous work, The Image of the City published in 1960, is the result of a five-year study on how observers take in information of the city. Using three disparate cities as examples (Boston, Jersey City, and Los Angeles), Lynch reported that users understood their surroundings in consistent and predictable ways, forming mental maps with five elements: paths

the streets, sidewalks, trails, and other channels in which people travel;

edges

perceived boundaries such as walls, buildings, and shorelines;

districts

relatively large sections of the city distinguished by some identity or character;

nodes

focal points, intersections or loci;

landmarks

readily identifiable objects which serve as external reference points.

In the same book Lynch also coined the words “imageability” and “wayfinding”. Image of the City has had important and durable influence in the fields of urban planning and environmental psychology. Source – Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_A._Lynch


San Francisco has a vitality unique to it’s own cultural diversities. This vitality has shifted and transformed throughout the years to produce dynamic contrasts within the 7x7 sq. mile of land it occupies. By exploring the urban forms of path, edge, district, node and landmark, we can define the vitality that lies within. public transportation is the primary path that I travel by in the city. while traveling on the different bus and muni metro routes, I am engaged in the four other forms of lynch’s “image of a city” constantly. these pathways flow under and above different edge conditions, districts, nodes, and landmarks. public transportation is extremely to vital to any major city. having the ability to travel throughout all locations of the city without owning a vehicle is not only crucial to the different levels of income and diversity in the city, but to the effects vehicles have on the environment. there is also vitality in what we see and engage while traveling by public transportation, connecting us to the city in a much different way than say a car. san francisco is surrounded by water from the north, east and west. the pacific ocean coastline provides a major edge condition from the west. fort funston is a local access beach along this coastline which I frequent weekly with my dogs – here the dogs are allowed to run free from the restraints of a leash. the shoreline is a break between the built and natural environment, providing relief from city life and chance to reconnect with nature. defined by many neighborhoods, or districts, san francisco has a unique urban landscape. this urban landscape consists of many diverse demographics, as well as cultural and religious ethnicities which provides a different form of vitality for everyone. traveling to work on the embarcadero four times a week, I arrive on the muni metro to embarcadero station and walk to pier 23 café. this brings me into the financial district of san francisco. tall, high-rise buildings line the grid patterned streets. here the sunlight is only vital during low hours of the day. lacking residential and nightlife elements, this district operates with highest vitality during the business hours of the day. driven by the nature of it’s urban landscape design, san francisco provides opportunity to interact and engage in many different types and levels of nodes. high volume intersections, crossing of paths, highly concentrated areas are just a few examples of nodes. these places are usually high in vitality – sunlit throughout peak hours of the day, pedestrian and bicycle circulation paths are highly accessible, open public space and convergence of transportation is evident – levi’s plaza is an example of a particular node I frequent often. located between battery street and the embarcadero, levi’s plaza is a vital node which paths and edge conditions converge upon. levi’s plaza is also home to, of course, the levi’s jeans company headquarters on the west coast; providing vital employment opportunities for people around the world. This node also provides circulation pathways from the embarcadero waterfront, which then progresses west up the filbert street steps to the historic coit tower, atop telegraph hill.

landmarks are a vital component of wayfinding throughout any city. large or small, landmarks are vital to the city for many reasons. used to define and construct our familiar daily journeys, landmarks provide a way to map out our locations. landmarks can also provide a vitality to tourism for the city, providing world famous iconic representations of san francisco. even hidden underground, landmarks provide a vitality for wayfinding as well as engaging the history of the city. along the embarcadero, as well as many other places throughout san francisco, bronze plaques are set into the paths of the city streets with snapshots into the history of san francisco. did you know that buried ships were used to provide landfill in many locations of downtown as well and along many parts of the bay trail? this specific landmark along my walk to work reminds me of this daily.

Photographs taken by Danielle Siler

Path Edge District Node Landmark


SketchUp models, Danielle Siler

To further develop our understanding of the different urban forms of a city, we investigate digital representations of the design process. Using SketchUp to produce massing models to approximate the urban forms of path, edge, node, district and landmark, we can start to correlate the locations in The City which provide the most vitality. Through this exploration, we can start to identify city image issues and further our understanding of the urban landscape we live in. These models help to connect our understanding with our ability to present our work

Paths san francisco is abundant with different types of pathways and forms of circulation. with the ability to use public transportation, I travel to school and work by bus or underground train everyday of the week. living in areas that are close and accessible to these transportations hub is vital to me.

Nodes levi’s plaza is a node located between the embarcadero and battery street at the south end of the filbert stairs, which lead to coit tower. levi’s plaza provide vital resources for employment, circulation, public open space. filled with trees, park benches and a man-made water fall, levi’s plaza provides a vital connection to nature.

Edge fort funston, as well as the embarcadero are strong edge conditions that are vital to san francisco. connecting to nature is essential to my way of life, fort funston provides a safe location to engage that need. working along the embarcadero brings me to this edge condition many times a week. here, tourism and maritime activities/history are vital.

Landmarks

District

walking north from embarcadero station along the embarcadero to pier 23 café, I see the ferry building clock tower. I keep a mindful eye of the clock tower to keep track of time. as I continue north from drumm street, I can still turn my head southeast to see the ferry building. I walk along the west edge of the embarcadero and for brief time, views of the ferry building are restricted.

the financial district is an example of a district that is vital during the peak hours of the day. Lacking sunlight throughout portions of the day from the high-rise buildings and narrow streets. the gridlike structure to the street layout is very unique and unlike the rest of the city.


What is vital about the locations that I primarily visit during my day? How do we evaluate and engage those different forms of vitality to create spatial experiences that are both enjoyable and memorable? Personal Notes, Danielle Siler


DEFINITION Beautiful Evidence “A pioneer in data visualization, Edward Tufte, wrote a series of books - Visual Explanations, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, and Envisioning Information - on the subject of information graphics.[11][12][13] Referred to by The New York Times as the “da Vinci of Data”, Tufte began to give day-long lectures and workshops on the subject of infographics starting in 1993. As of 2012, Tufte still gives these lectures.[14] To Tufte, good data visualizations represent every data point accurately and enable a viewer to see trends and patterns in the data. Tufte’s contribution to the field of data visualization and infographics is considered immense, and his design principles can be seen in many websites, magazines, and newspapers today.[15]” Six Principles for the Analysis and Presentation of Data: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Show comparisons, contrasts, differences Show causality, mechanism, explanation, systematic structure Show multivariate data; that is, show more than 1 or 2 variables Completely integrate words, numbers, images, diagrams Thoroughly describe the evidence. Provide a detailed title, indicate the authors and sponsors, document the data sources, show complete measurement scales, point out relevant issues 6. Analytical presentations ultimately stand or fall depending on the quality, relevance, and integrity of their content Source – Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infographic

Source – http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17743.Beautiful_Evidence

As we develop our tectonic language further into our studies of design, we must be able to communicate a clear and concise message. This is paramount to the success of any presentation’s success or failure. Examining the “Six Principles for the Analysis and Presentation of Data” will help to develop a stronger visual language for our design process. After our initial investigation of Lynch’s five forms – path, edge, node, district and landmark – we were able to develop personal connections to the each form through the ICEBREAKER assignment. We now must develop a deeper connection between the substance of our work and the message we are trying to communicate. By providing credible evidence, data, narratives, historical information, etc, we can show a higher level of learning as well as visually present our message.


San Francisco’s Ferry Building is an iconic historical landmark located along the Embarcadero waterfront. Construction was completed in 1898, in the beauxs arts style. Designed after the 12th century “Giralda” bell tower in Seville, Spain, the Ferry Building is not only a landmark, but serves as a node, path and edge as well.

SketchUp models, Danielle Siler

Public transportation, food, retail and commercial business are vital to the Ferry Building. Local food and produce vendors setup during the farmer’s market held weekly.

The Ferry Building clock tower is the largest mechanical, wind up clock in the world. The entire mechanism still stands intact, only the hands and a small portion of the works are powered by modern electric motors. Enclosed in the tower, the weight still hangs and when wound, could run the clock for 8 days.

INCREASED DATA + HEIGHTENED CRAFT •Dimensions – 245 Feet Tall, 600 Feet Long •Clock Face – 22 Feet Diameter x 4 Identical Sides •48 Foot Vertical Shaft •Architect – A. Page Brown •Original ‘Special #4’ clock made in 1898 by E. Howard of Boston •Largest wind up, mechanical clock in the world •Farmer’s Market – Saturday 8-2pm, Tues/Thurs 10-2pm Source – http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/history.php

The Ferry Building stands taller in massing than any other building along the east edge of the embarcadero. This contrast in height defines the Ferry Building and makes it stand out from the rest. Source – http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/history.php


Nodes –Farmers Market, Local Vendors

this project has forced me to explore the city in new ways since investigating Lynch’s five forms of urban landscape design. san francisco is vital with many forms of paths, edges, nodes, districts & landmarks. the ferry building is a world famous landmark, but it also provides resources for local businesses and food vendors as well as public transportation, historical relevance. the ferry building can be seen from the corner of market and castro streets as well as from the top of twin peaks, making it perfect for wayfinding as well.

Landmark – Wayfinding

Circulation – Public Transport

Landmark – Wayfinding; History Nodes | Pathways – Multi-Use

Landmark | Nodes – Wayfinding

Photography, Danielle Siler


Coit Tower is located atop Telegraph Hill in Pioneer Park above the North Beach neighborhood. Standing as a dynamic representation of San Francisco, Coit Tower was built in the art deco style in 1933. Dedicated to Lillian Hitchcock Coit, the tower is primarily made of unpainted, reinforced concrete and took 5 years to construct. Coit left 1/3 of her estate to the city of San Francisco for it’s “civic beautification” fund and projects after her death. Inside the tower’s base floor, 27 different artists created fresco murals to that signified the currents events of the United States. “Lillie Coit was a cigar smoking, trouser-wearing woman who often disguised herself as a man so that she could frequent the males-only gambling establishments in Long Beach to gamble. She developed a special relationship with the firefighters of the city after being rescued from a fire at the age of eight. She became an honorary firefighter as an adult and had a special affinity for Knickerbocker Engine Company Number 5. A myth grew that Coit Tower was designed to resemble a fire hose nozzle, though architects Arthur Brown, Jr. and Henry Howard always denied it.”

INCREASED DATA + HEIGHTENED CRAFT •Dimensions – 210 Feet Tall •Built in 1933; 5 years to complete construction •Listed on the National Register of Historic Places – 2008 •Official historical San Francisco landmark – 1984 •Architect – Arthur Brown, Jr. + Henry Howard Source – http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/history.php

Source – http://www.everydaycitizen.com/2008/10/coit_tower_and_the_history_of.html

Fresco (plural frescos or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the pigment and, with the setting of the plaster, the painting becomes an integral part of the wall. The word fresco (Italian: affresco) is derived from the Italian adjective fresco meaning "fresh". Fresco may thus be contrasted with secco mural painting techniques, on plasters of lime, earth, or gypsum, or applied to supplement painting in fresco. The fresco technique has been employed since antiquity and is closely associated with Italian Renaissance painting. Source – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresco

SketchUp models, Danielle Siler


growing up in northern california, I often visited san francisco with my family. driving south on highway 101, passing through the waldo tunnel, the golden gate bridge was our first landmark into the city. but followed then was the iconic skyline with coit tower lit up at night to the theme of the city’s celebrations or during the day standing tall, either way, still makes me feel like a child seeing something magnificent for the first time. working along the embarcadero has afforded me with the luxury of a beautiful view of coit tower daily. but it wasn't until this semester’s work that I finally walked the infamous filbert street steps and bought a ticket to the top of the tower. everything about the adventure was breathtaking and beautiful. walking west up the filbert st. steps, I arrived to the top of telegraph hill shortly before sunset. the crowd was minimal and I was able to spend as much time at the top of the tower as I wanted. I documented pictures of the 360° famous views as well as the inside of the circular top platform. I continued west along the filbert st. steps until I reached the north beach district and grabbed the bus home. it was a wonderful discovery and I am so thankful that this project was the driving force behind my journey.

Landmark – Cultural + Historical

Paths | Landmarks – Wayfinding + Circulation

Landmark – Framed views Photography, Danielle Siler


further exploration of telegraph hill Semaphore| Source – Semaphore Chart

Telegraph Hill, 1850 | Source – Telegraph Station

ADDITIONAL EXPLORATION + DISCOVERY Originally named Loma Alta ("High Hill") by the Spaniards, the hill was then familiarly known as Goat Hill by the early San Franciscans, and became the neighborhood of choice for many Irish immigrants. From 1825 through 1847, the area between Sansome and Battery, Broadway and Vallejo streets was used as a burial ground for foreign non-Catholic seamen. The hill owes its name to a semaphore, a windmill-like structure erected in September 1849, for the purpose of signaling to the rest of the city the nature of the ships entering the Golden Gate. Atop the newly-built house, the marine telegraph consisted of a pole with two raisable arms that could form various configurations, each corresponding to a specific meaning: steamer, sailing boat, etc. The information was used by observers operating for financiers, merchants, wholesalers and speculators. Knowing the nature of the cargo carried by the ship they could predict the upcoming (generally lower) local prices for those goods and commodities carried. Those who did not have advance information on the cargo might pay a too-high price from a merchant unloading his stock of a commodity — a price that was about to drop. On October 18, 1850, the ship Oregon signaled to the hill as it was entering the Golden Gate the news of California's recently acquired statehood.

Coit Tower, Present Day | Source – Danielle Siler

Source – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraph_Hill,_San_Francisco

| Telegraph Hill Observatory | AKA Layman's Wooden Castle | AKA Layman's Folly | "A party palace and observation post atop Telegraph Hill" Courtesy Greg Gaar Collection The northern half of Coit Tower's parking lot was once the site of Layman's Castle. It served as a restaurant and observatory. The hilltop attraction never proved very popular, largely due to the hill's inaccessibility. Several things were tried to drum up business. For about a year in the mid-1880's there were weekly jousting contests, in which two armor-clad combatants on horseback charged at each other with swords flying. And a cable-car line was run up Greenwich Street to the summit in 1884, but the line never turned a profit and was discontinued after only a few years. By the 1890's the castle was a scene of neglect. In 1903 a fire damaged the structure. The remainder, beyond repair, was carted off for firewood. Source – Historic Walks in San Francisco: 18 Trails Through the City's Past by Rand Richards (2008) Telegraph Hill, 1880’s | Source – Telegraph Hill


WHAT MAKES A CITY VITAL? the vitality of a city is what keeps it alive, functioning and inviting for people to live, visit or path through. by investigating the vitality of circulation, accessibility, sunlight, multi-use areas, public and private open space, etc., we can start to image how our own perfect district would be. how would we structure this ‘utopian district’ to best serve the needs and demands of the people who inhabit it? exploring further into specific evidence and information will help to strengthen our architectonic language to respond to urban forces, structure and materials. by designing a set of close proximity nodes within a district is essential to maintaining vitality within the community. districts with increased vitality include mixed-use nodes, which promotes a more interesting environment. this also promotes growth and diversity within the community Cities of Opportunity 2012 analyzes the trajectory of 27 cities, all capitals of finance, commerce, and culture—and through their current performance seeks to open a window on what makes cities function best. This year, we also look ahead to 2025 to project employment, production, and population patterns, as well as “what if” scenarios that prepare for turns in the urban road. Source – http://hbr.org/2012/12/the-vitality-of-cities/ar/1

“’Placemaking’ is both an overarching idea and a hands-on tool for improving a neighborhood, city or region. It has the potential to be one of the most transformative ideas of this century.” -Metropolitan Planning Council of Chicago Source – http://www.pps.org/reference/what_is_placemaking/

Source – SF Vitality Carton Map


CIRCULATION Circulation is vital to the function and efficiency of any city. Without accessible pathways, transport, roadways, etc., the city would not be able to survive. Public transit is a major vital resource in the city of San Francisco. Here, hundreds of people surge in and out of the city via public transportation as well as the countless local residents who rely on these services to get to their locations daily.

Source –Flickr GeoTag Circulation Map

Another vital form of circulation is in the form of the dedicated bike lanes we are now establishing throughout San Francisco. Providing safe routes for cyclists, the “wiggle” is a specific route in San Francisco that is most flat in street surface and does not particularly travel through major thoroughfares.

Source – http://www.iliveinthebayarea.com/knowledge-center/transit/ Source – Flickr GeoTag Circulation Map

The maps above show the difference in circulation based on photographs taken and uploaded to the social media website, Flickr. The top map shows the difference in circulation based on pedestrian, bicycle, in-town driving and freeway driving. The black color represents foot traffic, or that which is less than 7mph. The red is less than 19mph; blue is less than 43mph and green refers to freeways and rapid transit. Source – http://www.flickr.com/photos/amapple/5883699756/

The bottom image is based on tourism and the difference between the vital locations for local residents and non-local residents. Source – http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2011-08-26/lifestyle/35271863_1_latest-maps-dots-flickr


Source - http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2009/10/30/happy-halloween-from-the-unive/

SUNLIGHT

DISCOVERY I found an interesting application for my tablet which I used to see the location of the sun depending on time of the day and year. This shows which point of the day is most vital to the sunlight in my neighborhood. As the illustrated map shows, the sun does not alter it’s path extremely but just enough that that the most vital point of the day for my home are between the hours of 12-5pm in February and between 1-8pm in June. I also was able to export information regarding today’s date, with longitudinal locations as well as azimuth and altitude information. This measures the intensity of the sun’s rays at times of the year.

Sunlight provides a major vital source to any location in a city. The amount of sun a specific location will receive depends not only on the time of the year and day but as well as the architecture and urban layout of the city. Areas which receive the most amount sunlight will be increasingly vital. These spaces will hopefully provide a platform from which people will be able to enjoy the sunlight and area around them in the form of public open space and mixed use buildings. There are 4 major season in the years that effect the sun and it’s solar path. March 21, June 21, September 21, December. This will prove to be either the longest or the shortest day of the year depending on location in the world.


ASSIGNMENT Applying successful urban design concepts, principles, and strategies to create a vital City Image – using SketchUp to create a Utopian District that spans 8 major blocks, 5 cross streets/nodes with 6 major aspects of vitality with credible evidence to solidify message. STRATEGIES 

    

      

INCREASED VITALITY

REFLECTION, REVIEW + ANALYSIS Developing our own ideal district was challenging yet very useful in my design process. Increasing my craft in my presentation was a big step for me with this assignment. And that I actually got work up on the wall, on time, was paramount at this point in the semester. I believe that I am taking in so much extensive and crucial information, but I am not able to manage my time between work, school and my personal life. This has been reflected throughout the semester with my inability to produce work for critique and peer review. This is only hurting my design process and technique as I am not able to get the feedback I need to progress my work efficiently and successfully. With that being said, we were directed to evaluate and critique each other in group of three. I found my peer critique extremely useful and helpful in my design process and ability to credibly prove my message.

high density of major transportation arteries/accessibility public parking – locate adjacent to transportation hubs/stations create high density of high activity areas – retail; public services, public open space, housing, offices, mixed use, etc. welcoming and comfortable public havens – parks and plazas create maximum sunlight streets, public spaces create balance between natural and built environments close to educational facilities create vistas/framed vies urban gardens to promote ‘slow life’ create high visibility between public and private spaces use landmarks to promote wayfinding create “permeable” blocks – pedestrian paths that scale down super block less than 660 feet in length promote secure, defensible spaces

• •

• •

diverse multi-nodes of attractions, connected by walkable paths that are uniquely desirable fertile, vibrant instead of homogenously sanitized; attractive to diverse populations which integrate the ‘slow life’ urban community gardens – highly visible to surrounding uses places that are tranquil and offer vistas surrounded by nature


Mission Bay South is a 303 acre neighborhood under redevelopment located south of At&t Park. Townsend street defines the north edge of the district, 3rd street and San Francisco Bay defining the east edge. Mariposa street runs along the south while the 280 freeway and 7th street create the west edge of the district.

Source – http://www.sfredevelopment.org/index.aspx?page=61

Personal Notes, Danielle Siler

Currently, UCSF is the leading developer of the space, but the district is lacking in overall vitality. Issues include lack of housing, community centers, retail, food/entertainment, transit line east to west, and public land space. POSSIBLE APPROACHES •create connection to waterfront •links to surrounding neighborhoods •internal street grid favorable to pedestrian, bicycle + transit •creation of strong neighborhood identity – history •creation of significant public open space areas •address ballpark needs and synergies •vehicle management to serve neighborhood and ballpark needs

Source – http://www.maps.google.com Source – http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/San-francisco-map.png

Source – http://www.sfredevelopment.org/index.aspx?page=61


I believe I have learned a lot from our work so far this semester. Our journey through the neighborhoods of San Francisco has been a great experience for myself as a resident as well as student. Unfortunately for myself, I have struggled to keep up with my classmates this semester as far as worked presented but it has not been from a lack of inspiration or intrigue. I am very inspired by this semesters work yet I have still proven to lack the time management skills to be successful in my work. I seem to take awhile getting into the thick of things but feel like once I do, I can be successful in my work. So far, this has not been the case. I would love to see what I could if I would only give myself the time I need! One factor that is increasing my shortcomings is the fear I have for failure and rejection among my professors and peers. But I know these are the things that will teach me to develop my process more efficiently so why be afraid to face that? I am destined to be successful, I just wish I could remember that all the time. I loose track of my ability to develop and design thus shut down and second guess all my work. My craft is lacking in the digital form but this is something I feel I have turned the corner on and will be able to produce clear and concise work for the rest of the semester. I know that I can and will be successful in this class and others in the future but I will only make things more stressful and more complicated if I cannot learn to bide my time efficiently. How can I procrastinate so much when I am inspired by the work and my motivations to be something bigger and better than I am now? I am fearful of this becoming my one set back in life. I am challenged and determined to not let that happen. It terms of this semester’s work and my ability to come from out of the hole I have put myself, I know I can succeed. And I know I can learn from my mistakes and with the help of my peers, I will come out on top. I am excited to see how the rest of this semester develops and what successes (and failures) my fellow classmates and I will achieve.

Thank you, Jerry, for being a great teacher and huge inspiration!


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