SUZANNE MAHONEY
KAWAGUCHIKO, JAPAN
PORTFOLIO
The following portfolio features work from three design perspectives: landscape architecture, city planning, and architecture. This work is a reflection of interdisciplinary thinking, an effective approach as design disciplines continue to blur.
PROJECTS:
A Model for Social Housing Beijing, China Change Through Transit Philadelphia, PA West Poplar: Neighborhood Infill Philadelphia, PA Yeadon Borough: A Next Generation Suburb Yeadon, PA The Event’s Effect Glenside, PA Spicule Module Undefined Tattoo Sanctuary Philadelphia, PA Camp David: Visitors Lodges Camp David, MD Digging Our Way Out Philadelphia, PA House of Mayhem Philadelphia, PA Retreat Philadelphia, PA Destruction of the Tree Philadelphia, PA Stereotyped Undefined
EXTRACURRICULAR:
Aokigahara Forest Kawaguchiko, Japan The Basins: At Sulphur Dell Nashville, TN Sketchbook Various
IN PROGRESS:
Environmental Degradation as ART Simulated Natures
Miami, Florida Undefined
PROJECTS
A MODEL FOR SOCIAL HOUSING City Planning Urban Design Studio 700 SPRING 2013
University of Pennsylvania Critic: Stefan Al
PROJECT BRIEF
This semester long group project included teammates: Shelly Zhu, Philip McBride, Donny Zellefrow, Jai Agrawal, Minjoo Kim, and Janet Lee. Moving from a set of fixed typologies, the approach for this studio emerged with an understanding of how development in Beijing typically occurs: by private developers across the entire city. Multiple development scenarios are put forth to test varying levels of investment and densities on varying site typologies as the problem of affordable housing in Beijing far greater than the development of just one site. The three scenarios include Low, Medium, and High in reference to the desired density based on hypothetical context.
BEIJING, CHINA
1
AFFORDABILITY _collaborative
AFFORDABILITY MATRIX _collaborative
2
HIGH DENSITY SCENARIO
3
HIGH DENSITY CRITERIA _collaborative
BLOCK
ARCHITECTURE
OPEN SPACE
4
HIGH DENSITY SCENARIO
5
6
TRANSFER DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS _collaborative
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE ZONING _collaborative
Social mission driven organization that applies mixed commercial and philanthropic strategies to address social needs.
7
PROPOSED POLICY CHANGES ACROSS BEIJING _collaborative
8
YEAR END SHOW EXHIBITION _collaborative
9
10
CHANGE THROUGH TRANSIT Landscape Architecture Studio 601 FALL 2013
University of Pennsylvania Critic: Cindy Sanders
PROJECT BRIEF
This project aims to generate a market demand for development in North Philadelphia through university-industry partnership investment led by Temple University. Between Temple University Main Campus and Medical Campus there exist an opportunity to catalyze revitalization through public transit connection. 1
RESEARCH NETWORK TEMPLE CONNECTION
3
2
4
4
TRANSIT PROTECTIVE BARRIERS PROGRAMMED TEST BEDS CIRCULATION 11
5
5
1
BROAD STREET LINE, ALLEGHENY
2
REGIONAL RAIL, NORTH PHILADELPHIA
3
AMTRAK & REGIONAL RAIL, NORTH PHILADELPHIA
4
BROAD STREET LINE, NORTH PHILADELPHIA
5
BROAD STREET LINE, SUSQUEHANNA/DAUPHIN
RECONNECTION OF TRANSIT TO BOTANY 500
12
TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT
1
1
MIXED USE HOUSING
2
LANDSCAPE TRANSIT CONNECTOR
3
COMMERCIAL CENTER
4
MAIN AXIS
5
COMMUNITY AMENITIES
6
STATION ENTRANCE
7
TRANSITIONAL LANDSCAPE
8
NEW STATION LOCATION
9
CONTINUED CAMPUS
CIRCULATION
2
PHASING
3
4 5 6 7
1 8
TRAIN VEHICLE PEDESTRIAN BICYCLE
LAND USE
CATALYTIC SITE RENOVATION RESEARCH & COMMERCIAL ADDITIONAL AMENITIES
ENVIRONMENTAL
