After critique and group discussion I chose to further develop the concept of using proximity sensors and GPS technology to guide users to empty on-street parking throughout the site. I also chose to combine the SMS text wayfinding technology into this hypothesis to further guide the user to their specified destination.

Studio Photosynth

Java – Java “is a programming language and computing platform released by Sun Microsystems in 1995.  It is the underlying technology that powers state-of-the-art programs including utilities, games, and business applications. Java runs on more than 850 million personal computers worldwide, and on billions of devices worldwide, including mobile and TV devices.” Source: http://www.java.com

Waspmote – Waspmote is a wireless controller device that was released in 2009 by Libelium.  It is a low power consumption device that is solar-power capable that has the ability for three types of sensor boards (gases, events, and protyping). The boards are also capable up supporting several technologies such as GPS, GPRS, as well as SD Card and USB support. Source: http://www.libelium.com/waspmote

Solenoid – “is a three-dimensional coil. In physics, the term solenoid refers to a loop of wire, often wrapped around a metallic core, which produces a magnetic field when an electric current is passed through it.” Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solenoid

Live Within Skin is a wall system comprised of engineered layers of lightweight plant-growth medium. Designed by Greenmeme ecological designer Freya Bardell, the modular vertical garden integrates living vegetation with the built environment so that the walls can be proactively used to address issues of air quality, storm-water runoff, thermal insulation, and sound attenuation. Live Within Skin walls can serve both interior and exterior applications and may be adapted to most environmental conditions through plant species selection, integrated irrigation, and lighting. Made up of four main layers consisting of plants, outer surface, growth layers, and irrigation, the modular wall panels may be “pre-grown” or planted on site. Whenever possible, the wall units also incorporate rainwater harvesting and catchment systems. The surfaces are designed with custom screen patterns tailored to the particular plants and growing conditions specified and are fabricated using digitally controlled water-jet or laser-cutting techniques. Source: http://transmaterial.net/index.php/2009/04/18/live-within-skin/

Rachel Wingfield’s Temporal Light is a tiling system designed to illuminate public and private spaces. The system utilizes knitted electroluminescent wire cast in resin with electronics. Each tile forms a pixel that responds to a moving shadow being cast upon it, mapping a physical pathway with an inverted, illuminating shadow. Light trails linger as one moves through space, providing localized and personal illumination. Source:http://transmaterial.net/index.php/2009/09/02/temporal-light/

Quiet Revolution – London-based XCO2 has developed an elegant vertical-axis wind turbine which is virtually silent and vibration free, and therefore ideally suited to both urban sites and exposed locations. The simple and robust design (patent pending) has just one moving part, maximizing reliability and minimizing maintenance requirements. Unlike other renewable energy sources, quiet revolution is also available in a unique model capable of creating a striking visual display that is part illuminated billboard, part artwork, part renewable energy device. Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) embedded in each of its three S-shaped blades fire in sequence as the blades rotate, painting a video screen that appears to hang in the air. This full color and motion image is clearly visible day and night. Source:http://transmaterial.net/index.php/2006/04/21/quiet-revolution/

For the observational and annotation site visit, I chose a vantage point adjacent to an abandoned industrial building at the corner of Chartres St. and Montegut St. This location was chosen because I am focusing my attention on how the industrial presence of the neighborhood leaves more of a scar on the landscape than just the mere empty building. In addition, I focused my attention for the first project on how the openness of a space can have a bearing on a person’s feeling through the space. This location was also chosen due to the fact it was located next to a rail yard and had a different feel from other areas within the neighborhood.

I felt that this observation exercise was interesting as it gave me a small glimpse at what types of temporal conditions exist at a site like this but, I quickly discovered that the short time that I spent observing was not sufficient to gain a full understanding of the site. Had I been able to view the site for say a 24 hour period, I believe that I would have a broader understanding of the site. In addition, this 24 hour observation done several times a year to document seasonal change would be the most optimal documentation and allow the viewer the fullest understanding of the site.

This micro scale observation is important to fully understanding a site but could give a false reading of the landscape when applied to the macro scale of the same site. For this reason, it is necessary to look at a site on both levels. The site I chose is a unique space within the larger context of the neighborhood and, to label the entire site based on observations of a small portion would give false data.

I believe that these types of temporal recordings are useful to a designer to evaluate how a site changes over time. It is very important to understand that the landscape is not a static creation but a continually changing system constantly in flux.

My Mardi Gras experience began with a parade in Baton Rouge on Saturday night with the Krewe of Poseidon. This year was the first year of this parade and they came out armed with extra “goodies” to commemorate their inaugural season. My 4-year-old loved this parade since every float had something special to give her and the people we were standing with were helping her catch as much as she could. At one moment, she looked like Mr. T with probably 40 strands of beads around her neck all the way up to her ear lobes! We went the following day to New Orleans to view parades from Magazine St. However, we were stuck in the most horrific traffic I have ever experienced for OVER 3 HOURS!!!!! After much cursing, we finally found our way out of it and to a parking spot. We did see one parade from inside the car as we were driving and saw the Krewe of Thoth once we arrived at Brad’s house. I was most surprised by how the people acted in New Orleans as compared to what we had experienced in Baton ROuge the night before. Grown women were trying to pull things given to my daughter out of her hands! After the float would pass, these same women would then act like they were our friends and even comment on how cute my daughter was but once another float came, they were all about getting all they could and keeping anyone else away! Crazy behavior for stuff that most will throw away in a few days. I mean what would a 40-year-old lady need with a small plastic tiara??  We then attempted to watch the Krewe of Bacchus parade further down the street but after a drunk fell on me and several people tried to knock my daughter off my wife’s shoulders, we called it quits and returned to Brad’s house for some peace and quiet waiting for the rest of our group to return. Below are some images I captured from both days.

