The Buttermilk Maze, MS Architecture and Urban Design 2022, Pratt institute NY

THE BUTTERMILK MAZE by Sanskruti Suthar

© February 2022 Sanskruti Suthar

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, Urban Design School of Architecture Pratt Institute February 2022

Program Introduction

I - XII

Ariane Lourie Harrison Chapter 1: New York Harbor

8 - 19

A Brief History

12 - 13

A Road Map

14 - 15

Urban Analysis of the Harbor

16 - 17

Chapter 2 : Redefining the Edge

20 - 49

An Archipelago - A story of Land and Water

22 - 23

A Material paradigm

24 - 25

A broad perspective

26 - 29

A weaving theory

30 - 33

A story of the habitat

34 - 49

Chapter 3 : The Buttermilk Channel- an Archipelago

50 - 89

Ellis Island

54 - 55

Filtration - Rhythmic Impressions

56 - 59

Introducing the Barrier - Alterations

62 - 71

The juxtaposed ecosystem

72 - 73

The edge cohesion

74 - 89

Chapter 4 : Water Metamorphosis

90 - 123

A communal living

92 - 93

House 3

96 - 97

Septic Tank

98 - 99

A collaborative vision Bibliography References & Image Citations

100 - 123 124

Introduction In this post Anthropocene era, we are undermining the importance of human interaction with advanced technologies. This book reminds us of the joy of being surrounded by the elements of nature and an attempt to maintain the status quo. This is a story of an Architectural fluidity on various scales, much like flowing water.

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Chapter - 1 New York Harbor

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The Buttermilk Maze

New York Harbor

Figure 3: Connecting activities between Governors Island and Brooklyn

Figure 1: Continuity between land and water

Coexistence

A Connection

The idea is to propose a space on Governors Island where coexistence between

The proposal of Archipelago in the Buttermilk Channel is a physical manifesta-

humans and marine species can reside. Coexistence is an ecological attempt to

tion of the long-lost connection which existed between Governors Island and Red

bring balance and can become a learning opportunity.

hook, allowing people to cross the Channel.

A Contemporary Habitat

The Buffer Zones

The artificial reefs, constructed from eco-concrete, provide a habitable environment

The implementation of Buffers Zones allows the current to slow down in The But-

for marine species to be able to sustain and grow. Different varieties of species

termilk Channel by creating a Maze. These Buffer Zones are the manifestation of

latch on the textured surfaces of these reefs, completing the food chain in Buttermilk

an Archipelago.

Channel.

Figure 2: Articulation of the islands

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Figure 4: A marine colony

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Figure 5: The undredged Buttermilk Channel

A Brief History A reference to New York Harbor described that the dairy farmers who used to

Cows were walked across it at low tide to graze on Governors Island. In newspa-

cross this channel by boat to sell their milk in Manhattan markets. Some people

per articles about Brooklyn history, Walt Whitman wrote of a time during which

believe that the Buttermilk Channel got its name because crossing it was so

“The cattle were driven across from Brooklyn, over what is now Buttermilk Channel,

rough that the farmers’ milk was churned into butter by the time they reached

to Governor’s Island.”1

Manhattan.

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Marine Litter

Oil and Chemical spill

Trenched Canal

Rising Ocean Temperatures

Figure 6: Current condition of the Buttermilk Channel

A Road Map (Existing Condition)

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Pollution released in the air

The ocean absorbs most of the excess heat, leading to rising ocean tempera-

Current issues marine species are facing in the Buttermilk Channel include the effects of the

tures. Increasing ocean temperatures affect marine species and ecosystems

human made trench which was created for ocean transportation and which limits species

forcing them to migrate to different places.

habitation.

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The Buttermilk Maze

New York Harbor

Urban Analysis of the Harbor Situated in the heart of New York City, Governors Island is three minutes ferry

picnic spot. From 2001, the Island is owned and managed by National Park

away from Lower Manhattan. It is located in the middle of New York Harbor,

Service.2 Today the southern part of Island has been developed with constructed

where the Hudson River and East River meet the Atlantic ocean. For many years

Landscape as Public farms, Gardens and Hills. Areas on Governors Island with

the land of Governors Island was occupied by Army forces, especially during

high flooding risk are identified as being in the 100-year floodplain. As illustrated

world war. Later they were relocated, leaving the Island empty in 1996. Since

in Figure 7, the southern part of the island facing the open edge of the harbor runs

then, the Island has been a commercial zone and provides a natural environment

the maximum risk of being submerged.

completely opposite to Lower Manhattan and that is why the Island is a favourite

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Figure 7: 100 year floodplain

Figure 9: Ownership map

Figure 8: Land use map

Figure 10: Race and ethnicity map

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The Buttermilk Maze

New York Harbor

Chapter 1 - Endnotes

1

Walt Whitman. “The Brooklyn Daily Eagle.” Newspapers.Com, Brook-

lyn Public Library, 19 Aug. 1990, page no. 5 bklyn.newspapers.com/image/503 53369/?terms=%22buttermilk%2Bchannel%22.

