TERRA PUBLICA // Final Thesis Book

OMAR KHALIFA

TERRA PUBLICA A Space the Public Can DIG

TOOLS & PROJECTIONS

Advisors: Ted Brown/ Julia Czerniak/ Daniele Profeta

Our committee was structured as directed research anchored around our chosen tools. These tools are meant to act as a vehicle to speculate on the future of our built environment. I chose the SHOVEL to serve as both my means and methodology in approaching my thesis.

My thesis aims to create a new public landscape that breaks down hard thresholds and blockades along the Nile River in Cairo, Egypt, transforming them into privileged new spaces of relief that accompany a waterfront, such as greenery, boardwalks, and freshwater pools.

By using the agency of both the shovel, and the excavator, I CUT & FILL the land at the edge of the Nile River in Cairo to increase VISIBILITY, ACCESSIBILITY, AND LEGIBILITY of the historically symbolic Nile River from the urban fabric.

Thank you to my advisors: Ted Brown Julia Czerniak Daniele Profeta

CONTENTS i. History of the Shovel ii. Test Site - Skytop Quarry ii. Test Site - Cairo, Egypt iv. Proposed Intervention v. Bibliography

i. History of the Shovel Though currently overshadowed in the commercial realm by its mechanized counterpart, the shovel was once an essential and critical item that shaped our modern landscape. It was used across different times and scales— from agriculture in the Neolithic era, to digging trenches for canals, to excavating for buildings, and for moving large land masses for the development of cities.

In the realm of labor today, the unified rhythmic motion of shoveling has been mimicked and mechanized during the industrial revolution to ease the natural human processes, birthing the steam shovel, and later the hydraulic excavator.

The shovel has social significance that is incomparable to excavators. It was a sign of selfreliance, a symbolic icon of labor, and an opportunity for citizens to directly inhabit their landscapes. Many put faith in the shovel as humanity began to dig itself out of the rubble of many wars.

Scapula.

Figure 1.

Crude Trowel.

Figure 2.

Salt Shovel Figure 3.

Rudimentary Tool Starting as a multi-purpose tool, the shovel was initially made with discarded animal bones. It was used to dig, move, grub, bury and farm. It’s roles and importance grew through time. Later, in the Bronze Age it evolved into cutlery, starting with the spoon as it’s direct descendant. They were often adorned to show rank and stature with monograms and fine detail. This form retained it’s main components, the shaft and bucket, ushering in the shovels we use today.

Canal Digging Figure 4.

Cement Mixing Figure 5.

Large Scale Mining Figure 6.

The Transport Revolution While the needs for rapid expansion and construction grew, large and special labor forces were the chief means for excavation and material handling. These groups were referred to as ‘labor gangs’ and were ubiquitous with large-scale work. They often worked as a unified assembly line. In the realm of labor today, the labor gangs’ unified rhythmic motions have been mimicked and mechanized evolving into the creation of the steam shovel and excavator.

War Poster.

Figure 7.

War Poster.

Figure 8.

Editorial Cartoon Figure 9.

As an Icon The shovel had social significance that is incomparable to that of excavators. Knowing the relative importance of it among the tools, the shovel was used as a call to action, independence and self-reliance. For instance these posters were released by the British Government after World War 2 to help encourage community gardening and self-dependence. Or to keep your home coal pile stocked by “tagging your shovel�. In others the shovel was ubiquitous with the idea of paving the way and creating a-new.

Muybridge Motion Study Figure 10.

Up: OSHA Figure 11.

Down: Excavator Figure 12.

‘The Science of Shoveling’ Muybridge, Taylorism and Scientific Management aimed to study and optimize the act of digging and shoveling. Taking into consideration loads, rates and throw distances, these studies impacting the evolution of the shovel pragmatically, and the use of labor gangs in the Industrial Age. OSHA mandated regulations, to maximize employee performance and ensure limited liability, follow the extensive studies and experiments by Fredrick Taylor in 1911. Shortly after, the steam shovel, and then excavator, entered the market in an effort to further optimize the process of building and destruction.

Up: Archeology.

Figure 13.

Down: Beach Toy. Figure 14.

Up: Rescue.

Figure 15.

Down: Gardening.

Figure 16.

Up: Entrenching.

Figure 17.

Down: Snow.

Figure 18.

Modern Uses Although overshadowed in commercial practices, the shovel remains in the realm of personal use and actions pertaining to the scale of the human body. The shovel’s instrumentality emerges in areas where the excavator is not readily available or unable to access, or where delicate work is needed; It’s future intertwined with the potential of Homofaber.

ii. Test Site - Skytop Quarry I preformed various initial tests at the Skytop Quarry to both familiarize myself with and test the capabilities of the shovel. I dug in 5 different sites that allowed me to extrapolate and work backwards to determine, to a level of certainty, how the quarry might have operated in the past and how it would potentially operate if run by labor gangs. Using the same tools and following OSHA mandated regulations, such as digging rates, techniques and breaks, these 5 digs determined soil condition and corresponding digging rates. As you can see the tests vary in time, effort, and depth depending on soil quality and adjacency to the dense and rocky main quarry area.

Quarry Topography - Organized to 4 main levels based on depth of excavation.

- Created by initial blast breaking the earth, furthered by rounds of cutting and transportation.

- Large blocks are transfered to a processing site and shipped out for various uses.

Typical Processing Path - Continuous path from quarry bed through processing zone to exit road.

- Larger turning radii and single path entry to lower zones.

- Less excavators/ Less labor needed/ Larger hauls per laborer.

Labor-centric Processing Path - Theoretic excavation reliant on labor forces.

- Denser paths formed as a result of more labor needed.

- Long assembly lines to move earth/ process larger pieces.

Quarry Dig Sites - Sample sites to analyze soil characteristics.

- Testing effect of different ground condition on digging capabilities and techniques.

- Dispersed sites speculate and confirm assumptions of previous conditions.

Sample 1

Non-excavated Paths Soft/ Chalky Topsoil No rocks in subsoil

Sample 2

Main Processing Area Dark/ Pebbly Topsoil Rubble/ limestone in subsoil

Sample 3

Quarry Edge Hard/ Superficial Topsoil Limestone in subsoil

Sample 4

Transportation Path Pebbly/ Shallow Topsoil Limestone in subsoil

Sample 5

Quarry Bed Impenetrable Topsoil Solid Limestone subsoil

Tools Used // Digging - Filming - Hydrating.

OSHA mandated stretching // Warm Up - Preparation - Safety.

OSHA mandated breaks // Stretching - Hydrating - Filming - Smoking.

Site 4 Result // Pebbly - 8” - 15 mins.

Site 2 Result // Wet & Tough - 4” - 20 mins.

Site 1 Result // Wet & Soft - 15” - 30 mins.

Site 4 Cutting Ground Overlay.

Site 2 Cutting Ground Overlay.

Site 1 Cutting Ground Overlay.

Site 4 Shovel Overlay // Hard - Some cutting needed.

Site 2 Shovel Overlay // Hardest - Most Cuts needed.

Site 1 Shovel Overlay // Soft - Least cuts needed.

Site 4 Shoveling Motion // Deep cuts - Small/ Loose loads.

Site 2 Shoveling Motion // Shallow cuts - Smaller/ Coarse loads.

Site 1 Shoveling Motion // Deeper cuts - Larger/ Compact loads.

Test Site Conclusions: Enables Assembly Line Aggregation Precision Inclusion Self-empowerment Limits Scope Time Material Instigates Motion Iconography Relation to Human Body Self-reliance

Typical Shovel Digging // Range of Motion/ person - Load Lift/ Throw - Varies depending on material.

- Max Digging Depth - As deep as laborer can go.

