r a d h i k a s h e n oy
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE | PORTFOLIO
A designer of the Anthropocene Urban areas contain a profusion of invisible landscapes – landscapes filled with complex interactions waiting to be explored and unraveled. Through my designs, I explore the revelation of these terrain vagues and the processes that lie within them. We belong to the epoch of the Anthropocene - the earth’s human age, where we are the ecosystem, and designing for adaptation to change is exigent. I look forward to creating designs that rethink the conventional definition of nature. I believe creating rambunctious urban landscapes that dissolve the dichotomy of man and nature while revealing and celebrating ecological and cultural processes is the way forward.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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WEED ECOLOGIES
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BRICKS, MOUNDS, AND MILLS
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FALL LINE PARK
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THE DIDACTIC SURFACE
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PLANT STUDIES
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FIELD STUDIES
weed ecologies Semester IV Birmingham, Alabama
BIRMINGHAM MONTGOMERY
Studying novel ecosystems is important because they exist in cities - which is home to an increasing fraction of humanity and, hence most people’s experience of nature is urban. ‘Weed Ecologies’ is a designed experiment that aims at providing opportunities to study the process of the growth and succession of novel ecosystems and, the processes of species that lie within them. The terrain vagues of Birmingham, having been altered in structure and function by human agency, are brimming with novel ecosystems. Opportunity for studying the patch dynamics of these terrain vagues is achieved by merging traditional study practices of transects with novel ecological landscapes. Additionally, inviting locals institutions to study, experience and research these patches can provide opportunities to learn, to understand, and love spontaneous wild urban species. 1
HIGH LOW
THE ANTHROPOCENE
Human footprint in North America, expressed as a percentage of the human influence present in each terrestrial biome, measured with a combination of data on population density, human land use and infrastructure, and human access via waterways, rail, and roads. [Sanderson et al. ,2002] 2
AMERICAN ROBIN ( Tu r d u s M i g r a t o r i u s )
CATBIRD (Dumetella Carolinensis)
MINIMAL SEED DISPERSAL
SEED DISPERSAL
MUTUALISM
HONEYSUCKLE (Lonicera Japonica) (From East Asia)
AMERICAN NIGHTSHADE (Solanum Americanum) (From North America)
FACILITATION SEED DISPERSAL 30 % higher for Nightshades, when found with Honeysuckle
OCCURRENCE 3 TO 4 times more birds than 30 years ago in urban areas
Research based on http://science.psu.edu - Research done at Penn State University by Tomás Carlo
Invasive Plants Can Create Positive Ecological Change “Nature is in a constant state of flux, always readjusting as new relationships form between species, and not all of these relationships are bad just because they are novel or created by humans” -Thomas Carlo
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Terrain Vagues of Birmingham Birmingham, a post industrial city has high percentage of tax delinquent properties. The older tax delinquent properties have rich weed ecologies because they have been vacant for a long time.
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Terrain Vagues as Designed Experiments These older tax delinquent properties that lie within the floodplain are selected to perform as designed experimental labs for studying the ecological and aesthetic potential of novel ecosystems.
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The ecological potential of each of these vacant sites is studied as a typological matrix.(Left) and short listed sites are analyzed based on their strengths.(Below) Site no. 3 is selected as proposed site.
SITE NO 1 Vegetated Along Valley creek Access to under bridge ecosystems Larger than an acre Few buildings on site Potential to merge several TDP’s Access to creek side ecosystems
SITE NO 2 Moderately vegetated Along Valley creek Easily accessible from urban core Larger than an acre Site is cleared of buildings Access to creekside ecosystems
SITE NO 3 Highly vegetated Valley creek tributary on site One of the Oldest sites Close to forested area Larger than an acre No existing buildings on site 7
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4 1 3 6
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Site Conditions A narrow obscured shrubby pathway leads on towards Nabors branch, a shallow tributary of valley creek. The site is covered with combinations of early and mid succession vegetation.
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1. Nabor’s branch flowing through the site
2. Construction wastes and early succession plants
3. Small clearings amidst Mid succession plants
4. Early succession weedy plants on existing pathway
5. A stack of tires dumped in a clearing of the novel forest.
6. An old broken bed frame
Site Pictures Apart from some construction rubble, and abandoned belongings there is no sign of permanent human habitation on this site. Unlike the flora and fauna that use the site daily, people are mere trespassers or bystanders.
