NICHOLAS CHAU
FINAL LECTURE PROJECT
LA203 2016
Table Of Content Learning the LEXICON................................................1-6 Interested READINGS..................................................7-14 Witnessing DISCUSSIONS.........................................15-16 Final INTROSPECTION................................................17-18 Photo ESSAYS.................................................................19-20
SCALABILITY Scalability is ,in my opinion, the capability of a material or landscape to accommodate a diagrammed design concept. In project 1 of LA 203L , where 30’ ( in 1/16” scale) tall, 1’ wide forest is required, the wood dowel material cannot be transformed into actual scale, as wood that tall but that skinny cannot withstand strong wind. Hence wood is not scalable to the actual design in this circumstance.
EXAMPLE OF SCALABILITY OF WOOD DOWEL
CONTEXT Context is defined as the elements that affect the design. For me, Context is more of the inspiration or considerations taken into design, which is different as my own definition neglects the elements that is out of the designer’s intend.
LEXICON
BALANCE
EDGE
Balance is defined as a condition in which different elements are equal or proportion. To me, a balance can be the correct proportion base on the designer’s intent. One of the examples will be Japanese Zen garden where there are no trees at all, yet there is still a sense of balance in there.
Edge is defined as the outside limit of an object, area, or surface. In Landscape Architecture, however, the definition of edge can also be defined as the interaction area of two different mediums, such as water to land. And there are different kinds of edges, such as littoral edge and literal edge etc.
BALANCE BETWEEN TWO OBJECTS
SYSTEM
PRISTINE
System is defined as a set of connected things or parts forming a complex whole, in particular. In my opinion, system is a combination of different elements, both man-made and natural, with a certain relationship between all of them, this creates an order in between, and hence the system is formed.
Pristine is defined as in its original state, unspoiled. When pristine is used to describe nature, people often think it meant untouched by man, which is the optimal state where nature should be. As there are already no land, man have not yet altered.
PEOPLE’S MISCONCEPTION OF PRISTINE
BASIC CPP LA SYSTEM
SINCE THERE NO LONGER IS “PRISTINE” LAND, THERE ARE NO PHOTO AVAILABLE
INVASIVE SPECIES
AUGMENT
Invasive species is often refers to foreign species that can cause a certain degree of damage to environment, human economy or health. However, to me, invasive species can also be beneficial and in fact outweigh native species under certain circumstances. Yet those scenarios have to be carefully planned out, or else a specie outbreak might happen and cause devastating effects.
Augment is defined as make (something) greater by adding to it or increase. In my opinion, an augmented landscape is a landscape that is developed base on its past and further explores the potential making a greater landscape as the end result.
FIGURE & FIELD
PROGRAM
Figure is an object on top of a certain surface, in Landscape Architecture, the land, itself. And land can also be defined as a repetition of figure that forms a pattern. In other words, a field contains a number of figures, whereas a figure is a part of field.
Program is defined as a plan of action to accomplish a specified end. In Landscape Architecture, program is usually defined by the landscape architect based on the client or the target user’s requirements.
ATLAS OF NOVEL AND TECTONICS
Different fineness of textures
This book is about how Reiser + Umemoto interpret different concepts, such as the difference between modern Architecture and traditional Architecture is being compared to chess and go. They connect daily life or nature examples to design concepts. The chapter that I find most interesting is about fineness. It is about how architects and landscape architects have to deal with multi-surface and objects while maintain the correct texture fineness.
READINGS
RAMBUNCTIOUS GARDEN
I choose this chapter as I found out that this is one of the common mistakes that a lot of my classmates (including me) have while rendering. We tend to go for texture that is finer than it should have be, hoping that this could make the rendering more photorealistic. However, this will cause differences between the rendering and the actual design when it is actually built, which is something that we, designers, should avoid. Undoubtedly, this book is full of complicated concepts and vocabularies. This book, however, is significant for the students studying in Architecture or Landscape Architecture field in Los Angeles. Since the design process we are currently undergoing is related to the concepts in the book, this can give us answers or inspirations when we are stuck on designing. The unbiased analysis from this book also allows people to accept more of the traditional designs, even though they look representational. Overall, I would say this book provides a lot of insights on different subjects on designs and whether or not it matches the reader’s perspective, he/she will still learn from it, if they have the same view they will have a deeper understanding, and if they don’t, they have a broader view of the topic.
