Issuu

JESS VANECEK

2023

selected works.

St. Louis, MO jvanecek@wustl.edu +1 (804) 580-1058

ABOUT. Jess Vanecek (she/her) is a designer & educator with a focused interest on the human factors and processes that radically alter the natural environment. Originally from coastal Virginia and now living in a Mississippi River city, her research explores the complex spatial intersections between architecture, infrastructure, landscape, urbanism, climate change, and various interest groups along coastal communities and inland waterways. While trained formally as an architect, she works across the disciplines of design, ecological sciences, humanities, among others, especially interested in the spatialization and speculation of climate research and data. Jess is currently a Lecturer in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, where she teaches a range of studios and seminars in the undergraduate College of Architecture and the Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design. Jess holds a dual Master of Architecture and Master of Construction Management (both with Honors) from Washington University in St. Louis, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Virginia.

CONTENTS. Way Beyond Bigness.

forthcoming publication by Derek Hoeferlin

2 - 13

From the Third Pole to the Nine Dragons.

Designing Resilience in Asia International Open Competition [with Derek Hoeferlin and Rob Birch]

From the Rheinquelle to the Leo Hollandicus. [with Derek Hoeferlin, Paul Wu, and Han Meyer]

14 - 19 20 - 25

+STL: Growing an Urban Mosaic

Chouteau Greenway Design Competition [with Object Territories, [dhd] derek hoeferlin design, and TLS]

26 - 35

Unfolding Culture.

Foshan Cultural Center Design Competition [with Object Territories]

36 - 45

Project Six.

Young Architects Competition [with Cody Heller]

When the Levee Breaks.

Alternative Energy Research Facility

Against the Tide.

Environmental Research Outpost + Memorial

46 - 51 52 - 63 64 - 71

WAY BEYOND BIGNESS. author: year: role:

Derek Hoeferlin

(forthcoming, 2023)

primary research assistant

Since 2016, I have worked extensively with Derek Hoeferlin and contributed significantly on work in his forthcoming book, Way Beyond Bigness: The Need for a Watershed Architecture - first as a student and teaching assistant, then as a research assistant, and finally as a collaborator and colleague. Below is a short description, followed by a selection of my contributions to the book. “Way Beyond Bigness is a design-research project that studies the Mekong, Mississippi, and Rhine river basins, with particular focus on multi-scaled, waterbased infrastructural transformation. The book proposes a simple, adaptive framework that utilizes a three-part, integrative design-research methodology, structured as: Appreciate + Analyze, Speculate + Synthesize, and Collaborate + Catalyze. To do such, Way Beyond Bigness realigns watersheds and architecture across multiple: scales (site to river basin), disciplines (ecologists to economists), narratives (hyperbolic to pragmatic), and venues (academic to professional). The research critiques and recasts Oxford Dictionary’s two very different definitions for a “watershed”: 1) “An area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas” and 2) “An event or period marking a turning point in a situation in a course of action or state of affairs” and its two very different definitions for “architecture”: 1) “The art or practice of designing and constructing buildings” and 2) “the complex or carefully designed structure of something.” The book highlights the author’s comprehensive work of over more than a decade, including in depth field research across the Mekong, Mississippi, and Rhine, along with a diverse body of academic and professional collaborations, ranging from the speculative to the community-based.”

category: design research / publication

Mississippi, Mekong, & Rhine River Basin Atlas Index (drawing by Jess Vanecek + Paul Wu) Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

[ Way Beyond Bigness ]

Mississippi River Basin & the World

systems that have helped to shape the country’s history with their important contributions as an agricultural, industrial, and economically productive region.

Quoting Colin Wellenkamp, the executive director Territory 02 Section G-G of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative: In the effort to facilitate navigation on the Upper Mississippi River, it has been transformed into a precisely controlled system. Starting from the Lake Itasca headwaters, the river descends than 1,100 to a surface elevationcomes of approximately feet “Fortymore percent of thefeet world’s food supply out of the 300 Mississippi as it crosses River from the Upper to additional Lower Mississippi River Basins at the confluence Basin. An forty percent of all United Stateswith agricultural the Ohio River. Thefrom river coast runs within bluffs that provide barrier, butOne levees output to coast moves up anda natural down the river. in every are frequently constructed within the floodplains between the bluffs for additional flood twelve human beings on Earth ingests commodities made in the protection, particularly for farmlands that tend to occupy former wetland and backwater Mississippi River Basin. Eighty percent of what is grown in the landscapes. In its current state, the Upper Mississippi River has been channelized Mississippi River Basin goes overseas. If you wanted to through a complex network of levees, floodwalls, and a series of 29 locks and dams that destroybetween or otherwise globe’s The locks food control the water and facilitate navigation St. Paulcompromise and St. Louis.11the web, shut River downfrom the Mississippi andait and dams have transformed the Upper Mississippi a free-flowingRiver river into could collapse.” series of slack-water pools with a staircase-like profile that spans from Minneapolis to St. Louis. While it has become a key piece of transportation infrastructure in the country, the natural state of the Upper Mississippi River was unreliable for navigation due to its shallow depth and craggy riverbed. In 1930, near the beginning of the Great Depression, the USACE submitted a proposal to create a navigable path in the Upper Mississippi River, called the “9-foot Channel Project.” The project was approved and received funding for initial procedures through the “Rivers and Harbors Act.”12 Three years later, the 9-foot Channel received full funding from the New Deal as it promised to be both a significant source of employment and an invaluable project for the country.13 The original plan, consisting of 26 locks and dams between St. Paul, Minnesota, and Alton, Illinois (north of St. Louis), was completed in 1940, and three additional locks and dams were built in the 1950s and 1960s to extend the channel to Minneapolis and St. Louis.14 In its current state, interbasin navigation is possible between the Upper Mississippi, Ohio, and Lower Missouri River, and it is also linked to the Saint Lawrence River through its connection to the Great Lakes. The lock and dam system is designed to facilitate smooth passage of modern 15-barge tows which can hold the equivalent capacity of 1,050 semitrucks.15 A 1999 study discovered that 125 million tons of goods were shipped in the Upper Mississippi River system, generating $1 billion in revenue.16 However, the amount of engineering and interconnectivity has consequences for the natural environment. In one particularly disastrous example, multiple invasive species of carp were accidentally brought into the Upper Mississippi River from Asia, and research indicates that their proliferation will come at the expense of native fish and plant populations—leading to a decline in the health of the river.17 Nearly a century after completion of the 9-foot Channel Project, the Upper Mississippi River remains essential to the country’s economy, but has incurred unintended and significant consequences as a result.

