BLURRING THE BOUNDARIES Can architecture blur the boundary between humans and wildlife? Tanya Elizabeth Hockney Tulane School of Architecture MArch Candidate 2015
Thesis Advisor Ammar Eloueini Architect DPLG - AIA
“Wildness will always remain part of the architecture of the human mind and body, and to thrive as individuals and as a species we need to cohabitate with it.� -Peter H. Kahn, Jr. Department of Psychology, University of Washington.
TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT p. 1
DOCUMENT p. 2-8
PRECEDENT p. 9-17
PROGRAM p. 18-23
SITE p. 24-32
PROPOSAL p. 33-39
THESIS STATEMENT
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ABSTRACT
This thesis seeks to investigate how architectural issues can be addressed in a way that does not disrupt natural habitats. Can the built environment promote a design that is beautiful, innovative and accommodating to wildlife? In order to thrive as individuals and as a species, we need to re think our approach to design. We need to find ways to use the built form to promote habitat restoration instead of adding to its destruction. Architecture needs to welcome wildlife as well as people, and be a natural companion and complement to the expansive landscape it inhabits.
The condition of habitat loss is not new and in our increasingly developing world, concern has grown over, how to sustain population growth while not disrupting natural habitats. The process of urbanization rapidly depleting our cities biodiversity has been occurring at the neglect of architectures and designers for a long time. Architecture inherently destroys, taking materials from nature and changing the landscape to accommodate structure and form. How can we design in a way that leaves a minimal footprint on nature, while still creating spaces that are accommodating to the wildlife that inhabits the landscape. Does architecture have the ability to create an integration between building and landscape?
ABSTRACT page 1
THESIS DOCUMENT While we are becoming increasingly aware of the critical issue of habitat destruction not much has been done to combat the loss. The sustainability movement has developed passive methods to help negate the damage, but there needs to be a more holistic approach. Architecture must begin with the design of form and structure, which strives to create spaces that promote a deep understanding and assimilation of nature, not just ones that have sustainable features. Building elements must accommodate wildlife as well as people, creating space for them to continue thriving in their landscapes. There needs to be a reevaluation of the way architects approach design. Buildings need to not only cater to human needs but also the needs of wildlife, promoting a design that creates a synergy between nature and the built environment. The focus needs to be on creating architecture that acts as a support systems for new habitats, rather then the destruction of them. Buildings can play a valuable role in the implementation of systems that help champion habitat growth and restoration. Architecture should be beautiful, in sympathy with and complementary to the landscape setting; beautiful, utilitarian, reliable, and unobtrusive.
HABITAT LOSS “Habitat - the environment in which a particular species is most often found in nature. Including all of the physical factors a species needs in order to live- adequate food,water, shelter, sunlight, temperature, and resources required to evade predators. Ideally, it is also big enough to deter the spread of disease and support a diverse genetic base for healthy reproduction among a population.�
-Jennifer Bove
DOCUMENT page 2
THESIS DOCUMENT Loss of biological diversity around the world is happening at an alarming rate. The primary force that is prompting this loss is habitat degradation; the change of a natural habitat to a point that is rendered unfit to support the species that were dependent on it.ii Because of this, wildlife have become displaced or destroyed, changing the biodiversity of the surrounding environment and leaving species without a place to inhabit and thrive. Habitat degradation is a huge problem that only recently has been getting attention as the number one cause of species extinction in the world. Half of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since 1900 and development and conversion continue to pose major threats to the wetlands, despite their value and importance to ecosystems.iii The most prevalent reasons for habitat destruction are agriculture and urbanization; urban development and infrastructure, including roads, power plants, desert solar arrays, pipelines and transmission lines. The conversion of forests to urban areas changes land cover, vegetation, soils, and hydrology in a drastic way. Space for the wild is diminishing. The built environment is a very big polluter, the source of 40 to 50 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions. For the entire history of our species we have not only been aware of wild animals, but we have learned to recognize that animals are aware of our presence as well. Humans have a natural desire for this kind of interactions with living things. The human body and mind strives for a synergy with nature, our core psychological needs lie not only in external nature, but in the interaction with nature itself. With the loss of interaction with nature, we lose a part of our being that has been in human evolution from the beginning of our existence. The building, as much as the car, is an environmental hazard.iv and ironically the majority of the human population growth is situated within the greatest biodiversity hot-spots. Habitat loss affects us on a psychological level but also on a physical one. Humans are starting to spend less and less time outdoors interacting with the natural world. Living in dense populated areas does not help this issue and creates an environment where people cannot easily access nature. There is also less knowledge being
DOCUMENT page 3
THESIS DOCUMENT taught about natural history and the environmental issues; Children can identify hundreds of corporate logos but can only identify fewer then a dozen plants and animals in their natural habitats. The superficiality of the modern world is beginning producing humans that have lost touch with their surroundings and the ability to recognize and use natural instincts. Habitat loss causes cutback of usable water resources. Pollution of and reduced retention of freshwater recourses is already a huge issue that will only get worse over time. vi. There is also an economic toll that goes along with habitat destruction. Massive loss of fisheries and agricultural productivity would equal hundreds of billions of dollars of deficient all over the world.vii This issue leads to the loss of food security, which is already occurring in places where habitat losses are currently the greatest, and where population growth is the highest. This implying a near certainty of increasing famine and warfare in those regions as food and water conflicts exacerbate.viii Loss of habitat leads to more frequent human/wildlife contact in a negative way. This causes great dangers to humans especially since out cities are not designed to be able to deal with this type of interaction. As more land becomes occupied more human to wildlife interactions will occur. These interactions can be both dangerous for humans and for the wildlife.