I chose to enlarge the area to 1″=200′ to narrow my focus to the marigny triangle and rectangle neighborhoods, which were the ones I made my journey through. I am wanting to represent the types of spaces I observed throughout the neighborhood that were created by the vegetation and the spaces surrounding the vegetation. I have classified these spaces into 3 categories, “private”, “gathering”, and “barren.”  I have created color blocks that represent each category and I am wanting to see what potential patterns might exist between the overlap of these defined areas. In addition, I have illustrated the actual points that I observed the phenomena. I have, of course, not completed the shapes nor all the points of observed phenomena but I wanted to see what the comments may be to what I have developed thus far.

Although I started out before my trip to the Marigny/Bywater neighborhoods with ideas about what phenomena I expected to record, I quickly changed my focus to a new idea.  The phenomena that I chose to examine relates to the green spaces located around the homes and businesses of the colorful neighborhood.  To be a little more specific, I was intrigued by how the green material defined the open space of the streets, both public and private.  I found it very interesting how just the placement and/or the type of plant material seemed to define the space and any identify in some way the user group of the space.  I have organized my photographs above in an order that examines this phenomena starting with a more macro level including the largest and most public spaces.  I then moved on to examine how the green elements can change the feeling of the streets and then moved into the very interesting way that I approached certain sidewalks and how the spaces started to seem more private, even though there were still part of the public sidewalk.  Next I moved on to a more micro scale of the very private, walled garden areas and examined them with the contrast of the properties that contain no private open space.  As a final examination, I looked outside of the box to examine even more micro scales of open spaces such as service areas, utility accesses, and balconies.

Since we have been charged with identifying potential phenomena that might drastically change our personal journey and experience visiting the sites tomorrow, I chose to research the history and transformation of these historic neighborhoods before reaching a decision.

Historically, the site on both neighborhoods was originally a large plantation prior to the first decade of the 19th century.  It was then when wealthy Creole aristocrat Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville chose to subdivide a tract of his plantation land into small 30′ x 100′ tracts.  After discovering this agricultural past, I thought about Jackson’s “To Pity the Plumage and Forget the Dying Bird.”  I recalled from the essay the depictions of the impoverished farmer and his need to subdivide his land for money, often using a poor design.  Although I could not find any research to imply that Bernard was near poverty, actually just the opposite, I still found a mental connection to the depiction.

Architecturally, the neighborhoods are one of the finest examples of 19th Century homes including creole cottages, shotgun homes, Greek revival, and Eastlake cottages.  The original neighborhoods were just as diverse in their residents including Caribbean free people of color, German immigrants fleeing political oppression, and Irish folks looking for a better way of life. By the early twentieth century Spanish and Italian immigrants were flocking into this downtown neighborhood.  So naturally, the neighborhoods took on a vibrance on the cultural variety of its residents.

After the mid-20th Century the neighborhood fell into serious decline when residents of the city were moving into newer developments outside of the city center.  But by the end of the century, it began a rebirth due to its close proximity to the Quarter, its low rent, and charming architecture.  Currently, the neighborhoods are experiencing an exciting comeback as a hub for artists, musicians, as well as, young professionals. Frenchman Street has become the local’s French Quarter and is host to numerous jazz clubs and also other genres of music.

The devastating storms of Hurricane Katrina created wind damage to the area but due to the fact that the neighborhoods were built along the natural levee of the Mississippi River, they were spared the damaging flood waters that destroyed the lower 9th ward just on the other side of the Industrial Canal.

Armed with my research, I am going to make a few hypothesis regarding what types of phenomena might influence my journey.

• Given the age of these neighborhoods and the diverse residents that live there, the condition of the homes vary greatly from freshly restored homes to vacant properties in various states of disrepair.  I plan to examine the effects of blighted properties have on my experience within the neighborhoods.
• Due to the neighborhoods being laid out along a bend in the Mississippi River, the road layouts create strange blocks of pentagonal and triangular shapes.  This forms unusual spaces among the neighborhood, especially the Marigny Triangle and Rectangle.  This coupled with the potential for crime could have an effect on the viewer’s level of comfort and safety while walking through these areas. I plan to examine the affects of  the unusual spaces created by the road and block configurations on my journey through the neighborhood.
• Although many of the homes are situated right on the sidewalks, the neighborhood still retains a “green” element in places.  I plan to explore the phenomena of how the existence  and lack of plant material play on my experience through the neighborhood.
• Since the area was above the flood level from Katrina, little to no damage from water was reported.  However, significant wind damage was caused.  I plan to see how the effects of wind damage and wear have on the experience of visiting the neighborhood.

I plan to utilize the drift method as described in James Corner’s “The Agency of Mapping: Speculation, Critique, and Invention”  to record these phenomena throughout the site, if present.