CONTINUATION OF: SURVIVING IN JOSHUA TREE
I FEEL LIKE A USED CAR SALESMAN PUSHING THE BEST BUY FOR THE BUCK, JOSHUA TREE OASIS WEB.
THIS IS NOT SOME MIRAGE THAT CAN BE SHRUGGED OFF. THIS CAN HAPPEN. CALTRANS, THE ROAD BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT FOR CALIFORNIA, CONTROLS WHAT HAPPENS WITH HWY 62 THROUGH JOSHUA TREE. HAVING A HUGE COMPLICATED CHECK OFF LIST FOR ANY PROJECT AFFECTING THE HWY. THIS IS A LONG PROCESS THAT TAKES TIME, BUT A TOP CALTRANS DESIGN PLAYER SAID, HE FELT THE SCHEME WAS GREAT, BUT COULD ONLY HAPPEN BY OUTSIDERS .
WHAT A CONTRAST TO NICARAGUA WHERE THE LATE MAYOR OF MANAGUA, HERTY LEWITES, WOULD HAVE ALL GOVERNMENTAL DEPARTMENTS CHARGING FORWARD TO ASSIST IN BUILDING HIS LATEST PROJECT, I FORTUNATE TO HAVE SUCH A CLIENT. THE AMAZING PART BEING THE PROJECTS GOT BUILT AS DESIGNED. THAT PROCESS FROM THE TOP DOWN. TO DATE I HAVE NOT PURSUED THAT ROUTE, INSTEAD GETTING THE ROUGH PRELIMINARY DESIGN TOGETHER WITH COST AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT IN PLACE BEFORE GOING AFTER POWER PLAYERS.
THESE ARE TWO DENSE BLOCKS FACING HWY 62 THAT EXEMPLIFY THE WHOLE 9 BLOCK SCHEME, THUS, DEVELOPING A TYPICAL CANOPY PATTERN PLUS A MUCH NEEDED PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE.
EACH BLOCK HAS LOTS APPROXIMATELY 50″ X 200 DEEP, THE SUPPORT CABLES FOR THE OVERHEAD CANOPY ARE SHARED ON THE PROPERTY LINES. THE VERTICAL SUPPORTS ARE RIGID 30′ PLUS HIGH POLES SIMILAR TO A POWER POLE OR FLAG POLE. ALL ELEMENTS, EXCEPT FOR THE FOUNDATION CAISSONS ARE REMOVABLE. THUS, ALLOWING THE CHOICE BY THE OWNERS OF THE LOTS TO HAVE OR NOT HAVE.
THE TENSILE SHADING SHOWN IN WHITE ON THE MODEL CAN BE A VARIETY OF MATERIALS, LIKE CAMOUFLAGE NETTING, CANVAS SAILS, WOVEN TAPESTRY ETC.. INFINITE CHOICES OF COLORS AND TEXTURES.
THE CONCEPT BEING AN INFRASTRUCTURE OF A WIRE CANOPY OVERHEAD THAT PROVIDES A SUPPORT SYSTEM TO ALLOW THE OWNERS TO DO THEIR FUNCTIONAL ART.
THE EXISTING ROOFS TO RECEIVE FLAT PLATE SOLAR COLLECTORS. THERE ARE GREEN SWALES TO COLLECT MOISTURE TO SUPPORT GREEN GROWTH OF TREES AND BUSHES. THUS DIVERTING WATER FROM THE ROOFS, LAND, AND THE STREETS.
THE GREY WATER USED FOR MISTING TO COOL OUTDOOR SEATING AREAS WITH PONDS FOR FISH PRODUCTION ETC.
THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, A MUCH NEEDED SAFETY FACTOR FOR CROSSING HWY 62. A GALLEY VIEWER WAS RECENTLY KILLED WHILE CROSSING THE ROAD AT NIGHT. THE COMMUNITY FOR YEARS WANTING PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES. THE BRIDGE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BLOCK TO ALLOW FOR NO DISTRACTION OF VEIW ANGLES FOR DRIVERS AT THE CORNER INTERSECTIONS.
A FESTIVE STREET, SIMILAR TO A LATIN TOWN WITH BANNERS CROSSING THE ROADS.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS HOW MUCH IT WILL COST. I AM PUTTING A ROUGH ESTIMATE TOGETHER NOW, BUT WANT IT BUILT BY LOCAL WORKMAN.
