The Aquatic Commons

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PAMPHLET LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE



JJ JEREMY JARIN

714.423.3116 jeremyjarin@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT This pamphlet is the tangible iteration of my creative process throughout this quarter of the last studio of my undergraduate career. This pamphlet includes drawings of a more refined understanding of the studio projects and their communication towards the completion of the final project. From case studies to final renderings, the development of my project is mapped out along with experiences that will have a long lasting impression on me as a student of landscape architecture.



UNDERSTANDING SITE SPECIFICITY WORKING WITH A SITE’S CONTEXT


Alvaro Siza

Piscina das Mares The Piscina das Mares is a public swimming pool along the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Because of the Atlantic’s rough currents, the beach was uninhabitable for beachgoers. The pool was built in response to creating a public place where the residents of the community to enjoy the water of the beach without the risk of endangering themselves in the rough ocean currents. A large rock mass serves as an armored edge against the waves. The rest of the pool is bound by geometric forms of concrete masses. The architecture of the pool utilized the natural edge in conjunction with straight rigid lines for circulation. The pool also serves as overflow catchment for larger waves hitting the rocks.

Porto, Portugal



Peter Zumthor

“Their intention to work with these elements, to implement them consciously and to lend them to a special form was there from the outset.�

Therme Vals Therme Vals serves as a hotel and spa which utilizes the natural processes of the area for human interaction and pleasure. The site is built atop the only thermal springs located in Switzerland. The overall design of the space was meant to be cave or quarry-like, where visitors would be able to submerge into the face of the mountain and be rewarded for their journey. Materiality of the spa was influenced by the naturalness of the materials located on site. Playing with a relationship between stone and water would allow for a more meaningful interaction for the people experiencing the site.

Vals, Switzerland




ECOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE RECOGNIZING THE LOS ANGELES RIVER BIOME




Humanly Natural Change is a traditionally human custom. An opportunity arises where an intended purpose is put into action, but the formation of a divergent order embraces its unaccustomed surroundings. Natural processes will inevitably occur. Through these processes, no matter how human they may be, an adaptive ecosystem emerges. Although the original program of the Los Angeles River, post-channelization, was to be purely a flood control channel, over time the river become so much more than just this. It evolved from transporting storm water from one end to another, to creating habitat for a variety of different species which are not only suitable, but thrive off of the uniqueness of the concrete channel.

Currently, the river houses a variety of different species that would have never been seen here decades ago. These species came here because of the new ecosystem thriving because of how the channel functions. The river is a human made river but it is still natural in its own right. This form of naturalness is derived from natural processes that constantly in motion but took this long to be realized.



Birth of a Biome Habitat is a time based system. This means that it cannot be realized for generation.

It has been roughly 70 years since the channelization of the Los Angeles River. No one could have ever foreseen the potential of this concrete channel actually being able to house the amount of creatures it does today. Over time, the purpose of the Los Angeles River has shifted from being strictly a flood control system to a river flooded with opportunity for species of new to survive and thrive within the urban environment. At its current state, the river has the potential to become both a generative force as well as a cultural icon, a hybrid landscape capable of housing the hyperactivity of Los Angeles city life as well as the unique ecosystematic processes which makes this biome different from the rest.


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Luis Callejas Lecture Positioned at an intersection of architecture, landscape and urbanism, Luis Callejas and his office are leaders in generating new forms of engagement of the public realm through their understanding the relationship between built form and manipulation of surface. By utilizing graphics to form a graphic narrative of the place in which they are designing for, they are able to better understand their projects as recognizable public spaces able to accommodate for their audience of interest. The graphic language of their process works with playful imagery to exagerate the program in which they are developing This graphic style accomplishes a narritvely influenced process in generating form.




NARRATIVE PLACEMAKING MEASURING EFFECTS ON CHANGE


J. B. Jackson

The Necessity for Ruins

“History means less the record of significant events and people than the preservation of reminders of a bygone domestic existence and its environment.�

Ruins are indicators that remind us of a remote past which echo the form of actuality in a present sense. By experiencing the monumentality of a site, the importance of the site was reminded. Although it is arguable that the sites along the river are considered ruins, the concept of rebirth is brought to attention. Realizing that this flood control channel is evolving into something greater over time, it allows for a vast amount of opportunity to be made to allow the residents of the local community to have that direct connection to their river again. Restitution was selected as our response to these sites because of their historical significance to the social and cultural fabric of Los Angeles. Each of the communities adjacent to our sites has experienced loss because of the channelization of the river. Our goal is to provide interventions at these sites that encourage stronger

social and cultural interactions with the river. The aim is to make this place a resource for the community that memorializes the significance of the river but more importantly creates awareness of the significance of the surrounding communities. The objective is to provide restitution from three perspectives, a different one for each site. The first perspective is ecological restitution, the second cultural restitution, and the third historical restition. The river has either been a barrier or a place of neglect. The lack of accessibility has further strengthened this perception. The intention of the proposal is to reinterpret the current associations with the river to one of a communal space for the surrounding communities to enjoy.



res.ti.tu.tion

noun the intention of giving back something that was once lost or stolen



Not Going Backwards In order to accommodate for the loss within these communities, we did in depth research on the history of the communities especially what was lost or taken from them. The bowtie parcel experienced different layers of loss from the displacement and segregation of Frogtown to the destruction of habitat in Taylor Yard and the river channel. The communities adjacent to the Downey Recreation Center have suffered from a series of displacement stemming from economic growth as well as a surge in violence. Boyle heights suffered from a Loss of multi-culturality whereas the arts district suffered more from a disconnection from its artistic past. After coming to an understanding of the historical events that occurred within these communities, we were able to find suitable forms of giving back.

By our definition of restitution, we aren’t putting the site back in the same way. We aren’t going backwards, but acknowledging the history of the different communities to construct spaces suitable for current and potential future needs.


1923-1985

taylor yards Rail maintenance and service yard which provided numerous jobs and connections Years of industrial usage generated a wealth of pollution and loss of jobs

Gives the community an opportunity for understanding water, soil, flora , and fauna. As well as experimenting how species occupy “nature� elysian valley Refuge for evicted people of Chavez Ravine post-channelization Infrastructre borders the area thus creating an Urban Island

Bowtie Parcel + Taylor Yards

Downey Recreational

Gives the community affordable housing, leisure, and access to the river

Lincoln Heights A diverse community that underwent a series of ethnic changes Years of economic change cut the community’s cultural diversity

1950s homes demolished

chavez ravine Displaced communities from atop Elysian Park Leading with the construction of the Dodger Stadium

Boyle Heights

jewish enclave

latino enclave Talmud Torah Synagogue graffiti mural

A hub for immigrants to make their start within the Southern California region Rich cultural history displaced by trending violence and constant relocation

6th St. Viaduct

Gives the community an opportunity for understanding the river as an urban ecological system Arts District Rich agricultural history with proximity to the river Industrial boom ousted agricultural fertile lands

Gives the community areas for self expression such as art + events


Narrative Design Strategy solid vs void

Acknowledging History

light vs dark temporal vs permanent


Air pollution permeates through the urbanized areas of the city

Avian populations begin to dwindle due to Lack of reliable food source

Rapid urbanism ousts large volumes of residents from their homes

Industrial sprawl begins to occur adjacent to the river channel

Seasonal ooding plummets real estate values Arable land begins to decline with separation from river as well as industrial pollution

Channelization of the Los Angeles River shapes the river into a ood control channel

Aquatic habitat gets destroyed with channelization of the river

Displacement of residents creates islands within the urban fabric



LODGING ACROSS THE WESTERN AMERICAN LANDSCAPE REALIZATION OF BUILT PLACES



Grand Canyon Skywalk The Grand Canyon Skywalk pushes the visitors visual experience of the Grand Canyon to their fullest. Reaching across the canyon, the transparent bottom of the walk allows for viewers to experience a sensation of floating over the immense canyon.

Peach Springs, Arizona



El Tovar El Tovar is a lodge which sits along the rim of the Grand Canyon. Hotel guests are able to fulfill their vacation experiences by taking advantage of all the accomodations the Grand Canyon Village has to offer. The architecture of the site helps enforce the visitors expected experience of the site.

Grand Canyon Village, Arizona



Arcosanti An urban laboratory situated far from urbanization focuses on combining environmental accountability with community developed design in order to enforce the idea of working with the land. The property sits upon hundreds of acres of natural places to allow for the mixed use buildings to have a relationship with its surrounding. Systematic organization of the program within the facility allow for many environmental and circulatory flows to allow for a project which utilizes outputs for new resource.

Arcosanti, Arizona


Paolo Soleri Archives The archives of the late Paolo Soleri houses his life’s work within a couple of storage rooms. From bound sketchbooks, to eighty foot rolls of drawings, the archived work truly express his creative process in designing places. His ideology of how places should function are also prevalent within his drawings. It is shown through his drawings his understanding of the utilization of the land and how to work with it. This understanding of natural processes also aids in designing the flow of function within his own designs. His ideas of resource management and community development may have been ahead of his time.




Springs Preserve The Springs Preserve is a frontrunner in sustainable technology in the Las Vegas region. The site embraces the history of its city by housing interactive installments of the formation of the land as well as educating people on what they can do to improve their city in the future. Management of resources are primary in the way the facility functions.

Las Vegas, Nevada


Urban Trailhead Urban Trailheads serve as markers for visitors to use as a visual start for their intended trail. It is especially difficult for some residents of urban environments to travel to National Parks and monuments. By initiating trailheads in the environment, it allows for those living in these urban environments to understand that they can experience what they can at the National Parks by their home.

Los Angeles, California




PROCESS OF PLACE MAKING PLACE A REALITY



Made The birth of a site is heavily influenced by the setting in which it occured as well as contextual properties. Rapid urbanization spread like wildfire across the Los Angeles region with no signs of stopping. With urbanization creeping up on all corners, the leftover scraps along the river become underutilized parcels of open space. The current state of the Downey Recreation Center site is at an abysmmal state but the oppotunity to make a culturally significant space for the massive amount of residential housing is there.