2

“The History of Governors Island.” Governors Island, www.govisland.

com/history.

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Chapter - 2 Redefining the edge

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Redefining the edge

An Archipelago - A story of Land and Water An archipelago is a group of islands closely scattered in a body of water. Usually, this body of water is the ocean, but it can also be a lake or river. Most archipelagoes are made of oceanic islands. This means the islands were formed by volcanoes erupting from the ocean floor.1 Or they are separated from the ‘Mainland’ due to environmental disasters. From a global perspective, all the different continents on the world map fit right with each other as if they are pieces of a giant jigsaw puzzle. These continents are considered to have been separated thousands of years ago due to natural disasters and turned into an Archipelago.

First, for many island studies scholars who have sought the definition of their subject matter, islands are principally distinguished by an intense and enduring relationship between land and water. An island is classically thought about as “a piece of land surrounded by water”. In similar vein, Beer has noted that “The idea of the island allows us at once the satisfactions of water and of earth, of deep flux and steadfast fruitfulness. At the same time, it expresses the dreads of water and of earth, twin desolations, in which the self drifts or is confined, in which loneliness or loss predominate.”2 The boundary marked by land and water identifies a fundamental disjuncture in spatiality; the island split between two basic forces. In an essay entitled ‘Desert Islands’ Deleuze discusses these two elements “People like to call these two elements mother and father”3. DeLoughrey also attends carefully to the gendered binary of land (masculine) and water (feminine) and considers how the gender meta-binary shapes and propels this contest of spatialities4. Hence, while islands signify a “specific becoming or mutual achievement of land and water.”5 This project uses an archipelago as a tool to introduce new parameters in the Butter Milk Channel. The idea is to introduce a series of islands to slow down the water current to make the channel habitable again. Tracing the existence, implications and affect of archipelagic relations will also demand and expect various theoretical, methodological and empirical innovations in order to redefine the Butter Milk Channel.

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Figure 11: An interactive archipelagic interpretation in the New York Harbor

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The Buttermilk Maze

Redefining the edge

A Material Paradigm

Figure 13: Extracted pattern1

Figure 14: Extracted pattern 2

Figure 15: Extracted pattern 3

Figure 16: Extracted pattern 4

For islands, the relationship between land and water is like two sides of the same coin. One must exist for the other to be possible. The wave in the Grand Canyon, located in Arizona, possesses a unique shape due to water erosion from the Jurrasic age, and now it is getting more defined due to wind. To understand the characteristics of land and water, a few small-scale material experiments were attempted.

Where the movement picked up by the water in the mold of concrete (land) was closely observed, and later these strategies were implemented in the design. The water does not make way for the flow but also shapes the land around it. The relation of island to island is characterized by repetition and assorted multiplicity, acting to intensify, amplify and disrupt relations of land and water, island and continent/mainland. The organization and consistency in the shape of the islands have been observed differently in the moving and still water.

Figure 12: A material speculation

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The Buttermilk Maze

A Broad Perspective

Redefining the edge

A Material Hypothesis

Figure 18: A cohesion between various materials

Figure 17: Diagram depicting potential opportunities for an ecological uplift

The theory of this proposal revolves around three parallel ideas. The strategy of reestablishing a physical connection between Governors Island and Brooklyn takes us back to the pre-colonial era when the Buttermilk Channel was flourished

Figure 19: Reinterpretation of the shoreline

with marine species. The introduction of an archipelago allows two different

The raw and rough textural qualities of land were observed in further Material

landscapes (Governors Island and Red Hook) to have a dialogue with each

experiments. Similar conditions appear in naturally formed land unline the land of

other. This strategy begins to redefine the ecology of shorelines not only as an

Governors Island. In the early 1900s, when additional 103 acres were added in

edge that requires reshaping and rethinking but also begins to illuminate the

the island’s area with the help of a landfill, the extended edge is somewhat straight,

need for connecting shorelines together without physically connecting them and

neglecting the organic qualities of a shoreline.6 The idea is to bring the abnormali-

bridging them in a coherent landscape.

ties to the edge conditions by breaking the commercial linearity and by making them more desirable surfaces to marine species.

