Dutch Rail Infrastructure Proposal

Page 1

Dutch Rail Infrastructure





Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Dutch Rail Infrastructure

Advisor: Richard Hawks SUNY-ESF Fall 2012

Zachary Barker



Context

Proposal Map

Abstract

Legend

Terms

Proposal Field Studies

Semester Overview

Appendix

Purpose Statement Problem DeďŹ nition Study Objectives Literature Review Framework

Study Question

Theory Methods

Sequencing

Theme

Presentation Introduction

Field Study One

Blog Project Notebook Sketchbook Honors Program ASLA Award References Resources Map

Field Study Two


Context Abstract Terms

Semester Overview


Context

Abstract

Terms

Semester Overview




Dulles Airport


Schiphol Airport


Abstract This study will look at how different infrastructure corridor typologies affect their surrounding landscapes in Amsterdam, The Netherlands in the fall of 2012. Landscape infrastructure is a theory that attempts to redefine infrastructure as more like natural systems in that it should serve multiple purposes. This theory claims that issues of infrastructure particularly pertaining to ecology transcend disciplinary boundaries and need new approaches to understand. The intent of looking at infrastructure corridors in Amsterdam is to gain a better understanding of the issues and advantages of the different typologies that form the overall infrastructure network.

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Terms The following terms are defined by the author or come from lexicon of garden and landscape architecture.

Context

Landscape Urbanism

Associated with coherence and the activity of A landscape architecture theory that emphasizes weaving. It can signify a set of immediate general landscape as the dominant form generator to conditions that help situate meaning. urbanism.

Corridor

Typology

A belt of land between two other areas, typically having a particular feature or giving access to a particular area.

The systematic classification of types that have characteristics or traits in common.

Edge The line where an area begins or ends.

Deictic Showing or pointing out directly.

Infrastructure Subordinate parts that form the basis of a system, or organization or an enterprise. Most frequently, a large construction or physical structure which has the purpose of conveying resources, transporting goods or people, or performing a large-scale purpose. 15


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Semester Overview The Off-Campus semester is organized into a set of three interrelated courses. The schedule shown below indicates the proportion of time attributed to each course and credits assigned as part of the Off-Campus the credit assignments and percentage of effort remains the same. Requirements: LSA 458 Field Studies, Communication and Advisor Visit LSA 459 Project Notebook and Journal LSA 460 Design Thesis Project Report

4.0 credits 4.0 credits 7.0 credits

Total: 15.0 credits Presentation (LSA 461 beginning of spring semester)

Week 0

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 • • • • • Weekly Reports (14) • •Journal/Sketchbook •Field Studies • •Project Initiation •Project Notebook •——•Faculty Advisor Visit •Project Completion

11 •

1.0 credit

12 •

13 •

14 •

• •

• Synthesis • Evaluation: Successful achievement in LSA 460 requires each student to: 1. Complete all six requirements. 2. Complete 14 weeks residency at the off-campus location. 3. Schedule and meet with advisor during the faculty advisor visits. 4. Submit all required materials: Journal/Sketchbook, Field Studies, Project Notebook and Study Report- no later than 10 days after completion of the 14-week semester or return to the U.S. Each student must also submit the passenger coupon of their airline ticket. No partial submissions will be accepted. Hall, including plane ticket (open 8:00 - 12: and 1:00 -4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday). 6. Late submittals will be accepted with the following penalty: 1 week late: minus .3 grade points 2 weeks late: minus .9 grade points 3 weeks late: minus 1.5 grade points 4 weeks late: minus 2.0 grade points 4+ weeks late: a grade of “F” will be assigned

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Purpose Statement Problem DeďŹ nition


Purpose Statement

Problem DeďŹ nition


Purpose Statement Infrastructure is constantly changing as society invents new technologies and business methods. Industry is making the transition from a nationally decentralized organization to an internationally distributed one and is producing a new landscape in the process, a landscape of logistics. Vast distribution centers are replacing the factories and warehouses of the industrial revolution (Waldheim, Berger 2008). This focus in the United States on distribution, as apposed to production, has created a new focus on large-scale transit infrastructure.

Dig, has become a precedent for re-envisioning what infrastructure can become in a city. Many other cities in North America are beginning to follow Boston’s example, by preparing plans of their own for transforming infrastructure into multifaceted public amenities (Mckee 2011). Amsterdam’s rail infrastructure will serve as the focus of this study in an attempt to better understand how different infrastructure typologies affect and respond to the surrounding urban environment.

Infrastructures have typically been designed to serve one role, such as the efficient movement of people. This often has had unforeseen consequences on the surrounding urban environment. For example, Interstate 81 running through Syracuse, New York has had overwhelmingly negative consequences on the urban fabric of the city. The elevated interstate, intended to move vehicles at high speeds through the city, has created a physical and mental barrier that fragments the city. Innovative ideas are needed to alleviate infrastructure issues cities like Syracuse are faced with. Boston is one city that has already begun to readdress infrastructure issues. The Central Artery/ Tunnel Project, more commonly known as the Big 20

Interstate 81, Syracuse, NY


Problem Definition This subject is possible to study because it is this study is to reveal and gain understanding of broad enough to allow fourteen weeks of study. these relationships. During the fourteen weeks, it will be possible to go in depth once sites have been selected. At least The company Gemeentelijk Vervoerbedrijf (GVB) three sites will need to be selected to conduct is the is the municipal transport company of the study. It is likely that the sites will be some Amsterdam and operates the light rail, tram and distance apart and extensive travel time may be metro lines in the city. GVB also operates several required. This subject is interesting and valuable bus and ferry routes in the city. Amsterdam has to the field of landscape architecture because it twenty-six tram lines and one light rail line that is relevant to almost all major cities in the world. extends to Amstelveen. Four metro lines exist This study is important to landscape architecture and the city is currently building a north/south as a profession because it looks at emerging line which is expected to be completed in 2017. theory. Several firms including SWA and OLIN are Nineteen of the metro system’s fifty-five stations beginning to focus their office around the issues of are underground subway stations (GVB 2012). infrastructure design. Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) operate the In recent years the demand for more rail train system in Amsterdam and the rest of The infrastructure has grown in Amsterdam and several Netherlands (NS 2012). NS handles over 1.1 million projects are now in planning and construction passengers every day at its over 350 stations in phases. Amsterdam will serve as the location the Netherlands with 11 in Amsterdam. Trains for this study because it provides a variety of travel extensively throughout the Netherlands rail infrastructure typologies in close proximity. and provide access to the rest of Europe through Light rail, Tram, metro, and Trains all operate Belgium, Germany, or France. in the city. The Netherlands topography and hydrology have had a major role in shaping the country’s infrastructure. Just as the topography and hydrology have shaped the infrastructure networks, the infrastructure has had noticeable effects on Amsterdam’s urban form. The intent of 21


Theory

Study Question

Theory


Study Question


Study Question Main Question How do different infrastructure corridor typologies affect or respond to their surrounding urban landscapes in Amsterdam, The Netherlands?

Subquestions - What typologies of rail line infrastructure exist in Amsterdam? - Do these corridors have a single or multifaceted use? - Does the rail line infrastructure play a different role in the historic district compared to the more recent districts of the city? - Does a specific typology of rail line infrastructure have a lesser impact on its surrounding environment? - Are innovative representation methods useful in describing the study sites? - Do these corridors have a single or multifaceted use? - When were the rail corridors at each study site constructed? - How do rail corridors in Amsterdam interact with other transit systems? - Can transportation infrastructure respond to landscape?

