Re-Thinking Strategies in Northern Honshu_2016

Re-Thinking Strategies In North Eastern Honshu//

Benjamin Randall Horne//

can mapping natural disasters question the form of built structures to propose a flood management system that re-engages the region of Hashkami to their natural landscape?

On the north eastern coast of Honshu, Japan in early March of 2011 a tsunami occurred from a 9.0 magnitude earthquake shifting the earth’s axis by 6.8 inches (Tsunami defences, 2014). While japan has had tsunami prevention walls in place for many years, they were not enough to stop the 40 foot wall of water that devastated the coastline specifically the region of Hashikami, just south of Kesennuma. Due to a complete disregard for urban planning and fake sense of faith installed in the community by the Japanese government there were approximately 18,000 missing or beleived to have passed away (Tsunami defences, 2014). This report looks into how the 2011 tsunami struck Hashikami, natural and built techniques in place to prevent this disaster and questions the current applied methods in place to revise how natural disasters are considered in the future for the eastern coast of Honshu, through the use of technical mapping to identify overlapping systems, to then decipher there positive and negative effects in the future of Japan’s ongoing battle with natural disasters.

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view of tsunami in seconds//

scale// 1:50000

legend// tsunami barrier//hard walled spaces

rocks//cliffed territories

safe zones

tsunami inundation zone

low tide water level

high tide water level

shipping lanes

hashikami coastline

destruction Figure 1: Destructionzones// Zones//

In the afternoon of March 11th a 40 foot wall of water surged over two layers of tsunami walls, “called the nations, “great wall of China” by the government and news media” (Onishi, 2011), which were designed as a defence mechanism as, “People say that those who live in Taro will encounter a tsunami twice in their lives” (Onishi, 2011). A false sense of faith installed in the minds of the people by the Japanese government that ultimately failed, combined with a complete disregard for urban planning. As the seawall was considered, “a source of pride, an asset, something that we believed in” (Onishi, 2011) this report combines of ideology of recreating a sea wall to restore faith in the local community whilst researching water mitigation through 2D and 3D mapping techniques, to bring to life systems that could potentially be applied along the coastline of eastern Honshu.

scale// 1:50000

legend// tsunami barrier//hard walled spaces

residential properties//commercial properties

rocks//cliffed territories

safe zones

tsunami inundation zone

low tide water level

high tide water level

shipping lanes hashikami coastline

Figure 2: Population Safe Zones// population from&safe zones//

A Japanese government official titled Mr Shimozawa stated, “we have to provide a permanent feeling of security so that people will live here” (Onishi, 2011), meaning there is current plans to rebuild japans tsunami walls which have already failed as a method of natural flood disaster management. The idea of building more tsunami walls has already failed in Japan questioning whether their method of stopping a tsunami should be reconsidered to knowing these natural disasters will occur, which intern can alter urban planning scheme’s to allow adaption and mitigation whilst changing ideologies that are currently perceived by the scarred population of Hashikami.

The potential of flood management and water mitigation is being used in the Netherlands, through the use of a dike system that can be monitored to allow flooding in particular areas that are programed for farming yet have a secondary program that allow seasonal flooding. This allows water to flow into these designed areas to save neighbouring cities which, “reintroduces flooding as an agent of territorial design and perception” (Rossano, 2015). This investigation of mapping has been used to, “uncover realities previously unseen or imagined” (Corner, 1999) in order to review current structure such as the destructive and safe zones (Figure 1), the speed of the 2011 tsunami and topography together with program (Figure 2,3) to, “visualizing these interrelationships and interactions” (Corner, 1999) in order to reveal potential for future Japanese water management systems.

scale// 1:50000

legend// vegetated space

tsunami barrier//hard walled spaces

residential properties//commercial properties

rocks//cliffed territories

safe zones

tsunami inundation zone

low tide water level

high tide water level

shipping lanes roads hashikami coastline

Figure 3: Program//

program//

Research has been conducted through the operation of mapping to review hard points (tsunami barriers, large rocks and boulders) that occupy the coastline of Hashikami together with the destructive zones and known topography in order to map areas of high elevation that weren’t affected by the 2011 tsunami (Figure 1). Whilst also recording the view of the tsunami in seconds that was hindered by tsunami walls that failed as their primary method to prevent tsunami water, while also failing the Japanese public who had their life invested behind these concrete walls who, “are now facing the decision of whether to try rebuild their business in Kesennuma” (Yoshida, 2014). Opening an investigation that revise’s Japanese urban planning to create a safe environment that can be dictated by flood management, mapping water territories on the X & Y scale to reveal possible future safe zones.