146

discovered that nearly half of the population in the LMRB is located within 10 miles of the Mekong River, and more than two million people are living on sites that will be directly 61 Furthermore, it’s estimated that more affected byQuoting the main-stem dams and River their reservoirs. the Mekong Commission: than 70 percent of the region’s population is considered rural and depends almost entirely on the Mekong River for their resource and food security.62 The lower Mekong River is an invaluableAmong natural system and a source social only security. risk for the world’s river of basins, theMain-stem Amazondamming possessesis aa greater the environment andofanplants existential for millions diversity andthreat animals [than of thepeople. Mekong, which has the world’s

Mekong River Basin & the World

250

300

Rhine River Basin & The World

Territory 01:

Quoting the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine:

Rhine River Basin

The Rhine connects the Alps to the North Sea and represents the most important cultural and economic axis in Middle Europe. Its use is more intensive and varied than that of all other European rivers. In its watershed, [approximately] 60 million people are living in nine different [countries]. With its tributaries, uncounted brooks, lakes, wetlands, and Territory 01 Plan groundwater the Rhine forms a widely ramified network of water The Rhine River Basin has adapted Europe’s changing It is the always source offollowing bodies, in to which water flows paradigms. in all directions, drinking water for 25 million people, but it must balance its function as a transportation the slope towards the North Sea.

378

corridor, as well as a site for energy production. Currently, the Rhine is canalized from the end of Lake Constance through the line of 21 mainstream hydroelectric dams, after which the river remains free-flowing for the remainder of its path.1 The first mainstream hydroelectric dam was completed in 1866 at the Swiss town of Schaffhausen. It was replaced in the 1960s after a century of use.2 Together, the 21 hydroelectric dams have a total capacity of 2,186 MW, almost matching the six mega dams in the Missouri River. The first European interconnected energy grid was created after WWI in the High Rhine Valley. The river’s hydroelectric potential and central location in Europe made the region an important site for both the production and transfer of energy.3 Energy exchange and power grid interconnectedness were a tool for building and solidifying alliances during the Cold War, and have continued to be a pressing matter for the European Union.4 In addition to the 21 mainstream dams, 2,000 hydroelectric dams have been constructed throughout the watershed, as well as 10 nuclear powerplants that have a total capacity of 19,000 MW, cooled directly by water drawn from the Rhine River and its tributaries.5 Historically, people have been concerned about water quality and damage to the river’s ecology as early as the 15th century, but chemical production and navigation in the 20th century polluted the Rhine to the point where it was considered the “sewer of Europe.”6 In 1950, Switzerland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands cofounded the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR) to address the worsening condition of the Rhine, and the European Commission joined the ICPR in 1976. However, no meaningful measures were taken by the ICPR until the Sandoz Chemical Spill in 1986.7 On the night of the first of November, a fire broke out in a warehouse upstream of Basel. The firefighting efforts caused 30 tonnes of pesticides and 200 kilos of mercury to be dumped into the Rhine, turning the river red and decimating riverine wildlife as far as 400 kilometers downstream.8 As a result of this disaster, the ICPR enacted plans that put in place strict environmental protection policies and enacted conservation programs throughout the Rhine.9 The Rhine River has been central to the formation of modern European society, but it has been historically neglected and poorly managed. Through improved leadership and environmental consciousness, the current state of the Rhine has greatly improved and continues to be an invaluable cultural and economic corridor in Europe. 410

379

selected Atlas mappings: World + Territory (drawings by Jess Vanecek + Paul Wu)

largest inland fishery]. On average, an astounding 15,000 cubic meters

Territory Sections F-F, G-G of02 water flow into the Mekong mainstream from the surrounding basin The lowerarea Mekong River and its tributariestoprovide Southeastpeople. Asia. every second—enough meet invaluable the daily resources needs ofto100,000 As the lower Mekong River charts through the subcontinent, the landscape undergoes The water irrigates large tracts of forest and wetlands that produce significant, and at times unique, changes that allow it to be more easily inhabitable and building materials, medicines, and food and serve as habitats for environmentally productive than the UMRB. From the Golden Triangle to the Mekong thousands of species. Delta region, the river descends 1,181 feet to sea level. Many countries share both the main stem of the river and its drainage basin. The main path of the river will occasionally form the border between two countries; for instance, between Laos and Thailand. The terrain at the beginning of the basin is steep, but the western riverbank suddenly drops and remains flat across the Khorat Plateau. The eastern mountain ranges level out near the LaosCambodia border, which coincides with a series of archipelagos, punctuated by waterfalls. Near the end of its course in Cambodia is an idiosyncratic hydrological phenomenon that takes place on its tributary, the Tonlé Sap River. During the monsoon season, water from the Mekong will flow into the Tonlé Sap River and its nearby lake until the dry season, when the course of the water flow is switched and the tributary drains back into the main stem of the Mekong River.63 More than a natural system, the lower Mekong River has shaped urbanization on the continent. Countless villages are located along the riverbanks, along with many of the largest cities on the continent, such as Vientiane and Phnom Penh, the capital cities of Laos and Cambodia, respectively, and where the Mekong River Commission (MRC) is jointly headquartered. A 2010 report prepared for the MRC stated that the four countries that share the lower Mekong River will experience above-average population growth which will lead to an estimated increase in electricity use by 6 to 7 percent annually.64 To meet this growing demand, it is expected that the development of the lower Mekong River’s immense hydroelectric potential, estimated at 30,000 MW, will be one of the most pressing issues in the territory.65 In its current state, there will be eleven main-stem hydroelectric dams that will have a combined capacity of 13,000 MW—over five times the amount installed by the Pick-Sloan Program in the Missouri River Basin.66 As of 2020, there are two hydroelectric dams completed on the main stem of the lower Mekong River, with eight more planned—seven in Laos and two in Cambodia. A 2010 study conducted by Thai academics, however, disputes the MRC’s claim that dams will have a net positive economic impact, stating that the loss of fisheries and agricultural productivity along with social displacement would far exceed any benefits of dams.67 Confronted by the threat of climate change in the 2019 and 2020 droughts, Cambodia has decided to put a moratorium on constructing its two dams until 2030.68 The damming of the LMRB is one of the pivotal developments that will dictate the future of Southeast Asia, and this recent moratorium allows crucial time for fundamental and sustainable planning both in the short and long term. 251

