speaking of weathering by water...

we just came home from a beautiful trip to italia bella. as my second trip there, i knew what to expect on the whole, however i was unprepared for the beauty of venice. i had not been to venice or florence/tuscany before and i was stunned. of course.

venice completely blew me away. i wish we could have spent more time there getting lost and finding interesting architectural features (which never end in the city with streets of water). there must have always been a need to find new ways to both navigate by foot and by boat. amazing little passageways, covered or uncovered, lead you from the expanse of the canal to the city within that is only pedestrian. at times 2 buildings would come together to leave a mere 2 feet of space for a pedestrian to slip through. it was like an architectural maze. the next second you would unknowingly come upon a normal sized piazza cleared away by the surrounding buildings. piazza san marco was without a doubt the largest and most grand, but the smaller more intimate ones, which were much more frequent, were just as perfect.

i almost forgot to mention the weathering and state of most every single building on the island. they appear as though they will crumble into the water at any moment, and yet not at the same time. the nature of the layers of facade falling away to reveal what once was the exterior is exquisite. what a place to discover one of the oldest beauties in the world...

as you can see from these photos...you need to see this at some point in your life.

attitude

absorb where distant from canal and desire for experience; channel where depression, it is too close to water table

full circle

its funny that the original stainer, vehicle, receiver, weathering diagram is coming back into play

either way, its scary

i described the water as the color of coffee, they said chocolate milk

safe for swimming

if entirely channeling, then storm water runoff and other pollutants that collect on the street will end up in the lake despite the cattails

the cycle

the bayou floods, drains into drainage canal, pumped out of canal, pumped into underground drainage canal, pumped back north to another station to be pumped into the lake

filtration

cattails are the first filtering plant that come to mind; their length, height and appearance is all wrong though

replenishing

if absorption, then only returns to the water table quicker

seeps

seep into earth, seep into wood, seep into porous concrete, seep into sponge

versatility

it can be absorbed or channeled

staining

the droplets will find their way through the perforations, gather the stain en route and fall through to land on the surface below

observation

education of water through ability to flow down a decline, a collection & drinkability

healthy?

rainwater can be drunk if collected cleanly
let's keep it for dogs

collection

collect rainwater to remove or to reuse or both

flexability

water takes the form of anything its released into

reactivating the Carondelet Walk

These images of the past depict the vibrant, activated space of the turning basin at the foot of the canal. The Carondelet Walk which culminated here, at the waterfront, was a populated area for townspeople to stroll and witness or be involved in the daily merchant shipping industry.

Can this vibrancy be reactivated on the plot of greenspace adjacent to the last remaining remnants of the once prosperous canal?

possibly my final statement? yeah right...

How can architecture still define space for inhabitation, and

simultaneously embrace the effects of environmental processes?

All materials are impressionable, preserving environmental and human traces.

Water is the largest contributor to weathering - staining, decay, and

horizontal datum lines left by floods and canal tides. It is the discovery

of prior occurrences in a space that create intrigue and desire for interaction.

Weathered surfaces are defined through particular orientations and layers of materials.

Levels of porosity and degrees of repetition determine the preserving of more or less traces

on a material. Existing surfaces already containing traces are incorporated with new surfaces

to offer the understanding and education of the effects of water. Like the time sensitive effects of water, a place of temporal leisure and travel is created in the exterior environment.

New Orleans clearly retains a rich history and revolves around water: the Mississippi River

to the south, Lake Pontchartrain to the north, the connecting canal and endless bayous

and streams (all of which flooded during Katrina). And walking through the city,

water is almost a constant visibility and when not a visibility, certainly a presence.

The site exists on the former Carondelet Canal which was about 3 miles long spanning from the connection point of Bayou St. John all the way down to the "back of the city" or the back of downtown and the French Quarter. This canal was used as drainage as well as shipping, bringing goods from the lake down the bayou then down to the city via the canal. The canal was about 30 feet wide and was flanked by a large pedestrian walk, the Carondelet Walk, 64 feet in width. The narrowness of the canal forced an 80,000 sq. ft. turning basin at the foot, which was the site of Storeyville and is now bordered by St. Louis cemetary and Congo Square. The canal was constructed in 1794 and was used up until the beginning of the 20th century when another canal parallel to it and a few blocks to the west was built. It was called the New Basin Canal, after this one which was known as the Old Basin Canal. The New Basin Canal became more successful and along with the addition of railroad, the Old Basin Canal was deemed unnavigable, especially due to its narrow width and shallow depth. In 1927 it was filled in and now remains as a strip of green space. At one point the trip turned into a railroad track, perfect location for another route of transportation. But today, the strip remains empty. It presents an ideal location for a pedestrian route from Mid-City to downtown & the French Quarter...

elevation/natural levee & artificial levees

red lines = artificial levees & or flood walls
the whiter the higher elevation
the darker the lower elevation
blue dots = pumping stations

the list

maps

detail aerial

zoom out aerial

pencils

2h

hb

2b

mechanical

pens

gel roll

ball point

red

faber-castell M

faber-castell S

watercolors

brushes

thin

medium

camera

camera charger

ipod touch

ipod charger

headphones

computer?

phone charger!

summer weather clothes

skirt

shorts

tanks/camis

t shirts

dress

pjs

nice clothes?

sweatshirt

sunglasses

sandals

sneakers

toiletries

deodorant

toothbrush

toothpaste

hairbrush

leave in conditioner

make up

cash money

sketchbook

normal

painting

books?

Geographies of New Orleans

An Unnatural Metropolis

Invisible cities

backpack or purse

research

levees

comparisons

site ideas

final ideas

transverse sections

MESSAGE FRANCES

snacks?

new orleanian architecture

a fresher take...

Why dwell upon the solutions to avoid the effects of weathering and the need to adapt when they will forever be inevitable?
Full deterioration is going to occur, so why not condense the time to force leftover traces more rapidly but resist a hasty ruination?
How can architecture still define space for inhabitation, and simultaneously embrace environmental processes?


an olive green catches your eye, pulling it to the ground
it has made a surprisingly exact line weaving through the cobblestone mortar
leading you on a journey from the tufa stone wall to the drainage slope
the vegetation left behind from a stream’s repetitive path
does it rain here often?


All materials are impressionable. They preserve phenomena that has occurred over time. These phenomena are environmental elements and humans. However, water is the largest contributor to weathering; staining, decay, and horizontal datum lines left by floods and canal tides. A material’s ability to directly respond to its environment makes spaces that are alive and trodden. It is the discovery of prior occurrences that create intrigue and desire for interaction.

Weathered surfaces make the experience and intention of a space, defining it through an orientation and layering of materials. Different levels of porosity and repetition determine the preserving of more or less evidence on a material. Existing surfaces that already contain traces are incorporated with present and future surfaces to provide the understanding and education of the effects of water. Like the time sensitive effects of water, a place of temporal rest and experiential understanding is created in the exterior environment.

the bayou

real live shotguns

at the very end of my trip, i had the chance to tour the inside of a shotgun that my friend, Frances, whom I have been staying with, is going to move into. This shotgun was further downtown, out of Mid City, around the Lower Garden District. It is also half a shotgun; the landlord leases out each half separately down the length of the house. It was not nearly as narrow as I had imagined. I would say approximately 10' wide, but did not feel like it. It was adorable! More than enough room for one person.

Upon entrance there was a small living room, then opened into a dining area and then kitchen. Through the kitchen was a bathroom and then the bedroom, and past the bedroom was another small living room. The best part, out back, was a small yard, no grass, but a mini pool for those scorching days. How lovely. It was completely enclosed by fences and a green growing back wall, providing safety and privacy. So quaint and breathable, yet modest and New Orleanian traditional. The ceilings were certainly tall, maintaining the primary purpose of maximum ventilation; along with full ceiling to floor windows and doors which all opened with layers of screens and shutters.

Each room also had a dark wooden framed fireplace. They are nonfunctional, but still. The appearance added such dimension and clear tradition to the experience of the room.

i left 76 degrees for 25 degrees.

I have just returned from my trip.
It was quite amazing, incredible; the architecture, the tangible culture, the pleasant, beautiful climate, and the constant visibility and, if not visibility, then the presence of water.

Water was everywhere.

New Orleans could almost be an island. Lake Pontchartrain to the north, the Mississippi to the south, the canal cutting the city almost in half, and endless bayous and small streams and lakes everywhere you turn.
Bayou St. John was my first look at a bayou of any kind. Calming, cool, much breezier than the neighborhoods just across the street, eliminating the beating of the sun on my shoulders. Expecting to be consumed by humidity, I was pleasantly surprised to hardly experience any. From speaking with locals, we came at a prime time because the humidity has not set in yet. In addition, we stayed at a friend's house about 2 blocks from Bayou St. John, so we constantly felt the cooling breeze.The first exploration around Mid City, where I stayed and conveniently focused my explorations around, brought the discovery of the flooding that occurred in the area during Katrina. I had not expected it to have been hit so badly. The flood lines were about six and a half feet high! There's a beloved tavern on the bayou, Parkway. It's known for its mean roast beef and gravy poboy (submarines). The bartender talked to us about how they saved the restaurant, and showed us a photo of the place more than halfway submerged after Katrina.