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Figure 20: A conceptual approach to break the linearity of the edge of Governors island 28

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Figure 21: Formation of the Islands extending from the land of Governors Island

A Weaving Theory

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The weaving Theory suggests the reformation of the edge of Governors Island

Islands of the proposed archipelago divide the intense water flow into smaller

while keeping the balance between specific addition and subtraction. By keep-

streams enabling buffer zones in the channel. The water flow reduces in this island

ing in mind the existing conditions of the island, weaving of the future constructed

maze providing habitable environment underwater for marine species. There is

landscape redefines the shoreline in a rhythmic manner. Furthermore, the spatial

a potential of microprogramming these islands in terms of accessibility. As the

qualities of a series of islands located in the middle of the channel are the

water has the tendency to stay in motion horizontally and vertically, different edge

product of tidal research. The force of flowing water is measured severely in the

conditions are observed in a year. Some of these islands have the potential to go

channel, and to accommodate an archipelago, the linearity in the shape of the

completely underwater during high tide, whereas some islands are accessible

islands has been observed.

throughout the year.

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Figure 22: The Archipelago A Hybrid Landscape Connection between Governors Island and Brooklyn 32

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The Buttermilk Maze

Redefining the edge

Figure 23: Prototype introducing the spatial configuration of the artifical Reefs on sea-bed

A Story of the Habitat The project integrates three surfaces, water surfaces, soil surfaces, and geotextile located on the ocean floor as an intermeshed condition of forming a weaved landscape. The formed surfaces underwater are conceived as artificial reefs to accommodate various marine species to make the channel alive again. The infrastructure on the ocean floor is a result of combining technology with the constructed yet natural landscape is a combination that is residual with responsive, a relationship that is coexistent, and that of dialogue. The idea of this project is speculative yet the very nature of the change that this post anthropocene time demands. It demands our attention to this unused piece of historic landscape who holds the potential to bring environmental change where there is a possibility of a peaceful coexistence holds an opportunity to evolve and grow.

Figure 24: Redefined eastern edge of Governors Island manifesting Reef structures underwater

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Redefining the edge

Figure 25: Food chain in New York harbor 37

The Buttermilk Maze

Redefining the edge

Figure 26: An imaginary underwater section of Buttermilk Channel highlighting current water statectics and migrated marine species 38

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Figure 27: Buffer zones demonstrating possible marine species in New York harbor

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The Buttermilk Maze

Redefining the edge

Figure 28: Section of the proposed Archipelago in Buttermilk Channel representing cohabitation of various species 42

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Redefining the edge

Chapter 2 - Endnotes

1

US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration. “What Is an Archipelago?” National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 29 Oct. 2018, https://oceanservice. noaa.gov/facts/archipelago.html.

2

Stratford, Elaine, et al. “Envisioning the Archipelago.” Island Studies

Journal, vol. 6, no. 2, 2011, pp. 113–130.

3

Deleuze, G. (2004) Desert Islands and Other Texts 1953-1974, Los

Angeles CA, Semiotext(e), p.9.

4

DeLoughrey, E. (2007) Routes and Roots: Navigating Caribbean and

Pacific Island Literatures, Honolulu HI, University of Hawai’i Press, pp. 5-12-25.

5

Harwood, A. (2011) The Political Constitution of Islandness: The ‘Tas-

manian Problem’ and Ten Days on the Island, PhD Dissertation, Hobart, University of Tasmania, School of Geography & Environmental Studies, p.41.

6

“Governors Island.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governors_Island.

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Chapter - 3 The Buttermilk Channel: an Archipelago

The Buttermilk Maze

The Buttermilk Channel: an Archipelago

Existing shoreline Figure 29: Coastal evolution of New York harbor Source : Welikia 1609 Map, https://welikia.org/m-map.php.

The Shoreline Advancement Today, the New York City shoreline barely resembles what the earliest Dutch immigrants encountered in the 1600s. With the waterways dug deeper to allow more shipment, the New York Harbor once possessed 750 piers at its peak time Figure 30: An interpretation of organic soft edges in the New York harbor

during World War ||1. Most of these piers are now mixed used passages of the city. In this series of changes, this project stumbles upon proposing a new waterfront of this cause.

