Embracing Nature

Radiating Hope A Memorial

Jessica Frazier

01 Introduction

02 Research

04 Inspiration

08 Concepts

12 Design

15 Making

21 Learning

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part I

QUILTING AS A LANDSCAPE DESIGNER Designing a quilt is like designing a landscape.

Does this look like a fashion studio or landscape architecture studio? Fabric and patterns took over the Capstone Studio in DAAP 6479 as they learned the craft of quilt making.

There are many parallels between designing a quilt and designing a landscape. You first start with research, analysis, and precedents. Then you move to the conceptual phase putting your ideas to paper and seeing where they go. After working out a design through creating and refinement you are ready to put your design into action. For a beginner quilter the action phase was met with many challenges, but just like designing a landscape we find creative solutions and carry on .

The quilt project brief asked us to “bring artistry and creativity to your design thinking, [by creating a quilt] that has meaning to you; […] it may be closely linked to the designing of a memorial or loosely linked.” My initial ideas revolved around a notion of hope and what that means to me. When bad things happen, we have hope that it will pass. We anticipate a new day, a new season, a new start.

Human beings are resilient, and hope is a feeling that propels us and helps illuminate that light at the end of the tunnel. When tragedies occur, we need time and space to grieve, but it is hope that allows us to heal and remember sorrow while pushing ahead.

I explored the meaning of hope through my relationship with nature and motive for studying landscape architecture. I found inspiration in many things: quilts made by loved ones and strangers, the feeling of the morning sun, flowers that signal for early moments of spring, words penned by my favorite poet, and activist art that is grounded in political and social issues and give voice to the hidden or silenced groups.

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RESEARCH Research starts with an exploration of the subject.

I come from a lineage of seamstresses and quilters.

As a child I marveled at my grandmother’s antique singer sewing machine sunk into a table. Neighbors and friends streamed in and out bringing her cheerleading uniforms, Halloween costumes, and dresses for family picture days to be hemmed, altered, or made from scratch. Patterns lay on the kitchen table and her heavy metal sheers made that distinct sound as she cut through layers of fabric. I remember watching Cinderella and when her bird and animal friends sewed her ball gown I thought “my Gran can do that too!” Quilts were made from the leftover sewing projects and laid over beds.

Some had symbolic meanings or were given as gifts to celebrate a new life or new marriage while others were made to use up scrap material. As a child I saw sewing and quilting as a skill and later as a craft.

Today, I know sewing and quilting to be an art. It is another creative outlet that as designers we can use as an expression of ideas. Like landscape architecture, quilts perform a function while simultaneously being beautifully crafted and inspired.

This quilt was inspired by traditional patchwork quilts made by grandmothers and great-aunts, passed down as the only heirlooms some families have.

Scrap fabrics are transformed into intricate patterns that become textiles of meaning draped over beds and hung on walls. Traditional aspects of quilting come through in this design by way of the patterns made of patchwork fabrics representative of scraps.

My great-grandmother, Mary Honey Davis, made this quilt for my grandmother Janie Frazier. It is called a “wedding ring quilt”, and she never received one so she made one for her daughter. My grandmother passed it down to me along with other quilts made by my great-grandmother.

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Maude Jacob, a breast cancer patient and victim of experiments, received full body radiation in 1964 and died less than one month later. She left behind seven children, three of whom were put up for adoption.

Source: The Treatment, Stephens. 2002.

The meaning behind part of the quilt is inspired from the radiation experiments conducted at the University of Cincinnati from 1960-1972 and the memorial site that is yet to be designed. The experiments were conducted on cancer patients getting treatment at the Cincinnati General Hospital (now the University of Cincinnati hospital).

During this time period, institutions were still segregated by race, and the Cincinnati General Hospital was one of the only available hospitals for black patients seeking treatments or general healthcare. The victims of the experiments were primarily African American and from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

The Department of Defense significantly funded these experiments for the purpose of studying the effects of high doses of radiation on the body at a time when the threat of nuclear war was looming and the effects it could have on soldiers was unknown. Victims of the experiments were subjected to high doses of radiation disguised as treatments – the equivalent of 20,000 x-rays at once. For the first five years consent forms were not used and information about the “treatment” was withheld from the cancer patients.

