Is there a relationship between the perceived and actual perspective among architecture versus film? And what might those relationships be?

Film provides both the actual and fictional experiences, depending on your perspective, derived from our own unique life experiences.

Architecture can also provide these spatial and visual experiences. Many techniques in film and photography are used to tell a story of memory

or history of time and place. These same techniques encourage and nourish our spatial experiences through design in architecture. Techniques

used to create THEME + VARIATION are implemented in the design process to develop a stronger language within these spatial experiences. We

can start to manifest a conversation in architecture, with patterns of theme and variation as well as contrast, transparency and transformation.

RELATIONS OF ARCHITECTURE + FILM

Mise-en-Scène Arrangement of actors/scenery on a

stage for a theatrical production

Montage Process of technique of selecting, editing

and piecing together separate sections of

film to form a continuous whole;

Producing a new composite whole from

fragments of text, pictures and music.

Narrative Spoken or written account of connected

events. A story.

Script Written text of a play, movie or broadcast

Storyboard Sequence of drawings, typically with some

directions and dialogue representing the shots

planned for movie or television.

PROCESS TECHNIQUES – constructed narrative

With the use of different editing and process techniques,

a narrative of architecture through film and photography

can be developed. Not only can this help to emphasize

certain design aspects but it can also inspire further

design explorations.

These are just a number of possible process techniques

that can further develop our spatial experiences within

architecture…

zoom, pan, repetition, crop, paste/edit, cut-shots,

hierarchy, contrast, time, shadow, transition, tracking,

motion, focal points, lighting, tone, POV, scale, tension +

release, contrasts, transformation, etc.

ASSIGNMENT

As an urban actor, consider what are the most compelling relationships

between you and the city of San Francisco.

Photo-document both the perceptual and conceptual

aspects of at least three of these interactions.

Create a three-dimensional,

wall-mountable photomontage that

communicates your significant

engagement with The City.

Photography, Danielle Siler

San Francisco Embarcadero

San Francisco Embarcadero

San Francisco Embarcadero

Fort Funston, San Francisco

Levi’s Plaza, San Francisco

Muni Metro/Church Station, San Francisco

This assignment was inspiring to

me. I love San Francisco, yet at

times, I find that I only travel from

certain areas in The City and do

not explore further. So I set out to

document my daily journeys

throughout The City with the use of

photography. A new camera for

Christmas doesn’t hurt to have for

this either!

Using different process techniques,

i.e. zoom in/out, contrast, focal

points, perspective, etc., I was able

to photograph my specific

encounters and discoveries

among the places I travel the

most. The three-dimensional

requirements of the project would

promote the visual narrative of my

experiences.

MESSAGE +APPROACH

I want to approach this assignment by showing my

adventures through San Francisco, from the ocean to the

bay and the things in between. My message is to show the

contrast between our busy city life versus the calm,

meditative ocean and bay scenery. I will do this by

investigating public transit, streets, buildings, ocean and bay

edge conditions.

I had a clear idea of how I wanted to approach this assignment but I still had to develop a message that would bring the viewer on the same visual experience as they would if they traveled along side me. Using layering, hierarchy and contrast in density, I would develop a language for this visual experience. By further enhancing this, I could clearly define my message for this assignment – show the contrast between our busy city life versus the calm, meditative ocean and bay scenery. I tried to bring the viewer on a voyage of my daily adventures. Our “island” of a city helps to bring nature close at hand. I take advantage of that with trips to Fort Funston along the Pacific Ocean coastline. Here, “doggie Disneyland” as we call it,

connects me back to nature and an escape from the built environments of The City. Using less dense configurations of photos to promote a calm, relaxed feeling. Traveling back toward the center of The City, my home is in the Lower Haight district of SF. Close proximity to transit, public open space, retail and residential living, Lower Haight is a beautiful neighborhood with a lot of history and architectural diversity. But I wanted to show the more intimate and hidden features of my neighborhood. Layering these photos on top of each other as well as differentiating sizes, forces the viewer to look deeper and find those hidden features only I know of. Increased density explores the contrast in activity and vitality from that of Fort Funston.