6
9
13
COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL INSTITUTIONAL INDUSTRIAL TRANSIT
GREEN ROOF TEST BED & TRAIL ENTRANCES STORM WATER & NAVIGATION DEVICES STREET BUMP OUTS
RECREATIONAL TRAILS CONNECTED
RESEARCH EXPERIMENTATION REVEALED
COMMERCIAL ATTRACTIONS LINKED TO TRANSIT
TRANSIT CONNECTED BUSINESSES
ADAPTIVE REUSE OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS
PRIORITIZE PEDESTRIANS
14
CREATION OF TRANSIT-CENTERED PLACE
15
TRAIN STATION DETAIL DESIGN
16
WEST facing section AB
PROPOSED NORTH BROAD REGIONAL RAIL STATION
HUNTINGTON STREET
LEHIGH AVENUE
NORTHEAST facing section EF AMTRAK & SEPTA TRENTON STATION
E
B
F
A
17
GLENWOOD AVENUE
LANDSCAPE TRANSIT CONNECTORS SITE ENTRANCE
BOTANY 500 BUILDING
INDUSTRIAL VACANCY REUSE BOTANY 500 & PROPOSED NORTH BROAD REGIONAL RAIL STATION
BROAD STREET
LANDSCAPE TRANSIT CONNECTORS
18
LANDSCAPE TRANSIT CONNECTORS & STORM WATER MANAGEMENT RETENTION
19
BROAD STREET TRANSFORMATION & TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT
20
WEST POPLAR: NEIGHBORHOOD INFILL Site Planning 504 SPRING 2013
University of Pennsylvania Instructor: Scott Page
PROJECT BRIEF
Group site analysis, partners included: Xin Tan, Meg Dahlgren, and Anna Ishii. The individual projected included a site design for 40 affordable town homes (1,200 sq EXISTING LAND USE _collaborative HOUSING QUALITY _collaborative ft) (10% ADA) with on site parking, 15 market rate units (2,000 sq ft) with on site parking, 10,000 sq ft. of retail, and rehabilitation of 10-15 homes.
SITE LOCATION
RESIDENTIAL MIXED USE COMMERCIAL AUTO COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL PARK YARD VACANT LAND VACANT BUILDING
LAND COVERAGE _collaborative
GRASS COVERAGE VEGETATION COVERAGE 21
GOOD CONDITION FAIR CONDITION POOR CONDITION NEW CONSTRUCTION
VACANCY _collaborative
VACANT LAND VACANT BUILDING
SITE BOUNDARY TARGETED HOMES FOR RENOVATION
DESIGN APPROACH
STABLE RESIDENTIAL ZONES SIGNIFICANT BUILDINGS HIGH CONCENTRATION OF VACANT LAND
NORTHERN ANCHOR Fairmount & 11th
SOUTHERN ANCHOR Ridge & Buttonwood
22
NORTHERN ANCHOR Fairmount & 11th
SOUTHERN ANCHOR Ridge & Buttonwood
23
PROPOSED ZONING CHANGES
DEVELOPMENT at WEST POPLAR LOCATION
LOT AREA (SF)
EXISTING ZONING
PARKING REQUIREMENTS
Fairmount Avenue & 11th Street
80,500 sq ft
RSA-5
0 for single family
Melon Street & 11th Street
34,000 sq ft
RM-1
0 for single family
Spring Garden Street, Ridge Avenue, & 11th Street
38,000 sq ft
I-2
1/2 units
24
YEADON BOROUGH: A NEXT GENERATION SUBURB WORKSHOP 600 SPRING 2013
NON-CAR M TE
Y ILIT OB
Working with a team of seven students, this comprehensive plan for Yeadon, PA attempted to address several key issues plaguing many First-Generation Suburbs of Philadelphia including opportunities to improve existing transit connections. Photorealistic renderings were a primary source of presenting to Yeadon Council Members.
GOALS
PROM O
PROJECT BRIEF
MUNITY OM A EC
REDUC E
ERCIAL MM VA CO
NCIES CA
NSISTENT ID CO
TITY EN
BUIL D
PROMOTE NON-CAR MOBILITY PROMOTE NON-CAR MOBILITY
IMPROVE COMMUNITY AMENITIES IMPROVE COMMUNITY AMENITIES
PRESERVE AFFORDABILITY PRESERVE AFFORDABILITY
E UNEMPLOY AS
NT ME
DEC RE
FFORD AB VE A ER
TY ILI
PRE S
NITIES ME
IMPRO V
YEADON BOROUGH ACCESSIBILITY _collaborative
25
University of Pennsylvania Instructor: Christina Arlt
DECREASE UNEMPLOYMENT DECREASE UNEMPLOYMENT
REDUCE COMMERCIAL VACANCIES REDUCE COMMERCIAL VACANCIES
BUILD CONSISTENT IDENTITY BUILD CONSISTENT IDENTITY
We envision a Yeadon that is walkable and transit-oriented; attractive to new
amenities to its residents.
