Synthetic Infrastructure | A Thesis By Yueqi Li

Synthetic Infrastructure

Inhabiting the Soft Edge in the Post-diluvian City

Yueqi ‘Jazzy’ Li School of Architecture, Tulane University Thesis 2012-2013 Advisor: Judith Kinnard

Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

TABLE of CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 THESIS ESSAY

CHAPTER 2 CHALLENGES

CHAPTER 3 HISTORY AND CONTEXT

Essay

Coastal Subsidence and Land Erosion

Origins of New Orleans

Annotated Bibliography

Natural Disaster - Hurricanes

The Great Foot Print Debate

Climate Change And Sea Level Rise

New Orleans Risk Reduction System

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Table of Contents Inundated New Orleans | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

CHAPTER 4. PRECEDENTS

CHAPTER 5. DESIGN EXPLORATIONS

CHAPTER 6. DESIGN PROPOSAL

Landscape

Integrated Highway and Landscape

New Orleans Ecological Master Plan

Infrastructure

Sectional Variety and Prototypes

Treme Aquaculture Center and Market

Ecologicy

Integrated Housing

Thesis Review

Relation With Water

Batture Building

Inspiration

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

CHAPTER ONE THESIS ESSAY 1.1 ESSAY 1.2 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

THESIS QUESTION / ABSTRACT

As a result of coastal subsidence, catastrophic hurricanes, and sea level rise, the city of New Orleans is faced with an increasingly perilous situation regarding its own survival.

At an urban level, how can we reduce the risk of a city whose very survival is hinged on its water-land relationship? At an architectural level, how can we maintain the operation and enjoyment of this water-land boundary without subjecting it to ruthless engineering? This thesis proposes a concession of high-risk areas and restoration of wetlands based on a soft approach to working with nature. The thesis conceives of a soft, inhabitable, and transformative infrastructure will not only relieve the pressure off of the Risk Reduction System but also add to the urban quality of life.

Sketch by Author

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1.1 ESSAY ABST RAC T This paper examines the geographic and environmental challenges facing the city of New Orleans and proposes a concession of high-risk areas and restoration of wetlands based on a soft approach to working with nature. Citing studies on vacancy and population density, the paper argues that a concession of land does not necessitate mandatory displacement of people or loss of culture and traditions.

Instead, not only will the creation of wetlands and its associated ecosystem relieve the pressure off of the Risk Reduction System, the soft and widened levee infrastructure will form a soft edge and can also add to the quality of life.

W HAT ARE T HE C HALLEN G ES FAC IN G N EW O RLEAN S T O DAY? Given New Orleans’s notorious bowl shaped landscape, many of today’s visitors and residents often wonder why on earth three centuries ago Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville sited the important establishment where it is - thirty leagues above the entrance to the Mississippi river. Sandwiched by the dangerous back swamps and the River, it is clearly not a good site. But as Richard Campanella argues: where humans settle and develop their cities is dependent on site but more importantly also on situation. “‘Site’ refers to the city’s actual physical footing; ‘Situation’ means its regional context and how it connects with the world.1” New Orleans’ situation meant military and transportation advantages. However, part of this situation also constitutes that periodically people are forced to reassess everything in the wake of frequent disasters.

Following Hurricane Katrina, which took more than three thousand lives and profoundly influenced the situation of New Orleans, we saw what later is known as the ‘great footprint debate.’ Three camps of advocates debated fiercely about whether to maintain the entirety of, concede parts of, or completely abandon New Orleans. Ultimately, the resilience, social justice, and preservation arguments, complemented by Mayor Ray Nagin’s political motives, brought about a controversial decision to rebuild New Orleans to its original footprint and invest more than $1 billion in the improvement of the Risk Reduction system2. As delivered in his belated address on Jackson Square 17 days after Katrina churned New Orleans, President Bush offered his pledge of the American people – ‘We will do what it takes, we will stay as long as it takes to help citizens rebuild their communities and their lives.’

Campanella, Richard, Bienville’s Dilemma (Baton Rouge, University of Louisiana Press), 132 Bring New Orleans Back Commission, Mayor’s Rebuilding Plan, http://www.bringneworleansback.org/Resources/Mayors%20Rebuilding%20Plan%20Final.pdf (accessed on Dec 12, 2012) 1 2

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

However, as a result of coastal erosion and subsidence, catastrophic hurricanes, and sea level rise, the Risk Reduction System of New Orleans, characterized by hard-lined levees and floodwalls, has proved not only insufficient, but also detrimental to the sustainability of the metropolis. Illustrated in this section drawing, it is clear to see the alarming speed and quantity at which the land has subsided. (Particularly the swampy areas of New Orleans that were drained for human inhabitation in the early 20th century.)

While one may argue that hurricanes and sea level rises are global phenomena that cannot be addressed in New Orleans locally, we certainly has our hands in the issues of erosion and subsidence. As the levees and floodwalls protect us from storm surges and river floods, they also fence off the fresh water and sediments needed in the natural process of land building and counter subsidence. These hard-lined systems channels the free flow of freshwater into the mouth of the Mississippi, allowing salty sea water to erode inward. Our dredging of canals for profitable oil gains, providing straight channels through which seawater can effortlessly intrude, further severed coastal erosion and subsidence in the region.

Screenshots from an animation showing the impacts of flooding in New Orleans.

Image by Author

In the spirit of battling against nature and protecting the greater good, we justified the investment of over $1 billion for the overhaul of the Risk Reduction System. In the years following Hurricane Katrina, we saw one of the largest engineering works completed in the shortest amount of time in human history all for upgrading the level of protection to a 100-year level hurricane. To most New Orleanians, this seems to have provided enough assurance of safety, as many deem that a 100-year level hurricane (statistically having only a 1/100 chance to happen every year) is very unlikely to strike and thus catastrophically inundate the city during their lifetime. However, many also fail to understand that catastrophic flooding can come from leveefailure-induced-inundation but also from extreme rainfalls. As land continues to sink and sea level continues to rise, intense flooding from extreme weathers can cause disruption, damage, and casualties even if the Risk Reduction System holds. After all, it is a bowl-shaped city, and every single drop of rain has to be pumped out somehow.

To further complicate things, the geography of New Orleans is actually composed of multiple sub-bowls known as hydrological basins within the one big bowl that we generally perceive. On the bright side, this subdivision means that even if a fatal failure occurs on one section of the levee system, it does not necessarily mean that the entire city bowl is jeopardized.

Certain hydrological basins closest to the failure could be greatly impacted and inundated while the other ones stay dry. On the other hand, these hard-lined boundaries subdividing the natural Yueqi Li | 6

Chatper One Thesis Essay Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

landscapes complicate the drainage of water in the event of extreme flooding. Multiple pumping stations and routes were put into place and a great deal of distance has to be travelled for the flooding to get out. Once again, the infrastructure we put in place to protect us is in many ways hurting our chances of survival. The Risk Reduction System that we tirelessly constructed over many years, in fact, has been increasing the risk at a macro level in the long run.

Hurricane Katrina went down in history as a mostly manmade disaster at multiple levels and of enormous proportions. People pounded the Army Corps, the contractors, and the government for shady construction of key floodwall components and for the lack of maintenance and supervision of the system we had in place. However, people hardly realize that as we learn our lessons from Katrina, Gustave, and most recently Isaac and attempt to right our man-made wrongs by beefing up the Risk Reduction System and installing more hard infrastructure, we are in fact slowly digging a hole for us to be buried in another man-made disaster doomed to happen. That we might be struck with a category 5 or 150-year flooding and that the city may be left largely inundated is a high possibly that can happen in the near future. An unimaginable catastrophe resulted in such an event will go down as a man-made disaster again not because we cut corners in the walls or fail to inspect the levee qualities. Rather, it’s because we surround us with hard engineering projects instead of soft infrastructure and ecological processes. It’s because we are working against nature instead of working with nature.

W HY IS A C O N C ESSIO N O U R BEST SO LU T IO N ?

Many scholars and organizations, known as the ‘Concessionists,’ have long adamantly warned against occupying in the low-lying areas of New Orleans. Following Katrina, they had sought to prevent any rebuilding efforts in these areas and advocated instead for giving them back to the nature3. In 2006, The Green Dot Map released by the Urban Land Institute is one such effort. With six generic green circles, the map identified six ‘approximate areas expected to become parks and green space’ and clearly privileged the higher ground neighborhoods.

