CHINA PROGRAM PORTFOLIO julianne pineda
julianne pineda 4th year landscape architecture student college of enviornmental design c a l i f o r n i a s t a t e p o l y t e c h n i c u n i v e r s i t y, p o m o n a
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
the restorative city 02
studying shichahai 04
the garden above 18
pocket parks 26
sketching and traveling 30
T H E R E S T O R AT I V E C I T Y The Restorative City is a network of green spaces that supports personal and community health, sustenance, social gathering, memory and storytelling, and emotional reattachment to the natural environment. This network accommodates both tourists and local residents in order to foster intercultural understanding and common ground. Key spaces help tourists understand local culture, while the majority of sites are reserved for locals to seek refuge and nourishment from the plants and other elements that provide restorative connections to the natural world. Personal spaces transition to a large-scale communal space that is organized around Beijing’s central axis, effectively linking and restoring Chinese traditions that define this historic city.
drum tower
area of study
bell tower
the central axis hutongs commercial
ST U DY I N G S H I C H A H A I Shichahai is located in central Beijing, sitting along the axis just north of the Forbidden City. Located next to Qianhai and Houhai Lakes, the area is full of storefronts, bars, and restaurants with hutongs hidden right behind them. Two iconic towers stand adjacent to the area - the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower - both of which are difficult to approach when coming from Shichahai. Both residents and tourists traverse the city of Shichahai with cars, bicycles, motorbikes, and rickshaws, which create chaos in the streets.
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the central axis In ancient China, the emperor wanted to show his power by positioning himself in the middle of the city. To do so, the emperor of the Jin Dynasty built the central axis and following emperors continued to build based on the axis. The axis became a symbol of Beijing with the Forbidden City in the center. Shichahai is directly adjacent to the axis and surrounded by many landmarks placed because of the axis.
jin dynasty 1115-1234
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yuan dynasty 1271-1368
ming dynasty 1368-1644
qing dynasty 1644-1912
bell tower drum tower yan dai xie jie traditional hutongs
beihai park taoist temple jingshan park
the forbidden city
the axis today
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a
b
c
d 07
streetscape typologies One of the first things that distinguish Shichahai from surrounding areas is the mix use zoning of business and residential. While pedestrians and vehicles create constant movement in the city, bicycles, motorbikes, rickshaws and other forms of transportation contribute greatly to the flow of traffic. In order to study this, sectional studies were taken in three different types of places around the Shichahai area: along the water, through the commercial area, and through the hutong area. The studies show not only the varying street widths and the “crowdedness” of the street, but most importantly the human relationship to the streets and how it feels to walk through them.
a l on g th e w a t er Sections taken along the river have the most variation. Section “a” and “c” highlight the busyness of the area, where all forms of transportation are allowed to pack onto the small street. In section “b”, one can see that although there is a sidewalk to separate people from the vehicles, the tree overpowers the space and forces people onto the streets. In section “d”, an elevated plaza allows people to sit and relax away from any interference of vehicular traffic. Because of this, pedestrians have to constantly watch for this traffic, which prevents them from standing and enjoying the lake.
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c o m m erc ial Within the commercial area, the walkable width depends not on the street itself, but on the width of the sidewalks. The street is a consistent 3-3.3 meters (10-11ft) across, but the sidewalk gets wider or narrower depending on how far the building is pushed back. Although no cars are allowed through this area, it is very busy with people moving in and out of the shops.
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hutong Although one may think residential areas are far less dense than commercial areas, the vehicular traffic throughout the site causes limitations to the pedestrian’s ability to walk freely. Vehicles drive through crowds of people and park along the streets, causing further limitation of pedestrian circulation.
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vegetation typologies Because a majority of Shichahai is paved over, opportunity for vegetation is very limited. In the absence of planted green spaces, residents and business owners improvise different ways to add green elements into the area. From this study, we found 6 typologies of natural elements throughout the Shichahai area.
t raditiona l hutong Because of the original Hutong design, residents were forced to plant within the courtyard because the streets did not accommodate for green space. Today the original planted trees arch over to provide shade both within the courtyard and to the adjacent street.
p lants on c a ble s By connecting cables from one rooftop to another, the cables act as a new space for vines to grow. This connection not only adds green elements to the hutong; it also provides a canopy for the people walking below.
