LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Photo taken at the site work of El Jaguel Park, 2018.
Viviana Lichner
Content
Student work
About me:
The city and the wetland. -The construction of landscape on the edge. *Thesis outline..........01
I’m a restless learner who loves engaging in continuous professional development. Over the past six years I’ve devoted my career to the design of public spaces.
Professional work
Since my younger days my love for nature and being outdoors was undeniable, but at the same time I loved to build stuff with any material. At secondary school I became really interested in subjects such as science, biology and drawing. Choosing Landscape Design as a career path allowed me to combine my passion for design and nature.
El Jaguel Park...................................................................................02 Promenade of the Americas..............................................................03 Renaturalisation of urban streams to public spaces of quality.........04 Street art as creator of social spaces...............................................05
Portfolio Landscape Design Viviana Lichner phone: +59899908508 email: vivianalichner@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/viviana-lichner
01.
THE CITY AND THE WETLAND The construction of landscape on the edge.
This study reflects the process of creation of the final project of ´Cortazzo Workshop ´, University of the Republic of Uruguay (UDELAR). *Thesis outline. Authors: Viviana Lichner - Javier Fernández. July 2019 *This project was selected to be displayed in ELEPA (Encounter of Latin America students of Landscape Architecture), Valparaíso, Chile, Nov 2019.
LOCATION AND AREA DEFINITION
PERIMETRAL HIGHWAY
San Carlos
R. 39 ARROYO MALDONADO
Punta Ballena
Humedal
Maldonado
Manantiales La Barra
Punta del Este
The selected territory is located northeast of the urban agglomaration of the cities of Maldonado - Punta del Este , with its limit on the west with Bv Artigas and a section of the highway 39 ‘R.39’, towards the south Av Aparicio Saravia and to the east there’s a broad plain terrain to the softs elevations of the Eguzquiza hills meeting in some points with the Maldonado’s main stream ‘Arroyo Maldonado’.
PROJECT OUTLINE
WETLAND
INTERPHASE CITY
The purpose of this project is to harmonize the natural landscapes and the urban landscapes reconciling the Maldonado Nuevo’s urbanazation with the wetland of the stream of Maldonado and with the perimetral highway. Thus promoting the improvement of the quality of life of the inhabitants and at the same time preserving the ecosistemic and aethetics values. The preservation is crucial baring in mind that the interventions that had been made and the ones that are going to take place can have a huge impact on the landscpaes and ecosystems of this watershed. The area of the project contains three main elements: an urbanization of high population density, a broad plain landscape which is the flood plain of the Maldonado Stream (the wetland) and the artificial boundary between them which is the perimetral highway. From this configuration the project seeks to improve the quality of urban life, incorporating public spaces and green areas, looking for public services to be located on the perimeter of the urbananization. And finally generating meeting points for the community.
Photographic sequence of the different panoramic views.
ANALISYS- DESIGN EVALUATION
OBJECTIVES The main purpose of this project is to build a sustainable landscape which will allow for the harmonic interaction of the city, the wetland and the perimetral highway. The ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life of the citizens of the area and to ensure that the wetland is protected.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES Present: inminent advance of the urbanazation over the highway towards the wetland.
Tension between the base components: the wetland, the urbanization and the highway.
-Prevent the urban growth or expansion over the wetland. -Increase and generate new public space that promote areas of socialization and coexistence between neighbours. -Generate infrastructure that faciliates the approach of the inhabitants to the wetland, increasing its value. -Promote the establishment of public services on the west bank of the perimetral highway.
Conect the territory
HIGHWAY
WETLAND
scenic landscape
vegetation
COMUNICATION SPOTS/EDUCATION
regeneration
NODES wildlife
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
CITY MAIN STREETS
BUFFER ZONE
archaeological heritage
HIGHWAY
Scope of action
Generate an interfase that facilitates an integration and transition between the two landscapes in conflict.
3 base components: Wetland - Highway- City
Strategies are translated through different components of an operational nature: promanade, arteries, buffer zone, social condensers, incisions and regulations. The components consist of the following elements:
SPATIAL DESIGN AND PLANNING CONCEPT
PROJECT STRATEGIES
1- Connect the territory -Promenade: sidewalk, bike path, terraces, incisions, urban equipment. -Arteries: vegetation, crossing, artistic interventions. -Social condenser: multipurpose buildings. -Buffer zone: vegetation.