This technique of mapping does expose territories that were previous invisible, such as the relationship between topography together with hard points (tsunami barriers, rocks and boulders) to reveal safe zones (Figure 2), which is shown through the use of line weight, line type and hatching yet doesn’t give viewers a sense of volume that can be achieved through the Z axis axonometric drawings.

The axonometric can be viewed on the X,Y & Z scale to summarise a compositional act, which with the use of computer modelling can give viewers an easier understanding of spatial relations where in some cases, “the ‘game’ can even be that of ‘hunt the parts’ so that a seeming homogeneity or scrambling of hierarchies is deliberately set up in order to deny the obviousness of the basic composition” (Cook, 2014). To achieve this hierarchy the use of the previous three two dimensional mappings where transposed from AutoCAD (two dimensions) to Rhinoceros (three dimensions) in order to take the simplified black lined mapping to a three dimensional thick layered axonometric, where the existing 2016 Hashikami stood as a base, allowing particular systems to be extruded to represent volume whilst questioning the spatial relationship between this programs (Figure 4). Together with the use of shades (white, grey and black) to described metaphysical phenomena; black was used as the tsunami water which indicated, “Hatred, negativity, major illness or depression, cheap or miserly” (Prescott, 2014), whilst white was used to represent, “versatility and adaptability allowing elements to experience the maximum potential in every life opportunity” (Prescott, 2014), which has been applied to the elements that are being revitalised in this research report.

Figure 4: Hashikami Base Axonometric//

stage five - residential & commercial structures

stage four - low lying vegetated space

stage three - commercial roads

stage two - natural rocks & boulders

stage one - built sea wall & coastline hard points

Figure 5: Systems Exploded Axonometric//

Mapping in three dimensions questioned the size and volume of the built barriers that fails to consider the impact of the local citizen’s livelihood, declining economy, aging culture and society, stating, “if the sea wall is too high, people (at the port) would feel as if they were living in a prison. Many people would desert the town and it could destroy the community” (Yoshida, 2014). Whilst looking into natural resources such as rocks and boulders on the coastline that mimic the sea wall yet don’t create a ‘prison’ phenomena that is experienced from straight concrete sea walls, although some of these natural elements felt tall, together with elevated topography they produced safe zones that felt ‘open’ which sea wall was unable to provide. (Figure 5,6)

30 foot built sea wall

25 foot built sea wall port 4m above sea level

tsunami height

30 foot built sea wall

port 4m above sea level

strip of houses saved

Figure 6: Built Sea Wall Structure Exploded Axonometric//

Topography simulated a major role in tsunami prevention establishing safe zones while lower elevated areas such as roads and low lying vegetated spaces (Figure 9) where areas that were inundated by the tsunami. It was this cross over between the low and high elevated territories that exhibited systems that overlapped where houses at higher elevations survived whilst low lying vegetated spaces where 100% inundated by the tsunami waters. The axonometric thick mapping gave a better understanding of topography, showing how Hashikami’s topography worked with the existing programs on site, bringing out the strengths and weaknesses. (Figure 5)

natural rock 6m above sea level

natural rock 4m above sea level

average housing height sea level ground level 50m from coastline ground level 300m from coastline

Figure 7: Natural Rock Formation Exploded Axonometric//

Weakness in the system is shown in (Figure 6,7) where built sea walls and natural rocks and boulders create a ‘prison like’ (Yoshida, 2014) landscape that blocks Hashikami from the ocean which is the lifeblood of over 70% of the general public.