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EXISTING ECOLOGY ON SITE 10
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OBSERVATION TOWER
Grids explore different ecological patch dynamics of the site and enable them to be studied by different local organizations of varied interests. Phasing helps gather funds and expand research areas as and when needed.
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SPONSORS AND PARTNERS
PHASE 1 - Current
PHASE 2 - 5 Years
WHAT WILL PEOPLE DO HERE?
PHASE 2 - 10 Years
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DISTURBANCES
CO2
O2
ADAPTATION BIODIVERSITY HABITAT COMPETITION NESTING PLANT SUCCESSION
POLLEN PLANT VARIATION INTERACTING OBSERVING LEARNING
POLLINATION REPRODUCTION
SEEDS
SOIL FORMATION
INFILTRATION
DECOMPOSITION
100’-0” X 100’-0” Transects 100’ x 100’ transects are used to study ecological processes of the novel ecosystems. Vertical posts demarcate one transect from another.
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CARBON SEQUESTRATION
Goldenrod Solidago Spp Queen Anne’s Lace Daucus carota
White Clover Trifolium repens
Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Daisy Weed Bellis perennis
Walking Through Eco-Grids Visitors walk past tall colorful eco-grids on primary pathways planted with regularly spaced trees . Colors help visitors identify the grids ecological typology. Colorful ropes tie vertical posts together, indicating average heights of each grid.
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Site Section - Entry
The entrance is marked with fast growing vertical Tulip poplar trees that invite people into the site.
Site Section - Early Succession
Maintained early succession weed ecology with observation tower to view and observe growth of plants and wildlife.
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Bricks, mounds, and mills Studio III Lagrange, Georgia ATLANTA
LAGRANGE
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The Hillside community located in Lagrange, GA was founded in 1915 as a 275 acre mill neighborhood. When the mills ownership changed hands, housing was no longer affiliated with the mill and the residents had to travel large distances to get to work. This led to the disinvestment and deteriorating condition of the neighborhood. In this studio, the Auburn University Masters of Landscape Architecture spring 2017 studio, worked with the non profit DASH and the community to design proposals for sustainable economic solutions to improve the conditions of the neighborhood. This proposal for Hillside park focuses on four key issues — Recreation, Infrastructure, Safety and most importantly Identity of the neighborhood.
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LAGRANGE ART MUSEUM
LAFAYETTE SOCIETY FOR PERFORMING ARTS
LAGRANGE COLLEGE
LAGRANGE COLLEGE
HILLSIDE PARK [Park proposal]
LAMAR DODD ART CENTER
MILLIKEN &CO MILL LAGRANGE ACADEMY
PURE LIFE STUDIO
LA GRANGE PIANO LESSONS
MILLIKEN MILL
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DOC SPIER’S GATHERING PLACE
Community and context
Community Engagement and Pop-up Park Involving the community helped gain multiple perspectives of the site and helped residents gain ownership of the design process. Additionally, the pop up park helped the community understand how a small under utilized urban space can be re-imagined or re-purposed with little materials and budget.
HILLSIDE APARTMENTS MILL HOUSES
HILLSIDE CHURCH
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INDEX 1. Earth mound park 2. Moss water wall 3. Entry plaza 4. Amphitheater 5. Trail 6. Pavilions 7. Moss brick walls 8. Stormwater runoff stream 9. Stormwater catchment pond 23
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Mill houses and Hillside park
A view of mill houses overlooking hillside park with minimal infrastructure. The community enjoys the trees on site and aims to preserve them.
Proposed section for Hillside park
The proposed section combines hard edges of bricks (borrowed from the mill’s texture) and soft edges of lawn mounds to create pockets of recreational interest. It also preserves most of the existing trees on site.
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Path for people
A
Path for water
B C
Movement of people and water through site
People experience flow of water on a parallel path. The site allows for rainwater from the neighborhood to flow through the site.
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A, B, C
D
A
D
B
C
Recycling water through Hillside
Water is slowed down using moss walls(A).The water then flows through a culvert(B) and is purified using a rain garden(C). The water is then collected and pumped up to irrigate neighborhood landscapes(D).
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Soft textures
Wood textures
Paving Textures
Brick Textures
PLAN OF BRICK LAYOUT
Brick-Moss-Water wall
Texture found on site
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This brick wall is designed to slow down water and to facilitate the growth of moss which cleans the water further before it drips into the rain garden.
