![]() ![]() It’s a good read – and mostly a great way of summarizing both the historical origins of modern landscape architecture and the influence of the larger construct of art theory. There is an opening essay by author Mary Myers describing some of the philosophy of the firm. It’s also fascinating to see a larger body of work, connecting the above 2002 project and the follow up Ward Residence, which re-purposes the sinuous forms of Hayes Valley into a similar set piece – including stone and larger trees that were not possible in the rooftop scenario. For instance one of my favorite projects, the Hayes Valley Roof Garden – shows wonderful composition of form and materials – powerful in plan and in reality. Projects include a quick synopsis, a graphic plan, and both long and detailed views, exploring not just the overall form, but the connections and interplay of corten steel and grass, stainless and succulants, black concrete and decomposed grey granite. The book doesn’t disappoint, as it is image-rich – offering many views of some of the fine work of the firm. Between the black stained concrete of the Perry Residence and the wonderfully whimsical Children’s Garden (shown below) as some of the first projects I had seen from Cochran, I was immediately struck with the intricate simplicity of materials and form, yet blown away by the power of such restraint. I definitely will preface this ‘mash note’ to say that I am a huge fan of Andrea Cochran’s work – and thus this review will focus less on the work than on the presentation here. This book gives you plenty to feel – and really, that’s the best part. Like art, you can view it and feel it, rather than read about it and think on it. This isn’t to demean the work at all, as I’m sure there’s a weighty sum of theory and background that the work is built on. Much like her work, the book is something to savor and view, but not necessarily an overly intellectual pursuit. Well, for a review I have to admit that I didn’t end up reading much of it, but rather poured through the pages, scanning, absorbing, and staring at small vignettes of material and spatial form. I’ve paged through it numerous times, but figured I’d get around to reading it at some point, at least formally, before putting the review together. Structural Engineer: Endrestudio, Emeryville, Calif.Ĭonsultant: Anticlockwise Arts, Oakland, Calif.I’ve had the book ‘Andrea Cochran: Landscapes’ for a while now, since Princeton Architecture Press (2009) sent me a copy. Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture, San Francisco Bothman Construction, Santa Clara, Calif.Īrchitects: Endrestudio, Emeryville, Calif. Owners: The Trust for Public Land, San Francisco City of San Francisco Recreation and Parks, San Francisco The poles glow, flicker and dance, joining in the hum and buzz of an evening at the Civic Center. "Learning while playing through real-life 3D structural diagrams! I will not see playgrounds the same way again." -judge Filo CastoreĪt night the park’s focus shifts to the nearly 70 “pixel poles”- stainless steel posts with built-in LED display caps that are centrally controlled and fully programmable. To facilitate this, a bolted splice connection was designed that could be used with a range of curvatures for each structure. The pieces were fabricated and powder coated offsite and assembled on an aggressive schedule. In this way, the forces are resolved through form rather than solely relying on strength of materials. The structures emerged through a synthesis of parametric form exploration, circulation strategy, and fundamental geometric principles. The Helen Diller Civic Center Playground, a design collaboration between Andrea Cochran Landscape Architects and Endrestudio Architects & Engineers, features three expressive steel play structures that were inspired by the often mercurial weather patterns of San Francisco: Fog Valley lopes slowly along the ground, Lenticular Cloud creates a layered world of blue mesh nets, and Sky Punch spirals up above the park in an open helical sweep. Award Category: Sculpture/Installation/Non-Building Structure ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |