Judy Podraza
landscaping urbanisms/ urbanizing landscapes I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII.
Abstract Proposal Method Site Documentation Program Process work Bibliography
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Judy Podraza
landscaping urbanisms/ urbanizing landscapes i. abstract
A city’s urban fabric can undergo a metamorphosis by using landscape as an apparatus for addressing its changes in morphology and structure. Landscape can respond to different urban conditions. This process of landscaping urbanisms can start to change the nature of the neighborhood. Thus, the new urbanized landscape has enhanced the experiential and physical qualities of the neighborhood. As a result, within this landscape, the cross diffusion of people and program becomes an escape from city life.
nism for transforming the city into an urban landscape that holds interstitial spaces for gathering. This project based in Barcelona will address how landscape can change the character of two contrasting neighborhoods.
Streets are not just ways to a destination, but they are destinations themselves. In addition, streets are public spaces that belong to all. Therefore, they can be used as a mecha-
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Judy Podraza
landscaping urbanisms/ urbanizing landscapes ii. proposal
The Poblenou and Diagonal Mar neighborhoods in Barcelona have very different urban characteristics. They vary greatly in their demographics, spatial structure, building typologies, and population densities. Additionally, these two neighborhoods border each other. Currently, the physical (and social) conditions of both areas prevent engagement between the two communities. By transforming the streets that are the dominant modes of transportation through these neighborhoods, an urban landscape can become a centralizing point of unity for the two areas. The project proposes a public open space that addresses changes in topography, urban character of the neighborhoods, and the social and economical differences. In
addition, the landscape will begin to reveal several programs, one of them being a community center that becomes a centralizing venue for the residents.
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Judy Podraza
landscaping urbanisms/ urbanizing landscapes iii. methodology
I have developed a tentative schedule for the following semester. My preferred method of exploration is physical modeling. Therefore, I would like to begin the semester by making a base model of my site. The scale of the site is still to be determined, yet it should address the surrounding context and connection to physical and metaphorical boundaries, such as major roads, the Mediterranean sea, neighborhood districts, etc. Following the creating of the site model, I will need to explore program more indepth by evaluating what is appropriate to the site and its scale. Afterwards, I am interesting in exploring changing in typography and how it starts to affect the form of the architecture and landscape. In con-
junction with this exercise, I will introduce the added constraint of the programmatic elements. I would prefer to stay in the conceptual stage as long as possible to challenge myself in thinking differently about landscape. Once I’ve become more realistic with the form and materiality, I will need to introduce advanced building systems and other sustainable solutions to the project.. I will be thinking about site forces through the form making process, but I do not want building systems to be a constraint, but rather an asset. My last phase in the semester will predominately focus on representation and how best to validate my thesis through drawings and models.
Note: The schedule notes possible dates of mid-semester and interim reviews that where based on educated guesses according to the academic schedule for the semester.
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week
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08
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10 Jan
17 Jan
24 Jan
First day of class All-School Meeting Martin Luther King Day no class after 12:30pm Program: explore ideas for program, develop specific requirements
12 Jan
19 Jan
Topography: Explore changes in typology; create physical models of various topographic conditions
26 Jan
Program: reevaluate program, adjust after crit with professor- figure out where program fits into site
Program: Reevaluate what works, what doesn’t after crit with professor. 31 Jan Create final massing model 2 Feb
7 Feb
14 Feb
Production week 21 Feb
Feb
16 Feb
Digital Modeling / Representation: Tweek digital model; begin outputting drawings
21 Jan
Topography: Continue exploring topographic conditions on site; draw sections
28 Jan
Program: massing exercise-- make 3D massing models in scale of site model
4 Feb
Form | Landscape: How does form and landscape interact? Explore using physical models & drawings.
11 Feb
18 Feb
Form | Landscape / Digital Modeling: Crit with professor; Use 3D modeling software to translate conceptual model into physical constraints
Representation: Detailed drawings of plans, sections, perspectives, views, other renderings, etc.
