LANDPRINTS: Design for the Ephemeral

PROJECT CREDITS
Original Concept
Iuliana Morar
Research and Concept Development
Iuliana Morar, Northern Land Studio
Celia R. Lee, Sustainable Calgary

ACCOLADES
Winner of MOVEMENT Competition: Tactical Category, 2019
The project is the result of a collaboration between Iuliana Morar, MLArch
from Northern Land Studio and Celia R. Lee, MEDes,
Team Lead of Active Neighborhoods Program at Sustainable Calgary. 

Process
based design

vs

Function
to form
design

▼
Function
to form
design

The classic design process follows a
function-to-form logic resulting in a built environment that is, more often than not, dedicated to the very function it originated, segregating uses and maximizing infrastructure footprint. 

A surface parking lot is the best example of a function/ form design process result.

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Analysis of a surface parking lot

A parking lot definitely serves its purpose: dedicated access lanes facilitate car movements towards dedicated parking spots. Built to last forever, these spaces are a typical function-to-form design example. However, research shows that LRT or downtown surface parking lots are used at only 36% over the course of a year, becoming deserted concrete islands for the rest of the time, dividing neighborhoods and diminishing the pedestrian experience.

72%
dedicated for vehicular access
12%
used

36%
parking lot occupancy
64%
of the time: deserted

25 %
pedestrian use of the space
2%
dedicated space

If we calculate the surface occupied by the
vehicular access lanes and parking lanes within a parking lot, it quickly adds up to 72% to 78% of the entire footprint.
However, this dedicate surface is used by a passing car looking for a parking spot only for about 30 seconds. If we add up the time needed for all the cars during a week to use
this space, it amounts to only 12%.  

Surface parking lots are used only a fraction of the time. With peaks mostly between 7 am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, they become deserted concrete islands on evenings, weekends and holidays.
How can we maximize the return of the infrastructure investment by finding ways to design so that a space is used all the time? Can a parking lot be more than that? A park? A plaza?

Pedestrian need more time to walk through a space. Almost 10x more than a car, yet, the dedicated infrastructure for pedestrians, and drivers occupies only 2% of the parking footprint.

A Vehicular Realm is a built environment having the land surface dedicated with priority to motorized vehicles and secondary to pedestrians. Malls, parking lots, streets and most industrial areas are intense Vehicular Realms.

In the end, it does not matter how much we improve the parking lot design, by adding stormwater features, or planting trees and increase accessibility, the result will be the same: the space remains a VEHICULAR REALM. The very absence of the Pedestrian Realm indicates the presence of a Vehicular Realm.

If we want significant change, we need to change the way we interpret spaces and adapt the way we design them. 

▼
Process
based
Design
Methodology: Design for the Ephemeral

A process-based design methodology is an alternative to the traditional function/ form design process, and was inspired by the understanding that
all natural phenomena, urban processes included, are ephemeral in nature and yet the built environment insists in creating dedicated, long-lasting 
structures that time deems obsolete. Through a process-based design approach, we can design places that are aligned with the way of life, adaptable,
ephemeral in use, and can sustain changes as they come. 

Processes/ flows within a parking lot

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URBAN FLOWS
Looking at a given parking lot, we have identified a number of moving and idling processes, that we call urban flows, that are ephemeral in nature and
that happen at specific moments in time. 

Within a given parking lot we have the following:

MOVING FLOWS
: pedestrian flows
: vehicular flows
: ciclysts flow
: stormwater runoff flow

 IDLE FLOWS (Slow moving)
: car parking
: bycicle parking
: vegetation 

Calculating the time that these flows happen, we found that people spend 10X more time walking in this environment than driving and given the opportunity (the presence of coffee shops, bakery, benches, trees), it could increase even more.
By understanding and accepting the ephemeral nature of these flows, we can design spaces that accept different flows at different times, and create a strong pedestrian realm that accommodates vehicular processes as well.

Accommodating
Processes

To find a way to accommodate the urban flows, we looked at the natural environment for inspiration, organizing the site in corridors and patches. 

Corridors = Moving flows

Patches = Idle processes

As such, the moving flows are being assigned movement corridors along the identified flow patterns, whereas to the idling processes are being
assigned patches, where temporary idling (cars, people, bicycles, stormwater) or long term idling (trees) can happen.

Open to all, dedicated to none

Named playfully to signify an abundance of uses within a space, a caboodle is a shared realm version of a traditional vehicular realm parking lot. Built on the principle that all flows within the spaces are ephemeral in nature, the new design offers multi-use surfaces that cater to a multitude of ephemeral users. 
Can a parking lot be a beautiful promenade? A market? A concert venue? A shared space? A flood management tool? An oasis from the heat island effect?
We think so!! They are no longer parking lots; they are caboodles.

The Architecture of a Caboodle

Comparative study of a caboodle and a traditional parking lot

In the end, is all about re-imagining parking lots. Spread over large surfaces, parking lots for LRT’s or otherwise, divide our cities creating concrete
islands that diminish our experience as pedestrians, especially during evenings, weekends and holidays. By changing the way we interpret urban
processes and accepting the Ephemeral as a design premise, other types of spaces will emerge, spaces that are aligned with the nature of things, spaces that are adaptable to any societal, environmental or economic change that may come. With adaptable spaces, open for all, dedicate to none, we ensure
inclusiveness, address spatial justice and allow communities to appropriate and adapt the public realms to reflect their social logic.