2ND REVIEW: March 10, 2009

In the beginning I studied relationships in transitional phases from a fabric to a model of a highway. The study was not about the beginning or end, but about the space between. The ends were what seemed unnatural. Throughout the study, there was a constant struggle in mitigating scale and speed- this is also a constant struggle in the city.

As I was mapping the activity along the highway during Wintersession, I found a site that had so many intersections of sites and systems that I thought it would be a great site. Through this, I’ve been defining the strand as the site is broken into a few parts: along the strand (perpendicular, adjacent), interstitial space, and connective space. The montage shows a series of different edges that encapsulate the site. The model shows the field conditions prominent on the site, coming from the neighboring forest, and the highway structure. Once the strands overhead are raised, an entire new character emerges. Edges are not as definitive as implied by an aerial photo. The axon shows breaking apart the layers to understand what’s happening between them.

This is essentially the core of my project: Designing between, on, around, over, and under the highway and working with it and its neighbors existing systems by:

• Breaking down edges
• Connecting (potentially) across the “river”
• Oozing and flowing loosely through a set structural grid.

Feedback from the review

• Understand loop as tension and diversion. There is an intensity of connections in certain moments THEN an incredible discovery of the underbelly.
• Can we propose new uses for these spaces?
• Cathedral of the 21^st Century. Set it up as a stage- anything can happen here.
• Give a new reading to this site. Create an armature to allow different things to happen.
• Floating Cafés
• This is a destination and about moving back and forth across a highway.
• Series of diagrams talking about threshold, filter, subject, designation. A gathering from all sides. Diagram all the scales within and test them out. Diagram the dynamics of urban systems- who is coming here? Water?
• Is it one moment or parallel moments?
• What is on both sides?
• Where are points of gathering?
• There are already flows- how to divert, capture, filter these flows?
• Model- changing forest- urban landscape- how do we navigate through these spaces?
• Think about sound. So much water when it rains. What is a flooded forest? There are certain universals and certain things that are specific to Houston- document these. (In terms of these things happening all around the country- reveal similarities and differences.)
• Seasonal changes in terms of use
• How do you build off a field or forest?
• Impose methodology- build the thing so we understand its complexity. Series of sectional models.
• Stephen Holl- edge of city project
• How do you decide what to do now? Radius, loops, or outside narratives could start to inform this.
• Forest, flooding ,access to sky—if it were a building, what does it need to do to negotiate neighborhood and forest- a building that’s porous, survives flooding, and allows people movement.
• Gateway into the city- a “rest stop” into city.
• Phenomena of light and dark.
• Observatory- amplifying or reaction to spaces. Be tactile.
• ….Choose a juicy program.