average hashikami main road - 10m wide

average hashikami secondary road - 6m wide

Figure 8: Primary & Secondary Roads Exploded Axonometric//

Strengths are found in the lower elevated areas (Figure 8,9) where large areas of unpopulated land is found in the destruction zone that has the potential to be labelled as a future natural disaster no-go zone, where through more extensive research, particular territories can be used on a daily basis for low populated activities such as farming.

average hashikami secondary road - 6m wide

road to vegetated space - 5m elevation drop

average hashikami vegetated space - 5m below sea level

Figure 9: Low Lying Vegetated Territoties Exploded Axonometric

“Blurring Boundaries: Waste as a Vehicle for a Social Metamorphosis” (Reza Moghaddamnik, 2013) is a thesis project that researches Argentina’s economic collapse that almost wiped out the middle class in 2001, where the urgency of survival led to a growth in ‘cartoneros’ (waste pickers). This research report is viewed through the same lens where the tsunami has critically affected the faith in the Japanese public, where the urgency of future generation’s survival is based on the techniques and systems found through mapping data. The axonometric thick mapping (Figure 4) took inspiration from, “Exploded Axonometric of all phases of the project” (Reza Moghaddamnik, 2013) where a mapping at the base shows the existing site systems, which is then extended up to show various systems (Figure 5).

This style of axonometric drawing allowed the separation of multiple programs, with space for explanation nearby, yet does feel a little bit lost when represented in plan.

lighthouse 18m

double story 10m

tripple storey 15m single storey 5m

double storey 10m

Figure 10: Residential & Commercial Housing Exploded Axonometric

The weakness of this style of axonometric drawing is the relationship between axonometric and plan, which can easily be lost when the need for representation of a large site is needed, which is where some information is lost. This information has been attempted to be re-gained through the explorations of zoomed in axonometric drawings shown in figure (Figure 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) to show how flood management systems work dependent on program, which through future research could potentially propose territorialized urban planning schedules that work together with food mitigation techniques.

Through the research that has been attempted through the process of two dimensional mapping and three dimensional axonometric there has been multiple layers that have been found such as; destruction zones, safe zones in correlation with topography, territories that survived primarily from the built sea wall, areas of high elevation near the coastline that survived due to topography and low lying space that have potential to be re-programmed for natural disasters. Future research will be conducted on site with the help from land surveyors to map out exact topography along the coastline of Hashikami, in order to create and new urban planning schedule that is dependent on existing contours, which is planned to take place in early November 2016.

References: 1. Cook, P.C, 2014. Drawing - The Motive Force of Architecture. 2nd ed. EBL Reader: Wiley 2. Corner, J.C, 1999. The Agency of Mapping. The Agency of Mapping: Speculation, Critique and Invention, [Online]. 1, 213-252. Available at: http://www.cfa.arizona.edu/ahgsa/files/ahgsa/ Corner_Agency-of-Mapping1.pdf [Accessed 30 May 2016].

3. In 5D/Gregg Prescott, M.S.. 2014. Esoteric Metaphysical Spiritual Database . [ONLINE] Available at: http://in5d.com/how-to-read-auras-what-is-the-meaning-of-each-color/. [Accessed 23 May 2016].

4. Moghaddamnik, R.G, 2013. Blurring Boundaries. Blurring Boundaries: Waste as a Vehicle for a Social Metamorphosis, [Online]. 1, 107. Available at: http://portfolio.rezanik.com/ post/57547376404/2013-march-thesis-part-2-blurring-boundaries [Accessed 30 May 2016].

5. Onishi , N.O, 2011. In Japan, Seawall Offered a False Sense of Security. The New York Times, 31 March 2011. 1-3.

6. Rossano, F.R, 2015. From absolute protection to controlled disaster. From absolute protection to controlled disaster: New perspectives on flood management in times of climate change, [Online]. 10:1, 16-25. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/18626033.2015.1011420 [Accessed 30 May 2016].

7. The Great Wall of Japan; Tsunami defences 2014, , The Economist Intelligence Unit N.A., Incorporated, London.

8. Yoshida, R.Y, 2014. Tohoku finding real recovery hard to come by. The Japan Times News, 5 March 2014. 1-5.