As the journey proceeds underground and East toward the Embarcadero, the contrast in size and layering of the photos increases as well as the density to represent the busy nature of the busy downtown, underground muni metro and Embarcadero areas. Additionally, I wanted to show a higher level of contrast in subject and context to develop a sense of increased activity. I believe I was successful in illustrating and configuring a good start to something that I can develop further. There are weak connections in the general form of my photomontage that I could have developed more with increased evidence and data.

3D Photomontage, Danielle Siler

Personal Notes, Danielle Siler

DISCOVERIES ISSUES CONCLUSIONS – VITALITY

•Strong edge conditions provide

contrast of natural versus built

environments

•Speed a function of proximity, size,

scale, editing & composition

•Vitality needs to be defined in terms

of architecture and design

•Environment supports, enhances or

undermines human activity

•Craft

•Satisfy requirements

•More repetition

•Permeate and punctuate dense

urban environments with diverse

open public spaces

•Discover attractions

•POV alters city experience

•Texture of City, transformation

•Forms with vibrant colors attract

•High level of contrast throughout

urban layout of City

Using the ideas of path, edge, node, district and landmark found in

Kevin Lynch’s “Image of a City”, we can explore the urban forms

of our own vital locations within San Francisco to investigate the

changes in these relationships. These changes can enhance, or

subsequently decrease, the vitality of any particular location.

DEFINITION

The Image of the City

Lynch's most famous work, The Image of the City published in 1960, is the result of a five-year study on how

observers take in information of the city. Using three disparate cities as examples (Boston, Jersey City, and Los

Angeles), Lynch reported that users understood their surroundings in consistent and predictable ways,

forming mental maps with five elements:

paths the streets, sidewalks, trails, and other channels in which people travel;

edges perceived boundaries such as walls, buildings, and shorelines;

districts relatively large sections of the city distinguished by some identity or character;

nodes focal points, intersections or loci;

landmarks readily identifiable objects which serve as external reference points.

In the same book Lynch also coined the words “imageability” and “wayfinding”. Image of the City has had

important and durable influence in the fields of urban planning and environmental psychology.

Source – Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_A._Lynch

Photographs taken by Danielle Siler

San Francisco has a vitality unique to

it’s own cultural diversities. This vitality

has shifted and transformed

throughout the years to produce

dynamic contrasts within the 7x7 sq.

mile of land it occupies. By exploring

the urban forms of path, edge, district,

node and landmark, we can define

the vitality that lies within.

public transportation is the primary path that I travel by in the city. while traveling on the different bus and

muni metro routes, I am engaged in the four other forms of lynch’s “image of a city” constantly. these

pathways flow under and above different edge conditions, districts, nodes, and landmarks. public

transportation is extremely to vital to any major city. having the ability to travel throughout all locations of the

city without owning a vehicle is not only crucial to the different levels of income and diversity in the city, but to

the effects vehicles have on the environment. there is also vitality in what we see and engage while traveling

by public transportation, connecting us to the city in a much different way than say a car.

san francisco is surrounded by water from the north, east and west. the pacific ocean coastline provides a

major edge condition from the west. fort funston is a local access beach along this coastline which I frequent

weekly with my dogs – here the dogs are allowed to run free from the restraints of a leash. the shoreline is a

break between the built and natural environment, providing relief from city life and chance to reconnect with

nature.

defined by many neighborhoods, or districts, san francisco has a unique urban landscape. this urban

landscape consists of many diverse demographics, as well as cultural and religious ethnicities which provides a

different form of vitality for everyone. traveling to work on the embarcadero four times a week, I arrive on the

muni metro to embarcadero station and walk to pier 23 café. this brings me into the financial district of san

francisco. tall, high-rise buildings line the grid patterned streets. here the sunlight is only vital during low hours

of the day. lacking residential and nightlife elements, this district operates with highest vitality during the

business hours of the day.

driven by the nature of it’s urban landscape design, san francisco provides opportunity to interact and

engage in many different types and levels of nodes. high volume intersections, crossing of paths, highly

concentrated areas are just a few examples of nodes. these places are usually high in vitality – sunlit

throughout peak hours of the day, pedestrian and bicycle circulation paths are highly accessible, open public

space and convergence of transportation is evident – levi’s plaza is an example of a particular node I frequent

often. located between battery street and the embarcadero, levi’s plaza is a vital node which paths and

edge conditions converge upon. levi’s plaza is also home to, of course, the levi’s jeans company

headquarters on the west coast; providing vital employment opportunities for people around the world. This

node also provides circulation pathways from the embarcadero waterfront, which then progresses west up the

filbert street steps to the historic coit tower, atop telegraph hill.