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w a l l p l an t er b o x es Within the newer developments, wooden planter boxes are attached to the wall to allow for planting space without taking up any walking space.
gre e n ro o f Typically seen on top of residential high-rises within cities, green roofs treat rooftops as garden space. Again, residents are taking advantage of spaces to plant for themselves.
roa d s id e p l an t ers Newly implemented in the hutongs, these planters are a way to add vegetation without breaking into the ground. However, many of these are too bulky and take up too much of the sidewalk, forcing pedestrians into vehicular traffic.
gre e n f a cad e By growing plants along the walls, residents and business owners are able to create a lot of green space without taking up any street space.
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forbidden city
beihai park jingshan park
pocket parks
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network of green spaces Based off the site analysis, the design strategy is to use the existing parks and landmarks to create a network of green spaces. This network consists of two main new elements: 1. a large park built over the main axis, called “The Garden Above” and 2. redesigned pocket parks within the hutong areas to be used by both locals and tourists. The Garden Above will act not only as a connection between Jingshan Park and the Drum and Bell Towers, but as a place itself where people can come to relax and get the experience of a large park within the city. The park also adds to the existing green spaces of this area of the city, really making this section of the axis a “green lung” for Beijing. In the same way, by building the park above the axis, we allow for a new possibility of traffic flow in the area, drawing more pedestrians towards the center axis.
The Garden Above
drum tower
The pocket parks are to be integrated into the new hutong blocks. The redesign of the hutongs allow for that courtyard style housing to come back, while still accommodating for population growth. By taking advantage of the new open space, we can create series of pocket parks that can be used by the community as well as highlight this network of green spaces.
lake commerial area bell tower
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lake
drum tower
traffic and views Building The Garden Above on top of the axis not only creates a park for the community, but also constructs a new traffic pattern in the area. The park gives the opportunity for pedestrians and bicyclists to get off the streets and onto a carfree zone. Similarly, the park separates bicycles and pedestrians to allow for both parties to feel safer in their environment. As previously stated, The Garden Above connects the Drum Tower to Jingshan Park. Building this elevated park connects the two landmarks and creates new views to the surrounding areas. The three main views from the park would be the Drum Tower, Jingshan Park, and the Lakes.
jing
sha
np
ark
model by eddy solis
s e c on d ga te wa y: lon g e vity
wave
vie w of qi an h a i l ake
f irs t ga t ew ay : go od f or t une
d ru m to wer
be ll t ower striaght cross
model by eddy solis
THE GARDEN ABOVE The Garden Above acts as the central, linear green space of the network. Located above the central axis, the garden runs from the Drum Tower along Di’anmen Inner street to Jingshan Back street, stopping right before the Taoist temple north of Jingshan Park. It sits 6.4m (21ft) above the street and follows the width of the street below it. The organization of the park moves from active to passive as one moves from north to south. Drum and Bell Towers, Shichahai, and the Lakes surrounding the northern area of the park determine it as a more active area of the park included more open plazas and stage areas to draw crowds and encourage physical recreation. Moving down the park, the surroundings become more residential finally ending at a Taoist Temple. The Garden Above mimics the same solemn feelings from the area by including more garden spaces and strolling paths to better mental health.
jin g sh a n p ar k N
t h ird ga t ew ay : h a ppi n ess
di ’a n m e n st re et
h o spit a l h ea lin g ga rd en
model by eddy solis
Three gateways mark the areas of the Garden Above based on the three wise men Fu, Lu, and Shou. Fu, representing good fortune, is located closest to the Drum and Bell Towers. Lu, representing wealth, is located in the middle adjacent to Shichahai. Shou, representing longevity, is closest to the Taoist Temple. The gateways can be used by both pedestrians and bicyclists to get onto their individual sections of the axis. The movement of these two pathways is broken down by three typologies: straight, wave, and cross.
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bell tower
bell tower
bell tower
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good fortune gateway
render by lorena jaureguii
stage Located in the northern section of the Garden Above, a stage and a field of empty grass provides large open spaces for pedestrian interaction. A vantage point for the Drum Tower and the lakes of Shichahai, this area is in a more active section of the bridge. Built to contain large crowds and host events such as concerts, the stage area is versatile in its use and can be used for both active and passive recreational activities.
render by alan hu 20
bell tower
bell tower
bell tower
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wealth gateway
render by lorena jaureguii
render by cinnamon zhang
healing garden As part of the design for The Garden Above, an extended rooftop garden will be added to a nearby hospital along the central axis. This rooftop garden will accommodate the patients of the hospital and will include elements found in therapeutic landscape designs, such as lush vegetation, moveable seating, and sensory stimulation. The elevation of this rooftop garden will be much higher than The Garden Above, giving patients complete privacy. With the use of borrowed scenery techniques, the patients will feel as if their healing garden is part of the much larger landscape. 22
bell tower
bell tower
bell tower
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intersection bowl This space is located above the intersection of the central axis and Di’anmen Street. In ancient China, the square represents earth while the circle represents heaven, both the perimeter and interior of this space respectively. Designed for recreational use, this area provides opportunities for active and passive activities, such as dancing and playing cards. Along the center of this space, a glass panel runs with the central axis, allowing users to view the intersection below.
render by cinnamon zhang
longevity gateway
render by lorena jaureguii
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P O C K E T PA R KS The pocket parks within the hutongs act as nodes of the overall network. After conducting interviews throughout Shichahai, it was revealed that the idea of privacy is a large concern of the residents. Based on this and other observations of recreation, four typologies of pocket parks were created to accommodate for the issue. The typologies are organized by level of privacy and placement, where the parks closest to the axis are more public while parks further away are only for the residents. The four typologies are opera and music, taichi and exercise, natural elements, and community gardens, planned from most public to most private in this order.
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render by alan hu
render by alan hu
render by alan hu
render by alan hu
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opera and music The opera and music garden will be the most public garden to be used by both residents and tourists. The main feature is a stage with surrounding seating, where local artists can sing, perform, and play traditional Chinese instruments.
taichi and dancing Taichi is a very popular form of exercise in the Chinese community. This garden is designed to accommodate for that and other forms of group exercise. As Yin and Yang are fundamental elements in taichi, a water feature is included to provide that balance of energy.
natural elements This garden is designed with the four major elements of traditional Chinese Gardens: rock, water, plants, and infrastructure. To mimic the traditional gardens, techniques found in Suzhou, such as hide and reveal and borrowed views, will be implemented here. This garden is meant as a quiet retreat for users to relax and reflect.
community garden The community gardens allows for residents to plant and grow their own fruits and vegetables. This not only encourages physical well-being because they have more access to fresh produce, but also teaches them the skills to grow their foods, which they can pass on in their family. As this space is meant for the locals only, the community garden has the highest level of privacy and is placed the furthest from the main axis.
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S K E T C H I N G A N D T R AV E L I N G In between the site analysis and design studios, we took time out to travel throughout China. In Beijing we visited major sites such as the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Tower of Heaven, and the Summer Palace. We also traveled outside to southern China and visited Suzhou, Shanghai, and Xian. The conclusion of our trip was taking a seven-hour hike up Huashan, sleeping at the mountaintop, and getting up early to watch the sunrise. The built frame above is a composition of my sketch and photographs taken from the top of the west peak right before the sunset. I wanted to capture the small love locks along the railing against the grand scale of the mountain. 30
Inside on of the towers of the Great Wall, I took photos of the windows on all four sides to create this quadriptych. On one side, you see the scale of the Great Wall coming to the tower then moving away from the tower. On the other, the vastness of the mountain ranges take over the entire scene and flow as far as the eye can see.
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The Seventeen-Arch Bridge is part of the Summer Palace in Beijing. This built frame is to capture the beauty of the bridge by looking at both the inside and outside. The statues are enlarged to highlight the detail on the bridge.
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CONCLUSION The interdisciplinary ENV China Program strengthened my sketching, diagramming, and layout organizational skills. But most importantly, my team management and organization skills were further developed. Working on a larger scale of 13 people with mixed disciplines and mixed languages, we were forced to change how to communicate with each other. Arguments arose here and there, mainly because of a lack of understanding between disciplines. However, once we discussed the issues, I gained more of an understanding of the other majors. As a landscape architecture student, I have always seen the value in the field trips we take, and China is no exception. When first arriving to China, seeing the differences between eastern and western design is a culture shock. Then as we moved through the program, we saw traditional China quickly transforming into modern China, trying to balance the old and the new. With urbanism not happening only in China, but the rest of the world, these are design principles I can take back with me.
JULIANNE PINEDA
4th year landscape architecture student cal poly pomona