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Ibid. 1, at 82.

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

However, calling for a ‘reworking of the city’s neighborhoods and housing patterns,’ the map inflicted extreme backlash and criticism from the local residents4. The cultural vitality and richness of the neighborhoods were something that the local residents felt extremely attached to and insisted in saving. Neighborhoods in this city are known as wards and they are labels that residents from each ward are characterized with and proud to wear. Selectively eliminating certain neighborhoods to create green space and benefit the surrounding wards is one bad thing, but ignoring the soft and complex neighborhood boundaries and representing with simple geometric shapes is another, and arguably more insulting to the residents. Six blatantly generic circles are possibly the worse way one can come up to represent such a contentious plan of concession. The plan failed to garner enough momentum to be even considered an option on the table and soon after, Mayor Nagin vowed to allow citizens to rebuilding New Orleans to its original footprint, announcing the winning of the ‘Maintainers’ camp.

In 2007, Morphosis, a forward looking and innovative architecture and urbanism office headed by renowned thinker and architect Thom Mayne, developed a master plan proposal for New Orleans in tandem with their Float House for Make It Right. The proposal also calls for the concession of low-lying high-risk areas that are not sustainable to be inhabited.

Instead of the six generic circles, Morphosis’s plan took into account of the complex behavior of collective forces and envisioned an expanded lakeshore and a series of green space in the interior of the city. The plan also declares to be less expensive than the price tag of flood protection overhaul. By their estimate, it would cost $23.7 billion for New Orleans to shrink to three quarters of its size while the federal plan would cost $39 billion. Designed to be implemented in multiple phases with final completion in 2050, the plan failed to gain traction in the public realm and was not widely published, perhaps for political reasons. One critique that can be made to the plan is that it strictly focuses on Orleans Parish and cuts off the proposed parks, lake expansions, and public spaces with straight parish borders. These hard-lined borders are the exact opposite of the soft boundaries that the proposal aims for, not to mention that they rarely separate parishes or neighborhoods in a clear black and white fashion.

Then there has also emerged a body of work since Katrina by local planners, architects, and their dutch counterparts that look at how we could live with water in new and harmonius ways. Titled the ‘Dutch Dialogues,’ these discussions resulted in a series of provocative and realizable projects.

By making raingardens, creating retention pools, and introducing urban civic programs to canals, these plans help ‘delay, store, and use’ the excessive water poured into the city during inclement weathers and form part of a larger Greater New Orleans Water Management Strategy by Waggonner & Ball Architects.

4 Michelle Krupa, “Many Years Marked For Green Space After Hurricane Katrina Have Rebounded,“The Times Picayune, Aug 23, 2010, http://www.nola.com/katrina/index.ssf/2010/08/many_areas_marked_for_green_space_after_hurricane_katrina_have _rebounded.html (accessed at Nov 22, 2012 )

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Current research for other cities more increasingly focuses on a paradigm shift towards a kind of soft infrastructure that works with nature as opposed to the conventional philosophy that yields massive walls, dams, and gates. The On The Water Palisade Bay project and the MoMA commissioned Rising Currents exhibition projects all sought to establish a critical understanding of soft infrastructure that includes barrier islands, break water towers, natural habitat, porous pavement, and biological organisms in dealing with water issues. Most recently, beach sand dunes have also been found to blunt storms following Hurricane Sandy5. How we develop a harmonious relationship with nature has become the key to disaster prevention.

Building upon the two concessionist proposals and this new soft approach to coastal water issues, this paper attempts to explain why and how a new kind of concession, based on a soft levee infrastructure system, should be envisioned and implemented for the long term survival of New Orleans. Drawing lessons from the previous proposals, this plan of concession seeks to convert the low-lying high-risk areas to wetlands that cultivate an entire ecosystem that adds to

the living quality and economy of the city of New Orleans. This plan does not draw straight cutoff lines that necessitate hard regulatory infrastructure and selectively discriminate certain neighborhoods. Instead, it creates one boundary between land and water based on the 0’ elevation corridor, which roughly correspondes to the Claiborne route. This boundary is to be

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Mireya Navarro, “After Hurricane Sandy, Dunes Prove They Blunt Storms, “The New York Times, Dec 3, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/04/science/earth/after-hurricane-sandy-dunes-prove-they-blunt-storms.html?_r=0 (accessed Dec 5, 2012)

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

developed into a thickened zone of a continuous widened and earthen levee, using materials from river and lake dredging activities. This levee system of enormous dimension is not only capable of preventing typical levee failures, but also becomes an ideal real estate on which landscape, natural habitat, and architecture can de designed to coexist in synergy. Not only will this wetland serve as an effective barrier attenuating surges from the Lake in the event of a hurricane, shrinking the city footprint to 0’ elevation also significantly reduces the amount of flooding and water to be pumped out during severe thunderstorms as well.

Secondly by introducing a Hollygrove canal and maintaining the Industrial Canal, the proposal intentionally allows a connection between the newly created wetland area and the Mississipi river. As the lake levee to the north mediates the intrusion of salt water to the wetland zone, this connection ensures a constant flow of fresh water and sediments that freshens the ecosystem and rebuilds the low lying area in a process similar to wetland restoration.

Most importantly, latest data and research suggest that residential capacity in higher ground is able to house the population currently living below sea level (shown as the green dots) based on 1960’s population density6. Despite the scarcity of land on higher ground in New Orleans, many houses and lots above sea level remain blighted, vacant, and underutilized. There thus exists a tremendous opportunity to shift our inhabitation pattern towards a safer, more sustainable, and more environmentally friendly one by moving to higher ground.

After all, as recent as a century ago, approximately 90% of the population resided only on higher ground compared to the current number at 45%.

Essentially, repeated disasters and failed battles against nature have taught us that we have to concede parts of New Orleans back to nature and returned the city to its healthy state in the 19th century (shown in historical map on page 1 dated 1849). And it’s not too late to do so.

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4, Higher Ground Residential Capacity, Center for Bioenvironmental Research, April 2007

Chatper One Thesis Essay Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

H O W C AN W E IM PLEM EN T IT ?

When we speak of implementing grand urban planning proposals, the convention wisdom is to implement them using a top-down approach in multiple phases with clearly set goals and objectives. In the case of this proposal for a place as peculiar as New Orleans, there are essentially two scenarios that we could see the plan get executed.

First possibility is that we wait and put our lives into the hands of the presumed 100-year protection that the improved infrastructure boasts to offer. But when another catastrophic hurricane hits the metropolitan area dead on and causes failures in the Risk Reduction System so fatal that the entire city (other than a few higher grounds) is inundated again, we are left with a situation similar to the one immediately following Hurricane Katrina. Reason had us favor the Concessionist approach after Katrina but the sheer emotional response justified the entire rebuilding efforts prone to future risks. Under this scenario, it will be unlikely that the local, state, and federal governments are still willing to put in the investment and rebuild the city to its original extents. We will be forced to make a concession to nature, without any prior preparation.

The second scenario is more forward looking and proactively engages the local residents from the bottom up through political, economic, and environmental incentives and policies. A new flood insurance rate map, designed only to provide coverage for the high ground areas, can be made effective to discourage building and renovation efforts in the low areas from now. In addition, the government could establish a buyout program with budget funded by FEMA. Similar to the one proposed by Governor Cuomo and currently being debated for New York State, this plan could offer homeowners current market value for their properties, which then are cleared to make way for the wetlands. This additional and economically viable incentive will certainly expedite the voluntary and bottom-up process of relocation to higher ground. To better facilitate, the government should make every effort opening up blighted and vacant properties in higher ground for private and public housing developments.

In the mean time, the soft and widened levee can be constructed over a long period simultaneously. Using the two canals that pierce through the two opposite ends of the Parish, dredging materials from the Lake and the River can be easily transported inward for constructing the super levee soft system.

However, it is important to keep in mind that this is not an ordinary urban planning project.

Proposing to execute the vision through a more democratic / bottom-up approach means that there are no step-by-step plans. The general guidelines proposed in this paper should serve as preliminary knowledge aimed to provoke future developments.