WALLS
Brick-Light Pavilion
The cultural pods of the garden used for art installations and exhibits. Also serve as small gathering spaces for informal social events.
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MOUNDS
Proposed grade
Geo-cells staked and placed on slope
Planted mound
Compacted Earth
Existing grade
Section of a mound
Lincoln Street
Existing trees preserved
Amphitheater for large gathering events Soft mound step seating
Trail for cyclists and pedestrians Stage
Brick feature wall
Soft mound amphitheater
Community recreational gathering space for events helps build identity for the neighborhood. The amphitheater can also be used by the Lagrange college.
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Porous deck
Porous decks on site help facilitate the growth of the understory and also help with rainwater percolation.
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PATHWAYS
Place making streets
Well lit streets with bird feeders and confederate jasmine give Hillside its own identity and fragrance.
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Present Existing canopy of pines, hickory, sweet gum and sweet bay magnolias. Understory trees are planted to replace existing canopy.
Lob Lolly Pines
Sweet Bay Magnolia Hickory
Sweet Gum Pine needles and leaves create acidic soil
Older canopy of trees are ready to be replaced when they near their end
After 30 years Planted understory trees of Eastern hemlock and American beeches begin to grow. Ground cover of native Rhododendron and Azalea shrubs are planted. New canopy of trees grow under the existing canopy
Rhododendrons and Azaleas planted in acidic soil
A new canopy is formed, however some trees from the previous canopy still remain
After 60 years Traces of older canopy remain as stubs of trees and a new canopy of trees replaces the old with blooming Azaleas and Rhododendron.
Older Pine Tree Newly planted American Beech growing Older Sweet Bay Magnolia
Newly planted Eastern Hemlock
Stumps left over from older tree canopy
Rhododendrons and Azaleas thrive in acidic soils
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Choreographing successions Present PLAN
+30 years PLAN
+60 years PLAN
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fall line Park Studio II Columbus, Georgia ATLANTA
COLUMBUS
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The fall line is a geomorphic break that separates the Piedmont from the Coastal Plains. At Columbus, the fall line is a place where the Chattahoochee River plunges creating interesting geologic features like rapids and islands. This park design creates an urban cultural space for people at various scales (personal, small gathering, large gathering). It is a space where people can learn, interact with and experience some of these interesting geological and ecological conditions the Chattahoochee creates.
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LAKE BOTTOM PARK
DINGLEWOOD PARK
TILLIS PARK
fall line PARK
(PROPOSED SITE)
THEO MCGEE PARK
SOUTH COMMONS PARK
A 5 minute walk radius around parks larger than 6 acres shows that Fall line park lies in an optimal location. How can we merge cultural context analysis with material exploration? 38
FALL LINE LARGE ROCKS
SMALLER ROCKS
PLANT GROWTH ON SMALLER ROCKS
PLANTS AND WATER FURTHER BREAK DOWN ROCKS INTO SAND
SAND FACILITATES MORE GROWTH OF PLANTS
Plant and soil conditions observed on islands created in the Chattahoochee River. How can we merge river system analysis with material explorations? 39
RAINFALL CHART INDICATING WATER CONDITIONS IN THE CHATTAHOOCHEE
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LOW WATER CONDITION
MID WATER CONDITION
HIGH WATER CONDITION
Columbus gets an average of 48 inches of rainfall per year. High water conditions occur mostly in March and April and low water conditions occur in September and October, with the rest of the year falling in the average or mid water level condition.
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Water’s Edge - Soft
This section illustrates the site’s softer edge. The rocky grade drops 9 feet gradually creating one terrace flat in between.
Water’s Edge - Hard
This section illustrates the site’s constructed water edge. The concrete path is raised 6 feet above its natural grade. The natural grade then slopes for 3 feet .
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Vehicular south bridge
9’-0” drop from river walk
9’-0” drop from river walk
Old constructed low wall
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LIVING FIBERS
NATURAL FIBERS
SYNTHETIC FIBERS
Length
Connect
Muscle Fibers
Cobweb Fibers
Nylon Fibers
Pattern Nerve Fibers
Cork Fibers
Spandex Fibers
Stem Fibers
Silk Fibers
Plastic Fibres
Stretch
Flexible
Fall line park : Formal Inspiration
Porous
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Research on three types of fibers — living, natural and synthetic suggests that the word ‘Fibrous’ can be generally categorized to have common characteristics of length, connection, pattern, stretching, flexibility and porosity — elements i wanted to include in the park design.