Investigate various methods of representation in for Mid-Semester Reviews
23 Feb
Mid-Semester Reviews 28 Feb
Research Form making: Look up theory on form making and landscape Form | Landscape: Continue conceptual modeling and exploring form using different materials
Form | Landscape: Make conceptual physical models using program requirements in the same scale as the site model 9
Digital Modeling: Continue working on 3D Model
14 Jan
Sketch Problem | Over the weekend work on physical model of the site
Sketch Problem
25 Feb
Mid-Semester Reviews 2 Mar
4 Mar
Mid Semester Break no class
Spring Break no class Integrated Systems / Sustainability
reevaluate project based on feedback from presentation
7 Mar
read books/articles relating to thesis over break
9 Mar
Generate solutions and drawings for advanced building systems Continue developing more detailed construction drawings Think about materiality of landscape and architecture
14 Mar Integrated Systems / Sustainability
16 Mar
21 Mar
23 Mar
25 Mar
Generate provocative images of thesis project
28 Mar
4 Apr
Interim Reviews
30 Mar Generate drawings for Interim Review
6 Apr
Interim Reviews 11 Apr
Production week
18 Mar
Generate solutions and drawings for advanced building systems Continue developing more detailed construction drawings
Representation
Finalize all over arching design decisions
11 Mar
13 Apr
1 Apr Generate drawings for Interim Review
Carnival no class
9 Apr
15 Apr
update/ re-work final drawings after Interim Review
18 Apr
work on final physical model
20 Apr
22 Apr
continue generating final drawings
Final Production week
continue working on final physical model
25 Apr
27 Apr
Final Reviews TBA
29 Apr
09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
week
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Judy Podraza
landscaping urbanisms/ urbanizing landscapes iv. site documentation
I chose Barcelona as the site for my thesis project because I studied abroad there in the spring semester of my 4th year. In addition, I am a Hispanic Studies minor and have been studying Spanish language and culture since the 8th grade. Spanish culture has always interested me; therefore, Barcelona seemed like a natural site choice for this thesis project. My studies in Barcelona as well as my personal explorations of the city introduced me to large scale urban design projects. The city is famous for its redevelopment plan for the 1992 Summer Olympics Games, otherwise known as the Barcelona Model. Barcelona successfully transformed its decaying areas into vibrant areas that served mixed uses and encouraged
left aerial view of Barcelona with an outline of major street boundaries within L’Eixample and Cuitat Vella districts
social mixing. In addition, the city embraced the creation of public open spaces. Its history with urbanism and public space further validate the site selection.
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Aerial view of L’Eixample.
A figure ground comparison of the L’Eixample district with an area of the site. The two areas of Barcelona are of the same scale. Both include a portion of Avenida Diagonal. There is a drastic change in density and open space. I chose to focus on the outskirts of the city where Cerda’s city block grid begins to break part. While the street grid appears to be intact, the city block typology dissolves. The dense, vibrant neighborhood of the L’Eixample district becomes more dispersed and industrialized as one moves away from the city center.
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right close up of the southern end of El Diagonal, Barcelona’s most important avenue that cuts the city in two, diagonally from west to east.
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IIdefons Cerda’s plan for Barcelona was never fully realized. His block grid was meant to stretch across all of Barcelona. However, exapansion started at the city center and moved outwards never quite reaching the eastern part of the city. This part of the city interests me because of its change in character, not just in plan view, but also in its urban typology.
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top cerda’s plan of Barcelona, 1859 bottom actual plan of Barcelona. notice the change in block structure in the lower right
right figure ground of the thesis intervention area.
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Pobelnou During the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century, Poblenou was the center of Barcelona’s industrial area. It’s close proximity to the sea provided easy access to the water supply, making it an ideal location for its industrial beginnings. Currently it still holds traces of old factories and warehouses. However, they are now being renovated into modern lofts, studios, bars, and businesses. In addition, a massive 22@ plan has been set to convert Poblenou into a technological hub for the city. The 22@ district is the name given to the new business development in Poblenou that aims to bring tech companies to revitalize the area. Nevertheless, the Provencals del Poblenou do not directly benefit from this new development. That area of the city is still hold old factories and block housing.
