lego lego mind tricks. build it.  thanks dad, may the force be with you.

lego

lego mind tricks. build it. 

thanks dad,

may the force be with you.

R.O.A.D.E.S Abstract *Revised* The R.O.A.D.E.S. Project aims to balance dynamism between land, water, and humans by directly engaging the river + city border. This design changes a once fragmented, functional space by responding to dominant traits of the active bodies and blends function and form to create a cordial transition through city-to-waterfront.  Establishing a lasting impact requires slightly rerouting the transformative behavior of the river thru waterfront recreation zones for the continued impact upon what is now a designated ‘ecological zone’; allowing constant recreation and continued ecological progression. Reprogramming infrastructure to open space within the park results in three zones, with different form and function and elevation, but with overlapping recreational benefits. Structural elements that previously posed barriers now welcome access into an engagement with natural processes, serve as ambient visual thresholds, and guide visitors directly to specific recreation within the park interior. Active, passive and sensory recreation is activated here. The design is physically bold to provide an entertaining experience from a completely new vantage point, but the cognitive experience is pleasantly realized when visitors observe the exposed process of growth and development from the peripheral borders, looking within. (-.1)

R.O.A.D.E.S Abstract *Revised*

The R.O.A.D.E.S. Project aims to balance dynamism between land, water, and humans by directly engaging the river + city border. This design changes a once fragmented, functional space by responding to dominant traits of the active bodies and blends function and form to create a cordial transition through city-to-waterfront.  Establishing a lasting impact requires slightly rerouting the transformative behavior of the river thru waterfront recreation zones for the continued impact upon what is now a designated ‘ecological zone’; allowing constant recreation and continued ecological progression. Reprogramming infrastructure to open space within the park results in three zones, with different form and function and elevation, but with overlapping recreational benefits.

Structural elements that previously posed barriers now welcome access into an engagement with natural processes, serve as ambient visual thresholds, and guide visitors directly to specific recreation within the park interior. Active, passive and sensory recreation is activated here. The design is physically bold to provide an entertaining experience from a completely new vantage point, but the cognitive experience is pleasantly realized when visitors observe the exposed process of growth and development from the peripheral borders, looking within.

(-.1)

The R.O.A.D.E.S Desoto Project The R.O.A.D.E.S. Project for Desoto Park is a design schematic using historic and modern forms of green infrastructure, which will provide permanent recreation opportunities while allowing for the continued development of natural processes. Recreation Opportunities Activated within a Dynamic Ecological System: Recreation Opportunities: -River Embankmentsto the north & south along the Mississippi River/batture land border will form a permanent raised path for Running, Walking, & Fishing. -New Pavement (gravel surrounding granite slabs) connecting the existing parking lot with the levee slope will provide direct access to Sunken Paths leading toward batture Fishing enjoyment. Topography adjustment will allow for elongated terraced fields used for year round Open Space recreation and access to the river front for Boat Docking. Activation: -Water level fluctuation of Mississippi River, recorded by sensors embedded in the River Embankments, determine a color-coded light show located in the pavement of the parking lot allowing for data-backed Visual Stimuli. -The portions of the river’s edge not bordered by embankment connect via an elevated walkway, outfitted with photovoltaic panels in small strips along its edges. Harvested solar energy will be used to power the parking lot light show. Dynamic Ecological System: -The sunken path along the Mississippi along the river leaves the natural topography of Desoto to interact with river processes and allows a varied recreational experience. Flooding, Detritus, & Sedimentation are processes that will continue to grow the batture from its middle edge outward, and allow for water to play an impactful role on the interior park experience.

The R.O.A.D.E.S Desoto Project

The R.O.A.D.E.S. Project for Desoto Park is a design schematic using historic and modern forms of green infrastructure, which will provide permanent recreation opportunities while allowing for the continued development of natural processes.

Recreation Opportunities Activated within a Dynamic Ecological System:



Recreation Opportunities:

-River Embankmentsto the north & south along the Mississippi River/batture land border will form a permanent raised path for Running, Walking, & Fishing.

-New Pavement (gravel surrounding granite slabs) connecting the existing parking lot with the levee slope will provide direct access to Sunken Paths leading toward batture Fishing enjoyment. Topography adjustment will allow for elongated terraced fields used for year round Open Space recreation and access to the river front for Boat Docking.



Activation:

-Water level fluctuation of Mississippi River, recorded by sensors embedded in the River Embankments, determine a color-coded light show located in the pavement of the parking lot allowing for data-backed Visual Stimuli.

-The portions of the river’s edge not bordered by embankment connect via an elevated walkway, outfitted with photovoltaic panels in small strips along its edges. Harvested solar energy will be used to power the parking lot light show.



Dynamic Ecological System:

-The sunken path along the Mississippi along the river leaves the natural topography of Desoto to interact with river processes and allows a varied recreational experience. Flooding, Detritus, & Sedimentation are processes that will continue to grow the batture from its middle edge outward, and allow for water to play an impactful role on the interior park experience.

Site 0.006 Observation To better understand how Desoto Park is used recreationally, I will attempt to recreate within the park myself. Picnic Lunches, Trail exploration, Reading, and Boating are all recreation forms I have witnessed in Desoto, yet I have never done them myself.  Recreation should be refreshing.  After completing three recreation activities, each for 30 minutes, I will photograph the areas where I have chosen to recreate within Desoto Park and complete an analog sketch of the programatic elements of each area (10 minutes per sketch).  Back in the studio, I will assemble the photographs and annotations onto 3 11 x17 Illustrator art boards. Lastly, I will locate the ‘recreation zones’ from my site observation on a plan (scale TBD), and will use the map to create an abstract painting showing the relationships between the recreation zones inside Desoto park and how they may connect to congruent & nearby recreational experiences within Downtown Baton Rouge. Approach: Photography, Analog drawing/diagramming, Water Color Painting. Deliverables: 3 11 X 17 Photo Diagrams & programmatic field sketches 1 Water Color Abstract Plan

Site 0.006 Observation

To better understand how Desoto Park is used recreationally, I will attempt to recreate within the park myself. Picnic Lunches, Trail exploration, Reading, and Boating are all recreation forms I have witnessed in Desoto, yet I have never done them myself. 

Recreation should be refreshing. 

After completing three recreation activities, each for 30 minutes, I will photograph the areas where I have chosen to recreate within Desoto Park and complete an analog sketch of the programatic elements of each area (10 minutes per sketch). 

Back in the studio, I will assemble the photographs and annotations onto 3 11 x17 Illustrator art boards.

Lastly, I will locate the ‘recreation zones’ from my site observation on a plan (scale TBD), and will use the map to create an abstract painting showing the relationships between the recreation zones inside Desoto park and how they may connect to congruent & nearby recreational experiences within Downtown Baton Rouge.

Approach:

Photography, Analog drawing/diagramming, Water Color Painting.

Deliverables:

3 11 X 17 Photo Diagrams & programmatic field sketches

1 Water Color Abstract Plan

The Importance of Micro or Macro Temporal changes in understanding… It is my belief that instincts are key. Ultimately both types, macro and micro, temporal changes need to be recorded in order to scientifically construct an understanding of what is happening in a particular place. However, it is my belief that hierarchy be applied only after an observer has had an opportunity to exist within the space as an active participant to its ecosystem, as opposed to a outside researcher whose sole mission is to record data. The latter method, after time, would result in a preconceived understanding of a space based on prior research under similar conditions. A quick synopsis of “what’s important to me here” would suffice to adjust the framework of macro & micro level changes that could occur within a particular site.  The above picture details my observations of Desoto Park’s Barrow Pit area. 
The observational impacts of adjusting the recording interval: For a 2-3 hour site observation, the interval with which the observer records temporal qualities is essential. The type of behavior the observer wishes to quantify should be the determining factor, but ultimately any consistent interval chosen will suffice to produce ‘some’ measurable change. Rapid/close intervals in site captioned above would serve well to measure changes in insect & bird behavior, as their behavior appears constantly active and beholds much to quantify. However, a rapid/close interval does not serve well to observe some of the macro qualities of the site, such as sun position or smells that may permeate the site.  Thus, for this particular site & assignment, two separate intervals could be appropriate;  -macro interval - records temporal changes which form the overall ephemeral experience gradually. -micro interval - dedicated to observing the behavior patterns of  the varying ecosystems at play within the site (bug life, bird life, construction vehicle movement, trash bags blowing, etc).  An accumulation of micro details would likely provide more value than an inundation about sun movement or wind (difficult things to record accurate change in). A detailed narrative of micro-elements provides a compelling story of “what’s really happening here”.  By contrast, by extending the time interval for micro-scale observations, the observations themselves become less substantial. Bugs, birds, and other micro scale creatures are too active to generalize, and their behavioral patterns generally happen in a short amount of time. These details are potentially lost because they fall outside (or before) a predetermined observation time and the narrative becomes weaker and more assumptive.  For example, consider the water’s edge at the site. Recording this observation at a rapid interval, one would understand that this edge appears to be consistently in flux as a result of pond ripples, ground vibrations, or some other factor. But if the water’s edge is observed once, and then not again for some time later, it becomes impossible to justify the rate of flux or understand the dynamism of the water’s edge because it would appear to be microscopically different from the initial observation.
Micro-Scale observations fit within larger Macro-Scale temporal change A categorized approach to environmental observation provides a good understanding to the behavioral relationships between macro & micro scale systems. Macro scale qualities form the first, most general impressions upon an experience and frame how the rest of the analysis will follow suit to validate (or reject) the initial assumptions. Subsequent observations, at a micro scale, can only occur once contextual parameters have been set at the macro level.  While micro-scale observations typically occur after macro generalizations have been made, there is a degree of variance that may occur between the two. However, every micro-scale observations has a relationship to the larger (macro) system which it exists within. For instance, at 4:00pm, the sun shines directly overhead, with a clear sky. The observation site is hot, humid and uncomfortable (Macro). At the same time, observations of a nearby group of water bugs detail hyper-activity and swarming (Micro).  Thirty minutes later, a return to these macro/micro level categories for further observation show that the sun is still high in the sky, but clouds have migrated into view and provide shade on the site making it slightly cooler and breezy. Water bug activity appears less sporadic.  Ultimately, there is a relationship between the macro/micro scale variables that expands as more macro-scale observations are included in the initial survey. By applying more general descriptors to a site initially, the better an observer will be able to explore the micro level reactions, or causes, to the overall behavior of a place.
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