The Curious Urbanite

I'm famous!

2009-03-25T16:18:00.000-07:00

Nah, not really. But some fun news... My final project for studio last semester was one of three chosen to be displayed on the department website. Click here and scroll down:
http://laep.ced.berkeley.edu/courses/gallery/ldarch101/fa08-grad

Studio Project Examining Luis Barragán's San Cristóbal

2009-03-13T15:37:00.000-07:00

This semester, my studio is focused on the integration of landscape architecture and (building) architecture. Our first project was a group one. Each group analyzed one of three well-regarded projects that blur the line between indoor and outdoor space.

My group was assigned San Cristóbal (photo at left), an equestrian estate in Mexico City designed by Mexican architect Luis Barragán. Barragán was a modernist-era architect who rejected certain key aspects of the International style of modern architecture, while embracing others. He believed that architecture should create spaces of tranquility and contemplation, uplifting the human spirit. The San Cristóbal estate was one of Barragán’s last projects and thus regarded as one of the best examples of his style.

Our assignment was to deconstruct the site to discover its underlying framework, and construct a conceptual model of the site that revealed that framework. My group found an underlying grid supporting the placement of key walls and buildings throughout the San Cristóbal site. We designed a model that began with this framework as a set of “ribs” or “spines” that would support the rest of the model. The intermediate spaces fit into the framework much like puzzle pieces. (The picture the right shows the framework under construction.)

We constructed the model out of plywood. The wood kept warping and splintering, and in the end we were unable to fully realize the puzzle concept because the pieces did not fit together as well as we had hoped. But you can still differentiate the framework from the pieces by the color of the wood--the framework is mahogany and the pieces are birch.

In addition to the model, we also developed 16 panels exploring other important aspects of the site discovered found in our analysis.

The concept panels can be read from left to right in thematic rows, and top to bottom as descriptions of the four major walls in the site.

(1) The first row looks at the scale and color of each of the four walls.
(2) The second row looks at the type of opening in the wall.
(3) The third row looks at the spatial function of the wall.
(4) Row four examines various other experiential aspects of the site.

You can interpret the panels, reading top to bottom and left to right, as follows:

Column A: The (1) purple wall (2) swivels on an axis and serves as (3) a permeable wall providing access to the site. Panel 4 in this column is an outline of the framework of the site.

Column B: The (1) large pink wall has (2) peeled openings and serves as (3) a functional wall supporting a building. Panel 4 in this column is a reference to the cultural vernacular of the region Barragan was working in.

Column C: The (1) shorter pink wall has (2) punched out openings and serves as (3) a passageway within the site. Panel 4 shows how the walls frame mysterious views into and out of the site.

Column D: The (1) red wall is actually (2) three overlapping walls and serves to (3) separate two distinct parts of the site. Panel 4 contains materials that make a falling-water sound when you turn it, to illustrate the sensate aspects of the site.

To learn more about Barragán's work and San Cristóbal, visit the Barragán Foundation . (Click "Enter," then "Masterpieces," and finally "San Cristóbal.")

We've already begun working on our final studio project! Next week is spring break; I hope to have some time to then post an update about that project.

Do You Dream of Flying?

2009-01-14T12:37:00.000-08:00

Who hasn't dreamed of flying? These guys have figured out how!

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1778399&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1

Final Studio Project

2008-12-18T22:46:00.000-08:00

Well the semester is officially over--and I finished on time, despite my surgery! Now I'm enjoying the start of a much-needed month off from school. While it's still fresh in my mind, though, I'd like to share some images of my final project for studio.

Our project was an approximately 11 acre site on the Berkeley waterfront. The site is an extension of the original shoreline created with fill--mostly construction debris. The site is currently in use as a temporary storage facility for soil from construction projects and excavations:

From the top of that large mound in the distance are 360 degree views across the bay to SF and Marin County, to the Berkeley and Oakland hills, and south to Emeryville and the Oakland port. If you look closely on the top left in the photo above, you'll see the SF skyline. The site is now part of the East Shore State Park, which runs much of the length of the East Bay shoreline.

Each of us put together a proposed design for a new public park on the site. The primary requirement to work around was a high point of 40 ft in elevation--approximately 10 feet higher than the existing high point.

My concept for the site was directly inspired by the existing topography of the site. I explored other forms associated with construction--mountain tops stripped for materials, gravel stockpiles, etc.

I settled on a rectangular/pyramidal form with a flat top. These forms overlap to create an undulating topography reminiscent of piles at a gravel yard, as shown in these section-elevations. The above top section cuts east-west through the highest and lowest hills on the site. The above section cuts through the amphitheater on the south end of the site.

<--- N

Above is the concept plan of the site, a birds-eye view. The light yellow paths are paved, multi-use trails. The darker yellow paths are "paved" with decomposed granite. The light green areas that are not hills are planted with turf, for recreation purposes, and the mounds are planted in a native grass. The rest of the site will retain its current landscape of coastal scrub and grasses.

The highest hill on the site is wheelchair accessible. From there, visitors will have 360 degree views. Above is the view toward San Francisco.

The topography of the site allows for wide open recreation areas and also more enclosed areas for exploring. Above top is a view through the site from the entry lawn (on the left in the plan) to the south (right), along the main axis. Above is a view in a more enclosed area of the site, at the base of the tallest hill.

To help me complete the project on time, Mike flew out to construct the model. Here it is!

Another Favorite

2008-12-07T12:40:00.000-08:00

At the end of the semester, all the classes in the College of Environmental Design that are art/graphics oriented have exhibitions. It's fun and inspiring to see everyone's work. Thankfully for the students, these exhibitions replace a final exam--generally, the professor assigns your grade upon seeing your entire body of work over the semester.

On Friday, we had our "exhibit" for the computer-based landscape graphics course, which all the first-year MLA students take. In addition to the photo collages I posted previously, I thought I'd post another of my other favorite assignments.

This assignment was to create a photo collage recalling the landscape paintings of the 17th century by artists such as Claude Lorraine. See his "Landscape with Apollo and Mercury," as an example:

These paintings emphasized bucolic and picturesque scenes and the use of foreground, middleground, and background to create depth. I hope you can see similar themes in my landscape, which was created using my own photographs, taken in California, which were cut out and assembled using Photoshop:

Tonight we have our exhibit for our non-computer drawing course. Once I've scanned some of those images, I'll be sure to post them!

Force/Form Installation

2008-11-11T14:23:00.000-08:00

Just before my accident and surgery, my studio completed its first full scale project. Each of us was tasked with creating an installation at Blake Garden, in Kensington, Cal., that would highlight a feature of, experience in, or process taking place in the garden.

Attached are photographs of my installation titled, "Force/Form" (right: my study model). I selected a dry stream bed running through the north part of the garden. The stream had a major force in shaping the topography of the garden; however, it has been culverted and redirected into stormwater pipes. To draw visitors' attention to the now-dry stream bed, and invite them to reflect on the interplay between force and form, I re-constructed the stream using strips of fabric and bamboo rods. The entire installation was about 160 feet long.

You can view pictures of other installations created by my classmates as well as some undergrad students here.

Enjoy!

Presentation board showing plan for installation at bottom

View of installation to east where it "flows" from underneath a bridge

View of installation to west from above footbridge where it begins the descent to a pond

Installation "flowing" under a footbridge

Back on My Feet Again

2008-11-11T13:21:00.001-08:00

I'm happy to report that the surgery went well and I am well on my way to recovery!

The surgery was, for the most part, uneventful. Evidently, my surgeon discovered while in surgery that I had actually broke my humerus (upper arm bone) in two places. To repair it, he needed to attach a plate. Since they didn't have the right plate at the facility, my surgery was delayed an hour while someone ran to fetch one from another surgery center. In the end, the procedure took 4 hours. I was on my way home just 8 hours after I arrived.

My surgeon's medical assistant observed the surgery. When I saw her at my follow-up appointment a week later, she said it was by far the "best" one she observed. "Very bloody and all in the joint." So glad I could contribute to her education!

Attached are flouroscope pictures of my elbow and wrist. The top and middle are views of my elbow. There are five screws in the plate and two more were needed to attach the second broken piece. The bottom is my wrist with one screw. I now have a grand total of 14 screws in my body--these 8 plus the 6 I already had in my clavicle. At this rate, I'll have about 40 screws holding me together by the time I'm 80! My classmates think I should start wearing a helmet on a daily basis.

The recovery from surgery was very smooth. Friends have all pulled through in a big way. My good friend Monica was able to stay with me for the week following the surgery to help me through the pain, track my meds, huttle me to follow-up visits, and generally cater to my every need. (THANK YOU Monica!) And my classmates organized to bring me meals for several days following the surgery. (Thank you everyone!)

I am now back in the swing of things at school, although I have less time for school work than before. I've promised myself to get 8 hours of sleep per night. And I have about an hour of physical therapy exercises to do each day. But I keep reminding myself that my long-term recovery is more important. Thankfully, my professors are all supportive and working with me to keep things manageable.

Thanks to all who have sent cards, emails, and Facebook messages wishing me well. I am truly blessed to have such a great support network!

Bump in the Road / Headed into Surgery

2008-10-19T17:14:00.000-07:00

I was very excited to report that I bought a spiffy new 24-speed Marin Navato hybrid bike. I say "was" because, Friday morning, the bike and I got in our first accident. The bike will not be seeing much action for several months.

What happened? Nothing exciting--just accident-prone me and the asphalt. I was on my way to school, had just come down a pretty steep hill, and was turning into a parking lot that I usually cut through. I braked and swerved to avoid some chunks of loose asphalt in the road... and skidded out. Fortunately, a contractor working on a house nearby cleaned me up and took me to the hospital.

Most of the force of the fall went into my left arm. The result is a break in my elbow and a fracture in my wrist (for those who want the wonky terms: a displaced medial epicondylar fracture of the elbow and a non-displaced scaphoid fracture). Both require surgery, which has been scheduled for this Thursday. An orthopedic surgeon specializing in "upper extremities" will perform the procedure.

As for the bike, it will not need a trip to the shop although sadly it is no longer shiny and new.

I'll post again when I've emerged from surgery and slept off the anesthesia. In the meantime, I leave you with one request: wear a helmet and slooow down when you're riding your bike. They're really more dangerous than we let ourselves believe, and it doesn't have to be a collision to cause injury!

A Glimpse Into My Day: The Commute

2008-09-26T10:30:00.000-07:00

I created these photo collages for my landscape graphics computer course using Photoshop. The assignment was to create collages in the spirit of David Hockney that illustrate two contrasting experiences/places in my commute to and from home and campus.

First is a collage based on my neighborhood in Oakland. I wanted to evoke the diverse colors and textures of the landscaping and architecture--and the steep hill that I climb on my way home.

Second is a collage of the street where I get on and off the bus. The street is dominated by auto-oriented businesses. It's devoid of pedestrians, deserted at night. This is a literal collage of an actual place, whereas the first collage represents an overall experience.

Less Sleep, More Coffee

2008-09-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new blog!

Now that I'm a full-time student again, I seem to have little to no time for phone calls and email. I thought a blog would help me keep more people up to date on my life and work at Cal. (For those who weren't aware, this fall I began the three-year Master of Landscape Architecture program at Cal-Berkeley.)

After three full weeks of classes I have a better idea of what I've gotten myself into. I've been initiated into the world of parallel rulers, scales, lead holders and pointers, rapidograph pens, vellum and mylar, and the all important desk brush. (Who needs a brush to clean off a desk? Now that I've depleted my first eraser, I understand.) It's a good thing every student in the program gets their own desk at the college, because I don't know how I could fit all my supplies in my little apartment.

I am taking four courses this fall: survey of the history of landscape architecture; drawing the landscape; computer applications; and the all-important studio. (Studio, which I'll take every year, is the course where you develop your creative process and carry out projects. I've included photos of our first studio project in this post--we were tasked with measuring and drafting plan (top of the post) and section (above) views of a park on campus.)

Uprooting myself was difficult and, understandably, I was concerned about making friends. There are 15 of us starting the program this fall--all women. No one is sure how that happened, but we don't mind. We've become a close group. I've made several good friends already who somehow I feel like I've known for years rather than weeks!

The largest adjustment by far has been getting used to a constant state of "doing." I spent 92 hours in class or working on projects in the studio in the last week! Needless to say, I'm existing on less sleep and more coffee than every before.

It's all worth it though! While I could use not only more sleep but some actual down time, I'm enjoying every minute of it the program so far. Every project I work on makes me more certain that this is where I am meant to be.

Check back for more updates and photos of my work!