Aerial Camo

Ava Kennedy Violich | spring 2018 HAA 96A Transformations studio 

A small neighborhood park is revealed to be an intensely surveyed territory.   The midrise height of commercial buildings and triple decker residences that surround it turn all eyes on the small open space.  Rather than attempt to counter existing conditions of exposure, the design amplifies these traits.  The elevation of various zones of the site directly impact its visibility from surrounding site buildings. Areas already visibly exposed were raised up to 12’ in elevation to enhance surveillance to these areas from the context.  Areas already out of view were lowered as much as 6’ in elevation to shelter these spaces even more.  Existing park materials of earth, faux turf and asphalt were retained in their original patches, a pattern logic of space-planning rather than visibility.  Earth, turf and asphalt are pulled up from plan and stretched in section in this redesign.  The result is a dramatic alteration to the park site in perspective and section while the alterations remain entirely camouflaged from aerial Google Earth view. The project identifies different scales and modes of contemporary surveillance and examines how architectural design might intervene among these.