1B. Visualizing urban-ecological geographic conflict as creative tool 1B.a. Visu

1B. Visualizing urban-ecological geographic conflict as creative tool
1B.a. Visualizing existing patterns
Once
you commit to the particular urban-territorial zone, now you have to
‘pull it apart.’ Please analyze it visually, in depth, and expand,
elaborate on the main critical issues you notice. It is important that
you interpret -critically- what you see, asking deeper questions about
the patterns, textures, contrasts and critical relationships among
elements, that you notice. This also means a process of masking,
editing, framing to identify each pattern on its own.
Select
at least 5 patterns (each of these are presented in separate sheets),
i.e., water ways, vegetation, transportation (freeways-roads, etc.),
canyons (dramatic topographic features), buildings at different scales,
parking lots. By isolating each of these layers you will see the drama
of their shape, as individual operative diagrams (more on this during
class)
Based on your critical
observations, please add to these 5 patterns a series of personal
graphic annotations -using digital or manual, Illustrator or any other
graphic program, manual collages or hand sketches. These “graphic notes”
should reinforce some of the observations you have made. These
annotations include adding graphic systems, such as arrows, dashed
lines, solid lines, circles and other geometries or symbols, to indicate
the main critical ‘conditions’ you are prioritizing, etc
Once
you have a visual and conceptual approximation of these existing
patterns (this involves not only understanding what they look like, but
it is about speculating about what these patterns ‘do’ to the territory,
how they ‘perform,’), now it is time to begin combining them to open
critical design research topics found in this area of study, and the
conditions that have produced the urbanecological conflict.
1B.b. Visualizing existing patterns
Then
combine some of these patterns or layers to dramatize the conflicts,
between them, but also to suggest design possibilities. Develop 2
combinations, denoting 2 critical collisions – each combination is a
graphic system conveying a particular idea about existing
urban-ecological conflicts, within the area you selected.
Each
combination, or critical juxtaposition should communicate a main issue
you are interested in investigating: Maybe one of the ideas you are
interested in investigating is how the ‘flow’ of water collides with
urban development, and therefore you visualize this juxtaposition
between natural water spaces and a more geometric, artificial spaces of
urbanization. In essence, I am proposing that you develop this part of
your research visually, noticing a dialectical relationship between two
conditions.