- Freedom of motion & Limited restrictions.

Typical Shovel Digging // Range of Motion/ person - Pre-planned staging.

- Max Digging Depth - Standard.

- Limited motion & Path/ buffer requirements.

Earth Moved/ Day // Shovel vs Excavator - Amount moved: Excavator.

- Maneuverability within site: Shovel.

- Regular Availability: Shovel.

Cut/ Fill - Reciprocal relationship of cut/ fill.

- Ability to aggregate .

- With correct placement and care aggregated fills can create a new landscape.

iii. Test Site - Cairo, Egypt As far back as records go, the Nile River has been the livelihood of all Egyptians; relying on it’s alluvial process for irrigation and nutritional properties. It creates a spectacular treelike vein running through the country as the river meanders and splinters at its floodplains. Aerial shots can clearly show us how life has grown naturally along it. Over the years a complex system of barrages and dams, most notably the High Aswan Dam, have been installed to control levels of flooding and storage of overflow through a series of lakes, most notably Lake Nasser, reducing flooding of the Nile to around 90 cm level rise.

Delta Barrage Cairo

Assuit Barrage

Nag Hammadi Barrage

Esna Barrage

Aswan Low Dam Aswan High Dam

Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community

The Nile and it’s Floodplains - Most of people today lived in the floodplain.

- Nile is literal and metaphorical source of life for Egyptians.

- Over 70% of water usage is for agricultural irrigation.

THE NILE RIVER THROUGH CAIRO

CURRENT CONDITIONS Walking along the Nile River in Cairo one is wedged between a traffic-ridden urban highway on one side and an assortment of hard thresholds on the other, be it a dense tree-line, locked gates, Nile boats, or military outposts.

Along with a significant elevational difference, there is no immediate interaction with the waterfront or any of its corresponding amenities. The human figure is so far removed from public access to the Nile bank that the spatial qualities of the sidewalk are no longer relative to the waterfront but are now a product of the urban occupation around it. As such, the Nile recedes to an idle backdrop and the users’ claim of ownership is diminished to a patch of grass on the side of the road.

Sidewalk Condition - Sidewalk treated as transition zone rather than occupied space.

- Nile fades into background if even visible from sidewalk.

- More focused is placed on vehicles than the pedestrian.

Inaccessible Areas - Either behind locked gates or a brick wall.

- Military outposts take priority over public programs.

- Some spaces left barren and unused.

Nile Boats - Indefinitely parked length-wise along the street.

- Severely limits pedestrian visibility to Nile River.

- Turns adjacent sidewalk to parking/ unused space.

Locked Gates - Limit accessibility to waterfront engagement

Sidewalk Engagement - Formal occupation limited to singular benches.

- Small grass patches only occupiable space.

- Public space not removed from urban environment.

Plant Nurseries - Used for small and large scale landscaping project.

- Only visible green space between the Nile and urban landscape.

- Not accessible to the public.

iv. Proposed Intervention Implementing both my physical test and research I chose areas along the Nile where I found could benefit from the most, based on adjacency to governmental structures, extremely limited accessibility and capabilities of shovel implementation. These areas are currently plant nurseries used for both large- and small-scale landscaping projects.

Reweaving the Nile back into the urban fabric of Cairo reignites the sense of self-reliance and collective ownership that its people have in this dynamic and chaotic city. By allowing citizens to curate parts of their own landscape with implementations such as community gardens, this collective space will demonstrate the potential of the shovel and its modern capabilities to reinvigorate public spaces of relief and interaction along the waterfront. The Nile River will consequently become a landscape to admire and occupy, rather than exist simply an accompaniment to its urban context.

Chosen Plots

Initial Excavator Cuts/ Fills

Secondary Cuts/ Fills

Final Composed Landscape

SITE 1

OVERLOOK

Site Cut/ Fill - Old sites are a plant nursery and a small boat dock - After insertion of retaining walls, excavators begin making the first cuts.

