Pontchartrain Park Promenade by Chris Moy

Pontchartrain Park Promenade

CONTENTS History of Morrison Playspot Hydrology + Hydraulics Site Conditions Design Proposal

05 09 13 17 03

History of Morrison Playspot “Morrison Playspot is a large, city-owned plot located in Ponchartrain Park, a neighborhood developed in the 1950’s and known as New Orleans’ first middle-class African American neighborhood. Before Hurricane Katrina, Ponchartrain Park was inhabited mostly by the original owners of the houses, many of whom were advanced in age. Because of this, the area was hit especially hard by the storm, and as of March 2008 only 30% of the homes there are reinhabited.” “ The playspot sits adjacent to the Joseph Bartholemew Sr. Municipal Golf Course, which was designed by the first African American golf course architect and the first in New Orleans to allow black golfers.” - Proposed Community Garden Work Sites1 [Prepared by Neal Goldenberg]

History of Morrison Playspot The Pontchartrain Park neighborhood that surrounds the playspot was originally swamplands and had to be dredged before any development could take place. By the 1960â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Pontchartrain Park Homes, under the direction of Edgar Sterns, had constructed a number of 2-3 bedroom homes, similar to those found in the Gentilly Woods area. However, in the 1970â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s many people left the area as newer homes were being established in the New Orleans East neighborhoods2. In 2000, the census showed that 2630 people were residing in Pontchartrain Park, but in the 2010 census, the population dropped dramatically down to 566 as a result of Hurricane Katrina3. The location of Pontchartrain Park in relation to Lake Pontchartrain and the Industrial Canal, as well as its topographical condition (HYDROLOGY + HYDRAULICS) contributed greatly to the amount of damage sustained by the neighborhood. 07

Surface Drainage Pipe Drainage

coincident

oppositional

Pumping Station Exaggerated Ground Topography

Exposed Canal

exposed

Hydrology + Hydraulics The relationship between hydrological and hydraulic systems in New Orleans can be characterized into three main categories: • Coincident - water within the hydraulic system flows in the same direction as water on the ground • Oppositional - water within the hydraulic system flows in the opposite direction as water on the ground • Exposed - the hydraulic system exists on or above the ground 09

Ground Surface Drainage

Underground Drainage Network

Hydrology + Hydraulics Each type of condition creates a different interaction between the ground and infrastructural system in the city. These variations require different water management strategies at the scale of architecture. In the case of Morrison Playspot, the hydrology and hydraulics are coincident. However, underground drainage pipes are only found on the adjacent streets. There are no pipes situated within the playspot itself. Therefore, the natural ground is responsible for 100% of the water management within the Morrison Playspot. 11

MORRISON PLAYSPOT + SERVICE AREA 4

Site In Use SiteIn Use Not In Use Not In Use

Neighborhood Neighborhood

Morrison Morrison PlayspotPlayspot

Morrison Playspot

SERVICE AREA 4 Water Boundary

Ground Boundary

10x Vertical Exaggeration 10 5 0 -5 -10 -15 -20 -25

Morrison Playspot

Site Conditions Morrison Playspot is located in the Service Area 4 drainage basin of New Orleans. The zone is bounded by Lake Pontchartrain to the north, Gentilly Ridge to the south, the Industrial canal to the east, and the London Avenue Canal to the west. Because of these boundaries and the the subsidence of the city, a majority of Service Area 4 is below sea level. The highest elevation in the area is 4ft above sea level, and the lowest part of the area is 8ft below sea level. During Hurricane Katrina, 78.8% of Service Area 4 was flooded when the flood walls and levees failed. 13

Current architectural solution: Slab on grade Saturated/Unstable Ground

20x Vertical Exaggeration 10 5

Zone of water saturation = 27 in.

Depth to root restrictive layer > 60 in.