Rambunctious garden is written by Emma Marris, a non-fiction writer. Through writing this book, Marris tries to pursue people to think out of the box and stop thinking that human and nature is separated. We should be more open to alter the land as we have been altering the land forever. I totally agree to her thinking, human and nature are always together.
PROJECTIVE ECOLOGIES
The Puente Hills Landfill project has provided options for the public to vote as the elements to be implemented in the design; one of them is a wildlife overpass that allows animals to roam freely on both sides of the highway while maintaining a certain extent of protection from the freeway. I think if people are afraid of altering land, a project that requires a large amount of land moving will not be possible. Luckily, a lot of people vote for that option and they will consider it for the next phase of developing the Puente Hill Landfill. I estimate that more and more projects will alter land that used to consider as “untouchable” land, as the number of “untouched” land are decreasing. So if people accept that nature is not pristine, there will be more possibilities in the future of landscape designing. Relating this reading back to the final project of LA 203L, in our design we should be more open to creating large changes on land and not be afraid of adding structure, as nature and human are connected just like how structures and land is related.
Projective Ecologies like the title stated that it is a book that focuses more on Ecology. In the chapter, selections from Discordant Harmonies, a moose’s stomach is being deeply analyzed, all the bacteria inside and how food is being digested by bacteria instead of the moose is being explained very specific. This is to explain how a complex system is composed because some elements can never standalone exist in the bigger system hence a smaller system is required and there is never an element that has no pure advantage or disadvantage. Like how it is stated in the book that oxygen allows us to survive but not the bacteria inside the moose’s stomach.
AUGMENTED LANDSCAPE
I think this can relates to my project where in the initial phase I have a lot of ideas but they don’t match so I have to abandon some of them, this isn’t necessarily stating that those ideas are weak and the ideas I use are better. This only means that I decided to go for a direction where these ideas are not more appropriate than others. This concept is important for international designers when they have to design Los Angeles or South California as there is a lot of difference from their home country to South California. They can carry their own design process over, but like the example of ecosystem and moose’s stomach, they have to be careful not to just use a certain elements they have been practiced in their home country and apply it here right away, or else it will end up like the bacteria in the moose’s stomach, unable to adapt. They should consider even more carefully as there are differences, should they take a small system over to their big designing system in the project? Or should they just leave all behind and start base on what they know here? This will be the decision of the designer.
Augmented Landscape is a book that showcases how several designers thinking and presenting their work. Allen has showcased how it is sometimes appropriate to make diagrams abstract if it is intended to reveal something that is unable to observe if not abstracted, such as the project Geofluidic Landscape where Allen abstract an elevation view to show the relationship between land and structure. This completely changed my mind of diagramming. I always think that diagramming has to be simple and clear to everyone, but this diagram is only readable to a certain number of people, including Allen, that have the mindset of the correct legend. Allen uses this project and the Grand Egyptian Museum to explain his thinking of Augmented Landscape, I think an Augmented Landscape is fairly similar to the site specific, mentioned in Being & Circumstances.
BEING & CIRCUMSTANCE
The only difference is that Augmented landscape is more focused on expanding the existing rules and potentials previously revealed; whereas a site specific project is a project where designers explore and experience the site and the surroundings, then set up their own rules and design base on their findings of the site. For community project, especially in Los Angeles, the concept of augmented landscape is really important, as a lot of disagreement from the public usually base on the demolishing of the previously existing landscape. If the concept of augmented landscape is applied and further expanding a site, this will favor the communication between the client, public, and the designer. Personally, I am looking forward for an augmented landscape on Pershing Square as there had been numerous designs happening on that area.
