Landscape Portfolio - Nancy Mohamed

Nancy Mohamed | Landscape Architecture Portfolio

Peralta Hacienda Site Design

Project: Peralta Hacienda Historical Park

Site: Oakland California, US Area: 6 Acres

Site: Coursework - UC Berkeley INLAND Program

Urban Landscape as a Lived Experience

This studio was focused on designing a landscape as a lived experience. Indepth research about the history of the site, its present, people, surroundings, and ecology was conducted in pursuit of fathoming the relationship between the landscape and its community, how the site was shaped, and how it should be reshaped.

Peralta Hacienda Site: “A Landscape of Stories”

Peralta Hacienda Historical Park is a significal historical site in Oakland and the first Spanish-speaking settlement in the area. It was the first populated part of Oakland and is this known as its birthplace. It was first populated by Native Americans before the Spanish colonized it when it was granted to the Spanish soldier, Luis Peralta, as part of the 44,000-acre Rancho San Antonio. It was part of Spain, Mexico, and the US.

The Design Outcome: “Sound Chapters”

The design aimed to solve the existing multigenerational community that does not interact much and often while being sensitive to the history of the site. An intergenerational flow throughout different soundscapes, or “sound chapters”, was thus carefully designed to take the user throughout a historically and ecologically rich journey.

Pear Tree Path

A member of the Peralta family, one of the first Spanish-speaking families to arrive to Alta California, Luis Peralta was granted Rancho San Antonio in 1820, where Peralta Hacienda lied, after his long service in the Spanish army. Since it sounded like the start of his last name Peralta Luis’ favorite fruit tree was the pear tree which he planted abundant orchards of. This walk was thus lined with pear trees and called the “Pear Tree Path”.

California Native Plant Garden

Two notable Native American groups, the Ohlone and Miwok, that arrived and lived in the east bay many years ago planted this land with at least 200 plant types that they liked and used.

1821 Adobe House

This was the first non-Native adobe brick house built in the region. The peraltas chose this region of the rancho since it had water and overlooked the bay and hills from all directions. After receiving the Rancho San Antonio land grand in 1820, the Peraltas quickly built a house of branches and mud to claim the land. They rebuilt the house into a more stable one using adobe bricks in 1821.

1840 Adobe House

Luis’ son, Antonio Peralta and his wife Maria Antonio Galindo, who settled in this part of the rancho, built a large adobe house in 1840 to house them and their 11 children. In 1868, a major earthquake struck the 1840 adobe house and fully destroyed it but left the 1821 adobe with much less damage.

The Adobe Wall

The adobe wall protected the area from intruders. There were originally more than 22 alcoves leaning against the wall which were used for housing workers, conducting workshops, and storage.

The 1868 earthquake damaged this wall as well. Only 4 alcoves remain now, each of which narrates a different theme of Native American and Californio life - land, home, work, and celebrationand forms a part of a mural that represents a time between the late 1830s and early 1840s when the Peralta region of the rancho was a social magnet of the East Bay.

Adobe Oven

This is where the adobe bricks were baked

1870 Antonio Peralta House (the Peralta Hacienda)

After the 1868 earthquake, the family built a new frame house in place of the 1840 adobe house. It was moved approximately 30 m away to its present-day location to fit the new city grid. A gathering stage, commemorating it, stands in its original place today.

Community Gardens

Diverse groups farmed on this land. Native Americans cultivated the land with native plants, Spanish-speaking settlers introduced foreign plants of Europe and Central America and traded crops within the US and abroad. Currently the Mien community farms extensively there.

The Lum House

Named after the Chinese Vietnamese final owners, this house represents the influx of diverse immigrants in the 1900s and the gradual change of the region from a rancho to an urban environment.

Play Area

This area was originally home to the San Antonio redwoods. In the 1840s and 1850s, Antonio Peralta sold them to the influx of people arriving who needed lumber for housing. The redwoods were used again for lumber when another wave of people came in the 1890s.

It is currently a playground with a redwood stump and grizzly bear (East Bay native) sculptures.

Peralta Creek

Peralta Creek originates from the East Bay hills and Butters Canyon. I has been a main source of water for the Ohlone and Miwok and has been a gathering for various peoples since.

Mapping age groups within a quarter mile radius from site shows that there is a high number of people below 18 and above 65 in the region. More than half the region is populated with 155-321 and above people in both diagrams. Personal observation has revealed that people between 18-65 are common. This indicates that the site is multigenerational.