Comparative Basin Metrics (drawings by Jess Vanecek) Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

78 79

River Basin Management Structures (drawings by Jess Vanecek + Caroline Amstutz)

[ Way Beyond Bigness ]

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

Above The 2019 Flood Jess Vanecek and Derek Hoeferlin In June of 2019, the Mississippi River in the St. Louis region experienced its secondhighest river levels in recorded history, second only to the Great Flood of 1993. Using a drone, we documented the peak crests with the intent of revealing the fragility of flood protection, currently engineered as a straightened series of “single-line” defense mechanisms via floodwalls and levees. The aerial images expose vulnerabilities, yet provide opportunistic perspectives or resiliencies that emerge from flood conditions.

[Figure 1] Levee separating Chain of (image credit: Jess Vanecek and Derek

Water on both sides of an untopped levee questions infrastructural performance, while creating ambiguities regarding what should or should not be flooded. One side still maintains the navigation channel. The other side is allowed to flood, replenishing the wetland ecologies adjacent to the Mississippi main stem nearby. [Figure 1] A concrete mixing plant submerges on the “unprotected” side of a floodwall as raw sewage seeps up on the “protected” side due to high-water-induced pump failure. Its instable condition opens up opportunities for future re-inhabitation since it is close to nearby downtown St. Louis. [Figure 2] High velocity currents threaten vegetation and habitation as the river swells towards the floodwall, yet power, rail, and other infrastructures continue operations as usual. [Figure 3] Water encroaches upon a gas station and places pressure on underground gasoline tanks, while pop-up programming emerges in the form of a fish market, produce stand, and impromptu tourism. [Figure 4]

[Figure 2] Floodwall separating Mississ (image credit: Jess Vanecek and Derek 199

200

[ Way Beyond Bigness ]

Canal (left) and Chouteau Island (right), Illinois, 2019 t)Rocks and Chouteau Island (right), Illinois, 2019

[Figure 3] Floodwall separating Mississippi River Mississippi (left) and East St. (left) Louisand (right), 2019 [Figure 3] Floodwall separating River EastIllinois, St. Louis (right), Illinois, 2019

Hoeferlin)

(image credit: Jess(image Vanecek and Jess Derek Hoeferlin) credit: Vanecek and Derek Hoeferlin)

d Chouteau’s (right), St.Landing Louis, Missouri, sippi River (left)Landing and Chouteau’s (right), St.2019 Louis, Missouri, 2019

[Figure 4] Gas Station [Figure at 4] Alton GasSlough, Station West at Alton Alton, Slough, Missouri, West 2019 Alton, Missouri, 2019

Hoeferlin)

(image credit: Jess(image Vanecek credit: and Jess Derek Vanecek Hoeferlin) and Derek Hoeferlin) 201

201

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

Public Lab River Rat Pack Alternative Modes of Field Documentations

(1)

with Washington University in St. Louis & Public Lab River Rat Pack The Public Lab River Rat Pack (PLRRP) was a group fieldwork documentation and mapping project to work with students, colleagues, and St. Louis communities and stakeholders about the critical importance of our intertwined, yet complicated, relationship with the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and their tributaries.2 The project collaborated with Public Lab (www.publiclab.org), a nonprofit, citizen-science organization that enables communities to have access to inexpensive D.I.Y. scientific mapping techniques to “investigate environmental concerns … [and] seek to change how people see the world in environmental, social, and political terms.”3 Utilizing Public Lab’s DIY Mapping Kits, to date, the PLRRP has taken over 35,000 photographs above sites in the Mississippi River watershed. The efforts are accomplished by attaching camera rigs to big red balloons. The documentation has been curated and distilled into photographic and diagrammatic analyses of each site for comparative purposes, along with being imported into Public Lab’s open-source website for dissemination.4 [Figure 1] The work is ongoing, and we will continue our collaboration with others in the St. Louis region, the Mississippi River Basin, and beyond.5 By design, the big balloons and documentary rigs require a team to operate, unapologetic

[Figure Screenshot of Lab River Pack’s in their1]embracing of Public trial and error,Rat and by extension, promote a hybridized analogue-

uploaded documentation to the publiclab.org open-source (imagehighly credit: Public digital approach to fieldwork. The balloons are website expressive, visibleLab) objects in the sky.

People easily see them. People ask questions about them. People tend to trust them, and 539 even ask to participate in the teamwork. [Figures 2, 3 & 4]

[Figure 2] The big red balloons take a team to oper

Various mappings document the difference between high and low river stages; others map the intensity of industrial uses along the rivers; others highlight more ecological or restorative areas; and most question a profound lack of access by the public to the rivers, much that is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

at the peak of the (then) third-highest flood s River in the St. Louis region. Over the span fluctuated up, then down, and then up again flood stage to normal river stage. (Low river 20 feet lower.)7 [Figure 6] In other words, th over an astounding 50 feet in height. This no management, it also poses significant challen

Following are a selection of five sites documented with PLRRP colleagues and my Washington University in St. Louis students from 2014 to 2016.6 The sites are along

Allison Mendez, Natalie Yates), St. Louis, Missouri, 2

[ Way Beyond Bigness ]

[Figure 3] (abovE) Various aspects of the documentation process (bElow) sampling of photographs taken above the Mississippi River at downtown St. Louis (image credit: Derek Hoeferlin’s Public Lab River Rat Pack seminar, Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, Washington University in St. Louis, 2016) 544 [Figure 3] (abovE) Various aspects of the documentation process

545

(bElow) sampling of photographs taken above the Mississippi River at downtown St. Louis (image credit: Derek Hoeferlin’s Public Lab River Rat Pack seminar, Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, Washington University in St. Louis, 2016) 544

545

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

[Figure 6] Chouteau’s Landing, south St. Louis riverfront;

smaller image superimposed in upper left during fourth high (image credit: Derek Hoeferlin’s Public Lab River Rat Pack & Visual Arts, Washington University in St. Louis, 2016)

[Figure 7] sitE 01: Melvin Price Locks & Dam, West Alton

[Figure 5] Map of the St. Louis river region, indicating various sites documented and diagrams of the mapping equipment (image credit: Derek Hoeferlin’s Public Lab River Rat Pack seminar,

(image credit: Derek Hoeferlin’s Public Lab River Rat Pack

Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, Washington University in St. Louis, 2016)

Arts, Washington University in St. Louis, 2016)

547

548

[ Way Beyond Bigness ]

main background image during low river stage;

[Figure 8] Site 02: Chain of Rocks Canal, Lewis and Clark State Memorial Park, Illinois

hest river stage on record just six weeks earlier

(image credit: Derek Hoeferlin’s Public Lab River Rat Pack seminar, Sam Fox School of Design & Visual

seminar, Sam Fox School of Design

Arts, Washington University in St. Louis, 2016)

[Figure 9&10] sitE 03: (abovE) low river stage and (bElow) high river stage at North St. Louis riverfront (image credit: Derek Hoeferlin’s Public Lab River Rat Pack seminar, Sam Fox School of Design & Visual

n, Missouri

Arts, Washington University in St. Louis, 2016) sitE 04: (abovE) low river stage and (bElow) high river stage

seminar, Sam Fox School of Design & Visual

at South St. Louis riverfront (image credit: Derek Hoeferlin’s Public Lab River Rat Pack seminar, Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, Washington University in St. Louis, 2016) 549

FROM THE THIRD POLE TO THE NINE DRAGONS. competition:

DRIA International Open Competition

year:

2017

role:

design-researcher / produced composite mapping

team:

Derek Hoeferlin, Jess Vanecek, Rob Birch

awards: 2017 / First Prize; DRIA International Open Competition 2017 / featured on Architizer 2017 / exhibited at Washington University in St. Louis 2020 / published in JAE 74:1 H2O 2023 / Way Beyond Bigness (forthcoming, 2023)

jury comments:

“This proposal provides a very strong vision of how water resources could be managed systematically across boundaries. The regional-scale analysis and simple response provokes visionary discussions about cross-boundary collaboration and water management, providing tools for negotiation. The project has potential to operate at multiple scales.” “The project can be applied on other territories with alike conditions. The idea of involving not only the public scale but also the local communities is well considered on the proposal goals.” “A bold concept traversing socio-political and policy considerations.” “A comprehensive nature of impact - from macro to micro-scale.” “The proposal shows a depth of research and reality of solutions; it highlights the problem of water management not only as a problem of weather, but rather of social behavior.”

category: competition / design research

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

Tens of millions embrace the Mekong River Basin for its dynamic fluctuations of bountiful water resources. To maintain abundance, the Mekong’s namesake and its tributaries pulsate – radically – between wet and dry seasons causing extreme variations in water levels. Communities not only embrace floods and droughts, they also rely on them for plentiful returns. Seasonal pulses provide positive, not negative feedback loops – a truly unique precedent for resiliency. But such dynamism is at threat. The Mekong finds itself at a tipping point for 2 fundamental reasons: 1) CLIMATE CHANGE will create major fresh water scarcities. 2) DAM INFRASTRUCTURE designed to supply energy and irrigation demands will exacerbate fresh water scarcities.

[ From the Third Pole to the Nine Dragons ]

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

The alterations to the dynamics of the Mekong River Basin caused by climate change and dam infrastructure threaten to decouple the critical link between the source at the Third Pole (Tibetan Plateau) and the mouth of the Nine Dragons (Mekong Delta). To FRBasin E S H WAT R empowered S CA RC IT IEwith S survive, all local communities of the Mekong River must Ebe a pro-active role in designing collective, future resiliencies for their river basin. From CL IMAT E C HA N G E the Third Pole to the Nine Dragons outlines a simple, 2-part toolkit for communities to understand their local + 3futures within broader river-basin scaled threats and °C Decreased Precipit ation Decreased Sno wpack adaptations: + +1m

fresh

[ PART 1 ] R i si n g Te mpe ra ture s Expose 6 adverse, trans-boundary threats of climate change + dam infrastructure Sea Level Rise Saline Intrusion projects on future fresh water scarcity. DA M [ PARTIN 2 ]FRA S T RU C T U R E Engage 6 resilient, trans-boundary adaptations that keep the water, the power, and the people within the Mekong River Basin. Hydropo wer Energy

saline

The toolkit culminates in an integrated map for the Mekong River Basin. Defined as Watershed Architecture, the Suppl y - D e ma n d flexible template enables various Mekong communities to holistically understand the threats and adaptations, and to collectively determine the Food Irrigation resilient futures of their river basin. TO O L K IT A DA P TAT IO N S

THR EAT S

y dr et w

we dr y

DISRUPTED Flood-Drought Cycles

DISPLACED Communities

PULSE Flood-Drought Cycles

ACCOMMODATE Communities

BL OCKED Fish Migrations

REDUCED A griculture

FACILITATE Fish Migrations

SHIFT A griculture

ive

SUPPRESSED Sediments + Nutrients

EXPORTED Po wer

SEQUES TER Sediments + Nutrients

L OCALIZE Po wer

[ From the Third Pole to the Nine Dragons ]

Threat + Adaptation 1: Re-pulse currently disrupted flooddrought cycles, entailing dam removal, dam adaptation, and development of design standards allowing seasonal pulses for downstream needs.