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

1.2 Annotated Bibliography Lewis, Peirce. New Orleans: The Making of an Urban Landscape. Chartlotteville: University of Virginia Press, 2003.

Peirce recounts the evolution of New Orleans from its founding as a European city in the early seventeenth century up to the present time. Based on geology, weather, economics, sociology, , the book takes a clear-eyed look at the Crescent City’s virtues and its failings. Peirce’s account on the dramatic changes that New Orleans has experienced over centuries speaks to the very vulnerability of the city, which forms the foundation of this thesis.

Campanella, Richard. Bienville’s Dilemma. Baton Rogue: University of Louisiana, 2008.

Bienville’s Dilemma presents sixty-eight articles on the historical geography of New Orleans, covering the formation and foundation of the city, its urbanization and population, its humanization into a place of distinction, the manipulation of its environment, its devastation by Hurricane Katrina, and its ongoing recovery. As a professional geographer, Campanella backs his views and opinions with solid numbers and illustrative diagrams. This thesis owes many of its original thoughts to ideas expressed in this compilation, including the ‘Great Footprint Debate,’ the ‘Concessionist,’ and the series of ‘Dilemmas’ of New Orleans.

Mazria, Edward, and Kershner, Kristina. Nation Under Siege: Sea Level Rise at Our Doorstep. The 2030 Research Center, 2010 The U.S. is a coastal nation with over 12,000 miles of coastline. With 53% of all Americans living in and around coastal cities and towns, it is important to understand the impact of climate-induced sea level rise on the nation. This work is a study that investgates in changes in the landscape with a sea level rise of just one meter. With stimulated images of a few dozen US cities, the book speaks to the urgency of this issue.

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Nordenson, Guy, Seavitt, Catherine, and Yarinsky, Adam. On The Waster: Palisade Bay. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 2010.

On the Water: Palisade Bay is the collaborative initiative of a group of engineers, architects, landscape architects, planners and students to imagine a “soft infrastructure” for the New York/New Jersey Upper Bay by developing interconnected infrastructures and landscapes which rethink the thresholds of water, land and city. The proposal is sited on the water, along the coastal edge and within the local communities. It presents a new coastal planning strategy which not only mitigates potential damage from storms but also provides new ground forrecreation, ecologies, agriculture and urban development.With climate change and sea level rise acting as catalysts for this work, a quantitative analysis of dynamic systems serves as the foundation for this new soft infrastructure whichboth enriches the ecology of the urban estuary and creates a vibrant culture on the water. Research from this project is the inspiration for the exhibition Rising Currents: Projects for New York’s Waterfront in March 2010.

Oppenheimer, Michael. Rising Currents: Projects for New York’s Waterfront.

New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 2010 In the fall of 200 , The Museum of Modern $rt and MoM$ P61 selected Àve interdisciplinary teams of architects, engineers and landscape designers to propose solutions to the effects of climate change on New York’s waterfront. The resulting proposals, exhibited at MoMA in 2010 in the exhibition Rising Currents: Projects for New York’s Waterfront, emphasize “soft” infrastructure interventions that would make New York City and its surrounding areas more ecologically sound and more resilient in responding to rising sea levels and storm surges. These innovative projects include the creation of salt- and freshwater wetlands, a Venice-like aqueous landscape, habitable piers and man-made islands, and a protective reef of living oysters. Published to document the exhibition, Rising Currents: Projects for New York’s Waterfront presents these Àve projects in detail through essays that summarize the innovative workshop and exhibition, the dialogues they engendered with outside experts and political Àgures involved in regional planning, and the climate change and urban planning implications of the proposed solutions.

Sweet & Salt | Water and the Dutch Amsterdam: NAi Publishers, 2012 Water management runs in the blood of the Dutch: draining the Netherlands and keeping it dry is a process they started centuries ago and continue to this day. In “Sweet & Salt: Water and the Dutch,” author Tracy Metz and art historian Maartje van den Heuvel demonstrate, in text and images, how the Netherlands negotiates its evolving relationship with water--and what the rest of the world can learn from them as our sea levels rise, our rivers swell and storms and droughts multiply. From New Orleans and Hamburg to Vietnam and China, the world is facing landscapes in drastic metamorphosis. And from the dikes and dams of the past to the new solutions of Dutch design practice for the future, the Netherlands’ history with water offers a much-needed perspective on life in our new waterworld. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15921016-sweet-salt

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

CHAPTER TWO CHALLENGES FACING NEW ORLEANS

2.1 COASTAL EROSION (LOCAL) 2.2 HURRICANES (REGIONAL) 2.1 CLIMATE CHANGE & SEA LEVEL RISE (GLOBAL)

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2.1 COASTAL SUBSIDENCE AND EROSION (LOCAL) Coastal Louisiana wetlands make up the seventh largest delta on Earth, contain about 37 percent of the estuarine herbaceous marshes in the conterminous United States, and support the largest comTLYJPHS Ã&#x201E;ZOLY` PU [OL SV^LY :[H[LZ ;OLZL ^L[SHUKZ HYL PU WLYPS ILJH\ZL 3V\PZPHUH J\YYLU[S` \UKLYNVLZ HIV\[ WLYJLU[ VM [OL [V[HS JVHZ[HS ^L[SHUK SVZZ PU [OL JVU[PULU[HS <UP[LK :[H[LZ +VJ\TLU[PUN HUK \UKLYZ[HUKPUN [OL VJJ\YYLUJL HUK YH[LZ VM ^L[SHUK SVZZ HYL ULJLZZHY` MVY LMMLJ[P]L WSHUUPUN WYV[LJ[PVU HUK YLZ[VYH[PVU HJ[P]P[PLZ ;OL HUHS`ZLZ \ZLZ OPZ[VYPJHS Z\Y]L`Z HLYPHS KH[H HUK ZH[LSSP[L KH[H [V [YHJR SHUKZJHWL JOHUNLZ :\TTHY` KH[H HYL WYLZLU[LK MVY ¶ " [YLUK KH[H HYL WYLZLU[LK MVY ¶ ;OLZL SH[LY KH[H ^LYL JHSJ\SH[LK ZLWHYH[LS` ILJH\ZL VM JVUJLYUZ V]LY [OL JVTWHYHIPSP[` VM [OL HUK KH[HZL[Z ^OPJO HYL IHZLK VU Z\Y]L` HUK HLYPHS KH[H YLZWLJ[P]LS` ^P[O [OL SH[LY KH[HZL[Z ^OPJO HYL HSS IHZLK VU ZH[LSSP[L PTHNLY` ;OLZL HUHS`ZLZ ZOV^ [OH[ JVHZ[HS 3V\PZPHUH OHZ \UKLYNVUL H UL[ JOHUNL PU SHUK HYLH VM HIV\[ ZX\HYL TPSLZ TP MYVT [V ;OPZ UL[ JOHUNL PU SHUK HYLH HTV\U[Z [V H KLJYLHZL VM HIV\[ WLYJLU[ VM [OL SHUK HYLH 7LYZPZ[LU[ SVZZLZ HJJV\U[ MVY WLYJLU[ VM [OPZ SHUK HYLH KLJYLHZL" [OL YLTHPUKLY HYL HYLHZ [OH[ OH]L JVU]LY[LK [V ^H[LY I\[ OH]L UV[ `L[ L_OPIP[LK [OL WLYZPZ[LUJL ULJLZZHY` [V IL JSHZZPÃ&#x201E;LK HZ ¸SVZZ ¹ ;YLUK HUHS`ZLZ MYVT [V ZOV^ H ^L[SHUK SVZZ YH[L VM TP WLY `LHY 0M [OPZ SVZZ ^LYL [V VJJ\Y H[ H JVUZ[HU[ YH[L P[ ^V\SK LX\H[L [V 3V\PZPHUH SVZPUN HU HYLH [OL ZPaL VM VUL MVV[IHSS Ã&#x201E;LSK WLY OV\Y O[[W! W\IZ \ZNZ NV] ZPT

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

2.2 NATURAL DISASTER - HURRICANES (REGIONAL)

Atlantic Hurricane Tracks 1980-2005 Yueqi Li | 16

Chatper Two Challenges Facing New Orleans Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Jazzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; Li | Judith Kinnard

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Storm Surge ( Z[VYT Z\YNL PZ H KVTL VM ^H[LY WYVK\JLK I` [OL WHPYPUN VM SV^ barometric pressure and strong wind shear on the right side of HU HK]HUJPUN SV^ WYLZZ\YL Z`Z[LT /PNO ^PUK ZWLLKZ W\ZO VU the ocean surface and cause the water to rise up higher than the VYKPUHY` ZLH SL]LS (Z H Z[VYT Z\YNL HK]HUJLZ WHZ[ [OL ZOVYL [OL L_[LU[ HUK PT WHJ[ VM P[Z KHTHNL PZ HTWSPÃ&#x201E;LK PM P[ JVPUJPKLZ ^P[O [OL S\UHY OPNO [PKL .LVNYHWOPJHSS` [OL 5L^ @VYR *P[` YLNPVU PZ OPNOS` Z\ZJLW[PISL [V Z[VYT Z\YNL ;OL YPNO[ HUNSL ILUK IL[^LLU [OL 5L^ 1LYZL` HUK 3VUN 0ZSHUK JVHZ[Z M\UULSZ Z\YNL ^H[LYZ [V^HYKZ P[Z HWL_ [OL 5@¶51 <WWLY )H` (KKP[PVUHSS` Z\YNL ^H[LYZ WPSL \W H[ [OL ^LZ[LYU LUK VM [OL 3VUN 0ZSHUK :V\UK The National Hurricane Center forecasts storm surge using the :36:/ :LH 3HRL HUK 6]LYSHUK :\YNLZ MYVT /\YYPJHULZ TVKLS SLOSH-es- timated surge levels have been computed using the LMMLJ[Z VM H O\Y YPJHUL Z\YNL MVY H ^VYZ[ JHZL ZJLUHYPV *H[LNVY` O\YYPJHUL ^P[O ^PUK ZWLLKZ VM ¶ TPSLZ OV\Y VU [OL :HMÃ&#x201E;Y :PTWZVU ZJHSL )HZLK VU [OLZL JHSJ\SH[PVUZ TH_PT\T Z\YNL SL]LSZ JV\SK YLHJO MLL[ TL[LYZ HIV]L [OL 5H[PVUHS .LVKL[PJ =LY[PJHS +H[\T H[ 1-2 (PYWVY[ MLL[ TL[LYZ H[ [OL 3PUJVSU ;\UULS LU[YHUJL HUK MLL[ TL[LYZ H[ [OL )H[[LY`

17 | Yueqi Li

Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Jazzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; Li | Judith Kinnard

Frequency >P[OPU [OL SHZ[ `LHYZ Z[VYT MYLX\LUJPLZ HSVUN [OL ,HZ[LYU :LH IVHYK WLHRLK PU [OL SH[L Z KLJYLHZLK PU [OL Z HUK [OLU YVZL HNHPU PU [OL LHYS` Z ;^LU[PL[O JLU[\Y` [PKL NH\NL YLJVYKZ MYVT ([SHU[PJ *P[` 5L^ 1LYZL` HUK *OHYSLZ[VU :V\[O *HYVSPUH ZOV^ UV Z[H[PZ[PJHSS` ZPNUPÃ&#x201E;JHU[ trends in either the number or duration of storm surge events after accountPUN MVY [PKHS MHJ[VYZ HUK SVUN [LYT ZLH SL]LS YPZL ;OL HWWHYLU[ PUJYLHZL PU Ã&#x2026;VVKPUN PZ H JVUZLX\LUJL VM [OL YLNPVUHS ZLH SL]LS YPZL ILHJO LYVZPVU HUK JVHZ[HS KL]LSVWTLU[ K\YPUN [OPZ WLYPVK

Parallel Protection /\YYPJHUL YPZR YLK\J[PVU ^VYRZ Z\JO HZ Ã&#x2026;VVK^HSSZ HSVUN H JHUHS HZ VWWVZLK [V Z[Y\J[\YLZ H[ [OL JHUHS»Z V\[SL[ 7HYHSSLS WYV[LJ[PVU PZ \ZLK PU 5L^ 6YSLHUZ HSVUN [OYLL KYHPUHNL JHUHSZ SLHKPUN [V 3HRL 7VU[JOHY[YHPU 7\YWVZL! 9LK\JL YPZR MYVT O\YYPJHUL Z[VYT Z\YNL <UKLY JVUZ[Y\J[PVU! :LL UL_[ [^V P[LTZ ILSV^ *VTWSL[LK! -SVVK^HSSZ HSVUN 3VUKVU (]LU\L [O :[YLL[ HUK 6YSLHUZ (]LU\L JHUHSZ

100-year Level of Protection 6UL O\UKYLK `LHY SL]LS VM WYV[LJ[PVU HJ[\HSS` TLHUZ YLK\JPUN YPZR MYVT H Z[VYT Z\YNL [OH[ OHZ H JOHUJL VM ILPUN LX\HSLK VY L_JLLKLK PU HU` NP]LU `LHY ;OL JOHUJL PZ IHZLK VU [OL JVTIPULK JOHUJLZ VM H Z[VYT VM H JLY[HPU ZPaL HUK PU[LUZP[` WYLZZ\YL MVSSV^PUN H JLY[HPU [YHJR +PMMLYLU[ JVTIPUH[PVUZ VM ZPaL PU[LUZP[` HUK [YHJR JHU YLZ\S[ PU H `LHY Z\YNL L]LU[ The elevation or height of the structures being designed and built considLYLK H U\TILY VM V[OLY MHJ[VYZ ILZPKLZ [OL Z\YNL HUK ^H]L SL]LSZ -VY L_HTWSL L_WLJ[LK ZLH SL]LS YPZL ZL[[SLTLU[ HUK Z\IZPKLUJL VM Z[Y\J[\YLZ HUK WVZZPISL PUJYLHZLZ PU Z[VYT ZL]LYP[` VY MYLX\LUJPLZ ^LYL HSS MHJ[VYLK PU [V [OL Ã&#x201E;UHS KLZPNU VM [OL Z[Y\J[\YLZ

Yueqi Li | 18

Chatper Two Challenges Facing New Orleans Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Jazzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; Li | Judith Kinnard

Hurricane Ivan (2004)

before

after

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Hurricane Katrina (2005)

- Katrina (2005)

before

after

0U SH[L (\N\Z[ /\YYPJHUL 2H[YPUH SLM[ T\JO VM 5L^ 6YSLHUZ PU\UKH[LK ^P[O Ã&#x2026;VVK ^H[LY 5L^ 6YSLHUZ ZP[Z IL[^LLU 3HRL 7VU[JOHY[YHPU HUK [OL 4PZZPZZPWWP 9P]LY ;OL JP[` HWWLHYZ H WPURPZO ZOHKL PU [OL (WYPS PTHNL 0U [OL WVZ[ 2H[YPUH PTHNL HJX\PYLK VU (\N [OL Ã&#x2026;VVKLK WVY[PVUZ VM [OL JP[` HWWLHY H KHYR IS\L JVSVY ;OL PTHNLZ MLH[\YLK OLYL \ZL [OL ,;4 IHUKZ HUK http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/archive/e0004.html

19 | Yueqi Li

Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Jazzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; Li | Judith Kinnard

Hurricane Gustav (2008)

before

after

Hurricane Gustav made landfall in coastal Louisiana on September 1, 2008, as a very strong category 2 (almost category 3) hurricane and left its mark on wetlands and barrier islands. After Hurricane Gustav made landfall Landsat data provided picture-proof that wetlands and barrier islands RII WKH /RXLVLDQD FRDVW VRXWKZHVW RI 1HZ 2UOHDQV ZHUH ORVW IURP KXUULFDQH UHODWHG ĂąRRGLQJ In the top two images vegetated areas look green, low vegetation areas look pink to white, and water bodies blue to dark blue. The bottom image was created by overlaying and comparing NDVI images of the Louisiana coast from before and after Hurricane Gustav. NDVI is an index of vegetation cover. White in the bottom image represents vegetation and red shows areas denuded

by Hurricane Gustav. http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=42091

Hurricane Issac (2012)

before

after

Hurricane Isaac was a slow-moving tropical cyclone that caused severe damage in the Caribbean and along the northern Gulf Coast of the United States in late-August 2012. The ninth tropical cyclone, ninth named storm, and fourth hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, Isaac developed from a tropical wave located east of the Lesser Antilles on August 21, strengthening into a tropical storm later that day. Isaac passed over Hispaniola and Cuba as a strong tropical storm, killing at least 29 people in Hispaniola, before it entered the Gulf of Mexico. http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=42091

Yueqi Li | 20

Chatper Two Challenges Facing New Orleans Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Jazzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; Li | Judith Kinnard

2.3 CLIMATE CHANGE & SEA LEVEL RISE (GLOBAL)

Core samples, tide gauge readings, and, most recently, satellite measurements tell us that over the past century, the Global Mean Sea Level (GMSL) has risen by 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters). However, the annual rate of rise over the past 20 years has been 0.13 inches (3.2 millimeters) a year, roughly twice the average speed of the preceding 80 years.

