Framing the Field Exploring the formation and sequencing of walking trails in the Dandenong Ranges through the investigation of field. Page 3 The aim of the research is to investigate the formation of a cohesive walking trail network which connects the Dandenong Ranges through a series of points, or nodes. This will be undertaken through an exploration of the field as a malleable and multi scaled condition which can be redefined and framed through the interaction with these nodes. Walking is a program for which the field can be framed as a spatial condition whilst also generating an accessible, connected network. Examining unique environmental, spatial and social conditions through highlighting existing nodes and fields will suggest the formation of the trails and generate new points along the network. Walking is ‘simultaneously an act of perception and creativity, of reading and writing the territory’ making it a useful aesthetic tool, allowing humans to explore and redefine the meaning of a space by walking through it. It is the sequencing of a walk which ‘implies the transformation of the place and its meanings’ as its components or features are assembled through the progression of the walk. Choreographing the walk in such a way as to guide people away from areas which can never be accessed or into spaces that can change seasonally in one portion of the trail will offer a very different experience as to using markers to indicate a suggested direction, allowing an exploration of the space to reveal a particular path. Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Yarra Ranges Landcare who are made up of several friends of and minor Landcare groups share the ambition to conserve and manage the local environment and its sensitive ecosystems. They have extensive community links and participation and share a keen interest in the health and future of their local environment. Given the regions health relies on the preservation of its delicate surroundings the client will prioritise areas of focus for its conservation or regeneration. The research will be generated in order to indicate various ecological fields along the network that represent significant importance to the area which will require sensitive occupation or active engagement in order to highlight the importance of the unique systems working in its environment. These highlighted fields have an interesting interaction with Yarra Ranges Council and Parks Victoria who have an obligation to maintain existing infrastructure and parklands and outline facilitating tourism growth and the health of the local economy as key aims. By linking the existing trail network and providing a diverse and unique framing of the region through the various sites this proposal aims to suggest a viable option for the region. A conflict of program currently dictates the regions accessibility particularly favouring the driver, stemming from a friction between a societal favour of convenience for private transport and a lack of connected walking infrastructure, stacked against a growing population and an ever increasing flow of tourists to the region . This trending culture shift is significant for a region such as the Dandenong Ranges since major sites and towns are often only linked by roads. Furthermore, the region is only serviced by a single train line terminating in Belgrave, at the foot of the hills, and a sporadic bus line, that although services major towns, runs on an intermittent timetable. Often it is virtually impossible to walk from one township or site to another without having to walk along the side of a narrow, winding road. These moments are not only intimidating and dangerous but detract from the experience of being surrounded by lush rainforest which is the major appeal for most visitors travelling to the region. Fig. 1 Stan Allen’s field conditions diagrams explored a series of fields in their unpredictable nature and their formation from a point or objects to fields. Landscapes of Cohabitation - Doxiadis+ Generating a series of trails responding to a series of ecological and physical fields acting on site. The trails are designed for the conservation of the area and to frame its significant natural surroundings which was threatened by an increasing tourist influx and an outdated infrastructure which could not cope or restrict access or movement. Traditional techniques and methods of dry stone walls, terracing and the regeneration of native vegetation was able to form a trail network which still allows visitors to occupy the space and appreciate it whilst also doing so without destroying the landscape. Fig. 2 Simple interventions or small remaining features set up points which then dictate a trail throughout the Tudela-Culip project by EMF. The rusted rail frame divides the harsh environment but also suggests a route for someone to move through. Stan Allen refers to the field as any ‘formal or spatial matrix capable of unifying diverse elements while still respecting the identity of each’ it is a material condition which arises from the link between the operations of its construction and generation. Its shape and overall form is insignificant, rather it is the ‘internal relationships of parts which determine the behaviour of the field’ which is the field condition . Through mapping at the regional scale overall fields can be identified from the atmospheric, environmental and locally significant sites. Mapping at the large scale; specificity of the figurative can be lost generating the field however a ‘pointed’ field ‘an abstract system [able] to carry meaning’ allows the trail to be understood as generated as an emergence of the field itself rather than an object sitting against it. Layering the many conditions and programs or ‘field operations’ taking place throughout the Dandenong Ranges can highlight intensities, and generate the trail through the interrogation of them. The network at a regional scale is generated by remapping the regions dynamic and constantly shifting fields formed by the overall forces. This is mainly an atmospheric study since these pressures influence the climate, vegetation concentration type and general occupation. Identified moments of conservation and significance outlined by the client Yarra Ranges Landcare and the can also be determined at this scale in relation to its respective setting and population centres. These conditions, or fields, can then begin to suggest where the trail system forms and joins. Two major field conditions arose from the mapping moments of sensitive ecology, and a shifting wind condition which can be link by forming a series of trails that move through the fields. Some of the specificity in the regions composition and spatial formation is lost at the regional scale, zooming in to a field scale a more specific understanding of EVC’s, fog and rain occurrences, habitats and their interaction with towns and property can be understood. Clearings can also identified at this scale and form a significant but unique existence in a forest setting. Intensities in the identified field, or nodes form from the overlaps seen in the study. These nodes then form the specific portions of the trail identified at the regional scale. Varying trail conditions respond to the node and immediate surroundings it is being formed in to best respond and harness the sites conditions. Nodes are not generated from the study of the field itself but by looking at the forces working between it and the figure. Spatial conditions such as tree height, density, wind and light conditions, smell and sound are only some of these elements which form the overall field but then start to suggest the intensities or abnormalities generating within it and allow for a refinement in the trails condition. Framing the field in a spatial capacity can be explored by revealing the unique conditions forming site. The Club Med project by EMF Landscape Architecture framed a rugged but naturally rich coastline through a series of processes which deconstructed and reclaimed the area . Nodes are generated through a slow and subtle revealing of the real site and its natural conditions forming a series of pathways. Introduced ‘artefacts and traces to help build the site’s experiential narrative’ may be formed from foreign material but these moments are not self-framing rather they enhance the features of site. The field is framed in various points throughout the site such as a portion of rusted fence is a node in its particular space. Formally it is a remnant of its deconstruction which will continue as the site surrounding revives ecologically whilst also generating a choreographed landscape through the thoughtful use of indicators or moments such as this . Being constantly surrounded by the same environment, such as a forest can reduce the significance of walking through it. A sudden change or alteration in the field can be significant in its reframing. Donald Judd uses physical form to displace meaning from the object onto the spatial field between the viewer and the artwork . The relationship is formed through an individual’s interaction when approaching artwork in the field which often then frames it retrospectively. However the work is primarily focused on the object instead of the field as the figure ground. The objects form can still be generated through the process of identifying intensities but these can be exaggerated formally diversifying the space physically. A specific forest clearing in Sherbrooke supporting a diverse range of habitats, would influence the generation of form by setting up an opportunity to view these programs taking place. Mapping this site, specific species movements and habitats can be recorded along with plant type and its reaction to wind and fog. The site is habitat to three endangered species and a creek runs nearby so the site has a significant conservational importance. The form is generated through the matrix using the techniques rise and divide. The approach to site is a walk along a narrow timber boardwalk which directly guides people through the space by creating a physical edge between the trail and the site. This leads to the platform which sits inset into the sloping topography and provides an opportunity for walkers to camp in the site, a unique opportunity since it there are no facilities in the region for people to currently camp and a lack of affordable accommodation . The form rises back into the clearing via a narrowing staircase which brings you back into the full view of the immensity that the rainforest possesses. A considered plating plan of native herbs and coloured shrubs incorporated into the longer grass species breaks the constant green surroundings and provides an attraction to the native birdlife. Exploring the sequencing of events and fields through the study of the Dandenong Ranges varying environments at multiple scales will indicate where the walking trail may form. The unfolding and framing of the region will occur through techniques of testing the field conditions at play throughout the region and where nodes could begin to link the diverse and multi-scaled fields working in the area. Walking will highlight areas of conservation; spaces which explore the unique conditions of site and link existing places of significance. Fig. 7 OMA’s competition entry Ville Nouvelle Melun Senart investigated the remapping of a proposed development on the edge of Paris. A layering of ecological and social functions to suggests where new programs could take place. Fig. 