Comparing this reading to other readings, this reading covers more discussions. I would focus on the discussion on site dominant, site adjusted, site specific and site conditioned/determined as they relate more on the focus of LA 203. Site dominant design is, in my opinion, a risky decision. A good site dominant sculpture has to be really outstanding and draws everyone’s attention towards it, despite the location of where it is located. A site adjusted design is similar to site dominant, except the designer/artist make slight changes base on the site it is going to be on. Contemporary sculptures tend to be site specific, as they always have adjustments on the site. A site specific design is really useful if the designer is famous; as it is a design base on rules set up on site yet still remains traces of the designer’s style. A site conditioned/ determined design is a design that completely builds up based on the site and its surrounding, which is also the approach of LA203L. We gathered hands-on information on site, we create rules and context based on the information we gathered both through second-hand sources and our own finding. This creates a deeply layered, site determined design. These four processes of designing are important to Los Angeles as designers have to choose which approach they would like to use to tackle their design. Each has its own pros and cons, base on the site of design, each approach will outstand other approaches based on the designer’s thinking and decision.
ISLAND & ATOLLS
SITE DOMINANT
SITE ADJUSTED
SITE SPECIFIC
SITE ADJUSTED
The title has stated the book’s focus, designing using islands & atolls; island is defined as a piece of land surrounded by water and atolls is defined as a ringshaped island or reef. There are numerous examples in the book; they all are, in some ways, islands and/or atolls. By using several components and connecting them allows designers to guide people interact with what the designer’s intended, including the previous usage of the site or interaction towards nature, or harvest the power of nature. The project that really catches my attention is the WeatherField. This project is a field of parakites, serving as wind energy generators, which are hanged on along the sandy beach in Abu Dhabi between Yas and Saadiyat Islands. The project only occupies a strip of the beach, but each one of those parakites can generate enough wind power for 3 homes a year. The parakites are like islands, they are all disconnected, yet they all serve the same purpose of generating energy. I personally think this is a successful usage of field, the parakites are not just structures that create a pattern, and they also serve a bigger purpose. They also indicates the wind direction and the strength of the wind based on the direction they are moving and how far from vertical are they moving. Islands and atolls is a concept that I rarely come across in Los Angeles. I think this can add diversity in the landscapes in Los Angeles, like the WeatherField project above, some design can allow the landscape undisturbed while still be an efficient design. This can create landscapes that are even more deeply layered.
BIOMIMICRY
This lecture is being given by Ilaria Mazzoleni, a Los Angeles based architect. The lecture is mainly on biomimicry. The usage of nature’s invention as an inspiration to solve human problems really opened my mind. One of the examples Mazzoleni used in the lecture is a combination of Polar Bear’s fur and their hibernate habitat, that create an architecture that provides warmth when the exterior is cold vice versa. I think this kind of approach is really innovative as a lot of designers uses a lot of time to create a design that benefits human while remaining aesthetically appealing. However, base on the projects Mazzoleni showed during the lecture, I think the outcome is more effective than a lot of design. The main reason, in my opinion, is that human knowledge is currently limited. No matter how hard we tried to design, how many different projects we tried to get inspiration from, the possibilities are nothing like the infinite amount of knowledge hidden in nature waiting for us to reveal.
DISCUSSION
This concept of biomimicry is important to Los Angeles, especially LA River. Apart from the political factor behind, the LA River still has a lot of problems and conflicts. If designers can take in biomimicry as one of their inspiration, they might find the solution that they have been long looking for. As Mazzoleni has mentioned in her lecture, she had hired an intern from microbiology to help her cultivate bacteria that will be used in her design. On a global scale, this is a positive phenomenon as disciplines join forces can create a sense of uniformity; on a local scale, this will cause more pressure on small companies as they will have to increase their budget on projects in order to pay for cooperating with other companies, or else they will lose their competitiveness.
Regardless of the pros and cons of biomimicry, I personally support that biomimcry should be practiced more in the future as the results have shown that the concept of biomimicry has provided us, designers, a new design approach that has never been revealed before.
HOW TO BRING 2ND NATURE BACK This lecture is spoken by Roxi Thoren, associate professor in the department of Landscape Architecture of University of Oregon and Olmstead scholar (Historians who studies Frederick Law Olmstead). The lecture focuses on promoting to design in second nature and landscape over time. Thoren has mentioned that Landscape Architects tend to focus on first and third nature, while letting engineers to create and maintain second nature. The discussion has raised the question of how should Landscape Architects bring back second nature. It has been observed that this imbalance has been occurring for a while, as projects involved in second nature tends to be designed by engineers, it is considered “boring�. The father of Landscape Architecture, Frederick Law Olmstead had practiced designing second nature. This shows that Landscape Architects is totally capable of designing second nature.