Over the past century, the burning of fossil fuels and other human and natural activities has released enormous amounts of heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. These emissions have caused the Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surface temperature to rise, and the oceans absorb about 80 percent of this additional heat.

The rise in sea levels is linked to three primary factors, all induced by this ongoing global climate change: Thermal expansion: When water heats up, it expands. About half of the past centuryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rise in sea level is attributable to warmer oceans simply occupying more space.

Melting of glaciers and polar ice caps: Large ice formations, like glaciers and the polar ice caps, naturally melt back a bit each summer.

But in the winter, snows, made primarily from evaporated seawater, DUH JHQHUDOO\ VXIĂ°FLHQW WR EDODQFH RXW WKH PHOWLQJ 5HFHQWO\ WKRXJK persistently higher temperatures caused by global warming have led to greater-than-average summer melting as well as diminished snowfall due to later winters and earlier springs. This imbalance results in a VLJQLĂ°FDQW QHW JDLQ LQ UXQRII YHUVXV HYDSRUDWLRQ IRU WKH RFHDQ FDXVLQJ sea levels to rise.

Ice loss from Greenland and West Antarctica: As with glaciers and the ice caps, increased heat is causing the massive ice sheets that cover Greenland and Antarctica to melt at an accelerated pace. Scientists also believe meltwater from above and seawater from below is seeping beneath Greenlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and West Antarcticaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ice sheets, effectively lubricating ice streams and causing them to move more quickly into the sea. Moreover, higher sea temperatures are causing the massive ice shelves that extend out from Antarctica to melt from below, weaken, and break off.

21 | Yueqi Li

Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Jazzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; Li | Judith Kinnard

When sea levels rise rapidly, as they have been doing, even a small increase can have devastating effects on coastal habitats. As seaZDWHU UHDFKHV IDUWKHU LQODQG LW FDQ FDXVH GHVWUXFWLYH HURVLRQ ĂąRRGing of wetlands, contamination of aquifers and agricultural soils, and ORVW KDELWDW IRU Ă°VK ELUGV DQG SODQWV When large storms hit land, higher sea levels mean bigger, more powerful storm surges that can strip away everything in their path.

In addition, hundreds of millions of people live in areas that will EHFRPH LQFUHDVLQJO\ YXOQHUDEOH WR ĂąRRGLQJ +LJKHU VHD OHYHOV ZRXOG force them to abandon their homes and relocate. Low-lying islands could be submerged completely.

Most predictions say the warming of the planet will continue and likely will accelerate. Oceans will likely continue to rise as well, but predicting the amount is an inexact science. A recent study says we can expect the oceans to rise between 2.5 and 6.5 feet (0.8 and 2 meters) by 2100, enough to swamp many of the cities along the U.S. East Coast. More dire estimates, including a complete meltdown of the Greenland ice sheet, push sea level rise to 23 feet (7 meters), enough to submerge London and Los Angeles.

0 ft

Yueqi Li | 22

5 ft

12 ft

25 ft

Chatper Three History And Context Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

CHAPTER THREE /0:;69@ (5+ *65;,?; 3.1

ORIGINS OF NEW ORLEANS

3.2

THE GREAT FOOTPRINT DEBATE

3.3

THE RISK REDUCTION SYSTEM

23 | Yueqi Li

Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

3.1 ORIGINS OF NEW ORLEANS Geological Foundations The land on which New Orleans is built has origins starting about 5,000 years ago. As sea level was rising after the last glacial maximum, a series of barrier islands was built outward from the coast of Mississippi across what is now the southeastern edge of Lake Ponchartrain (Figure 2). These islands, called the Pine Islands were composed mainly of sand whose source was the Pearl River along the current Mississippi – Louisiana border. At the time the Mississippi River was building its delta out toward the southeast of New Orleans as the Maringouin and Teche lobes of the delta complex (Figure 3). Beginning about 4,300 years ago the Mississippi River began to build the St. Bernard Delta lobe out toward the east. This lobe eventually intersected the Pine Island Barrier Island complex, eventually burying the sands, cutting off the drainage from the north to form Lake Pontchartrain, and building the land on which New Orleans would later be built. The streams forming the delta lobes normally break up into distributary streams due to the fact that they are continually depositing sediment which chokes off some channels requiring the formation of other channels. The distribu[HY` JOHUULSZ VM[LU ÅVVK HUK K\YPUN ÅVVK Z[HNL [OL` deposit sediment on their banks which eventually builds natural levees along the banks. The natural levees from areas of higher elevation on the delta plain, with the low lying areas in between forming marshes or swamps [OH[ HJJ\T\SH[L ÄUL NYHPULK VYNHUPJ YPJO ZLKPTLU[ (organic clays) as illustrated in Figure 4. During the building of the St. Bernard Delta lobe, several such distributary channels crossed through what would later become New Orleans, and the natural levees for these distributaries are now seen as ridges of slightly higher elevation, now known as the Metairie, Gentilly, and Esplanade Ridges.

Source: Nelson, Stephen, Katrina Field Trip, Tulane Unviersity, 2006

Yueqi Li | 24

Chatper One Thesis Essay Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

3.2 THE GREAT FOOTPRINT DEBATE Many scholars and organizations, known as the ‘Concessionists,’ have long adamantly warned against occupying in the low-lying areas of New Orleans. Following Katrina, they had sought to prevent any rebuilding efforts in these areas and advocated instead for giving them back to the nature . In 2006, The Green Dot Map released by the Urban Land Institute is one such effort. With six generic green JPYJSLZ [OL THW PKLU[PÄLK ZP_ ºHWWYV_PTH[L HYLHZ L_WLJ[LK to become parks and green space’ and clearly privileged the higher ground neighborhoods. However, calling for a ‘reworking of the city’s neighborhoods and housing pat[LYUZ » [OL THW PUÅPJ[LK L_[YLTL IHJRSHZO HUK JYP[PJPZT from the local residents . The cultural vitality and richness of the neighborhoods were something that the local residents felt extremely attached to and insisted in saving. Neighborhoods in this city are known as wards and they are labels that residents from each ward are characterized with and proud to wear. Selectively eliminating certain neighborOVVKZ [V JYLH[L NYLLU ZWHJL HUK ILULÄ[ [OL Z\YYV\UKPUN wards is one bad thing, but ignoring the soft and complex neighborhood boundaries and representing with simple geometric shapes is another, and arguably more insulting to the residents. Six blatantly generic circles are possibly the worse way one can come up to represent such a contentious plan of concession. The plan failed to garner enough momentum to be even considered an option on the table and soon after, Mayor Nagin vowed to allow citizens to rebuilding New Orleans to its original footprint, announcing the winning of the ‘Maintainers’ camp.

In 2007, Morphosis, a forward looking and innovative archi[LJ[\YL HUK \YIHUPZT VMÄJL OLHKLK I` YLUV^ULK [OPURLY and architect Thom Mayne, developed a master plan proposal for New Orleans in tandem with their Float House for Make It Right. The proposal also calls for the concession of low-lying high-risk areas that are not sustainable to be inhabited. Instead of the six generic circles, Morphosis’s plan took into account of the complex behavior of collective forces and envisioned an expanded lake shore and a series of green space in the interior of the city.