Threat + Adaptation 2: Retrofit existing dams and proactively design future dams to allow for previously blocked fish migrations during appropriate seasonal cycles.

Threat + Adaptation 3: Sequester and transport sediments and nutrients from dams to needed areas down river. Options vary, and communities will need to accept tradeoffs for mutual benefits across the basin.

Threat + Adaptation 4: Local communities most impacted have had little to no voice, and forcible displacement of ethnic minorities is not resilient. Locally affected communities should be allowed input and be compensated, followed up with government accountability.

Threat + Adaptation 5: Introduce mangrove polyculture farming and sustainably rotate shrimp, crabs, and mud clams while utilizing replanted mangrove forests as a means to deal with sea level rise and saline intrusion within the delta “rice bowl.”

Threat + Adaptation 6: Stop transporting current majorities over long distances outside of the Mekong; reroute hydropower for local distribution and develop de-centralized modes of renewables including solar, geo-thermal, and wind.

FROM THE RHEINQUELLE TO THE LEO HOLLANDICUS. publication:

Way Beyond Bigness (forthcoming, 2023)

year:

2021

role:

design-researcher / produced composite mapping

team:

Derek Hoeferlin, Jess Vanecek, Paul Wu, Han Meyer

Over the last two centuries, the Rhine River has been significantly modified in the process of creating a modern, industrialized society. In its current phase, climate change and existing patterns of industrialization are creating uncertainties regarding the utilization of the Rhine River. The course of development has proven to be unsustainable and is coming to a close for two main reasons. First, the subjection of the natural system has reached its absolute limits, and second, the character and values of the industrialized society are changing. As the backbone of the European community, the time has come for radical change in the concepts and implementation strategies within the Rhine River Basin. This sets the stage for a new period of industrialization within the basin, one that integrates methods of energy production, trans-boundary economics, and natural environments.

category: design research

Leo Hollandicus, Claes Janzsoon Visscher (1648)

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

[ From the Rheinquelle to the Leo Hollandicus ]

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

Three future opportunities emerge in response to challenges regarding the present utilization of the Rhine River. First, a renegotiation of navigation structures to accommodate and assist in the restoration of a nature-based river system. Second, the reintroduction of historic characteristics and land use patterns from the pre-industrial period to strengthen the relationship between rivers, cities, and landscapes. Third, re-engagement with transboundary agreements that have allowed the Rhine to emerge as the urban and economic center of Europe. Four driving forces of integration enable these future adaptations: energy transition, climate adaptation, the rise of a circular economy, and increased digitalization and robotization in regards to inter-modalities. Necessary to facilitate these forces are a set of eight implementable actions, a constellation of measures aimed at rehabilitation of the natural versatility of the water system and adaptation to changing logistics of energy supply and economies. Ultimately, the current challenge for the Rhine is to create a fundamentally European story in which a new collective approach of the basin can be regarded as a “Grand Project” of the European community. At present, Europe is struggling with the question of what kind of role it can and should play. The Rhine River Basin project can become the model for Europe’s next phase of industrialization, a new European story, one focused on restoring and improving the natural environment through the sustainable combination of urbanization, mobility, environment, and economy. After all, the Rhine River Basin still is a central part of the economy and history of the European community.

[ From the Rheinquelle to the Leo Hollandicus ]

Upper Rhine River Basin. Lower Rhine River Basin.

+STL : GROWING AN URBAN MOSAIC competition: location:

year: team leads:

Chouteau Greenway Competition

St. Louis, Missouri, USA

2018

Object Territories, [dhd] derek hoeferlin design,

TLS (Tom Leader Studio) Landscape Architecture

collaborators:

Kristin Fleischmann Brewer, Bryan Cave LLP,

Dynamics, EDSI, Jeremy Goss, Langan, James Lima

Amanda Colón-Smith, Econsult Solutions, Edesign Planning and Development, Sal Martinez,

Preservation Research Office, Project Controls

Group, Prosperity Labs, Jason Purnell, Ramboll, Linda Samuels, Paola Aguirre Serrano, Silman,

Terra Technologies role:

architectural + urban designer + field researcher /

and documentation of the city and local engagement,

contributed to design, produced drawings.

awards:

2019 / ASLA National Honor Award in Urban Design

2019 / AIA Central States Distinguished Project Award

part of the local team responsible for research

2019 / AIA New York Honor Award

2019 / AIA St. Louis Honor Award

2019 / Global Human Settlements Award for Planning & Design 2019 / Architizer A+ Award, Landscape & Planning

category: design competition / landscape architecture + urban design

+STL “Chouteau Greenway” within regional greenway network (drawing by Jess Vanecek) Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

[ +STL ]

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

The +STL Greenway project is designed to amplify the existing assets of St. Louis while taking powerful measures to address the multitude of challenges the city is facing. To do this, we propose a layered strategy with three primary components: Ecological Loops, Equitable Extensions, and Economic Assets : we call them the three E’s. Combined, these 3 E’s address opportunities for economic development and access, performative landscape ecology, and equitable access to jobs, institutions, education, and public space. The overall project reinforces what is already strong in St. Louis while bridging divisions and stimulating new seeds of growth in areas that need further investment. The resultant + figure boldly joins North and South at the central East West corridor - we firmly believe that the greenway must extend at least as far North and South as it does East and West while providing an armature for future projects by Great Rivers Greenway, Trailnet, and others to plug into to further connect the project to the communities of St. Louis and beyond. Through this armature we grow a new urban mosaic for St. Louis, built on unique cultural identities, histories revealed, shared ambitions, and a new connective and productive Greenway.

full competition boards.

[ +STL ]

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

Prospect Yards Bridge and Railyard Overlook.

Bike Path & Archeological Museum at the Market Street / Forest Park Parkway Interchange.

Wetland Park between Tucker Boulevard and 8th Street.