WETLAND The project has several dimensions of intervention which includes the following strategies which turn into actions. Material Actions: 1- connect the territory 2- protect and promote the values of the wetland. 3- promote socialization and integration among the inhabitants.
PROMENADE
BASE COMPONENTS : -Wetland -Highway -City
OPERATING COMPONENTS: -Promenade -Incisions Inmaterial Actions: 4- Allow the construction of sustainable and -Social Condensers harmonic urban developments on the side -Buffers -Arteries of the highway.
CONECT THE TERRITORY
SOCIAL CONDENSERS Terraces sidewalk Buffer zone cycle path Social Condensers vegetation Arteries urban equipment observation platforms artistic interventions
2- Protect and value the wetland -Promenade: sidewalk, bike path, terraces, urban equipment. -Buffer zone: vegetation, sports facilities, recreational facilities, urban equipment, parking lots. -Arteries: artistic interventions, vegetation. -Incisions: paths, observation platforms. -Social condensers: wetland interpretation center.
Promenade
PROMOTE SOCIALIZATION AND INTEGRATION
Incisions
PROTECT AND VALUE THE WETLAND
INCISIONS BUFFER
CITY ARTERIES
WETLAND HIGHWAY TRANSITION
CITY
3- Promote socialization and integration among the inhabitants. -Promenade: terraces, sidewalk. -Social condensers: multipurpose buildings. -Buffer zone, urban water streams
SITE PLAN
ACTIONS 1. PROMENADE+ SOCIAL CONDENSER + INCISIONS + OBSERVATION PLATFORM
N
INCISIONS + NODE
SOCIAL CONDENSER
PROMENADE
+ TERRACES
2. ARTERIES + GREEN CORRIDORS + ARTISTIC INTERVENTIONS
INCISIONS SOCIAL CONDENSER
NODE
ARTERIES
BUFFER ZONE
3. BUFFER ZONE + URBAN STREAMS
SOCIAL CONDENSER NODE
PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLE PATH OBSERVATION PLATFORM
SOCIAL CONDENSERS NODES
1. ACTION: PROMENADE + SOCIAL CONDENSERS + INCISIONS + OBSERVATION PLATFORM INCISION TERRACES INCISION
INCISION
OBSERVATION PLATFORM
SOCIAL CONDENSERS These pieces, function as project structuring cores. They are located at the intersection between the arteries and the perimetral highway. They are thought to be reference points for the articulation of the project as well as poles of attraction. They will be buildings of no more than 2 stories in height, which will extend horizontally, located on the east bank of the highway. The social condensers are fused with the promenade in orEach section of the walk path will allow the user to appreciate der to give from the highway an uninterrupeted panoramic in greater detail and quality the panoramic views offered by the view of the landscape. They will concentrate programs of social interest such as polyclinics, schools, wetland interwetland, with the aim of revaluing this ignored landscape. pretation center, exhibition hall, cowork offices, among others. PROMENADE -It’s the largest public space, tangential to all neighbourhoods. -6km long with variable width. -It has a pedestrian and cycle path. -Terraces - various activities - open program. -The Social Condensers (projected buildings) which aims to structure the promenade and activate the urban plot.
The circulation routes that start from the social condensers will be called arteries. The sourroundings of these roads is where there is a greater concentration of population. These avenues are the ones that articulate the link between the promenade, the wetland and the urban plot.
2. ACTION ARTERIES: GREEN CORRIDORS + ARTISTIC INTERVENTIONS
Its function will be to introduce the wetland symbolically to the city, so that the city can obtain the benefits of green corridors.
The implantation of vegetation in the arteries forms green corridors that will generate the benefits associated with them to the city. Vegetation is thought based on proximity to the wetland. The plants go in a gradient from mountain species to typical wetland species. Enabling artistic interventions of public walls or murals in order to promote the theme of wetlands and their values.
RESTING AREAS
3. ACTION: BUFFER ZONE + URBAN STREAMS
The buffer zone is located in areas where the urban pattern has not yet been extended. PLAYGROUND
SPORT AREA
RESTING AREAS
Its main function will be to control the progress of the urban pattern towards the perimetral highway. Park areas that resemble the natural landscape of the wetland are proposed, generating a direct contact of the characteristic vegetation with the neighbours.
Existing uses as sports fields are assumed as part of the project and sports use is promoted where the land allows, in addition to playgrounds and resting areas. Parking lots are planned in sports areas. As for urban streams, they are reconditioned for recreational use. Native wetland vegetation and urban equipment will be implemented.
INCISIONS The only elements that allow direct access to the wetland are the incisions. They consist of bridges and resting platforms. They are long bridges which will allow people to enter the wetland, they also provide strategically located resting platforms which will allow the user to enjoy the panoramic views of the landscape. OBSERVATION PLATFORM It is a wooden platform that works as a rest area with a wide view of the wetland and the distant landscape of the hills.
The vegetation seeks to highlight or expand the surrounding landscape.
1. PROMENADE + SOCIAL CONDENSERS + INCISIONS + OBSERVATION PLATFORMS GROUP I
In every roundabout along the highway an ombú is located, as a reference point.
GROUP II
RED SOCIAL CONDENSER + PROMENADE
The flowering of the trees in the surroundings of the social condensers seeks to replicate their colour. For example, the social condenser that is distinguished by the red colour predominates the ceibos (Erythrina crista galli). In the condenser that is distinguished by the yellow colour, species such as curupi (Sapium haematospermum) were selected. The grasses will be foxtails (Cortadeira selloana), paspalum (Paspalum haumanii) and smaller ones in order to replicate the wetland flood area.
SOCIAL CONDENSER
CROSSING
INCISION
TERRANCES PROMENADE SOCIAL CONDENSER
CYCLE PATH
BUFFER PARK CROSSING
BUFFER
INCISION
INCISIONS
TERRACES
PROMENADE + SOCIAL CONDENSER
BIKE PATH
BUS STOP
OBSERVATION PLATFORM
HIGHWAY
PROMENADE
RED SOCIAL CONDENSER + PROMENADE
2. ARTERIES: GREEN CORRIDORS + ARTISTIC INTERVENTIONS Prior to urban development, there was a high, medium and low hillside area dominated by mountain forests and grasslands and in the plain area the wetland associated with the stream.
Plants associated with wetlands
Plants associated to hills The vegetation design of the arteries is inspired by the different environmental landscape units. The purpose is to stregthen the relationship with nature.
The vegetation seeks to generate a continuum that introduces the wetland to the city. That is why a gradient of species ranging from wet soil to hills environments is proposed.
Wetlands Thus, the sequence of groups I, II and III is projected as vegetation enters the urban plot.
ILLUSTRATIVE SECTION CUT: CITY - WETLAND 11m
200m
Highway 5m
3m
1m
GROUP I
GROUP II
GROUP III
A
“The landscape can be interpreted as a social product, as the result of a collective transformation of nature and as the cultural projection of society in a given space. Human societies have transformed throughout history the original natural landscapes into cultural landscapes, characterized not only by a certain materiality (...), but also by the values and feelings embodied in it. In this sense, landscapes are full of places that embody the experience and aspirations of human beings. The social construction of the landscape, Nogué Joan.
A
Artist: Jade Rivera
Design options of intersections
Detail of the street and sidewalk
Social ties develop in the urban environment and the street condenses many of the sources of expression and revelation of citizens. It is, from this perspective of contents and values, what the city proposes to its inhabitants through drawings and paintings as objects of art.
Section cut AA
The urban art as transformer of the public space, is a way of artistic expression that influences the daily life and collective memory of citizens, generating identity and new landscapes.
Artist: Ciclope
3. BUFFER ZONE
N
Urban strem ´Cañada Aparicio´
URBAN STREAMS Urban stream ´Cañada Aparicio´
Urban stream ´Cañada Bambú´
urban streams
BUFFER ZONE
Urban stream ´Cañada Salada´
The objective of the buffer zone is to generate a link between the wetland and the city through wetland vegetation and forest associated with the wetland. The buffer zone contemplates the possibility of developing different sports and recreational areas.