Collaboration between Engineers and Landscape Architects is encouraged during the design of second nature as Engineers have the knowledge of making things work while Landscape Architects obtain the knowledge from surrounding and critical thinking. Combining the two can create a more effective while aesthetically appealing second nature landscape. This is definitely the future trend as human population is ever increasing; the only way to accommodate is to require collaboration between different fields to create more efficient and stronger design of the land. Thoren also brings up the consideration of landscape change over a long period of time in the discussion.
As Thoren is an Olmstead Scholar, she talked about how Olmstead planned out the hundred years after his landscape is built. The consideration of landscape’s changes over time should be in consideration of all Landscape Architects as they are responsible for their design. Such as places like Pershing Square, there is always competition on what should be built. Landscape Architects should consider designing in a more temporary approach; while designing land that will remain unaltered by man for a long period of time, designers should design either a landscape that remains the same or changes over time depending on the designer’s intent and style. To conclude this discussion, Landscape Architects are encouraged to collaborate with different fields to create a better world and to consider how the landscape will change over time.
INTROSPECTION
MAPPING & MODELING
Over the past four weeks of class, experiencing mapping and advance modeling, I have realized the importance of craft and how to be site specific. I used to think that models are just for thinking three dimensionally and it doesn’t matter if the craft is good or not. However, project 1 has completely changed my mind; I realized if a model is being carefully treated and photographed, it can be used for final presentation. This can save money and time to recreate a final model for presentation. I also realized how much more flexible working by hand than Autocad and 123Dmake. In the mapping project, I have learned how to gather information and create a multi-layered map for future reference. I learned even more when we get our feedback. We are being introduced to mapping through dog’s perspective, which is more on smell and a closer to ground perspective. This further expand my thinking of mapping, it makes me feel like mapping have infinite information to put on, which expands my interest in mapping. Mapping is important to Los Angeles as it enables designers to design site specific & site determined design.
HUMAN & NATURE
Through analyzing and designing the Silver Lake Reservoir, I have learned that a design, sometimes, have to consider non-human beneficiaries. Previously in my designs, human is always the most important factor. A lot of experiences are given to human clients. However, I have neglected the fact that human coexists with nature that is surrounding us. By reading Rambunctious Garden and Projective Ecologies, I have also incorporated functions that benefits non-human client. The consideration of non-human biased is encouraged in Los Angeles as I haven’t really come across any landscape design that has taken this into major consideration. Through this quarter, I decided for my future design I will incorporate the consideration of nonhuman bias as this can give advantage to wildlife which in turn maintains the biodiversity of an area.
TEXTURE & SYSTEM
Textures comes in different shapes and fineness, including fine beach sand that gives a fine texture, a bunch of boulder that gives a coarse texture. However, texture is biased. A texture is both fine and coarse base on the scale. Fine sand enlarged for 1,000 times can be a really coarse texture, while crumbled paper if viewed from far is considered a fine texture.
ESSAYS
RELATIONSHIP & FIELD
Relating back to the Atlas and Novel tectonics, the texture fineness depends on the designers intend and how they connect the texture to their design. Texture can also be used to explain a system in a system such as mentioned in projective ecologies. A texture is made up of a numerous amount of elements, and base on the distance or scale, creates the fineness of it. All the elements are connected, like all the cells inside a leaf that create the texture of a leaf.
Relationship is very special, they can be contrasting each other or similar to each other. Designers use relationships to generate their design, to connect and strengthen their design. Some elements work well when they are contrasting each other, like sun and shadow and plants and structure. These can relate back to being and circumstances as to achieve this effect; designer must fully understand the site before operating any design. Sometimes elements that are similar can also be utilized such as a field. Fields consists of a repetitive of the same elements and creates a nice composition. Hence, by understanding relationship, one can also understand how a field is formed and how contrast is being manipulated.