landmarks are a vital component of wayfinding throughout any city. large or small, landmarks are vital to the

city for many reasons. used to define and construct our familiar daily journeys, landmarks provide a way to

map out our locations. landmarks can also provide a vitality to tourism for the city, providing world famous

iconic representations of san francisco. even hidden underground, landmarks provide a vitality for wayfinding

as well as engaging the history of the city. along the embarcadero, as well as many other places throughout

san francisco, bronze plaques are set into the paths of the city streets with snapshots into the history of san

francisco. did you know that buried ships were used to provide landfill in many locations of downtown as well

and along many parts of the bay trail? this specific landmark along my walk to work reminds me of this daily.

Path

Edge

District

Node

Landmark

To further develop our understanding of the different urban forms of a city, we investigate digital representations of the design process. Using SketchUp to produce massing models to approximate the

urban forms of path, edge, node, district and landmark, we can start to correlate the locations in The City which provide the most vitality.

Through this exploration, we can start to identify city image issues and further our understanding of the urban landscape we live in. These models help to connect our understanding with our ability to

present our work

Paths

san francisco is abundant with different types of

pathways and forms of circulation. with the ability

to use public transportation, I travel to school and

work by bus or underground train everyday of the

week. living in areas that are close and accessible

to these transportations hub is vital to me.

Nodes

levi’s plaza is a node located between the embarcadero and battery

street at the south end of the filbert stairs, which lead to coit tower. levi’s

plaza provide vital resources for employment, circulation, public open

space. filled with trees, park benches and a man-made water fall, levi’s

plaza provides a vital connection to nature.

Edge

fort funston, as well as the embarcadero are strong edge conditions that

are vital to san francisco. connecting to nature is essential to my way of

life, fort funston provides a safe location to engage that need. working

along the embarcadero brings me to this edge condition many times a

week. here, tourism and maritime activities/history are vital.

Landmarks

walking north from

embarcadero station

along the

embarcadero to pier 23

café, I see the ferry

building clock tower. I

keep a mindful eye of

the clock tower to keep

track of time. as I

continue north from

drumm street, I can still

turn my head southeast

to see the ferry building.

I walk along the west

edge of the

embarcadero and for

brief time, views of the

ferry building are

restricted.

District

the financial

district is an

example of a

district that is vital

during the peak

hours of the day.

Lacking sunlight

throughout

portions of the

day from the

high-rise buildings

and narrow

streets. the grid-

like structure to

the street layout is

very unique and

unlike the rest of

the city.

SketchUp models, Danielle Siler

Personal Notes, Danielle Siler

What is vital about the locations that I primarily visit during my day?

How do we evaluate and engage those different forms of vitality to create spatial

experiences that are both enjoyable and memorable?

DEFINITION

Beautiful Evidence

“A pioneer in data visualization, Edward Tufte, wrote a series of books - Visual Explanations, The

Visual Display of Quantitative Information, and Envisioning Information - on the subject of

information graphics.[11][12][13] Referred to by The New York Times as the “da Vinci of Data”, Tufte

began to give day-long lectures and workshops on the subject of infographics starting in 1993. As of

2012, Tufte still gives these lectures.[14] To Tufte, good data visualizations represent every data point

accurately and enable a viewer to see trends and patterns in the data. Tufte’s contribution to the

field of data visualization and infographics is considered immense, and his design principles can be

seen in many websites, magazines, and newspapers today.[15]”

Six Principles for the Analysis and Presentation of Data:

1. Show comparisons, contrasts, differences

2. Show causality, mechanism, explanation, systematic structure

3. Show multivariate data; that is, show more than 1 or 2 variables

4. Completely integrate words, numbers, images, diagrams

5. Thoroughly describe the evidence. Provide a detailed title, indicate the authors and

sponsors, document the data sources, show complete measurement scales, point out

relevant issues

6. Analytical presentations ultimately stand or fall depending on the quality, relevance,

and integrity of their content

Source – Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infographic

As we develop our tectonic language

further into our studies of design, we must be

able to communicate a clear and concise

message. This is paramount to the success

of any presentation’s success or failure.