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top left a picture of new and old construction in the Poblenou district coinciding side by side bottom left scheme for Diagonal Mar district; not all aspects of project have been yet developed
Diagonal Mar Diagonal Mar is the newest and most modern part of Barcelona. This area began its construction in the 1990s, part of the plan for the controversial 2004 Cultural Form. It currently holds Catalunya’s largest shopping center, Centro Commercial Diagonal Mar, as well as the exclusive gated community, Diagonal Mar Parc designed by Enric Miralles. The contrast amongst the neighborhoods already creates a sense of segregation and social exclusion. The new construction of Diagonal Mar does not add to the density of the city with 48 dwellings per hectare. Its high-rise buildings and shopping malls put the emphasis back on that car instead of the pedestrian.
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provençals del poblenou besòs maresme poblenou
diagonal mar
right Diagram of current district break up within the intervention area
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left site area overlaid with infrastructure right relationship of site forces onto site
judy podraza pg. pg.1
7 ft 3,56 m 1087
647,900 ft 2 60,192 m2
The highlighted portion of the site is the area of intervention where the proposed landscape takes over the public street-scape. The two open spaces are areas where the landscape can begin to overflow into the undeveloped city blocks. The irregularity of the open spaces is purposeful. According to Camillo Sitte, the success of plazas in old Italian towns replied on the harmonious balance between motifs and superstructures. This
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theory translates into modern city building by disallowing artificial regularity in favor of the picturesque, which is mainly experienced through perspective and rarely in plan. Currently, the size of the site is very large; However, most of the area will consist of a landscape. Once more precise requirements for the program are developed, the area of the site can be reduced to the appropriate scale.
517,145 ft 2 48,044 m2
6,575 ft 2,000 m
top diagram of site right site intervention highlighted in neon green, overlaid with 5 minute walking circles.
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This area of the site consists of undeveloped, predominately unused land (image 5). Currently on the southern half of the site there exists a tennis court (image 4) and a dirty parking lot. The northern portion is gated with a concrete wall (image 3) and holds the foundation of some past building structure.
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This area of the site consists of undeveloped, predominately unused land (image 5). Currently on the southern half of the site there exists a tennis court (image 4) and a dirty parking lot. The northern portion is gated with a concrete wall (image 3) and holds the foundation of some past building structure.
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2 This area of the site consists of undeveloped, predominately unused land (image 5). Currently on the southern half of the site there exists a tennis court (image 4) and a dirty parking lot. The northern portion is gated with a concrete wall (image 3) and holds the foundation of some past building structure. judy podraza
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Currently on this portion of the site exists an old factory (image 2, left side) as well as some unstable dwellings. Most of the site is consists of open, unbuilt space that shows evidence of squatters living in homemade shacks (see image 3). The side is surrounding by 10 story residential buildings on the left side and low-rise, run-down industrial buildings on the ride side.
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judy podraza
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Judy Podraza
landscaping urbanisms/ urbanizing landscapes v. program
Contemporary urban design projects in Barcelona combine several program elements to incorporate Since this thesis project involved landscape it is natural to assume that the program will have a public interface that involves an urban park. Nevertheless, I would also like to challenge the idea of park and reinterpret its meaning and function. Since I can taking over a small area of parking, I plan on incorporating underground parking within the landscape. Through site analysis and reason on the surround-
left a student project by Gonzalo Vaillo Martinez who designed a conceptual auditorium to the Tate Modern located underground while providing an urban landscape for the city
ing neighborhoods, I am proposing to add housing units to densify the area. It is important that the housing be affordable to help gentrify the area. Finally, I’d like to incorporate a community center with multipurpose spaces that can be used for a variety of events from theater productions to dance classes to tapas making classes. A mix of cultural and social events can start to bring different types of community member together and rebuild connections between the two economically polar neighborhoods.
