So, last week was the intensity of the studio I remember from last semester. Although a large amount of work, I love doing it and have no problem staying up til the wee hours of the night to create something beautiful and that I’m proud of.
I felt my model was successful, though needed more textures to portray my ideas of materiality and spaces. Also, creating the model helped me understand that I need more thought into what actually happens with my “urban wetland” and how this translates to the culture and ecology of New Orleans. The comments given to me were great and I like the idea of the wetland rising and falling with natural cyclical fluctuations.
This weekend I sat down with Frank and his wife Mary, which gave some enlightenment to my project. Mary was speaking of “volume” as opposed to “point and line.” This informed my design in the way of creating this wetland as an integral part of the Louisiana landscape. So, I’m looking for design and aesthetics in ecology. Perhaps my new “grove” really becomes a type of cypress forest. And the movements I make, begin to make more sense with the land, and without some esoteric idea that I’m stamping onto the land. Who cares what I think? What about what the land thinks?
I am interested to see the history of the park and land to infuse interesting bits of information into the park (as well as, of course, the history of Hurricane Katrina). Dreiseitl did an interesting job in Tannery Springs by using old steel from the railroad in his design. I would like to somehow merge my urban wetland with the memorial of Katrina. Create both of these as one- where people can reflect yet also celebrate the lives and memory in a positive environment.
Now for the rest of the park??