Examining the “Six Principles for the Analysis

and Presentation of Data” will help to

develop a stronger visual language for our

design process.

After our initial investigation of Lynch’s five

forms – path, edge, node, district and

landmark – we were able to develop

personal connections to the each form

through the ICEBREAKER assignment. We

now must develop a deeper connection

between the substance of our work and the

message we are trying to communicate. By

providing credible evidence, data,

narratives, historical information, etc, we

can show a higher level of learning as well

as visually present our message.

Source – http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17743.Beautiful_Evidence

San Francisco’s Ferry

Building is an iconic

historical landmark

located along the

Embarcadero waterfront.

Construction was

completed in 1898, in the

beauxs arts style.

Designed after the 12th

century “Giralda” bell

tower in Seville, Spain, the

Ferry Building is not only a

landmark, but serves as a

node, path and edge as

well.

Public transportation,

food, retail and

commercial business are

vital to the Ferry Building.

Local food and produce

vendors setup during the

farmer’s market held

weekly.

The Ferry Building clock

tower is the largest

mechanical, wind up

clock in the world. The

entire mechanism still

stands intact, only the

hands and a small portion

of the works are powered

by modern electric

motors. Enclosed in the

tower, the weight still

hangs and when wound,

could run the clock for 8

days.

The Ferry Building stands

taller in massing than any

other building along the

east edge of the

embarcadero. This

contrast in height defines

the Ferry Building and

makes it stand out from

the rest.

INCREASED DATA + HEIGHTENED CRAFT

•Dimensions – 245 Feet Tall, 600 Feet Long

•Clock Face – 22 Feet Diameter x 4 Identical Sides

•48 Foot Vertical Shaft

•Architect – A. Page Brown

•Original ‘Special #4’ clock made in 1898 by E. Howard of Boston

•Largest wind up, mechanical clock in the world

•Farmer’s Market – Saturday 8-2pm, Tues/Thurs 10-2pm

Source – http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/history.php

Source – http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/history.php

SketchUp models, Danielle Siler

this project has forced

me to explore the city

in new ways since

investigating Lynch’s

five forms of urban

landscape design. san

francisco is vital with

many forms of paths,

edges, nodes, districts

& landmarks. the ferry

building is a world

famous landmark, but it

also provides resources

for local businesses and

food vendors as well as

public transportation,

historical relevance.

the ferry building can

be seen from the

corner of market and

castro streets as well as

from the top of twin

peaks, making it

perfect for wayfinding

as well.

Nodes –Farmers Market, Local Vendors

Photography, Danielle Siler

Landmark – Wayfinding; History

Landmark | Nodes – Wayfinding

Circulation – Public Transport

Nodes | Pathways – Multi-Use

Landmark – Wayfinding

Coit Tower is located atop Telegraph Hill in Pioneer Park above the North

Beach neighborhood. Standing as a dynamic representation of San

Francisco, Coit Tower was built in the art deco style in 1933. Dedicated to

Lillian Hitchcock Coit, the tower is primarily made of unpainted, reinforced

concrete and took 5 years to construct. Coit left 1/3 of her estate to the

city of San Francisco for it’s “civic beautification” fund and projects after

her death. Inside the tower’s base floor, 27 different artists created fresco

murals to that signified the currents events of the United States.

“Lillie Coit was a cigar smoking, trouser-wearing woman who often disguised

herself as a man so that she could frequent the males-only gambling

establishments in Long Beach to gamble.

She developed a special relationship with the firefighters of

the city after being rescued from a fire at the age of eight.

She became an honorary firefighter as an adult and had

a special affinity for Knickerbocker Engine Company Number 5.

A myth grew that Coit Tower was designed to

resemble a fire hose nozzle, though architects

Arthur Brown, Jr. and Henry Howard always denied it.”

Source – http://www.everydaycitizen.com/2008/10/coit_tower_and_the_history_of.html

Fresco (plural frescos or frescoes) is a technique of

mural painting executed upon freshly laid lime plaster.