[ +STL ]

Ecological Approach: Native and Local

Native habitats and species are the inspiration and foundation for the vegetative design of the greenway. As a result, the proposal uses species that are already well adapted to the local climate and require less watering and maintenance than exotic cultivars. By incorporating natural habitats into the essence of the site design, the Chouteau Greenway has an opportunity to create landscapes that are ideal for local wildlife, while also increasing urban biodiversity and improving residents’ access and exposure to the region’s ecology and habitats. By bringing more nature into the city, the Greenway has

the potential to create and reinforce connections between people and nature. Public interaction with the habitats and species is facilitated through the incorporation of boardwalks and bridges over wetlands and water features, interpretive signs, and locations that optimize activities like birdwatching and outdoor painting. Additionally, the numerous loops and extensions that stretch far in all directions will help increase connections among different parts of the city and help equalize disparities in air quality, water quality, exposure to nature, and opportunities for exercise and healthy lifestyles.

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

Trestle at the City Foundry.

[ +STL ]

MacArthur Bridge Overlook at Chouteau’s Landing.

UNFOLDING CULTURE. competition: location:

Foshan Cultural Center Design Competition

Foshan, China

year:

2021

collaborators:

SZAD, Valeche Studio, Ramboll

team lead: role:

Object Territories

architectural + urban designer / contributed to overall formal massing strategy, developed theater & museum, produced drawings.

Foshan, West of Guangzhou and North of Shenzhen, is a growing new city in the Greater Bay Area of the Pearl River Delta. The city of Foshan is building a new cultural district around a lake and facing one of the many rivers flowing through the delta. The brief for the cultural district asked for four buildings (theater, museum, convention center, and sports center). The conventional approach has been the design of four separate buildings using a similar architectural language. In this proposal, the team designed a terraced landscape that steps up the rooftops of the convention center toward the top levels of the sports center, creating a large community garden for the surrounding communities and businesses. The theater and museum buildings are “planted” into this landscape, forming a triangular relationship with the tower across the lake and a gateway at the axis through the project. With these two moves, the project integrates the ambition of the overall master plan into one unfolded landscape of activity and culture.

category: design competition / architecture, landscape architecture, urban design

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

massing + landscape strategy.

hydrology + landscape typologies.

The overall urban plan uses a centralized, integrated approach to internal climate management, site utilization, and building physics. Internal heat is rejected through heat exchange loops in the lake and ground. Wetland buffers surround the project absorbing rainwater run off and storm surge while grey water is recycled for irrigation. Building facade elements are used to shade glazing, collect solar energy through building integrated PVs, and collect rainwater. Various green roofs reduce heat load and support a range of vegetation for shading and microclimate cooling.

[ Unfolding Culture ]

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

[ Unfolding Culture ]

The outer skin of the building consists of stainless steel fins supported by tensile stainless steel cables for a lightweight shading system that significantly reduces the solar load on the building’s thermal envelope. 316 alloy stainless steel, which has superior corrosion resistance to chlorides and acids to resist visible oxidation, offer a maintenance free solution. The stainless steel fins will have a bead blasted finish for a uniform appearance that diffuses the light without harsh reflections. Double glazed insulated glazing units create a high-performance thermal barrier for the project. Since the glazing is protected by the outer fins, the glass can avoid reflective, colored coatings so that a neutral indirect light can filter into the building. Space between the fins and the glass with walkable zones facilitate cleaning and maintenance without a complicated rigging system.

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

interior: opera hall entry.

interior: museum entry.

longitudinal section through theater, museum, convention center, and sports center (drawing by Jess Vanecek)

[ Unfolding Culture ]

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

section through concert hall (drawing by Jess Vanecek)

section through auditorium (drawing by Jess Vanecek)

section through opera house (drawing by Jess Vanecek)

[ Unfolding Culture ]

interior: concert hall entry.

PROJECT SIX. competition: location:

Young Architects Competition: Extinction Museum Cratere degli Astroni, Naples, Italy

year:

2023

awards:

2023 / Finalist; YAC Competition

team:

Jess Vanecek + Cody Heller

Retreat, retreat, re-treat! Defined by National Geographic, “the Anthropocene Epoch is an unofficial unit of geologic time used to describe the most recent period in Earth’s history when human activity started to have a significant impact on the planet’s climate and ecosystems.” Official designation or not, it is undeniable that the planet is changing, and as a global society, we are at a crossroads on how to proceed. We can retreat backwards, withdrawing from the difficult, the dangerous, and the disagreeable by continuing the status quo and ignoring Earth’s warning signs. Or, we can retreat positively, by changing outdated practices that accelerate climate change in exchange for more resilient methods of thinking and living. This duality sets up the conceptual approach to the proposal, acting as the driving force behind all decisions. It manifests throughout the project in a multitude of ways: physically - through curated processions between sky and ground, above and below, light and dark, within and without; programmatically - through designated gallery spaces and exhibition routes that address past and the future; and metaphorically - through the exchange between new interventions and reuse of existing features.

category: design competition

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

In an effort to reduce environmental impact, the proposal makes use of all existing structures, vehicular access roads, and walking paths - re-treating each to enhance the visitor experience with minimal disruption of the existing natural landscape. A material palette of reclaimed wood and cement-blocks made of locally sourced volcanic rock offer methods of sustainable building, a re-treatment of the earth. The proposal also takes into consideration a lodging component in the form of eco-retreat, offering extended stays within the crater and exposure to off-grid living. The old hunting lodge is converted into a sustainable eatery, offering a unique dining experience for overnight visitors. The addition of the Museo dell’estinzione del Cratere degli Astroni to the Riserva Naturale Cratere degli Astroni seeks to weave together past histories and future realities into a seamless yet complex narrative of the decisions that we as humans must presently face with regards to a changing climate. It not only chronicles the last mass extinction, that of the dinosaurs due to “natural” causes, but also documents anthropogenic activity and the impacts humans have had on the environment, subjecting visitors to various “what-if ” scenarios regarding a possible Sixth Mass Extinction - one due to human-made causes.

DINO TUNNELS

THE LODGE

CURATED MOMENTS ALONG DINOSAUR TRAIL

REPURPOSED AS SUSTAINABLE EATERY

ECO RETREATS

NATURAL THEATRE

SMALL OFF-GRID CABINS FOR OVERNIGHT STAYS

RUNNING ALONG EMPRESS HILL, OVERLOOKING LAKE

MUSEUM

COLLE DELL’IMPERATRICE CONFANIELLO GRANDE

INSECT AREA

ENGLISH OAK FOREST

LAVA DOME OF CAPRARA

CONFANIELLO PICCOLO ITALIAN FIELD

LAGO GRANDE DIDDADIC POND

BIRD BLIND

SITE AXONOMETRIC

[ Project Six ]

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

upper bar: entrance lobby.

lower bar: gallery.

[ Project Six ]

WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS. project: Alternative Energy Research Lab location:

year:

Sauget, Illinois, USA

2017

In the 2017 political atmosphere of climate change denial and alternative facts, budget cuts drastically affected various federal agencies’ ability to regulate negative impacts on the environment through legislation. Coupled with those in power having financial interests at the forefront, the United States saw a shift back to the use of fossil fuels as its primary energy source. Coal plants flourished once again in the flood plain of the Mississippi River, where land is cheap and accessible to the barge industry for transport. This project addresses a two-fold problem. First, the issue of non-renewable and CO2-emitting coal production as a primary energy source. Second, the multifaceted and adverse effects that result from building industrial complexes within a flood plain masked by a false sense of security of levees and floodwalls, which increasingly fail as major flood events become more frequent and more extreme. The project situates itself in a reality where legislation and common industrial building practices refuse to tackle issues of longevity and environment. Dubbed the Sauget Energy Institute, it addresses such (1) through the research and integration of renewable energy strategies and (2) by critically assessing and proposing new methods of building within the flood plain. The project also seeks to break down the disillusion that exists between the public and infrastructure by providing public access to methods of energy production and to the working Mississippi riverfront. The intention is to generate public interest and understanding of the industrial demands that drive the consumer world and have a critical impact on the environment.

category: speculative / academic [graduate thesis]

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

# 500 y ear l evee

# # #

# ve

# #

si is

ss mi

# #

# # #

# le ve e

“protected”

50 0

ye ar

# # areas prone to flooding

originally incorporated as Monsanto Town in 1926.

# elevation

mapping

the

flood

plain

affectionately known as the American Bottom, an area

that once flooded naturally but is now controlled and home to a plethora of manufacturing operations.

# 54

zoom-in of Sauget, IL - a haven for big industry,

digital

# ## # # #

# # # # ##

SITE

[above]

[right]

[ When the Levee Breaks ]

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

[1]

[2]

One of the largest in North America, Oneenergy of the infrastructure largest energycompanies infrastructure companies in North America, operating 84,000operating miles of pipelines and 155 terminals. 84,000 miles of pipelines and 155 terminals.

transports - transports and storesand natural stores gas, natural gasoline, gas, gasoline, crude oil,crude oil, carbon dioxide, products, products, and chemicals. carbon petroleum dioxide, petroleum and chemicals.

Subsidary of Eastman Corporation; manufacturer SubsidaryChemical of Eastman Chemicalglobal Corporation; global ofmanufacturer of performance materials and specialty chemicals. performance materials and specialty chemicals.

- spin-off- of spin-off the Monsanto of the Company; Monsanto responsible Company; responsible for for hazardous hazardous waste contamination waste contamination in St. Louis in St. & Sauget. Louis & Sauget.

Utility company Utility servicing 2.4 million electric and more than 900,000 company servicing 2.4customers million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers across a 64,000 square area square in Missouri and Illinois. natural gas customers across mile a 64,000 mile area in Missouri and Illinois.

+ committed to exploring alternative, + committed to exploring alternative, renewable renewable energy sources. energy sources.

Global company Global dedicated to developing access to, preserving, and company dedicated to developing access to,replenishing preserving, and replenishing the world’s resources. the world’s resources.

+ focused + onfocused energy on efficiency energy efficiency and and water & waste water management. & waste management.

[3]

[4]

[5]

gateway arch

malcom martin memorial park

3 1

gr af f

it i

se ct io n

fl oo dw al

sauget

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

[program]

In line with the historic use of the site for coal production, yet in opposition to society’s present reliance on coal, the facility is designed for research on alternative forms of energy, with a focus on the creation of biofuel from algae and the harnessing of methane from cattle. [form]

The structure consists of two main bars that straddle the levee – one set within the ground on the “floodable” side; the other elevated above the ground on the “protected” side. A path cuts through the site at an elevation of 418’ above sea level, providing access to the riverfront and allowing users to perceive subtle differences in landscape. [material]

Corten cladding allows the elevated portion of the building to become an icon during the day, while still speaking to the industrial nature of the rusting bridges that surround it. Conversely, at night, the polycarbonate greenhouse structure becomes the beacon as it glows pale green with the reflection of the algae.

[ When the Levee Breaks ]

454’ : upper level plan + view of research spaces.

422’ : mid level plan + view of path with re-constructed high-strength acrylic flood wall.

406’ : lower level plan + view of cattle stalls.

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

[west side of levee]

Algal labs and greenhouses on the “floodable” side of the levee are situated on a barge, designed to rise with the floodwaters and remain protected. The barge serves as a low-tech, low maintenance response to the need for a building that is designed to work with the river. [east side of levee]

“Dry” labs, collaborative meeting rooms, offices, are elevated above the levee with minimal ground contact to remain protected from floodwaters. There are cattle stalls at ground level for data collection, though cows are otherwise allowed to graze freely on the high ground of the protected property. Decisions regarding floor levels, ceiling heights, and roof levels are dependent upon levee height, various ground elevations, and recorded major flood events.

wall section detail @ elevated bar.

longitudinal section looking north.

transverse section looking west.

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

[01] on path looking east, normal condition.

[02] on path looking east, flood condition.

[ When the Levee Breaks ]

atmospheric perspectives; behind transparent floodwall during various flood stages.

atmospheric model; wood, acrylic, water, and Mississippi mud from site.