25 | Yueqi Li

3.3 THE RISK REDUCTION SYSTEM Flood Wall & Levees ( Ã&#x2026;VVK ^HSS VY Ã&#x2026;VVK^HSS PZ H WYPTHYPS` ]LY[PJHS HY[PÃ&#x201E;JPHS IHYYPLY KLZPNULK [V temporarily contain the waters of a river or other waterway which may rise to unusual levels during seasonal or extreme weather events. Flood walls are mainly used on locations where space is scarce, such as cities or where building levees or dikes (dykes) would interfere with other interests, such as existing buildings, historical architecture or commercial use of embankments.

Levees are earthen structures, made of clay (sedimentary particles smaller in diameter than sand and silt), in cross section forming a truncated triangle. The base is commonly 10 times as wide as the height. Floodwalls are concrete and steel walls, built atop a levee, or in place of a levee, often where space is PUZ\MÃ&#x201E;JPLU[ MVY H SL]LL»Z IYVHK IHZL

Figure 19. Most pre-Katrina floodwalls in New Orleans were built with the I-wall design (right). In repairing failed floodwall sections after Katrina, the T-wall design (left) was used.

PUMPING STATIONS 7\TWPUN WSH`Z H JYP[PJHS YVSL PU WYL]LU[PUN Ã&#x2026;VVKPUN MYVT HU` ZPNUPÃ&#x201E;JHU[ YHPUMHSS L]LU[ (JJVYKPUN [V [OL 07,; 9LWVY[ W\TWPUN Z[H[PVUZ ^LYL MVY [OL TVZ[ WHY[ UV[ VWLYH[PUN K\YPUN 2H[YPUH K\L [V WYPVY L]HJ\H[PVU VM VWLYH[VYZ SVZZ VM WV^LY VY SVZZ VM JSLHU JVVSPUN ^H[LY MVY [OL W\TWZ ;OL W\TW Z[H[PVUZ PU 5L^ 6YSLHUZ ^LYL UV[ KLZPNULK [V VWLYH[L K\YPUN THQVY Z[VYTZ /HK [OL W\TWZ ILLU HISL [V VWLYH[L [OL L_[LU[ VM Ã&#x2026;VVKPUN TH` UV[ OH]L ILLU PTWHJ[LK NYLH[S` I\[ [OL K\YH[PVU VM Ã&#x2026;VVKPUN JV\SK OH]L ILLU ZPNUPÃ&#x201E;JHU[S` YLK\JLK >OPSL TVZ[ W\TW Z[H[PVUZ PU [OL HYLH HYL VWLYH[LK I` WHYPZO NV]LYUTLU[Z WVZ[ 2H[YPUH MLKLYHS SLNPZSH[PVU YLX\PYLZ [OL *VYWZ UV[ VUS` [V YLWHPY [OL Z[H[PVUZ KHTHNLK I` 2H[YPUH I\[ HSZV [V LUZ\YL [OH[ [OL` HYL V\[Ã&#x201E;[[LK [V YLTHPU VWLYHISL K\YPUN HUK HM[LY M\[\YL Z[VYT L]LU[Z 9LWHPYLK JVTWVULU[Z PUJS\KL Ã&#x2026;VVYPUN HUK Z\I Ã&#x2026;VVYPUN ZPKPUN YVVÃ&#x201E;UN [YPT ^H[LY OLH[LYZ MLUJLZ HUK NH[LZ ^PUKV^Z LSLJ[YPJHS ^PYPUN SPNO[ Ã&#x201E;_[\YLZ WS\TIPUN JLPSPUNZ ZPKL^HSRZ HUK YVHK^H`Z :[VYTWYVVÃ&#x201E;UN PUJS\KLZ PTWYV]LTLU[Z Z\JO HZ LX\PWWPUN W\TW Z[H[PVUZ ^P[O IHJR\W WV^LY Z\JO HZ NLULYH[VYZ and fuel sources as well as raising critical electronic equipment to a height Z\MÃ&#x201E;JPLU[ [V H]VPK Z\ITLYZPVU

http://www.mmrgrp.com/index.php/portfolio_1/city-of-new-orleans-17th-streetcanal-pumps-la/ http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-08/saving-new-orleans-worlds-largest-water-pump

Chatper One Thesis Essay Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

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PRONE TO STRUCTURAL FAILURE

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27 | Yueqi Li

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Chatper Four Precedents and Proposals Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

CHAPTER FOUR PRECEDENTS AND PROPOSALS LANDSCAPE PROGRAM RELATION WITH WATER INFRASTRUCTURE ECOLOGY

29 | Yueqi Li

Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

Landscape Agua Alta aspires to not only transform the Francisco de Miranda military air base into a world-class civic amenity, but also looks to create a new hybrid hydrological and ecological infrastructure that supports the entire city of Caracas. Aeropuerto La Carlota sits at a strategic location within the metropolitan region.

Its position between Roberto Burle Marx’s renowned Parque del Este to the north and the unpredictable, polluted sewer that is the Rio Guaire to the south suggests solely building a JVU]LU[PVUHS NYLLU WHYR PZ UV[ HU LMÄJPLU[ \ZL VM the airport’s 103 hectares. Instead, we choose to see the conversion of the airport as a catalyst for a larger transformation of the entirety of the Rio Guaire corridor within the city’s limits.

Caracas Airport Park port A+U

Fresh Kills Park Master Plan James Corner Field Operations

http://archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=5010 http://landscapeandurbanism.blogspot.com/2008/11/cornering-market.html

Yueqi Li | 30

The masterplan to transform what was formerly [OL ^VYSK»Z SHYNLZ[ SHUKÄSS PU[V H WYVK\J[P]L HUK beautiful cultural destination features a wide range of recreational activities and educational programs which address public concern for human impact on earth. :P[\H[LK VU [OL ZP[L VM H MVYTLY SHUKÄSS SVJH[LK on Staten island the 2,200 acre Freshkills Park will be almost three times the size of Cen- tral Park. Its development in itself is evidence of shifting public at- titudes which seek to reconcile dense urban development and vast, park landscapes.

While the park will continue to be constructed for another 30 years, development over the next several years will focus on providing public access to the interior of the site and showcasing its unusual combination of natural and engineered landscapes. The topography covers SHUKZ VUJL \ZLK MVY SHUKÄSS VWLYH[PVUZ HZ ^LSS as coastal wet- lands, open waterways, and \UÄSSLK SV^SHUK HYLHZ

Chatper Four Precedents and Proposals Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

Program

New Orleans is a major cultural incubator that has contributed deeply to the musical, culinary and literary landscape of the United States. It is extremely fragile in ecological terms and recent disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the oil well failure in the Gulf have revealed a city in need of better strategies to cope with these events.

SEED by Perkins+Will schematic

A slab tower places all 160 units next to the levee, moving the bulk away from lowrise Bywater, and offering every unit a river view—a rarity in New Orleans.

High Density on High Ground Eightinc

Each unit can be unique because prefabrication would lower the costs of customization.

-HIYPJH[LK VMM ZP[L [OL \UP[Z Ä[ ^P[OPU [OL 12-story framework. The variety accounts for the “sawtooth” nature of the north elevation, which faces the neighborhood. Some units are left out to bring breezes and views of the sky through the long slab structure.

According to Eight, Inc., the scheme’s diverZP[` HUK HKKP[P]L X\HSP[` YLÅLJ[Z [OL ]HYPL[` found in the nearby streets, while the tough simplicity of its expression “draws inspiration from its riverfront site, with its tough physical LSLTLU[Z! ÅVVK ^HSSZ [YHPU [YHJRZ HUK YLTnants of the old wharf structures.”

http://www.emergencyresponsestudio.org/project.html

31 | Yueqi Li

Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

Relation With Water

This project intersects a vernacular house [`WVSVN` ^P[O [OL ZP[L ZWLJPÄJ JVUKP[PVUZ VM this unique place: an island on Lake Huron.

The location on the Great Lakes imposed complexities to the house’s fabrication and construction, as well as its relationship to site. Annual cyclical change related to the change of seasons, compounded with escalating global environmental trends, cause Lake Huron’s water levels to vary drastically from month-to-month, year-toyear. To adapt to this constant, dynamic JOHUNL [OL OV\ZL ÅVH[Z H[VW H Z[Y\J[\YL VM Z[LLS WVU[VVUZ HSSV^PUN P[ [V Å\J[\H[L along with the lake.