Water is used as the vehicle for the pigment and,

with the setting of the plaster, the painting becomes

an integral part of the wall. The word fresco

(Italian: affresco) is derived from the Italian

adjective fresco meaning "fresh". Fresco

may thus be contrasted with secco mural painting

techniques, on plasters of lime, earth, or gypsum,

or applied to supplement painting in fresco.

The fresco technique has been employed since

antiquity and is closely associated with Italian

Renaissance painting.

Source – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresco

INCREASED DATA + HEIGHTENED CRAFT

•Dimensions – 210 Feet Tall

•Built in 1933; 5 years to complete construction

•Listed on the National Register of Historic Places – 2008

•Official historical San Francisco landmark – 1984

•Architect – Arthur Brown, Jr. + Henry Howard

Source – http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/history.php

SketchUp models, Danielle Siler

growing up in northern

california, I often visited san

francisco with my family.

driving south on highway 101,

passing through the waldo

tunnel, the golden gate

bridge was our first landmark

into the city. but followed

then was the iconic skyline

with coit tower lit up at night

to the theme of the city’s

celebrations or during the day

standing tall, either way, still

makes me feel like a child

seeing something magnificent

for the first time.

working along the

embarcadero has afforded

me with the luxury of a

beautiful view of coit tower

daily. but it wasn't until this

semester’s work that I finally

walked the infamous filbert

street steps and bought a

ticket to the top of the tower.

everything about the

adventure was breathtaking

and beautiful. walking west

up the filbert st. steps, I arrived

to the top of telegraph hill

shortly before sunset. the

crowd was minimal and I was

able to spend as much time

at the top of the tower as I

wanted. I documented

pictures of the 360° famous

views as well as the inside of

the circular top platform. I

continued west along the

filbert st. steps until I reached

the north beach district and

grabbed the bus home. it

was a wonderful discovery

and I am so thankful that this

project was the driving force

behind my journey.

Photography, Danielle Siler

Landmark – Framed views

Landmark – Cultural + Historical

Paths | Landmarks – Wayfinding + Circulation

| Telegraph Hill Observatory | AKA Layman's Wooden Castle | AKA Layman's Folly | "A party palace and observation post atop Telegraph Hill"

Courtesy Greg Gaar Collection

The northern half of Coit Tower's parking lot was once the site of Layman's Castle. It served as a restaurant and observatory. The hilltop attraction never proved very popular, largely due to the hill's inaccessibility. Several

things were tried to drum up business. For about a year in the mid-1880's there were weekly jousting contests, in

which two armor-clad combatants on horseback charged at each other with swords flying. And a cable-car line was run up Greenwich Street to the summit in 1884, but the line never turned a profit and was discontinued after

only a few years. By the 1890's the castle was a scene of neglect. In 1903 a fire damaged the structure. The remainder, beyond

repair, was carted off for firewood.

Source – Historic Walks in San Francisco: 18 Trails Through the City's Past by Rand Richards (2008)

ADDITIONAL EXPLORATION + DISCOVERY

Originally named Loma Alta ("High Hill") by the Spaniards, the hill was then familiarly known as Goat Hill by the early San Franciscans, and became the neighborhood of choice for many Irish immigrants. From 1825 through 1847, the area between Sansome and Battery,

Broadway and Vallejo streets was used as a burial ground for foreign non-Catholic seamen. The hill owes its name to a semaphore, a windmill-like structure erected in September 1849, for the purpose of signaling to the rest of the city the nature of the ships entering

the Golden Gate. Atop the newly-built house, the marine telegraph consisted of a pole with two raisable arms that could form various configurations, each corresponding to a specific meaning: steamer, sailing boat, etc. The information was used by observers operating

for financiers, merchants, wholesalers and speculators. Knowing the nature of the cargo carried by the ship they could predict the upcoming (generally lower) local prices for those goods and commodities carried. Those who did not have advance information on the cargo might pay a too-high price from a merchant unloading his stock of a commodity — a price that was about to drop. On October 18, 1850, the ship Oregon signaled to the hill as it was entering the Golden Gate the news of California's recently acquired statehood.