Yeadon will be a place for young
small businesses; and able to provide a high level of
families to build their lives and for the elderly to age in place affordably. It will have a diverse
mix of uses, both public and private, that appeals to residents and visitors alike. Most of all, Yeadon will stand out as the
community of choice for the next generation.
PRIORITIZE PEDESTRIANS
26
TRAFFIC CALMING & PRIORITIZE PEDESTRIANS
27
28
CULTIVATE NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTIONS
29
30
THE EVENT’S EFFECT
Bachelor of Architecture Thesis Temple University FALL 2011-2012 Critics: Eric Oskey, Sneha Patel, & Jason Austin
PROJECT BRIEF
This thesis project is rooted in the narrative both real and fiction as well as an understanding of the architectural uncanny as it pertains to the suburban home. + physical site & event: 639 Twickenham Rd, Glenside PA + cinematic sites: The Belly of an Architect, Taxi Driver, and The Shining ASSUMED FLOOR PLANS + conceptually linking cinematic narratives to event and a physical site
639 TWICKENHAM ROAD, GLENSIDE PA 31
DATA COLLECTION, CHARACTER ANALYSIS, & UNCANNY ENVIRONMENTS
COLLECTION OF CHARACTERS
STOURLEY KRACKLITE THE BELLY OF AN ARCHITECT SUICIDE
TRAVIS BICKLE TAXI DRIVER MULTIPLE HOMICIDES
JACK TORRANCE THE SHINING ATTEMPTED HOMICIDE ACCIDENTAL SUICIDE
EDWARD PRUYN 1971 PRUYN FAMILY MURDERS MULTIPLE HOMICIDES SUICIDE 32
MAPPING level (0) FILM NARRATIVES WITHIN THE PHYSICAL SITE &EXPLORATIONS OF SECTIONS
16 14 7 e 5 e3 1 e e1 e1
e27
8 e1 9 e120 e 2 1 2 2 e e 24 5 6 e27 3 e e2 e2 e2
e28 e29 e30
e28
e31 e30
e29 e34
e31
e35
b16 b17
b15 e36
e33
b21 b22 b23
e32 e33
b24 b25
e35 e36
e39 33
b21
b20
b19
b18
b17
b16
b15
e37 e38
e42
b18 b19 b20
e32
e34
2 e11 0 e1 e1 e9 e8 e7 e6 e5 e4 b5 e3 e1 e2
b45
e39 e37 e38
b36
b37
b39
b44
b43
b38
b39
b42 b41 b40
b35
b42
b34 b33 b29
b30
b31
b43
b32
b30
b29
b28
b27
b26
b25
b24
b23
b22
b38
b26 b27 b28
b41
b31
5
b40
b37
e40
e41
2
b46
b36
b47
b35
b48
b34
b50b49
b33
b51
b32
52
34
DE-CONSTRUCTING THE HOME THROUGH NARRATIVE MAPPINGS
sitting
washing
sleeping
reading
35
watching sleeping
reading
playing
sitting walking parking washing
36
DUAL SPACES & CONNECTIONS BETWEEN
level (1)
roof
37
ENTRANCE level (-1)
level (0)
38
SPICULE MODULE
Undergraduate Studio Temple University FALL 2011 Critics: Alicia Imperiale
PROJECT BRIEF
Experimentation and examination of both natural and artificial sponges tested ideas of pattern, layering, rotation and decay. These exercises revealed the underlying skeletal structure of sponges called spicules. Abstraction of the spicule unit led to a variety of combinations and connections further deployed in appropriate urban conditions.
CONCEPT HYBRIDS
39
SPONGE DETERIORATION
40
THE NETWORK & COMPONENTS
41
ON SITE EXPLORATIONS
42
TATTOO SANCTUARY
Architecture Comprehensive Studio Temple University FALL 2010 Critics: Eric Oskey
PROJECT BRIEF
This studio was in partnership with Stephanie Belawicz working through concept phases and schematic design to preliminary design development. As a means to commemorate lost loved ones, this project provides a sanctuary to house preserved tattoo artwork. Blending artwork, celebration, and remembrance this project challenges public opinion of tattoos.
