research_venice: city on water

Venice, the famous city built on the water, has been paramount in discussion for all other cities that deal with water. It is the marker of success. Everyone references it. On p144 of Venice, the Tourist Maze, Davis and Marvin state, "Venice remains the ultimate realization of this particular urban vision: so much so that no one would ever think to call it 'the Amsterdam of the Adriatic.' Rather, it is other cities that are, or aspire to be, 'the Venice of the North,' '...of the East,' '...of Asia,' and finally, '...of California,' which is, of course, simply Venice, California.' However, this city is an old model, constantly struggling against rising sea levels to preserve its museum-like presence.
In Venice, Against the Sea, John Keahey references Professor Rinaldo on p 261 as saying, "Venice is like a person trying to run forward [by] looking backwards: “[look at] how good we were; how great we were!” Venice is trapped between a huge past and no future." This implies that Venice's relationship to the water is an outdated model. It was revolutionary in its implementation, but currently struggles just to subside. This poses the question that I hope to explore for my thesis: what is the city built on water of the future?

images:
The above images show flooded conditions of Venice, and the ever-present threat of rising sea-levels and sinking land. The map pairing shows the outline of Italy and its change over time. The first image is 1 million years before the present; the second image is 20,000 years before the present. The other map shows the network of waterways existing in Venice.
The final image is taken from a design proposal from a Masters in Architecture student from a UC Berkeley thesis in 2001 by Paul Thomas Haas. The proposal suggest mitigating the changing tide levels by providing a levy which changes height by floating higher according to the changing tides.
Rather than preserving cities, I am interested in entirely rethinking their existence on the water as Venice once did.

lessons:
Venice survives by continuous maintenance. Current mechanisms of surviving are threatened by a worsening condition of rising sea levels. What is a new mode for co-existing with water?

image_venice: city on water

Images from Venicexposed.
Dreamy convergence of architecture and water in this historic city.

image_new orleans flooding

national geographic

proposal_11.06.08

WATER DISASTER > WATER CITIES

Abstract

Global warming poses a threat to the world in which we live. Scientists agree that the average temperature of the Earth is steadily increasing. In the last century alone the average temperature has increased 0.6 degrees Celsius around the world (National Geographic). Ice caps of Mount Kilimanjaro melted, and coral reefs are disappearing. The biggest threat, however, lies in a dramatically rising sea level. In 2004, it was noted that the oceans raised 4 to 8 inches. The biggest fear is if Greenland’s ice sheet was to melt. If this occurs, the US eastern seaboard faces a grave threat. The cities conveniently located on ports for access to water, transit, and trade, will face devastating effects. Traditional forms of habitation will no longer be feasible. This thesis begins on the premise of a disaster on the scale that sea level raises to a level that cities cannot survive. It necessitates a new way of living—a way of living on water. In this scenario water plays the paradoxical role of both the enemy and the only hope for survival.

Context

-Human habitation always occurs in the most unstable places.

-Humans have a history of living where they should not, and a history of facing natural disasters.

-Many cities already are water cities: Venice, Amsterdam, Bangkok. However, none of them are dealing with the conditions of water in innovative ways. Traditional building typologies are applied in brutal climates.

-If one looks to the past—many innovative ways of looking at the merging of water and architecture.

Examples: Islamic cities-Fes

Mughal temples-Alhambra

Indian cities-Agra

Roman aqueducts

Bath houses

Mills of Crete

-in the past was a celebration of architecture and water

-modernism forged water into its utilitarian role and it became increasingly privatized and hidden in pipes

-revival of celebration of water begins to be seen in the 80s

Design Proposition

In the case of Agra, six geographical scales of the role of water exist in the city fabric, beginning at the internal garden water system, and stretching to its regional water system. All of these were highly designed. For my thesis I propose designing a city for the flooded condition of water that performs both functionally as a mode of survival, and expressively as a celebration of water.

research_daidalos: mills of crete

Another Daidolos journal article studies the mills of the island of Crete. They describe the efficient low energy use of moving water through this ancient system to support the running of mills. The system is still operational today. It is a relatively simple system that uses the natural topography of the land and small rotating mechanical parts for this infrastructure.

images:
Show technical drawings describing the operation of the mills. It also shows water moving through the system and how with time it has merged with the landscape.


lessons:
Water has simple physical properties that can help to provide power through its movement.

research_environmental design: water + architecture

These images come from the Environmental Design Journal, on a particular issue that studies the relationship between water and architecture. This resource is valuable as it examines primarily non-western examples of water and architecture. Many of the examples come from Islamic traditions, as this culture values water as it "means life". The Ottoman empire adopted its relationship with water from its exposure to Islamic culture. Water and its treatment in these culture is religious and symbolic.

images:
Show examples of the use of water in India, and the Ottoman Empire. In particular, the treatment of water at multiple scales in Agra becomes interesting. Water exists as a treatment at a larger scale and becomes further investigated at smaller scales. "Six geographical scales of analysis are pertinent for understanding the roles of water in the landscape: a-internal garden water systems; b-the landscape context of individual gardens; c-garden complexes along the Yamuna River corridor; d-the urban water system at agra; e- urban centers along the Yamuna and its tributaries; and f- regional water systems."
lessons:
Water as network. Water to be manipulated at multiple scales.

research_daidalos-water issue 2

images:
These images are also collected from the Daidalos journal issue on water. These tend to be more celebratory of the experience of water. Complex structures for water parks and swimming facilities. They romanticize the conditions of water. They also begin to deal specifially with the intersection of building and water. The photographs towards the end of the post deal with containing water through building. The water becomes part of the sectional experience of the building.

lessons:
Water use for recreational purposes. Water contained within architecture.