The Edge Duality The manifestation of the barrier embarks upon the idea of filtration. It concerns the

A Maritime Transport Alternative

idea of dual-edge conditions. These duel edge conditions as illustrated in figure 30

The barrier introduced in the Buttermilk Channel is the core plane on which

combine hard edges like docks and piers and soft and accessible edges, which

design can operate. The imposed trench in the channel to create waterways has

create estuaries into an interrelated landscape containing interactive activities.

wiped out the marine life. The idea is to block the channel by enabling a direct connection between Governors Island and Red Hook, which operates as an additional waterfront of New York Harbor. The alternative minimizes transportation, making the channel habitable again.

Figure 31: Extended shoreline on the southern edge of Governors Island for ships to dock

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The Buttermilk Channel: an Archipelago

The Buttermilk Maze

Immigrants may have been surprised to learn they were arriving in New Jersey instead of New York when they got off their boats.

Figure 32: Google earth image of Ellis island Source : https://earth.google.com/web/@40.69653171,-74.04041885,-0.80685153a,785.85514108d,35y,0.0000000 1h,60.00218527t

Figure 34: Immigrants arriving to the United States in 1906 Source : Kennedy, Lesley. “Most Immigrants Arriving at Ellis Island in 1907 Were Processed in a Few Hours.” HISTORY, 7 Mar. 2019, www.history.com/news/immigrants-ellis-island-short-processing-time.

So close, yet so far

Figure 33: Ellis Island in 1850 Source : Coneybeare, Matt. “Vintage Photographs of Ellis Island Immigrants Dating Back to 1900.” Viewing NYC, 28 Feb. 2015, viewing.nyc/vintage-photographs-of-ellis-island-immigrants-dating-back-to-1900.

Castle Garden (now Castle Clinton), located in the Battery of Manhattan, served as the New York State immigration station from 1855 to 1890. Approximately eight million immigrants passed through its doors, mostly from Northern

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Figure 35: Immigrant children getting examined by city health officer in 1911 Source : Horne, Madison. “Immigration at Ellis Island: Photos.” HISTORY, 13 Mar. 2019, www.history.com/news/immigrationellis-island-photos.

European countries; this constituted the first large wave of immigrants to settle

After the ship docked in the Harbor, these passengers would board a ferry to Ellis

and populate the U.S. First and second-class passengers arriving in New York

Island for their detailed inspection physical and legal. If an immigrant’s papers

Harbor were not required to undergo the inspection process at Ellis Island. This

were in order and they were in reasonably good health, the Ellis Island inspection

scenario was far different for third-class passengers.2 From 1900 to 1914—the

process lasted 3 to 5 hours. Ellis Island played a role of a portal for the country for

peak years of Ellis Island’s operation—an average of 1,900 people passed

almost 60 years and filtered the population with the help of certain parameters.

through the immigration station every day. Most successfully passed through in a

The further development and implementation of the idea of filter in the Buttermilk

matter of hours, but others could be detained for days or weeks.3

Channel are inspired by this event.

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The Buttermilk Maze

Material Experiments

The Buttermilk Channel: an Archipelago

Filtration

Figure 37: Vertical rhythmic qualities in positive-negative spaces observed

To understand the nature of the Land formation, specific material (concrete) studies were attempted. By casting concrete and by letting it sit, the material qualifications were observed. As illustrated in Figure 37 & 38, patterns and rhythmic qualities indicate the design strategy for an Archipelago. The combination of darker and lighter colours represents the relationship between an island and its surroundings in two dimensions. The basic organization of the island’s structural elements also Figure 36: Concrete chunk model

represents an elemental system of spatial relations that can be deployed as design components. This applies to islands as territorial elements in their own right and in relation to other parts.

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The Buttermilk Channel: an Archipelago

Figure 38: Patterns and Rhythmic impressions observed horizontally

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The Buttermilk Maze

The Buttermilk Channel: an Archipelago

Transit Variations in Newyork Harbor

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Figure 39 : A Container ship - A cargo ship that carries all of its load in truck-size intermodal containers, in a technique called containerization.

Length- 1200ft Width-160ft

Figure 42 : A Yacht - A sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. As opposed to a boat, it may have good aesthetic qualities.

Length- 590ft Width-70ft

Figure 40 : A Cruise ship - A large ship that stops at different ports and carries passengers who are traveling for pleasure.

Length- 1100ft Width-215ft

Figure 43 : A Speedboat - Also referred to as a powerboat or a motorboat, is a boat which is powered by an engine.

