Go: West 8 Young Man

I try to hide my distaste or love for things landscape+urbanist in the quest for some sort of neutrality (um, ok, not really). Without critical evaluation and dialogue - we lack the capacity to expand our thinking and examine our interventions in ways that are beneficial to us individually and collectively. Or in short, we have taste, and like certain things, and dislike others. In this vein, I have a hard time controlling my joy of seeing anything done by West 8 both for it's whimsical graphics and heady, but grounded ideas (read more about the firm and said philosophy here). This will be an on-going referential discussion about their work, so check back for more down the road.


:: Cow - Horizon Project - image via West 8

A recent competition win for W8 was the much publicized design for NY Governor's Island... which had still competition from a number of high-powered multi-disciplinary teams. From an overview via West 8: "Imagine an extraordinary new public park that embraces all New York Harbor, its ecology, its history, its culture, its magnificent beauty. Surrounded by water, steeped in the natural and cultural history of the estuary, Governors Island will re-emerge as the next great "world park": an icon for the city, a beacon in the harbor. West 8 proposed an extensive and coherent design for this 2nd park for New York."


:: Overall Site - images via West 8

The following is a series of images from the competition, which I believe pick up on these threads of representational techniques that will, or likely already has, redefine landscape architectural communication. These are not necessarily West 8 creations (as others use them equally as often and well) - but it's become one of the synonyms for edgy design/landscape urbanism for this type of technique.




:: Governor's Island - images via West 8

Gone are the soft-focus colored pencil techniques, or illustrative cartoonery that has so dominated the field and it's expression. While not veering into the photo-realistic, these digital montages provide both evocations of materials, use, feeling, and most importantly - and actual place.




:: Governor's Island - images via West 8

Ok, it's obvious I'm smitten with the techniques, but let's delve a bit deeper into some of these techniques. For instance, all of the following images look tacitly fake (i.e. representational). But, let's look at some of the communication techniques. In the first image, there is the massing crowd, stage-setup that evokes the ability to gather and provide entertainment (i.e. revenue) and activity (i.e. success). Also, the background Statue of Liberty connects to place, and the smattering of vegetation (esp. the swath or red flowers, and craggy butte) connects this to other on-site activity zones. Finally the foreground shows us hanging out with some hip park users, with the dress and tattoo actually becoming implicit in the design of this space - design via the art and action of the inhabitants.


:: image via West 8

A more representational landscape is below, with somewhat abstrated fields of red amidst pathways. Hard to discern from a distance, the foreground clues into the vegetated monoculture that is forming these patterns. Also the user groups (humans=kids + families) as well as habitat (extreme foreground butterfly/moth).


:: image via West 8

A similar representation of the rocky crag pathway evokes a more determined park user in a verdant forest canopy, climbing the switchback path as exercise or climbing and sliding in a more playful manner. The stone, the lush ground plane, the overstory letting rays of light slip in - and again, the habitat butterfly pairs evoke nature as well as play and mystery, all essential landscape components.


:: image via West 8

Perhaps it's less about place, as I previously mentioned, and more about experience. These series show context, design, use, program, flexibility, and ecology while being engaging. These are also devoid of some of the data-heavy diagramatic graphics that also populate a good amount of LU / competition imagery. This experience can be rendered for different users, times of day, and seasons.




:: Jarvis' Slip - images via West 8

While never far from originator Adriaan Geuze as a marquee headliner for the firm, West 8 has acheived some pretty amazing success as of late. Not that it is all the most fantastic design and theory in my opinion. There are probably better designers - and much more cogent theorists - but that it is more often than not edgy, thoughtful and meaningful. It will be interesting to see more work as it actually turns into real projects - and see if that can hold through the implementation process. Much like a beautifully rendered building that is underwhelming in reality - the build-out of these landscapes are subject to much more constraint as budgets, materials, and well, just plain reality kick in.


:: Schouwburgplein (1991) Rotterdam - image via West 8


:: Interpolis Garden, Tilburg - image via West 8


:: Kröller Müller Museum Scupture Garden, Otterlo - image via West 8


:: Chiswick Park, London - image via West 8

The previous showed a few examples of this via the West 8 website. There is definitely a disconnect between visual and physical representation, but I think these are definitely high-end build outs. To be clear this is not an overt criticism - as I have no referent for whether these are successful or not, but just that perhaps it is a double edged sword of landscape architecture that there is a disconnect between design illustration and physical implementation.




:: Falconplein, Antwerp (image + construction) - images via West 8

I can think of two reasons. Time necessary for growth, and constant evolution through seasons. Unlike a building, which arguably is not static, a landscape is NEVER static... and thus a 2D represetation of a snapshot in time is one milli-second in the lifespan. Paving is also something more immediate, as are structures, but landscape is tough to capture in any media. I'm sure you could capture the life of the renderings if you were patient... hovering around a space for many days waiting for these impromptu moments. But design wise- it is success, as these containers definitely make it possible. But more often than not, you will find organic use, growth in various stages, and well, flexibility.


:: Kröller Müller Museum - image via West 8

What sent me along this path of West 8 adoration were a few recent sources. One was the recent publication of West 8 in the AD Landscape: Site/Non-Site, as well as my getting my hands on their latest monograph. Also, a poignant moment was some analysis by the super-observant and always compelling Eikongraphia. The site took on some of the work of West 8 in terms of symbolic representation (landscape as icon) and it made me re-evaluate some of my earlier knee-jerk reactions with some new understanding.

Stay tuned for more about these sources and aspects of West 8 and their work in coming weeks...

Metropolitan Fauna

One major theme that our Integrating Habitats winning team entry was the ability to address the interwoven patterns of urban fauna and urban form. There are numerous reasons why keeping a vital mix of flora, and fauna, along with people, is essential to the proper functioning of cities and urban processes. This investigation of species flows really shaped the entire site plan - to avoid conflicts between human users and fauna while maintaining possible interactions between the two.

:: Habitat/Site Flows - image via Jason King, et. al.

There are some interesting precedents and imagery associated with this form of mapping - trying to capture the essence and interaction of development, urbanism, and habitat. These interactions are fleeting - particularly when you try to depict them in a two-dimensional media. They are also evolutionary, as we see from some of the recent information gleaned on the subject from a number of sources.

First, the evolutionary modification. As reported in BLDGBLOG, via a story in New Scientist, as somewhat disturbing trend: City Songbirds are Changing their Tune. The article outlines the adaptations that city birds are making to be heard above the cacophony of city noises, such as changing the pitch, and frequency of calls. Our urban ecologists may have to re-tune to the city vs. rural species when spotting these specialized communicators.

:: image via BLDGBLOG

While notable and disturbing on a base level, it could actually create evolutionary splits in the rural / urban species of birds as they adapt to environmental stimuli (via BLDGBLOG): "If singing and hearing diverge enough, urban birds may be less likely to find the vocals of rural birds attractive, or even to recognise them as members of the same species. These changes could serve to eventually split populations into genetically distinct urban and rural species. Alternatively, different populations of the same species might adopt differing strategies to cope with urban noise, leading eventually to a species split occurring in birds living in the same neighbourhood."

Macro-scale migratory flyways have typically been mapped as linear flows - and though they evolve - tend to stick to typical pathways that link vital stopover spots (marshland, lakes, wetlands, potholes, etc.). Well, that is until we either (1) remove, in part or wholesale, the stopover points through filling, developing, depleting habitat. Hunting takes a fraction, as well as winter habitat loss and other factors like building collision, predation by domesticated pet, and a number of other concepts - or - (2) disrupt the flow patterns in some way. One item that is constantly discussed as we evolve new clean(er) technologies such as wind, it is interesting to see how these two uses interact - as they tend to occupy the same space.

:: image via Treehugger

There is a common misconception (although not definitive one way or the other) that wind-turbines and bird migration are incompatible. A Treehugger posts attempts to illuminate some of this disparity (read the whole post), with a recap: "In the United States, cars and trucks wipe out millions of birds each year, while 100 million to 1 billion birds collide with windows. According to the 2001 National Wind Coordinating Committee study, “Avian Collisions with Wind Turbines: A Summary of Existing Studies and Comparisons to Other Sources of Avian Collision Mortality in the United States," these non-wind mortalities compare with 2.19 bird deaths per turbine per year. That's a long way from the sum mortality caused by the other sources."

:: image via DOE

So as we narrow the focus to more micro-scale analysis - how do we determine and map these semi-predictable flows to a resolution that is adequate for real design strategies. A recent post on Pruned on 'Faunal High Jinks' had a vision of some possibilities, using RFID technology is Michiko Nitta's 'Animal Messaging Service' (A.M.S.) which proposes a guerilla postal service to reduce our impact to the global ecosystem destruction.

:: image via Pruned

Pruned does a great job of giving an overview and the usual informative context around the project: "The A.M.S. is an alternative form of communication whereby so-called extreme green guerrillas “send messages internationally by hacking into the animal migration system.” The environmental benefit of this is that it doesn't tie you to big corporations, as one would be if using the Internet and mobile phones, and unlike conventional postal systems, it doesn't leave a huge carbon footprint."

:: image via Pruned

And to turn it back around on this site and it's regular content, Pruned remarks: "What if everyone, to the ultimately surprise of Michiko Nitta, fully subscribes to her vision of the extreme green lifestyle and cities everywhere adopt the A.M.S. as the default mode of communication? What then would the physical form of the city be like if its networked infrastructure is based primarily on zoology? Is this where “vegi.tecture” reaches its true potential? "

:: image via Pruned

That would definitely have some interesting ramifications in the design of our urban areas, public space, buildings, and interstitial zones. Is it out of the realm of reality that we could and will design with this level of knowledge and understanding - truly veg.itecture that is proactive - both at a building and a city level.

:: images via Pruned

It is the 10 million dollar question. Not that we understand and implement based on our best information and knowledge - but how do we provide an accurate and sensible translation of science and information into design and placemaking. We often discuss lofty goals associated with sustainable design - but are we really accomplishing what we say? Do we actually create habitat? If so, is it correct and appropriate for the preferred species composition for our very artificial ecosystems? These are definitely not answers - but a way of leading us to ask the right questions.

I often bemoan the artificiality of some of these statements... and habitat is one of the worst offenders (followed closely by heat-island mitigation, and water quality/pollutant uptake). We don't know enough yet about a number of our interventions, and it requires a significant amount of brio to make these claims if we don't have the proof and science to back it up. My thought on the changing face of the profession is that we will be designers, generalists, and interpreters... but projects, if we are to truly make them successful and sustainable, must become more collaborative - with a much larger group of collaborators than we are currently including.

The onus falls on both parties. Science that is hyper-focused and non-transferable may be interesting but is hardly useful. Science can be crafted so results are able to be applied to situations in meaningful ways without over-generalization that renders the results useless. Designers need to be more open to including 'experts' on team (and for that matter, clients who have lofty goals need to be more willing to pay for additional consultants). We also need to be more diligent in our research, application and interpretation... essentially smarter, so our designs with nature don't end up making a passing reference to ecology and science, but really do either nothing, or contribute to the degradation.

Perhaps what I'm talking about is all of us changing our tune - when it comes to doing better design and planning?

Furnish Green

Picking up some threads of a recent post about some inventive site furnishings, as well as the ongoing obsession with Vegetated Architecture brings another melding of the two. A range of vegetated furniture that ranges from the purely decorative to the downright functional. First, a quick shot from Michael Cannell's blog at Dwell - with some unique seating spotted at the Milan Furniture Fair.


:: image via Dwell

Another interesting furnishing seen a bunch over the past few weeks is from Greenform, and the bench 'Relax' by designer Stephan Stauffacher... which is more art piece than furniture, with a 5" height and grass-stain causing surface... but I strangely want one, filled with some different type of plant...


:: image via gardenhistorygirl

A bit more functional are a couple of examples of GYO furniture, via Inhabitat. First is the TerraGrass Armchair kit featuring a cardboard frame that is filled with soil and planted for a comfy looking overstuffed chair.


:: image via Inhabitat

Another from Inhabitat - with a Lawn Couch DIY kit feature from the magazine Ready-Made (link to this project seems to be gone)...


:: image via Inhabitat

And another from designer Julian Lwin, via Inhabitat: "The recycled cardboard cylinders of the new “Ephemeral BioTube Bench” are embedded with seeds using a cellulose liquid, so that as they are exposed to moisture, rain and light, they biodegrade (to a rich mulch layer) and turn into an instant garden."


:: image via Inhabitat

Taking this to other forms of furnishing, a table with a built-in-trough for some sort of vegetation - we'll call it a living centerpiece. 'Side Table' is by designer Jonas Hauptmann - as seen on The Design Blog seems perfect for a stand of cut-your-own lemongrass, or perhaps a nice area for someone to hide those brussel sprouts.

:: image via Hauptmann Products Inc.

Taking functional furnishings a bit further, GreenU, by Andrew Volpe, a student at the Northern Michigan university envisions a self-contained and self-sufficient shelter, information kiosk, seat, recycling/trash receptacle all in one handy, sustainable, easy to assemble vegetated unit.

:: images via The Design Blog

Maybe the artful inclusion of vegetation into the idea of furnishings can avoid the inevitable wardrobe changes that may be necessary to comfortably occupy urban spaces. While a tad tongue-and-cheek, there is some social commentary associated with Archisuits by Sarah Ross - which meld fashion, function and localism to accomodate the specific seating barriers in Los Angeles.

:: images via Sarah Ross