43
PROGRAMMATIC REQUIREMENTS & DISTRIBUTION_collaborative
44
TENSILE EXPLORATION
BUILDING COMPONENTS 1
STRUCTURAL STEEL EXOSKELETON
2
INTERIOR GLASS
3
SUSPENDED FABRIC SYSTEM
4
CONCRETE CORE AND SLAB SYSTEM
1
2
3
4
45
SECTIONAL COMPOSITE_collaborative
46
SANCTUARY ENTRANCE
47
EXPERIENTIAL SEQUENCING
EXPERIENTIAL SEQUENCING_collaborative
48
CAMP DAVID: VISITORS LODGES
Undergraduate Studio Temple University SPRING 2010 Critic: Srdjan Jovanovic Weiss
PROJECT BRIEF
This project re-imagines the visitor lodges of Camp David to reflect a World War II monument in Croatia: Podgaric Memorial. Exploration includes growth of the unit into a larger network and material skin studies.
PODGARIC MEMORIAL
REPLACING THE UNIT
49
THE UNIT
INTEGRATION OF SITE
50
THE NETWORK
51
MATERIAL STUDIES
SECTIONAL STUDY
52
DIGGING OUR WAY OUT
Undergraduate Studio Temple University FALL 2009 Critic: Jeremy Voorhees
PROJECT BRIEF
This project began with a team submission with Samara Hamilton for the 2009 Ed Bacon Student Design Competition: From Brown to Green: The Grays Ferry Crescent. The individual project component centered on the design of a programmed boardwalk development.
1 2
1
FAIRMOUNT PARK
2
WATER WORKS
3
PROPOSED INTERVENTION
4
BARTRAM’S GARDENS
5
HEAVY CONTAMINATION
6
INTERVENTION NEEDED
3 4 5 6 5 5 6
53
PLANTING DESIGN_collaborative
REMEDIATION PHASING
YEAR 1
YEAR 2
YEAR 3
YEAR 4
YEAR 5
YEAR 6
YEAR 7 54
THE BOARDWALK
1
THEATER
2 OFFICE 3
RETAIL
4 COMMERCIAL
1
2
3
4
55
TEXTURED ELEVATION STUDIES
SECTIONAL STUDY
56
HOUSE OF MAYHEM
Undergraduate Studio Temple University FALL 2008 Critic: Peter Olshavski
PROJECT BRIEF
The House of Mayhem reveals its true identity only on the interior, hosting the misfits of society in the heart of historic Philadelphia. A gathering place for all things metal, guests are invited to rage night and day leaving only the shell of what once was. This project acted as a precursor for my future architectural thesis.
57
“BLENDING IN”
58
CUTAWAY SECTION
59
SUSPENDED SPACE
AXONOMETRIC
DRINKING
LIVING
RESTING VIEWING
PLAYING
ENTERING
LISTENING
60
MATERIAL STUDIES
61
DETAIL MODEL
62
PLAN RRETREAT ETREAT
Undergraduate Studio Temple University FALL 2008 Critic: Peter Olshavski
PROJECT BRIEF
Located along the Schuylkill River, in Bartram’s Garden, this home or retreat was designed in direct correspondence to site conditions and impressions, wrapping around a tree and cantilevering off the existing cliff side. The primary mode of investigation was a layered site mapping and site survey.
CONCEPT COLLAGE
63
SITE MAPPINGS
64
RETREAT PLAN
65
WOOD & PLASTER MODEL
66
DESTRUCTION OF THE TREE
Undergraduate Studio Temple University SPRING 2008 Critic: Scott Shall
PROJECT BRIEF
Through the lens of phenomenology, the effects of stapling a tree were examined and recorded through drawing, collage work, watercolor painting, and a recording device. The final intervention sought to make visible the effects of this small phenomenological occurrence.
67
SITE PHOTO
MOSAIC
68
RECORDING DEVICE
69
RECORDINGS
70
PHYSICAL INTERPRETATION
71
72
INTERVENTION
73
74
STEREOTYPED
Undergraduate Studio Temple University FALL 2007 Critic: Lisa Armstrong
PROJECT BRIEF
The expression, effects, and process of everyday stereotyping is explored through a series of image manipulations, prosthetic iterations, and ultimately a proposed sanctuary of contemplation.