Football fields
Basketball fields
GROUP I
GROUP II
Parking lots
Intersection cross +0.20
Playground area Bus stop
Associated vegetation to the stream Cicle path
Av.
el
ard
os G
Carl
RIE
ARTE
Playgrounds
HIGHWAY
Parking lots
BUFFER ZONE
Intersection cross
HIGHWAY
Buffer vegetation
Playground
RIE
el
Gard
ARTE
rlos
Ca Av.
VISION OF THE FUTURE LANDSCAPE
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS The relationship between urbanization and the wetland leads to study the space between the artificial and the natural. This study allows us to understand and face the phenomenon of creation and disappearance of edges, facing the almost uncontrollable expansion of the city. Real estate speculation and urban planning do not provide an image of the future of the city. Nor does it seem that concrete measures are taken for the preservation of the natural landscape that is cultural heritage and identity factor. Landscape preservation should be a priority and not merely limited to statements and voluntary expressions. Strategic actions on the edges face more and more difficulties arising from greater urban complexity and the in-depth growth and sophistication of the networks that link the city with the rest of the territory. ‘The fascination of the edges is in their ambivalent and simultaneous role of division and connection. The borders mark the transition between different forms of existence’. ‘Fractal cities, A geometry of form an function’ Michel Batty and Paul Longley, 1994 (Academic Press, San Francisco and London, 1994). In our project, on the contrary, we consider the edge as an opportunity. Facing the complexity of the project from a multidisciplinary perspective, we develop actions that emphasize processes rather than form. The territory is an opportunity to generate relationships and processes for the sake of the landscape and the inhabitants. Keeping in mind that the landscape is not static but is constantly evolving. The preservation of the natural landscape is a core aspect of the project. One way to contribute to its conservation is to have its experience and to this end, promote the creation of links to facilitate their knowledge and assessment. All programmatic actions aim to privilege the care of natural soil by proposing on the edge structures that generate an interface between the wetland and the city, building a permeable and friendly limit for the population. The objective is that this limit be a place of socialization and equalization, a place of encounter and of realization of cultural activities. The creation of green corridors and parks and the restoration of urban streams and wetlands contribute to improving the landscape of the city and the quality of life of the population. As indicated earlier, this project emphasizes the processes rather than the form and from that point of view the proposed actions lead to create an adequate relationship between the artificial and the natural, producing a functional landscape to the objectives set by strategic interventions. This project shows a possible intervention in the territory that builds a landscape that is not definitive and immutable. The tensions that arise in the territory, bearing in mind the existence of continuous processes that pose permanent challenges will lead to further development of this project. The project must therefore be considered as a set of general guidelines for the construction of a landscape that may be subject to further revisions.
EL JAGUEL PARK
02.
Professional work Public space and urban design Office: Public spaces-Local Council of the city of Maldonado, Uruguay. Local Council´s Site: http://www.maldonado.gub.uy/ Location: https://goo.gl/maps/YPR8ZLP2tdFp974HA Role: Landscape design, planning, execution. Design year: March 2016 - Jun 2016. Year Built: Jan 2017 - Dic 2018. Area: 18 hectares.
Design sketch- First design ideas, trying to inspire the spirit of a laberynth in the woods, with different playgrounds surrounded by bushes and trees of different heights.
Designing this park was very challenging, not only due to the fact that at the moment of the intervention it was devastated but also because of what this park represented in the collective imagery of the people. In the 80´s - 90´s El Jaguel was very well known regionally because of the originality of its wooden playgrounds and huge wooden characters hidden in the forest. When I settled to design this park I basically could start from scratch as it did not have any design conception, it was simply an area with some dispersed slides and swings. Determinded to change this, I designed a space that could be accesible to everyone and to make the most of the area, I generated different zones, taking into account its topography and landscape values. For this, I designed a concrete sidewalk that goes across the park and at the same time helps to sectorize it. Even though the park is sectorized in different age groups, the underlying idea is that the playgrounds can be used by everyone, for instance the huge slides, the stick trap, the bridges, the slides platform... Finally to live up to its name El Jagüel, in guaraní (ancient language of local aborigins) which means the place to take animals to drink water, we seeked to generate several water mirrors, which bring more nature to the place. To sum up, the park in an hybrid in which one side, is highly programmed with playgrounds, equipment and services, and the other is left to the formation of grassland, spontaneous plants, contributing to diversity and the huge ecosystem nearby, the wetlands of the Maldonado´s stream.