Length- 50ft Width-20ft

Figure 41 : A Ferry - A vessel used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water.

Length- 830ft Width-100ft

Figure 44 : A Kayak - A narrow one- or two-person boat that is propelled with a double-ended paddle.

Length- 15ft Width-3ft

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The Buttermilk Maze

Introducing the Barrier

The Buttermilk Channel: an Archipelago

Different color schemes of the same Archipelago, as illustrated in figure 46, represent the technological difference between islands. The southern side of the connection is an industrial edge that filters transportation. This edge stops bigger-scale marine transports further via the buttermilk channel and allows them to dock. Thus, the barrier has the potential to become a new port in New York Harbor.

Moving towards the northern side of the design, the extended land from Governors Island and Brooklyn edge is weaved and extended towards each other, allowing people to crossover. This constructed porous landscape which is a new water front can foster an environment for different flora and fauna to sprout through, which could create a moment of co-existence of various species of plants on the land.

This constructed land has the potential to host several functions. Islands near Governors Island can accommodate residential areas, whereas the land near Brooklyn can have a commercial vision. Except that the industrial edge, also known as the barrier, will allow vehicular transportation, the remaining Archipelago promotes pedestrian usage.

As illustrated in figure 46, specific changes in the land of Governors Island have also been proposed. The constructed waterways passing through the existing land

Figure 45: Formation of the Archipelago

of Governors Island allow it to become part of the Archipelago. This constructed land blocks the Buttermilk Channel in a certain way which helps the running

The implementation of an Archipelago in the Buttermilk Channel is referred to

water to slow down and provides a habitable environment for the marine species.

as a barrier. With the help of concrete material experiments, the spatial quali-

The cultivated waterways on the land of Governors Island are an extension of

ties between the islands are derived. The island is implemented as a tool, both

waterways generated due to the orientation of the islands of the Archipelago.

within the creative imagination as a conceptual and figurative metaphor, used to interpret reality and shape it in new and sometimes unexpected ways. ‘Despite

As the expression of a finite, framed, and bounded space, the connection between

the clear delimitation set out by their physical properties, islands are inherently

Governors Island and Brooklyn also represents a microcosm, both isolated and

ambiguous entities, presenting a dual nature suggestive of both isolation and

rich with structural oppositions of inside and out, inland and edge; a hermetic

connection.’ The Plan (Figure 46) illustrates the project as a connection between

system of self-contained relations ready to incite visions of an ideal or idealistic

the eastern side of the Governors Island and Brooklyn, where the constructed

society. It also suggests co-habitation between two species- humans and marine.

4

landscape in the form of an Archipelago is derived from the material studies which were attempted to understand the land formation.

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Figure 46: Development of constructed landscape with commercial docks in southern edge

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The Buttermilk Maze

Alterations

Figure 47: Stage 1

Figure 48: Stage 2

Figure 49: Stage 3

Figure 50: Stage 4

This series of diagrams illustrates the land alterations in five different stages.

This strategy begins to redefine the ecology of shoreline not only as an edge that requires reshaping and rethinking but also begins to illuminate the need for connecting shorelines together by introducing the Barrier which prevents transportation and creating a coherent environment for Figure 51: Stage 5

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Governor’s Island and Brooklyn.

Figure 52: Site Plan

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The Buttermilk Maze

Marine Museum

Market Place

Restaurent

The Buttermilk Channel: an Archipelago

Resort

Chapel

Little Venice Housing

Figure 53: Isometric view of the constructed landscape communicating various functionsactivities of islands 68

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Figure 54: The Barrier - the commercial edge

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The Buttermilk Channel: an Archipelago

The Juxtaposed Ecosystem The functional activities in this project directly refer to the accessibility of people.

Since Governors Island is a commercial and recreational space and red hook, Private

on the other hand, holds residential context, the connector landscape possesses a combination of these qualities. The southern edge of the Archipelago, also known as the barrier, is easily accessible by people, whereas going towards Manhatten, the constructed islands become more and more private. The islands located on the northern side of this landscape provide an opportunity to be able to own an island privately in the heart of New York City. In this project, two parallel worlds take place. The one above the ground consists of commercial and industrial activities.

The one underwater is a marine realm where the surfaces are covered with textural reef structures. This idea of the coexistence of two different species creates an opportunity for a productive ecosystem and gives meaning to an abandoned

Public

habitat.