Floating House MOS

Sphinx Housing in Holland Riedjik Architects

Yueqi Li | 32

The competion brief stated that the operahouse should be of high architectural quality and should be monumental in it’s expression. One idea stood out as a legitimation of this monumentality: The concept of togetherness, joint ownership, easy and open access for all. To achieve a monumentality based on these notions we wished to make the opera accessible in the widest possible sense, by laying out a ‘carpet’ of horizontal and sloping surfaces on top of the building. This carpet has been given an articulated form, related to the cityscape. Monumentality is achieved through horizontal extension and not verticality.

The conceptual basis of the competition, HUK [OL ÄUHS I\PSKPUN PZ H JVTIPUH[PVU VM these three elements – The wave wall, the factory and the carpet.

Chatper Four Precedents and Proposals Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

Relations With Water This project intersects a vernacular OV\ZL [`WVSVN` ^P[O [OL ZP[L ZWLJPÄJ conditions of this unique place: an island on Lake Huron. The location on the Great Lakes imposed complexities to the house’s fabrication and construction, as well as its relationship to site. Annual cyclical change related to the change of seasons, compounded with escalating global environmental trends, cause Lake Huron’s water levels to vary drastically from month-to-month, year-to-year. To adapt to this constant, dynamic change, [OL OV\ZL ÅVH[Z H[VW H Z[Y\J[\YL VM Z[LLS WVU[VVUZ HSSV^PUN P[ [V Å\J[\H[L HSVUN with the lake.

House With a Ring Levee

Pass underneath relationship to water Slope into

Oslo Opera House Snohetta

The competion brief stated that the operahouse should be of high architectural quality and should be monumental in it’s expression. One idea stood out as a legitimation of this monumentality: The concept of togetherness, joint ownership, easy and open access for all. To achieve a monumentality based on these notions we wished to make the opera accessible in the widest possible sense, by laying out a ‘carpet’ of horizontal and sloping surfaces on top of the building.

This carpet has been given an articulated form, related to the cityscape. Monumentality is achieved through horizontal extension and not verticality.

The conceptual basis of the competition, HUK [OL ÄUHS I\PSKPUN PZ H JVTIPUH[PVU of these three elements – The wave wall, the factory and the carpet.

33 | Yueqi Li

Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

Infrastructural (hard) At the start of the 21st century Pumping Station 6, or the Metairie Pumping Station, astride the canal had 15 pumps capable of moving over six billion gallons of water a day through the station. Run off from substantial areas of Uptown New Orleans, Metairie, and surrounding neighborhoods drains into the canals and basins on the River side of the pumping station, which pulls the water up into the portion of the 17th :[YLL[ *HUHS ÅV^PUN PU [V 3HRL 7VUtchartrain.

17th Canal Pumping Station

The Maeslantkering is a storm surge barrier on the imaginary dividing line between the Nieuwe Waterweg waterway located at Hoek van Holland and the river the Scheur located along the cities of Maassluis and Vlaardingen up to the JVUÅ\LUJL VM [OL YP]LYZ 6\KL 4HHZ and Nieuwe Maas, Netherlands, which automatically closes when needed. It is part of the Delta Works and it is one of largest moving structures on Earth rivalling the Green Bank Telescope in the USA and the Bagger 288 excavator in Germany.

Maeslantkering Barrier, the Netherlands

Yueqi Li | 34

hat er our recedents and ro osals Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

Infrastructure (soft) The redesign of Manhattan’s southern JVHZ[SPUL PZ IHZLK \WVU Ä]L KPZ[PUJ[ \YIHU conditions which presently exist along the ^H[LY»Z LKNL ;OLZL PUMVYT ZWLJPÄJ KLZPNU strategies that preserve the existing urban fabric while raising the effective height of the land around the perimeter, blocking the entry of water from rising sea level. Several of these strategies include wide landscape areas that mitigate the force of storm surge waves, diminishing potential damage to the city. As with the barrier islands, tubular geotextile containers are the principal means of construction. The resultant edges increase public access to the harbor and strengthen the existing greenway around Manhattan.

Barrier Islands and Breakwater Towers Palisade Bay Project

This project creates a novel urban paradigm: a city that can control and absorb rising sea level even as it accommodates an expected spike in population growth over the next century. It blurs the boundaries between land and sea, extending the city into the water.

Habitable wave-attenuating piers (supporting housing, public leasure areas, and protected wetlands) provide docking points for a network of biogas ferries.At the same time, the water is extended into the city, which is W\UJ[\YLK I` H ZLYPLZ VM PUÄS[YH[PVU IHZPUZ and function as parks in dry weather.

New Aqueous City nARCHITECTS

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

Ecology

Barrier Islands Proposed for Manhattan

The shape and arrangement of islands are optimized to decrease the velocity of currents and waves associated with storm surges, while respecting navigation lanes.

Linear islands, which are conducive to being made from stacked tubular geotextile fabric containers, are practical to conZ[Y\J[ HUK THRL LMÄJPLU[ \ZL VM TH[LYPHS The ultimate extent of the island formation is limited by the available quantity of dredge spoils. However, the proposal depicted uses much less than the available material, so ca- pacity is not presently a decisive parameter.

In addition to addressing these criteria, the JVUÄN\YH[PVU VM PZSHUKZ TLKPH[LZ IL[^LLU the scale of the existing urban grid and the bathymetry of the harbor. This creates a gradient between the city and the water.

The layout of the islands extends the city pattern southward from the tip of Manhattan, to mitigate a storm surge entering the harbor from the southwest through the Verrazano Narrows.

The phrase “Gowanus oyster” might sound as appetizing as “Chernobyl meatball,” but landscape architect Kate Orff imagines it might eventually become a badge of quality and also a crucial 21st-century building technology. These useful bivalves scrub pollutants from water, and Orff would like to sic them on the Gowanus Canal by lining the fetid rivulet with charming little oyster farms.

It would take decades to make the mollusks safe for consumption, but in the meantime farmed oysters could seed the reef in the shallows off Red Hook, purifying the harbor, softening waves, and eventually preparing the way for the return of oyster carts on the streets of lower Manhattan.

Oyster-Tecture Scape Source: On The Water | Palisade Bay, 156

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hat er i e Design lorations Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

CHAPTER FIVE DESIGN EXPLORATIONS 5.1 INTEGRATED HIGHWAY AND LANDSCAPE 5.2 SECTIONAL VARIATION AND PROTOTYPES 5.3 INTEGRATED HOUSING 5.4 BATTURE BUILDING

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Jazzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; Li | Judith Kinnard

5.1 Integrated Highway and Landscape This scheme includes the elevated Claiborne Expressway as a point of departure and proposes an infrastructural intervention that integrates the new soft levee system with the highway.

Buildings are carefully placed in various sections of this topographic plain. Different elements interweave each other to create a rich spatial sequence and sectional variations.

Master Plan Showing the Levees and the Integrated I-10

Sketch by Author Showing the Claiborne Expressway Integrated with A Proposed Levee

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hat er i e Design lorations Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Jazzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; Li | Judith Kinnard

Circulation Diagram

Sketch by Author Showing the Integrated Highway and Landscape Scheme

Topographic Diagram

Programmatic Diagram

Physical Model Showing the Integrated Levee Earthwork, Highway, and Buildings

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Jazzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; Li | Judith Kinnard

5.2 Sectional Variation and Prototypes

This scheme studies a series of levee landforms, sectional qualities, and massing prototypes. Buildings of various scales are tested against the expanded earthen levee to form piers, towers, bridges, etc. The levee land form is also sculpted in various ways to facilitate public programs such as an auditorium and urban farm. When combined, these prototypes offer a wide range of possibilities that this new infrastructure could introduce, in addition to protecting the city with a shrunk footprint.

Study Models Showing Sectional Massing Explorations barrier island new highway existing highway ridge lines system boundary spillover process (land building) exchange process (ground water recharge) buildings on high ground levee hollygrove canal (fresh water and sediments deposit)

salt marshes

freshwater marshes

Ho ll yg

ro ve

Ca n

al

brackish marshes

Master Showing the Widened Levee and the Proposed Wetlands

Site Plan Showing the Extension of City Streets into Levee Buildings

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hat er i e Design lorations Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi y q ‘Jazzy‘ y Li | Judith Kinnard

Sectional Varioins and Prototypes

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Jazzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; Li | Judith Kinnard

5.3 Integrated Housing This scheme proposes a cluster of housing units that occupy the city side of the levee.

Using the vernacular housing type, the scheme invents a reinterpreted housing unit designed to work in the hot and humid environment. The integration with the levee slope also allows for concealed parking next to each unit and better utility arrangements.

