2009 ASLA Student Awards
Honor Award, General Design

LOOPSCAPE

Philadelphia, PA

Kyung Eui Park, Associate ASLA

Faculty Advisor(s): Valerio Morabito
Linear design on a massive scale. The more you look at the details, the more you like it. The landform and planting strategies used are appropriate to the urban context. It's a landscape structure around which to build a city.

Awards Jury

The site is closed by a highway which is connected to the Avenida Diagonal, one of the most important streets in Barcelona. The site is isolated by sectional difference from existing infrastructure such as a highway. New loops created from the existing pedestrian path on the site would strengthen accessibility into the site and bring cohesion between nature and neighborhood while providing a variety of experiences. Loops of circulation can also maximize land-use.

The site is closed by a highway which is connected with the Avenida Diagonal, one of the most important streets in Barcelona. The site is isolated by sectional difference from existing infrastructure such as a highway. The three existing tunnels on the site are very important tip on how to connect between the Liobregat River and the neighborhood.

Barcelona suffers from seasonal heavy rains during the wet season. Therefore, agricultural crops need water in the dry season. Water is thus provided from the upper Liobregat River through underground pipes in the dry season. The site is in need of reservoirs to keep water in the dry season.

My idea started from minimal intervention to the site by creating new loops created from the pedestrian path on the site. Because the site has a long tradition in fruit and vegetable growing, and has for many centuries been the main supplier of fresh fruit and vegetables to the city of Barcelona, I kept the existing agriculture area instead of changing the entire site.   

My first strategy is to change the elevation by adding three new loops that will strengthen accessibility into the site. The second, outside loop will improve the relationship between the site and the surrounding residential area. The inside loop will connect each Linear Park that provide s a connection to the surrounding area and the Liobregat River. Lastly, a bicycle path will intensify the connection between surrounding parks and the Liobregat River. New circulation routes bring cohesion between nature and neighborhood and provide a variety of experiences. Also, loops of circulation maximize land-use. 

The site offers several opportunities for generating renewable energy. In terms of renewable energy, Barcelona has 4 resources, which can be fallowed as: Eolic Energy, Hydroelectric Energy, Solar Energy and Biomass Energy. Barcelona's most efficient energy resource is Sun, because the city is having 2800 hours sunshine per year. Spain is the second largest producer of photovoltaic cells in Europe. Solar energy is harnessed by a field of solar voltaic panels near the linear park on site. They offer a more ecologically-sustainable alternative to farming, which emits methane gas as a byproduct.

In my detail plan, linear Park will improve the connection between the Liobregat River and the neighborhood. Constructed wetland provides reservoirs as well as storm water management. Multi-purposed fields, a public park will also strengthen the neighborhood's sense of community.

           

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In Nanchang, within the Yangtze River floodplain, we revitalized a heavily degraded 126-acre landscape into a floating forest that manages stormwater, restores habitats, and provides diverse recreational spaces—all within a limited budget and a short timeline. This innovative urban nature model strengthens the district’s identity and spurs surrounding development. Fish Tail Park offers a scalable solution for flood-prone regions, seamlessly integrating flood resilience, ecological restoration