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M

50 ISOLATORWEG

12 STATION SLOTERDIJK 10 VAN HALLSTRAAT

M

10 AZARTPLEIN

3 ZOUTKEETSGRACHT

P+R

51-53-54 CENTRAAL STATION

13 17 1 2 5

M

16 24 25 4 9 26

P+R P+R

M

M

13 GEUZENVELD M M

7-14 FLEVOPARK

14-7 SLOTERMEER

26 IJBURG

M

M

3 MUIDERPOORTSTATION

17 OSDORP DIJKGRAAFPLEIN

M

1 OSDORP DE AKER

M

P+R

M

12 AMSTELSTATION

M

M

2 NIEUW SLOTEN

M

25 PRES. KENNEDYLAAN M

P+R M

M

VU MEDISCH CENTRUM 24-16

M

9 DIEMEN SNIEP

4 STATION RAI M M

M

M

M

M M M M

M M M M M

M

P+R

M M

5 AMSTELVEEN BINNENHOF

53 GAASPERPLAS M

M

P+R

Verklaring / Explanation Verklaring / Explanation 12 AMSTELSTATION M

Bestemming / Destination

12 AMSTELSTATION

Metroroute en station / Metro railway and station

M

Rolstoeltoegankelijke halte / Wheelchair accessible stop NS station M

Museum / Museum

M

M Metroroute en station / Metro railway and station

M

M

M

51 AMSTELVEEN

P+R

Bestemming / Destination Metroroute en station / Metro railway and station Tramroute met halte / Tram and stop

Route wielerwedstrijd / Time Trial M

Pendelbus 326 / Busroute and stop

NS station

M M 50-54 GEINstop Rolstoeltoegankelijke halte / Wheelchair accessible

NS station

M

Park & Ride M Ziekenhuis / Hospital

Theater / Theatre Markt / Market

12 AMSTELSTATION

Tramroute met halte / Tram and stop

GVB Tickets & Info

M

Ziekenhuis / Hospital Busstation / Bus station

Bestemming / Destination

Rolstoeltoegankelijke halte / Wheelchair accessible stop

GVB Tickets & Info Park & Ride

Verklaring / Explanation M

M

Tramroute met halte / Tram and stop

P+R

M

Giro 2010-04

GVB Tickets & Info

P+R

Park & Ride Ziekenhuis / Hospital

Koningin 2010

Š F.I.S. april 2011

Map of Tram System in Amsterdam

GVB Logo (Metro & Light Rail Company) 25


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Landscape Urbanism

Landscape Infrastructure

Theory

Logistics Landscapes

Interrelated Theories

Three theories provide the framework for this Logistics Landscape Theory, led by Alan Berger, study, landscape infrastructure, landscape claims that new landscapes based on global urbanism, and logistics landscape theory. These economics are replacing infrastructure created theories are all interrelated and are occasionally post World War II. Logistic landscapes are generalized with the landscape urbanism title. characterized by optimization and large networks All three theories emphasize flexible methods of of communications. Three emergent categories representation, including process diagrams and of logistics landscape exist: distribution and delivery, consumption and convenience, and phasing of implementation. accommodation and disposal (Waldheim & Berger Landscape urbanism is an emerging theory in 2008). landscape architecture lead by Charles Waldheim and James Corner. Landscape Urbanism argues that landscape, rather than architecture, should organize a city and enhance the urban experience. It also seeks to reintroduce critical connections with natural and hidden systems and proposes the use of such systems as a flexible approach to the current concerns and problems of the urban condition (Grey 2006). Landscape urbanism is a controversial topic and is often considered a critique of new urbanism and other more straightforward urban design methods. Landscape Infrastructure is a theory that attempts to redefine infrastructure as more like natural systems in that it should serve multiple purposes. This theory claims that issues of infrastructure particularly pertaining to ecology transcend disciplinary boundaries and need new approaches to understand.

Landscape practices of the industrial revolution would primarily oppose the framework of this study. They were focused on economics and had little regard for the health of the environment. Infrastructure during the industrial revolution was basic and only served the purpose it was created for.

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Study Objectives

Framework

Methods


Literature Review

Study Objectives Literature Review Framework Methods


Literature Review The following sources have been summarized to gain background knowledge before the main study is conducted. The topics vary widely with many focusing on emerging theories in landscape architecture to help provide a framework for the proposed study. The majority of the sources focus on landscape infrastructure in general instead of focusing directly on rail transit. In general broader sources were chosen because they provide a conceptual framework that can be explored and tested during the off campus semester. Ascher, Kate. The Works Anatomy of a City. New York: Penguin Books, 2005. The moving people chapter of The Works deals with how subways function in major cities across the planet. Primarily focusing on New York City, the chapter discusses how the modern system came into existence. Originally subway lines were developed as private companies until they became publically operated when the private companies faced bankruptcy. The chapter also discusses how subway stations are designed and how they function. The rest of the chapter deals with the infrastructure that supports the operation of the subway system including the rail yards, support cars, and signal towers. The moving Freight Chapter of The Works deals with the infrastructure involved with railroads in metropolitan regions. In the United States the shipment of goods by rail has drastically reduced do to the use long distance trucking on the interstate highway network. The federal government had to intervene the late 70s to reinvest in railroad infrastructure in the northeastern part of the country. The rest of the chapter deals with the differences in railcars, classification yards, and transcontinental freight. Betsky, Aaron, and Adam Eeuwens. False Flat Why Dutch Design is So Good. London: Phaidon, 2004. 94-95. Print. This source comes from a book that deals with design and its role in Dutch culture. The essay talks about how the trains have been designed to have a sense of clarity and modernism. There is a fear that the Dutch rail companies are losing there sense of “Dutchness� when they hire outside advertising agencies. 30


Berger, Alan. “Waste Landscapes of Infrastructure LINs.” In Drosscape: Wasting Land in Urban America. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2006. This essay in Berger’s larger work Drosscape deals with both infrastructure of the industrial revolution and modern infrastructure. Landscapes of the industrial revolution were focused on production and had little concern with the environment. Global economics has shifted production farther and farther away and as a result society has become more mobile and needed more infrastructure. Berger uses the word dross to describe the wasted space that is created as a result of infrastructure. In regards to infrastructure corridors, he mentions the inefficient use of buffers and medians and how they need to serve a larger ecological role. Corner, James. “Terra Fluxus.” In The Landscape Urbanism Reader, Charles Waldheim, 21-33. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2006. In Terra Fluxus Corner is suggesting that landscape is becoming the dominate model for urbanism. Landscape drives the process of city formation. Corner explains, that the most significant of these traditional urban landscapes possess the capacity to function as important ecological vessels and pathways. He mentions four themes for landscape urbanism theory. The first is, the promise of landscape urbanism is the development of space-time ecology that treats all forces and agents working in the urban field and considers them as continuous networks of inter-relationships. The second theme of the landscape urbanism project concerns itself with surface, more specifically urban infrastructure. Third, is an operational or working method. The fourth theme is the emphasis on the imaginary and not over simplification. Corner concludes in saying that the failure of earlier urban design and regionally scaled enterprises was the oversimplification, the reduction, of the phenomenal richness of physical life. Geuze, Adriaan. “Carrasco Square.” In West 8, Luca Molinari and Anna Albano, 120125. Milano: Skira Architecture Library, 2000. Gueze describes the design and construction of Carrasco Square in Amsterdam Netherlands. Carrasco Square is a public space that lies under elevated rail lines. West 8 transformed the derelict space into a place for commuters to park their cars and also allow commuters to take a shortcut to the various office buildings in the area. 31


Hansen, Andrea. “FLUXscape Remaping Philadelphia’s Post-Industrial Terrain.” Vol. 2. In Dirt, Megan Born, Helene Furnjan, and Lily Jencks, 206-217. Philadelphia: viaBooks, A PennDesign Publication, 2012. FLUXscape is a new innovative plan for remediating derelict infrastructure corridors in Philadelphia. Three sites are used to explain how flexible design strategies can spur development and reinvestment in the city. Each site is a different typology of rail lines. The first site, Amtrak Northeast Corridor is an active rail line that will incorporate high-speed rail and phytoremediation. The second site, Reading Viaduct Corridor is a proposed elevated park, similar in typology to the Highline, except that is elevated with earthen berms instead of steal infrastructure. The third site is the Port Richmond rail yards which is being re-envisioned as a rails with trails corridor. These case studies are relevant because they deal with rail infrastructure and how it can serve more than just one role for a city. Henderson, Nam. “What is a Park - Landscape or Infrastructure.” In Architect. http://archinect.com/features/article/2041367/what-is-a-park-landscape-orinfrastructure. This article is a summary of an interview between Nam Henderson and Gerdo Aquino, the president and Principal of SWA Los Angeles studio. Gerdo teaches a studio at USC on landscape infrastructure in an attempt to think about the best ways to maximize various infrastructural corridors. The studio specifically looks at how these contiguous corridors have changed uses over time and have adapted to a contemporary society that is looking for ways to do new things. These projects are centered right at the intersection between urbanism, parks, and infrastructure. Gerdo is most concerned about process, particularly design evolving out of a community conversation. Isentaldt, Sandy. “Contested Contexts.” In Site Matters Design Concepts, Histories, and Strategies, Carol J. Burns and Andrea Kahn, 157-184. New York: Routledge, 2005. This essay deals with the architectural idea of context. Context is both a general and specialized disciplinary term. The basis for the term’s disciplinary specialization is not its specificity, but its flexibility. The question of context is similar to that of style. They both are an attitude about history and describe a legitimate foundation for change as well as a force running counter either to progress or authenticity. Lyster, Clare. “Landscapes of Exchange: Re-articulating Site.” In The Landscape Urbanism Reader, Charles Waldheim, 219-238. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2006. Lyster is writing about how economics has shaped the landscape. She calls modern business models of transporting goods the “just in time” method because more businesses are streamlining their production methods and the way they move goods globally. Contemporary exchange networks instead have the tendency to procure a more phased articulation across territory to accommodate the multiple intersections that are now indispensable to their operational success. Also, she mentions that efficiency and optimization of exchanging of goods has become more important than ever in the shaping of the world’s commercial and industrial sites. 32


Mossop, Elizabeth. “Landscapes of infrastructure.” In The Landscape Urbanism Reader, Charles Waldheim, 163-178. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2006. Landscapes of Infrastructure essay suggests that the landscapes of infrastructure have become the most effective means to explore the relationship between natural processes and the city. There is a focus on ‘the landscapes of movement’ and how they must fulfill multiple functions: they must fulfill the requirements of public space and must be connected to other functioning urban systems of public transit, pedestrian movement, water management, economic development, public facilities, and ecological systems. A key finding from Mossop’s essay is that at lower traffic densities, it becomes possible to design roads as spaces to be shared by people and vehicles. Poelstrae, Hugo. “First Infrastructure, Then Policy.” In Planning Amsterdam: Scenarios for Urban Development, 1928-2003 , Allard Jolles, Erik Klusman, and Ben Teunissen, 119-130. Rotterdam: NAi Publishers, 203. Jolles describes the history of infrastructure in Amsterdam. Much of Amsterdam’s transportation infrastructure has resulted from long planning processes. The main concern for the city has been trying to strike a balance between accessibility and livability. “Sedum on the Tracks.” Landscape Architecture Magazine, July 2011, 16. This article is about Baltimore’s experiment with using sedums to replace hardscape along the light rail track. Green tracks are more common in Europe, especially in Germany. Sedum species have been found more successful, compared to turf grass, and have even been found to lower the ambient heat in the surrounding area. This article is useful because it is a real world example of what has been suggested in other literature on landscape urbanist thinking about infrastructure. Shannon, Kelly, and Marcel Smets. “Shaping Mobility Through Landscape.” Landscape of Contemporary Infrastructure. Rotterdam: NAi Publishers, 2010. Print. As a result of global economics ever growing dispersal of production, contemporary society has become heavily dependent on mobility for its economic life. Transportation lines and multi-modal interchanges make mobility so visible. Urbanization has always developed around traffic nodes. During the industrial revolution railroad stations served the main traffic nodes. Modern cities are growing around highway exits, airports, and fast-moving trains. Transport lines help to intensify land use. The concern for compensating for the cost of infrastructure by either profiting form real estate development or augmenting the number of passengers remains a major incentive for integrating transport planning with urban development.

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Spinelli, Luigi. “When Infrastructure Becomes Landscape.” Domus, October 7, 2007 http://www.domusweb.it/en/architecture/when-infrastructure-becomeslandscape/. This article deals with the construction of a bridge in Italy. It discusses the idea of creating forms in infrastructure that serve more than a purely utilitarian approach to engineering. The argument was that when infrastructure is done currently it can be come an icon for the city and region and spur future development. Although it may not be serving any ecological roles the infrastructure is still multifaceted because it goes beyond the standard design. Stilgoe, John R. “The Railroad Beautiful: Landscape Architecture and the Railroad Gardening Movement.” Landscape Journal 1, no. 2 (1982): 57-66. Stilgoe summarizes the history of the role landscape architects played in railroad station design in United States. Landscape architect’s, such as Fredrick Law Olmstead, created detailed gardens around small town train stations in an attempt to market the town to potential homeowners. Ultimately the movement died out as a result of landscape architects seeking out government and domestic clients rather than corporate industrial ones. Strang, Gary L. “Infrastructure as Landscape.” Places 10, no. 3 (1996): 8-15. Strang argues that infrastructure systems are an essential visual component of urban environments because of their scale and inability to be hidden. He also mentions that there is a tendency to engineer infrastructure for only one purpose. He compares this type of thinking to cloning in horticulture. Mumford’s main point is that both infrastructure and nature are resilient and adaptable, but also unpredictable and uncontrollable. He concludes by saying that we must find ways to allow the natural landscape and the landscape of infrastructure, which occupy the same space, to coexist and perform multiple functions. Waldheim, Charles, and Alan Berger. “Logistics Landscape.” Landscape Journal 27, no. 2 (2008): 219-246. Waldheim and Berger suggest that industry is transitioning from a nationally decentralized organization to an internationally distributed one and is creating a new landscape in the process, a landscape of logistics. This paper describes three emergent categories of logistics landscapes: distribution and delivery, consumption and convenience, and accommodation and disposal. Common Themes Several common themes were apparent in the literature reviewed. A global economic shift to a just in time production method, resulting in dramatically new landscape infrastructure was the most common theme. Also the need for multifaceted infrastructure corridors was another standout message from the readings. These themes can then be summarized in a larger context by saying the message is that infrastructure is fundamentally changing and there is a pressing need to do it in an ecologically responsible way that not only improves the health of the planet but also makes vibrant urban environments. 34


Urbanism

Case Studies

Other Transit Types

Rail Transport

Amsterdam

Contemporary Practice

Historical Context

Landscape Urbanism

Logistics

Secondary Topic

Infrastructure

Main Topic

The Works Anatomy Of A City False Flat Why Dutch Design Is So Good Waste Landscapes Of Infrastructure Lins Terra Fluxus Carrasco Square Fluxscape What Is A Park - Landscape Or Infrastructure Contested Contexts Landscapes Of Exchange: Re-articulating Site Landscape As Infrastructure First Infrastructure, Then Policy Sedum On The Tracks Shaping Mobility Through Landscape When Infrastructure Becomes Landscape The Railroad Beautiful Infrastructure As Landscape Logistics Landscape 35


Study Objectives PERSONAL

PROFESSIONAL

- Become comfortable in basic Dutch - Gain confidence in sketching - Travel around the Scandinavian region and visit other European countries if possible - Visit other off-campus groups

- Establish professional connections in the Netherlands - Obtain an internship while abroad - Present my work to Faculty and/or students at the Academie van Bouwkunst

ACADEMIC - Use my off-campus research as my thesis in the Upper Division Thesis Honors program at SUNY-ESF - Submit my off-campus research to the 2012 ASLA Student Awards in the research category - Participate in the incoming student charette with students from the landscape architecture department at the Academie van Bouwkunst - Draw conclusions from my research that will spur my own theories about landscape - Explore new modes of representation - Use this project as part of my application to Master programs of landscape architecture (programs to be determined at a later date) - Refine my final report during the spring semester to produce a well designed graphic work

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Methods Choosing sites As many as four sites may be chosen to conduct this study. Ideally, each site would be representative of a different corridor typology: below grade, sunken grade, at grade, and above grade. The best examples of rail corridors will be chosen, so it is possible that multiple sites will be of the same typology. The typologies studied may not be located in proximity to each other so travel time will be expected. The length of each study site should be comparable. The appropriate length for the study sites will be determined during the initial site scouting trips. It is important that the study length be manageable for the studies to be comprehensive. The length should be long enough to gain survey of the site, but not too long to be able cover easily during each trip to the study site.

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Typology Mapping – (Initial Exercise) The initial method used in this study will create an inventory map of the existing infrastructure typologies in a designated zone of Amsterdam. The area chosen to conduct the inventory will be based on examining transit maps and picking an area that has a multiple transit lines in close proximity to each other. The initial study zone will cover multiple neighborhoods/districts of the city with the intent of gaining a diversity of landscape conditions. The graphic created is meant to look like transit map the colors will represent typology instead of the line. Stations will be shown as well as a way to orient when looking at the map. Only transit lines that radiate from Amsterdam Centraal Station will be considering during the initial investigation. Centraal Station is the main intermodal transit center in Amsterdam and provides access to the Metro, Regional Rail, and Tram networks. First hand observation will be used to record where the different rail typologies exist in the city. An aerial map will be annotated in the project notebook to record the locations. Bicycling next to the transit corridors will be necessary to cover the large area of the initial investigation. A GPS may also be used during the field investigation to have a back up to first hand observations. The intent of this map will be to visualize where different rail typologies exist in Amsterdam. The map will provide a basis for where to conduct the studies.

Materials Aerial map Project notebook Pen GPS

Transit Map Graphic 38


Figure ground studies The first method used on the specific study sites will be to diagram the sites using the figure ground methods established in Robert Venturi’ study, “Learning From Las Vegas (Venturi, 1977).� Aerial imagery from Google Earth or other satellite-mapping program will be used as a base map to diagram distinct layers of the landscape. Five landscape elements (buildings, transit infrastructure, vegetation, roadways, water) will be isolated and filled with a solid color in a figure ground manner. The same scale must be used for each map. The exact scale will be determined after the study sites have been chosen. Creating each layer by hand on trace paper with black marker would be the preferred method of this investigation, but likely will not be possible for logistical reasons. Another anticipated issue with this method is clarity of the aerial imagery, due to the density of Amsterdam intense shadows may cover landscape elements making it difficult to verify the elements from each other. When this occurs field verification may be necessary as well as looking at other maps to resolve issues. The intent of these mapping exercises is to discover relationships between the transit infrastructure and other landscape/urban elements. Analysis can be conducted by looking at how each layer relates to the infrastructure corridor layer.

Landscape elements to map: Buildings Transit infrastructure corridor Vegetation Roadways Water

Materials: Google Earth or other mapping program Adobe Illustrator

Learning from Las Vegas, Robert Venturi 39


Panoramic of Edge Conditions A panoramic image similar to Edward Ruscha’s Every Building on the Sunset Strip will be used in this study. This representation method is more than just a artistic representation, it will help visualize the urban environment surrounding the linear study sites. An attempt was made in Junior Studio to create a similar image for Erie Boulevard and although not entirely successful enough was learned to warrant a second attempt. A panoramic image will be created along both sides of the study sites. The panoramic images will be created by taking a series of overlapping photographs and manually stitching them together in photoshop to create a long panorama. This exercise will need to be performed in the early morning to limit the number of moving objects. It is possible when in extremely dense conditions there might not be enough horizontal distance between elements to take images of the site. If this becomes apparent early on profiles will be drawn instead of the panoramic images. Profiles will like be drawn either way as part of sketchbook studies, but the panoramic images would provide a literal sense of place that the profiles will likely not convey. The intent of this study is to have a visual documentation of the areas adjacent to the transit corridors. It may be possible to combine these panoramic images with a series of images taken while riding the transit corridor. The images would be distilled from a video sequence taken riding the transit option through the study sites. These images would be placed down the middle of the two panoramic images and be placed to correspond to the locations depicted in the panoramic images. The spacing of the riding sequence images would be based on a standard time interval. The exact time interval will be decided after the sequences are created.

Pieces of Graphic Panoramic image along study site for one side Panoramic image along study site for other side Film sequence distilled into still images Labels expressing time of still of still images Labels under panoramic images of buildings and street addresses

Materials Canon D3100 DSLR Digital Camera Adobe Photoshop Adobe Illustrator Notebook Pen 40


Cross-Sectional Studies The cross section will be a vital tool for this study. A series of cross sections will be taken along each study site. The exact number of cross sections will be based upon the length of the study sites but at a minimum three should be three cross sections taken for each study site. Several cross sections will be taken in the field and recorded in the project notebook

Section-perspectives A section-perspective will be created for each of the four study sites. The intent of these graphics will be to express the overall characteristics of each typology. The location for each section-perspective will be based on the area that it most representative of the entire corridor. The perspective portion of the representation will be able to showcase more characteristics (such as the linearity of the site) than the typical cross sections will.

Materials Sketchbook/notebook Pen/Pencil Autodesk AutoCAD Adobe Illustrator Adobe Photoshop

Park Tower, LTL Architects

Every Building on the Sunset Strip, Edward Ruscha 41


Land Use Inventory Mapping Using field identification in conjunction with aerial maps, inventory maps of land use will be created of the areas surrounding the transit corridors for each study site. The initial maps will be created in the project notebook but will be later created digitally for final presentation. The intent of this study is to discover if different transit corridors have different affects on the surrounding urban structure.

Land Use Categories Residential Commercial Industrial Public/Open Space Vacant Property Other

Materials Map of study sites Project Notebook Pens

Example of Land Use Inventory 42


Historical Mapping If historical maps or records can be found and translated a series of historical maps will be created. Essential comparisons would be made comparing the sites before the transit corridor was constructed and after the transit corridor was completed. The maps would be recreated in either inventory or figure ground format, depending on the details of the historical records. Historical maps found at Maps + Motion, a Dutch based mapping company, and will likely be used unless other maps are discovered during the semester. There are fourteen historical maps for Amsterdam ranging from 1100 to 2009. Depending on when the chosen corridors were constructed many historical maps may not be relevant. The 1877 map will likely be the first map relevant for the study as it is the first map showing rail infrastructure. All maps historical maps will be reproduced at the same scale and graphic style. The historical maps for each study site will be compared side by side to show how to study sites have changed over time.

Materials Historical maps (http://www.mapsplusmotion.com) Adobe Illustrator

Maps Plus Motion Comparing 1940 to 2009 Maps of Amsterdam 43


3D Modeling of Sites A 3D model of each study site will be created to study the physical relationship between the infrastructure and the surrounding urban environments. The area to be modeled will be identical to the areas composed in the figure ground studies. The models will be rendered in a monochromatic clay rendering style. Photo realistic textures will not be used for the models because they will distract from the intended outcome of the method. The intent of this method is to investigate and discover if patterns exist in the urban form surrounding the infrastructure corridors and to gain further proficiency and speed in creating 3D models.

Programs: Google Sketchup Google Earth Kerkythea (open source rendering program) Adobe Photoshop

Example of Clay Rendering Style 44


Framework This study is using comparative and telescopic frameworks. Two frameworks are needed for this study because they facilitate a more comprehensive study. The comparative framework dominates the study but telescopic framework is still critical. Comparative framework means that common analytical methods will be used to reveal similarities and differences among different sites in Amsterdam. The structure will apply analytical methods to at least three or more similar sites. The exact number of sites used will be dependent on the number of distinct rail transit typologies found in Amsterdam. This study anticipates that different typologies of transit corridors will have distinct landscape conditions. Each site will be examined in ways to will reveal conditions related to edge, urban form, and spatial relationships. A telescopic framework will also be used in this study meaning, both site and system scales will be explored to gain a greater understanding of the conditions at hand. A telescopic approach has been made relevant by the landscape urbanism movement in landscape architecture. It is important to gain an understanding of the systems involved with each site before the sites are studied because it may reveal new conditions that are not clear at the site scale.

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Focus

Rail Transit Infrastructure

Initial Investigation

Infrastructure Network

Systems Method

Typology Mapping

Altered Grade

At Grade

Site One

Site Two

Edges

Above Grade

Below Grade

Site Three

Site Four

Urban Form

Spatial Relationships

Typology

Study Sites

Conditions

Cross Sectional Photomontage Inventory Historical Figure Ground Studies Studies Mapping Mapping Mapping

Methods

Commonalities

Analysis

Differences

Conclusions

Correlations 46

System Scale

Site Scale


Rail Transit Infrastructure

Infrastructure Network

Typology Mapping

Altered Grade

At Grade

Site One

Above Grade

Site Two

Edge Conditions

Cross Sectional Studies

Photomontage Studies

Below Grade

Site Three

Urban Form

Inventory Mapping

Commonalities

Site Four

Relationships

Historical Mapping

Figure Ground Mapping

Differences

Comparisons

Conclusions

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Main Question How do different infrastructure corridor typologies affect their surrounding landscapes in Amsterdam, The Netherlands?

Subquestions - What typologies of rail line infrastructure exist in Amsterdam? Methods: A. Follow different rail lines in the city and record typologies that exist. -Where do the typologies occur in Amsterdam? Methods: A. Create a map of rail infrastructure in Amsterdam based on different typologies. - Does the rail line infrastructure play a different role in the historic district compared to the more recent districts of the city? Methods: A. Produce a series of historical maps of study sites. B. Choose a site that is located in the historical center of Amsterdam. C. Choose a site that is located in a more recent district of Amsterdam. - Does a specific typology of rail line infrastructure have a lesser impact on its surrounding environment? Methods: A. Comparative analysis of figure ground drawings of each typology site. B. Comparative analysis of land use inventory maps. - Are innovative representation methods useful in describing the study sites? Methods: A. Create photomontage of edge conditions along site. B. Create 3D models in clay rendering style of the study sites. - Do these corridors have a single or multifaceted use? Methods: A. Comparative analysis of land use inventory maps of different study sites.

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- When were the rail corridors at each study site constructed? Methods: A. Research historic maps of Amsterdam. B. Reproduce historical maps of study sites at the same scale and style. - How do rail corridors in Amsterdam interact with other transit systems? Methods: A. Create figure ground studies of study sites. B. Create cross sections through study sites including surrounding transit systems. - Can transportation infrastructure respond to landscape?

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Sequencing Presentation


Sequencing

Presentation


Sequencing I will begin my off campus semester by flying from Washington D.C. on the evening of August 22 and arrive in Amsterdam the morning of August 23. The last portion of my off campus semester will be spent in Rome from November 15 to the 21. I will be in Rome to watch New Zealand All Blacks play Italy in Rome’s Olympic Stadium. On November 21 my off campus semester will conclude with a flight from Rome to Washington D.C. Professor Hawks will visit the group from September 14-23. The schedule is purposefully flexible to allow for unforeseen complications. It is likely that poor weather may disrupt the schedule on the following pages. For example, if it is raining or significantly overcast it is unlikely that a photographic study will be effective. Another expected complication will be access to internet, especially in the first few weeks. Internet access will be required to post to my tumblr (blog) as well as to correspond with my advisor. If internet is not readily available the posts and letters will be written and saved until internet access is available.

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LEGEND Main Study Task Field Study Task Sketchbook Task Travel Logistical Task Visitors Routine Task Holiday

WEEK ONE Leave Washington, DC Arrive in Amsterdam Make Entry in Sketchbook Post to Tumblr (Blog) Lease Begins

WEEK TWO Make Entry into Sketchbook Lease Begins Charette with LA program Write Letter to Hawks Post to Tumblr (Blog) GPS Daily Movements Look for Sites for Main Study

WEEK THREE Make Entry into Sketchbook Write Letter to Hawks Post to Tumblr (Blog) GPS Daily Movements Have Four Study Sites Chosen Create Panormamic Image of Corridors Meeting with Jacques

WEEK FOUR Make Entry into Sketchbook Write Letter to Hawks Post to Tumblr (Blog) GPS Daily Movements Specific Study For Rail Typology #1 Hawks Visit

WEEK FIVE Make Entry into Sketchbook Write Letter to Hawks Post to Tumblr (Blog) GPS Daily Movements Specific Study For Rail Typology #1 Hawks Visit Travel to Floriade & Duisborg

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday 8/19/12 8/20/12 8/21/12 8/22/12 8/23/12

Friday 8/24/12

Saturday 8/25/12

Sunday 8/26/12

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday 8/27/12 8/28/12 8/29/12 8/30/12

Friday 8/31/12

Saturday 9/1/12

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday 9/2/12 9/3/12 9/4/12 9/5/12 9/6/12

Friday 9/7/12

Saturday 9/8/12

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday 9/9/12 9/10/12 9/11/12 9/12/12 9/13/12

Friday 9/14/12

Saturday 9/15/12

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday 9/16/12 9/17/12 9/18/12 9/19/12 9/20/12

Friday 9/21/12

Saturday 9/22/12

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WEEK SIX Make Entry into Sketchbook Write Letter to Hawks Post to Tumblr (Blog) GPS Daily Movements Produce GPS Composite (Sept) Hawks Visit Representation Field Study Travel

WEEK SEVEN Make Entry into Sketchbook Write Letter to Hawks Post to Tumblr (Blog) GPS Daily Movements World Horticulture Expo Closes

WEEK EIGHT Make Entry into Sketchbook Write Letter to Hawks Post to Tumblr (Blog) GPS Daily Movements Specific Study of Rail Typology #2

WEEK NINE Make Entry into Sketchbook Write Letter to Hawks Post to Tumblr (Blog) GPS Daily Movements Specific Study of Rail Typology #2

WEEK TEN Make Entry into Sketchbook Write Letter to Hawks Post to Tumblr (Blog) GPS Daily Movements Specific Study of Rail Typology #3 54

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday 9/23/12 9/24/12 9/25/12 9/26/12 9/27/12

Friday 9/28/12

Saturday 9/29/12

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday 9/30/12 10/1/12 10/2/12 10/3/12 10/4/12

Friday 10/5/12

Saturday 10/6/12

Sunday 10/7/12

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 10/8/12 10/9/12 10/10/12 10/11/12 10/12/12 10/13/12

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 10/14/12 10/15/12 10/16/12 10/17/12 10/18/12 10/19/12 10/20/12

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 10/21/12 10/22/12 10/23/12 10/24/12 10/25/12 10/26/12 10/27/12


WEEK ELEVEN Make Entry into Sketchbook Write Letter to Hawks Post to Tumblr (Blog) GPS Daily Movements Produce GPS Composite (Oct) Specific Study of Rail Typology #3

WEEK TWELVE Make Entry into Sketchbook Write Letter to Hawks Post to Tumblr (Blog) GPS Daily Movements Specific Study of Rail Typology #4

WEEK THIRTEEN Make Entry into Sketchbook Write Letter to Hawks Post to Tumblr (Blog) GPS Daily Movements Specific Study of Rail Typology #4 Sint-Maarten Day (Dutch) Travel in Rome All Blacks vs Italy Rugby Match

WEEK FOURTEEN Make Entry into Sketchbook Write Letter to Hawks Post to Tumblr (Blog) GPS Daily Movements Draw Conclusions from Study Thanksgiving Return to USA Travel in Rome Work on Final Document

WEEK FIFTEEN (POST TRIP) Work on Final Document Write Letter to Hawks Post to Tumblr (Blog) Get Final Document Bound

WEEK SIXTEEN (POST TRIP) Final Project Due Post to Tumblr (Blog)

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday 10/28/12 10/29/12 10/30/12 10/31/12 11/1/12

Friday Saturday 11/2/12 11/3/12

Sunday 11/4/12

Friday Saturday 11/9/12 11/10/12

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday 11/5/12 11/6/12 11/7/12 11/8/12

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 11/11/12 11/12/12 11/13/12 11/14/12 11/15/12 11/16/12 11/17/12

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 11/18/12 11/19/12 11/20/12 11/21/12 11/22/12 11/23/12 11/24/12

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 11/25/12 11/26/12 11/27/12 11/28/12 11/29/12 11/30/12 12/1/12

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday 12/2/12 12/3/12 12/4/12 12/5/12 12/6/12

Friday 12/7/12

Saturday 12/8/12

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Presentation All work final work submitted will be designed dividers would be series of images highlighting using a common theme. The theme is inspired by the infrastructure typology to be discussed in the public transportation maps and can be seen in this upcoming section. proposal package. The final document will be broken down into several sections. The first section will contain an abridged version of this proposal. The next two sections will contain field study documentation. The final section will contain the main study documentation. The main study will be further broken down to into sections for each typology studied as well as a conclusions section. A few pages of images related to the following section will be used to divide each section of the document as well as to prime the viewer for the upcoming section. This concept can be seen in both layout precedents Dirt and False Flat (Born 2012) (Betsky 2004). The images will either be a series photographs, sketches, collages, and other representation techniques used while off-campus. There will be a clear theme with each series of images. Many of the images will be scanned from my sketchbook and my project notebook. The image sections will be double-sided full bleed pages. Initial concepts for these section

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The formatting of the book may change during the course of the study but the following are the initial considerations for the design and format of the final document. The title and heading typeface will be Alte Haas Grotesk Bold size 36 or other san sarif font yet to be decided. The content typeface will be Arial regular size 12. The page layout and design is modeled of the book Dirt (Born 2012) from University of Pennsylvania School of Design. The final document will be professionally glue or saddle stitched bound. The document will be portrait 8.5x11�. Several of the pages will require full bleed printing. Specific pages may need to custom printed and inserted into the book before binding. For example the panoramic studies of each typology will be much longer than the 8.5x11� pages and will need to be folded and inserted into the book.