Housing Units Cluster Plan

Street View

Site Plan Showing the New Claiborne without the Elevated Highway, Levee Landform, and Housing Units on top

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hat er i e Design lorations Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

OLQHDU SURJUHVVLRQ RI VSDFH KLJK HIÀFLHQF\ cross ventilation elevated above damp ground Vernacular Housing Type

Exterior

linear progression oI space KigK eIÀcienc\ cross ventilation boosted b\ air currents elevated above damp ground thermal mass for slow heat transfer Reinterpreted Type for Levee Integration

Interior

overbuild impermeable layer foundation sand foundation clay foundation pilings geotextile layer compacted clay utility pipes toe drain

Exterior

Interior

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

5.4 Batture Building

This scheme conceives of a building of public nature to occupy the wetland side of the levee. This ‘dangerous‘ side is known as the ‘Batture‘ in Louisiana. By proposing a aquacultural center and market, the scheme explores the relationship between city and wetland, between interior and exterior, and between permanent and temporal. The building operates in a unique modus operandi that illustrates the idea of a synthetic infrastructure.

kitchen RESTAURANT 3000

LIBRARY 1800

Sketch by Author

dining training storage

main collection digital area

OPEN MARKET 4000

main exhibition EXHIBIT SPACE 2000

exterior exhibition

VIEW PLATFORM 500 roof deck OUTDOOR SPACE 3000

pier decks boardwalk

LAB / CLASSROOM 2 @ 1000

ADMINISTRATIVE 1200 LECTURE HALL 1500

SUPPORT PROGRAM Receiving Area 900 Public Restrooms 400 Storage 900 Trash Area 300

roof utility layer activity decks overbuild impermeable layer foundation sand foundation clay foundation pilings geotextile layer compacted clay

Sectional Perspective Showing the Elevated Building on the Batture

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lab 1 lab 2 storage director’s suite staff office staff hang out

hat er i e Design lorations Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

Physical Model

View of the Building From the Boardwalks in the Wetland

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

CHAPTER SIX DESIGN PROPOSAL 6.1 NEW ORLEANS ECOLOGICAL MASTER PLAN 6.2 TREME AQUACULTURAL CENTER AND MARKET

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hat er Si Design ro osal Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

6.1 New Orleans Ecological Master Plan

Drawing lessons from the previous proposals, this plan of concession seeks to convert the low lying high risk areas to wetlands that cultivate an entire ecosystem that adds to the living quality and economy of the city of New Orleans. This plan does not draw straight cut-off lines that necessitate hard regulatory infrastructure and selectively discriminate certain neighborhoods. Instead, it creates one boundary between land and water based on the 0’ elevation corridor, which roughly corresponds to the Claiborne route. This boundary is to be developed into a thickened zone of a continuous widened and earthen levee, using materials from river and lake dredging activities. This levee system of enormous dimension is not only capable of preventing typical levee failures, but also becomes an ideal real estate on which landscape, natural habitat, and architecture can be designed to coexist in synergy. Not only will this wetland serve as an effective barrier attenuating surges from the Lake in the event of a hurricane, shrinking the city MVV[WYPU[ [V » LSL]H[PVU HSZV ZPNUPÄJHU[S` YLK\JLZ [OL HTV\U[ VM ÅVVKPUN HUK ^H[LY [V IL W\TWLK V\[ K\YPUN ZL]LYL [O\Uderstorms as well.

Existing Hard-lined Levee and Flood Walls

Proposed Soft Edge and Elevation

Dredging Operation Diagram Through the Two Canals

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

By introducing a Hollygrove canal and maintaining the Industrial Canal, the proposal intentionally allows a connection between the newly created wetland area and the Mississippi river. As the lake levee to the north mediates the intrusion of salt water to the wetland zone, this JVUULJ[PVU LUZ\YLZ H JVUZ[HU[ ÅV^ VM MYLZO ^H[LY HUK ZLKPTLU[Z [OH[ freshens the ecosystem and rebuilds the low lying area in a process similar to wetland restoration.

Most importantly, latest data and research suggest that residential capacity in higher ground is able to house the population currently living below sea level (shown as the green dots) based on 1960’s population density . Despite the scarcity of land on higher ground in New Orleans, many houses and lots above sea level remain blighted, vacant, and undeveloped. There thus exists a tremendous opportunity to shift our inhabitation pattern towards a safer, more sustainable, and more environmentally friendly one. After all, as recent as a century ago, approximately 90% of the population resided only on higher ground compared to the current number at 45%. Essentially, repeated disasters and failed battles against nature have taught us that we have to concede parts of New Orleans back to nature and returned the city to its healthy state in the 19th century (shown in historical map on page 1 dated 1849).

Transportation Diagram

Vacant Land and Underutilized Properties

Population Diagram

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hat er Si Design ro osal Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

Past, Present, and Proposed Sections

Proposed Masterplan

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

Existing Footprint

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hat er Si Design ro osal Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

Conceded Footprint with the Soft Levee System

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

Existing Footprint

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hat er Si Design ro osal Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

Conceded Footprint with the Soft Levee System

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

6.2 Treme Aquaculture Center and Market

Esplanade Avenue

The architectural portion envisions this edge, made out of a continuous landscape of earthen levee structures, to be also integrated with built programs and ecological processes. At the junction between Esplanade and the levee axis, a Treme Aquaculture Center and Market is proposed as one of the typological buildings occupying the ‘batture’ side of the levee. Extending the urban fabric on the levee in a reduced footprint, this center operates with an unprecedented mode of existence where farms, markets, conditioned spaces, municipal protection, and urban qualities all become an ecological whole.

Claiborne Avenue

Site Plan Showing the Proposed Building Extending Esplanade Avenue into the Wetlands

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hat er Si Design ro osal Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

View of the Entry Pathway

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

View of the Building from the Wetlands. The Levee and the City Skyline Lie in the Distance.

OVERBUILD UTILITY PIPES COMPACTED C COMPACTED S GEOTEXTILE L FOUNDATION C FOUNDATION S IMPERMEABLE

+ 20 - 35’ catastrophic hurricane water level

+12 - 20’ extreme flood level

+6 - 12’ periodical flood level

+4 - 6’ regular water level

Section Through the Synthetic Infrastructure System

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hat er Si Design ro osal Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

CLAY SAND AYER CLAY SAND E LAYER

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

View Towards the City Over the Levee from the Building’s Bridge

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hat er Si Design ro osal Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

View of the Levee at the End of Esplanade Avenue

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

View of the Courtyard During High Floods

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hat er Si Design ro osal Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Jazzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; Li | Judith Kinnard

View of Market Covered by the Building and Adjacent to the Wetlands

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Jazzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; Li | Judith Kinnard

great blue heron

cypress barred owl

rain and runoff

humans

nutrient uptake

nutrients

insects

bacteria organic

vegetation detrius nutriet export moving water

catfish river sediments minnows

Wetland Ecosystem

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crawfish

alligator

hat er Si Design ro osal Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

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Exploded Axonometric Drawing

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

ramp up

Upper Level Plan 1/32” = 1’-0

Bird’s Eye View

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step down

hat er Si Design ro osal Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

Lower Level Plan 1/16”= 1’-0

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

Physical Model 3/32” = 1’-0”

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hat er Si Design ro osal Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

Physical Model 3/32” = 1’-0”

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Jazzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; Li | Judith Kinnard

6.3 Thesis Review Projector for the topographic model of New Orleans

Conventional presentation board

iMac for slideshow and animation

Physical Model of the City and the Proposal

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Final Presentation Board 96” x 66”

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Thesis Manual and Design Documentation Synthetic Infrastructure | Yueqi ‘Jazzy‘ Li | Judith Kinnard

SPECIAL THANKS TO Prof. Judith Kinnard, Prof. Scott Bernhard, Prof. Richard Campanella Prof. David Merlin, Prof. Stephen Nelson, Victor Garcia, David Armentor, and Sam Richards Thomas Ferrer, Buwei Jin, Jeffrey Zolan, Sam Naylor Yueqi Li | 74