Source – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraph_Hill,_San_Francisco

Semaphore| Source – Semaphore Chart

Telegraph Hill, 1850 | Source – Telegraph Station

Coit Tower, Present Day | Source – Danielle Siler

Telegraph Hill, 1880’s | Source – Telegraph Hill

further exploration of telegraph hill

Source – SF Vitality Carton Map

Source – http://hbr.org/2012/12/the-vitality-of-cities/ar/1

Source – http://www.pps.org/reference/what_is_placemaking/

WHAT MAKES A CITY VITAL?

the vitality of a city is what keeps it alive, functioning and inviting for people to live,

visit or path through. by investigating the vitality of circulation, accessibility, sunlight, multi-use

areas, public and private open space, etc., we can start to image how our own perfect

district would be. how would we structure this ‘utopian district’ to best serve the needs and

demands of the people who inhabit it? exploring further into specific evidence and

information will help to strengthen our architectonic language to respond to urban forces,

structure and materials. by designing a set of close proximity nodes within a district is essential

to maintaining vitality within the community. districts with increased vitality include mixed-use

nodes, which promotes a more interesting environment. this also promotes growth and

diversity within the community

Cities of Opportunity 2012 analyzes the

trajectory of 27 cities, all capitals of finance,

commerce, and culture—and through their

current performance seeks to open a window

on what makes cities function best. This year,

we also look ahead to 2025 to project

employment, production, and population

patterns, as well as “what if” scenarios that

prepare for turns in the urban road.

“’Placemaking’ is both an overarching idea

and a hands-on tool for improving a

neighborhood, city or region. It has the

potential to be one of the most transformative

ideas of this century.” -Metropolitan Planning

Council of Chicago

Source – Flickr GeoTag Circulation Map

Source –Flickr GeoTag Circulation Map

CIRCULATION

Circulation is vital to the function and efficiency of any city. Without accessible

pathways, transport, roadways, etc., the city would not be able to survive.

Public transit is a major vital resource in the city of San Francisco. Here, hundreds

of people surge in and out of the city via public transportation as well as the

countless local residents who rely on these services to get to their locations daily.

Another vital form of circulation is in the form of the dedicated bike lanes we are

now establishing throughout San Francisco. Providing safe routes for cyclists, the

“wiggle” is a specific route in San Francisco that is most flat in street surface and

does not particularly travel through major thoroughfares.

Source – http://www.flickr.com/photos/amapple/5883699756/

Source – http://www.iliveinthebayarea.com/knowledge-center/transit/

The maps above show the difference in circulation based on photographs

taken and uploaded to the social media website, Flickr.

The top map shows the difference in circulation based on pedestrian,

bicycle, in-town driving and freeway driving. The black color represents foot

traffic, or that which is less than 7mph. The red is less than 19mph; blue is

less than 43mph and green refers to freeways and rapid transit.

The bottom image is based on tourism and the difference between the vital

locations for local residents and non-local residents.

Source – http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2011-08-26/lifestyle/35271863_1_latest-maps-dots-flickr

SUNLIGHT

Sunlight provides a major vital source to any location

in a city. The amount of sun a specific location will

receive depends not only on the time of the year and

day but as well as the architecture and urban layout

of the city. Areas which receive the most amount

sunlight will be increasingly vital. These spaces will

hopefully provide a platform from which people will

be able to enjoy the sunlight and area around them

in the form of public open space and mixed use

buildings.

There are 4 major season in the years that effect the

sun and it’s solar path. March 21, June 21, September

21, December. This will prove to be either the longest

or the shortest day of the year depending on location

in the world.

Source - http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2009/10/30/happy-halloween-from-the-unive/

DISCOVERY

I found an interesting application for my tablet which I used to see the

location of the sun depending on time of the day and year. This shows which

point of the day is most vital to the sunlight in my neighborhood. As the illustrated

map shows, the sun does not alter it’s path extremely but just enough that that

the most vital point of the day for my home are between the hours of 12-5pm in

February and between 1-8pm in June.

I also was able to export information regarding today’s date, with longitudinal

locations as well as azimuth and altitude information. This measures the intensity of

the sun’s rays at times of the year.

ASSIGNMENT

Applying successful urban design concepts, principles, and strategies

to create a vital City Image – using SketchUp to create a Utopian

District that spans 8 major blocks, 5 cross streets/nodes with 6 major

aspects of vitality with credible evidence to solidify message.