Alte Haas Grotesk Bold Size: 36pts Arial Regular Size: 12pts 57


Introduction

Theme Introduction


Theme


Field Studies LSA 458 Requirement: 2 credits

Purpose: The field studies are a set of focused exercises which help to structure observations of the new place and engage significant issues in landscape design. They are intended to serve a range of objectives: • to build on skills and knowledge gained in previous B.L.A. course work. • to inquire into concerns apart from the principle study of LSA 460. • to document landscapes in a manner useful for comparisons across different contexts.

Field Study Package: Students will select and define two or three studies from the given set or develop their own in conjunction with their advisors. The work of the combined set of studies will equal 2 credits of the Off-Campus semester. The choice of field studies is agreed upon by both the faculty advisor and the student and is a required component of the Off-Campus, LSA 425 proposal. The choice and scope of the studies should reflect student interests and objectives as well as responding to unique opportunities offered by the study location. The studies are intended as basic starting points for inquiry; each student must elaborate and adapt the procedures and products with the guidance from the faculty advisor.

Timing: The schedule for completing the studies is also determined by the faculty advisor. The majority of the work will be completed in the first four weeks of the Off-Campus study so that it can be reviewed by the faculty advisor during the fifth week. However, some exercises may require more extended work over the course of the semester.

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Theme Abstract Representation Techniques in Landscape Architecture This off-campus study will attempt to use innovative representation methods, not traditionally used in design studio. These alternative techniques, combined with more traditional methods will provide a more holistic site analysis. The alternative methods used include: collage, film studies, and photomontages. Many of these modes of representation are inspired from other design disciplines including the artist’s such as David Hockney, Edward Ruscha, and John Clang. Some of the more abstract methods of representation will be explored more thoroughly in field studies. In Representing Landscapes, James Corner refers to the misuse of drawing (Corner, 2002). The first misuse is the drawing as purely artistic endeavor. The second misuse is the opposite, drawing as overly technical and rational. Corner then goes on to discuss how strategies of appropriation, collage, and imaginative projection can initially liberate us to discover new ground and find structure more relevant to constructing landscape. Corner refers to this process as deictic drawing. In this way we can refer to experience, to emotion and the senses, and to the complexity of what we are grappling with as well as physical and spatial function. The following field studies are meant to explore representation techniques in landscape architecture with the end result being deictic representations of landscape. Deictic representation techniques will be extended beyond just the field study methods and will be incorporated into the main study.

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Field Study One

Field Study One

Field Study Two


Field Study Two


Field Study One Revealing Amsterdam Field Study one involves carrying a GPS daily to track my movements through Amsterdam. The field study will start with a blank map with a grey/black background. Each day will be plotted white with a low transparency on a single layer and posted online to my blog. As tracks overlap, the opacities will become bolder to reveal where more dominant paths of movement are. Monthly composites will be made as well as a final composite which should reveal a map resembling the urban form of Amsterdam. The result will be my own personal map of Amsterdam. It will reveal my dominant modes of movement through Amsterdam as well as my favorite locations. Areas where I spend more time will become more saturated with white and areas where I do not travel will remain grey. Essentially, I will be creating a figure ground of my movements through the city. A notebook may be needed to help code my movements. The final product of this field study will be presented in a bound booklet separated into daily and monthly maps.

Duration 3 months (updated daily as well as the end of each month)

Materials Garmin eTrex 20 Garmin Basecamp Notebook Pen

Coding A different color scheme for different modes of movement

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Example of how field study will be visualized.

Garmin eTrex 20 65


Field Study Two Photographic Methods The photographic methods field study will utilize three different abstract photographic techniques. The first technique, a panoramic photo collage similar to Edward Ruscha’s Every Building on the Sunset Strip will be used in both field study two and the main study. This representation method can be considered a deictic representation because it will help visualize the landscape surrounding the linear study sites. An attempt was made in Junior Studio to create a similar image for Erie Boulevard and although not entirely success, enough was learned to warrant a second attempt. This exercise will need to be performed the early morning to limit the number of moving objects. The second technique used will attempt to emulate David Hockney’s photo collage method. His use of collaging images of the same subject at different perspectives creates a new perspective that forces the viewer to examine the image more closely. This method could be useful in exploring the depth of field of a site. A site for this study will be determined during the initial weeks of the semester. A iconic site, such as dam square or Centraal Station, may be used for the study. The third technique will emulate the images in the series Time by John Clang. His images involve recording a location, to show the passing of time in a montage style. Most of this work would be postproduction in Photoshop but could prove to be an effective way to represent sense of place in Amsterdam. Examples of the series Time can be seen at: http://www.johnclang.com/artwork/time.html

Duration 2days for Time Collage 2days for Hockney Method

Materials Nikon D3100 Digital SLR Camera 18mm-55mm lens Adobe Photoshop 66


Every Building on the Sunset Strip, Ed Ruscha

Furstenberg Paris, David Hockney

Time, John Clang 67


Sketchbook

Honors Program

68


Blog

Project Notebook

Blog Project Notebook Sketchbook Honors Program


Blog I will use a tumblr page (blog) to record my off-campus study. The blog is named Dutchscape and the url is : www.dutchscape.tumblr.com. The blog will be designed prior to leaving for the semester. It will be updated frequently with a minimum of four posts a week. The blog will place a heavy emphasis on visual images. Photographs, sketches, and updates on my main study as well as my field studies will be uploaded. Precedents and other posts related to my thought process will be featured on the blog. My hope is for the blog to become a digital project notebook for the semester. Specific posts will occur before departure including photo documentation of travel materials in the style of images from the Things Organized Neatly tumblr page. Another photo documentation series will be created before returning to Syracuse to reveal what was accumulated and what was lost during the semester. (http://thingsorganizedneatly.tumblr.com/)

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Project Notebook LSA 459 Requirement: 2 credits One of the principle objectives of the Off-Campus program is to involve students in the process of selfdirected learning. Therefore, the emphasis is not only on the final products, but on the process itself. The “project notebook� is the means for recording the study process in detail, as it progresses through daily decisions, questions, consulting various sources, refining concepts, making format decisions, and so on. This tangible record of your activities over time will become an important document for reviewing and evaluating how you approach any given design situation. The procedure for keeping a project notebook is a critical professional and academic practice to learn. In any design/planning/research process numerous decisions and actions are made which ultimately affect the final product. Often these intermediate decisions or actions are forgotten, and when the final product emerges it is difficult to reconstruct the process that got you there. In professional practice it is critical to keep a record of all phone conversations, meetings with clients, and delegation of responsibilities. Keeping an on-going record of project involvement, project and office management practices, and evaluative comments can assist in understanding the sequence and development of the process. This record serves as resource for referring back to questions from clients and for evaluating your own methods. The project notebook is a means of systematically recording all activities, observations and decisions related to the project. The primary value is as a tool for understanding the learning process and should, therefore, be written to yourself, not stilted to what you believe the faculty advisor wants to hear. Its value is in its honesty. Follow the organization and outline below, but make adjustments as necessary.

Objectives: 1. To document your own participation in your study. 2. To help in understanding design and research processes. 3. To help in understanding organization and management 72


Procedure: 1. Duration: The notebook is to be maintained throughout the 14 week study period. 2. Daily Entries: At the end of each day you are to make entries in the notebook (illustrative questions to respond to are suggested under each category, but do not limit yourself to these). a. Design and research process. 1. What project step was completed? 2. What was your role in it? 3. What methods and techniques were used? 4. What design decisions were made? 5. What project related meetings were held? With whom? Purpose? Results? 3. Weekly Entries: At the end of each week you are to make entries outlining a program of goals, objectives and actions for the following week, as well as evaluating the experiences of the previous week. a. Have you discovered something about your process of learning? b. Have you developed professionally this week? c. What methods and techniques have been particularly useful? d. What daily schedule is most effective? e. How can you make the notebook a more useful tool to you? What kind of entries are most useful? What format modifications will improve the organization? 4. Final Synthesis: At the end of the semester, you are to synthesize your observations and evaluations in a broader, personal, educational and professional perspective. a. How well did you meet your stated off-campus semester objectives? b. How would you evaluate the overall design inquiry process used? c. How can you apply your study experience to your next semester of the landscape architecture program and beyond? 73


Format: 1. To be recorded in a separate notebook - min. size 8 1/2� x 11� 2. Each page to include (see sample pages): a. date and times b. column for identifying entries by category (design, management, attitudes, evaluation, weekly objectives, etc.) c. written entries d. supplementary graphics (flow diagrams, sketches, etc.) 3. Entries must be legibly lettered or written. 4. Entries must be in sentence form, understandable by an other reader. 5. Because this is a professional document, the packaging and cover should be designed and representative of the content.

Submission Requirements: 1. The notebook, up to the time of the faculty advisor’s visit, will be reviewed by the advisor during the visit. The advisor will comment on and evaluate the work to date, relative to the project initiation phase. 2. The completed project notebook (for the entire semester) is to be submitted with other work at the end of the semester. The notebook, except in rare instance, will be returned to the student after it has been evaluated.

Evaluation: The project notebook will be evaluated at the end of the semester on the basis of perceptiveness, appropriateness of evaluations, completeness, thoroughness, organization, and indications of academic and professional growth.

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I prefer to use Moleskine gridpaper notebooks in a journal or reporter format 75


Sketchbook LSA459 Requirement: 2.0 credits From the beginning of your journey off-campus to your return, you will record thoughts, experiences and images on a daily basis in a separate journal/sketchbook. This is one of the oldest and most valuable practices for a designer to cultivate. The journals of designers such as LeCorbusier or Halprin provide an insight into the creative process that extends beyond individual projects and becomes a way of constantly observing, thinking and synthesizing. The Off-Campus journal/sketchbook provides the means of capturing daily experience and requires thought and interpretation of these experiences. Over time the journal will become a means of evaluation and reflection on the diversity of places, events and experiences. It will include a variety of observations on matters of obvious landscape architectural relevance- spatial form, details, materials, use patterns, etc., as well as general observations on aspects of place and culture- language, behavior in public spaces, food, rituals, environmental attitudes, daily schedules, etc.. It is not a personal diary, even though your subjectivity will be inherent in the content of the entries. The importance of drawing ... The journal/sketchbook is also an opportunity to become comfortable with recording and interpreting places through visual notes and sketches. Too often the camera is a convenient substitute for not thinking critically about the landscape. To draw, however, requires acts of thought, interpretation, selection, translation and communication. A drawing can often record what escapes the cameraunderlying structure, concept, character, experience. This is an opportunity to experiment with a variety of graphic techniques from analytical drawings to thumbnail sketches, diagrams, collages, or detailed representational images. There will be many “failures� but the journal/sketchbook should show a high degree of constant use, experimentation, and growth.

Requirements: -Bound book with cover, size will vary -List of goals and objectives for the journal concerning types of visual and verbal skills to explore and 76


issues to address. Note: the journal will inevitably go beyond these initial statements. -Entries (ideally on a daily basis) for the entire 14 week study

Evaluation: ∙ Balance of verbal and visual communication ∙ Evidence of curiosity, inquiry and depth of observations ∙ Evidence of experimentation with a variety of verbal and visual forms of communication ∙ Legibility The first several weeks of the journal/sketchbook record will be reviewed during the advisor visit.

Objectives - Gain a fluidity and confidence in sketching - Experiment with methods of representation that I am not experienced with including collage and watercolor - Sketch primarily in black ink when not experimenting with other representation techniques

- Discover Amsterdam mainly using sectional drawings but also perspectives, plans, and diagrams - Use notes and diagrams to supplement sketches - Update my tumblr page with sketches weekly

- Entirely fill at least one sketchbook

- Document themes that are of interest to me including: type in the landscape, infrastructure details, bridges, plazas, architecture detail, boats, and other themes that become apparent during my travels

- Make at least five entries a week

- Record location and date of every sketch

- Treat sketchbook as an art piece including the cover

- Incorporate multiple drawings per page

- Include photographs and other printed media such as maps and tickets in my sketchbook

- Bring sketchbook everywhere I go including international travels - When appropriate incorporate full spreads into sketchbook

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Full page spread and incorporation of photographs

Sketchbook treated as a work of art 78

Collage


Use of maps in sketchbook

Photo-collage technique

Ink drawings with notes 79


Honors Program The Honors Thesis/Project is the hallmark of the Honors Program at the College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF). Honors thesis/projects are expected to be high quality work completed by serious and talented undergraduates that go well beyond typical coursework. The thesis/project is required to meet five standards: 1. The topic or subject should be of interest to the student 2. The subject or topic must be in the student’s major and tie together significant parts of the student’s undergraduate experience 3. The investigation and thesis/project must demonstrate a venture that extends substantially beyond an undergraduate course 4. The thesis/project must represent independent student work 5. The subject/topic must involve serious academic exploration worthy of 1-5 credit hours. An honors project might be undertaken by students in majors such as landscape architecture, or engineering, in a medium appropriate for their major. It is expected to be more substantial than a typical course project and result in a product that is of professional quality. These honors projects should be accompanied by a (written) explanatory essay.

ESF Honors Project Advisor Any member of the ESF faculty may be a thesis/project advisor. Occasionally, under extraordinary circumstances, part-time or adjunct faculty members may serve as thesis/project advisors with the approval of the Director of the Honors Program. Students should select their advisors as carefully as the topic of the research, taking into consideration faculty members’ expertise and the necessity of close academic relationships. One of the most rewarding experiences of the Honors program is the mentoring process that occurs between the honors advisor and the honors student. This mentoring process is often key to the success of the thesis or project. Students identify their honors advisors as early in their careers as possible. They typically ask a faculty member whose class has been of special interest to them, or whose research expertise is in a specific area, or whose area of specialization fits with those of the honors student. Students should feel free to contact faculty members to discuss possible advising opportunities. 80


Once the thesis/project topic has been identified, the thesis project advisor should meet on a regular basis with the honors student until the work is complete. In most cases, the topic of the thesis project is formalized before or during the first semester of the junior year, planned and researched in the second semester of the junior year and the first semester of the senior year, and written up by the end of the senior year. In between the first semester of the junior year and the final semester of the senior year, ESF honors students enroll in and complete the two courses required by the Honors program. These courses should augment the students’ honors experience. The honors advisor assists the student in identifying and refining ideas and interests into a thesis/ project to maximize the probability of success. Similar to the graduate thesis or dissertation experience, critical tasks for the advisor are to: a. Take ideas that may be unfocussed and make them clear b. Gather stray thoughts and interconnect relevant concepts c. Encourage students to take risks where appropriate d. Harness a broad topic into a project that will fit within the confines of an undergraduate honors thesis project. This activity might be accomplished by a faculty advisor who is able to ‘carve out’ a portion of research into a suitable undertaking. In other instances, it may mean convincing a student that a project is too big and would better serve the student’s needs as a significant project, but on a much smaller scale. The advisor reads drafts or reviews progress on the thesis/project and provides detailed feedback via meetings, electronic communications, synchronized exchanges of sections of work, or any other appropriate means. The student is expected to give the advisor ample time to read and review submitted work, and to provide thoughtful comments.

Second Reader Each thesis/project requires the skills of a second reader who is selected by the student and advisor. The second reader typically enters the thesis/project just prior to the beginning of the final semester of the senior year, after the conceptualization and research has been completed. However, some students 81


and advisors may wish to include the second reader earlier in the process. Although the second reader’s responsibility is not as great as the honors advisor, the reader should have ample opportunity to read and review the document and provide comments on the final stages of the student’s work.

Coursework Requirements Students must carefully select at least two courses: a) 400 level or above in a related area and not required of other students in the same major, or b) enhanced versions of upper division courses that contribute directly to their thesis/project, or c) one of each type. Students admitted to the ESF Honors Program are eligible to enroll in appropriate courses numbered 600 to 699 with faculty approval. We recommend that honors students take advantage of being able to take graduate classes.

