GRAND HEIGHTSPARK

20160421Nashia Lalani ・ Ben Frazier ・ Lilith WangPPD627 Design Skills for Urban Planners

TABLEOF

CONTENTS

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2Executive Summary

4Design Vision

5Opportunity & Constraints

8Stakeholder Narratives

9Diagrams

11Site Plan

13Essentialized Site Plan

15Site Analysis

17Precedents

19Bibliography

20Appendix

INTRODUCTION/EXECUTIVESUMMARY

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The opportunity to create a park space in South Park is both exciting and challenging. Cushioned between an ex-isting residential building and a forthcoming residential tower, the site area will play a key role in engaging the ad-jacent streets as well as residents both within and beyond the existing borders. In addition to bringing "green" to this community, our vision brings a topographical variation of grassy hills to the space. Grand Heights Park seeks to give visitors a subtle power over the surrounding mid to high-rise buildings, so that they too can reach "Grand Heights". The enclosed design proposal also includes a rooftop commu-nity garden and a small commercial space, which will ide-ally cultivate a park that serves multiple purposes - from resting and relaxing to more active uses. The surrounding context and previous precedents that we have assessed inform our design proposal and we hope this site creates a unique, sustainable, and enjoyable space for visitors.

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VISION

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Responding to the lack of green space and geographical flatness of DTLA, this space strives to create a green park with variable elevation. In such a height-centric surround-ing filled with mid and high-rise developments, this park seeks to give a subtle power to the visitors so that they too can reach “Grand Heights.” The vision also includes pro-viding a shared community asset - a growing garden - to cultivate healthy eating and a space that residents can uniquely create.

Goals・ Create a green, open space ・ Visually appealing - from all angles - above and street-level・ Ample seating wih ability to stay alone or be with a group ・ Commercial opportunity

Values・ Community Space ・ Economic Development ・ Simple (yet Unique) Design・ Diversity of Uses (e.g., napping, working, sitting, reading, people-watching, eating)・ Sustainable

OPPORTUNITIESAND

CONSTRAINTS

Opportunities・ Parterning with the BID district to add economic value to the South Park community with the commercial space ・ Adding elevation to a site to create topographical variation in an otherwise flat space・ Fostering community development through a shared garden and open, green space to serve a variety of purposes・ Creating a source of local produce for the anticipated restaurant/dining space in the new Mack Urban building ・ Adding a small scale performance venue/ gathering space to the area ・ Providing access to all future developments that will line the alley

Constraints・ Limited site space・ Potentially limited access for residents of South Park ・ Elevation may restrict use for some visitors・ Existing apartment building limits height of site proposal ・ Topographical variations may exceed project budget

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STAKEHOLDERSNARRATIVES

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A Fashion Blogger from FIDM

A Grandpa and His Grandchild, Billy

A Shopper from the Green Alley on Margo St.

“Today is a good day for a photo-shoot. I found a unique space in downtown LA to take some pic-tures. The pictures came out really well from different angles includ-ing on the grass, near the seating area, and from above the tea shop.”

“As a resident of South Park for many years, I was happy to come across this park unknowingly as I walked across Grand Avenue with my grandson Billy. At first, I wasn’t sure if we could just walk in, but too late because Billy was already inside and running up the stairs. With my knee injury, I was definitely not going to make it up those stairs, even as Billy yelled out ”Come on Grandpa!”. For me, the seating area below was great, with a nice breeze and view of grassy hills. I hope to come back for some chess and book club with my friends.“

“As we sat in the outdoor area of the Mack Urban Tower having lunch at the restaurant, we couldn’t stop talking about the park. At first it seemed pretty out of place - this hilly thing in the middle of downtown. After we ae found our-selves on a little patch of grass facing the alley and just relaxed and peo-ple-watched. The longer we stayed the more we liked, how this was a calm, but still active area.”

SITEANALYSIS

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The site area (155’ X 90’) as is stands now is a parking lot adjacent to a residential building. Mack Urban is planning to build an additional residential building and a open space/green park on this site. Thus, the site is surrouded by two mid to high-sized residential buildings and will be a transformation from a place for cars to a place for people.

The larger context or South Park neighborhood is primarily residential and is grow-ing at a rapid rate. This suggests that there will be a large user base for this park as well as a lot of stakeholder interests. Grand Avenue is a bustling street with plenty of cars and some foot traffic while Margo Street or the alley way is currently a hodgepodge of both people and cars. Eventually, the alley may be “activated” for people-use and Grand Avenue should ideally get street improvements to facili-tate pedestrian access to the park.

Our project is responding to a mix of elements, including the surrounding tall de-velopments and a lack of unique green space in the community. By creating topographical variation of grassy hills, we wish to provide visitors with the chance to also be at “Grand Heights”. Inserting a commercial space, ample seating, lighting, and even a community rooftop garden will enhance this notion of com-munal space and the chance to choose your use. This means a user can truly shape their experience by relaxing, working, playing, or simply being.

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INVENTORYDIAGRAMS

PRECEDENTS

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Dolores ParkSan Francisco, California

Dolores Park is a large park facility that combines both large open grassy hills (fitting with San Francisco’s topography) with areas for more organized recreation and sports. In an extremely dense, gridded, and diverse city, Dolores Park provides space for people from all walks of life to gather and relax however they choose.

Design Observations: The minimalist pathing links park features but allows users to plot their own course.

In-park buildings can be both blended into the terrain or placed on top - Dolores Park uses both types - but these buildings blend well, are green, and minimally invasive.

The variations in elevation create lots of “mini areas” allowing for personal space, while at the same time directing everyone’s focus in the same (downward) direction.

Lessons Learned: Parks don’t necessarily need a lot of paths or “fea-tures”. Take advantage of available geography and use it to set the scene and the atmosphere. Buildings can be designed in manay ways but should blend with the immediate surroundings. Upkeep and mainte-nance are important to keep the park cleand create an enjoyable environment.

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Vista Hermosa Park Los Angeles, California

Vista Hermosa translates into exactly what it provides- “a beautiful view”. The park is a win for the community, as the first public park in the area since 1895 on what was formerly an oil field situated on an earthquake fault. This site is very sustainable with components such as green roofs and permeable surfac-es. The park also takes advantage of existing topography and is built from high to low elevation allowing for flow/circulation and maximizing space. This site shows how a previously abandoned or underutilized space can be trans-formed into one that provides not only a vibrant and diverse green space to a park-poor community, but also seeks to educate residents and be sustinable.

SisinancunTaipei, Taiwan

Sisinancun is the first military dependants residen-tial village built in 1984. When the government rehabilitated it into a community place, it become a combination of indoor and outdoor spaces filled with restaurants, exhibitions, events, and performances - while still retaining its histori-cal structure. It functions as both a relaxing retreat with its little grass hills and also has active programming.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Cover Page・ Image: taken by Lilith Wang

Stakeholders Narratives・ Images: https://wall.alphacoders.com/tags.php?tid=1090&page=2 http://alf-img.com/show/grandpa-and-grandson-talking.html http://www.10best.com/destinations/georgia/atlanta/shopping/

Site Analysis・ Images: Google Maps・ BID: Navigatela.lacity.org; southpark.la/about, Google Maps・ Densely Populated Census Blocks: Navigatela.lacity.org, Google Maps・ Zoning: Google Maps, Parcel Profile Report_LADCP・ Parking: Google Maps

Precedents・ Dolores Park: http://www.doloresparkworks.org/dolores-park-renovation/park-history/ http://sfrecpark.org/project/mission-dolores-park-improvements/・ Vista Hermosa Park Images: taken by Nashia Lalani http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jul/20/local/me-park20 http://www.lamountains.com/parks.asp?parkid=672・ Sisinancun Images: Ben & Jean’ Blog Xinyi District Office, Taipei City Xu Boyuan’s FB

APPENDIX

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9

DIAGRAMS

Surrounding Context

As shown in the site forces diagram below, the forces at play are limited as sun exposure is mostly covered by the anticipated tall residential tower. Pedestrian and bike paths are also limited and do not directly lead into the site. Noise is anticipated from the adjacent streets primarily in the form of cars but also from forthcoming construction. However, these lim-itations should be given attention. Our site attempts to respond to poten-tial noise through retaining walls and provides shade through trees where possible to account for peak sun exposure in the afternoon. The surround-ing context diagram below seeks to exaggerate and call attention to the many forces at play that may not be captured in other diagrams.

Circulation and Access ADA Concerns

Distribution of Programs

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These diagrams are intended to display the various ways that Grand Heights Park can be programmed and how vari-ous types of people interact within it. The programming dia-gram showcases how the space can host small events and the variety of options where patrons can sit. It also highlights the community garden and cafe area. The circulation dia-grams explains how people access and egress from the park and shows key components of internal movement in-frastructure. The ADA map showcases potential conflict areas for those with impaired mobility. These diagrams help us better understand the uses and potential strengths and weaknesses of the park.

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SITEPLAN

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SECTIONS

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ESSENTIALIZEDSITEPLANS

Grand Heights Garden Park section looking towards Grand Avenue

Grand Heights Park with its height halved, looking towards the apartment building north of the site14

ESSENTIALIZEDSECTIONS

APPENDIX - DESIGN PROCESS

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Initially, we started our design process with varying placements of grassy hills throughout the site. We also explored lighting hanging above, seating in the form of long benches, and open space.

As we began to digitize our sketches, we added in other components as well mainly in the form of greenry such as trees and shrubs. We also added in different materials such as wood. However, we then moved towards integrating this more with topography and not just as separate pieces.

Cut Line 2

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Our final plan reflects this topographical variation as we started to give the place a more natural flow. We also added in a cafe/commercial space and eventually a community rooftop garden as well.

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MACK Urban Apartment Building & Restaurant

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Grand Heights Park

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Nashia Lalani Ben Frazier Lilith Wang

Topo Lines indicate 2-feet of elevation change ^

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Cut Line 2

APPENDIX

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Stakeholders

Residents(both within the adjacent buildings and in the larger neighborhood context)Some residents may be in favor of this type of development, while others may not, or even be indifferent. It depends upon what they value or envision for this particular space and community workshops/meetings may help in better under-standing these interests. Local BusinessesParticularly with the presence of the South Park “BID” district, many local businesses will have a stake in what is developed on the site. Consider-ing our vision includes a commercial space, this might be an asset in intriguing them to be a larger investor and ambassador for the project. However, they probably wish to explore how this revenue could be reinvested into the community as a whole rather than just within the park site. Community OrganizationsThese organizations can be leveraged as part-ners to help sponsor programming at the site and also to rally support behind our “big idea”. These organizations can also help with reaching out to residents and gathering information on their inputs of the site design. While some organiza-tions may be in favor, other ones (potentially en-vironmental groups) may take issue with the pre-dominant use of “green” in a time of drought.

Historic/Cultural Specific OrganizationsThese organizations may want more representa-tion in the site, via educational programming or design components that are representative of their communities. “Parking” Stakeholders(Residents + Nearby Businesses)As the site will be replacing a former parking lot, these stakeholders may take issue to ensure that they will gain parking elsewhere. With our parking inventory diagram it is clear that there are other parking facilities, however not as close to the site area. Alternatives may need to be explored. PasserbysThis group could include a wide range of individ-uals however we have attempted to create a site that appeals to a wide range of visitors of all ages.

CD 14As the park falls within their district, they could provide money, maintenance, and other vitally important services. They will have a stake in the overall park design and may be supportive of this unique design as it will bring a much needed park space into their district. Neighboring SchoolsSchools similarly may wish to partner with the park - particularly for the community rooftop garden component – to supplement school education and serve as a field trip for stu-dents.

LADOTThis entity can serve as a partner to improve overall transit and access to the site. By im-proving the streetscape and access around the site, LADTO may also gain additional rider-ship.

Feedback

Critique 1・ What type of materials were you considering? Keep in mind the general trends of sustainability – Critics suggested having ponding areas/deten-tion bases and delving more into the ways in which the space functions for stormwater collec-tion. Showing how this will be done is important because you do not want the space to be dis-credited as “hipster” and you want to be sensi-tive to the surrounding low-income community that may find this to be a space for those that are higher-income

・ Potentially move away from turf, think more carefully about what materials will be use

・ There is definitely a struggle in figuring out how to variate it topographically with the heights

・ To see a space like this in LA that has this eleva-tion component is fantastic and its nice t o see a green space, a “different experience”

・ Its also a passive space where people can relax ・ It will be interesting to see how different users will use the space

・ Consider where shade will hit the space – ele-vation on the northside would allow for more sunlight

Critique 2 ・ Consider what is the highest best use of the space. Think about what would be the most important use?

・ We have a very strong attitude about having a green space and our precedents are much larger in scale. There is a danger in creating a caricature of hill in this small space

・ Growing grass in the shade would not work. Think about from a vegetation stand point, what can work?

・ Consider more closely from a sun or shine study what would be needed or what would work? Zone based on what would work?

・ Also think about, can you support another café in this space? How can you justify build-ing in an open park? On the one hand, it can work think about shake shack in Madison Garden –NY

・ Think about the relationship with scale and how small of a scale you have. Our rendering looks more like an exaggerated landscape at a strange scale

・ Hancock Park – La Brea Tarpits is an exam-ple that works, where the hill is built in

・ This feels more contrived, think about what pro-gramming or what structure could be under-neath – Tongwa Park for example has that logic or reason for bringing people up through a grad-ual pathway

・ Consider an accessible path, how would you approach that?

・ A skate park may be a better way to sell it. Think about purpose and why you wish to do what you do?

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