Historical/Ecological Significance of Site Zones

High Historical Significance

High Ecological Significance

Low Historical/Ecological Significance

Landmark originally located in the area marked as highly historically significant Epicenters

Since the California Native Plant Garden and Adobe Houses zone were the first to be populated and majorly shaped the site into what it is today, the diagram marks these zones as highly historically significant relative to the other zones.

The other zones are of lower historical significance as they represent a later time, not the actual birth of the site. The only historically important landmark in this zone is the Peralta Hacienda. However, since its original footprint lies in the high significance zone, its current footprint (created years after the owner died) is not as important.

The Peralta Creek zone is marked as highly ecologically significant given its rich animal and plant ecologies.

The epicenter of human activity and thus sound is located at the Adobe Houses zone.

On the other hand, the epicenters of the water sound lies at either end of the creek where the inlet and outlet amplify the echoes.

“Sound Chapters”

Through the previous mappings, observations, as well as interviews, the site revealed that it has a multigenerational community that does not interact and mingle enough and has yet to tap into its intergenerational potential. The aim was, thus, to transform the existing multigenerational community into an intergenerational one to sustain the rich historical and ecological heritage of the site.

The concept derived uses a journey that meanders through the historically and ecologically significant zones and that passes through and directs the users towards the epicenters of sound.

Along the journey are hotspots, or “chapters”, of intergenerational activities that are inspired by the history and nature of the different zones, narrating and passing on the site’s heritage. The journey’s proximity with the epicenters accentuates the myriad existing natural and human sounds along the journey, thus revealing the activities and bringing together the different age groups on site.

The journey thus becomes an intergenerational flow passing through a series of hotspots that attract multiple generations via sound, or “sound chapters”.

Intergenerational Connection Diagram

Senior (Existing)

Middle-Aged (Existing)

Young (Existing) Senior Circulation (Intended)

Middle-Aged Circulation (Intended) Young Circulation (Intended)

Intergenerational Hotspots

Intergenerational Flow

Circulation Diagram

Senior Middle-Aged Young

The Intergenerational Connection Diagram shows the main journey described, or intergenerational flow, throughout the site. It includes several hotspots where main intergenerational activities or gatherings will take place.

The diagram also maps where the seniors, middle-aged, and young were most often spotted on site. It reflects that the site has multiple generations that rarely gather in the same zone. The only zone where some intergenerational moments took place was the Adobe Houses zone.

The diagram also shows how the hotspots and flow are intended to attract the different age groups towards the significant zones.

The primary circulation lies along the main intergenerational flow. It passes through or leads to the main hotspots, or “sound chapters”.

Low High

Human (Intended)

Human (Existing)

Birds (Intended)

Birds (Existing)

Water (Intended)

Water (Existing)

The sound intensities on site are intended to be the highest at the epicenter where most activities take place, medium near active sites (Storytelling and Family Parks) where big gatherings happen, calm near circulation zones (Manzanita Walkway and Ramp Meadow) and near the creek ends where less stationary and meditative activity happens, and low at the center of the creek where there are less natural sounds and less frequent gatherings.

Human sounds are intended to be higher at the beginning and gradually decrease as one moves down towards the creek. The current human sounds are highest at the epicenter and are less at the start and end.

Bird melodies are intended to gradually increase at the start along the Manzanita walkway and maintain an almost constant intensity as one moves towards the creek. The existing bird sounds are much lower than what is intended and slightly increase at the creek.

The water sound is intended to amplify at the creek. The current water sound is almost nonexistant or too low even at the creek.

Intended

Manzanita Walkway

Users start their journey through a walkway full of chirping song birds. Manzanitas line the walkway since they attract the song birds. The natural melodies of the birds already on site is amplified in this walkway. Manzanitas are also used instead of the pears to fade away the site’s colonial past.

Storytelling Garden

Previously the first to host the Ohlone and Miwok cultivation, this garden will be all about elders passing down these Native American groups‘ interesting fables and myths to yougsters. It will include garden sculptures of famous fable protagonists like Kaknu, Body of Stone, the raven, coyote, lizard

Cultural Music Arena

The site of the adobe houses will include Native American plants as well as Spanish plants. Ramadas roofed with tule thatch (commonly used by Ohlones) are used to highlight cultural activities occuring under the footprints of the long gone houses. The arena is used for the many cultural celebrations of diverse groups happening on site. It acts as a headquarters of diversity.

The Adobe Wall

The adobe wall will be dismantled leaving only the 4-alcoved mural narrating different themes of Native American life.

The Family Park

This park is all about family bonding. Sounds of children, parents, and gradparents talking and playing is accentuated in this area. It includes a kids playground surounded by an adult outdoor gym and a multipurpose open garden for playing, meditating, and bonding. It mainly includes common plants in the East Bay like Crepe Myrtles and fragrant ones like Mugwort.

