murky water
DESCRIPTION
Preparatory work towards a masters thesis studio in architecture, focusing on the issue of observatories and river contaminantsTRANSCRIPT
murky watersDesign Thinking spring 2012
Alec PerkinsAdvisor Ben Fehrmann
TA Gina Gage
It was six men of IndostanTo learning much inclined,Who went to see the Elephant(Though all of them were blind),That each by observationMight satisfy his mind.
The First approach'd the Elephant,And happening to fallAgainst his broad and sturdy side,At once began to bawl:"God bless me! but the ElephantIs very like a wall!"
The Second, feeling of the tusk,Cried, -"Ho! what have we hereSo very round and smooth and sharp?To me 'tis mighty clearThis wonder of an ElephantIs very like a spear!"
The Third approached the animal,And happening to takeThe squirming trunk within his hands,Thus boldly up and spake:"I see," quoth he, "the ElephantIs very like a snake!"
The Fourth reached out his eager hand,And felt about the knee."What most this wondrous beast is likeIs mighty plain," quoth he,"'Tis clear enough the Elephant Is very like a tree!"
The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,Said: "E'en the blindest manCan tell what this resembles most;Deny the fact who can,This marvel of an ElephantIs very like a fan!"
The Sixth no sooner had begunAbout the beast to grope,Then, seizing on the swinging tailThat fell within his scope,"I see," quoth he, "the ElephantIs very like a rope!"
And so these men of IndostanDisputed loud and long,Each in his own opinionExceeding stiff and strong,Though each was partly in the right,And all were in the wrong
pathI found something compelling in these four images which I wanted to bring into my architecture, so I began to dig into what they all held in common:
An investigation of the world, especially the more fundamental systems of the world.making explicit a relationship between a person and the larger thing,architecture of discovery and excitement and potential,scale as a tool to provide perspective.
THE ATLAS DETECTOR AT CERN IN GENEVA SKY SUITE IN ARCOSANTI, ARIZONA BOARDWALK IN AN ASPEN FOREST
concept origins
BOARDWALK IN AN ASPEN FOREST ABANDONED COUCH IN SOUTHERN PHOENIX, ARIZONA
these are all observatories, where you go to look at something, to understand a bigger picture, to place something in context.
From the moment we are born, we begin the life-long process of attempting to understand how we relate to the outside world. Bit by bit, we learn about our immediate environment and gradually seek wider and wider frames of reference. Fundamentally, I am speaking of the process of gaining perspective- how we percieve the relation of ourselves to the rest of the world.
You are here
Often, where the frame of reference is beyond what can be readily seen, we resort to forms of representation to give us perspective, but this can be many times removed from the object of perspective itself, diluting it, and opening it to distorition.
Even though no one has ever seen our galaxy in a single view, and even though our location in it is possibly the least useful piece of information we can have, we still so strongly desire to find out where we are, how we fit into the larger scheme of things, that we’ll make it up. The accuracy doesn’t matter- the perpsective does.
on the necessity of observatories
We stand under a starry sky and look up. People used to think it was all decorative. Then astronomical observatories isolated and magnifed those views, and radically changed our entire percpetion of the universe. I still think the starry sky is decorative, but it is now much more enriched with meaning, knowing that I am looking deep into time, and feeling the yawning distance of vast interstellar space.
observatories
SUBJECT OBJECT
SUBJECT OBJECT
There is a manifold relationship between subjects and objects, millions of threads, some invisible and unknown, of varying importance linking everything together. The act of observation is the isolation and mangnification of a select few strands. When we see with our eyes, we constrain our vision and mentally blind ourselves to what we do not wish to see. When we listen to a conversation, we block out other conversations, noises.
OBJECT
observatories
Δ SUBJECT PERSPECTIVE Δ SUBJECT PERCEPTION
ADD
REMOVE
MOVE
TRANSLATE
FRAME (ARCHITECTURE)
concerning perspective
a : the technique or process of representing on a plane or curved surface the spatial relation of objects as they might appear to the eye; specifically : representation in a drawing or painting of parallel lines as converging in order to give the illusion of depth and distance.
b : a picture in perspective
a : the interrelation in which a subject or its parts are mentally viewed also : point of view
b : the capacity to view things in thier true relations or relative importance
a : a visible scene; especially : one giving a distinctive impression of a distance : vista
b : a mental view or prospect
: the appearance to the eye of objects in respect to their relative distance and positions.
1
2
3
4
architecturalcognative
ENGAGED OBSERVATION NEW ENGAGEMENTperspectivedisengage
‘Atlas Shrugged’
Armlandia?
OBSERVATORY
The observatory as the bridge between cognative perspective (outlook) and spatial perspective (the wide view). We carry our world with us, and we are embedded in it. Observatories are places of disengagement, where the world and our relation to it is held up to scrutiny.