The “treatments” gave them and their loved ones hope of recovery, but as a result seventy known victims died from direct exposure to the radiation. Palliative care was also withheld as to not disrupt the results of the experiments, and people would have died in what can be assumed to be horrible pain. It is unknown how many total people perished from the radiation, but it is estimated to be at least 100. The youngest known victim was nine years old.

The truth about the experiments continued to be hidden until the 1990s when other similar experiments backed by the US government came to light and public interest in the stories led people to take action and seek justice.

Because of the secretive nature of the experiments, the victims did not know they were participants, therefore their families did not know. Everything was hidden. With renewed interest in the experiments, people sought to identify and locate the victim’s families and help pursue legal action. Federal lawsuits were filed against the University of Cincinnati and doctors involved, and a settlement was reached in 1995. HOW MUCH $$$$$$ 3

inspire us by INSPIRATION Precedents showing what is possible.

Initial concepts for the quilt were formed around exploring hope in relation to light and darkness as well as exploring double meanings in patterns. Modern quilts have moved away from only patchwork and expanded to include scenes and concepts. The traditional American quilts were made of blocks and repeating patterns, but modern quilts can be free to explore the abstraction.

Sources: top left - Vacilando Studios www.vacilandostudios.com/, top right - MISS MAKE www.missmake.com, bottom left - Spring Leaf Studios http://www.springleafstudios.com/, bottom right - sdfilmgirl www.flickr.com via Pinterest

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I find inspiration in the things that are meaningful to me.

When bad things happen, we have hope that it will pass. We anticipate a new day, a new season, a new start. Inspiration was taken from nature and things that signify the hopeful start of a day and the passing the time. Initial concepts were explored by thinking about plant life and how they grow and change over time. There is hope that they will make it through the seasons and continue to thrive. Plant life signals time and change and seeing something grow is inspiring. Flowers emerge from the cold ground as seedlings, small and unassuming. They grow stronger and taller and more resilient, gathering strength from the sun. The sun and flowers are intertwined, and you hope that flowers are getting the sunshine that they need. When they finally bloom you are amazed by their beauty and by all that it took to get to that moment.

A sunrise represents a time of day when anything is possible. Lightness and darkness meet, the rays of the sun shine light onto things that were hidden. The darkness of the night becomes exposed. In this golden hour, shadows retreat, and the world emerges from sleep. Clarity replaces obscurity.

Clarity not only illuminates the landscape but also extends a figurative invitation to introspection and understanding, symbolizing enlightenment over the shadows of doubt. When the sun has risen it is bright and hopeful and warm. This moment of the day serves as a reminder that each dawn brings with it the promise of new beginnings and limitless potential.

Nature is resilient. Weather patterns go awry, and natural disasters happen. It can rain too long or not enough. They can also take a beating from humans who know too little about plant maintenance. A green thumb is ideal, but not required. As in Mary Oliver’s “Hurricane” the trees survive the disaster and bloom again. Their resilience give hope that if they can survive through the worst, so can we.

Sources: right - unknown, https://lifespa.com/, left - Tina MacIntyre-Yee, www.democratandchronicle.com

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Hurricane It didn’t behave like anything you had ever imagined. The wind tore at the trees, the rain fell for days slant and hard.

The back of the hand to everything. I watched the trees bow and their leaves fall and crawl back into the earth.

As though, that was that.

This was one hurricane I lived through, the other one was of a different sort, and lasted longer. Then I felt my own leaves giving up and falling. The back of the hand to everything. But listen now to what happened to the actual trees; toward the end of that summer they pushed new leaves from their stubbed limbs.

It was the wrong season, yes, but they couldn’t stop. They looked like telephone poles and didn’t care. And after the leaves came blossoms. For some things there are no wrong seasons.

Which is what I dream of for me.

Mary Oliver Thousand Mornings Penguin Books, 2013.

