2016

TECHNIFIED ECOSYSTEMS

The City as an Artificial Landscape

Ufuk Ersoy | David Franco | Ulrike Heine | Henrique Houayek

FOREWORD

The very notion of architecture as a sustainable endeavor remains problematic despite its now mainstream acknowledgment. The obsession with energy efficiency, strengthened by institutionalized validations such as LEED, conceals a much more intricate array of factors -from social and technical to natural and urban- that, rather than too complex or problematic, might actually constitute an innovatively ecological design thinking. In the studio displayed in this poster we have attempted to approach this wide question without downscaling it neither to a mere technical issue nor to marketing imagery. With that end we have chosen to work on a site in Greenville -South Carolina-, where an unresolved and intense urban condition merges with a recently recovered river area.

The long-term transformation of Greenville’s Main Street according to the project by Laurence Halprin in the 1970’s was not only a breakthrough in the reinvention of the post-suburban American town toward denser and walkable environment, It also meant the first step in a longer transformative process for Greenville, in which the civic value of public space strategically overcame the economic value of the urban lot. The recent recovery of the banks of the Reedy River as a scenario of urban activity, with the addition of a pedestrian suspension bridge, constitutes a continuation to Halprin’s work, bringing back the hidden green landscape of the waterfalls of the Reedy into the heart of the city. Sadly, these two key urban operations -Falls Park and Main Street- remain disconnected by the amorphous structure of a large block currently occupied by the local newspaper: the Greenville News. This will be precisely the site that we have analyzed and redesign, taking advantage of its potential for integrating the water landscape of the Reedy River with the intense urbanity of Main Street. Consequently, the studio proposals also serve as critical alternatives to the rather banal -and already in progress- plan for a hotel, condominiums and a commercial complex in this very site, including the demolition of the beautiful late-modern structure of the Greenville News building from 1969.

INTRODUCTION

As today’s architecture students move into the profession, they will inherit a rapidly changing world, both in terms of the physical contexts of their work, and the tools, materials and processes available to create it. Preparing students for this challenging, dynamic future calls for greater integration of innovative ecological design thinking within the design discourse of universities across the country.

The American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment (AIA COTE), in partnership with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), is pleased to announce the second annual AIA COTE Top Ten for Students. The program challenges students, working individually or in teams, to submit projects that use a thoroughly integrated approach to architecture, natural systems, and technology to provide architectural solutions that protect and enhance the environment. The competition will recognize ten exceptional studio projects that seamlessly integrate innovative, regenerative strategies within their broader design concepts.

Entries will be judged on their success in addressing all ten sustainability measures. Successful responses will demonstrate creative and innovative integration of daylighting, materials, water, energy, and ecological systems, through a cohesive and beautiful architectural understanding. Entries are examined in regard to their design and innovation, integration with their community, land use and effect on site ecology, bioclimatic design, energy and water use, approach to light and air, materials and construction, long-life considerations, and feedback loops. Entries will also be judged for the success with which the project has met its individual requirements, with particular emphasis on design excellence.

The project submission will include for each of the measures, a demonstration through narrative, illustration, and in some cases an approach and diagram or metric for the emphasis and intent of the design decisions. These measures are intended to foster leadership (and ability) among designers in all facets of environmental decision-making; and to demonstrate design quality and ways to seamlessly integrate innovative, regenerative strategies within their broader design concepts

Project Background

The very notion of architecture as a sustainable endeavor remains problematic despite its current mainstream acknowledgment. Metaphorically similar to an iceberg, the obsession with energy efficiency conceals a much more intricate array of factors ranging from social and technical to natural and urban conditions that might help architects configure an innovative ecological-urban design thinking. In this studio, we will approach to sustainability as neither an economical nor an ecological issue but as a wider urban problem involving both. We will use the AIA COTE Students Competition as a method to bring to light the complexity of this problem. (See https://www.acsa-arch.org/programs-events/competitions/2016-2017-cote-top-ten-for-students). The competition format is part of a long tradition of architecture that aims to bring to public view innovative design ideas. With that goal in mind, we will work on a specific site in Greenville, South Carolina, chosen to put in play the ten questions proposed by the competition brief.

SITE CONSIDERATIONS

As an urban landscape, downtown Greenville stands as a remarkable example of how design can or should have a direct positive impact over the life of a city. The long-term transformation of Main Street according to the project conceived by Laurence Halprin in the 1970’s was a breakthrough in the reinvention of the post-suburban American town as a denser and walkable environment. This was also the first step of a longer transformation for Greenville, in which the civic value of public space strategically overcame the economic value of the urban lot. The more recent recovery of the banks of the Reedy River as a scenario of urban activity constitutes a brilliant continuation to Halprin’s work. It does so by bringing back the hidden landscape of the waterfalls into the heart of the city, integrating not only the green area of the Falls Park itself, but also relevant public institutions, such as Peace Center Performance Arts complex. Sadly, these two key urban operations—Main Street and Falls Park—remain disconnected by an amorphous large block currently occupied by the Greenville News between Broad Street and Falls Park edge in Murphy Street. This will be precisely the site that we will analyze and redesign for the COTE competition considering its potential to integrate the landscape of the Reedy River with the intense urban context of Main Street. The studio competition proposals will serve as critical alternatives to the rather banal—and already in progress—plan for a hotel, condominiums and a commercial complex in this very site, including the demolition of a historic landmark, the late-modern structure of the Greenville News from 1969.

PROGRAMMATIC APPROACH

As it usually occurs on sites with the high urban potential this one has, the program of the building (or buildings) to be raised here is an open question. Therefore, the architectural strategy should be intimately tied to the program in one way or the other. Even if it includes different programmatic elements -such as commercial, residential or cultural uses-, configuring some sort of Mixed-use, their different proportions will be essential for the final result. Consequently, the first step to start the design process will be a programmatic statement that shows the potential of the site. Alternative and experimental approaches regarding program are encouraged, while too deterministic ones -making conventional choices by default- should be avoided. In any case there should be a reasoned narrative that supports the programmatic statement.