- Shaded area represents where removed land is packed.

Proposed Changed Landscape - Floating pier added to separate docking area from interactive water-sports.

- Riverwalk acts as a connective formal quality on the waterfront.

- Sidewalk extension brings the urban context to the Nile.

Section - Extended sidewalk condition.

- Removed dividing thresholds.

- Bringing Nile into urban context.

Intervention Snapshot - Connective walkway & pier.

- Area for water-sports.

- Retains nursery aspect to preserve greenscape.

SITE 2

RIVERWALK

Site Cut/ Fill - Old sites is a plant nursery.

- After insertion of retaining walls, excavators begin making the first cuts.

- Shaded area represents where removed land is packed.

Proposed Changed Landscape - Floating pier raises to allow passage from under.

- Large ‘sandbox’ as an interactive portion/ storage of canoes, ...etc.

- Large seating steps direct access to waterfront .

Section - Layered public landscape.

- Removed inaccessible thresholds.

- Bringing Nile into urban context.

Intervention Snapshot - Steps into water.

- Seating along large steps & plots similar to sidewalk.

- Retains nursery aspect to preserve greenscape.

SITE 3

COMMUNITY GARDENING

Site Cut/ Fill - Old sites is a plant nursery.

- After insertion of retaining walls, excavators begin making the first cuts.

- Shaded area represents where removed land is packed.

Proposed Changed Landscape - Staggered landscape for community gardening & plant nurseries.

- Large ‘sandbox’ as an interactive portion for children.

- Riverwalk acts as a connective formal quality on the waterfront .

Section - Layering of grow spaces.

- Removed dividing thresholds.

- Bringing Nile into urban context.

Intervention Snapshot - Gardens allow separation of plant life and responsibilities.

- Overall raise to sidewalk level connects citizens to accessible greenspaces.

- Storage of necessary tools needed for upkeep.

SITE 4

CONGREGATION SPACE

Site Cut/ Fill - Old sites is an unused military outpost.

- After insertion of retaining walls, excavators begin making the first cuts.

- Shaded area represents where removed land is packed.

Proposed Changed Landscape - Stage seating extends sidewalk towards Nile.

- Stage area left as developable so it can be adapted for congregation needs.

- Riverwalk acts as a connective formal quality on the waterfront.

Section - Removed dividing thresholds.

- Reclaim unused space.

- Bringing Nile into urban context.

Intervention Snapshot - Connective walkway.

- Stage seats hold larger platforms.

- Developable stage area can be used for multiple events or changed by citizens for smaller events.

SITE 5

EVENT SPACE

Site Cut/ Fill - Old sites is a plant nursery.

- After insertion of retaining walls, excavators begin making the first cuts.

- Shaded area represents where removed land is packed.

Proposed Changed Landscape - Stage for formal events or protest.

- Kept with vegetative landscape to still act as congregation space.

- Retained plant nursery.

Section - Extended sidewalk condition.

- Removed dividing thresholds.

- Bringing Nile into urban context.

Intervention Snapshot - Open congregation space.

- Retains nursery aspect to preserve greenscape.

ITERATIVE MODELS Through the process of designing my proposed landscape, I used several physical models to iterate possible outcomes from different cuts & fills...

Model of Site 1 - All sand was moved and displaces within the model to preserve 1:1 material transfer.

- Some formal additions were places like ramps, piers, and load bearing walls.

Model of Site 1 - All sand was moved and displaces within the model to preserve 1:1 material transfer.

- Some formal additions were places like ramps, piers, and load bearing walls.

Model of Site 1 - All sand was moved and displaces within the model to preserve 1:1 material transfer.

- Some formal additions were places like ramps, piers, and load bearing walls.

FINAL MODEL

Final Model of Site 3 I presented this final model at my final review and allowed my reviewers to change the landscape if they chose, to demonstrate the interactive qualities i aim for in this space.