-5

decomposed organic material

-10 -15 -20 -25

clayey backswamp deposits ALLEMANDS MUCK, DRAINED

Site Conditions Much of the flooding in Service Area 4 may be a result of the kind of soil that exists on the site. The soil on Morrison Playspot is from the Allemands Series, a type of soil that has very poor drainage qualities, as it is composed of primarily permeable organic material. This means that a large quantity of water on the site is held within the soil, making it unstable and a poor material on which to construct a building. In order to build on the Morrison Playspot, the ground would have to be excavated until a more suitable, clayey layer of ground was reached, or an intervention that was placed on the site could be elevated above the unstable ground. 15

Redevelopment Sustainability

Recreation

Design Proposal In the “Proposed Garden Work Sites” Pamphlet that was created in 2008, residents of Pontchartrain Park (headed by Norma Hedrick and Hilairie Schackai) indicated their aspirations for the future of Morrison Playspot:

“The playspot will be a hub for neighborhood redevelopment, recreation, and sustainability. The project, in its final form, will contain a cypress forest, community garden area, children’s play area, natural wetland, and amphitheater. It will contain a roadside produce stand and the land adjacent will be developed with shops and small businesses.”1 The addition of a bus stop would allow more people to access the site, as the current route [80 Louisa] only runs on the western edge of Pontchartrain Park. 17

Grid

Cut

Fill

Construct

Design Proposal: Concept Based on the site conditions of Morrison Playspot [weak soil, elevation below sea level, etc.] It was determined that the best solution for an intervention on the site would be one that replaced the current topographical conditions and elevated itself above the ground to create water detention areas and plant vegetation as a means to manage water. This idea is achieved by imposing a grid system on the site, as any floating intervention will require some support structure [ie. steel frame]. A grid is used as a guide to cut and fill the ground according to the existing site conditions and the programmatic requirements. After the groundwork is completed, contruction of the structure can begin. 19

15.1”

13.4”

11.8”

24 HR Period 5.5”

4.2” 3.5”

3.8”

2 YR 1hr [23030 cft] 24 hr [60317 cft]

1 HR Period 2.1”

2 YR

25 YR

50 YR

100 YR

25 YR 1 hr [38383 cft] 24 hr [129407 cft]

50 YR 1 hr [41673 cft] 24 hr [146953 cft]

100 YR 1 hr [46060 cft] 24 hr [165597 cft]

Design Proposal: Water Management By cutting and filling the existing ground, Morrison Playspot will be able to detain a larger volume of water than is currently held. This means that neighboring houses have a decreased risk of becoming flooded during high periods of rainfall. Original water holding capacity: 82,250 cubic feet Designed water holding capacity: 256,348 cubic feet Water capacity is increased by 312%.

Roof Plan

Design Proposal: Form The form of the new Morrison Playspot intervention is created based off of the existing conditions of the neighboring houses, flood wall, and Pontchartrain Park. Views, private yards, and entry points were all taken into account in the design of the boardwalk structure. Natural wetlands and vegetation were placed specifically between the structure and neighboring houses to act as a buffer zone, as well as create zones for water detention.

Section A-A

Section B-B

Design Proposal: Form

Section C-C

Section D-D

Design Proposal: Perspectives

Works Cited 1 Goldenberg, Neal. “Proposed Community Garden Work Sites, New Orleans 2008.” Downtown Neighborhood Market Consortium. Spring 2008. Web. February 14, 2011. < http://www.dnmc.org/ wp-content/uploads/files/work_site_descriptions.pdf> 2 “Pontchartrain Park Neighborhood Snapshot.” Greater New Orleans Community Data Center. October 5, 2002. Web. April 11, 2011. < http://gnocdc.org/orleans/6/31/snapshot.html> 3 “Pontchartrain Park, New Orleans.” Wikipedia. January 13, 2011. Web. April 11, 2011. < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontchartrain_Park,_New_Orleans>

Credits Community Initiative and residents of Pontchartrain Park Gutter to Gulf Studios taught by Derek Hoeferlin, Jane Wolff, + Elise Shelley