Ramp Meadow

This long journey down the ramp will be rife with song bird chirps. Again, the meadow will be mainly grown with Manzanitas that would attract the birds and amplify their sounds. The ramp will lead to both ends of the creek where the water sound is higher instead of leading to its center where the sound is muted.

Creek Ends

Seats (benches and boulders) will be situated near the creek ends.

It is most suited for meditating, picnicking, and gathering.

Creek Center

The creek center, the quietest area, will be a spot for calm and peace. It is also flexible for hosting any wanted activity.

Plant sculptures of fable characters

Famous Kaknu & Body of Stone are centered

Only mural is left undismantled

This is a simple collage illustrating one of the gathering spaces in the Cultural Music Arena. It shows intergenerational engagement such as playing, dancing, and celebrating. Cultural festivities can be seen under the Ramadas where the adobe houses once stood.

Post-COVID Urban Re-Design Scenarios

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Project: Post-COVID Scenarios - Reimagining Urbanism of Walkable, Formal Districts in the GCR

Category: Research Dissertation - Presented at UK’s Healthy City Design Conference 2021

Post-COVID Scenarios | From ‘Post-COVID Urban Re-Configuration of Walkable, Formal Districts in the Greater Cairo Region for Health-Sustainability and Infection Control’

The following shows sketchy re-designs of different spots in Nasr City and Heliopolis, two walkable, formal districts in Cairo. These redesigns represent conceptual reimaginations of how these zones could be re-configured for a Post-COVID scenario. They incorporate concluded guidelines from a research I conducted and presented at Healthy City Design Conference 2021, held by Salus Global Knowledge Exchange and the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, Royal College of Art, titled ‘Post-COVID Urban Re-Configuration of Walkable, Formal Districts in the Greater Cairo Region for Health-Sustainability and Infection Control’. The research concluded from a survey conducted on residents of walkable, formal districts in the GCR that the best configuration would be one that uses a balanced, hybrid focal urban design approach. That is, a configuration that equally invites both pedestrians and vehicles.

To refer to the guidelines informing the reconfigurations on the next pages please click on the link below.

Publication Link

https://salus.global/article-show/post-covid-urban-re-configuration-of-walkable-formal-districts-in-the-greater-cairo-region-for-health-sustainability-and-infection-control https://salus.global/article-show/post-covid-urban-re-configuration-of-walkable-formal-districts-in-the-greater-cairo-region-for-health-sustainability-and-infection-control

Triumph Square Before

Triumph Square After

Abaza Square Before

Abaza Square After

03 | Kerdasa Communal Village

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Project: Kerdasa Communal Village for Heritage Reclamation

Site: Kerdasa Giza, Egypt

Area: 15,000m

Category: Coursework - Thesis Project

The logic behind the Kerdasa Communal Village is derived from the quadrilogy of Al Watad, or ‘The Linchpin’, a literary piece written by Khairy Shalaby. The main interpretation of the quadrilogy upon which the narrative of the project is built is that there is an implicit spectrum across all four stories of the characters’ sense of belonging to their original rural culture, values, and heritage. As the quadrilogy proceeds from one story to the next, this sense of belonging wanes from a strong responsibility towards rural duties and ethics to total alienation and estrangement. In order to link between the main literary interpretation and real-time problems, the project’s purpose is to find a common ground between the inevitable phenomenon of urbanization alienating native demographic and landscape identities, the original heritage of once rural zones, and the climatic and food-securing benefits of rural agriculture. The site is, thus, located in Kerdasa, a peri-urban settlement that is gradually falling into estrangement from its original status as a rural area to an urbanized one. The project’s typology is a communal village that reclaims the region’s heritage through native economic duties and a source of strengthening identity-based ethics, mainly through exhibits. That is, the project sets an example of responsible urbanization that has an authentic spirit of a rural ‘dar’ acting as a ‘linchpin’ for the Kerdasa community and catalyzing the land with native activities and economies, that hybridizes between urban and rural life, and that preserves virgin agricultural lands and available water resources.

Reclaiming Heritage and Urbanizing Responsibly

| Interests

Experimenting with Creative Arts and Compositions

The following is a documentation of my experimentation with arts and compositions. Some include selected pieces from arts coursework while others include my independent creative practices. The first few pieces are architectural photographic documentations of medieval Islamic monuments of Old Cairo. The rest are freehand sketches and renders of still life and imaginative compositions that I created as well as 3D clay modelling attempts of balanced compositions.

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P h o t o g r a p h y

A r c h i t e c t u r a l

P h o t o g r a p h y

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