EVOLUTION OF GREEN DESIGN The alarm over the environment was first ignited in the 1960’s over the fear of the negative effects that modern technology was having on nature. The term ‘green architecture’ formed during this time, when architects started to accept the necessity for some form of environmentally conscious design.ix ‘Green’ as a word has a long genealogy and in the context of ‘green architecture’, sparks partly from the environmental movement aligned with the Left political party and partly from the flower power movements that arose in the 1960’s.x
DOCUMENT page 4
THESIS DOCUMENT The term “sustainable” took over the term “green” in the late 1980’s, going with the grain of the counter culture movement of the era. ‘Sustainability’ referred, in a way, to the government having to answer to the mess it created during the 60’s and 70’s, a critique of establishment.xi The word aimed to comprise the idea of reformer as well as revolutionary. Architects who were open to the environmental message of green architecture, but unwilling to be associated with the often Luddite tendencies of the Greens, found the progressive version of ‘sustainability’ much easier to accept and practice.xii A movement I am particular interested in that steams from this time is permaculture, which is the philosophy of working with nature rather than against it and expanding thoughtful observation of nature. It looks at plants and animals in all functions, rather than just treating a landscape as one single system. The three core tenets of permaculture are:
Care for the earth: Provision for all life systems to continue and multiply. This is the
first principle, because without a healthy earth, humans cannot flourish. Care for the people: Provision for people to access those resources necessary for their existence. Return of surplus: Reinvesting surpluses back into the system to provide for the first two ethics. This includes returning waste back into the system to recycle into usefulness.xiii
DOCUMENT page 5
THESIS DOCUMENT The main focus of permaculture is not on the individual elements of nature, but rather on the relationships created among forms and how they are positioned together, the idea that the whole is greater then the sum of its parts.xiv Permaculture design therefore seeks to reduce waste, human labor, and energy input by designing systems with the greatest benefits between design components, to achieve a high level of cohabitation. The idea of sustainability that was developed in the late 1980’s is still present today, but it has advanced into more of the building itself acting as a sustainable being. One with advanced technologies that allow it to produce its own energy and reduce its CO2 footprint on the environment. This train of thought is important and something for architects to strive for, but I believe that there needs to more of a holistic approach when designing for nature. We cannot just be okay with having our buildings act as their own sustainable being. They need to be in connection with the environment from the begging stages of their form. Architecture must be able to help create space for nature as well as humans, creating spaces that can be occupied by flora and fauna. The form of a building must react to the landscape and the needs of the beings that inhabit it. In the past few years an understanding of this new outlook has begun to develop. These concepts include rewilding and Animal Architecture.
REWILDING
DOCUMENT page 6
THESIS DOCUMENT Rewilding is the large-scale conservation of nature and wildlife aimed at restoring and protecting natural processes and core habitat areas. This theory looks at how humans can provide connectivity between such areas and how we can protect or reintroduce species back into these environments.xv It is not enough to just have green spaces. Parks that have created since the nineteenth century are not big enough to protect the wildlife that’s within them, and they are not designed to shelter wildlife ,which allows animals to thrive as they would in their natural habitats. Rewilding explores the need for humans to start shifting their priorities, to have governments involved in the planning, implementing, and funding of project that aim to attempt this kind of conservation design.xvi
ANIMAL ARCHITECTURE
The phrase ‘animal architecture’ that I am referring to comes from a non for profit organization called Expanded Environment, which was founded by Ned Dodington, a Rice School of Architecture alumni who starting the organization after developing interest in animal and human cohabitation during study for his MArch thesis project. Animal Architecture looks at alternative ways of responsibly and synthetically integrating biological and ecological agents into the built world. The goal is to envision a more productive relationship between architectural and biological systems for a better and more sustainable world. Animal architecture explores large and smallscale ideas.xvii From the re visioning of large public areas to become eco refugees to animals, to the implementation of small man made objects that can help bring back animals and help populate cities of declining wildlife.