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“If anything, art is... about morals, about our belief in humanity. Without that, there simply is no art.” - Ai Weiwei

The funding from the American government cannot be ignored. It is an important part of the story, and imperative to find a way to communicate the link between the Department of Defense and the experiments in the design of the quilt. A study of protest art and activist art was examined which led to alternative American flags and art by black artists. Sixty percent of the known victims were African American, and a study was made of flags representing African American culture. The American flag is a tremendously important symbol for this country and a play on the design of the flag is an evident way to convey meaning about the United States or government.

Aside from keeping people informed, beautifully designed booklets can also be brought home as a keepsake. These visually appealing platforms are easy to distribute as well, and can be handed out during expos and other events, making your brand truly memorable.

Just like most print publications, the key to creating an effective booklet lies in curation. Consistency in branding is important for businesses, but good design also applies to personal or event booklets. Make sure you have clear, accurate information on each page. Choose compelling photos, fonts, and images. Pick colors that suit your style. You need to communicate well with your audience, so always keep them in mind as you design.

Need more ideas? Create an outline of the important sections you want to include in your booklet. Businesses often include their vision and mission, in addition to their yearly goals and metrics. For an event booklet, include the day's schedule or a list of speakers. Shops also hand out catalogs, listing their products and the prices. What's important is that you know the purpose of your booklet, and from Sources: top left - David “African American Flag”, MoMA. top right - Ciara LeRoy “My Black is there,Hammons you'll have millions of ideas ready!

Beautiful”, Lexington, KY. Photo by Ciara LeRoy. bottom - Ciara LeRoy, photo by Jessica Frazier.

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QUILT CONCEPTS All ideas are subject to change.

Hope is the overarching theme of the design and represents many aspects. There is a general sense of hope that whatever struggles we face we have hope that we can get through them. There is hope that the cancer patients and caregivers had that they would get better with so-called “treatments.” There is hope from their loved ones that their grief will pass. There is hope from all of us that another tragedy like this will never happen again. The criteria of representing hope were things that are new, bright, fresh, growing, alive, a legacy, optimistic, warm, sense of time. A secondary theme was remembrance for the victims of the experiments and telling the story that was hidden for so long. The criteria for remembering were things representing darkness and lightness, a way to counting lives lost, honoring black lives, and making a connection to the experiments and the Department of Defense.

Initial concepts explored directionality of the quilt with a sunrise design depicted right side up becomes a blooming flower if turned upside down. An idea of showing a progression of time through representing the past and present with the timeline merging where they meet as in reality there is often not a hard beginning and end. Events happen but their legacy remains. In these concepts hope is in the present time while the past is represented as darkness. In the past is a history of the events that took place and the lives that were taken. Bands of fabric in different sizes and shapes represent the realness and uniqueness of the victims. There were men, women, and children experimented on. It was a diverse group of people coming from different backgrounds and ethnicities. They had real lives with different interests and passions. Their rich lives and specialness unique to them is honored.

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Aside from keeping people informed, beautifully designed booklets can also be brought home as a keepsake. These visually appealing platforms are easy to distribute as well, and can be handed out during expos and other events, making your brand truly memorable.

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DESIGN PROCESS The process of design is not a linear method but something of overlap and editing.

Whether designing for a landscape or designing a quilt, during the research stages you are simultaneously formulating ideas and sketching. The initial concept centered on a sunrise that when turned upside down became a blooming flower.

Reflecting on the history of the experiments led to an exploration of past and present themes and how a quilt might be divided into halves with a blurring timeline in the middle.

Time is a progression with overlapping events. The idea of the past and present represents the dark history of the radiation experiments and the present day of remembrance. The blurring happens in the mixing of lives and effects of the so-called treatments. When the experiments ended the effects of them kept going. The health of the living victims was still affected, and their loved ones affected. The end was not a closure. There was not a hard line of before and after, and therefore the quilt should not have a hard line separating the contrasting themes.

Reflecting on the history also led to a commemoration of the individuals involved.

Seventy victims are known and named on a plaque, the only public acknowledgement of the experiments. Located on the “past” area of the quilt, strips of fabric representing the

victims evolved into various shades of gray symbolizing the darkness of the events and the various shade or characteristics of individuals.

