I just want trees
“Conceptually akin to acupuncture, the interventions in and transformations of an area often have a significant impact beyond perceived physical limits.” – Mohsen Mostafavi
Today was the first time I have heard about The Woodlands
in Texas, but it made me think, “wow, I wish all US cities were like this.” It also
proves how important master planning is and the integration of architecture and
landscape. The new neighborhood developments that are built seemingly overnight
are depressing, as they wipe out all existing context and put ugly box-shaped
homes as close together as possible. I wish developers would take the time to
consider things other than their own revenue, because a well-planned community
really can provide a lot more opportunities than just a nice place to live. The
Woodlands and other well-thought-out master-planned areas prove that we should
be considering the entire surroundings of our buildings, often city-wide, to realize
the most successful projects.
Lydia,
ReplyDeleteIt was also the first time that I had ever heard about The Woodlands in Texas and thought the same thing. I think that master planning is so important, but sometimes gets put on the back burner. I think the whole city should be looked at when we are creating a new neighborhood or development.
There is nothing worse than moving into a parking lot. I keep seeing all of these developments go up in Clemson and I really wish that they would atleast replace the plants that they tore down. My apartment has nothing but rocks and I would kill for a nice shady tree or two that I could hook my hammock up to and enjoy. I feel like it should be mandatory to replant a percentage of the greenery that is destroyed with new development.
ReplyDeleteIt was also my first time hearing about this development - what a fantastic and simple idea! I know you love residential housing typologies and could totally see you being apart of something beautiful like this one day! It's for sure much harder to achieve, but if we can help people understand the value of working around mature nature for residents to enjoy, I think our suburban neighborhoods would be much nicer places to live
ReplyDeleteLydia, I agree. I think architects get stuck in the design of the building itself that they never think about the building on the larger scale. The woodlands does such a good job of integrating the designs of the buildings into the context to make a very beautiful neighborhood. Also this idea of designing with the landscape and the trees really ties their concept together on a city wide level.
ReplyDelete