Material Exploration and Iterations
Study model iterations (top) work in one characteristics of the word fibrous — Connection, Stretch, Length, Porous, and Pattern. Hybrid models (right) further integrate many characters of fibrous into one model.
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Further material explorations with digital fabrication
The plaster models were digitalized using photogrammetry software (123D Catch) and iterations were modelled by laser cutting cardboard and CNC milling foam. These models were not as rigid as the plaster model but they are more simplistic.
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Digital remix models
Each module is arranged to look organic and dynamic, having different parameters of size and height, thereby making it look less rigid.
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+ Model
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Site
INDEX 01. Entry retail strip 02. Experiential planting, seating 03. Food truck park 04. Large community ground 05. Tree grove 06. Rainwater catchment ponds 07. Lazy lawn 08. Smaller lawns 09. Walled sediment traps 49
1/2“ OF RAINWATER PER STORM GIVES 13,357 CU FEET OR 5” OF RAINWATER IN THE CATCHMENT PONDS
SURFACE RUN OFF
RAINWATER CATCHMENT PONDS
WEIR
SEDIMENT TRAPS
WEIR
RAINWATER CATCHMENT PONDS ISLAND FORMATION
SEDIMENT TRAPS
WEIR
WIERS ARE DESIGNED TO FLUSH OUT WATER ONCE IN TWO STORMS
Movement of water on site
Columbus gets 48 inches of rainfall per year and 4 inches monthly, the catchment ponds will have 20 inches of water on an average every month or 5 inches every half inch rain event.
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FIVE YEARS
FIFTEEN YEARS
Section of the catchment pond with wetlands to purify water before it gets flushed out of the site
Sediment and water traps
The designed edges capture sediment and create more wetland islands thereby slowing and cleaning water running off from the city before releasing it into the river.
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W AT E R
PA R K PEOPLE
Park for People
The Fall Line park is a place where people can learn about process and interact with the Chattahoochee River water. The park uses multiple scales and hierarchy of park spaces.
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Space for large groups
The central zone is open and can be used for large gatherings like concerts and as a large playground.
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Space for small groups
The Muhly grass and the grove of trees bind spaces to create zones comfortable for small group gatherings.
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Personal space at the park These small stepped seats by the river are designed to be personal spaces. The three sizes of steps can host one to five people in one module. Low water condition allows for growth of wetland plants and more space for people to interact with the river. Illustration on the project introduction page shows high water conditions embracing sediment deposition and flooding.
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SECTION INDICATING LAND CUT 5’- 0”
1’- 6”
1’- 6”
Cast-in-situ concrete Steel reinforcement bars
Steel dowels drilled into rocks
CONCRETE WATER FRONT STEP SEATING
Steel reinforcement bars Shuttering
AXONOMETRIC VIEW OF POURING LAYOUT
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The didactic surface Semester II Plant Spatiality
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The word ‘didactic’ in the context of landscape architecture implies participatory action - a response or dialogue between a visitor and a landscape. In this project, the experience of moving through different widths of pathways surrounded by varied heights of grass, helps visitors perceive and experience wind patterns and movement on site. Taller grasses hide the view of the river and visitors have to gradually move down the slope of the site to be able to see the water. Additionally, open decks strategically placed at the edge conditions of grass types(tall, medium and short), allows observers to notice grass moving and creating patterns from an elevation.
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PLANT STUDIES Plant Ephemerality Plant Spatiality
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Plant ephemerality - this project acknowledges and heightens the ephemeral spatiality of planted forms within a small garden as it transitions through time. The design advances the exploration of plant phenology by highlighting the spatial and textural qualities of a specific plant palette changing through the seasons of an entire year. Plant spatiality - Quick on-site sketches of commonly found plant species of Alabama. Drawing these species helped with learning to identify plants and to observe their spatiality and habitat.
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Winter
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Spring
plant ephemerality
Summer
Fall
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plant spatiality
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FIELD STUDIES Minneapolis Birmingham
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Gathering information about landscapes, sites, and designs through sketching. The process of recording and documenting these sketches helps capture the essence and structure of designs to gain a better understanding of a space. Observing and drawing construction details helps gain more knowledge on site.
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