For architecture to function as an observatory, there must first be an observer willing to focus thier attention on something, and willing to comprehend what they are observing.
The most basic architectural observatory is the peep hole, which consists of a space in front of a door, an observer, and a small hole for looking out. What can be ascertained through a peephole is fairly limited to visual recognition of people directly outside the door.
The more abigous the framing by the observatory, the less functional it becomes. (and of course, the depth of the observation is dependant upon the observers capacity for that depth.)
observer perception
Flower in the crannied wall, I pluck you out of the crannies;— Hold you here, root and all, in my hand,Little flower—but if I could understandWhat you are, root and all, and all in all,I should know what God and man is.
He might have been paraphrasing Tennyson:
Nature uses only the longest threads to weave her patterns, so each small piece of her fabric reveals the organization of the entire tapestry.
If one believes quantum physisist Richard Feynman, then there are observatories and insights into the secret natural systems all around us:
Any given observatory would seem to create a condition where the depth and utlity of the insight is proportional to its ambiguity. The ideal observatory would be a vertical line, where at any given point of depth or utiltiy, the validity and truth of it were manifest.
DEP
TH /
UTI
LITY
AMBIGUITY
IT’S A FLOWER IN A CRACKED WALL
RESILLIANCY OF NATURE
NEIGHBORHOOD NOT DOING WELL
THE NATURE OF MAN AND GOD
WALLS CRACK OVER TIME
COURSE OF CIVILIZATION
DECAY OF ALL THINGS
HUMAN MORTALITY
FLOWER IN A CRANNIED WALL
BUDDHIST ENLIGHTENMENT
HIGGS BOSON DETECTOR AT CERN
TAROT READER
SAINT LOUIS ARCH
formal city observatories
MISSISSIPPI RIVER OVERLOOK
While there are two publically accessible observatory towers in the city, the Mississippi river remains invisible until one is nearly on it. The most revealing observatory of the city is its mass transit systems: it lays bare not only the urban form, but also the social form.
informal city observatories
MONK’S MOUND, CAHOKIA
METROLINK LINE
RIVERFRONT TRAIL
CHAIN OF ROCKS BRIDGE
DANFORTH CAMPUS
ELEVATED FREEWAY
INCOME DONUT MAP OF ST.LOUISVIA RADICALCARTOGRAPHY.NET You are Here
St.Louis is conceived as a line, roughly linking downtown Clayton- U. City- Forest Park- Central West End- Grand arts district- downtown- arch grounds.
A towering spire in north St.Louis would be a visceral reminder that the city exends north as well as east and west, and could be used as an observation platform for looking at the rest of the city, the river, east St.Louis.
observing the north, a hypothetical tower
‘ o day and night, but this is wonderous strange! ’
E/W AXIS / ACCESS OF POWER
?
?
NORTH- THE OTHER CARDINAL POINTOBSERVATION TOWER - TOWER OBSERVATION
An observatory on the river would put the river into context with the city.
The river, which is literally hidden from view until one is nearly upon it, is literally the lifeline of the city, intertwined in numerous ways, yet goes unnoticed in its secret tributaries and branches. This project is about the observatory of the river and the secret, latent information it carries.
observatory on the river
The city of St.Louis pulls its water from two whimsical towers located on the Mississippi river upriver from the city, but downriver from the confluence of the Missouri river. The two towers are sentinals, iconic landmarks on the river.
lol
wtf
precedent studies
Camera ObscuraThe camera obscura uses a pinhole or lens to project the scene from a tiny vantage point onto an interior surface. It was the origin of the modern camera, and it is the architectural features, pinhole, projecting wall, which make up this instrument of observation.
Jantar Mantar Celestial ObservatoryThis is a historic observatory built in Mughal India in the 1700s, a collection of solar, lunar, and stellar devices for the determination of auspicious dates in the Islamic calendar. What is most compelling is that these observatories all work purely by architecture which puts the observer in direct connection to the object or event.
Jantar Mantar Celestial Observatory
I have been searching for two types of precedents: observatories which translate a variable environmental condition into a more easily understood form, and those which use the architecture as the instrument of observation.
Blackpool High Tide Organ Laim CurtainMore sculptural than architectural, this organ uses tuned pipes which resonate with the air pushed in by the changing tides. During storms, the tones are aggressive and wild, and gentler weather produces softer tones.
Flow Owl Project + Ed CarterA floating tidemill in the UK uses the power of the river tides to generate acoustic musical sounds. The sounds produced “respond directly to the ever-changing state of the river. The sounds created by each instrument can also be manipulated by visitors to the millhouse.”
Neuage Vert [green cloud] HeHeThis project uses a thermal camera to map the hottest part of a coal plant exhaust plume, then re-maps the boundaries of that heat on the steam of the plume with laser light. The size of the plume is supposed to be proportional to the energy supply of the city, so this is a way of feeding back to the city its current energy demand.
RiverPulse BAFAEThis installation has a series of probes in a river which monitor five characteristics- temperature, oxygen content, turbidity, flow, and electrical conductivity. The variations in these data control one variable in the projected “wave reflection” (e.g. the warmer the water gets, image becomes more red).
precedent studies
RiverPulse BAFAE Amphibious Architecture GSAPPThis interactive installation in NYC waterways is a series of sensors which monitor water quality, fish, and human interest in the river, and convey this information via lights. The system responds to SMS texts to fish to create a feedback loop, linking the river, people, and fish together.
Nat’l Great Rivers Research + Education Center Nat’l Great Rivers Resarch, Lewis + Clark CCThis is a center which combines public education and outreach with river and riparian reasearch. The program is sited by the river, with direct taps from the river leading into the wet laboratories.
INDUSTRIAL
HISTORIC
INFRASTRUCTURAL
URBANISTIC
FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION
POWER PLANT COOLANTTRANSPORTATION OF ENERGYPROVIDES POTABLE WATER FOR CITYCARRIES AWAY WASTEWATER
TRACE OF FOUNDATION OF CITYPATH OF EXPLORATION AND DOMINATION
IMAGE OF THE CITYDEFINES CITY EDGESDEFINES STATE BOUNDARIESINT’L WATERS NEUTRALITY (CASINOS+DUELS)
ECOLOGICAL MIGRATORY BIRD PATHSRIPARIAN ZONE BENEFITS (?)DRAINS WATERSHEDS
observing the river
observing the river
BILLINGSMINNEAPOLIS
CHICAGODENVER OMAHA
KANSAS CITY
SAINT LOUISWhen the Mississippi river passes through St.Louis, it has collected water from a huge portion of the United States, including several of the largest cities. These cities leave traces in the water- treated sewage, raw sewage, runoff from streets and argricultural fields, and industrial waste.
Beyond human traces, there are also natural and geological traces in the river- sediment, silica, natural radioactive isotopes.
With the aid of ever-more sensitive analysis equipment, these traces can be read, extracted, and analyzed.
river as a national/natural observatory
“ I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids. “
drugs and sex (and antibiotics) in the water
In a 2005 study at Italian wastewater treatment plants, researchers discovered very large quanities of the byproducts of cocaine use, equivilant to 40,000 monthly doses of cocaine for the residents of the Po river valley. This was nearly three times the government estimated usage.
Interestingly, continous sampling and analysis yielded the daily, weekly, and monthy cycles of cocaine use in the valley. The water treatment plant transformed into an observatory of Italian drug culture.
But there are other chemicals in the water more difficult to remove than cocaine byproducts and with potentially much more impact on our bodies and ecosystems. As the US has become a heavy user of pharmacueticals, these drugs have entered the waste streams and waterways, as they can be highly resistant to traditional wastewater treatment and water purificiation.
Science has only begun recently to research what effects this is having on human populations, but many studies have occurred, for example, noting the feminization of fish popuations as artificial estrogen levels increase in worldwide water supplies.
As water supplies diminish in the US, and several municipalities begin augmenting thier fresh water supply directly with treated wastewater, a trend which can only increase given climate change, the quantities and effects of residual pharmaceuitucals become critically important.
Additionally, the long term effects of increased antibiotics in waterways is terrifyingly unknown as we transform the environment into a breeding ground for multiple-antibiotic resistant diseases.
NO CONSPIRACY, BUT OUR PRECIOUS BODILY (AND PLANETARY) FLUIDS ARE THREATENED BY AN EQUALLY SUBVERSIVE FORCES OPERATING UNDER THE PUBLIC RADAR
“A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows.”
“People take pills. Their bodies absorb some of the medication, but the rest of it passes through and is flushed down the toilet. The wastewater is treated before it is discharged into reservoirs, rivers or lakes. Then, some of the water is cleansed again at drinking water treatment plants and piped to consumers. But most treatments do not remove all drug residue”.
Donn, Jeff; Mendoza, Martha; Pritchard, Justin. Associated Press. “AP: Drugs Found in Drinking water” USA TODAY 3/10/2008
“Zuccato and his co-researchers decided they could use standard lab techniques to test entire cities or regions and get a rough idea of the level of cocaine use. Statistics about drug use are notoriously inaccurate, given that drug users don’t generally like to fill out surveys. Since chemistry doesn’t lie, this method offers a direct way of measuring how much coke is actually being used.”
Leahy, Stephen. “Rivers of Coke” WIRED MAGAZINE. 8/5/2005
“The drug industry sold $773 billion worth of drugs worldwide in 2008, more than double the amount sold in 2000, and with an aging population and ever-cheaper manufacturing, pharmaceutical production is expected to grow 4 to 7 percent annually until at least 2013. Americans bring home more than 10 prescription drugs per capita per year, consuming an estimated 17 grams of antibiotics alone — more than three times the per capita rate of consumption in European countries such as Germany. U.S. livestock consume even more, with farmers dispensing 11,000 metric tons of antimicrobial medications every year, mainly to promote the growth of animals.
Drugging our bodies inevitably drugs our environment, too, as many medications can pass through our bodies and waste treatment facilities virtually intact. And it is difficult to predict where and how unexpectedly vulnerable creatures may accrue potentially toxic doses.”
Shah, Sonia. “As Pharmaceutical Use Soars, Drugs Taint Water and Wildlife” Yale Enviornment 360. 4/15/2010
“Waste-treatment facilities can become ‘selection machines for drug-resistant bacteria.’”
observing what slips through
Antibiotics, endocrine inhibitors, estrogen and estrogen mimics, and mood-altering drugs are regularly found in water systems of the US and the world.
These are neither regulated nor regularly tested, and the technology used to eliminate them from water supplies is currently seen as too expensive to practically impliment at wastewater treatment plants or municipal supply.
It is only within the last decade that science and governments have begun to take notice of the cumulative effects that these unregulated substances are having on the environment and societies around the world.
Regulated Substances (Measured on the Water Leaving the Treatment Facility)
Substance (units) YearSampled MCL MCLG
Missouri River Meramec Rive ComplianceAchieved Typical Source
Results Range Low-High Results Range Low-High
2,4-D (ppb) 2011 70 70 0.01 ND – 0.3 0.01 ND – 0.1 Yes Runoff from herbicide used on row crops
Antimony (ppb) 2011 6 6 0.16 ND – 0.5 0.08 ND – 0.6 Yes Discharge from petroleum refineries; Fire retardants; Ceramics;Electronics; Solder
Arsenic (ppb) 2011 10 0 0.4 ND – 1.0 ND ND Yes Erosion of natural deposits; Runoff from orchards; Runoff from glassand electronics production wastes
Atrazine (ppb) 2011 3 3 0.3 ND – 1.1 0.03 ND – 0.1 Yes Runoff from herbicide used on row crops
Barium (ppm) 2011 2 2 0.01 ND – 0.02 0.01 ND – 0.03 Yes Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits
Carbon Tetrachloride (ppb) 2011 5 0 0.08 ND – 1.0 ND ND Yes Discharge from chemical plants and other industrial activities
Chloramines (ppm) 2011 TT NA 2.5 1.6 – 3.6 2.6 1.9 – 4.0 Yes Water additive used to control microbes
Combined radium (pCi/L) 2007 5 0 0.2 ND – 1.3 0.5 ND – 1.6 Yes Erosion of natural deposits
Fluoride (ppm) 2011 4 4 1.0 0.9 – 1.1 1.0 0.9 – 1.0 Yes Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strongteeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories
Nitrate (as N) (ppm) 2011 10 10 1.4 0.5 – 2.0 0.4 0.3 – 0.6 Yes Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage;Erosion of natural deposits
Nitrite (as N) (ppm) 2011 1 1 0.004 ND – 0.02 0.001 ND – 0.005 Yes Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage;Erosion of natural deposits
Selenium (ppb) 2011 50 50 0.8 ND – 2.0 ND ND Yes Discharge from petroleum and metal refineries; Erosion of naturaldeposits; Discharge from mines
Total Organic Carbon (ppm) 2011 TT NA 1.4 0.8 – 2.0 1.7 1.0 – 3.9 Yes Naturally present in the environment
Water Quality Results
Bacterial Results (from the Distribution System) (For the Missouri and Meramec River Facilities)Substance (units) Year Sampled MCL MCLG Highest Percentage Detected Compliance Achieved Typical Source
Total Coliform Bacteria 2011 5% Pos. Samples 0 0.60% Yes Naturally present in the environment
Other Compounds (Measured in the Distribution System)
Substance (units) YearSampled MCL MCLG
Missouri River Meramec RiverCompliance Achieved Typical Source
Results Range Low-High Results Range Low-High
Chloramines (ppm) 2011 MRDL = 4 MRDLG = 4 2.6 2.3 – 2.6 2.6 2.3 – 2.6 Yes Water additive used to control microbes
HAA5 [Haloacetic Acids] (ppb) 2011 60 NA 17.0 3.8 – 36.7 20.1 10.3 – 42.9 Yes By-product of drinking water disinfection
TTHM [Total trihalomethanes] (ppb) 2011 80 NA 14.3 1.4 – 59.1 31.1 17.7 – 85.3 Yes By-product of drinking water disinfection
Turbidity – A Measure of the Clarity of the Water (at the Treatment Facility)
Substance (units) Year Sampled MCL MCLG
Missouri River Meramec RiverCompliance Achieved Typical Source
Highest Single Measurement
Turbidity (NTU) 2011 TT NA 0.15 0.15 No Soil runoff
Unregulated Substances (Measured on the Water Leaving the Treatment Facility)
Substance (units) Year Sampled
Missouri River Meramec RiverTypical Source
Results Range Low-High Results Range Low-High
Bromodichloromethane (ppb) 2011 3.1 ND – 16.1 3.3 ND – 5.8 By-product of disinfection
Bromoform (ppb) 2011 0.3 ND – 2.2 ND ND By-product of disinfection
Chlorodibromomethane (ppb) 2011 1.9 ND – 11.5 0.8 ND – 1.8 By-product of disinfection
Chloroform (ppb) 2011 8.3 1.2 – 24.4 21.0 2.4 – 68.2 By-product of disinfection
Chromium-6 (ppb) 2011 1.2 1.1 – 1.5 1.1 0.9 – 1.4 Discharge from industrial processes; Erosion of natural deposits
Sulfate (ppm) 2011 142 109 – 171 24 15 – 45 Erosion of natural deposits
Unregulated Substances (Measured in the Distribution System)
Substance (units) YearSampled
Missouri River Meramec RiverTypical Source
Results Range Low-High Results Range Low-High
N-nitrosodimethylamine (ppt) 2009 5.1 2.2 – 9.3 ND ND
Nitrosamines can form as intermediates and byproducts in chemical synthesis andmanufacture of rubber, leather, and plastics; can form spontaneously by reaction ofprecursor amines with nitrosating agents (nitrate and related compounds), or by action of nitrate-reducing bacteria. Foods such as bacon and malt beverages can containnitrosamines; there is also evidence that they form in the upper GI tract.
Tap Water Samples: Lead and Copper Results (Measured in the Distribution System)Substance (units) Year Sampled Action Level MCLG Number of Samples 90th Percentile Number of Samples Above Action Level Typical Source
Copper (ppm) 2010 AL = 1.3 1.3 50 0.012 0 Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion ofnatural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives
Lead (ppb) 2010 AL = 15 0 50 2 0 Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits
voluntary and regulated water monitoring in St.Louis county
Optional Monitoring (not required by EPA)
Secondary Contaminants MCL Average Level Detected Range
Alkalinity, Total (mg/L) N/A 61 25 - 108
Calcium (mg/L) N/A 30.0 18.8 - 88.0
Chloride (mg/L) 250 23.2 14.9 - 36.7
Conductivity (:S/cm) N/A 532 356 - 608
Hardness, Total (mg/L as CaCO3)
N/A 148 113 - 187
Iron (mg/L) 0.3 0.0284 N.D. - 0.0590
Magnesium (mg/L) N/A 18.5 11.7 - 24.3
Non Carbonate Hardness (mg/L as CaCO3)
N/A 86.5 68.0 - 112
pH N/A 9.28 8.90 - 9.56
Potassium (mg/L) N/A 5.54 3.63 - 6.98
Sodium (mg/L) N/A 47.4 18.1 - 62.4
Solids, Total Dissolved (TDS)(mg/L) 500 339 223 - 416
Sulfate 250 158 81.8 - 189
voluntary monitoring by City of St. Louis
Both the city and county potable water is tested for a list of EPA regulated contaminants- primarily byproducts of disinfectants, herbicides, metals, isotopes, certain bacteria, and some industrial wastes. Both city and county also monitor a list of non-regulated contaminants, but this is also primarily metals and disinfectants.
What’s not being regulated or tested?
ANTIBIOTICSARTIFICIAL HORMONESPHARMACEUTICALSILLEGAL DRUG RESIDUES
testing the waters
Lemay
SEW
AGE
RIVER DES PERES
MISSOURI RIVER
MISSISSIPPI RIVER
MERIMAC RIVER
IN
3
24
8
9
11
10
6
1
OUT
1 - Chain of Rocks (city)2 - Howards Bend (city)3 - Missouri (county)4 - Missouri (county)5 - Meramec (county)6 - Meramec (county)
7 - ? (county)8 - Bissel Point (city)9 - Lemay (county)110 - ? (county)11- ? (county)
5
SEWAGE
WATER TREATMENT (IN AND OUT) AND SEWAGE TREATMENT ZONES
1- the Lemay wastewater treatment plant currently has three phases of water treatment, with a disinfection phase either planned or in the works. When it rains, to prevent the combined sewer from overloading the plant, the effluent only goes through phase 1 treatment before being dumped into the Des Peres river and thence into the Mississippee
The Mississippi and Missouri rivers are tightly interwoven into the fabric of the city. The city and county pull thier drinking water from the Mississippi and Missouri rivers from six draw points. This water is pumped around the city, used, and ultimately returns to the Mississippi. The rivers flow through the city, unseen and unknown.
rivers in the city
A
B
C
3 sites
chain of rockscity water inobserving upper mississippi watershed
bissel pointcity waste outfallobserving city of St. Louis
des peres confluencecounty waste outfallobserving St.Louis county
Three sites were selcted based on the program of observing the river- at the point where water is drawn for the city’s water supply, where treated wastewater from the city is dumped in the river, and where the treated wastewater is dumped for the county.
SITE A is at Chain of Rocks, where the majority of water for the city is drawn. This is the best point to monitor water coming in from the upper mississippi watershed, which covers a large percentage of the US.
SITE B at Bissel Point is where all the wastewater of the city is treated and enters the Mississippi. This tells us in high detail about the city.
SITE C at the Des Peres confluence recieves wastewater from the Lemay plant which treats the majority of the wastewater in the county.
chain of rocksA
chain of rocks pedestrian bridge
primary intake tower
secondary intake tower
mississippi river waterfall
chain of rocks water treatment plant for city
riverfront trail
riverview road
N
land cover
URBAN HIGH INTENSITY
URBAN LOW INTENSITY
CROPLAND
OZARK HIGHLAND LOESS AND TILL
CULTURAL / DISTURBANCE
DISTURBANCE OR SUCESSIONAL
SUCCESSIONAL UPLAND
WETLAND (NON-RIVERINE)
OPEN WATER
land use and structures
RESIDENTIAL
CROPLAND AND PASTURE
RECRETATION
INDUSTRIAL
STREAMS AND CANALS
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C9
C8
C7
C99
C98C97
C96
C95
C93
C92
C87C86
C82
C81C80
C77
C75 C71
C65
C64C62
C58
C56
C53
C51 C48
C47
C46
C42
C41
C34
C33
C30
C29
C172
C169C148
C142
C135
C133
C131
C125
C103
C102
C83
C79C78C76
C70C68
C61
C60
C55
C54
C52
C45
C37
C35C32
C28
C27
C25
C167C166
C164C162C160C156
C149C139
C138
C134
C132
C129
C128 C124C123
C122
C121
C120
C119
C118
C117
C116
C114
C113C112C111
C107C106
738000 740000 742000 744000 746000 748000 750000 752000 754000
4290
000
4292
000
4294
000
4296
000
4298
000
4300
000
4302
000
4304
000
St. Louis CityPWSS No. 6010715, Chain of Rocks IntakeSt Louis City County, Map 1 of 22 intakes, 173 potential contaminant sources
Map Update: May 22, 2009
Although all data in this dataset have been used by the Missouri Department ofNatural Resources (MoDNR), no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by MoDNR as to the accuracy of the data and related materials. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility isassumed by MoDNR in the use of these data or related materials. This map is subject to change as additional information is acquired. Additional information at: http://drinkingwater.missouri.edu.
St Louis
St Charles
St Louis City
!!H System Intake
Drainage Basin
5 Mile Upstream Limit
Surface Water System
OAerial photos from 2007 USDA NAIP or the 2007Missouri Leaf-Off Imagery Program (Eastern MO)
SWAP - Source Water Assessment Plan -- http://drinkingwater.missouri.edu/swap/
Missouri Department of
Natural Resources
Prepared by: CENTER FOR APPLIED RESEARCH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
!! Database Source
!! Database Source
## SWIP Field Data
Potential Contaminant Source
(Location Confirmed)
(Location Unconfirmed)
0 1 2
Miles
potential contaminant sources within a 5 mile radius of the chain of rocks intake
database source (location unconfirmed)intake point
Although all data in this dataset have been used by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR), no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by MoDNR as to the accuracy of the data and relatedmaterials. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by MoDNR in the use of these data or related materials. This sheet is subject to change as additional information is acquired. Additional information at: http://drinkingwater.missouri.edu.
St. Louis CityPWSS No. 6010715Contaminant Summary Sheet173 potential contaminant sources
Sheet Update: Jun 01, 2009Missouri Department of
Natural Resources
Prepared by: CENTER FOR APPLIED RESEARCH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
173 Potential Contaminant Sources in the Listed Databases:
1 Potential Contaminant Source in the SWIP Field Inventory:
AFS (EPA AIRS Facility Sites)12 APCP (MoDNR Air Pollution Control Program Sites)
APF (MoDNR Active Permitted Landfills & Transfer Stations)2 CERCLIS (EPA CERCLIS)14 Chemcov (VA Selected Chemical Sites)6 Dealcov (MDA Pesticide Dealer Locations)
Dioxin (MoDNR Confirmed Dioxin List)Grain B (USDA Former Grain Bin Sites)
67 HW Gen (MoDNR Hazardous Waste Generators)1 HW Tran (MoDNR Hazardous Waste Transporters)3 LUST (MoDNR Leaking Underground Storage Tanks)1 MoDOT (MoDOT Highway Maintenance Facilities)
PADS (EPA PCB Activity Data Base System)
Perchlo (MoDNR Perchlorate Sites in Missouri)Pest Ap (MDA Licensed Pesticide Applicators)RCRIS (EPA Resource Conservation and Recovery Information System)Silos (USGS Minuteman II Missile Silos)
1 SMARS (MoDNR Superfund Management and Registry System)64 Tanks (MoDNR Petroleum Tank Database)
Tier 2 (MERC Tier II Reports)Tire D (MoDNR Resolved and Unresolved Waste Tire Dumps)TRI (EPA Toxic Release Inventory)VCP (MoDNR Voluntary Cleanup Program Sites)
1 WQIS (MoDNR Water Quality Information System)
1 SWIP Field Inventory (see below)
0 Airport or abandoned airfield0 Animal feedlot0 Apartments and condominiums0 Asphalt plant0 Auto repair shop0 Automotive dealership0 Barber and beauty shop0 Boat yard and marina0 CAFO0 Campground0 Car wash0 Cement Plant0 Cemetery0 Communication equipment mfg0 Country club0 Dry cleaner0 Dumping and/or burning site0 Electric equipment mfg or storage0 Electric substation0 Farm machinery storage0 Feed/Fertilizer/Co-op0 Fire station0 Funeral service and crematory0 Furniture manufacturer0 Furniture repair or finishing shop0 Garden and/or nursery0 Garden, nursery, and/or florist0 Gasoline service station0 Golf courses0 Government office0 Grain bin0 Hardware and lumber store1 Hazardous waste (Federal facility)0 Highway maintenance facility0 Jewelry or metal plating shop0 Junk yard or salvage yard0 Lagoon (commercial)0 Lagoon (industrial)0 Lagoon (municipal)0 Lagoon (residential)0 Landfill (municipal)0 Laundromat0 Livestock auction
0 Machine or metalworking shop0 Manufacturing (general)0 Material stockpile (industrial)0 Medical institution0 Metal production facility0 Mining operation0 Other0 Paint store0 Park land0 Parking lot0 Petroleum production or storage0 Pharmacies0 Photography shop or processing lab0 Pit toilet0 Plastic material and synthetic mfg0 Print shop0 Railroad yard0 Recycling/reduction facility0 Research lab0 Restaurant0 Sawdust pile0 School0 Sports and hobby shop0 Swimming pool0 Tailing pond0 Tank (above-ground fuel)0 Tank (other)0 Tank (pesticide)0 Tank (underground fuel)0 Trucking terminal0 Veterinary service0 Wastewater treatment facility0 Well (abandoned)0 Well (domestic)0 Well (irrigation)0 Well (livestock)0 Well (monitoring)0 Well (public water supply)0 Well (unknown)
potential chemical contaminant sources
these two documents were taken from the Missouri department of natural resources identifiying potential local point source contaminants for the city of St. Louis water supply.
bissel pointB
Merchants Bridge (rail)
Riverfront trail
access road
train tracks
old loading tower
garden + public BBQ grill
bicyclists pavillion/overlooktreated sewage outfall
sewage pump tower
Bissel Point wastewater treatment plant
N
chain of rocks divider
river traffic channel
land cover
URBAN HIGH INTENSITY
URBAN LOW INTENSITY
CROPLAND
BOTTOMLAND
ILLIONOIS HILL PRAIRIE
DISTURBANCE OR SUCESSIONAL
SUCCESSIONAL UPLAND
WETLAND (NON-RIVERINE)
OPEN WATER
land use and structures
COMMERCIAL
CROPLAND AND PASTURE
RECRETATION
INDUSTRIAL
STREAMS AND CANALS
RESIDENTIAL
C des peres confluence
rail bridge
power line pylon
casino parking
river Des Peres
coal loading tower
concrete + steel piers
coal barges
pedestrian path
N
land cover
URBAN HIGH INTENSITY
URBAN LOW INTENSITY
CROPLAND
BOTTOMLAND
ILLIONOIS HILL PRAIRIE
DISTURBANCE OR SUCESSIONAL
SUCCESSIONAL UPLAND
WETLAND (NON-RIVERINE)
OPEN WATER
land use and structures
COMMERCIAL
CROPLAND AND PASTURE
RECRETATION
INDUSTRIAL
STREAMS AND CANALS
RESIDENTIAL
disi
nfec
tant
s +
bypr
oduc
ts
antib
iotic
s
horm
ones
/ste
roid
s
recr
eatio
nal d
rugs
bact
eria
+ v
iruse
s
radi
onuc
lides
diss
olve
d ox
ygen
orga
nic
nutr
ient
s
oil +
gre
ase
pest
icid
es +
her
bici
des
met
als
INTE
RPRE
T
BRO
AD
CA
ST
O2N
poly
chlo
rinat
ed b
iphe
nyl (
PCBs
)
Hg
contaminants neither tested nor regulated
contaminants regularly tested as required by EPA
wha
t’s in
our
wat
erw
ays?
