inbetween pt 1_SITE

Thinking about the definition of "site” architecturally I instinctively reach towards the space or land that the design intervention will consider or integrate. This explication of the site is severely challenged in the philosophy and the idea of a “non-site” in the early installations and works of the early land artists. In the article, “The Site as Project: Lessons from Land Art and Conceptual Art”, author Martin Hague explores the constructs of site within modern architecture and land art. He argues for a closer association between site and process and calls for a new thinking of the site in architecture.

The ideas of  “non-sites” and displacement are central to the understanding of site and process in many fundamental land art works, such as Richard Longs walks and the correlating maps he displayed. Hague suggests this physical connection to the landscape could be useful for the architect in understanding the “site”. “Long’s trajectories through the landscape also suggest new ways in which we might reconsider our own initial visits to a new site: for the architect such trajectories or visits typically include careful measurements of the land, taking account of its critical features, and the like. What becomes possible are site investigations that might reveal the qualities of a site that would otherwise remain latent with the use of conventional surveying techniques”.

During my landscape architecture studio this summer, before any design charrete or project, we would conduct a very thorough site analysis taking into account everything from neighborhood character to soil conditions. Many factors I would have not taken into consideration for a successful survey or sight analysis were carefully researched and dissected. This lent a holistic understanding of the embedment of the site in its environment.

Matta-Clark explores the idea of a previously constructed environments as the site for his projects, in particular “Fake Estates”, which brought to question neglected spaces in the urban environment. Making use of a building or previously constructed fragments, as Matta-Clark did, becomes an act of displacement and exploration of time processes.

Fake Estates

To reconceive site and project, we have to look to the site as a process or as Hague states, “a repository that is forever in the process of change. The importance of designing with the past and present in mind through historical events and natural processes  has become increasingly important in many  urban design projects. Understanding time as part of the site and process and removing the physicality of the space allows for more comprehensive design work. 

Two recent landscape architecture projects that are designed to evolve over time, in space and experience are Fresh Kills and the High Line.  Both boldly recognizing the importance of “site cultivation”, and as Keith Frampton suggests, “uncover dormant narratives and strategies”.

Fresh Kills

High Line

To be cont.