DOCUMENT page 7
THESIS DOCUMENT ARCHITECTURES RESPONSIBILITY Concern about architectural form is only just beginning to enter the debate of environmental design. There are architects skeptical of architecture-as-form making, who want to protect form from the potential reductiveness of environmental design, and then those who argue for an architecture that should be formally but not stylistically identifiable as ‘environmental architecture’.xviii This debate is important because there are those who believe government and environmentalism are mutually contradictory, and that only through a concentration of power at the top can the necessary change in environmentalism take place.xix I believe that Architecture has a contribution to make in changing the cultural, if not the meteorological, climate of the world. The previous lack of concern has been one of the chief factors for architects outside environmentalism. Architecture is the product and the producer of culture. It is in a position to persuade and is a highly visible persuasion, the reification of certain social desires, and values, over others. This moral aspect of the aesthetic of design, its power to affect people decisions, has been ignored, by many of those engaged in environmental design. Architecture has the potential influence the rest of the building industry. It is up to designers to think holistically about architecture. There needs to be more focus on the form of a building rather then just sustainable methods of design. Architecture needs to actively blur the boundaries between the built world and nature, not just obtain sustainable attributes. Architecture needs to do more then just be sustainable it needs to restore and protect, to create spaces that are not just for human habitation but also promote and understanding of the landscape it is resting on. Designed to interact with the flora, fauna, and wildlife, which were here long before man made structures.
DOCUMENT page 8
PRECEDENT page 9 ARC Wildlife Crossing Competition HNTB + Michael Van Valkenburgh & Associets SITE West Vail Pass on I-70 in Colorado, about 90 miles west of Denver. PROGRAM Wildlife Crossing TIMELINE September 2010 – January 2011 This design is not made for humans. It is a hyper natural bridge that is inspired but the demands of ecological needs. The design does not attempt to recreate the surrounding nature; it distills the habitats and landscapes that are adjacent to the site. Creating bands that represent forests, meadow, shrub, and scree. These bands extend into the wildlife corridors that provide connection to the larger landscape. The structure is composed of modular precast concrete that allows for minimal distribution to the wild life. The simplistic modular can be recreated, adapted, and expanded to different environments and needs. This project attempts to create cohabitation between animals and humans. It takes a problem that affects both human beings and wildlife and comes up with a solution that is both beautiful and beneficial. It does not try to just copy the surrounding nature, the bridge is designed in a way that attracts wildlife, luring the animals to safe passage. HNTB Diagram
PRECEDENT INSPIRATION
PRECEDENT page 10 Paineiras Hotel Complex Hepner, Cossia, Payar, Brych, Gonçalves & Messano SITE Tijuca National Park PROGRAM Visitor center for the monument and the national park, an eco-tourism hotel, and a convention center. TIMELINE 2014 Competition Honorable Mentions The design aims to be functional while still allowing a close contact with nature both internally and externally. The roofing becomes an extension of the plaza and extends the space for outdoor visitor activities, which is organized into different blocks. A green roof covers the space, protecting the visitors from weather, creating a forest canopy and reduces the impact that the site makes on the environment. The proposal decides to preserve the front and back exterior walls of the existing building. The new hotel will be placed between these walls with steel structures and concrete slabs. This will allow 80% of the solar radiation focused on the western facade. A gap between the new and old walls will provide ventilation throughout the whole building.
Hepner, Cossia, Payar, Brych, Gonçalves & Messano Diagram
PRECEDENT INSPIRATION
To avoid a large footprint and movement of earth the volume use of green layer to “merge the constructed mass into a powerful green pavilion emerging from the forest”
PRECEDENT page 11 Asemic Forest - Westbahnhof Train Station Shahira Hammad Postgraduate thesis University of Applied Arts, Vienna SITE Vienna PROGRAM New Westbahnhof train station TIMELINE Unbuilt This project seeks to modify an already existing train station in Vienne. The designer decided to keep the existing building instead of replace it, but infected it with structures that express a complexity of nature. The intervention was inspired by nature and culture, exploring ideas of spontaneous order. It is a reaction against rationalism that attempts to bring the complexities of nature into the urban fabric. “All in all this is an architectural meditation on time as well, since the structures I envisioned do reflect metamorphosis, the passage of time, change, ephemerality, and even decay...� The designer attempts to bring themes into his design that he believes have been neglected by conventional architecture. The natural world has been around longer then architecture and the designer is looking at the complexity of nature and what it would look like materialized into structures of the modern world.
PRECEDENT INSPIRATION
PRECEDENT page 12
SITE River Road, Plano, Illinois, USA PROGRAM Weekend Retreat TIMELINE 1945-1951
PRECEDENT ANALYSIS
Farnesworth House Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe
PRECEDENT page 13 “Nature, too, shall live its own life. We must beware not to disrupt it with the color of our houses and interior fittings. Yet we should attempt to bring nature, houses, and human beings together into a higher unity.”
-Mies van der Rohe
The Farnsworth House rests on a vast meadow with a variety of trees along the Fox River, it is an architecture that is missing the “non-essentials.” To Mies the only essentials are the floor and roof allowing for everything else to focus on proportion and nature. The house was designed in order to promote the experience the rural silence and the changes of seasons. It begins a conversation with the outside with the turning of the seasons. The house thrives on a trust and understanding of nature. The man-made geometry creates a relationship with the landscapes surroundings. Open views from all sides of the building help enlarge the area and aid flow between the living space and its natural surroundings. The house stands independently as a masterpiece, but also allows the interior to blends into the exterior, letting nature flow into the softness of the space. The house is in perfect harmony with nature. The discrete white of the steel construction and the transparent glass panes make the house almost invisible, offering its respect to nature.
PRECEDENT ANALYSIS
Author Diagram
PRECEDENT page 14
SITE Givskud, Denmark PROGRAM Zoo TIMELINE 2013-
PRECEDENT ANALYSIS
Zootopia
Bjarke Ingels Group
PRECEDENT page 15 Architects’ greatest and most important task is to design man-made ecosystems – to ensure that our cities and buildings suit the way we want to live. We must make sure that our cities offer a generous framework for different people . Nowhere is this challenge more acrimonious than in a zoo. It is our dream – with Givskud – to create the best possible and freest possible environment for the animals’ lives and relationships with each other and visitors. -BIG
BIG Diagram
BIG Diagram
Zootopia aims to redefine the way zoos are designed. It attempts to integrate and hide buildings within the landscape. Upon entering the zoo visitors are given the opportunity to either enter a large central square or climb the building-landscape, allowing them to get a view of the overall park. From this central built form visitors can access different areas of the zoo, trails that connect different areas (Africa, America, Asia). Zootopia create a framework for diverse users and residents such as gorillas, wolves, bears, lions and elephants. This is an extremely complex task that requires feedback from different fields. The goal is of this zoo is to both enhance the quality of life for the animals as well as the keepers and guests. The design of Zootopia looks at the ways animals live in their natural habitats and creates enclosures where humans are the ones in “cages.” In Zootopia humans are invisible, only visitors to these animals natural habitats. BIG examines different ways to create barriers between humans and animals without disturbing the natural flow of the habitats.
Author Diagram
PRECEDENT ANALYSIS
LANDSCAPE BARRIOR HUMAN PATH
PRECEDENT page 16
SITE Bari, Italy PROGRAM Train station, park, railway TIMELINE Competition 2014
PRECEDENT ANALYSIS
Central Railway Area of Bari Massimiliano Fuksas Architetto
PRECEDENT page 17 Author Diagram
The redesign stretches over an area of 78 hectares and is centered around a large park that will pass over the railway and offer promenade views over the city and the sea. Fukas’ winning design creates a new green space for Bari. This elevated park Allows for an addition of a bike path, which opens up another avenue for eco transportation.
LANDSCAPE TRANSPORT BUILT SPACE
This project desires to solve the issue of the fracture of the city of Bari in a radical way. Without burying the rail track, the project aims at the rebirth of a strongly degraded area and pass through a large elevated park, which will double the amount of green for inhabitants and for wildlife. This park will improve air quality while doubling the green space in Bari. Along the project, existing buildings will be re-purposed into cultural and arts centers, as well as administrative offices, theaters, a library, and exhibition space. Each building in the proposal will act as a cultural invigorator, revamping the music and arts of Bari. The buildings along the park aim to blur in with nature, using wood as an outer skin of the structures of the facade in order to be in harmony with the park and vegetation.
PRECEDENT ANALYSIS
PROGRAM ANALYSIS
GREAT FEN VISTOR CENTER Avlonitis + Anagnostopoulou
SITE Great Fen, United Kingdom PROGRAM Visiting Center TIMELINE 2013
Avlonitis + Anagnostopoulou Diagram
PROGRAM page 18
PROGRAM ANALYSIS
INTERIOR EXTERIOR
The proposal for the Great Fen Visiting Center comes from the observation of the natural environment of the site and its manipulation by humans. The concept is based on an attempt to mimic a very common phenomenon of agricultural terrains: the stacking of hay, and their random placement in the middle of endless fields. The Visitor Center becomes not a building, but a stack of volumes placed in the landscape.
STAFF PUBLIC
MASS
The stacks of volumes are manipulated in a way that does not create boundaries in the continuity of the landscape. The proposal is followed through a network of elevated pathways that connect the development with the two agricultural roads on the sides. At the same time it ties up all the center’s different programmatic functions.
CIRCULATION
Author Diagram
The distribution of the program on the site allows for views of the entire landscape and a connection to nature. It forces the visitors to go from interior to exterior to get to other programmatic areas. This allows for contact with nature and a reminder that nature is always present and surrounding us.
Author Diagram
PROGRAM page 19
PROGRAM ANALYSIS INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE CENTER Tourism is the greatest hope for the survival of many species. Tourism creates opportunities for education, the generation of money that can be used to help with the conservation of habitats and wildlife. Giving people an opportunity to view animals in their natural habitats is rare and a resource that will help promote the importance of the preservation of landscapes The wildlife center will create accommodations for tourists and volunteers interested in a learning experience that includes direct contact with the species that live in Kruger National Park, as well as professionals and volunteers linked to the veterinarian studies and the care and protection of animals and nature, who want to broaden their knowledge of these species, as well as contribute to the protection of their habitat. The IWC will not be a traditional visitor center. It will seek to raise and disseminate awareness about the importance of animal protection to its visitors, encouraging them to become the volunteers that are so necessary to protect and prolong the existence of wildlife. The idea is to create a space that has a strong attraction to a public of all ages, a space visited by tourists who love wildlife, as well as professionals and volunteers who desire to help with the conservation of the fauna of this ecosystem.
PROGRAM page 20
PROGRAM BRIEF 2,400 sf ENTRENCE Secure area that is obvious as a means of shelter from the elements Reception / arrival point of visitors and volunteers, calls for functional orientation of space
CAFETERIA
2,800 sf
Area easily accessed from the reception area. Operate as a self-service facility with a variety of table sizes and layouts for initially 40 people Most of the spaces should offer views out to the wider surrounding area. The ability to observe the landscape is important. External dining areas when the weather allows
KITCHEN
400 sf
Fully equipped catering standard kitchen suitable for the preparation of food
CONVENIENCE STORE
400 sf
Fully equipped catering standard store for all kitchen goods, including built-in refrigeration. There should be direct access for deliveries.
EXHIBITION SPACE
1,800 sf
Flexible space for wildlife / heritage disply cases.
RETAIL
1,500 sf
Retail area / shop and all associated service areas. Located adjacent to the reception area, or possibly combined with the reception area.
OFFICES
800 sf
Minimum of two offices - one for retail and catering use, and one for other staff / volunteer use Reception / arrival point of visitors and volunteers, calls for functional orientation of space
PROGRAM page 21
PROGRAM BRIEF MEETING AREA
1,200 sf
Meeting rooms / areas for use by the staff, incoming teachers or community organizations. The room must be capable of comfortably accommodate a group of approximately 40 children or adults. A separate entrance from outside would be useful - to make this a self contained and secure space. A small kitchen within / attached. Storage area. Multi - functional
CLEAN STORAGE
350 sf
To accommodate tables, chairs, cleaning materials, stationary, education resources, tools, and general offices supplies.
SECURE STORAGE
350 sf
Areas and power charging facilities for accessibility aids such as all terrain wheelchairs and personal mobility vehicles. Approximately 25 square meters
DIRTY STORAGE
600 sf
For tools and storage of vehicles The vehicle storeroom would need exterior access and be capable of accommodating large tools.
STAFF ROOM
360 sf
A small but comfortable room with chairs and lockers for use by staff preparing or completing their shifts. Lavatories and shower cubicle - fully accessible and for the exclusive use of staff.
CAMERA OBSCURA ROOM
600 sf
Place where visitors and volunteers can learn about and view wildlife. Idea of bringing the outside in, through images.
PROGRAM page 22
PROGRAM BRIEF PUBLIC RESTROOMS
600 sf
Lavatories. Shower cubicle. Baby feeding / changing facilities, which should be fully accessible. Access provided from outside.
DEPARTURE AREA
520 sf
Gathering area for safaris and day hikes. Storage area.
ANIMAL CARE AREA
1,720 sf
Area to hold up to one or two large animals Exam area for minor veternarian needs Storage area.
ACCOMEDATION AREA FOR VOLUNTEERS / PROFESSIONALS Sleeping arrangements for 10 Bathroom area - lavatories and shower cubical
ACCOMEDATION AREA FOR TOURISTS
2,600 sf
Sleeping arrangements for 30 Bathroom area - lavatories and shower cubical
PARKING
28,000
Exterior parking for staff and visitors
EXTERIOR SPACE Elements within or on the exterior of the building that attract wildlife, such as bat hibernaculum, roosting areas, bird boxes.
SECURITY The building design should be such that it can be secured out of hours without detriment to the overall aesthetic and response to the site / landscape.
PROGRAM page 23
800 sf
SITE page 24
KRUGER NATIONAL PARK
Kruger National Park is the largest game reserve in South Africa. Covering a total of 18,989 km2 extends 400 km from north to south and 60 km from east to west. The park is located in north-east South Africa, on the border with Mozambique, Zimbabwe almost to the border with Swaziland. Established in 1898 to protect the wildlife of the South African Lowveld, this national park is unequaled in the diversity of its life forms and a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies.
SITE ANALYSIS
SITE page 25
FLORA AND FAUNA Mammals Krugar National Park has more species of large animals then any other African game reserve. All the Big Five game animals are found at the national park. Along with many more large animal species. African Buffalo - 27,000
Leopard - 2,000
Common Eland - over 300
Black Rhinoceros - 350
Elephant - 11,672
Greater Kudu - 5,798
Burchell’s Zebra - 17,797 Cheetah - 120
Giraffe - 5,114
Hippopotamus - 3,000
Blue Wildebeest - 9,612 African Wild Dog - 150 White Rhinoceros - 7,000 - 12,000
Impala - 150,000
Lion - 2,800 Spotted Hyena - 2,000
Waterbuck - 5,000
Bushbuck - 500
Reptiles Kruger houses 114 species of reptile, including black mamba and 3000 crocodiles. Amphibians and Fish Thirty-three species of amphibians are found in the Park, as well as 50 fish species
SITE ANALYSIS
SITE page 26
Birds Out of the 517 species of birds found at Kruger, 253 are residents, 117 non-breeding migrants, and 147 nomads. Some of the larger birds require large territories and are sensitive to habitat degradation.
Saddle-billed Stork
Kori Bustard
Martial Eagle
Lappet-faced Vulture
Ground Hornbill
Pel’s Fishing Owl
Vegitation Thorn trees and Red bush-willow veld Combretums, such as the red bush-willow (Combretum apiculatum), and Acacia species predominate while there are a great number of marula trees (Sclerocarya caffra). Knob-thorn and Marula veld The most important grazing-land. Species such as red grass (Themeda triandra) and buffalo grass (Panicum maximum) predominate while the knob-thorn (Acacia nigrescens), leadwood (Combretum imberbe) and marula (Sclerocarya caffra) are the main tree species.
SITE ANALYSIS
SITE page 27
Red bush-willow and Mopane veld The two most prominent species here are the red bush- willow (Combretum apiculatum) and the mopane tree (Colophospernum mopane).
Shrub mopane veld There are a number of smaller areas in the park which carry distinctive vegetation such as the sickle bush and the silver cluster-leaf (Terminalia sericae) are prominent.
CLIMATE Kruger experiences winter and summer in opposite times as Europe and North America and they correspond to the dry and wet season. The wet summer months (October to April) are hot and often humid. Dry winters (May to September) are warm and mild although it cools off considerably at night. It is advised to take warm clothing for early morning and night game drives. During the wet season it rarely rains all day, but afternoon thundershowers can be expected.
SITE ANALYSIS
SITE page 28
Dry season - May to September – Winter There is virtually no rainfall during the whole winter and humidity is very low. Animals are attracted to permanent water sources as water becomes scarce in the bush. May - This is a transitional month and marks the end of summer. Temperatures are cooling down to typically 12°C/54°F in the morning and 27°C/81°F in the afternoon. June, July & August - Morning game drives in open vehicles will be cold, so it’s advised to pack warm winter clothing. The average morning temperature is 9°C/48°F. Afternoons will be pleasant with temperatures around 26°C/79°F and cloudless skies. September - The heat gradually builds to about 29°C/84°F in the afternoons and the Wet seasons - October to April – Summer. It can be uncomfortably hot and humid in summer. Peak temperatures frequently reach well over 40°C/104°F, but average daytime temperatures go up to 32°C/90°F with high humidity. It seldom rains all day, but the pattern is afternoon storms. October & November - It gets warmer and starts to rain more often, mostly in the afternoons. Temperatures are between 18°C/64°F in the morning and 31°C/88°F in the afternoon. December, January & February - These are the wettest and hottest months, characterized by torrential downpours in the afternoon and high humidity. Afternoon temperatures are usually around 32°C/90°F but can soar up to an unbearable 40°C/104°F.
