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.
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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
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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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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.
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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. 200 0
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
2
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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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
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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
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ICONIC BRIDGE ICONIC BRIDGE ICONIC BRIDGE ACCESS TO EAST
ACCESS TO EAST ACCESS TO EAST LAKE LAKE LAKE
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WELLNESS CENTER WELLNESS CENTER WELLNESS CENTER UNIVERSITY CORE +
UNIVERSITY CORE + UNIVERSITY CORE + LAKE EDGE LAKE EDGE LAKE EDGE
2
WELLNESS CENTER
33
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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1
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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1
160
FOREST BRIDGE PARK SITE PLAN
161
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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2
166
WELLNESS CENTER+LOTUS LAKE SITE PLAN
167
TERRACES
W
EL
LN
ES
SC
SQUARE
EN T
ER
LOTUS LAKE
FOREST WEL
LNE
SS C
ENT
ER 2
500’
1000’
168
REACHING LOTUS
169
170
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
172
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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176
177
>>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