Having a creative eye is a blessing and a curse. There is always something more you can do, something you can improve on, something you can edit. It can be hard know when to stop designing and move on to the next phase. After a presentation was given by a former UC student who researched the experiments, the color scheme evolved to give life to the “people” and use shades of green rather than gray to symbolize living beings. What was once a sunrise over darkness became a scene of the sun rising over a landscape. By orienting the quilt vertically, the hope of the sun can rise from the east and shine brightly by overtaking the space.

The notion of the morning sun being a symbol of “hope” progressed to include its literal properties of light and how it relates to the tragedies. The details of experiments were hidden for years - from the public and from the patients themselves. Shining a light on them reveals this hidden tragedy and illuminates the lives lost.

The concept for the quilting detail also developed to emphasize the hidden nature of the events and to be primarily seen on the back side of the quilt. The quilting pattern highlighted the sunrise scene on the front of the quilt, a smaller representation of a flag moved to the bottom corner.

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There are eleven flag “stripes” for every year that the experiments took place* and nine stars representing the youngest victim and the fact that even children were subjected to this evil. By placing the flag at the bottom of the quilt and taking up the smallest portion, the hope of the sun that something this awful will never happen again. The front side of the quilt tells a narrative of hope prevailing over darkness and brings to light an untold tragic story. The rich lives the victims lost are illuminated and celebrated as loved ones who will never be forgotten. The back side of the quilt tells a story that was hidden from patients, their loved ones, and the public. It has been over fifty years since experiments took place, and so many questions still remain due to the secretive nature of the program.

The final concept for this project represents a sunrise as a moment of light prevailing over a darker time. Sunlight bathes much of the quilt bringing warmth and hope and shining a light on dark past.

In this quilt a tragedy is remembered, but hope outshines the darkness.

Seventy pieces of fabric on the lower half of the quilt represent each of the seventy known victims of the radiation experiments. **The experiment program ran from 1960 – 1972 until University of Cincinnati instructor and whistleblower Martha Stephens made the experiments known, and the program was shut down in early 1972. By some accounts victims were subjected to experiments for eleven of those years.

Unknown victims are found in the sun rays extending down. These were real people of different ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds. The size and shades of green represent the varied and rich lives that each person lived. Dark gray fabric is mixed in as a representation of the dark history committed by the University of Cincinnati hospital.

The quilting is most visible on the backside and emphasizes the hidden nature of the experiments. After the experiments ended in the early 1970s, there was no investigation, and the truth was concealed – even to the victims and their families. A representation of the flag was brought into the design as an obvious link to the United States’ government to signify the funding from the Department of Defense.

There is not an official flag to symbolize black culture as initially studied, and the people experimented on were diverse in race and background. The top flag is right side up and represents the unity and hopefulness of the United States. The bottom flag is upside-down to signal distress and disrespect. In the middle the stripes blend together as a complicated mix of life. Choosing to depict the American flag as an obvious and recognizable symbol conveys the connection between the American government and the Cincinnati experiments.

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**The experiment program ran from 1960 – 1972 until University of Cincinnati instructor and whistleblower Martha Stephens made the experiments known, and the program was shut down in early 1972. By some accounts victims were subjected to experiments for eleven of those years.

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1

Make a Pattern

To create a quilt, a pattern to follow is essential as you must have a plan of action to go by. A pattern will be made of pieces to trace and cut your fabric by or as a guide to measure and cut your pieces.

QUILTING STEP BY STEP

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3

Cut the Patchwork

Sew the Patchwork

After tracing or measuring out a pattern, cutting the pieces of fabric is the next step. Depending on the design, this could be a very tedious and time consuming task. You should carefully organize your pieces in a way that allows you to easily assemble them into your design.

Pin, sew, repeat. Depending on the style of the quilt it might be sewn in repeating block patterns or you might have to create your own strategy for the order of sewing. Regardless of the design a sewing strategy is important.

Every piece of fabric should be pinned backside down to the adjoining piece then sewn together.

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Quilt it all Together The components of a quilt are: patchwork, batting, backing, and binding. The act of “quilting” is the stitching that binds it all together. The quilting component adds another layer of design and can create interesting patterns that enhance the patchwork or tell a completely new story.

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PATTERN Traditional quilts are made of repeating blocks and patterns can be made from repeating geometric shapes. The design for this pattern does not have any repeating shapes, so a pattern was created and printed out for tracing. Each piece was numbered for easy assembly later on.

The ordering system consisted of number and letters to keep each section of fabric in order (e.g. 7a, 7b, 7c, etc.) The fabric pieces were organized in vertical rows.

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AND PATCHWORK Each piece of fabric was traced from a pattern piece and cut with a 1/2 margin. A larger margin was used as a way to create more room for error as this was the first time for sewing and making a quilt. The pattern pieces were laid top-side down on the back side of the fabric so that the end result would match the design exactly.

The pieces of fabric totaled over 100 with the smallest pieces being two inches by two inches. The rows of green fabric were all two inches wide. The total size of the quilt is 36" x 48".

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SEWING PROCESS Each fabric piece was pinned together with the next pattern piece on the backside of the fabric.

The process consists of constant pinning and sewing and checking to make sure it lined up correctly. Many mistakes were made, and many seams were redone.

The first sights of progress was very exciting and encouraging. As a beginner of sewing, having used the sewing machine just once before, the task of sewing 100+ pieces something felt impossible.

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Many errors were made and lessons learned. Figuring out the correct tension setting was a big task that resulted in redo-ing most of the quilting and watching many tutorials.

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QUILTING The quilting process is when the patchwork, batting, and backing come together with stitching.

Though it sounds like a simple process, this proved to be the biggest source of trial and error as the tension setting on the sewing machine was tricky to get right. It was also the most rewarding at this stage of the project really brings everything together.

The final step is adding a border. In this design the backing fabric was folded over to create a simple border and frame the front of the quilt. Orange thread was used to add a colorful element.

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LEARNING A CRAFT AS A LANDSCAPE DESIGNER I want to design spaces of hope and healing that connect people to nature.

Learning a new craft adds to our toolbox of creative expression. The ideas formed and improved upon during this project will provide inspiration for the next phase of the memorial design.

Nature is inherently a healing space, and there is plenty of research to support this notion. In my quilt I used themes of the natural world in shapes and color to create an idea of shining light and inspiring hope.

Through this design process I considered the parts of this design that I want to carry through to a memorial site. I want to design a space that is bright and hopeful and connects people to the healing aspects of nature. Continuing with the sunrise aspect I want to design a commemorative space to remember the victims of the experiments that is oriented towards the sunrise. It is a space that people can visit to remember their loved ones, pay their respects to the victims, and be bathed in warm light from the sun. It will be a communal space for health care professionals who were also affected and for the campus community to find healing and solace when needed.

Learning a new craft gives a designer a new way to think about design and another skill to add to their toolbox. It is another creative outlet we can use to put our ideas into a tangible work. Quilting is another means of telling a story and sharing our ideas with others. Learning a craft gives us a new appreciation for the work and skill that goes into completing a project. Putting in the final stitch must feel like the final plant going into the ground or final pour of concrete in a landscape architecture project. Seeing a design from its conceptual phase to final product feels like an accomplishment to be proud of.

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Part II

MEMORIAL FOR HEALING A design focus for this memorial site would center on a theme of hope and healing. The approach to designing a memorial begins with understanding the history of the event(s) that took place and who or what is being memorialized. By understanding the circumstances, the design focus and approach can build from this knowledge and find inspiration that connects back to the events through symbolism, form, and materials that inform the design. The experience of the design is fundamental, and the goal of the experience is one that inspires hope and healing.

For the site on Albert Sabin Way, a memorial to honor the victims of the Cincinnati General Hospital radiation experiments is planned.

The memorial site is located on the University of Cincinnati medical campus and consists of an underused lawn with small groves of oak trees. In total the acreage is approximately 1.14 with each parcel less than one acre in size.

To the east is Levine Park, a lawn and small amphitheater, designed in honor of Dr. Maurice Levine, who was the Psychiatry Department Chair from 1947 until his death in 1971. (see appendix 1)

MEMORIALS HONOR THE PAST Memorials exist as a place of rememberce and healing.

Walter Hood’s design for the African Ancestors Memorial Garden at the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina tells the story of African Americans and their journey from Africa to the Americas as enslaved people.

The memorial will shed light on a hidden past and provide a space of remembrance and solace. The history of the events will be an important feature of the design. The experiments were concealed not only from the public but from everyone including the people who were experimented on. Led to believe that they were receiving a cancer treatment and potential cure, the victims trusted their doctors who treated them as subjects rather than human beings.

The design of this memorial will seek to expose the truth and serve as an educational tool to tell the story of what happened. Visitors to the site should be able to walk through the landscape and learn about the events through designed elements such as sculpture, material, and plantings. Interpretive signs may also be used to supplement that designed elements and explain the story in detail. The use of Cor-ten steel can be explored for planting edges and designed elements. Its strength represents the strength of the victims and families who have carried on while its rough and weathered appearance signifies the brutal “treatments” and the toll it took on their bodies. The use of stone in pathways and seating can also be explored to represent the heaviness of the legacy and truth of the experiments funded by the Department of Defense.

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Similar to the UC radiation experiments, the African Ancestors Memorial Garden does not represent a single moment in time, but a timeline of traumatic events. Inspiration can be gained from the story that is told through the symbolism found in the landscape and designed elements. (See appendix 2 for more information.)

People lost their mothers, fathers, spouses, and friends. A void was left in so many families - patriarchs died and the lives of mothers of many children were lost forever. A void in the landscape can be explored by focusing on the in between spaces. This could look like vertical elements with the space in between meant to draw your attention. It could also be represented as a literal void or hole in the landscape. The landscape will be composed of symbolic elements, and the design of it will tell the story of the tragedy while also inspiring hope for the future. The story should be clear at the point of entry into the site. At the beginning one will know they are entering a memorial and other programming can be organized within.

One may walk through the site and gain knowledge of experiments and empathy for the victims. As they progress throughout they can find healing and awe in nature by admiring plant life or wildlife. Spaces of refuge may tucked in vegetation providing a space of reflection and solace, while other spaces of gathering will be available for connecting with others.

The void left behind by the twin towers is a powerful image at the 9/11 memorial.

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EXPERIENING THE SITE The goal of the memorial will be to tell a story and inspire a sense of hope.

A design strategy will be to educate visitors about the experiments upon entering the site through symbolic elements such as sculpture, material, and plantings. Healing through nature will be the next theme to explore, and at the heart of the site is a momument dedicated to the victims of the experiments.

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“But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

Explorations in materials will help tell the story by drawing attention to the textures and feelings that they evoke. The look and feel of the surface can create a visceral and emotional response. Cor-ten steel, as seen in Richard Serra’s work, looks strong but battered. as the rusted surface ages over time. The outside looks worn, but the inside is still powerful. Cor-ten steel actually gets stronger as it ages, and a metaphor can be found in that as human beings are resilient.

Richard Serra “Torqued Ellipse IV”

Richard Serra “Intersection II”

Rough edge stone gives a feeling of strength and heaviness. It is solid, and depending on its application can be seen as powerful or overbearing. A wall of stone could symbolize an overpowering presense, while a bench of stone may represent something solid and unwavering or a representation of bravery.

The choice of durable or weathered materials can convey a sense of permanence or history. A well-worn material may evoke a connection to the past, while sleek and modern materials can suggest innovation and progress. Since this site will focus on telling a story of the past, rough and weathered materials will be explored.

The size and shape of materials can impact the perception of space. Large, imposing structures may evoke a sense of grandeur or power, while smaller, intimate spaces can create a feeling of comfort or privacy.

The approach to this site design will include multiple materials and scales to convey these subtle cues.

Image from http://turflawn.com/ 28

ORGANIZATION Exploring organization systems helps the visitor make sense of the site.

Radial patterns can be forms to explore in this design as a reminder of the radiation experiments and repeating of events for over a decade. In addition to the symbolism, radial patterns frequently show up in nature and an additional connection can be made. The radial patterns in the site might be found in multiple elements from seating, sculpture, or how the entire site itself is arranged.

Curvilinear lines can also be explored and emphasize the relation to nature by letting organic shapes come through. The relationship between light and darkness as a metaphor for hope and tragedy and past and present to represent the history of experiments and healing today can be explored through light and shadows.

A landmark of light can serve as a point of gathering and remembrance for an event or a place to honor a person/people. It may be in the form of a sculpture or monument and located at the center as the victims of the experiments are the purpose of the memorial.

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PROGRAMING

Memorials exist as a place of rememberce and healing.

Inspired by Eero Saarinen’s conversation pit, nature viewing “rooms” are sunken into the ground and allow for quiet reflection in nature or community with others.

Potential programs emphasize the natural environment and explore spaces for gathering and spaces for solitude. Drawing on the idea of “nature therapy” programmatic elements include a mini forest for “forest bathing”, pollinator gardens to bring life into the space, colorful plantings to uplift the spirit, and bird houses to encourage contact with nature. The location of the site allows many different user groups from those affected by the radiation experiments, to patients at the hospital, to medical workers, and medical students. The purpose of the site is a memorial to the victims of the radiation experiments, but the site’s location invites others to learn of this history and to heal for their own struggles. Small spaces or pods for quiet contemplation will be situated around the site as well as spaces with seating for small groups. Those impacted by the experiments did not know they were part of anything for so long. To make up for that spaces that foster a sense of community will be given thought. Picnic tables and gathering spaces will invite people nearby to have lunch or work outside.

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SITE ANALYSIS The topography of the site slopes towards the roadway at varying degrees.

The western most site slopes the most and would require the most cut and fill work if a flatter site is desired.

Due to the tall buildings to the south of the site, large shadows are cast throughout the day. This should be considered when choosing plant material.

Soil conditions are assumed to be compacted from construction Aside from keeping people informed, beautifully designed booklets on the site canwith also be brought home as a keepsake. These visually appealing took place platforms are easy to distribute as well, and can be handed out around 2006expos and other events, making your brand truly during according to memorable.

Google Earth records.

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ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

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Potential Site Users

Univ. of Cincinnati Student Health

18,000+ employees 31,000 hospital admissions

12,000+ employees 2.5 million visits and admissions

4,000+ Faculty and staff 2,543 students

U C

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

Site

Univ. of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Winter

NATURE THERAPY Nature is inherently a healing space.

There is much research to support the notion of “nature therapy” and an approach to designing a space with the healing aspects of nature as a focus. This approach takes advantage of the inherent properties that can be found in an outdoor space and lets the natural world speak for itself. This healing approach uses aspects in nature that activate the senses. Healing properties in the landscape can be found in smells, sight, touch, and sound. Research shows that spending time in nature has restorative qualities for people experiencing stress and negative feelings and can improve mental wellbeing.

Nature itself will provide inspiration and drive design choices. A memorial on a medical campus is an appropriate setting to explore themes of hope and healing through nature. An exploration of various spaces will be explored that puts people in direct contact with nature. A canopy of plants overhead can create a sense of enclosure giving them time and space for themselves while feeling embraced by nature. Rooms might be created with living walls that bring views of nature to eye level. Enclosed spaces with seating and plants for food and habitat allow visitors to sit and watch as birds and pollinators come and go. Paths through lush plantings combined with datums of color or plant type could be used to represent elements of the experiments such as the number of people, years, or another signifier with meaning.

A focus on life in all of its meanings is another fitting approach for a memorial and hospital site.

Spring Summer

Fall

Birds and pollinators are invited to the space, and users of the site can be reminded that they are part of something greater. This connection can bring solace and hope by reminding individuals that they are part of a larger, interconnected web of life. By bringing a space to life with the use of plants and wildlife, vitality and energy can be felt in a way that inspires one to keep pushing forward. A design emphasis will be placed on bringing wildlife, such as birds, into the site for an up-close interaction. Artful bird feeders and houses may be strategically located in areas of the site designated for life and activity.

