SWA_Summer Internship Program 2015_Heena Gajjar

Summer Student Program 2015

SWA Group Heena Gajjar LA 345

Contents 1. SWA Group 2. SWA Summer Student Program 3. SWA Summer Student Program, 2015 4. Comprehensive Framework - Environment Element (Week - 1) 5. Urban Vicinity Analysis and Design - I-345 Corridor (Week - 2) 6. Site selection and Ideas for Site Design (Week - 3) 7. 2100 Vision for selected site (Week - 4) 8. The Presidio, San Francisco 9. Travel, Photography and Writing 10. Summary

SWA Group SWA Group originated from Sasaki, Walker and Associates (SWA), that was established in 1957. Over the time, both the principal’s – Hideo Sasaki and Peter Walker went ahead to establish their own firms.

In 1975, SWA became SWA Group which is a 100% employee owned firm. Over the years, the firm has established various offices worldwide, delivering numerous successful projects. The philosophy of the firm allows freedom of expression to all of its employees, believing in a collaborative approach, thus allowing purposeful creativity to be honed. Today, the firm is well recognized and one of world’s leading landscape architecture, planning and urban design firms.

SWA Summer Student Program SWA is committed to educating and cultivating young minds since more than 40 years now. Each year the firm selects seven students from various universities with background in landscape architecture and urban planning. The rich and diverse group of students brings forth synergy and learning to all. The intention of the internship is to expose the students to various opportunities to engage with other students as well as office staff along with range of clients, stake-holders, etc. It is also a platform for interaction, exchange of ideas and knowledge, sharing of varied perspectives, learning from each other as well as learning to appreciate the significance of collaboration.

SWA Summer Student Program, 2015 This year the seven students came with background in landscape architecture and urban design from various universities including Harvard Graduate School of Design, University of Strathclyde - Glasgow, University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign, University of Pennsylvania and Ohio State University. The first month was a design studio in Dallas office with core theme of Visualizing Dallas as a 22nd Century City.

Each week had focused exercises designed to dig deeper into the issues and understand the city.

Principals and associates from other SWA offices, various professionals and stake holders from the city of Dallas guided and critiqued throughout the entire process. The four intense weeks culminated into a public presentation where the interns presented their proposals. The presentation can be accessed on YouTube, titled as 22nd Century City (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6Y0S9aCm50). Following the studio, each intern moved to allocated SWA offices where they were involved in various projects.

Comprehensive Framework - Environment Element (Week - 1) Each day was scheduled such that the first-half of the day was presentations by guests and city tours while the other-half of the day was in studio working. In the first week, each student was allocated one element each for research and study from the 360 Vision Plan for the city of Dallas. I chose to work on the element of Environment. I started with understanding the comprehensive vision plan for the city.

My inferences lead me to believe that the city needed more such green spaces for the good health of the inmates by being more interactive with nature. There were concerns about urban heat island effect. However, I did not find anything compelling enough to be taken forward. Thus, I started to analyze the layers of landscape that defined the environment. I used GIS as a tool to research and overlay the layers.. The outcome was a surprise to all of us. The developers of the city ignored an important watershed in its process of growth. Instead of noticing the significance of this watershed freeway was built over it. Hence, this analysis started to become a foundation for further debate that is presently going on in Dallas about the I-345 Corridor. The first week ended with a presentation on Friday to the office and guests.