75
CONCEPT COLLAGE
76
PROSTHETIC
77
78
SANCTUARY ITERATIONS
79
80
EXTRACURRICULAR
AOKIGAHARA FOREST Susan Cromwell Coslett Travel Fellowship & [Sub]stance Article SUMMER 2013 & FALL 2013
University of Pennsylvania Critic: Richard Weller & [Sub]stance Editors
555-22-0110
PROJECT BRIEF
Proceeding summer travel to The Aokigahara Forest in Japan granted by the Susan Cromwell Coslett Travel Fellowship, I was invited to write an article for the first student run PennDesign Landscape Architecture Journal, [Sub]stance. A model was built to accompany the article.
Suzanne Mahoney It’s 14 square miles and has about 10 miles of known trail. I walked every inch of those trails and found nothing at first. It’s great for bird watching, if you’re into that kind of thing. The bus will drop you off right in front of the bird sanctuary or at one of the three caves. There is the Bat Cave with cheesy Batman figurines everywhere. Then there is the Ice Cave with glowing blue ice (the ice is only blue because there is a giant blue spotlight on it). And lastly, there is the Lava Cave with slimy cramped spaces just like the other two caves. The caves are cool, I guess, but mostly a tourist trap. I didn’t come here to see the caves. The caves and surrounding area were formed from the lava of the neighboring volcano. I climbed the mountain during the night to see the sunrise from the summit. Weak from altitude sickness, I collapsed at the top just as the sun burst through the haze, then I cried. The view was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, but I didn’t come here for the view.
Through a memoir and analysis, Suzanne Mahoney explores the Aokihagara Forest and its culture of suicide.
[death]
301
104
I flew 15 hours east to see a forest. I know very little about forests, ecosystems, or even trees for that matter. I don’t have much experience hiking or camping. Would I get lost? I heard from a friend that compasses don’t even work in there. Good thing I bought colored tape to mark my path. The first half-mile of the forest is covered in colored tape, which I intended to follow. I got off the bus at the Lava Cave. There were two vehicles parked at the forest entrance with four patrol rangers waiting. As I made my way closer to the entrance one ranger tried to initiate a conversation with me, but all I could say was hello since I don’t speak the language. I passed the surveillance camera and entered the forest. I walked for about 20 minutes and then came to a fork in the trail so I went right, in the direction of the mountain. I finally found the place: roped off and marked “no entry”. I had seen images of this sign online so I knew this was the way. I crossed over the ropes and went through. Although off-trail, the path was well worn and there were layers of old tape almost immediately, embedded in the ground and on some trees. On either side I could see faint lines of tape in the distance, but I stayed on the worn path. I walked for a bit and saw a fire pit in the middle of the path. The stones were blackened, looking recently used with leftover trash in the center. Then I noticed the skull, just resting there on the side of the trail bank. It was so out of place. No other remnants were around this skull. It must have been moved from its original place in the forest. Moved, not to warn people of what lies out there, but to fulfill the spectator’s desire to see evidence of death. So, as a spectator I took my picture and kept moving.
1
555-22-0110 Suzanne Mahoney It’s 14 square miles and has about 10 miles of known trail. I walked every inch of those trails and found nothing at first. It’s great for bird watching, if you’re into that kind of thing. The bus will drop you off right in front of the bird sanctuary or at one of the three caves. There is the Bat Cave with cheesy Batman figurines everywhere. Then there is the Ice Cave with glowing blue ice (the ice is only blue because there is a giant blue spotlight on it). And lastly, there is the Lava Cave with slimy cramped spaces just like the other two caves. The caves are cool, I guess, but mostly a tourist trap. I didn’t come here to see the caves. The caves and surrounding area were formed from the lava of the neighboring volcano. I climbed the mountain during the night to see the sunrise from the summit. Weak from altitude sickness, I collapsed at the top just as the sun burst through the haze, then I cried. The view was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, but I didn’t come here for the view. I flew 15 hours east to see a forest. I know very little about forests, ecosystems, or even trees for that matter. I don’t have much experience hiking or camping. Would I get lost? I heard from a friend that compasses don’t even work in there. Good thing I bought colored tape to mark my path. The first half-mile of the forest is covered in colored tape, which I intended to follow. I got off the bus at the Lava Cave. There were two vehicles parked at the forest entrance with four patrol rangers waiting. As I made my way closer to the entrance one ranger tried to initiate a conversation with me, but all I could say was hello since I don’t speak the language. I passed the surveillance camera and entered the forest. I walked for about 20 minutes and then came to a fork in the trail so I went right, in the direction of the mountain. I finally found the place: roped off and marked “no entry”. I had seen images of this sign online so I knew this was the way. I crossed over the ropes and went through. Although off-trail, the path was well worn and there were layers of old tape almost immediately, embedded in the ground and on some trees. On either side I could see faint lines of tape in the distance, but I stayed on the worn path.
