CURRENT PRACTICES & MOVING FORWARD

                Sustainability and modern day design practices don’t necessarily go hand in hand as well as most would proclaim.  Although everyone desires the most sustainable building available, most people don’t realize just how hard it is creating a sustainable product effectively. 

Sustainability has almost become a buzzword that triggers the interest of all but most are not willing to work for.   Every owner wants the recognition of LEED credentials, but don’t understand what it takes to receive that certificate.  But I wonder if it is entirely less complex to make parallels between the two lecture topics this week; “sustainability” and “current practices” than it is considered currently within the design world.  Is being sustainable truly as difficult as it seems to be nowadays?  Or are we as designers not utilizing the less obvious ways to provide sustainable projects?

Two examples given as current practices of urban design are Transit Oriented Design TOD and Walkable Cities.  Although these examples are arguably opposites, I believe their main concepts are one in the same, and can be compared to Natural and Cultural types of sustainability.  An example of Transit Oriented Design would be Portland, Oregon’s TriMet rail system, seen below.  As I have had far too much experience commuting on this rail line, I have to say that it is one of the most thought out systems I’ve seen, providing service in not only downtown areas, but more “traditional” neighborhoods as well.  The main theory behind TOD is to minimize personal vehicular usage, and to reduce air pollution and regional congestion.  Portland TriMet does just that,  providing a light rail system servicing various areas of the city, covering a total of 52+ miles (2013, June).  As the city becomes more densified, the practicality of personal automobile use decreases and the rise in public transportation increases.  Especially because commuting within the city center of the system is free of charge and helps attract users to the area.

http://transitmap.net/post/58158059517/aerial-portland

Although the example given for Cultural sustainability had an emphasis on humanitarian design and the use of local materials, the Portland rail system is a direct translation of the culture of Portland and shows exactly how the entire social class of the city commutes in the same way; while reducing negative environmental impacts and promoting local economic development.  Providing public transportation throughout numerous parts of the city helps to minimize the overall square footage of the entire city and reduces it down to more of a Walkable City environment.  When designed correctly, I believe the use of TOD systems can actually create Walkable Cities, almost eliminating the need of personal vehicles and promoting a healthier, more financially feasible lifestyle.

On the other hand, Natural sustainability practices  are very similar to vernacular architecture design and I feel is the main theory of Walkable Cities.  The main concept of vernacular architecture is to address the basic needs of the user, which is the same idea behind Walkable Cities which provides all basic services required to live a well rounded life, within a few mile radius.  Ancient Roman cities for example used to provide all nourishment, services, and entertainment within a set city boundary to make sure all citizens had access to all basic human needs before vehicles were even invented. 

http://atlphyre.blogspot.com/2013_01_01_archive.html

The map above shows the City of Timgad, one of the few Roman cities that was created entirely from scratch allowing the Romans to create a city exactly like they saw fit (2011, October 8).  As you can see, the market, educational facilities, entertainment, etc. are all located within the city center, allowing the citizens to travel to one set location for all services, and reducing the need to travel.  Whether intentional or not, this urban design approach is a direct representation of Natural sustainability through the focus on local materiality, topographic response and not only the health of the land, but also the users that inhabit the space.

http://www.lib.luc.edu/specialcollections/items/show/809

Utilizing a primarily flat site allows for easier travel from one site to the next, while taking advantage of the minimal elevation changes for entertainment purposes like the amphitheater seen to the left.  This example of vernacular architecture is an urban design concept that I think was underappreciated and lost in the evolution of design over the years.

In order to be sustainable as designers we need to look beyond just materiality, but consider how the user interacts with the space as well.  I believe nowadays it has become too common to only focus on the physically built elements of designs to determine whether a design is sustainable or not, and it no longer matters if the inhabitants are pollutants themselves.  Although Timgad was a city before the invention of the automobile, it still would have been just as wasteful to design cities that were beyond the radius of a reasonable walkable distance because those spaces would have been underutilized and a waste of labor, materials and the natural environment.  Pollution isn't the only factor that makes things unsustainable.

So is it possible for cities to be as sustainable as they once were before the Industrial Revolution?  Yes but it won't be easy.  Like Portland, a city rapidly growing and spread out over 100 square miles, is still a city that promotes non-vehicular transportation as a way of life, centralizes uses for shorter travel times and provides transportation for those who must travel beyond a reasonable walking distance.  It is probably impractical to suggest that all cities start implementing vernacular architecture techniques like Timgad, but like the lecture says: it's about learning from our past in order to create a better future. 