Week 1 Guests: Sean O’Malley, Managing Principal Laguna Beach - swa James Vick, Principal Houston - swa Other Guests:

Kourtney Garrett, Downtown Dallas, Inc. (Monday) Sean Todd, Todd Interests (Monday) Milton Anderson, Merriman Associates Architects (Monday) Arturo Del Castillo, City Design Studio (Tuesday) Willis Winters, City Park Department (wednesday) Michael Gibson, UNT Design Research Center (Thursday)

Dallas City

Historic Geological Layers

Hydrology

Contours

Roads/ Paved

Park & Trail System

Dallas City

Historic Geological Layers

Hydrology

Contours

Roads/ Impervious

Park & Trail System

Urban Vicinity Analysis and Design - I-345 Corridor (Week - 2) In the second week, we were divided into three groups each studying their given sites. My group had three members - Ruichao Li., Lorenzo Centioni and myself. We were given I-345 Corridor to study. We started with spending an entire day on site to get the feel and trying to understand the issues. We went around talking with people to understand what issues they face around this neighborhood. A lot of people seemed to be in favor of tearing down the I-345 and connect the downtown beyond. In order to justify this move we used the research work from first week about the lost watershed in this area.

We researched about the changing climate effects and according to MIT’s research, Texas will have to prepare itself for erratic events of heavy rainfall as well as intense droughts. Everyone is well aware of the recent rainfall Dallas received in May, 2015. It nearly reached the amount of rainfall received annually. Analyzing the rainfall data from 1900 to present, we see a pattern of increased high amount of rainfall which in some conditions leads to catastrophic floods. There are patterns of drought visible too. Thus, our team proposed to demonstrate - ‘global warming effects as driver of urban form for the future of Dallas as we move forward into 22nd century’. The week ended with a presentation on Friday to the office and guests.

Week 2 Guests: Shuyi Chang, Associate Shanghai, China - swa Michael Robinson, Associate Houston - swa Other Guests:

Jason Roberts, Better Blocks (Wednesday)

Site selection and Ideas for Site Design (Week - 3) In the third week, each of us had the freedom to choose the site based on our concerns observed. I was surprised with the fact that in spite of lovely public parks and open spaces, people chose to stay indoors. Of course the heat is brutal. There are visible attempts of using water features in parks, to cool down the micro climate. However, I did not see any serious measures taken by the city. Moreover, I strongly felt, this issue is delineating the inhabitants, environmentally, socially and culturally. I proposed to work in the watershed site however, that site was being chosen by other two students, thus I had to give up that site. Hence I decided to not go for site specific design. Rather, design for a condition that is nonspecific and address the larger concern. Discussions with Jeff and Gerdo really brought out this great idea of building this new skin for the city that would play multifunctional roles. I drew the parallel analogy with the human skin as our skin is also very similar to what I was visioning to address the issues.

The week ended with presentation on Friday, discussing the idea and its strengths.

Week 3 Guests: Gerdo Aquino, CEO swa, Los Angeles Andrew Watkins, Associate, Laguna Beach- swa Other Guests:

Francois De Kock, Half & Associates (Friday) Gary Garmon, Visiting Clinical Professor of Design and Innovation, SMU

Street in Dallas, 1950 Source - www.pegasusnews.com

Street in Dallas, 2015

Thermoregulation Layer

Sensors to maintain the micro climate and temperature

ness Synthesis Layer

Thermoregulation

Sensors to maintain the micro climate and temperature

Utilize sun, wind and rain for energy formation

Storage Layer

Collects rain water, coverts humidity to water

Synthesis

Utilize sun, wind, rain for energy formation

Storage Defensive Layer

Collects rain water, converts humidity into water

Protection from sun, UV rays, rain and harsh weather

Defensive

Protects from sun, UV rays and harsh weather

Looking toward the future, the proposed skin would bring the resources of energy together in one place as well as the collaborative energy of inhabitants.

2100 Vision for selected site (Week - 4) The final week was all about further development of ideas and the production work. Since week three I started using Rhino to design the skin. It took me a while to get use to the software. The last time I used it was in 2012 while working in Stantec for a competition project. I strongly feel it changes the way we design. I also learned some of the fantastic things Photoshop could do that I never knew. The last week culminated into a public presentation to the city.