Honors Thesis/Project (ESF 499) ESF Honors students are required to complete 3-5 credits of ESF 499 - Honors Thesis. (Chemistry students are required to complete five credits of ESF 499 to meet the senior synthesis requirement). To register for ESF 499, honors advisors sign the SCORE (registration) form and Dr. Shields requests a section of ESF 499 created with the honors advisor as the instructor of record. In the event that a student is unable to complete the thesis project, the credits may be converted to and graded by the advisor as a non-thesis project independent study (usually XXX 498).

Parts of an Honors Project The thesis project itself includes the following: 1. Title page (no page numbers) 2. Abstract (lower case Roman numerals) 3. Table of contents 4. List of Figures 5. List of Tables 6. Glossary of Terms (if appropriate) 7. Acknowledgments 8. Body of the Thesis (First numbered page) 8a. Introduction 8b. Methods 8c. Results 8d. Discussion 8e. Conclusions 9. Bibliography or Works Cited 10. Appendices

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Advisor and Second Reader’s Approvals Every thesis/project must be approved before final submission by both the advisor and second reader. To facilitate this process, the student should keep both the advisor and second reader current with plans for and progress on the thesis/project. The final version of the thesis/project should be given to the advisor and second reader by March 15 for May graduates. March 15 - 31 should be used to confer with the advisor and second reader to agree on and make necessary revisions. April 1 – 14 should be used to prepare the final thesis/project for submission to the Honors Program. Submission of the Thesis Project to the ESF Honors Program Students must provide two copies (one of which is an electronic PDF file) of the thesis/project in its final form to the Director of the ESF Honors program for review and approval by the semester deadlines. The Director may require revisions or further work on any thesis project. In order to allow time for a review of the thesis/project, it should be submitted to the Director of the ESF Honors Program (116 Illick Hall) at least seven days before the deadline for completion of program requirements.

Thesis Project Presentation Honors students are required to present their thesis/projects either at the Spotlight on Student Research (usually held in mid-April), at an individual presentation, or when appropriate at a scientific meeting. If they choose to present at a scientific meeting funds to support their attendance should be available. The honors advisor and second reader should view the poster or talk at Spotlight. If the presentation requirement is completed via an individual presentation, the presentation -- which may be made in a form appropriate to the student’s discipline -- should last no longer than an hour, with the student’s introductory remarks and explanation typically lasting approximately 30-45 minutes and the remainder reserved for questions and discussion. When a thesis/project is in an area of the creative arts, the student and her or his advisor should make appropriate arrangements to exhibit the work.

Final Approval The thesis/project is required to be in final form by the end of semester deadline. The title page of the thesis/project is usually signed after the document has received approval from the Honors Program Director. Students who produce projects that are not suitable for submission in their entirety are required to submit tapes, photographs, or other permanent records of their original work in addition to their essays. Thesis/projects and all accompanying materials are kept in Moon Library and are publicly available for reading/viewing.

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ASLA Award References Resources Map


ASLA Award

References

Resources

Map


ASLA Student Awards I intend to submit my off-campus project or a Criteria: The jury will consider the quality portion of my project to the 2013 ASLA student of the analysis and planning effort; context; awards in the Analysis and Planning Category. environmental sensitivity and sustainability; The preparation and submittal for the competition will occur during the Spring 2013 semester, but it is important to approach the off-campus semester with the intention of producing work of competition quality.

Submittal Dates Submission binders must be received by ASLA for Student Awards by Friday, May 11, 2012* I am anticipating a similar deadline for 2013 competition.

Analysis and Planning Category Recognizes: the wide variety of professional activities that lead to, guide, and evaluate landscape architecture design. Entries in this category are not required to be built or implemented. Typical entries include: urban, suburban, rural, or regional planning efforts; development guidelines; transportation, town, or campus planning; plans for reclamation of brownfield sites; environmental planning in relation to legislative or policy initiatives or regulatory controls; cultural resource reports; natural resources protection; historic preservation planning; and more. 86

likelihood of successful implementation; and value to the client, the public, and other designers. Recognition: The Professional Awards Jury and the Student Awards Jury may each select one Award of Excellence and any number of Honor Awards in this category. Entry Instructions Entrants in this category will submit: • a completed official entry binder • a completed Concealed Identification and Credit Form • a CD-ROM containing the above two items in electronic format Official Entry Binder Upon receipt of the entry form and payment, ASLA will issue an official, numbered entry binder for each project to be submitted. Each entry kit contains a submission binder, forms, and instructions. All submission materials must fit into this binder, which contains 24 page views in an 8.5” x 11” format. The jury will not consider any material that is oversized, behind other items, or submitted outside the binder, and will not remove


any materials from the sleeves (such as pamphlets or brochures). Materials in the binder must not reveal the names of

3.Drawings and Photographs: Include at least five (5) but no more than fifteen (15) total drawings and/or photographs of the project. Drawings and

the entrant and/or landscape architects, firms, other designers, students, schools, or photographers. Entrants must use an easily readable typeface, such as Times Roman, Garamond, or Arial, no smaller than 10-point size, for all text. Binder covers may not be altered in any manner.

photographs must be 8.5” x 11” format, portrait or landscape orientation. Brief captions of no more than 40 words each are to be placed at the bottom of each image or opposite the image in the book. Also, please submit a separate text document containing all of the captions.

Entry binders in the Analysis and Planning Category must contain the following items: 1.Descriptive Data Summary: The first two (2) views of the entry binder must include a descriptive data summary of up to two (2) typed pages. Briefly describe how sustainability applies to your submission. In particular, identify aspects of the project that address environmental, social, and/ or economic sustainability, highlighting attributes of the project directed toward regenerative design or planning. Please use the appropriate form provided for Professionals and for Students.

Concealed Identification and Credit Form Please list all project credits on the Concealed Identification and Credit Form.

CD-ROM The CD-ROM must contain the contents of the official entry binder and the Concealed Identification and Credit Form as submitted to the awards program. Text documents must be in a word processing application (such as rich text format, MS Word, WordPerfect, WordPad), not a portable document format (.PDF) file. Photographs and drawings must be in .jpg format at a minimum 2.Site Plan: The third view of the entry binder of 300 ppi (pixels per inch). Label each image with should be a simple site plan to give the jurors the entry number and the number of the image. context of the entire project. It should be in 8.5” x For example, if the entry number is “123,” label 11” format, landscape or portrait orientation. the .jpg files as 123-01, 123-02, 123-03, and so on. Please label the CD-ROM jewel case with the entry number. 87


References Betsky, Aaron, and Adam Eeuwens. False Flat Why Dutch Design is So Good. London: Phaidon, 2004. 94-95. Print. Born, Megan, Helene Furjan, and Lily Jencks, eds. DIRT. N.p.: viaBooks, A PennDesign Publication, 2012. Print. Corner, James. “Representation and Landscape.” In Theory In Landscape Architecture: A Reader, Simon Swathfield, 144-164. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002. Grey, Christopher. “Definitions and Trajectory.” Landscape Urbanism. N.p., 2006. Web. Path: http:// landscapeurbanism.com/article/christopher-gray/2/. GVB. http://www.gvb.nl/ENGLISH/Pages/default.aspx. Mckee, Bradford. “High Line Fever.” Landscape Architecture Magazine, July 2011, 8. NS. “NS Annual Report 2012.” Venturi, Robert. Learning from Las Vegas. Boston: The MIT Press, 1977. Print. Vroom, Meto J. Lexicon of Garden and Landscape Architecture. Basel: Birkhäuser Architecture, 2006. Waldheim, Charles, and Alan Berger. “Logistics Landscape.” Landscape Journal 27, no. 2 (2008): 219246.

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Resources Contact Thomas Oles Professor of Landscape Architecture Academie van Bouwkunst thomas.oles@ahk.nl

Floriade World Horticulture Expo

Academie Van Bouwkunst Master’s in Landscape Architecture Program http://www.ahk.nl/en/architecture/studyprogrammes/master-in-landscape-architecture/

Allergy Card allergisch voor zuivel

Venlo, The Netherlands April 5, - October 7, 2012 Two Day Ticket : 40,00 Euros http://www.floriade.com/tickets

Netherlands Architecture Institute

geen melk

geen kaas

Musempark 25 3015 CB Rotterdam The Netherlands +31(0)10-4401200 service@nai.nl http://en.nai.nl/

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Zachary Barker Richard Hawks (Advisor) Fall 2012


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