Resilience - University of Miami School of Architecture

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“Landscape Urbanism describes a disciplinary realignment currently underway in which landscape replaces architecture as the basic building block of contemporary urbanism” (Charles Waldheim, ‘Reference Manifesto’ in introducon to the Landscape Urbanism Reader). “Last April, upon aending a remarkable conference at the Harvard GSD, I predicted that it would be taken over in a coup. I recognized a classic Lan American-style operaon. It was clear that the venerable Urban Design program would be eliminated or replaced by Landscape Urbanism. Today, it is possible to confirm that the coup was completed in September—and that it was a strategic masterpiece.” (Andres Duany, Metropolis, November 3, 2010). “Then to create places Coralize Means: exigency Opening to all solicitaons And variabilies of the cizen And concrete acts, precise and definite Incorporated to this reality.” (Guillermo Jullian on Mat Building, in Allard 22). “Picasso could come to visit” (Jonas Salk describing his vision for the Salk Instute in Steele 12). 34
A resilient ecosystem needs to have stable populaons of the core group of species and stable funcon in terms of ability to propagate itself. For this to happen, it must have a stable physical structure. This is the definion of habitat: a physical structure which allows for the successful propagaon of a community. In developing the idea of a resilient campus supporng connuing high-level study of the marine environment, a program can be defined which enumerates the variety and proporon of various funcons. However, in the same way that neither a plant nursery nor a pet shop is an ecosystem, a collecon of specified spaces does not inherently make an academic community. The queson becomes, what constutes resilient habitat for the RSMAS community? The following paragraphs examine the dialecc between formalism and funconalism as generators of architectural and urban paern. Rather than viewing them as mutually exclusive approaches, I would argue that they are inherently complementary. The two pairs of text above illustrate two separate but overlapping debates on the nature of contemporary architecture and urban design. At the urban design scale, Landscape Urbanism is challenging the formalist basis of New Urbanism in favor of a fluid reading of urban space which emphasizes interconnecvity of infrastructure and ecological systems overlaid with site specific narrave reference. The first reference is an excerpt from Charles Waldheim’s introducon the Landscape Urbanism Reader, a collecon of essays which suggest a framework for meaningful urbanism in the post-industrial city. The emphasis is on reappropriaon of the horizontal plane, replacing the insustrialized asphalted ground plane with contemporary gardens which provide ecological funcon in addion to providing space for social interacon. Andres Duany has explicitly cricized this movement for its inability to address ques- ons of architectural density, spaal hierarchy, and funconal efficiency which constute important elements of New Urbanist theory. That he sees it as a threat to the supremacy of New Urbanism is an indicaon of the resonance of the Landscape Urbanist approach in contemporary culture, as well as the connuing percepon that urban design theories are mutually exclusive. I would argue that both theories provide valuable tools for analyzing and designing the contemporary city, and are in fact quite complementary. high line park An example of the successful integraon of ideals from both camps can be found in the redevelopment of New York’s High Line. A mile long ribbon of green floang over Manhaan’s Lower West Side, the High Line opened to the public in June 2009. The High Line is the glamorous cousin of the “rails to trails” projects which have gradually been transforming disused rail corridors into linear public open spaces. Combining an innovave design, high quality materials, and meculous quality of construcon, the inial secon of the High Line Park has become a showpiece of contemporary urban public space. However, 1. High Line Park. author photo underneath the showy visuals lies a thoughul strategy for the transion of an underulized industrial quarter into a vibrant mixed-use urban neighborhood with the park at its heart. While the spectacular Manhaan locaon is unique, the project represents a scalable and replicable approach for catalyzing redevelopment of centrally located industrial districts. Running from West 34th Street south to Gansevoort Street, a block east of the Hudson River, the High Line was constructed in 1934. The 1.5 mile rail line was elevated 30 feet to separate industrial rail acvity from surface streets. The line was placed mid-block north to south in order to avoid the blight associated with elevated subways (Friends of the High Line, 2010). The railroads owned an elevated easement, but the land underneath and air rights connued to be aached to adjacent lots. This created a unique urban paern which has impacted contemporary opons for redevelopment. By the 1980’s the line was unused and owners of adjacent properes formed Chelsea Property Owners, Inc. promong demolion in order to facilitate redevelopment of their land. However, rail preservaon advocates fought the demolion, and in 1999 neighborhood residents Joshua David and Robert Hammond founded the non-profit Friends of the High Line, seeking redevelopment of the structure as a unique public open space. Despite the concern of adjacent owners, polical support for a public adapve re-use and the lack of open space in that poron of the city led to a commitment from the City and the State to preserve the line. (Design Trust, 7) 9. Case Studies 35
Page 1: Resilience An investigation of Trop
Page 5: Table of Contents Overall Objecve .
Page 8 and 9: 2 1. Doherty building and campus wa
Page 10 and 11: esilient community As urban designe
Page 12 and 13: Biscayne Bay Land-Fill Rickenbacker
Page 14 and 15: environmental history As is typical
Page 16 and 17: 10 7. Virginia Key 1960’s, Yehle
Page 18 and 19: one campus. A two level south wing
Page 20 and 21: at that me for academic architectur
Page 22 and 23: uildings: interior • Poorly defin
Page 24 and 25: id building name date sq. . 1101 Do
Page 26 and 27: city of miami virginia key plan Whi
Page 28 and 29: 6. Rendering from Rickenbacker entr
Page 30 and 31: master planning critique make bigge
Page 32 and 33: site diagrams relaon to causeway pr
Page 34 and 35: 28 virginia key ecosystem urban •
Page 36 and 37: proposed redevelopment sequence The
Page 38 and 39: campus square footage studies build
Page 42 and 43: 2. High Line route. adapted from go
Page 44 and 45: 8. Venice Hospital model, from Alla
Page 47: Works Cited Abramovitz-Harris-Kings
Page 50 and 51: campus challenges/ proposed solutio
Page 52 and 53: site master plan Hobie Beach To Mar
Page 54 and 55: typical fl oor plans and section la
Page 56 and 57: grosvenor north transformation shel
Page 58 and 59: circulation interior circulaon serv
Page 60 and 61: climate comfort exisng condions •
Page 62 and 63: social interaction exisng condions
Page 64: campus entry existing proposed labo
Page 68: waterfront quadrangles vising schol

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