Ceron, I. (2011, October 8).  Equity in the City (1): Three Lessons from the Ancient Roman Metropolis.  Retrieved December 1, 2016, from https://isabelceron.wordpress.com/2011/10/08/equity-in-the-city-1-three-lessons-from-the-ancient-roman-metropolis/

McFarlane, N. (2013, June). Public Transit in Portland. Retrieved November 30, 2016, from https://trimet.org/pdfs/publications/Public-Transit-in-Portland.pdf

URBAN DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT

               

  To be able to understand design development, you must first understand design codes as they are the dictator of all projects.  Beyond just guidelines, code are requirements that design professionals must adhere too in order to make spaces safe for the users.  The most common form of code that I’m sure we are all somewhat familiar with already is ADA compliance.  This a good example of a code requirement that affects not only architectural design, but urban design as well.  Designing in a manner that complies with handicap accessibility is no easy feat.  Yet all must take it into consideration.

Another form of code that affects both the built and natural environments are building and zoning codes.  Zoning codes don’t necessarily affect the physical features of a building, but they do determine where certain types of building uses may be constructed, which ultimately determines how the space is used.  If mixed use building were not allowed within a downtown area, the role of a city center that we are familiar with today would not be the same.  Restaurants, offices, retail and possibly educational facilities would not make up the heart of our cities.  It could possibly be industrial warehouses or residential neighborhoods.  Neither of these are plausible options as in order for a city to have a thriving downtown it must provide for the masses and build its economy.  But the point being that code is what allows those various options of entertainment/services to reside in certain areas, while expelling others.

A question I have for all of you is, do you think building codes are only used to provide a universal standard for all in the industry?  Or is it more of a moral code that we as designers are using to implement higher standards for the wellbeing of all?  For example, walkable cities.  These are typically created through code requirements of block sizing, transportation options and centralizing live/work/play spaces in one area.

http://www.treehugger.com/urban-design/transit-oriented-
development-key-better-cities.html

But do we actually design cities like this because that’s what creates stronger economies, or because it creates a better way of life for the individuals residing there?  Designing spaces that provide entertainment, meals, living spaces and jobs, reduces the need for vehicles and promotes users to be in the natural environment more.  “Natural” may still be within an urban environment, but that’s why pocket parks and building setbacks were created.  To provide greenscape and sunlight to areas that may otherwise be dominated by buildings or smog.  

ADA, again, is used to aid those not able to use spaces as easily as others.  Enhancing their way of life by accommodating their needs in a new and more appropriate way, while still providing for the masses.

Although I do believe the general reasoning behind code development is to set a universal standard for all built design, I think it is fair to question whether there is more meaning behind its need.  As we have talked about in my Professional Practice class, a career in architecture goes far beyond just drawing and creating things.  It requires a certain “code of conduct” that requires morality in every aspect of your project.  Whether you are meeting with a client, creating construction documents, or are already done with construction, knowing the lives of the users within that spaces are in your hands and that it’s your duty to provide them the safest, most well thought out design that you can possibly create is key.  Because even though someone may not be looking, you should always be producing your highest level of work.  Which is how I think we should be interpreting codes.  It is not just about the requirements or restrictions that are outlined, it’s about why those requirements are needed and how they make our world better.

DEFINING URBAN SPACE

http://www.uidaho.edu/caa/programs/landscape-architecture/
featured-stories/olmsted-legacy

Spatial Practices:

Project: University of Idaho Campus Master Plan

Designer: the Olmsted Brothers

Date: 1908

After the 1906 fire that destroyed the Administration Building, the university's major landmark, John E. Tourtellotte, architect of Idaho's Capitol, was hired to design a new building.  Thinking of the future, University President James McLean also hired the Olmsted Brothers, Frederick and John Olmsted, to develop a master plan for the campus.

Frederick (Frederick Law Olmsted) is widely considered the "father of American landscape architecture" working on projects such as New York's Prospect and Central Park and the master plan for the 1983 World's Exposition in Chicago.  That legacy and experience was carried on to the planning of U of I.

John Olmsted took most of the lead on the project, creating a sketch and 25 page report explaining his intent for the university.  "The greater part of the land proposed to be added east...should be improved...so that the main group of University buildings would forever have a handsome, dignified frontage..."  Clearly showing that his intent focused on maintaining a defined connection between the existing buildings and any new use that may to introduced in the future.  "Understanding the interconnectedness of people and place" (2)  Like you can see in the diagram above, suggested circulation paths were created based on vision triangles and how travel between uses was based on the visual connection between each other.  Or like in the image to the right, you can see how many diagonal sidewalks have been implemented to reduce travel time and allow individuals to get from "a" to "b" in the most direct manner.  I heard, and I am not sure how true this is, that an analysis was done on the travel paths of students on campus to see what the most effective layout for sidewalks would be.  Which could explain the "chaotic" pattern seen. Creating a direct connection between the user and the place they are traveling too.