obse
rvat
ory:
river
city
radi
o
Water is drawn from sampling points on the river and from waste treatment facilities, and then analyzed for a variety of charactetistics and contaminants, with a special emphasis on pharmacueticals. This information is then interpreted into a form which can be broadcast, both through radio and translated into adaptive architecture.
aqua
tic li
fe
wat
er te
mpe
ratu
re
wat
er le
vels
+ fl
ow ra
te
chem
istr
y
turb
idity
oil +
gre
ase
SAM
PLE
AN
ALY
ZEmost basic water quality indicators
visito
rs, s
cient
ists,
engi
neer
s
data
to s
hare
with
th
e re
st o
f the
US
and
wor
ld the
sam
plin
g si
tes
also
offe
r po
tent
ial t
o bu
ild o
n ex
istin
g st
ruct
ures
in th
e riv
er, a
s w
ell a
s cr
eatin
g th
e op
port
unity
to c
reat
e a
brid
ge b
ack
to th
e la
nd.
program elements
program
arrival, check in, welcomecafebathroomsarchive + exhibitsconference roomoffice suiteteaching labwet labspectrometery labcomputer labdata roomlab storagegraywater processinghydro generation25% circulation
total
square footage
4004004009004009004509009002001001004504001, 725
10,350
ARRIVAL
CAFE
GRAYWATER PROCESSING
Three river observatories will each have the following program elements, with the addition of site-specific programming.
CAFE
GRAYWATER PROCESSING
BATHROOMS
HYDRO GENERATION
TEACHING LAB
ARCHIVE/ EXHIBITS
SPECTROMETRY LAB
WET LAB
STORAGE
DATA
COMPUTER LAB
CONFERENCE
OFFICES
what is the effective range of architecture?
10’ 200’
tactileauditoryvisual
what is the effective range of architecture?
the sounds that architecture makes is very subtle and quiet. Old buildings creak and moan, a doorbell ringing in a bathroom sounds very different than a doorbell in a vast hangar. Some buildings whistle in the wind, or tensile elements hum. Some artists have taken natural phenomona to create architecture/art which creates sound, such as tidal organs or wind trees.
auditory
tactiletouch can only work from a distance slightly longer than arms length- but there is a rich medium of communication available- texture, temperature, dampness, conductivity, hardness.
the primary way people tend to experience architecture. Works at a great distance. From a high vantage point, one might see a building many miles away.
visual
Even from beyond the curve of the earth or mountains, individual lights combine to make apparent the structure of cities, visibly reflected in the cloudy night sky, or from far above the earth.
a new type of architectural response
Le Corbusier famously described the house as “a machine for living in,” and the early Modernists sought out the perfect form for a particular programmatic function. As a development of this, the International Style was designed to explicitly ignore environmental factors and context. The more progressive modernists in South America and Finland pushed for an increased environmental response, giving thier works a more acute sensitivity to site specific light and landform.
Vernacular architecture evolved particularly optimized architecture, architecture which was static but provided for the seasonal cycles of nature. Hot places with wide eaves, cold places with compact floorplans around heating elements.
With rapid changes in the environment, people need to know what is changing in the world around them, and architecture needs to do a better job at adapting to wider and more unpredictable swings in weather and water and energy availablity. Architecture which can physically adapt may be a solution as we move towards a new passive survivability.
a new type of architectural response
environmental factor architectural response
static specific
framing a particular view
cyclical optimized eaves block light in hot months, permit light in cold months
variable adaptive
statickinetic
heliostats track sun movement to direct light into building
700 000
500 000
450 000
100 000
300 000
30 year average
cubic feet/sec
0 10 20 30
years
AVERAGE YEARLY FLOW RATES OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER (30 YEAR PERIOD)
cubic feet/sec
J F M A M J J A S O N D
700 000
500 000
300 000
100 000
AVERAGE MONTHLY FLOW RATES OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER (30 YEAR PERIOD)
St. Louis psychometric chart
adaptive strategies to increase comfort range
43.8% comfortable hours using selected architectural strategies
5:37
7:15
N
S
EW
10˚
20˚
30˚
40˚
50˚
60˚
70˚
80˚
16:43
19:40
JUNE 21
DECEMBER 21
St. Louis solar chart