THE LOCAL LAND AND BUSINESS WILL QUADRUPLE IN VALUE. SHOULD BE APPEALING TO MONEY PEOPLE. THAT MEANS MORE JOBS AND PROSPERITY. MAYBE SOME HOMELESS WORKSHOPS TO ASSIST BUILDING. AS FOR GENTRIFICATION, IT IS HAPPENING NOW, THE PLUS POINT BEING TO CREATE A THRIVING LOW SCALE ARTISTIC PLACE TO COME AND HANG OUT WITH POCKET PARKS, GALLERIES, CAFES, MUSEUMS ALREADY IN PLACE THAT WILL BE EXPANDED.
GROWTH WILL HAPPEN AWAY FOR THE HWY ON EXISTING BARREN LAND ALL CONNECTED BY THE CANOPY..
THUS MAKING A SUCCESSFUL OLD TOWN PLANNING CLASSIFICATION THAT CAN NOT BE IGNORED THAT KEEPS OUT THE TYPICAL CHAIN STORE DEVELOPMENT WHICH THE LOCALS HAVE SUCCESSFULLY FOUGHT TO KEPT OUT SO FAR.
PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE. WITH STAIRS AND OPEN CAGE LIFT PLATFORMS ON EACH SIDE. THE WHITE BEING PERFORATED METAL FOR GUARD RAILS AND SUN PROTECTION.
THE BRIDGE IS A STRAIGHT FOWARD FUNCTIONAL AND STRUCTURAL SOLUTION, NO EXTRA FLUFF, BUT DOES DAZZLE
VIEW FROM SIDEWALK
A RAVEN’S POINT OF VIEW, THE STAIRS AND LIFT TAKING 10′ OF THE 20′ WIDE SIDEWALK.
A TENSILE BRIDGE THAT RELIES ON A CENTRAL CABLE TO HANG A PEDESTRIAN WALKING AREA OFF THE 96′ PLUS SPAN. THE STAIRS AND ELEVATOR CORE TAKES LATERAL LOADS AND ACTS AS AN ANCHOR FOR TENSILE LOADS
THE HWY IS FIVE 12′ LANES WITH THE CENTER LANE FOR TURNING. TWO ADDITIONAL 18′ LANES ON EITHER SIDE FOR PARALLEL PARKING AND DROP OFF. ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE HWY I TOOK THE EXISTING TEN FOOT WIDE SIDE WALK AND INCREASED IT TO 20′ TO MATCH THE NORTH SIDE SIDEWALK AND ALLOW FOR THE 10′ CLEARANCE NECESSARY FOR STAIRS AND ELEVATORS FROM THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE. THERE IS A 17′ 6″ CLEARANCE UNDER THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE.
THE SCHEME WIDENS ONE SIDEWALK , RESTRIPS THE HWY, AND PUTS A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE ACROSS A ROAD. SOUNDS SIMPLE TO ME.
THERE IS A FANNING OUT PATTERN THAT OCCURS AS ONE WALKS ACROSS THE BRIDGE, HIGH AT THE CURBS AND WIDE IN THE CENTER OF THE HWY.
THE DIFFERENT COMPRESSION MEMBERS AND THE FOUNDATIONS THEY NEED.
STAIR WITH A MAJOR LANDING IN THE MIDDLE. A FUN THING TO GO UP AND DOWN WITH RESTING AREAS.
INCLINED LIFT ELEVATOR, OPEN AND VISUALLY EXCITING TO RIDE,
THE FUTURE NOW BY GLEN
Blown away again.
thanks eric for the comment,
you told me to sign up for Facebook and the world would comment on my blog. it seems that Facebook is the communication level that people like to comment.
a comment you make on facebook was that the joshua tree oasis web was a complete system, my usual process of a design. that was kind and informative.
i have no idea how to get professionals and informed people to comment on my blog? tim barnes my blog man recommending reading architectural blogs and commenting with referrals to my blog. that is like doing a hustle to get comments. not my thing. my information is unique and should be of interest.
we live in a busy time of communication, so reading my blog and contemplating the visuals is a bit too much. making a comment is over the top. sad but true.
so i will keep doing my endless blog and hope it will eventually be of interest to do positive good.
i looked at a recent lecture by steven holl last night. it was on his wood’s constructed project in china and a bunch of his other projects. talk about a spin on light. as if he just discover light as source to design with. architects and builders have been doing that forever, but his verbal spin is seductive. but the end results are a bunch of cut up distorted boxes with light coming through windows. how unique? what a sham.
glen