David, Alice, Tait : sites 1, 7, 10

Jessica and Charles - Site 2 and 8

Liz, Brantley and Megan: sites 2, 5 and 7

Melissa & Rachel-  Site 2, 4, 9 

Program

RSAP Spring Studio 2010

“How does Spinoza define a body? A body, of whatever kind, is defined by Spinoza in two simultaneous ways. In the first place, a body, however small it may be, is composed of an infinite number of particles; it is the relations of motion and rest, of speeds and slowness between particles, that define a body, the individuality of a body. Secondly, a body affects other bodies, or is affected, that also defines a body in its individuality.”

Gilles Deleuze

studio critic: Pierre David

The purpose of the class is to immerse ourselves within - and in between - the dynamics of transformation and extension of the city of Paris. Paris can be truly understood only if we look beyond the commonly held image of the nineteenth century capital and extend our view past the analysis of the city as static artifact. Although the city we see today might present a coherent and homogenous image, over its history Paris has developed around underlying infrastructures and within an expanding sequence of physical boundaries, each of which has left its trace. We will attempt to understand the dynamics of the city’s extension in order to develop a response to its evolution, and rather than propose representations and interpretations of the city as a theatrical entity we will try to catch the complexity of the city’s interactions at unguarded moments.

-The Cardo Maximus of Lutetia (Roman Paris) originates on the island of Cité. Its route to the north merges with the Rue St. Denis and to the south with the Rue St. Jacques.

This year we will work on the southern part of this axis. While this axis brought about one of the first extensions of the city, other axes superimposed themselves upon it, removed or replaced the initial axis. Some of these alternative routes are:

- The Roman aqueduct, along a distance of 26 km, built in the first and second century and linking the springs of Rungis and Wissous to the Ile de la Cité thanks to a gravity-based system. It passes through l’Hay les Roses and Gentilly, and crosses the Bièvre valley at Arcueil, which required construction works. In Paris, it passes through the Parc Montsouris and enters the city parallel to the Rue St. Jacques.

- On June 21, 1667 the mathematicians of the Academy drew the Paris meridian. The Paris observatory was built on this axis. Starting from the building, the axis extends northward through the observatory gardens, and going southward it disappears into the fabric of Paris to reappear in the form of a south-facing view in the Parc Montsouris.

- Boulevard Saint Michel created by Baron Haussmann in the nineteenth century. It is parallel to the Rue St. Jacques and therefore to the aqueduct.

- In 1845, the Paris to Orléans railroad company built the Sceaux line with the terminus located at the Luxembourg gardens. On December 9, 1977, the RER B took over this first line by following the route laid down by the Romans to construct the Lutetia aqueduct.

- Route Nationale 7 (RN7), known as the “Blue Highway”, starts from the square in front of Notre Dame and passes through the Porte d’Italie, Kremlin Bicêtre, Villejuif, l’Haye lesRoses, Vitry sur Seine and Menton.

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We will study 5 sites along these axes, from hyper-center to the edges of the plain of France.

Each of these sites will undergo an architectural development. 2/3 of the surface program will be identical over these 5 sites. The remaining 1/3 of the program will be based on an appropriate response to the project situation in context.

Site Locations

Site 2

Site 3

Site 4

Site 5

Site 6

Site 1

Site 7

Site 8

Site 9

Site 10

Site 11

D'où est-ce que tu viens ?

Where are you from? A common introductory question and one of the first phrases you learn when studying french, we begin our studio with a quick introduction. Each of us has included a map, iconographic image and a short social/political/geographical description of our childhood hometowns.

Dayton, Ohio

Dayton originally grew as a strategic extension of Cincinnati linked through the Great Miami River. Known as the "Gem City", Dayton has historically been an important hub for transportation and commerce in western Ohio. The addition of a manmade canal in the 1830s established Dayton as the center for trade at the time, bringing in thriving corporations. Today Dayton still acts as the heart of commerce as it is the confluence of two of the country's largest interstate highways (I-70 & I-75). Dayton's suburban areas are densely developed as result of an important ecological occurrence. A massive flood (the "Great Dayton Flood") in 1913 devastated the downtown making the topologically higher suburban areas ideal for development.