SITE ANALYSIS
SITE page 29
March & April - Rainfall will decrease and it slowly gets colder. This continues in April, which has lovely clear weather and few clouds. The nights get a bit colder but are still pleasant at about 16째C/61째F. Daytime temperatures are around 30째C/86째F and humidity drops in April, making this a very pleasant month.
HUMANS Tourism is extremely important to this site. It is the greatest hope for the survival and protection of the species that seek refuge in this park. Tourism generates money, and the opportunity to see animals in their natural habitat brings families, volunteers, scientists, and veterinaries from all over the world to Kruger.
CAMPS
SITE ANALYSIS
ROADS
The park is already a location for many safaris and lodging sites but the one thing that is missing is an area for visitors to come and congregate together a place where they can learn and come in direct contact with the species that live in Kruger. This wildlife center aims to be a central point of Kruger national park. Making it a focal point of the park, showing its determination to further the conservation and education that it takes to protect the park and the species that reside in it.
SITE page 30
THE MPUMALANGA REGION
The area of Kruger National Park I am focusing on is the Mpumalanga region, north of the Sabie river in the area surrounding Muntshe Hill, this will locate the wild life center by the Paul Kruger Gate entrance. This location will act as a welcoming space for visitors coming from the southern entrance to the park and will create a cohesion between the lower and upper regions of Kruger. The Mpumalanga region is prime grazing land for wildlife and is not occupied by many rest camps and human occupation. This area will allow for prime contact and study of undesterbed flora and fauna.
SITE ANALYSIS
SITE page 31
SITE ANALYSIS
SITE page 32
SPECIFIC SITE MLONDOZI DAM Earth dam, part of a project from the early 1900 to help animals survive the dry season Source of water for wildlife Great area for animal observation
SITE ANALYSIS
DESIGN PROPOSAL Natural Territory: swamps and floodplains, grasslands, forests Food Source: Vegetarian Water Source: Watering hole, mud wallows, perennial sources of water Attributes: Linear dominance hierarchy, voting system within herd, fighting to show dominance Constructed Habitats: Dense covered habitat for security and shade, close water source
Natural Territory: grassland and savannah Food Source: Vegetarian Water Source: Watering hole, mud wallows. Attributes: Bull leads 4-8 family, spends 60% of time in water, can last 2-4 days without water Constructed Habitats: dense, woody vegetation for protection, savannas with water holes, mud wallows and shade trees.
Natural Territory: Marshes, grassland, savannah Food Source: Wide variety of vegetation. Water Source: Watering hole, mud wallows. Attributes: Female power, water dependent, constantly on the move, early morning/ late night grazers Constructed Habitats: complex, stimulating enclosures, encourage species-typical movement and behaviors. “Ha-ha� topographical separation. Connection to broader mega linkages.
Natural Territory: large home range Food Source: small animals rodents Water Source: ponds and wetlands Attributes: 15-20 hours of resting a day, stalk prey, long periods of time without water, mark territory Constructed Habitats: brush protection, cave or burrow habitats, lookout points, indoor facilities for animal care
Natural Territory: Rivers, swamps Food Source: Herbivorous Water Source: Watering hole, mud wallows. Attributes: Similar to pigs, aquatic animals, night feeders, known to be aggressive Constructed Habitats: shallow bodies of water, sloping banks with grass, areas for sun bathing.
Natural Territory: Open woodland and wooded grassland. Food Source: over 100 different plants. Water Source: ponds, wetlands, leaves Attributes: Hard to reach water so mostly obtain water from leaves, social animals within family and with other species, little time spent by waterhole Constructed Habitats: heat, large open grazing space, tall trees
Natural Territory: Savannas and woodlands Food Source: omnivores Water Source: watering holes Attributes: ground dwellers, travel in large groups, family units with hierarchies, drink every day or two, but they can survive for long periods by licking the night dew from their fur. Constructed Habitats: The major requirements for habitat are water sources, safe sleeping places in either tall trees or on cliff faces.