Figure 55: Analytical site plan representing functional approach

Figure 56: Section exhibiting the balance between industrial and ecological area of the design 72

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The Buttermilk Channel: an Archipelago

Figure 58: Rhythmic similarities between the edges

Figure 57: Physical representation of two different materials coming together

The Edge Cohesion The infrastructural approach is a combination of the formation of artificial yet natural land and wooden docks coming together in one place. This interwoven condition begins from wooden planks creating a platform where ships can dock, slowly fitting into an island. The chunk model is a prototype of two different materials coming together seamlessly. This strategy establishes a constructed and defined shoreline giving the island’s edge a boundary. The bond between landmass and docks needs to be strong and stable due to the high water current in Buttermilk Channel. This bond creates a new dialogue of the landscape with technology and integrates two natural resources.

Figure 59: Isometric view of wooden docks interweaved with land mass

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The Buttermilk Channel: an Archipelago

Existing Mounts on GI

Accessible Beach Estuary Docks

Marine Habitat

Proposed Road to GI

Proposed Island Figure 60: A sectional chunck of southern edge

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Figure 61: Semi public zone of the design 78

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Figure 62: ‘Little Venice’ - The idea proposed on Brooklyn edge

Figure 63: Physical manifestation of waterways

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Restaurants at Red Hook This plan illustrates the possible conditions in the middle (semi-public) zone of the design. It talks about the commercial extension of the edge occupied by residentials oriented towards the east side of Governors Island. This piece of land is occupied by restaurants, which can be accessed through the ground as well as water. It begins to talk about the possibility where private speed boats can be parked while the meal is being prepared. This edge makes it easy for people to access the ocean in terms of beaches. Furthermore, waterways are proposed in a manner where the private boats can have access to the residential buildings, also referred to as ‘Little Venice’.

Figure 64: Section of the Restaurant

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Figure X: Description.

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Figure 65: An image of the physical model

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Figure 66: Rendered view in sunlight

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The Buttermilk Channel: an Archipelago

Chapter 3 - Endnotes 1

“New York Harbor.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Harbor.

2

“ Ellis Island: Overview + History.” Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island,

https://www.statueofliberty.org/ellis-island/overview-history/.

3

History.com Editors. “Ellis Island.” HISTORY, 20 Apr. 2021, www.his-

tory.com/topics/immigration/ellis-island.

4

Staniscia, Stefania. “Sceptred Isles: The Possibility of the Archipelago.”

Architectural Review, 26 July 2020, www.architectural-review.com/essays/sceptred-isles-the-possibility-of-the-archipelago.

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Chapter - 4 Water Metamorphosis

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Water Metamorphosis

A Communal Living Water is the very element that makes life possible on this planet. Seventy percent of the earth’s surface is covered with Water, and this surface water acts as the cooling and heating system for the planet.1 Water stabilizes the temperature of the planet, hence making it possible for mankind to survive the heatwave constantly being generated by the sun. Water is crucial to creating a viable living condition for living organisms and directly essential to the existence of the living organisms themselves.

Human beings are consist of around seventy-five percent water. Every part of the human body is dependent on water. Water is what creates life on this planet and what separates this planet from any other planets on this solar system.2 Our existence is dependent on water, or the lack of it, in many ways, and one could say that our whole civilization is built on the use of water. According to archeological and written sources, the early civilization took place near sources of drinking water - rivers. Since every essential activity in everyday’s life is dependent on water, the developments of these settlements are today known as Urbanisation.

The last phase of this thesis refers to the importance of water in a similar way that has been practiced for thousands of years. Here water is being used as an element that brings people together. It begins with the idea of wastewater treatment on a house scale located on Governors Island in New York Harbor. The idea is to establish a prototypical wastewater treatment system on a small scale that can be repeated on a larger scale. The proposed wastewater filtration consists of a septic tank and a drip system which will enable the possibility of organic farming and reuse of the Water. The system moves around an artificial water body containing filtered wastewater and a living marine habitat.

This system not only filters the wastewater and makes it possible for reuse but also it is an educational as well as interactive space. The proposal of organic farms generates a landscape that can foster an environment for different flora and fauna to sprout through, which could create a moment of co-existence of various native species. To be able to filter and reuse the wastewater and to be able to grow daily vegetables is potentially a leap forward to make the island self-sustainable.