Remade Remaking process of this site includes looking at all forms of positive improvement. From systematic organization and adjacent relationships to temporal and timeless program and form are looked at to create a complate project which could serve as a catalyst for future projects along the river. Existing singular programs were taken and morphed and expanded to create a program as diverse as the peoplepotentially visiting the site.


Unmade The process of unmaking is important in understanding the necessity or significance of the project. In the ruination of the project, the significance of what was once lost is more clearly seen. By projecting futures where this project could undergo significant change, potentially form making decisions could be enforced to ensure this project receives the potential longevity it deserves. There is also a case of understanding that if this project is destined to undergo this type of change, then what could it leave behind to serve as a reminder of positivity for the future of this place?







Context

The seed of urban development has rapidly propagated the Los Angeles region over the course of several decades. With urbanization creeping up on all corners, the leftover scraps are given the title of open space. Sandwiched by industrial clusters and medium density housing, the Downey Recreation Center at its current state is an abysmal example of what the potential of recreational space in Los Angeles could be. Positionally, the site is amongst one of the most favorable spots for its intended occupation with it being at a confluence as well as being right next to the river. However, the local


residents share dissatisfaction with the maintenance of the outdoor spaces. The Downey Recreation Center Site has the potential to be remade into a dynamic project taking advantage of its position within the city and the region’s temporal unfoldings to give birth to further sets of communal development. Systematic field organizations were constructed based on context and understanding of fixed and fluctuating conditions. The Downey Recreation Pool currently serves as a public community pool for the residents on the eastern side of the

river. It currently is only open during part of the year. During the remaining parts of the year, the pool sits there as a waste of space. It is important to understand that in building over an arguably popular pool, a project must have the impact to accommadote for the current and potential future needs of the ocmmunity.


The Aquatic Commons Historically, settlements are known to occur along the river because of it being an invaluable resource. With the channelization of the Los Angeles River, the local residents lost an important cultural connection. As time went on, it became clear that this concrete channel was no longer just a flood control system, but still a river in its own right. By taking advantage of the leftover parcels situated along the river, that once lost connection could be rediscovered. Burrowing into the land leads to a discovery of new spatial experiences for visitors to explore. By taking the existing program of the Downey Recreation Pool site, the Aquatic Commons morphs and expands that program to express the importance of the river as a resource. Besides resource management, the site includes a series of infrastructural elements which serve as protection from the unpredictability of the river. The river can continue to be this wild entity but with the armored edges and protective buffers it now has the ability to become a cultural resource again.



The Aquatic Commons will serve as a hub for the people of the Los Angeles region to access the resources available at the river. Through the design of a space which merges resource management with flood protection, a kit of parts was generated to meet the requirements of utilizing the resource of the river at its fullest while also serving as an armored edge for the unpredictability of the river. With this kit, programmatic spaces were created based on resource usage and architectural forms were created based on risk reduction design tactics.



Kit of Parts


Aquatic Commons Configuration



The people of the Los Angeles lost their connection with the river after its channelization. The Aquatic Commons is a space designed to give the people back their connection with the river. By taking the existing programming of the parcel as a community pool and expanding its uses to take advantage of the invaluable resources the river has to offer, the space aims to bleed into other unferutilized parcels along the river channel.


Adjacent relationships heavily influenced the organization of the Aquatic Commons. After being primarily treated within the building, the water goes through a swimming pool and terrarium like landscape. The water then turns arounds and flows through the outdoor space, coming across a series phytofiltration planting plots to further clean the water for the visitors to experience wading the Los Angeles River water. Finally the water returns to the river from where it once came from.



Currently, the Downey Recreation Center pool is a seasonal pool which is closed during most times of the year. Within the building is a year long accessible lap pool which is the first program piece receiving the primarily treated water. The overflow from the pool then circulates through the terrarium-like greenhouse for visitors to enjoy and learn from. The indoor and outdoor spaces are meant to be reflections of one another but the changes between them are based on the conditions of the space.



Sustainability Metrics



Regional Impact



A numerous amount of underutilized parcels lie along the river’s edge. By excavating into the grade of the river, new spatial experiences can be explored. Using the kit of parts strategy, the connection of designed spaces can be systematically organized to allow for people to enjoy the river that was always there while also being protected. The current rendition of the channel of the river may be too aggressive for today’s uses. The parts are meant to keep with the existing flood control programming of the channel, while also generated a space for the surrounding communities to enjoy and take advantage of. The Los Angeles River has been an underutilized resource for far too long and it is time to work with the hefty piece of infrastructure.


SPECIAL THANK YOU TO Walt Disney Imagineering the tour guides of El Tovar, Arcosanti, and Springs Preserve National Parks Services Andy Wilcox & Irma Ramirez and the rest of the members of the 2014 Bobby Brooks Memorial Studio



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