Natural Territory: Woodlands to open plains Food Source: Herbivores Water Source: Watering holes Attributes: Male led herds, ability for herd to scatter and confuse prey, breeding in the fall, most common animal in Africa. Constructed Habitats: large open treeless grassland, watering hole. Large areas for socializing and gathering
Natural Territory: Woodlands to openplains Food Source: Herbivores Water Source: watering holes Attributes: Close association with wildebeests, live in family groups, social animals, needs close connection with water Constructed Habitats: large open treeless grassland, watering hole. Large areas for socializing and gathering
ANIMAL INDEX Looks at the needs of animals on site. Shows importance of the water edge to the animals. It is where they spend a lot of their time; drinking, sleeping, playing, bathing, staying cool.
STRATEGY INDEX
observation
interaction
horizontality
natural light
floating volume
floating planes
sun shade
green roof
transition space
boundaries
dry season
wet season
wildlife movement flow
transparency
distribution
360 views
naural pattern
layers
fluidity
vernacular
integration
small footprint
Looks at spacial, experiential and formal strategies that help me adhere to the goals of my thesis
evolution
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PROPOSAL This proposal is a floating wildlife center, Having the building float on the damn allows for Minimal footprint on site, creates access to natural light, 360 views of wildlife, creates a natural boundary between animals and humans, and allows for the building to be placed on site.
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PREFABRICATED Because construction is so detrimental to wildlife the building is made up of separate programmatic structures that are prefabricated off site and brought to the damn along the river that’s connected to it and connected to a path and to each other.
PROGRAM 1 2 3
ENTRENCE RETAIL RESTROOM
2,400 sf 1,500 sf 60 sf
4 5 6
CAFE KITCHEN STORE
2,800 sf 400 sf 400 sf
7 8 9
OFFICE STORAGE MEETING ROOM
800 sf 350 sf 600 sf
11
6
10
4 5 9 3 2
1
10 EXHIBIT SPACE 11 SLEEPING AREA
8
7 8
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1,800 sf 3400 sf
STRUCTURE The Structure of the volumes consists of light weight steel frame that is connected to a steel pontoon structure allowing the volumes to float. Faรงade is an African bamboo shutter system that allows the boxes to be completely open allowing natural light and uninterrupted views or completely closed to shield from rain or heavy heat.
bamboo screen facade light steel frame bamboo ply
bamboo screen facade bamboo ply wood bamboo floor paneling steel frame pontoon
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ENDNOTES
i - Bove, Jennifer. “Why Habitat Matters.” Why Habitat Matters (n.d.): n. pag. Print. ii -Hogan, Michael C. “Habitat Destruction.” Habitat Destruction (2012): n. pag. Web. iii - http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/about_freshwater/intro/threats/ iv - Hagen, Susannah. “Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature.” Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature (201): 1-215. Web. v - Hagen, Susannah. “Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature.” Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature (201): 1-215. Web. vi - http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/about_freshwater/intro/threats/ vii - Bove, Jennifer. “Why Habitat Matters.” Why Habitat Matters (n.d.): n. pag. Print. viii - Bove, Jennifer. “Why Habitat Matters.” Why Habitat Matters (n.d.): n. pag. Print. ix - Hagen, Susannah. “Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature.” Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature (201): 1-215. Web. x - Hagen, Susannah. “Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature.” Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature (201): 1-215. Web. xi - Hagen, Susannah. “Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature.” Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature (201): 1-215. Web.
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ENDNOTES
xii - Hagen, Susannah. “Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature.” Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature (201): 1-215. Web. xiii - Mollison, Bill (1988). Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual. Tagari Publications. p. 2 xiv - Mollison, Bill (1988). Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual. Tagari Publications. p. 2 xv - Fraiser, Caroline. Hagen, Susannah. “Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature.” Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature (201): 1-215. Web. N.p.: Picador, 2010. Print. xvi - Fraiser, Caroline. Hagen, Susannah. “Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature.” Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature (201): 1-215. Web. N.p.: Picador, 2010. Print. xvii - http://www.expandedenvironment.org xviii - Hagen, Susannah. “Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature.” Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature (201): 1-215. Web. xix - Hagen, Susannah. “Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature.” Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature (201): 1-215. Web.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bove, Jennifer. “Why Habitat Matters.” Why Habitat Matters (n.d.): n. pag. Print. Fraiser, Caroline. Hagen, Susannah. “Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature.” Taking Shape: A New Contract Between Architecture and Nature (201): 1-215. Web. N.p.: Picador, 2010. Print. Hogan, Michael C. “Habitat Destruction.” Habitat Destruction (2012): n. pag. Web. Mollison, Bill (1988). Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual. Tagari Publications. p. 2 http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/about_freshwater/intro/threats/ http://www.expandedenvironment.org
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