TOP VIEW OF THE PARK 1 1
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5
3 5 2
4 1
7
12 9
6
Main entrance
11 10
86
Parking lot
10 8
Parking lot
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PROMENADE OF THE AMERICAS
03.
Professional work Public space and urban design Office: Public spaces-Local Council of the city of Maldonado, Uruguay. Local Council´s Site: http://www.maldonado.gub.uy Location: https://goo.gl/maps/ZaQUyjpsoEPfabJn7 Role: Landscape design, planning, excecution. Design and restoration years: Jan 2016 - Jun 2018. Year Built: Dec 2017 - Jan 2019. Area: 1.5 hectares.
HISTORICAL REVIEW February 28th of 1982, the Local Council’s of Maldonado carried out the inauguration of the so called ‘Paseo de las Américas’ or Promenade of the Americas. Its creation comes from the International Encounter of Outdoors Sculpture, which looked forward to improving the culture in the Maldonado province, generating a tourist attraction and a cultural contribution to the area and giving the population and artists the possibility to ‘work with more renowned artists in Latin America, in this case in the branch of sculpture, as well as getting to know modern techniques and ways of working’. This event was the first Encounter of Modern outdoor Sculpture, the person in charge of organizing this event was Mr. Angel Kalemberg- Director of the National Museum of Visual and Plastic Arts and Architecture of Uruguay. For this event nine Latinamerican artists were chosen. Their works are: ‘Metamorphosis’ (Edgar Negret, Colombia), ‘La mano’- ‘The hand ’ (Mario Irarrazabal, Chile), ‘El abrazo entre la mansa y la brava’ or ‘Homenaje a Punta del Este’ -’The hug between the meek and the brave’ or ‘Tribute to Punta del Este’ (Gyula Kosice, Argentina), ‘El pájaro caído’ or ‘The fallen bird’ (Herman Guggiari, Paraguay), ‘El obelisco’ o ‘Espacio arqueológico’-‘The obelisk’ or ‘Archeological site’ (Jacque Bedel, Argentino), ‘Elevación espacial’, ‘Tensión espacial’ o ‘La lucha entre el orden y el caos’ - ’Space Elevation’, ‘Spatial tension’ or ‘The fight between order and chaos’ (Enio Iommi, Argentina), ‘El descubrimiento’’The discovery’ (Nelson Ramos, Uruguayo), ‘El vacío’ or ‘The vacuum’ (Waltercio Caldas, Brasil), ‘El signo´ or ‘The sign’ (Francisco Matto, Uruguay) altogether turned into ‘Paseo de las Américas’ or ‘Promenade of the Americas’. The sculptures are located in a space that became residual within the urban plot. “Islets” separated by high traffic streets were generated almost spontaneously, making the access even more difficult. The art is lost in an environment of rapid movement of vehicles, inhibiting the prominence for which this promenade or outdoors gallery was originally conceived. The isolation of the sculptures is further aggravated due to the physical barrier marked by the surrounding streets, making it visitors inaccessible.
The reformulation and updating project of the ‘Paseo de las Américas’ is a work from the Local Council: Office of Public Spaces + Kavlin Cultural Center + Municipality of Punta del Este et al. Personally, I was one of the main characters involved as I did all the investigation process of the sculptures, as some were missing. Then, I articulated the project with different entities and I was involved in the restoration process, the design of the landscape and its integration to the urban grid.
Current state
This series of sketches illustrate the process of design of the sidewalks and crossings to connect the promenade to the urban area.
RENATURALISATION OF URBAN STREAMS TO PUBLIC SPACES OF QUALITY
04.