As I continued to walk further along this main trail, I saw a blur of blue to my right. I knew it was more than just colored tape in the distance. I pulled out my own red tape to mark my path as I went off trail. The blue was a tarp covering a tent. In front of the tent was a mangled skeleton with debris all around. I recognized parts of the site from pictures online. Just like the first skull, I felt that something wasn’t right. Was this skeleton a fake? Am I on some hidden camera show? So, as a contestant I took my picture and kept moving. Following my own tape back to the worn trail, I continued looking for tape that went off course. I followed one line of tape to reach a pair of nooses hanging from a single tree. I only noticed these from the bright pink robe that lay limp beneath. This was the first finding that felt real. There were no human remains, no images of this online that I had seen, nothing stage like, just some rope and clothing in the middle of this vast forest. It hit me: someone died here. At this exact spot, someone took their own life. What would it take for me, for you, to end your life, to decide not to live anymore? I’ve had days where living is hard work — faking the smile, acting like I’m okay, but hating myself to the point where death seems…better. I’ve been there, at that point, but I was never willing to end it all. How could she do that? There had to be something to look forward to, some hope, some love, some thing. We all need something to get us through and she didn’t have that. Pushing through the sadness of what I’d just seen, I followed several other lines of tape which led to nothing more then a few beer cans. So I called it a day. I got my five dollars worth; I saw a real skeleton in the suicide forest. I left the forest through the same entrance, greeted by the same four men I saw on my way into the forest. One man jumped out of the car and handed me two pieces of candy. I actually think they were happier to see me come out of the forest than I was. I was one less body to search for in there. The candy was disgusting so I treated myself to ice cream at the Lava Cave gift shop. Perhaps they should incentivize everyone to return from the forest with candy and ice cream.
- Suzanne I walked for a bit and saw a fire pit in the middle of the path. The stones were blackened, looking recently used with leftover trash in the center. Then I noticed the skull, just resting there on the side of the trail bank. It was so out of place. No other remnants were around this skull. It must have been moved from its original place in the forest. Moved, not to warn people of what lies out there, but to fulfill the spectator’s desire to see evidence of death. So, as a spectator I took my picture and kept moving.
2
3
s to find their way out de. The Suicide Patrol ect the bodies. Ghost same equipped with ploit the phenomenon. orest.
oking at the lake. The top of it: the sea of wards the bottom like d through novels such Wave, suicide in this
This investigation of the Aokigahara Forest was initiated as a means to understand the notorious phenomena of suicide within this sacred Japanese forest. Focus was centered on the unknown narratives of suicide victims and how these narratives leave a physical mark on the forest itself. These marks or residual evidence (tape, discarded clothing, human decay) can then be traced to assemble a narrative of suicide. Further research and firsthand experience diverted this topic to one of human experience and perception of landscapes. The suicide forest is an example of how natural landscapes have become simulations. N. Katherine Hayles describes simulated landscapes in her article Simulated Nature and Natural Simulations: Rethinking the Relation between the Beholder and the World: “When ‘nature’ becomes an object for visual consumption, to be appreciated by the connoisseur’s eye sweeping over an expanse of landscape, there is a good chance it has already left the realm of firsthand experience and entered the category of constructed experience that we can appropriately call simulation.” 1
108
Un-designed landscapes, known as First Nature, are actually simulations designed through media and human histories. Through design in the form of online blogs, photos, videos, maps, and guidebooks, spectators are able to experience the Aokigahara Forest without ever visiting. Firsthand experiences in the forest are tainted by this prior knowledge leaving very little left to discover in “the wild”. With no limit to design, humans have effectively tamed First Nature and in the case of the Aokigahara Forest, the media “trash” has inadvertently affected the forest, bringing ghost-hunters, thrill seekers, scavengers, surveillance cameras, and a suicide patrol unit into this once peaceful place. The Complete Manual of Suicide by Wataru Tsurumi (often found within the forest) describes the Aokigahara Forest as the perfect place to die for its quiet seclusion, but this can no longer be true. The forest has lost the sense of sacredness as a retreat from the pressures of Japanese culture. Victims who choose the forest as a place to die will be found and their deaths will be scrutinized just as those of victims who choose a high-speed train station, another popular place for suicide in Japan. There are implied differences