AGAINST THE TIDE. project:

Research Outpost + Memorial

year:

2016

location:

Tangier Island, Virginia, USA

Tangier Island, a small island in the heart of the Chesapeake Bay, is under threat. Regulations on crabbing and oystering have challenged the livelihoods of the waterman community. Furthermore, the island is projected to be underwater within 50 years due to rising sea levels, subsidence, and coastal erosion. The US Army Corps of Engineers has assisted in the past with the building of a seawall; however, a lack of state and federal funding inhibits future projects of the same caliber. This project explores how architecture and landscape architecture can interface with and draw attention to a future that the residents of Tangier Island will face within our lifetime - becoming climate change refugees. The proposal engages time as a key component, investigating how a built work can maintain relevance through changing environments, both physical and metaphorical. The initial phase of the project includes the construction of a centrally-located marine and environmental science research outpost as an addition to the existing school, along with an elevated boardwalk lining the perimeter of the island for research and leisure. The combination provides resources and access for the inhabitants to fortify the island themselves against rising tides and coastal erosion in the absence of government assistance. It’s a “don’t go down without a fight” mentality. As time goes on, the project morphs from active research center to somber memorial. When Tangier Island succumbs to the Bay, so too will the wood cladding of the main structure and the wood decking of the boardwalk. The underlying concrete masses and platforms, however, will remain and exist as grave markers visible on the horizon and from above, foreshadowing the fate of many coastal cities in the face of rising sea levels.

category: speculative / academic

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

BOSTON, MA

AVERAGE ELEVATION: +19’ REGULAR FLOODING BY: 2100

NEW YORK, NY

AVERAGE ELEVATION [LOWER MANHATTAN]: +5’ INUNDATED BY: 2090

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ

AVERAGE ELEVATION: +7’ REGULAR FLOODING BY: 2100

SMITH ISLAND, MD

TANGIER ISLAND, VA

AVERAGE ELEVATION: 0’ INUNDATED BY: 2050

AVERAGE ELEVATION: +3’ INUNDATED BY: 2050

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA

AVERAGE ELEVATION: +9’ REGULAR FLOODING BY: 2100

SAVANNAH, GA

AVERAGE ELEVATION [DOWNTOWN]: +12’ REGULAR FLOODING BY: 2100

[NOT SHOWN] NEW

ORLEANS, LA

AVERAGE ELEVATION: -4’ INUNDATED BY: 2075

MIAMI, FL

AVERAGE ELEVATION: INUNDATED BY:

INFLUENCER

CONTRIBUTOR

LACK OF PREPAREDNESS + POOR INFRASTRUCTURE + DENSITY [CITY] + CLIMATE CHANGE + LUCK & TIMING

DISASTER

subFACTOR

+6’ 2100

[ Against the Tide ]

1937 SHORELINE LIVING SHORELINE WORKSHOP

MIAMI, FL AVERAGE ELEVATION: +6’ INUNDATED BY: 2100

BOSTON, MA

2009 SHORELINE EXISTING SETTLEMENT AREAS EXISTING BRIDGES ABANDONED SETTLEMENT AREAS PAST / ABANDONED BRIDGES

AVERAGE ELEVATION: +19’ REGULAR FLOODING BY: 2100

EXISTING JETTY [BUILT 1990] PROPOSED JETTY [2017]

NEW YORK, NY AVERAGE ELEVATION [LOWER MANHATTAN]: +5’ INUNDATED BY: 2090

15.4 billion to date in federal funds post Hurricane Sandy. *Additional $200 million from federal aid competition. *All winning enrties for the Rebuild by Design competition were focused on the greater NYC area.

LIVING SHORELINE WORKSHOP

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ AVERAGE ELEVATION: +7’ REGULAR FLOODING BY: 2100

$6.8 billion to date in federal funds post Hurricane Sandy. *Additional $15 million from federal aid competition.

JETTY WORKSHOP

SMITH ISLAND, MD AVERAGE ELEVATION: 0’ INUNDATED BY: 2050

ls funds post Hurricane Sandy for living shoreline project.

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA AVERAGE ELEVATION: +9’ REGULAR FLOODING BY: 2100

LIVING SHORELINE WORKSHOP

HOUSING WORKSHOP

BREAKWATERS WORKSHOP

SEAWALL WORKSHOP

SAVANNAH, GA AVERAGE ELEVATION: +49’ REGULAR FLOODING BY: 2100

[NOT SHOWN] NEW ORLEANS, LA AVERAGE ELEVATION: -4’ INUNDATED BY: 2075

1937 SHORELINE

MIAMI, FL AVERAGE ELEVATION: +6’ INUNDATED BY: 2100

2009 SHORELINE EXISTING SETTLEMENT AREAS EXISTING BRIDGES ABANDONED SETTLEMENT AREAS PAST / ABANDONED BRIDGES EXISTING JETTY [BUILT 1990]

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

TANGIER COMBINED SCHOOL

airstrip

[largest structure]

DAVID B. NICHOLS HEALTH CENTER TANGIER WATER TOWER

[tallest structure, 122’]

research outpost: site context.

H I

C DN

A B C D E F G H I

ENTRY AUDITORIUM CLASSROOM OFFICE INDOOR / OUTDOOR CLASSROOM WET LAB DRY LAB RESTROOM OUTDOOR TERRACE

[2016] BUILDING FLOOR PLAN_PHASE 1_INHABIT 1/8” = 1’-0”

[PHASE 1] inhabit.

[ Against the Tide ]

boardwalk: from access to outline.

H I

C DN

A B C D E F G H I

ENTRY AUDITORIUM CLASSROOM OFFICE INDOOR / OUTDOOR CLASSROOM WET LAB DRY LAB RESTROOM OUTDOOR TERRACE

[2050] BUILDING FLOOR [2016] FLOOR PLAN_PHASE PLAN_PHASE 1_INHABIT 2_ABANDON1/8” 1/8” = = 1’-0” 1’-0”

[PHASE 2] submerge / abandon.

Jess Vanecek / Portfolio

[ Against the Tide ]

Tangier Island Powerlines, Jess Vanecek (2016)

jvanecek@wustl.edu +1 (804) 580-1058

JV23