Pollinator gardens can be explored in radial forms that burst through the landscape light rays of the sun.

Seasonality is considered and highlighted in the design approach by choosing elements that can be noticed and appreciated yearround. Witnessing the cycle of seasons, where quiet landscapes transform into vibrant environments, one can reflect on the natural capacity for renewal and regeneration. This cycle can instill hope by demonstrating that even after a challenging period, new life and growth can emerge.

Life is experienced through rhythms and the ups and downs of life can be explored through design by choosing perennial plants and trees that go through visible changes throughout the seasons. The resiliency of nature growing in unexpected places or seeing it come back year after year serves as a metaphor and reminder of the resilience of the human spirit. These elements should be organized throughout the site with opportunities of discovery throughout the year.

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HAVING HOPE Hope is a positive mindset or state of being, but it has a close relationship with the negative whether it is a tragic event or unfortunate circumstance. Hope is a mindset you need to have to be able heal from something traumatic and to move forward. As human beings we are very resilient, and it is hope that helps us see the light at the end of the tunnel. The duality of hope is something that will be explored in this memorial that remembers the past while looking to the future. The duality can be explored through using shadows in the space that represent light and darkness. Overhead and vertical elements that create interesting shadows can be used in this exploration while also providing a sense refuge for and also protection from the elements.

The desired outcomes include a design and programing that brings one’s attention to nature and not to their sorrows. Their sorrowful memories are still there, but they are able to find hope and healing to move forward. The memorial site is a place for everyone whether they are linked to the experiments that took place or not. It is a place that can bring strangers together and where people can have a shared experience in being awed by nature. People would leave the site feeling better than when they arrived.

Ciara LeRoy’s mural was prompted from the tragic events of the killing of George Floyd and the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement. The message is not meant to be solely about suffering but to speak to black empowerment and provide a hopeful message.

The fist represents an obvious gesture of empowerment and liberation, while the eye is symbolic to envisioning a better future. It represents having the audacity to imagine a place of equity and peace.

“For Black people who see it, I hope that they are encouraged, they are uplifted. I hope people who aren’t black are challenged to advocate for the Black community […] I hope that they are challenged to use whatever privilege and whatever influence they have to make a change and dismantle the historic oppression of black people in this country.“ -Ciara LeRoy (speaking about My Black Is...)

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APPENDIX 1. Information about Levine Park history and its reopening in 2013 at https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/legacy/healthnews/2013/06/levine-park-restored-as-msbrehab-work-progresses.html 2. Images of the International African American Museum and its mission at https://iaamuseum.org/ 3. Metropolis online Magazine article “Walter Hood: Facing History Through Landscapes” with interview and images at https://metropolismag.com/profiles/walter-hood-facing-historythrough-landscapes/ 4. 9/11 Memorial image found at https://www.911memorial.org/ 5. Richard Serra photos found on blogpost from http://www.vipnyc.org/2007/06/10/richard-serraat-the-moma/ 6. Artwork by Hilma af Klimt came from the book Paintings for the Future borrow from the DAAP UC library.

7. Information and photo of the Miller House livingroom from the Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/item/2018673181/ 8. This shade simulator helps one visualize the path of the sun in relation to area buildings. This was also verified in-person while visiting the site. https://shademap.app/@39.13792,-84.50255,16z,1708470385081t,0b,0p,0m!1708431927004!1708 471264951 9. Statistics and data about the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital at https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/about/corporate/facts-figures, 10. Statistics and data about UC Health and College of Medicine at https://careers.uchealth.com/Creative/why-uc-health, https://med.uc.edu/about/factsfigures/home 11. Information about My Black Is... came from in-person interview on February 15, 2024. Image courtesy of Ciara LeRoy. My information on her and her artwork can be found at https://www.prettystrangedesign.com/

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JESSICA FRAZIER Master of Landscape Architecture

LAND Capstone Studio Professor Barry Kew

Class of 2024