Final Model of Site 3 - Post Review

Final Model of Site 3 - Post Student Interaction

v. Bibliography

Image Citations: Figure 1: Worked Bone. Place: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. ARTstor.

Figure 2: Agricultural implement. Place: Cornell: Selections from the Anthropology Collections.

ARTstor.

Figure 3: Kinsey, E &D. Salt Shovel. Place: Cincinnati Art Museum.

ARTstor.

Figure 4: Jan Anton Garemijn. 1753. Digging of the Ghent Canal, left panel. Place: Musea Brugge-Groeningemuseum [Groeninge Museum]. ARTstor.

Figure 5: Gottscho, Samuel. Workers on the West Side Highway. Place: Museum of the City of New York. ARTstor.

Figure 6: Salgado, Sebastião. Workers. 1986.

Figure 7: 1939/1945. Dig for victory. War Posters. Place: University of Minnesota Libraries. ARTstor.

Figure 8: United States. Fuel Administration. Tag Your Shovel Day. War Posters. Place: University of Minnesota Libraries. ARTstor.

Figure 9: W. A Rogers. 1903?. The first spadeful. Editorial cartoons, Drawing. Place: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, DC, USA. Figure 10: Eadweard J. Muybridge. ca. 1884 - 1887. Farmer, using a long-handled shovel. Place: George Eastman House. ARTstor.

Figure 11: Canadian Centre for Occupational Health. “Guidelines for Shoveling.” Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/ shovel.html.

Figure 12: Abbas. 2006. A Lebanese Shia Gathers Personal Belongings From His House. An Excavator Clears The Rubble. ARTstor.

Figure 13: 5th century BCE, ca. 499-450 BCE, Image: April, 1964. Nemea. Excavation of building near the palaestra. ARTstor.

Figure 14: Kocijanski, John. Sand Castle Construction Zone. 2011. Flickr Figure 15: Kadour, Omar. White Helmet Volunteers. Place: Aleppo, Syria. 2017.

Agence France-Presse.

Figure 16: Baks. Gardening Tools on Land. 2015. DepositPhotos.

Figure 17: Lodder, Cpl. Reece. Digging a Foxhole. 2012. US D.o.D. Press Operations.

Figure 18: CityCynic. Shoveling. 2009. Flickr.

Bibliography: Andraos, Amalae, Akawi. The Arab City: Architecture and Representation. Columbia Books on Architecture and the City, 2016 Arendt, Hannah, Danielle S. Allen, and Margaret Canovan. The Human Condition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998.

Bhatia, Neeraj. Pamphlet Architecture 30: Coupling: Strategies for Infrastructural Opportunism.

New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2011.

“Civic Commons.” Studio Gang. Accessed November 10, 2018. http://studiogang.com/project/ civic-commons.

Desimini, Jill, and Charles Waldheim. Cartographic Grounds: Projecting the Landscape Imaginary. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2016.

Elshahed, Mohamed. “Cairo: A Militarized Landscape.” The Funambulist: Politics of Space and Bodies ,no.1 (September 2015). 20-26 Gehl, Jan. Cities For People. Washington: Island Press, 2010 Gharipour, Mohammed. Contemporary Urban Landscapes of the Middle East. New York: Routledge, 2016.

Shenker, Jack. “Revealed: the Insidious Creep of Pseudo-Public Space in London.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 24 July 2017, www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/jul/24/revealedpseudo-public-space-pops-london-investigation-map.

Smedt, Julien De, Julien Lanoo, Karsten Ifversen, and Shumi Bose. Built Unbuilt. Amsterdam: Frame Publishers, 2017.

Taylor, Frederick Winslow, and Henri Fayol. Principios De La Administracion Cientifica. Mexico: Herreo Hermanos, 1985.

Willcocks, William. The Nile in 1904. London: E. & F.N. Spon, 1909.