Professional work Public space and urban design Office: Public spaces-Local Council of the city of Maldonado, Uruguay. Local Council´s Site: http://www.maldonado.gub.uy/ Location: Lausana Park- https://goo.gl/maps/jLQCXYKMfmmkimSk6 Role: Landscape design, planning, execution. Year Built: March 2018 - to date
Lausana Park- Maldonado
Location: https://goo.gl/maps/BynFU8RQzjYNcztF6
Lausana Park Is one of the examples we are working at. At the office of public spaces we´d set out to regenerate or ´renaturalised´as many urban streams as we can, as there are several trapped in the urban grid.
Historically urban streams had been treatened and still are as dumpsters, many of them ended up trapped in the urban grid as residual spaces, as they are not suitable for building. Due to the permanent alteration of streams, the constant soil waterproofing, and the need to make them dissapear by putting them in underground pipes, we are now facing poor water quality and by default ecosystem degradation. From this holistic perspective urban streams can be transformed and integrated to the urban grid as public spaces of quality that have double function as green corridors and areas of recreation. In this sense, a number of measures have been evaluated and analized, and we are proceding to remove the most quantity of rubble and filllers of different nature, mostly plastic, that had been disposed over the years even to the date. In order to transform these places into healed environments, with clean water, incorporating associate vegetation so as to promote the diversity of birds and other animals.
The main feature of this park is the urban stream and its cicles. So we needed to recover it by removing enormous amounts of rubble, then we recreated its meanders and generated a small wetland. The main objective was to show the urban stream so as to raise awareness of its importane and natural beauty and avoid covering it up. Therefore, we designed a concrete path that goes near the stream and it changes its width in order to promote different uses: (fairs, skating, In the meantime ‘Paseo Lausana’ started to develop as a small fair in this abandoned site during the pandemic, as we advanced with the project, the fair started to gain more protagonism increasing the amount of visitors and the number of local entrepreneurs that became part of the fair.
SEGMENT IV
SEGMENT III
SEGMENT II
SEGMENT I
‘Cañada Aparicio’ - Maldonado Location: https://goo.gl/maps/PN19jcGUbjvGCKRS7
Currently Cañada Aparicio is being ‘renaturalised’ under the same logic as the previous example Lausana. This urban stream is 1.50 km long and runs through the outskirts of the city center across impoverished neighbourhoods. This context is much more critical as this area is the only ‘green space’ for this people.
It is clear that this stream is under extreme preassure from the increasing urbanization and it has been left with a narrow area to accomplish its cicles. Another important aspect to be taken into account is climate change, now drastic climate events take part. Also this urban streams are connected to the near by biggest natural wetland in the area, which is already under big preassure, and it is a must to protect this ecosystem and water quality.
STREET ART AS CREATOR OF SOCIAL SPACES Artist Marta Sanguinetti. Location: https://goo.gl/maps/KWG7PmWnVxr238gs8
This kind of public space is very common in Maldonado’s urban grid, because the houses were built one next to the other without the spaces that should be kept. So it is common that spaces like this example were left as common spaces.
Plazoleta ‘Nuevas Centralidades’ Located in a critical social context, this place used to be a dumpster. Here I was responsible for designing the remanent space between the police station, school, social assistance center and cultural center. I desined a sidewalk to structure the space. We incorporated some football pitches (as here football is hugely important), a skating space, some playgrounds and vegetation. The back facade of the police station was integrated to the square with a mural. All this intervention has been highly appreciated by the neighbours and the interverntion has not suffered from vandalism. Today is a place to enjoy by the locals. Year Built: 2019 Location: https://goo.gl/maps/M6VPvLs8kaFW67SJ6
05.
Apart from just the usual reconditioning of the space, cleaning and plantation, here what was esencially transforming was the art intervention. It had such an impact on the neighbours that someone named the place on ‘google maps’ “Plazoleta de las mariposas” -or ‘Butterflies square’.
Professional work Public space and urban design
Office: Public spaces-Local Council of the city of Maldonado, Uruguay. Role: Landscape design, planning, execution. Period: 2018-2022
From the office of public spaces we managed to promote street art. We helped different artists with the materials needed as well as the permisions and other requirements. Some of the interventions were proposed by us and others by different artists who got in touch with the office. The public space is rescued by art. This interventions made a huge impact in the street, as abandoned and ugly places turned into valuable pieces of reference to our community promoting a space of meeting/encounter and generating new activities around them.