3 Donald Judd’s installation at the Chinati Centre of Contemporary Art,15 Untitled Works in Concrete, becomes part of a progressive journey across the property. The object frames the surrounding region of mountains and vast grasslands, but also frames the field it is generating around itself. Initial site exploration INTERACTION MATRIX of five sites throughout the region exploring site typologies and influencing conditions. CUT PUSH Trail and Road DIG ONE POINT SLICE TWO POINTS DISPLACE LINEAR TUNNEL DOWN SCULPT OVER DISECT Trail and Water UNLAYER Fig. 9 James Corner used compositional drawing techniques to construct Windmill Topography, which was representing geographical conditions and processes as well as suggesting the foundations of future work. Fig. 4 The contrast of the black peat and the white snowy field forms a node which draws people into its field. Fig. 10 Perry Kulper also uses a compositional mapping technique which layers multiple layers of site conditions and conditions. He further adds speculative programs that accompany his design intent. Trail and Boundary Trail and Forest Fig. 8 Arakawa and Gins use this diagram to explore how visual fields can affect your perception of a space. I am interested in exploring how to draw the spatial conditions of a field, this technique uses precise surfaces and lines of vision to speculate. Fig. 5 James Turrell’s Stone Sky creates a field between the wall and the person approaching it which is then framing the conditions making up the site through the reflective surface of the water. VERB / TECHNIQUE Fig. 11 Interaction with trail CUT / DIG Peter Zumthor and Piet Oudolf - Serpentine Pavilion ACCUMULATE TRAIL THROUGH DISJOIN PUSH / LINEAR AMPLIFY SPACE WITH SHAVE SCULPT / OVER RISE PASSAGE MERGE DIVIDE DIESCT / UNLAYER IMMERSE SITE CONDITIONS Full technique and action matrix looking at trail interfaces and node interactions. Fig. 6 The wall which does not rise higher than eye level never blocks the walker from the spaces setting. The object intends to address the scale and materiality of the bog choerographing the walk and perception of the space. Supplementary References Bibliography Image References Cosgrove, DE 1984, Social Formation and Symbolic Landscape, University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin. Corner, J & Maclean, AS 1996, Taking Measures Across the American Landscape, Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut. Corner, J 1999, Eidetic Operations and New Landscapes, Recovering Landscape, Princeton Architectural Press, New York, pp. 153-167. Eisenman, P 1999, Diagram: An Original Scene of Writing, The Diagrams of Architecture, Thames & Hudson, London, pp. 92-103. Nassauer, JI 1995, Culture and Changing Landscape Structure, Landscape Ecology, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 229-237. Parks Victoria 2014, Dandenong Ranges Gardens, Strategic Management Plan, pp. 1-39. Wall, A 1999, Programming the Urban Surface, Recovering Landscape, Princeton Architectural Press, New York, pp. 234-239. Yarra Ranges Council 2012, Infrastructure and Business Development in Outer Suburban Melbourne, Inquiry into Growing the Suburbs, pp. 1-16. Wilson, A 1991, The Culture of Nature: North American Landscape from Disney to the EXXON Valdez, Between the Lines, Toronto. Allen, S 1999, Field Conditions, Points + Lines: Diagrams and Projects for the City, Princeton Architectural Press, New York. Corner, J 1999, The Agency of Mapping: Speculation, Critique and Invention, Mappings, Reaktion, London. Careri, F 2002, Walkscapes, Editorial Gustavo Gilli, Barcelona. Carlson, D 2013, The Humanity of Infrastructure: Landscape as Operative Ground, Scenario Journal, vol.3, no.1, viewed 22 April 2016, < http:// scenariojournal.com/article/humanity-of-infrastructure>. American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) 2012, Tudela-Culip (Club Med) Restoration Project in ‘Cap de Creus’ Cape, viewed 22 April 2016, < https://www.asla.org/2012awards/365.html>. Franch, M 2014, Marti Franch, Kerb 21: Uncharted Territories, Melbourne Books, Melbourne. Isenstadt, S 2005, Contested Contexts, Site Matters: Design Concepts, Histories and Strategies, Taylor & Francis, Abingdon. Borasi, G, Clement, G, Rahm, P 2007, Between Nature and Environment, environ(ne)ment, Skira, New York. Corner James, 1999, Recovering Landscape, Eidetic Operations and New Landscapes, Princeton Architectural Press, New York. Yarra Ranges Council 2013, Response to Environment & Natural Resources Committee, Inquiry On Heritage Tourism In Victoria, Lilydale, Melbourne. Fig. 1 – Stan Allen, 1985, Field Conditions Diagrams, viewed 26 April 2016, Fig. 2 – EMF, 2010, Site photo Tudela-Culip (Club Med) restoration project, viewed 28 April 2016, Fig. 3 - Donald Judd, 1980, 15 Untitled Works in Concrete, viewed 28 April 2016, < http://www.jhk1m.com/precedence.html> Fig. 4 – Andy Goldsworthy, 1980, Hole About Four Feet Across One Foot Deep Lined With Peat, viewed 28 April 2016, Fig. 5 – James Turrell, 2007, Stone Sky, viewed 28 April 2016, Fig. 6 - Richard Serra, 1972, Land Shift, Viewed 31 May 2016, < http://www.eraarch.ca/2013/serras-shift-to-be-designated-under-heritage-act/> – Arakawa and Madeline Gins, 1991, Open Containing, viewed 28 April 2016, Fig. 7 – OMA, 1987, Ville Nouvelle Melun Senart competition entry, viewed 26 April 2016, Fig. 8 – Arakawa and Madeline Gins, 1991, Open Containing, viewed 28 April 2016, Fig. 9 – James Corner, 1994, Windmill Topography, viewed 27 April 2016, Fig. 10 – Perry Kulper, 2011, Fast Twitch Section Study, Viewed 26 April 2016, Fig. 11 - Peter Zumthor and Piet Oudolf, 2011, Serpentine Pavilion, Viewed 26 April 2016, < http://www.dezeen.com/2011/06/27/serpentine-gallery-pavilion-2011-by-peter-zumthor-2/>