John once said "the University as a whole...ought to exhibit clearly, in all its outward appearance, the fact that it is the place of work and of residence of cultivated and careful people."(1) which is a sentiment the univeristy still strives for when planning.  Careful planning of not only current projects but consideration for future development has allowed for a unified progression in the university's growth.  I believe John's idea of understanding the interconnectedness of people and place is a concept that all designers should apply to their designs.  How people interact with space helps to determine how well a place or building can be used.  Which isn't a concept that I feel needs to be improved, yet it should be understood that although this should be applied to all projects, it will never be implemented in the same way.  Interconnectedness is as diverse of a concept as the project that it is being used for.  Spatial use and organization vs the user (the product) will always be required to create cohesion between people and place.

Conceptualized Space:

Project: Caldwell Business Improvement District
Designer: University of Idaho LARC 556 Students
Date: 2016

Currently our studio is working with the city of Caldwell to create design guidelines for their city center district.  As their current design code stands, many of the standards are too vague to confirm that a consistant design standard will be implemented throughout the downtown area.  Throughout the semester as a class we have created a design guideline document that breaks down the elements that create a building and the architectural characteristics, materiality and execution that will be allowed.  As well, an urban design guideline section is being developed to outline acceptable landscape/streetscape options for the area.  With the completion of the document the city has the option to pick and chose which of our guidelines they would like to include in their city building/zoning code.

The next section of our document is going to be proposing uses and developments of space and buildings within the district.  The aerial image above is the existing condition of the district,

consisting mostly of commercial or vacant buildings, including a historic block that is the original downtown Caldwell.  Where the image to the left (still under development) is our proposal for multi-use, residential and commercial buildings to help create a more diverse, profitable district.  Although our image does seem more strict and finalized due to the rendering technique, we are still only proposing an option to the city, i.e. showing spatial relations between the built and urban environment of the area.  I feel like the term "conceptualized space" references a very perliminary style of space.  As if it can only be used in the begining stages of design, before things are further developed.  But due to client need/perceptual abilities we had to provided a more formalized image to protray our ideas beyond the lose presentation style this type of space definition.

Representational Space:

Project: The Radiant City
Designer: Le Corbusier
Date: 1924

https://expedictionary.com/2014/01/23/film-cities-spike-
jonzes-herand-los-angeles-as-radiant-city/

The first example I think of when describing representational space is Corbu's theory on utopian architecture.  And the idea of creating a urban environment that directly reflects the needs of a city, through spatial relation to architectural use.

Through planning and architectural design, Corbu's core plan was based on zoning and creating a strict division of public, private and entertainment areas.  Business district located in the center of the city with a vast underground system of trains for transportation to and from the surrounding housing areas.  Housing districts would be apartment style buildings accommodating up to 2,700 inhabitants functioning as a "vertical village." With parks in between each building to provide the most natural daylight and recreational facilities as possible, with minimal noise, right at they front door (3).

The concept of a utopian city is completely unreasonable and would never work in the intended way.  For one, all users can not be expected to live/work/play in the same exact way.  Although all people should be treated "equal" that will never be a concept that could be fully executed because we have become so accustomed to our ways of life.  Once one experiences a privileged lifestyle, it is nearly impossible to force them to lower their standard of living.

The one good concept of utopia I've found is the reduction of transportation and promoting more natural environment within city limits.  This helps to provide a healthier, more active lifestyle for all inhabitants, rather than just the ones that can pay more for these necessary immunity.

https://www.google.com/searchq=le+corbusier+utopian+architecture&rlz=1C1CHFX_en
US708US708&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi0s6ik5_zPAhUL
qlQKHafuAkYQ_AUICSgC&biw=871&bih=823#imgrc=_

(1) "Olmsted Legacy." Retrieved October 27, 2016. from https://www.uidaho.edu/caa/programs/landscape-architecture/featured-stories/olmsted-legacy

(2) "Long Range Campus Development Plan."  Retrieved October 27, 2016, from http://www.uidaho.edu/infrastructure/facilities/aes/campus-development-plan

(3) Merin, G. (2013, August 11). AD Classics: Ville Radieuse / Le Corbusier. Retrieved October 28, 2016, from http://www.archdaily.com/411878/ad-classics-ville-radieuse-le-corbusier

WHO IS JANE JACOBS?