The bayou ends a couple blocks away from our entrance upon it. It just ends. I found that kind of odd. It appears to want to continue if it was allowed. Just after the ending, an asphalt paved street runs perpendicular on only about a 3' high levee-type mound. Beyond the street is a small median of grass that sinks in the center, soggy and heavy with water; that is my evidence of the desire of the water to continue.

Another street perpendicular, without houses so in visible distance from the end of the bayou, lies a strange subterranean canal-type thing. From the ground horizon, all that is seen is a line of concrete. It could almost be a foundation, but the concrete continues as far as the eye can see. When looking down inside, a good 10' drop inside, and it was full of water, but only about 2' deep at the bottom. This condition occurred the entire way. We followed it to see if we could decipher its purpose. It certainly ran alongside an uncomfortable neighborhood, or let's say grouping of shotguns. At the end, we discovered what appeared to be a pumping station. That's my best guess. It ended, on a small incline, instead of the normal flat plane that occurred the rest of the length. Then back up on the surface, there was a small structure, like a house, and across the street was the station. It certainly related to the water because there were enormous 5' diameter pipes connecting the building to the ground.

levees

above are water lines, exterior and interior. Both are remnants of Katrina. then there are the levees. Do you wonder why they failed?
Natural levees are obviously made by natural means, the river deposits sediments over time through various floodings. These create high river banks called levees, which mean "raised up". They become as high as 15' in some areas, and 8' in others. For instance, when the river runs straight, levees tend to be more narrow and not as high, but in the more meandering sections, levees tend to be faster and have even eroded away entire sections of streets in addition to their own natural levees.

Above you see the man made flood walls, some are this size, some are much taller.

In comparison to other countries...
on the Thames in London
in Japan
Maeslant Storm Surge Barrier in the Netherlands, one of the largest moving structures on Earth
Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier in Holland
The Hagestein Weir in the Netherlands

New Orleans_research

So I leave in two days. Friday morning. With the decision made final about a month ago to travel to New Orleans to do site research and experience the city, it became clear that I needed to make a bold statement about the direction of my project. The most recent crit also told me this. In order to narrow down my concepts, because up to this point my project has been described as a "patchwork of mini projects", I gave in to declaring a much more specific topic within weathering. Water. Weathering by water. This does incorporate the sun/temperature as well, but looking back I have been looking at the effects of water specifically on materials, but never wanted to come out and state I was only working with water. Choosing the site in New Orleans makes it perfectly clear that sticking to water is a good direction. Water lines, flood lines, which in turn talk about datum lines and the ability to trace these types of environmental occurances is what interests me. Of course this introduces my research to the levee systems employed in the city and how they work to keep water out, or not. There are natural levees, which the city was originally built upon, and then there are artificial, or man made, levees. Floods walls and revetments accompany these man made levees. Floods walls rise at least 15' to 25' higher than the natural levees.

The images above, the nearest on in particular, are images found online of transverse sections through the city, from Lake Pontchartrain to the Mississippi River. The nearest was the first I came across and it seemed out of scale and inaccurate, almost unbelieveable. After continuing some research on similar sections, I found that it does not seem so inaccurate. The others posted look very similar. I hope to attempt to compile my own transverse section while I'm there.

another statement iteration

The modernists, Le Corbusier in particular, believed in creating the perfect, white, pristine building; they announce it is only in its ideal state directly after completion and before inhabitation. In contemporary design and construction, little attention seems to be paid to how a building ages and adapts over time. However, given a building’s permanence in the built environment, perhaps incorporating and controlling the effects of weathering as a vital contribution to its surroundings should be considered. Why dwell upon the solutions to avoid the effects of weathering and need to adapt when they will forever be inevitable? Full deterioration is eventually going to occur, so why not condense the time to force leftover traces more rapidly but resist utter ruination? What if architecture can still define space for inhabitation, and simultaneously embrace environmental processes?

Weathered spaces provide knowledge of the history of the space; an integrity becomes apparent. All materials are impressionable; materials involved in the space preserve their own experiences of phenomena that have occurred over time through this ability. These phenomena are of the environmental elements and humans; all inscriptions in materials create weathering. It is the discovery of prior inhabitants and occurrences in the space that create intrigue and desire for interaction.

Impressionability becomes evident by direct human interaction of repetition and degree of impact over time. Surfaces contribute to the experience and intention of the space, defining it through particular orientations layered with particular materials. The responsive nature of the materials enables activities to be traced. It is this quality of direct response to its environment that creates a space that is alive and trodden; inviting curiosity and interactive play. To capture and exaggerate traces, surfaces anticipate how people move and force a sometimes improbable physical interaction.

Human wear is determined and controlled by the texture, patterning, rhythm and adaptations of materials through time. All wear are factors of orientation, porosity of material, degree of impact, and overall climatic location which are critical in causing particular kinds of weathering. Different levels of porosity, therefore, determine the preserving of more or less evidence on a material, while different degrees of repetitive impact determine more or less physical depressions.

in order to understand the effects of degrees of impact on flat planes and inclined/declined planes through walking, running and skipping, a mapping was created. by painting my feet different colors and walking, running and then skipping over a strip of fabric, i was able to understand not only the level of impact of each activity through the opacity of the footprint, but also the patterning of prints and their relationships. the walking prints were less opaque than the running prints because i create a higher impact while running than walking. it was interesting to throw the skip in. it occurred along with the running prints, but of course it included an extra upper foot pad print representing the extra small jump of a skip. this mapping was then translated into a coding system of impact and also physical exertion the body understands with each activity. because exertion is a more internal perception of how much work is being done, it was a more intuitive abstract mapping that coincided with the impact part.

a trodden space

you round the corner and you realize its a dead end
its all in a dark cast shadow
but the greens, browns and dulled creamy whites are still evident
a cool chill is in the air and it smells of moss, lichen and stone masonry
the uneven cobblestone beneath your feet is annoying to walk on
the tufastone to your left is deteriorating, or is it not?
the beige, intermittent olive green and daunting brown envelope the small intimate space, a realization of its age and longevity is found
one of the olive greens catches your eye, pulling it to the ground, it has made a surprisingly exact line weaving through the cobblestone mortar, leading you on a journey from the tufa to the drainage slope
the vegetation left behind from a stream's repetitive path
does it rain here often?

a revised statement

The modernists believed that a building is perfect only after the construction process is complete, it then enters a downward spiral to deterioration due to inhabitation and weathering. Why dwell upon the solutions to avoid the effects of weathering when they will forever be inevitable? What if architecture can still provide shelter but simultaneously embrace and invite in environmental processes, controlling weathering and the resulting experienced space?

The experiential qualities of weathered spaces provide knowledge into the history of the space, giving them integrity. Materials involved in the space preserve their own experiences of phenomena that have occurred over time through their ability to be impressionable. These phenomena are weather, humans, animals and natural disasters; all inscriptions in materials create weathering. It is the discovery of prior inhabitants and occurrences in the space that create intrigue. Because of the material's ability to preserve environmental effects, a current inhabitant experiences the awareness of the accumulated history.

The weathered surfaces contribute to the experiential quality of the space, defining it through the receptive and responsive nature of the materials involved. A simple change in material or appliqué on a material can contribute to the definition of space, but it is this living, breathing nature, directly responsive to its environment that creates a space that is alive and growing.

Factors of orientation, location, porosity of material and overall climactic location are critical in causing particular kinds of weathering. Different levels of porosity, therefore, determine the preserving of more or less evidence on a material. Some materials can weather under any circumstance, those that are most porous, while others, those that lack porosity, require assistance through their relationship to another material.

carlo scarpa

ok back to scarpa. i looked to him in the initial stages of my project, but i did not explore him enough, nor did i take away what have now. he is a great precedent architect to study for me as he understands the effects of weathering enough to incorporate details that control surfaces that are to stain. Details foretell the specific locations that staining will occur over time. Not only does he intrinsically understand the effects of the environment, but his handling of materials, old and new, existing and current, are amazing, and to say the least, beautiful. Here are 3 examples: above, the Brion-vega cemetery in San Vito di Altivole, Italy; left, the Banco Populare di Verona; below, Museo Castelvecchio in Verona. Each project utilizes/controls weathering in a particular manner to a cultivated, expected and beneficial result. In addition, all appear old from the completion of the project, is this just a result of an adaptive reuse project? or does scarpa intentionally create this aesthetic? i know for sure he designs for the purpose of getting better with age.