Project Statement: With increasing erratic weather conditions, we are choosing to stay into our regulated shells, which is delineating us socially and culturally as well as public spaces are deserted and ignored. This proposal explores the idea of utilizing public realm by introducing a synthesis layer of skin that creates energy, stores water, improves the micro climate and filters the harmful radiations. This would allow the surrounding buildings to draw its resources from the skin while at the same time they will value the public space by maintaining them. The skin would also encourage people of Dallas to enjoy the outdoor spaces. Thus, raising the consciousness of connecting with nature. This would be the future of energy for Dallas as we move forward into 22nd century.

Week 3 Guests: David Berkson, Principal Laguna Beach - swa Cinda Gilliland, Principal Sausalito - swa Guest Jury:

Heath May, Associate Principal, Director of HKS LINE Arturo Del Castillo, City Design Studio Gary Garmon, Visiting Clinical Professor of Design and Innovation, SMU

The Skin during day time

The Skin at night time

The Presidio, San Francisco The second month I was in San Francisco office working mainly with Ashley Langworthy and Rene Bihan. They introduced to me the Presidio project briefly. I went on site to get sense of scale and context. I went through the Presidio master plan documentation book as well. I discussed my views and learned about the main concept over which I would be working with the team. I majorly worked on creating concept graphics to convey the main idea. I did Photoshop renderings of selected views of the districts to show before and after developments with added programs. I also did some AutoCAD, excel to calculate areas, etc. Overall, it was an enriching experience.

Travel, Photography and Writing_ Throughout my stay in Dallas and San Francisco, I travelled and explored over the weekends. It helped me to understand the city a little better. I continued to explore through my photography. I have been clicking pictures on the theme of reflection and shadows. I look forward to have a large collection and publish it online or into a documentary book in future.

I visited some of the fantastic landscape designs around. My most favorite in Dallas is the Fountain Place designed by Dan Kiley. I liked the shade canopy of indigenous Bald Cypresses. The use of water is mind blowing. The presence of water and its sound precedes everything. One could sense the vision of the designer in terms of use of materials. The boundaries between landscape and architecture fade and they merge together. While I was there, I almost forgot I was in an urban jungle.

From all the places I visited in and around San Francisco my most favorite place is Yosemite Valley. It is the place that awakened me and now I see the world with a different perspective. The most exciting thing for me was to see the remains of glaciations process in landscape. I like reading the landscape as a process. It was an overwhelming experience in a nutshell.

I spent my remaining time reading ‘Breaking Ground’ by Daniel Libeskind. Fortunately I was able to visit one of his master piece - The Jewish Museum in SF. I always liked his work but after reading about him I realized how he transforms philosophy of void into design. I think he is blessed to have this ability. I also spent time in writing my experiences about the internship and the places visited to keep a record of my experiences and feelings. It is refreshing to read it and see how I have grown as a person.

Space is seemless. It is an illusion of a reality in which we live today.

How powerful is the art of creating a landscape that is timeless and eternal.

The moment was magical witnessing this masterpiece at perfect time of the evening. I read in Daniel Libeskind’s book about the use of building material to respond to the sky. I see it now what he means.

Patterns embedded by the great civilization. What I quest for is a balance. An awareness and realization of an inner self and the purpose of each soul.

Walking by the street, I hear the city conveying it’s tale. I embrace it and I asked “don’t you ever need a moment of silence?” It said, I am in absolute peace with my creator.

My minds eye is a little more enlightened now. I have always been very interested in nature and natural processes and how they shape the landscape. Yosimite taught me a lot. From geology to ice age, every lesson is taught through reading the landscape here.

Summary_ I feel fortunate to get this incredible opportunity. I learned each day being around all fantastic people I met. Living with other interns in Dallas allowed me to understand and observe people with diverse backgrounds. I made some great friends in this journey of two months. I could reaffirm my learnings at UIUC, as I applied myself in this internship. This internship gave me the opportunity to discuss with my learned principals at swa about my interests and thus gave me a direction for my future path. There have been some instances that were challenging and baffling, however it had made me a stronger person now. Sometimes in life it is important to just go with the flow.