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This is the first concept model I made in the beginning of the semester. I chose an area of the city where the Cerda grid starts to morph into an irregular street grid. The model starts to demonstrate how a rigid square begins to transform and break apart into different urban morphologies. By connecting the blocks with thread, the model took on another dimension. The flexibility of the plan allows for changes in topography, similar to a landscape. This process made me think about how my site can start to respond to changes within the urban fabric.
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Judy Podraza
landscaping urbanisms/ urbanizing landscapes vi. process work
from left to right a concept model of Barcelona’s grid, an exploration of the spaces in between. and how the grid can start to take the shape of a landscape through its flexibility
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top a first exploration at the open space in Poblenou district
right This fragile laser cut plan of Barcelona began to address the scale of streets. Closer views of the plan show connections between the Cerda grid and surrounding neighborhoods.
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above and right This model starts to extract the parti diagram of the site into three dimensions, demonstrating how the landscape weaves through the streets and into the open spaces on the site.
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La Barcelona de Diseno
Barcelona
The Image of the City.
Narotzky, Viviana. Barcelona: Santa&Cole Ediciones De Diseno, 2008.
Hughes, Robert. New York: Vintage, 1993
Lynch, Kevin. London: The Mit Press, 1960
Viviana Narotzky is an expert Barcelonean design from graphics to interiors to architecture to furniture. Each chapter of her book focuses on the history of Barcelona’s design that peaked in the 1980s and had a cultural effect on Barcelona’s identity, both locally and abroad.
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Robert Hughes gives a comprehensive view of the history of Barcelona from its first settlements by the Greeks and later Romans to its current vibrant, metropolitan way of life. He includes information about the politics, architecture, sport, food, and music that make up Barcelona’s history.
Kevin Lynch discusses the image-ability of place. He came up with the concept of nodes, paths, edges, districts, and landmarks that all help contribute towards understanding and navigating through a city. His study will be particularly helpful in analyzing my site analysis for Barcelona’s Diagonal Mar district and understanding that district’s readability to its residents and visitors.
Groundswell: Constructing the Contemporary Landscape Reed, Peter. New York: Museum Of Modern Art, 2005. A group of 23 contemporary landscape projects where chosen for a MoMA exhibition. These projects demonstrate their reinterpretation of the modern landscape, which responds to various conditions such as being functional, reclaiming industrial areas, and transforming neighborhoods.
Re-envisioning Landscape/Architecture. Boyer, Christine, Will Bruder, Laurel Mcsherry, Charles Menefee, Darren Petrucci, Alessandra Ponte, at al. Barcelona: Actar, 2002. Boyer’s Article on Cognitive Landscapes discusses the border metaphor between landscapes and architecture and how the two can start to desolve that boundary. She also talks about the cognitive perceptions imposed on landscapes and the natural environment.
Judy Podraza
landscaping urbanisms/ urbanizing landscapes vii. bibliography
Urban Forms: The Death and Life of the Urban Block. Castex, Jean, Jean Charles Depaule, Phillippe Panerai, and Ivor Samuels. London: Architectural Press, 2004. This book argues how modern urbanism has upset the morphology of cities. This book presents the view that the urban tissue, the intermediate scale between the architecture of buildings and town planning, is the essential framework or everyday life.
Theory in Landscape Architecture: A Reader. Swaffield, Simon. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002. This book holds a collection of influential essays from the lasy 50 years of landscape architecture theory that also touch on social, cultural, and political topics.
Composing Landscapes. Analysis, Typology and Experiments for Design. Clemens Steenbergen. Berlin. Birkhauser, 2008 How book demonstrates how pre-existing layers, traces, and elements of a site can be broken down and made useful for repositioning the landscapes. It presents an an extensive typology of possible approaches for workings with a site.
Camillo Sitte: the birth of modern city planning. Collins, George R., Camillo Sitte, and Christiane Crasemann Collins. Dover ed. Mineola, NY: Dover, 2006. This book has a chapter on plazas. The author describes how strict, rigid shapes of plazas are not necessary and that irregular shapes help define the space and activity within.
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