Misawa, Japan

Misawa is located in the flatlands on the southern shore of picturesque Lake Ogawara on the east coast of Aomori prefecture, facing the Pacific Ocean. The city has a cold maritime climate characterized by cool summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. Misawa has well-defined seasons.The area around Misawa has been occupied since prehistoric times, and was a major population center for the Emishi people. Numerous Jomon period remains have been discovered within the borders of Misawa, including within the borderes of Misawa Air Base.. During the Edo period, the area was part of Morioka Domain. After the Meiji Restoration, the area was settled by many dispossessed ex-samurai from former Aizu Domain. What is now called Misawa Air Base has been used by the military since the Meiji period, when it was used as a cavalry training center for the Imperial Army. In 1870 the Japanese Emperor established a stud farm for the household cavalry in the area that later became Misawa AB, and kept his own (Tenno Heika) cavalry there until 1931, when the Sino-Japanese conflict required their use in China. Misawa remained a training center for Japanese Cavalry until the Japanese Army constructed the first runway at Misawa for military aircraft in 1938.

Coastal areas of Misawa were again devastated by a tsunami in March 1933. AnImperial Japanese Navy Air Service base was established in 1941, and nearby Lake Ogawara was reportedly one of the lakes used by the Imperial Japanese Navy to practice for the attack on Pearl Harbor due to its shallow depth. The base was heavy bombed by the United States Navy in 1945, and subsequently occupied by the United States after the surrender of Japan at the end of World War II.

Misawa serves as a regional industrial and commercial center, with agriculture and commercial fishing playing secondary roles in the local economy. The large foreign presence at Misawa Air Base also makes a large impact on the local economy.

Plano, Texas

Plano, Texas is located fifteen miles north of Dallas in southwestern Collin County. The town originated in the early 1840s as small groups of settlers, despite years of Native American attacks, settled in Collin County’s blackland prairie. Plano’s settlement, due in part to William Foreman, who built a sawmill and a gristmill--facilities that attracted neighbors. Eventually, a store and gin were added. Plano was named to mean “plain” to describe the surrounding terrain in Spanish. Raising livestock was the principal business in the county, and the populace grew as they began to farm the rich, black soil. Plano was the first depot by rail entering Collin County by the south, upon completion of the Houston and Texas Railroad. As the metroplex developed, other surrounding municipalities locked in Plano, with little undeveloped land remaining within the city limits.

Plano was one of the fastest growing cities in the 1970s, with a now stabilizing population of nearly 270,000. It is the 9th largest city in Texas, the 70th largest city in the United States, and home to many corporate headquarters, and planned communities.

Sugar Land, Texas

Sugar Land, as part of the original Mexican land grants to Stephen F. Austin, developed into a plantation growing cotton, corn, and sugarcane in the early to mid 1800's. Following the civil war, Colonel E. H. Cunningham bought the plantation and developed the land around his new sugar refining plant in the late 1800's. In 1908 the refinery assumed the new name of the Imperial Sugar Company and, in conjunction with its change in partnership, intensive plans were undertaken to build the company-owned town of Sugar Land. The town continued to grow under the backdrop of the sugar company until formation of master planned communities began in the late 1980's. Today, with nearly 120,000 residents in the city proper and home to a plethora of master-planned communities, Sugar Land has developed into a thriving populace and has became a "safe haven" from its larger mother city of Houston, TX.

New York, New York

New York City began in 1626 when Dutch colonists purchased the island of Manhattan from Lenape Native Americans in order to establish a fur trading settlement. The price in today's currency was roughly $1,000. The location at the mouth of the Hudson River, which feeds into a naturally sheltered harbor and then into the Atlantic Ocean, has helped the city grow in significance as a trading city. Much of New York is built on the three islands of Manhattan, