FOREST CAMPUS

FOREST

CAMPUS

BEYOND THE EDGE: URBAN DESIGN IN WUHAN, CHINA.

GALINA NOVIKOVA, BESSY BARAHONA, JESUS AGUIRRE DEPARTMENT OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY-POMONA WINTER 2018 LA 402L ADVANCED LANDSCAPE DESIGN ANDREW O. WILCOX, PROFESSOR IN PARTNERSHIP WITH: SWA | LAGUNA BEACH IN COLLABORATION WITH: HUAZHONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, WUHAN, CHINA

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Landscape Architecture College of Environmental Design

Laguna Beach ANDREW O. WILCOX, PROFESSOR IN PARTHERSHIP WITH: SWA LAGUNA BEACH IN COLLABORATION WITH HUAZHONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

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US>>>CHINA

GALINA NOVIKOVA, BESSY BARAHONA, JESUS AGUIRRE BEYOND THE EDGE: URBAN DESIGN IN WUHAN, CHINA. LA 402L SWA|CPPLA STUDIO WINTER 2018

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RUSSIA

KHAZAKSTAN

MONGOLIA

N. K

S. KOR

CHINA

SHANGHAI WUHAN

NEPAL INDIA

TAIWAN

BURMA

SPECIAL THANKS

TO SWA, HUST, MENTORS, DONORS AND OUR PROFESSOR ANDY WILCOX!

On behalf of the students, we’d like to thank you all for granting us the opportunity to travel and expand our cultural network. We enjoyed the food, the workshop, the precedents, but most of all connecting with our partners. Thank you!

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KOREA

REA

US LOS ANGELES

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[WINTER LOTUS] PHOTO TAKEN BY BESSY BARAHONA NEAR EXISTING LOTUS POND ON EAST CAMPUS

CONTENTS 08 | preface

manifesto studio introduction context + history

18 | case studies Malmo, Sweden Toronto, Canada Munich, Germany Brooklyn, New York 37 | figure-grounds Venice, CA Bruge, Belgium Dubai, United Emirates 45 | china | field-visit wuhan + site visit workshop Shanghai+Suzhou+Tongli 110 | forest campus site analysis concept transects 176 | team process 180 | conclusion

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Left to right: Bessy Barahona Jesus Aguirre Galina Novikova

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>>PREFACE INTRO

The LA 402L SWA\CPPLA Urban Design studio served as a cultural intensive design studio that broadened our views about landscape design and urban design.

The studio has provided us with a better understanding of the culture and ecology of Wuhan, our site -the Huazhong University of Science and Technology campus. The sum of our project and multi-university collaboration, is the result of analysis, personal experiences. We are grateful for our this team members abroad and stories told by local students who worked with us and helped us to see the potential of their campus to become a new oasis of wellness and connections.

ABOUT

During an intensive three months, we worked together with students abroad and SWA firm on the urban development and landscape design of the East campus of Huazhong University of Science and Technology(HUST).

We proposed a new urban development that embraces the existing conditions, ecology and cultural layers by unifying the fragmented campus and forest. Weaving together the forest, the water and the campus we learned the importance to define opportunities for wellness..Addressing different issues that the East campus face, the Forest Campus proposal embraces the culture, water and forest at the same time it puts students, faculty and residents well being first.

In the next pages we take you through our journey of urban planning, landscape design process and travel experiences that aim to better the wellness of students and faculty at HUST University.

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MANIFESTO

Landscape is like a piece of paper on which designers leave a mark, though with intention to highlight the existing. We believe it is important that our design concept focus deeply on the cultural and ecological ephemeralities that makes Huazhong University of Science and Technology a unique campus. The region of Hubei, has shown us physical and cultural layers that are to be kept and preserved. We noticed the depth of relationship with water with locals, providing sufficient reason to continue embracing the flood. We acknowledge the importance to make this connection and the relevance of other significant spatial layers of the East campus for students, faculty and residents of the Hongshan District.

Our project has evolved into a cultural reaction, encompassing value of water and forest and the need of efficient connection socially and physically throughout the built environment. We believe that landscapes have a positive influence on users which is why we emphasize wellness of the body and mind through the ease of access, significant borrowed views to the lake, experience through the forest and the cultural value of embracing the natural events that have shaped and changed the city and our site over thousand of years.

Landscapes have the power to create urban networks, re-working circulations and edge conditions to connect people and places in the larger context, that defines Wuhan.

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STUDIO

INTRODUCTION

The intent of the LA 402L SWA|CPPLA studio is to explore edge conditions as a model of thickness and adaptive density; a location that reaches back into the city as much as it pull out from it. The studio project seeks to develop cultural understanding and embrace the history to highlight strengths of current conditions and recognize the necessity of resilient environments for integrated urban waterfront developments in Wuhan, China. The project seek to build upon the local, ecological and cultural context while exploring new directions in urban waterfront development that reflect the emerging trends in an ecologically grounded, mixed-use and sustainable driven development. China, has been propelling the policy for a sponge city to deal with infrastructure in a sustainable way, our goal is to respond with solutions that move this policy into action.

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PAST LANDFORM PRESENT LANDFORM

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CONTEXT

REGIONAL

In order to learn the language of these landscapes, we studied precedents and urban densities around the world that revealed edges of different levels of intimacy and expansiveness.

Water, has influenced cultures all over the world, new methods have been proposed to enhance human experience. In China, is an existing, deeply embedded cultural relationship to water. The chinese people have learned to live with such conditions and the destructive nature but also with the humble sense that it is the source of life itself. Past flooding events, in Wuhan over a century’s time has washed over people’s shoes, streets and houses.

This water, and locals relationship to it is double sided.

We soon discovered this for ourselves on our 9 day trip to China, accompanied by a creative crowd that is our peers, professors and swa mentors. It rained and snowed, we visited lake edges and canals with our chinese team members and were informed of issues regarding water and connections across the campus.

. For thousands of years, the entire city of Wuhan has been affected by the destructive force of the Yangtze river as a result fragmentation of landforms, ecology and development areas has occurred. Creating a disconnection in the fabric of the city of Wuhan and the HUST campus. We propose an urban development design that embraces these existing conditions, ecological amenities and cultural layers that form the context of our site. We plan to engage with these nuances and depths of relationships, reaching far into a deep past of flood and forest.

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FLOOD HISTORY

1931. Death toll range from 145,000 to between 3.7 million and 4 million.

1954 Yangtze River Floods June to September 1954. The flood level continued to rise until it hit the historic high of 29.73 m in Wuhan. Estimated at around 33,000 deads

June to September 1998. The event was considered the worst Northern China flood in 40 years. 3,704 dead, 15 million homeless and $26 billion in economic loss.

Mid-June 2016. 300 people were killed.

Damage estimate has reached US$22 billion.

1998 Yangtze River floods

2010 floods 2016 floods

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FOREST + WATER CULTURE

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HUST EAST CAMPUS

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>>CASE STUDIES

CONTEXT | FRONT | AMENITY | INFRUSTRUCTURE

We studied precedents to further our understanding of Urban densities and fabrics of varying kinds.

The basic public space elements of urban design and the formation of a public realm in direct relationship to water. Twenty cities and Twenty students later, we created laser cuts and figure grounds that describe the city grain and water relationship and building grains, respectively. In addition, each team was given four precedents to study. Our team studied Shwabinger and Eisbach in Munich, Germany, Central waterfront in Toronto, Canada, Bo01 in Malmo, Sweden and lastly Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn, New York. We began learning the intricate layers of successful urban designs and spaces around the world that explore the edge of water.

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>>CONTEXT WATER AS...

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Bo01 Park Malmo, Sweden Despite the high density and the urban character, a great deal of attention has been given to highly diverse green spaces and biodiversity. Large numbers of trees, creeper plants, ponds and green roofs mean that every garden is home to at least 50 varieties of plants and offers food for birds. The public spaces, most of which are closed to cars, provide a range of opportunities for cycling or walking along its pleasant routes.

Rainwater is diverted through above ground gutters. The rainwater drainage system has been designed to be visually pleasing, with waterfalls, ponds and various elements for buffering and purifying the water. Some district topography is designed specially to realize a natural rundown to the sea or the central canal.

The green roofs help reduce the amount of rainwater to be drained. Each building in Bo01 is built surrounded by a gutter that is part of the design of the public space.

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Bo01 Park Systems

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>>FRONT WATER AS...

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Toronto Water Front, Toronto, CanadaL

VISUAL CONNECTION

PHYSICAL CONNECTION

The Toronto waterfront sits along the lakeshore of Lake Ontario in the City of Toronto in Canada. It spans 46 kilometres between the mouth of Etobicoke Creek in the west, and the Rouge River in the East.

Located at the head of the Simcoe, Rees and Spadina slips along Queens Quay, these three urban docks are both beautiful and functional. Designed by West 8 + DTAH, the wavedecks were built out over the water creating generous new public spaces in areas where sidewalks were narrow and congested.

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NORTH

The wavedecks’ whimsical and dynamic design inspired by the undulating shorelines of Ontario’s Great Lakes – have made them some of the waterfront’s most interesting public spaces.

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>>AMENITY WATER AS...

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Munich, Germany

Located in the Bavarian country of southern Germany where the Isar flows north into Munich.

Schwabinger and Eisbach are two tributary streams that flow from the Isar River, into the English Garden, an urban park of about the scale of central park in New York City. The streams are an amenity to the urban sprawl because they invite locals and tourist to use recreationally during the summers. The ice cold streams flow fast through the park, taking people for rides and allowing a man-made well for surfers to surf in the urban realm.

This park and streams provides the city of Munich to access water in a way they couldnt before.

Munich

New York City

There are no oceans or lakes in city limits, so the citizens made use of existing water flow, to accomadte and enhance the human experience.

It’s a wild time for visitors to observe and jump into fast flowing water. This dichotomy of hot summers and cold streams marks this fast flowing landscape typology as a true amenity for visitors.

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WATER FLOW

English Garden Munich, Germany

NORTH SCALE: 1:6550

Water flow runs north along the Isar river and into the two streams of the English garden.

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>>INFRUSTRUCTURE WATER AS...

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Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn Bridge Park is an 85-acre (34 ha) park on the Brooklyn side of the East River in New York City. Designed by landscape architecture firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, the park has revitalized 1.3-mile (2.1 km) of Brooklyn’s post-industrial waterfront from Atlantic Avenue in the south, under the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and past the Brooklyn Bridge, to Jay Street north of the Manhattan Bridge

Park construction began on January 28, 2008. The first 6 acres of the park opened in March 2010 at Pier 1, including a waterfront promenade, lawns, a playground, and the Granite Prospect.[20] Later that summer nearly 12 acres of parkland opened on Pier 6 and the Pier 2 uplands, bringing diverse playgrounds, sand volleyball courts, concessionaires, and natural habitats to the park.

35 PHASES

PIER 6 PIER5

PIER 4 PIER 3 PIER 2

PIER 1

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>>FIGUREGROUND WATER + ROADS | ROADS + BUILDINGS + WATER

Our end goal, was to discover key elements of typical urban design typologies and tactics that had been already implemented.

Different typologies of projects, methods, systems, infrastructures and spaces were investigated and analyzed through the research processes. Each case study deals with the unique aspect of the site and its relation to water. The strategies and principles from which the projects are based provide a proper background for the Beyond the Edge: Urban Design in Wuhan, China, studio.

We presented our findings to HUST faculty and students during our trip there to provide background knowledge and begin the discussion for what could be proposed on our sites. In addition, we presented our regional site analysis and research as a gesture for investigation and understanding of contextual evidence to support our philosophy and highlight the existing.

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Venice Beach, California

Known for its bohemian spirit, Venice is a buzzing beach town with upscale commercial and residential pockets. Free-spirited Venice Boardwalk is the site of funky shops, street performers and colorful murals. There’s also a skate park and Muscle Beach outdoor gym.

Abbot Kinney Boulevard features foodie hot spots, stylish boutiques and coffee bars. A picturesque enclave of canals is surrounded by modernist homes.

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FIGURE GROUND

VENICE BEACH, LOS ANGELES

NORTH 2500

5000

10000

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Bruges, Belgium

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. In the city center’s Burg square, the 14th-century Stadhuis (City Hall) has an ornate carved ceiling. Nearby, Markt square features a 13thcentury belfry with a 47-bell carillon and 83m tower with panoramic views.

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FIGURE GROUND BRUGE, BELGIUM

NORTH 2500

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10000

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai Marina is an affluent residential neighborhood known for The Beach at JBR, a leisure complex with al fresco dining and sandy stretches to relax on. Smart cafes and pop-up craft markets line waterside promenade Dubai Marina Walk, while Dubai Marina Mall is packed with chain and luxury fashion brands. Upscale yachts cruise through the large man-made marina, where activities range from jet-skiing to skydiving.

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FIGURE GROUND

DUBAI MARINA ,UNITED ARAB EMIRATES ‫دبي مارينا‬

NORTH

SCALE: 1:5000 0

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>>FIELD VISIT WUHAN | SHANGHAI | SUZHOU | TONGLI

To have a better understanding of the culture, context and the site itself we visited China for a week.

Visiting the City of Wuhan gave us a better perspective of the city and its relationship to the site. We had the opportunity to collaborate with talented students of the Huazhong University of Science & Technology in Wuhan and walk through the city with locals, pointing us in the right direction. After our presentations at HUST and closing ceremony, we traveled by train to Shanghai to understand the urban development direction of the country at large and how cities like this influenced other important cities like Wuhan.

Shanghai, is a city that sits at the confluence of the Yangtze River and Pacific Ocean. It’s emerging modern aesthetic attracts designers all over the world as a site for learning how to deal with issues of pollution, increased populations and sponge cities.

We had the opportunity to visit historic places that broadened our perspective about China culture and landscape, specifically smaller ancient towns such as Suzhou and Tongli. Suzhou and Tongli are memorable, small towns outside of Shanghai and provided us with new precedents and edge conditions to use in our design.

Visiting China was a great opportunity to see our site and make connections across international borders. As a class, we have grown close and attuned to historic and contemporary design strategies.

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>>WUHAN, HUBEI

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>> HUXI RIVER SITE VISIT

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TEAM MEMBERS

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>>WORKSHOP SITE VISIT + WORKSHOP + PRESENTATION

For three days we participated in an international workshop where we had the opportunity to collaborate with talented students of the Huazhong University of Science & Technology in Wuhan. Working closely with our team, they provided a deeper layer of understanding and meaning for the culture and the history of their campus.

For two days, and periphery time spent in Wuhan we discovered important landmarks such as the yellow crane tower and history of the intimate historic streets. We walked through markets, taking in cultural behaviors and norms.

We visited both sites, accompanied by interpreters. Visiting the City of Wuhan gave us a better perspective of the city and its relation with the site. For three days we participated in an international workshop where we had the opportunity to collaborate with talented students of the Huazhong

The Workshop itself, spanned 48 hours and our final result was an initial site analysis and concept diagram to take with us back home.Knowing the regional and local context informed our design about the different and complex layers that form East campus fabric.

We traveled to Shanghai to understand the urban development direction in the country and how cities like this influenced other important cities like Wuhan. We had the opportunity to visit historic places that broadened our perspective about China culture and landscape.

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INTITIAL SITE IMPRESSIONS

The the three days that the workshop lasted we visit the site in the East campus of HUST university. Soon we realized the lack of connection between the magnificent East lake and the campus. Even though there is pedestrian access to the edge of the East Lake students need to walk around instead of having a direction connection to the lake.

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TEAM NARRATIVE

Summer is a season of mixed emotions for locals. Thunderstorms and rainfall in Wuhan and the HUST East campus. It is the season when lotus bloom and a reminder to people they are half way to harvest season, and likewise anticipating lotus beauty in the winter. Also, it is monsoon season which brings flooding to the campus, especially in the adjacency of Huxi River. Students, faculty get ready for another year where they would be the possibility to use boats just to cross to the other side of the lake to go to class. The existing conditions of the HUST East campus allow for a better aproach and connection between one side of the lake to the other. Will the introduction of elevated path students can walk close to the water and

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WATER+FOREST+CAMPUS

Initially, we saw the opportunity to understand drainage patterns, mimic forest as a unifying element and embrace rise in water levels through flexible circulation.This is where we began to discuss the water, the forest and the campus as very important qualities for a forest campus.

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CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT

The Forest and Water initial concept was drawn on sketch paper and invite us to start thinking about form and opportunities to mitigate issues of pollution and more usable green space. We were inspired by the fragmented patches of forest on the west campus and felt the need to bring camphor tree and evergreen forest qualities to the east campus.

82 PRELIMINARY SITE PLAN

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LAYERS

RISING WATER LEVELS

FOREST

CIRCULATION

TERRACED WATER TREATMENT

WATER TREATMENT

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EDGE TYPOLOGIES

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WINTER PLAN VIEW

SUMMER PLAN VIEW

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COLLABORATION AND PRESENTATION

Working intimatley with Team members, we learned there way of producing and communicating landscape meaning.

During presentations, there was a back and forth dialog between english and chinese to accomadate all who were viewing our design proposal.

We felt lucky to have such wonderful team mates, who were willing to push the project forward and challenge themselves to communicate in english.

The plan to the left, was drawn by hand by two of our team members and amaing artists.

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>>SHANGHAI

To further our culture knowledge we visited Shanghai, Suzhou and Tongli.

Here we discovered different cultural layers by visiting ancient chinese gardens and modern urban design projects that broaden our perception of the rich culture of China.

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>>FOREST CAMPUS SITE ANALYSIS + CONCEPT

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.

Focusing on the well being of students, and faculty and considering existing issues about circulation, public spaces, water treatment and a rising waterline, the Forest Campus will redefine the future of HUST, one that embraces the ecology, culture and the resilient values of the people who use the spaces.

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WUHAN, HUBEI CHINA

EAST SIDE

LAKE

YANGTZE

RIVER

FOREST CAMPUS INTRODUCTION

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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FRAGMENTED CAMPUS

HUST CAMPUS

HUXI RIVER EAST CAMPUS

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FLOOD 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 the monsoon season for centuries, the Forest Campus will unite the fragmented by bringing the forest, the lake edge and the campus to a central axis, creating a core of wellness. Focusing on the well being of students, and faculty and considering existing issues about circulation, public space, water treatment and a rising water water line, the Forest Campus will redefine the future of HUST, one that embraces the culture and resilient values of the people who use the surrounding site of the Huxi River Canal .

The Forest Campus proposal aims to bring in the adjacent forest and define connections to the west campus of HUST to connect, embrace and defragment the existing layers and highlight the forest and water culture.

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FRAGEMENTED FOREST

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PAST PAST LANDFORM

PRESENT LANDFORM

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>>SITE ANALYSIS

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FLOOD EMBRACE

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REACHING LOTUS

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GUERRILLA GARDENERS

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CROSSING CANALS

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SITE ANALYSIS

CANTINES BUS STOPS PRIMARY CIRCULATION SECONDARY CIRCULATION OPEN SPACES WATER

FOREST OPEN SPACES WATER

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SOFT EDGES HARD EDGES WATER

FOREST OPEN SPACES WATER FLOW DIRECTION CANAL WATERFLOW DIRECTION

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SITE ANALYSIS

INSTITUTION

EAST CONNECTIONS

BUS STOPS

CAMPUS HOUSING

POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS

CANTEENS

OPEN SPACES

SOFT EDGES

PRIAMRY STREETS

HARD EDGES

SECONDARY STREETS

FOREST

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Huazhong University of Science and Technology has become a wellevolved center for study, for both domestic and international students and is known as one of the most distinguished universities in China for it’s technical programs.From its founding in 1952 to recent years, HUST has remained a fragmented campus with satellite colleges. Because of its fragmented origins and the ecological factors that have reshaped the nearby forest landforms, the campus still remains disconnected.

In many places of the world, canals are paved, drainage systems underground and hidden, and impervious sufaces a common go to. Across the atlantic however, to the east, are different more extreme flooding conditions and a region that is begining to awknowledge flooding with a sponge city policy. Increased populations and frequent floodings caused by the monsoon season, consequently impacts the lives of students and faculty in Wuhan, Hubei Central China. It is important then to adapt and embrace the physical conditons of the cTampus to extreme existing conditions, while providing cultural amenities and ecological layers that define the East Campus.

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600 400

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5 5

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STAIRS STAIRS STAIRS STAIRS

VEGETATION VEGETATION FLOOD FLOOD WALL WALL

1 1HARD HARD EDGE+PEDESTRIAN EDGE+PEDESTRIAN ACCESS ACCESS

2 MIXED 2 MIXED EDGES+RESIDENTIAL EDGES+RESIDENTIAL

STAIRS STAIRS STAIRS STAIRS SCEN SCICENPAICTHPATH

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3 3SOFT SOFT EDGE+VEGETATION EDGE+VEGETATION

1 1

4 HARD 4 HARD EDGE+PEDESTRIAN EDGE+PEDESTRIAN ACCESS ACCESS

FLOOD FLOOD CONTROL CONTROL WALL WALL

GRASS GRASS VEGETATION+TRASH VEGETATION+TRASH GRASS GRASS VEGETATION+ VEGETATION+ TREES TREES 5 5MIXED MIXED EDGES+EDGES EDGES+EDGES

EDGES EDGES 6 MIXED 6 MIXED

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>>CONCEPT

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BIG IDEA

CONVERGENCE OF CAMPUS, FOREST + WATER

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Connecting the West + East Campus

Opening Lake edges for views and recreation

Bringing the forest into the campus

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PROJECT GOALS

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Provide opportunities for Wellness

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Accomadate Future needs

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Create Connectivity between East and West Campus.

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Define Intersections between the campus, the forest and the lake .

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134 EAST LAKE

WEST CA M P US

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FOREST CAMPUS MASTER PLAN 1

EAST LAKE ACCESS

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WELLNESS CENTER

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PATH OF LOTUS

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URBAN CANAL

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FOREST RECREATION

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RESIDENTIAL CANAL

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GRAND CANAL EXISTING BOUNDARY GIVEN

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FOREST PARK

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FOREST INSTITUTIONAL RESIDENTIAL WATER

CANTINES AND COMMERCIAL INSTITUTIONAL DISTRICTS HOUSING DISTRICTS FOREST OPEN SPACES WATER

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PROJECT DISTRICTS + ZONING The Forest Campus proposal addresses the fragmentation of in the campus and the landscape by creating connection, 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.

We proposed a core development of institutional buildings that provide different services, classrooms, amenities and especially a recreational district with soccer field, tennis courts and swimming pools for students and faculty. In addition a surrounding development that mainly focuses in housing and mixed-use facilities. To address the lack of open spaces, new green spaces at the edge of the lake, and surrounding areas are added. The new open spaces would create moments of ephemeral experiences where students and faculty can reconnect with nature or embrace the ecology of the lake. The new spaces of reflection in between nature and development are meant to be oasis for students after exams of their different activities.

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.

These new adaptive path will run at ground level as wells as higher elevations. In the terrace area native grasses would clean the water while deciduous and evergreen trees would framed paths, streets, and promenades. The new forest would create a dialog between buildings and landscape where people wellness is at the core.

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MASSING STRATEGEY

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WELLNESS

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BUS STOPS TRAM STOPS PRIMARY CIRCULATION SECONDARY CIRCULATION TRAM CIRCULATION WATER

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CIRCULATION PROPOSED

Our proposed circulation enhances the flow from the west to east campus of HUST university.

Planning for a Tram to sweep a U form into the heart of the campus and urban core will allow students ease of access and mobility.

Elevated pathways weave through and through, around lake edges and forest canopies to all corners of the campus.

Primary circulation is defined by having access during summer seasons, while secondary circulation is access all year round. The tram hugs the newly proposed core, where there is most activity occuring

142 GREEN SPACES HIERARCHY

STREET TYPOLOGIES AND GREEN SPACE

PUBLIC

PUBLIC

SEMI PUBLIC CAMPUS CORE

MASSING FOOTPRINT AND GREEN SPACE SEMI-PUBLIC GREEN SPACES TYPOLOGIES

SEMI PUBLIC RESIDENTIAL

PRIVATE

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GREEN SPACE HIEARCHY

We explored a range of street and green typologies that would inform us about the massing footprint and designated open space. Our stratagey here was to mazimize sq. footage per student on campus, bringing the forest to the fore front of human experience.

The new open spaces would create moments of ephemeral experiences where students and faculty can reconnect with nature or embrace the ecology of the lake. The new spaces of reflection in between nature and development are meant to be oasis for students after exams of their different activities.

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BUILDING REACTIONS

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RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS

COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS INSTITUTIONAL BUILDINGS ICOONIC BUILDINGS

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FOREST ARCHITECTURE

TREE HOUSE

FOREST CAFE

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FOREST CLASSROOM

SKY FOREST

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FIGUREGROUND

LEGEND BUILDINGS WATER

385’ 0

770’

1540’

PROPOSED

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WELLNESS PROGRAM

Ecological greenways, elevated paths and water front edge activation are the backbone of our wellness programs. Efficient and safe pedestrian and bicycle passage are provided along all pedestrian pathways. These new adaptive paths will run at ground level as wells as higher elevations.

In the University core area native grasses would clean the water while deciduous and evergreen trees would framed paths, streets, and promenades. Viewers are inivited to stroll along ephemeral paths that appear and disappear with water level changes. Festivals will be held to celebrate chinese new year and the lotus. Green spaces are to be used through out the campus and around the wellness center.

FIELD WORK

EAST LAKE

WEL

LAKE VIEW R

NESS BRIDGE CLA FE

IVE WALK

FIREWORKS

PICNICS VIEWS

FOREST

ECOLOGY ACCESS

FESTIVALS

VIEWS

LOTUS PATH

FOREST

FOREST

FOREST

GRAND

WALK TOPOGRAPGHY

SOCIAL EVENTS

FOREST FOREST

FOREST FOREST FOREST FOREST FOREST

MARKET

FOREST FOREST

FOREST FOREST

PROMENADE FOREST

TOPOGRAPGHY TENNIS

CLASSROOM

EASE

FOREST FOREST FOREST

OPEN

BIKING

CANALS

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SOCCER CANAL

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ACTIVATING THE EDGE

The East campus of Huazhong University of Science & Technology 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.

We aim to activate the edge, through seasonal experiences of lotus, hard edges, urban canals and ephemeral pathways.

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TREE HOUSE

EAST LAKE CONNECTION | FLOODWALL SUMMER

LAKE CIRCULATION | REACHING LOTUS SUMMER

URBAN STREAM | WATER FEATURE SUMMER

SOFT EDGE | CANAL PATHWAYS SUMMER

LAKE ACCESS | ACTIVATED EDGE WINTER

LAKE CIRCULATION | GEOMETRIC LOTUS WINTER

URBAN STREAM | ACCESSIBLE CANAL WINTER

SKY FOREST

FOREST CAFE

SOFT EDGE | CANAL AS PATHWAY WINTER

FOREST CLASSROOM

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>>TRANSECTS

11

ICONIC BRIDGE ICONIC BRIDGE ICONIC BRIDGE ACCESS TO EAST

ACCESS TO EAST ACCESS TO EAST LAKE LAKE LAKE

1 22

WELLNESS CENTER WELLNESS CENTER WELLNESS CENTER UNIVERSITY CORE +

UNIVERSITY CORE + UNIVERSITY CORE + LAKE EDGE LAKE EDGE LAKE EDGE

2

WELLNESS CENTER

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RESIDENTIAL CANAL RESIDENTIAL CANAL RESIDENTIAL CANAL GRAND WALK + GRAND WALK + GRAND WALK +DISTRICT RESIDENTIAL RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT

3

GRAND WALK

GRAND WALK INTIMATEGRAND EDGESWALK + CROSSINGS

INTIMATE EDGES + CROSSINGS INTIMATE EDGES + CROSSINGS

TREE-HOUSE LIVING

TREE-HOUSE LIVING TREE-HOUSE LIVING

LOTUS PATHWAY

LOTUS PATHWAY LOTUS PATHWAY

WELLNESS CENTER WELLNESS CENTER

TERRACES FOR TREATMENT

TERRACES FOR TREATMENT TERRACES FOR TREATMENT

LOW-RISE LIVING

ACTIVATED FOREST EDGE LOW-RISE LIVING LOW-RISE LIVING

ACTIVATED FOREST EDGE BRIDGE FOR ACCESS ACTIVATED FOREST EDGE

BRIDGE FOR ACCESS BRIDGE FOR ACCESS

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FOREST CAMPUS TRANSECTS

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2

3

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FOREST BRIDGE PARK EAST LAKE ACCESS

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.

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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FOREST BRIDGE PARK SITE PLAN

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PARK

EAST LAKE

MIXED USE

BRIDGE

LOTUS CAFE

BRIDGE

BRIDGE

ACCESS

MIXED USE COMMERCIAL

MU

SE

UM

RESIDENTIAL CAFE MIXED USE MIXED USE COMMERCIAL

MIXED USE

MIXED USE

HOUSING MIXED USE

HOUSING

HOUSING

HOUSING MIXED USE

500’

1000’

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FOREST BRIDGE PARK

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WELLNESS CENTER+ LOTUS LAKE UNIVERSITY CORE + WELLNESS

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.

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.

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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WELLNESS CENTER+LOTUS LAKE SITE PLAN

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TERRACES

W

EL

LN

ES

SC

SQUARE

EN T

ER

LOTUS LAKE

FOREST WEL

LNE

SS C

ENT

ER 2

500’

1000’

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REACHING LOTUS

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FOREST HOUSING

INTIMATE EDGES + SOCIAL WELL-BEING

The Residential district, south of university core, is where intesections of intimate canal edges and student faculty housing meet. Next to forest housing, is the GrandWalk, 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 balconys 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 releive the existing canal of rising water levels and damage. The new canals trace drainage patterns while providing access for students and faculy with extruded walkways along housing cooridors 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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3

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FOREST HOUSING SITE PLAN

GRAND WALK

FOREST FACULTY HOUSING

FACULTY H

OUSING

FACULTY HOUSING

STUDENT HOUSING

STUDENT HOUSING

AL

FACULTY HOUSING

IA

OL

GN MA

N CA

FACULTY HOUSING

STUDENT HOUSING

FOREST STUDENT HOUSING

STUDENT HOUSING

500’

1000’

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FOREST NETWORK

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>>TEAM PROCESS ANNOTATION + DIGITAL COMMUNICATION

The design process of forest campus has been a learning experience for each member of the team.

Working with the Hust students and traveling to China broadened our perspective about landscapes abroad and the richness of our process and discussions about how to design spaces that connect fragmented layers in an urban context.

The ecological and cultural richness of the campus and it’s existing fragmented conditions is what inspired out team to create a campus that puts the wellness of students and faculty before development, to embrace culture and the regions unique identity.

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>>FOREST CAMPUS CONCLUSION

Urban Design deals with multi-scale understanding of a site. We ave zoomed in and out and side to side, during this process many times and have learned how to start thinking about big ideas and small ones.

We acknowledge a culture that has lived with the monsoon season for centuries, the Forest Campus is a plan that can unite the fragmented by bringing the forest, the lake edge and the campus to a central axis, creating a core of wellness. Focusing on the well being of students, and faculty and considering existing issues about circulation, public space, water treatment and a rising water water line, the Forest Campus will redefine the future of HUST, one that embraces the culture and resilient values of the people who use the surrounding site of the Huxi River Canal.

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THANK YOU

GALINA NOVIKOVA BESSY BARAHONA JESUS AGUIRRE