Final plan for design

The iterative process which lead from my first ideas of vegetated platforms underneath the overpass, through substantial experiment with forms and a variety of methods of developing a design eventually lead to a final design. The platforms evolved first into a bridge which contained constructed wetlands. Then it lead to bridges over a constructed wetland, which makes more sense. Thus, my final design for the Perkins Road area developed into a constructed swamp or wetland with a series of bridges. My design inspiration for the bridges came from looking at the degrading paving patterns of the Perkins Road area.

My Autocad perspective below illustrates this degradation on the site.

Observation 7

My main study model for this process also helped serve as a form generator.

From this model, connections across the site were more easily understood. These connections further helped define and organize the bridges across the site.

As the bridges evolved they also began to change in elevation. I always imagined it an interesting experience rising up towards the interstate, this creating a smaller space of refuge under this immense structure. Thus, I mad the bridges rise and fall, and this created a unique system of platforms, each with seating walls(which accommodated the meeting of bridges of differing slope.) These platforms extended the edge of the groundplane out over the water’s edge, and also created unique spaces for gathering. This is illustrated below.

My fascination with these forms must have come out in my process of drawing on the Wacom tablet, as described in my last post.

In addition, the creation of such bridges and the water underneath required a design solution for an edge condition, where bridge meets ground and water meets surrounding buildings. This was accomplished by the creation of a pedestrian promenade. This area served local business for outdoor dining and market space.

The constructed wetland underneath it all takes in water from the overpass and Perkins Road and filters that water through three tiers as described below.

The design process for this project has been difficult. From the first moments, I struggled with how overwhelming it seemed. I didn’t think myself capable of coming up with anything, and still wonder. One thing I learned though, was that the design process does require some experimenting, particularly when you are stuck. I found myself quite stuck several times, and came up with all kinds of ways to mess around. They worked, too. Drawing, modelling, clay, wood, digital media… everything.

In addition, I learned how important it is to develop a design method, a way of going about things that will work every time. There was plenty of experimenting that probably was just a waste of time, but…

The final review went well. The feedback was invaluable. It, in particular reminded me how important it is to present your ideas well. I felt I could have sold things much better, with a better presentation. Of course, my nerves could have helped with that.

Here are a couple examples of that process.

Ideas for edges and connections developed through this process. The image of the edge of parking was of particular interest. Drawn in green in the corner.

From this I was able to work through some of the issues in the site plan.

Connections developed as I went along, in particular.

The design has evolved into a system of bridges, meandering through the cypress swamp, creating connections across the site. The columns of the overpass are the cypress. The groundplane is lowered, and it collects the runoff from the site. Along the edges, parking and paved areas protrude against the wetland, creating sharp edges.

My inspiration as I proceeded was the swamp. This idea of walking along a boardwalk through the swamp. Here is my design rendering without the overpass structure.

In the Perkins context:

perkins-design-development-water

perkins-design-development-circulation

program

overpass-patterns

connections

This area is bounded by Perkins to the south and Greenwood to the north.

Changing Perkins
Perkins is changing, new development has begun to come in, particularly in the area of the old hardware store.  For this project we are to assume that the other buildings in the area will follow suit.  The new developments will utilize the footprints of the old buildings, adding more density in the form of upper story residential units. New development will cause a need for open space to arise.  This space must accommodate many uses including parking, festival space, and variety of connections for pedestrians and to the urban fabric.

Some thoughts

Completely overwhelmed would categorize my initial thoughts about this project.  The openness of it, the freedom to work within a process of my own…  A little sketching, a bit of searching in vain for ideas online, and finally I returned to my photos of the site.  The idea that came to mind was making the area under the overpass the area for greenspace, while making the more open space out from under the overpass the area for festival and market space, etc.  I don’t really know why.

Inspiration

I have no idea where this will lead me, but looking at these photos gave me some ideas.

Vines overcome this column on I-10.

Overpass wilderness.

Overpass stream.

The ideas which come from looking back at these images reflect a desire to “return the bridge back to nature”.  In particular, I was interested in the first image of the vines climbing the overpass.  I started to think of the rows of columns as trees.  Vines could be used to form the canopy.  I started to think about the columns in Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia as inspiration.

The columns are abstracted trees.

Thus, I give myself the idea of a forest ecosystem under the overpass. In order to heighten this, and make the plants successful, the space between the crossbeams of the overpass include a system of light panels. These are set behind the vines’ leaves and create a dappled light effect on the ground, similar to the floor of the forest. They would be powered by a photovoltaic array above the overpass, which links the underside environment to the upper environment.

In this configuration the area under the overpass becomes greenspace for the neighborhood.

Into the hood

This new place would spread into the neighborhood through the same vining tendrils. The space could in fact grow to accommodate different events or programming, and could therefore be responsive to the needs of the neighborhood and users.

thoughts

Enoses simulate the human nose with multiple gas sensors

A simple gas sensor which senses one odor

Odor sensors

They simulate the action of the nose.  Simple versions use one gas cell which allows only the detection of one smell.  The ENose uses multiple cells and can therefore sense the same range of odors as the human nose.

Types of sensors

methane sensor

combustible gas sensors

carbon monoxide sensor

hydrogen sensor

Enose

carbon dioxide sensors

breath odor monitoring sensor

Output

The sensors can sense both types of odors and the realtive strength of said odor.  Data is fed into a computer analysis.

Application in the landscape

Odor mitigation

Odor sensors can be used to collect data on particularly odor producing sites.  That data can influence design.  It could even control a system of devices or walls which block odors.

Feed lot odors are one example.

Interactive learning

These sensors could be used in educational environments to identify plants or any other odor producing thing, and cold be linked to data bases with information about species or interactive maps.

Guided learning and exploration, such as identifying plants.