between train stations and the forest and the narratives of those who commit suicide at either. Japanese train stations operate like machines reflecting the strict order and high expectations of Japanese culture. There is a consistent flow of human traffic set to the precise schedule of the trains. Daily commuters run on autopilot transferring trains from point A to point B without a second thought. Considering suicide in a place like this seems similar to the autopilot mechanics of the stations. You pick a train: a train that you know will be exactly on time as most trains are in Japan. The act is instantaneous, over in seconds. This act is public, losing all sense of privacy and sensitivity just as the stations themselves are designed. Train schedules are delayed following a suicide on the tracks and families of the victim are charged for cleanup fees. Suicides in Japanese train stations have become routine and banal and thus disconnected from the deeply personal act that is suicide. To choose the forest as your final place on earth requires a very different mentality than choosing a train station. Entering the forest with intentions of suicide reflects Man’s desire to return to First Nature. This may be especially relevant to the Japanese view of First Nature discussed by Hubertus Tellenbach and Bin Kimura:
path through the forest as a means to find their way out if they choose not to commit suicide. The Suicide Patrol follows the threads of tape to collect the bodies. Ghost hunters and thrill seekers do the same equipped with video cameras and intentions to exploit the phenomenon. All reverence has been lost in the forest. “It was quiet. She stood there, looking at the lake. The opposite side was brown lava, on top of it: the sea of trees, which spread endlessly towards the bottom like an ocean.”3 Initially romanticized through novels such as Matsumoto Seicho’s Tower of Wave, suicide in this forest now exposes the harsh realities of the suicide culture in Japan pointing directly to societal pressures in a highly constructed environment. Through interference of design, the Aokigahara Forest has become equivalent to the hyper-designed train stations. They are both stage sets, places to observe suicide as a cultural phenomenon. Death is objectified and consumed by media spectators. As the forest is continuously advertized through media, Japanese perceived tolerance of suicide may shift. Either new suicide refuges will be sought or perhaps cultural and societal dynamics will adjust.
“…they [Japanese] apprehend Onozumara and Mizukara, nature and self, as originating from the same common ground… In expressing the common ground of Onozumara and Mizukara, nature and self, the Japanese thus point to something like a spontaneous becoming, a force flowing forth from an original source.2
110 As described by Japanese language, human instinct, it seems, is to reconnect with Nature or Oneself. The forest offered Japanese people that opportunity as a place of contemplation and ultimately oneness with Nature through death. This is not a place one passes each day on a daily commute. Traveling to the forest requires intention and preparedness. Equipment such as a rope or sleeping pills must be obtained and brought with you. And the final act is completed alone. There is no train conductor or high-speed train that can carry this out for you. You must tie the rope and you must count the pills. A suicide in the forest therefore requires more contemplation. Some choose to camp out in the forest for days resolving whether or not to end their lives. Others thread colored tape around trees to mark their
Your life is a precious gift from your parents. Think about them and the rest of your family. You don’t have to suffer alone. Call us. 555-22-0110
References 1 N. Katherine Hayles, Simulated Nature and Natural Simulations: Rethinking the Relation between the Beholder and the World (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1996), 411. 2 Hubertus Tellenbach and Bin Kimura, The Japanese Concept of “Nature” (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1989), 154 3 Pejik Malinovski, David Spalding Sharp, and Kurt Anderson, Suicide Forest (Idlewood Recordings, 2010) Web.
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THE BASINS: AT SULPHUR DELL Gerald D. Hines Urban Design Student Competition, ULI SPRING 2014
PROJECT BRIEF
This submission for the Gerald D. Hines Urban Design Student Competition, ULI received an Honorable Mention for the overall quality in particular for the strong “landscape approach”. Team members included: Jackie Martinez, Jed Poster, Sam Rosen, and Joanna Karaman. All drawings were shared between multiple authors. The Basins’ expanded greenway system will protect the neighborhood through a series of strategically placed water-collecting plazas. These plazas occupy the lowest points of the site--those most likely to flood--and are designed to create spurs of activity off the greenway. THE STREAM
THE SOUTH BRAID
THE NORTH BRAID
JEFF
ERS O
N BL VD
REGIONAL CONNECTION
THE PIER
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THE SHED
RIPARIAN RIVERWALK
RECREATIONAL BOATING DOCKS
CSO OUTFALL FILTRATION
THE PORCH
University of Pennsylvania Critic: Nicholas Pevzner
THE BASINS
WATER PLAZAS
at sulphur dell
PHASING
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SKETCHBOOK Elective Courses Temple University FALL 2007-SPRING 2011 Critic: Katherine Krizek
PROJECT BRIEF
A semester in Rome, Italy provided exposure to amazing food and culture. During this time, I was able to advance my drawing skills in a variety of mediums. Drawing also allowed me the opportunity to really know the city and observe how people use cities.
PIAZZA TRILUSA
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MUSEUM interior
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TIBERINA ISLAND
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LAKE at the ZOO
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DESSERT
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IN PROGRESS
ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AS ART Landscape Architecture Studio 601 FALL 2014
University of Pennsylvania Critic: Karen M’Closkey
PROJECT BRIEF
This studio has begun to identify the roles in which art can shape environmental conditions in Biscayne Bay, Miami Florida. Examining the cycles of Algal Blooms through physical models, graphic studies and dynamic experimentation, this project is positioned on three sites with the agenda to reveal the complex conditions of algae through the lens of artistic expression. Concepts of filtering, harvesting, and signaling are related to site conditions and programmatic functions.
ALGAL BLOOMS
ALGAL BLOOMS 2013
CORAL GABLES
Snapper Creek Canal CANAL BASIN DA-4
BLACK POINT
Multiple Canal CANAL BASIN DA-4
BARNES SOUND
Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station & Canals CANAL BASIN DA-4
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ALGAL BLOOM PROCESS
VERTICAL GROWTH & HARVEST SYSTEM
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GRAPHIC & MODEL EXPLORATIONS
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ON SITE TESTING
FILTER: MIAMI RIVER
FRAME 20
FRAME 75
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FRAME 75
FRAME 20
FRAME 75
5
FRAME 150
FRAME 150
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FRAME 20
FRAME 20
FRAME 75
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FRAME 150
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CAUSEWAY: MODEL 01
CAUSEWAY: MODEL 02
RIVER: MODEL 01
RIVER: MODEL 02
RIVER: MODEL 03
SIGNAL: CAUSEWAY
HARVEST: MARINE STADIUM BASIN
FRAME 20
FRAME 20
FRAME 75
FRAME 150
BASIN: MODEL 01
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FRAME 150
BASIN: MODEL 02
FRAME 20
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BASIN: MODEL 03
FRAME 75
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CAUSEWAY: MODEL 03
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SITE CONNECTIONS boating traffic, nutrient runoff
$ private investors private homeowners filter water, expanded edge
OPERABLE ALGAE FILTERS
THE BASIN
derelict, lack of shade, good views city owned infrastructure
$
fishermen, youth display conditions, support current use
site in transition, research based campus
$ Miami Marine Stadium & private investors boaters, researchers, event audiences algae research and harvest, recreational use
LIGHT NUTRIENTS TEMPERATURE pH LEVELS
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SITE PROGRAMS
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SIMULATED NATURES Landscape Architecture Elective University of Pennsylvania FALL 2014 Critic: Keith VanDerSys & Joshua Freese
PROJECT BRIEF
This landscape architecture elective utilizes computer-aided tools to explore the potentials of landscape analysis, design, and manufacturing. A series of exercises provide exposure to Rhino, Grasshopper, Vasari, Ecotect, and Maya softwares.
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PANEL ITERATIONS & DRAINAGE STUDIES
CNC MILLED HIGH DENSITY URETHANE
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GRASSHOPPER FIELD AND CHARGE STUDIES
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THANK YOU SUZANNE MAHONEY 313 Cherry Lane Glenside, PA 19038 215.275.2170 suzanne.mahoney@gmail.com MOUNT13 FUJI, JAPAN