traces and trajectories

project description

“Man continues to mark the land relentlessly shaping the surface from wilderness to cultivation. Strategies of mechanization, the necessity of irrigation and the demands of inhabitation introduce a new order. So the “countryside” which has evolved over centuries can be described as under the influence of nature but under the CONTROL of man. The ‘natural’ landscape has taken on an artificial patination. Alien materials interrupt the process of growth and decay.”                 SMOUT|ALLEN Augmented Landscapes

The intent of the proposal is to study the redevelopment of the symbiotic relationship between man and nature as it relates to industry in the urban environment. Cities all over the world are faced with ecological degradation due to industrial waste and inefficient infrastructural processes. Through careful intervention, the processes can begin to work symbiotically to better the lives of the urban dweller while repairing the damaged environment.

In 1969 in Cleveland, Ohio, the Cuyahoga River caught fire due to the immense amount of pollution in the water. The fire led many people to flee the city for the suburbs.  To re-establish the connection back to the water, the filtration process must take place, for earth water and air. Through the temporal process of remediation, the urbanite is invited to observe and interact with the landscape. Over time, the site will allow for full public access and a reconnection to the water.

The site is a storage site for iron ore, used at a nearby steel mill which has mounds of iron ore 40’ tall. Encircled by a train track, this project looks at a phased redevelopment and remediation plan spanning 28 years based on the harvesting cycle of the selected plants: hybrid poplars and sunflowers. Additional wetlands will be planted with local species as the soil becomes less toxic. The storage of the iron ore is reimagined as a working archive, above, the production and storage of encapsulated iron ore, thus limiting its potential to leach chemicals into the water. The next program to be implemented is a laboratory to study the toxicity of the site to ensure safe human inhabitation. After two cycles of harvest of the hyper-accumulating hybrid poplar trees, the construction of the residential towers can commence, bringing new life to the site. After the fourth cycle, the landscape in front of the towers can be redesigned into a public asset, a grove of golden poplar trees, a wetland to increase biodiversity, and a playground for the children who now live in the buildings.

Role: Independent Designer
Undergraduate Capstone Project for the University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Advisor: Tricia Stuth
Honorable Mention, 2012 Tau Sigma Delta Bronze Medal Juried Competition