Environment

Realtime maps could be created with sensor data which identify sites of heavy pollution such as industry.  This could influence regional or site planning as well as tree planting, etc. as mitigation.

Process Phidgets

Phidgets

Mechanical inputs, buttons, sliders, toggles, checkboxes to translate the graphic user interface widgets into physical contraptions.  Created to study user interaction with an interface.

Typical menu widgets

The physical representation of a widget.

Type of device

A variety of input sensors, a computer input and processing board, and output devices such as servos and LEDs.

Processing

The API interconnects the inputs and outputs. It is programmed through a variety of computer languages including Processing, C, Java, .net and its outcomes can be uploaded to the Phidget board.

Output

Output phidgets transfer signals from computer into mechanical motion or visual output.

Application in the landscape

Robots

Mechanical devices can be created which are autonomous to a computer. They can gather data on the site or serve as automatons which react to site phenomena in a preprogrammed way. They can also interact with vistors.

A phidget robot.

Sensing

Input which is processed can be immediately initiated in the landscape.  They can control movement of devices, making the space react to its users through mechanical or digital output.

A window mounted phidget sensor controls vehicle acceleration through vehicle's onboard computer.

Study

Artifical components of landscape can be created which serve to integrate into the existing site features, such as artificial plants which respond to the same data as living plants.

This mechanical flower blooms according to sense data.

Transform Realtime mapping

A realtime traffic map.

Monitoring refugees for the UN through Google Earth realtime maps.

Realtime mapping

This includes maps that are constantly updating to provide to the minute data on transportation, weather, movement, or human interaction.

Types of mapping

Google Earth, Google Maps, NOAA, Microsoft Maps, UPS Package Tracking, Sigalert, UNHCR, USGS, GPS, flight data and flight control

Output

Theoretically any event can be mapped on a realtime map.  Maps include not only spacial data, but include a level of temporal data which creates a wider variety of uses.

Application in the landscape

Wayfinding

Interactive maps could be used in designed sites or events so that happenings could be mapped and kept current and visitors could make their visits correspond.

Theme parks could have realtime interactive maps.

Changing surfaces

Vrtual landscapes which are interactive with users could be created using realtime map data.  Interactive groundplanes could influence movement and interaction with the landscape.

Interactive groundplane.

Information

Linking realtime map data and GPS could provide a constant source of information about the landscape around.  Education, tourism and even design could be heightened through this information access and linking.

Applications like Google Earth could link real life to map data.

The output of the Hyposurface could be connected to piezo sensors.  The surface would be set into the ground plane, and its interaction would take place starting at 0, in other words level with the surrounding topography.  Downward force would gradually deform the surface over the course of the day, creating a depressed path.  Along the edges of this path the ground plane would raise to accommodate this displacement.  In addition, forward motion, especially rapid forward motion would cause a displacement in front of that path, as it does on the edges of the pavement from a car’s motion.  Thus, significant forward motion would cause some disruption in the directionality of the path, and as the path responds to rapid motion, it serves as a juxtapositon or reflection of our fast-paced lifestyles.

The finished perspective

Perspective of sidewalk, under construction.

Looking through

I looked over the research my classmates and I did (which we placed on the wall in the classroom) and I began to think about ways to make connections from sensors to processors to outputs.  Certain things kept coming up.  I kept looking back at optical sensors.  They seemed an obvious place to start.  But, as I thought about them more, I realized that visual cues are already so dominant in our understanding of landscape.  In fact they do little to help us to understand how the landscape reacts to us.  Plants, rocks soils, water, none of these react to immediate visual cues.  They sense our presence and react to us through other cues, in particular through forces, and touch.

I know this seems far fetched, but it gets more clear.   I started to think back to my earlier investigations of the deterioration of pavement at the site.  Cracking was a process of forces.  This could be my link to a my site phenomena: sensing the forces of the user, processing them, and having that affect how the user interacts with the site.

Sensor

I wanted something that could detect force, motion or pressure.  Our footsteps, our touch our motion: all of these affect the landscape.

Piezo sensors.  Emily mentioned them, and I immediately became interested.

Simple piezos

Piezo pressure

Piezo racket

Piezo drums

These sensors are comprised mainly of a metal, ceramic or crystal which when a pressure is applied creates a small electronic current.  They are quite simple and are found in a multitude of applications, including serving to create the spark in many cigarette lighters.  They can serve as both an input, creating an electronic current and as an output (when an electrical charge is applied the materials react to that charge by vibrating, thus creating sound, and are used to make speakers.)

Processor

My original case study was that of the Phidget, a device that allows small physical devices to be linked to a computer to create some type of output based on programming.   As I looked more into this technology,I became even more interested in the Arduino.  This device allows for the same type of computer interface, but can be attached to any electronic sensors and outputs (within reasonable voltages) and are not as proprietary.  In addition, they allow for more programmablilty, and once programmed, can be run without a computer.  They use a form of Processing as a programming language and can receive input, process them and create outputs.

This device is programmable and can link sensors and outputs to the computer.

Output

I wanted something big to represent the forces acting on the site.  I wondered if CAD/CAM could be applied to the site.  Could it make a model quickly enough for the casual user.  No.  Unfortunately.  So, I began to think about hydraulics.  I wanted to take a small force, the force of footsteps and magnify them.  Massive hydraulic systems can be activated by a small electronic switch.

A hydraulic cylinder would be used to create motion.

Links

Using the piezo to sense the force of a footstep (a piezo can record amounts of force), the Arduino recieve and processes the data.  Based on the location of that piezo (a location somewhere on the site, and a numbered location on the Arduino) the Arduino determines the amount of force applied, and controls the hydraulic switch accordingly.  Thus, more footstep force would create more linear or vertical movement in the hydraulic cylinder.