REFLECTION, REVIEW + ANALYSIS Developing our own ideal district was challenging yet very useful in my design process. Increasing my craft in my presentation was a big step for me with this assignment. And that I actually got work up on the wall, on time, was paramount at this point in the semester. I believe that I am taking in so much extensive and crucial information, but I am not able to manage my time between work, school and my personal life. This has been reflected throughout the semester with my inability to produce work for critique and peer review. This is only hurting my design process and

technique as I am not able to get the feedback I need to progress my work efficiently and successfully. With that being said, we were directed to evaluate and critique each other in group of three. I found my peer critique extremely useful and helpful in my design process and ability to credibly prove my message.

INCREASED VITALITY • diverse multi-nodes of attractions,

connected by walkable paths that are uniquely desirable

• fertile, vibrant instead of homogenously sanitized; attractive to diverse populations which integrate the ‘slow life’

• urban community gardens – highly visible to surrounding uses

• places that are tranquil and offer vistas surrounded by nature

STRATEGIES

high density of major transportation

arteries/accessibility

public parking – locate adjacent to

transportation hubs/stations

create high density of high activity areas –

retail; public services, public open space,

housing, offices, mixed use, etc.

welcoming and comfortable public

havens – parks and plazas

create maximum sunlight streets, public

spaces

create balance between natural and built

environments

close to educational facilities

create vistas/framed vies

urban gardens to promote ‘slow life’

create high visibility between public and

private spaces

use landmarks to promote wayfinding

create “permeable” blocks – pedestrian

paths that scale down super block less

than 660 feet in length

promote secure, defensible spaces

Mission Bay South is a 303 acre

neighborhood under

redevelopment located south

of At&t Park. Townsend street

defines the north edge of the

district, 3rd street and San

Francisco Bay defining the east

edge. Mariposa street runs

along the south while the 280

freeway and 7th street create

the west edge of the district.

Currently, UCSF is the leading

developer of the space, but the

district is lacking in overall

vitality. Issues include lack of

housing, community centers,

retail, food/entertainment,

transit line east to west, and

public land space.

POSSIBLE APPROACHES

•create connection to

waterfront

•links to surrounding

neighborhoods

•internal street grid favorable to

pedestrian, bicycle + transit

•creation of strong

neighborhood identity – history

•creation of significant public

open space areas

•address ballpark needs and

synergies

•vehicle management to serve

neighborhood and ballpark

needs

Source – http://www.sfredevelopment.org/index.aspx?page=61

Source – http://www.sfredevelopment.org/index.aspx?page=61

Source – http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/San-francisco-map.png

Source – http://www.maps.google.com

Personal Notes, Danielle Siler

I believe I have learned a lot from our work so far this semester. Our journey through the neighborhoods of San Francisco has

been a great experience for myself as a resident as well as student.

Unfortunately for myself, I have struggled to keep up with my classmates this semester as far as worked presented but it has

not been from a lack of inspiration or intrigue. I am very inspired by this semesters work yet I have still proven to lack the time

management skills to be successful in my work. I seem to take awhile getting into the thick of things but feel like once I do, I

can be successful in my work. So far, this has not been the case. I would love to see what I could if I would only give myself

the time I need! One factor that is increasing my shortcomings is the fear I have for failure and rejection among my professors

and peers. But I know these are the things that will teach me to develop my process more efficiently so why be afraid to face

that? I am destined to be successful, I just wish I could remember that all the time. I loose track of my ability to develop and

design thus shut down and second guess all my work. My craft is lacking in the digital form but this is something I feel I have

turned the corner on and will be able to produce clear and concise work for the rest of the semester.

I know that I can and will be successful in this class and others in the future but I will only make things more stressful and more

complicated if I cannot learn to bide my time efficiently. How can I procrastinate so much when I am inspired by the work

and my motivations to be something bigger and better than I am now? I am fearful of this becoming my one set back in life.

I am challenged and determined to not let that happen.

It terms of this semester’s work and my ability to come from out of the hole I have put myself, I know I can succeed. And I

know I can learn from my mistakes and with the help of my peers, I will come out on top. I am excited to see how the rest of

this semester develops and what successes (and failures) my fellow classmates and I will achieve.

Thank you, Jerry, for being a great teacher and huge inspiration!