I can’t begin this article without first expressing my gratitude for Jane Jacobs and everything that she accomplished throughout her life.  The mere fact that she was a common citizen, an untrained urban theorist, and was unafraid to challenge everything that was believed of city planning at the time is baffling to me.  Let alone that she was a woman in the 60’s standing up to numerous men on a topic they were much more knowledgeable on.  It just goes to show that standardized education isn’t always the answer.  Experience and formulating your own perception of things can be just as powerful.  So with that, let’s begin…

http://i0.wp.com/www.philipcaruso-story.com/
wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Jane-Jacobs.jpg

Born in 1916, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Jacobs began her career after high school taking an unpaid position as a women’s page editor for the Scranton Tribune.  After a year she moved to New York City working mainly as a stenographer and freelance writer, which she stated “gave me more of a notion of what was going on in the city…” (1). 

By 1952, Jacobs became Associate Editor of Architectural Forum, allowing her to observe the mechanisms of city planning and urban renewal much closer.  Becoming increasingly critical of conventional planning theories and questioning whether the projects she was writing about were actually as ‘safe, interesting and economically sound’ as they proposed. 

Her career was launched in 1961 with the release of her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities, challenging the modernist planning ideals of the moment with the wisdom of observation and community intuition.  Challenging the idea that urban sprawl wasn’t the answer to the Industrial Age and the suburb.  But rather, a successful city was created by focusing on the elements that are already in place within a city, providing more mixed use buildings for a more unified community and to embrace your past in order to create a better future; “people are a pillar of time and need to be surrounded (in some amount) by its history in order to thrive.” (2).  While urban renewal then, and even now, typically focuses on introducing new ideals to improve wrong doings, Jane argued that we need to take a look at the mistakes that are currently in affect, understand them, and correct so it isn’t repeated later down the road.

One of her biggest accomplishments, besides her book, was during the mid 1960’s when she ended the reign of Parks Commissioner Robert Moses.  Ending his efforts to construct a number of major highways, running through Manhattan’s Washington Square Park and West Village.  Her efforts led to her arrest in 1968 which is considered one of the turning points in the development of New York City (1).

I think one of the major takeaways from Jane Jacobs’ career is that it is okay to stand up for what you believe in.  The ideals that she presented (the integration of mixed use buildings, preserving architectural heritage, and creating safe, community based environments) are still key factors that planners strive to achieve today.  Historic preservation is one of my biggest interests when it comes to architecture.  And I could not agree more that we need to utilize historic structures and learn from their mistakes, in order to create a better future.  If we don’t reflect on the past and learn from it, mistakes already experienced have a greater possibility of reoccurring.  “New” isn’t always the answer.  “Bigger” isn’t always better.

Challenging urban sprawl and the domination of the automobile on city centers, allowed cities to become what they are today.  She created the idea that cities should be “place-based, community centered”, an idea considered inconceivable during this time.  Yet it is the one of the major objectives considered at this time.  Basically what I’m trying to say is, thank you Jane Jacobs.  You finally helped me confirm how I define urban planning.  It is about utilizing elements that are already in place and redefining them to create a stronger, all-encompassing environment for all.

1          P. (n.d.). Jane Jacobs. Retrieved October 12, 2016, from http://www.pps.org/reference/jjacobs-2/

2     Polakit, Kasama.   Urban Design | The "Field". [PowerPoint slides].  Retrieved             from https://bblearn.uidaho.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_63923_1&content_id=_1181869_1

Contemporary Urban Design Theories

After reviewing the assigned readings for this week my understanding of urban design and the theories (that I’ve heard thus far) that construct them, are even more muddled.  On one hand, most theories focus more on the philosophical side of a theory, while the other takes direct examples from history to explain why certain events/concepts occurred.  Although one is fact based and the other more focused on “mind and body” concepts, it gets me questioning theory in general.  Are all theories derived from interpretation?  Or can a theory actually explain the full “being” of a subject?  Do these theories presented actually define urbanization or is it an ever evolving subject that never stays constant enough to understand it’s full purpose?

Place and Placelessness explains Edward Relph’s experimentation of urban design, and it seems that his conclusions are closely related to my theories on the subject.  Relph explains that space isn’t necessarily a place, it is more defined by how people experience it.  As I tried to explain in Module One, I believe the success of a design is directly related to how a person inhabits a space and if it is usable.  To take it one step further, Relph goes on to say that in order for a place to hold significance it needs to be understood.  Once the understanding of a place is lost, consideration for maintenance, usage and restoration are lost. 

I wonder if “understanding” can be better described as “admiration”.  When he states that once understanding for a place is lost, the consideration for its well-being is absent.  For example, when a house is worn down to the point that it is abandoned, the admiration for the space is lost and it is no longer a home, rather just a shell of a building. 

As Relph stated, the more profoundly inside a place someone is, the more they identify with it.  It isn’t enough to just be present in a space, you have to be “one” with the place in order completely identify/understand its potential.  But regardless of time period, geographical location, or economic standpoint, “people will always need place” because it helps define who we are as humans.  Which is why I think people have the ability to see the future possibilities of spaces, even though they may never have seen it in its original condition.  Place isn’t defined by a space, it is defined by the individual that can identify with its true potential.

To relate this all back to urban design itself, The City as Text: Architecture and Urban Design explained that architecture and urban design are linked in the dynamics of urban change and spatial organization.  While the physical arrangement of the built environment provides a sense of stability during times of change, the connection of person to nature has been the main focus of urbanization for quite some time.  And according to the article, having a relationship with the outdoors was almost considered "American" during the Industrial Age.  During a time when the automobile and machinery were trying to take over, it was the theory that open space and that a connection between place and the natural environment were crucial to our future.  In order to urbanize, all theories must take into consideration the present issues at hand, as well as the future consumption/needs of the population.  What is urbanization without a future?  And what is the built environment without nature?

x

DEFINING URBAN DESIGN

Defining urban design is no simple feat.  And honestly, a very biased task.  Just like everything design related, success and failure are determined by the opinion of the viewer.  There is no right and wrong.  But there is (arguably) good and bad. 

Is the space usable?

This question is ultimately the deciding factor as to whether a space is successful or not.  No matter what the design program is, whether it be a new park, mixed use building or total reconfiguration of an entire city center, is the space usable has to be answered.

Before you can categorize urban design I think you have to define what a city is, and what its meaning is to you, before determining what its overall design and layout should be.  To me, a city isn't a place.  It's a person.  Personality, appearance, comfort are not just qualities you search for in a companion, but also in the environment you reside.  I believe cities are the "organs" of our country. They are where our economy (our lifeline) thrives.  There are a number of ways to support the production of an economy (and the human body), and the best way is typically strengthening the inside first.  That's how I view urban design.  Strengthening communities, or the inner foundation of a city, and finding ways to make them thrive.  In return you will create the success of the city in which it is located.

Urban design isn't created by just one individual or designer.  It is influenced by every individual that inhabits the space at any point in time.  And unlike architecture or landscape architecture, it's end goal isn't to present a product, but rather a way of life.  Emotion is what determines the success of urban design.

Urban planning on the other hand is often related to urban design and many think they are one in the same.  But to me, urban planning relates more to the future development of a space and the built elements that will need to be introduced to create a new use.  While, urban design is how the user interacts and feels while in the space.  For example, Robert Moses thought that introducing major roadways into cities were the answer to creating a more thriving downtown.  While Jane Jacobs felt that creating densely populated community cores, allowed for the residents to create safe, user friendly spaces through the natural in-habitation of the space.  One planned to incorporate major renovations to "enhance" communities.  While the other, utilized what was already in place and showed people that by using the resources right in front of them, they could create their ideal community.

That last example gets me questioning everything we know about urban design...and actually might be what my thesis will be on.  "Utilizing what is already in place", I view as historic preservation, which is actually one of the six basis's for defining urban design according to the Institute of Urban Design (1).  Although I feel "adaptive reuse" is a more accurate term...it gets me questioning not only is the space usable, but also how can we make this space usable AGAIN?  Urban design isn't necessarily about introducing new elements to make a place better.  It is also about reinventing the spaces that we already have, to make a place great again.

Urban design is an ever evolving task that I don't feel can be defined.  Urban developers themselves can not be defined as architects, landscape architects, theorists, engineers, etc.  How are we supposed to define a design movement that can't even define it's participants?  Urban design is always changing and would need to be redefined continuously.  The only constant that I can find in urban development and the built environment itself is, how is the space used and does it work?  The practicality and function of the space in that moment is what defines it.

1     Polakit, Kasama.   Urban Design | The "Field". [PowerPoint slides].  Retrieved             from https://bblearn.uidaho.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_63923_1&content_id=_1181869_1

Hello,

My name Megan Hoover and I am a first year graduate student in the Architecture project here are the University of Idaho Boise campus.  I graduated in 2013 and began my graduate program at Portland State University (my hometown), but decided to take some time off and get work experience before finishing school.  Over the last few years I have worked for a general contractor and currently working with an architecture firm here in Boise.  My current interests in architecture are historic preservation/adaptive reuse and urban planning.  So I am hopeful that this class will help me discover a way to combine these two disciplines into a future career!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at hoov5044@vandals.uidaho.edu