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Water Metamorphosis

Since the last of the military troops left Governors Island in 1996, the island has not been home to anyone and was abandoned for a few years until it was reopened for recreational purposes in 2007. Thus, the plumbing system has been chaotic on the island. For many years people had to bring their own drinking water for their day trip to Governors Island until recent years when two freshwater pipes are being extended from Red Hook. Similarly, for waste disposal, Governors Island has adopted composting as an attempt to make the island self-sustainable by giving an opportunity to Earth Matter. The compost learning center is Earth Matter’s educational hub on Governors Island, where they demonstrate methods for making and using compost in New York City.

Figure 68: NYC compost project by Earth Matter Source : Earth Matter NY. “Compost Learning Center | Earth Matter NY.” Earth Matter NY | The Art and Science of Composting, 6 Dec. 2019, earthmatter.org/compost-learning-center.

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Figure 67: Existing plumbing layout

Figure 69: NYC compost project by Earth Matter

Source : http://www.nyc.gov/html/oec/downloads/pdf/dme_projects/11DME007M/ FGEIS/11DME007M_FGEIS_12_Water_and_Sewer.pdf

Source : Earth Matter NY. “Compost Learning Center | Earth Matter NY.” Earth Matter NY | The Art and Science of Composting, 6 Dec. 2019, earthmatter.org/compost-learning-center.

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Water Metamorphosis

House 3 The proposal takes place in the northern part of Governors Island, also known as the Historic area of the island. This older part of the whole island consists historic fort and about twenty houses. The area of focus for this proposal is house 3 (as highlighted in figure70), situated beside Governor’s House (building 2), considered one of the oldest structures on the island. These houses share a common backyard extended to the edge of the island. House 3 is a twostory brick structure with an extended wooden porch towards the backyard.

There is also a garage located on the other edge of the backyard, which is also constructed from brick and is a free-standing structure. The proposal of a wastewater management system takes place in the backyard of House 3, which has a significant amount of slope towards the ocean. The idea is to adapt the existing conditions as much as possible and not to make any changes in the structure of House 3.

Figure 70: A panoramic view of the backyard of theHouse-3 (site)

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Septic Tank Septic tank is a key element in this proposal. The journey of the wastewater dispersing from the house gets collected in the septic tank as the first level of this treatment plan. Here the wastewater goes through a separation of scum and water. The collected scum is utilized as fertilizer for the organic plant garden, which is watered with the help of the dripping system.

Figure 73 : Wastewater treatment in soil Source : Sergio M. Abit J, and Danielle Walker. “Septic Systems.” Oklahoma State University, 1 Apr. 2019, extension.okstate. edu/fact-sheets/septic-systems-what-to-do-after-severe-weather.html.

Figure 71: A section of Septic Tank Source : “Types of Septic Systems.” US EPA, 4 July 2021, www.epa.gov/septic/types-septic-systems.

Figure 72: A working diagram of Septic Tank

Figure 74 : Drip distribution septic system Source : “Types of Septic Systems.” US EPA, 4 July 2021, www.epa.gov/septic/types-septic-systems.

Source : istockphoto.com

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A Collaborative Vision At the second stage of the treatment process, the water gets irrigated in the land. With the help of a dripping system, a potential environment for farming is generated. The initiative to plant and nurture your necessary vegetables suggests an interactive environment. In some cases where one septic tank is shared between two houses also share a collaborative vision. The idea of backyard farming on the Governors Island located in New York Harbor brings a suburban essence to the city of New York. More than it being a social phenomenon, it also has an educational layer to it. It can become a great learning opportunity for children.

Figure 75 : An idea of an interactive garden

Figure 76 : A photomontage representing collaborative living

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Figure 77 : SITE PLAN - A wastewater management module that aquires potential 103 for repeatation in the time of need

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The Journey of water In an urban settlement, the journey of water begins from water evaporation from water bodies, building up the clouds coming back to the land in the form of rain and later being utilized in various household usages. After being used, the wastewater is carried to a treatment plan from where it gets sanitized enough to be mixed with oceans, completing a loop of the water cycle. This proposal insists upon the possibility of acquiring a waste management system on a smaller scale where the treatment of water results in the reuse of water in the span of a few days.

As illustrated in figure 76, this system sits in the backyard of house - 3, located in the historical area of Governors Island. It is connected with the plumbing system of the house. The journey of water in this treatment plan begins from a flush; the wastewater then gets collected in the septic tank situated right under the Porch.

With the help of gravity and chemical catalysts, the wastewater gets separated into 20% scum which later can be used as fertilizer, and 80% wastewater under 48-72 hours.

The second stage of filtration is divided into three bio-filter zones accommodated by various plants. Straight out of the septic tank, the wastewater then moves forward to the second filtration process with the help of a dripping system. Due to an existing slope on the ground, the wastewater travels and gets filtered in soil zones with the help of gravity. While the wastewater is running down, the plants utilize about 30-35% water, and the rest is collected in a man-made water body.

The water body is acquired with aqua plants, where the last stage of filtration takes place. It is also home to marine species. For drinking water output located adjacent to the road, the water needs to pass through a chlorine diffuser. This system holds two parallel functions. The one underground solely focuses on filtration, whereas the one above the ground has an experiential purpose derived by the ramp. It enables wheelchair access to the house, and it also connects the garden as well as water body.

The organic garden flourished with water and nutritious fertilizer from wastewater descended from the house to provide necessary fruits, vegetables, and drinking water by completing the cycle.

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Figure 79 : Working diagram of a Bio Filter

ZONE-1 , ZONE-2 & ZONE-3

Figure 78 : A Flowchart representing the Wastewater cycle

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Figure 80 : A conceptual sectional diagram of the waste water system

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Figure 81 : A handsketch of water body which acts as a collector as well as a filter

Figure 82 : A diagram representing the water filtration through 3 different zones

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The water is purified by natural processes using plants, nutrient mineralization, and a set of filters to supplement natural filtration. The soil zones for these plants range from an area of meager soil and pioneer plants to a meadow area of rich soil with lush grass and wildflowers. As they grow, the plants clean and enrich the soil. The choices of these plants have been conducted keeping the harsh environmental conditions in mind. These plants range from wet soil plants to dry soil plants allowing the garden to stay alive during droughts.

Three different types of zones have been established for plants. The zone attached to the pond is a wet soil zone where the plants are chosen accordingly, which will hold onto the soil from being washed away. And the zone located furthest from the water body operates in the opposite manner.

Figure 83 : A top view of the system encorporated with the ramp

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Figure 84 : A section of the waste water system collaborated with rain water system

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Figure 85 : An urban prototype of Nolan Park proposing a shared waste water management system which establishes a communal living.

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Chapter 4 - Endnotes 1

Canepa, Simona, and Norafida Ab Ghafar. “Water in Architecture.”

Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture, vol. 14, no. 5, 2020. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.17265/1934-7359/2020.05.003.

2

Ray Allen Cho. “Water and Architecture”. Thesis submitted to the Faculty

of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park. https:// drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/handle/1903/10032/Cho_umd_0117N_11020. pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

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Stratford, Elaine, et al. “Envisioning the Archipelago.” Island Studies Journal, vol.

6, no. 2, 2011, pp. 113–130.

Canepa, Simona, and Norafida Ab Ghafar. “Water in Architecture.” Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture, vol. 14, no. 5, 2020. Crossref, https://doi.

US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-

org/10.17265/1934-7359/2020.05.003

tion. “What Is an Archipelago?” National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 29 Oct. 2018, https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/

Cho, Ray Allen. “Water and Architecture”. Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the

facts/archipelago.html.

Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park. https://drum. lib.umd.edu/bitstream/handle/1903/10032/Cho_umd_0117N_11020.

Whitman Walt. “The Brooklyn Daily Eagle.” Newspapers.Com, Brooklyn Public

pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Library, 19 Aug. 1990, page no. 5, bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50353369/ ?terms=%22buttermilk%2Bchannel%22.

Deleuze, G. (2004) Desert Islands and Other Texts 1953-1974, Los Angeles CA, Semiotext(e), p.9.

DeLoughrey, E. (2007) Routes and Roots: Navigating Caribbean and Pacific Island Literatures, Honolulu HI, University of Hawai’i Press, pp. 5-12-25.

Earth Matter NY. “Compost Learning Center | Earth Matter NY.” Earth Matter NY | The Art and Science of Composting, 6 Dec. 2019, earthmatter.org/ compost-learning-center.

“Ellis Island: Overview + History.” Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island, https:// www.statueofliberty.org/ellis-island/overview-history/ Harwood, A. (2011) The Political Constitution of Islandness: The ‘Tasmanian Problem’ and Ten Days on the Island, PhD Dissertation, Hobart, University of Tasmania, School of Geography & Environmental Studies, p.41.

“New York Harbor.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/New_York_Harbor.

Staniscia, Stefania. “Sceptred Isles: The Possibility of the Archipelago.” Architectural Review, 26 July 2020, www.architectural-review.com/essays/sceptredisles-the-possibility-of-the-archipelago.

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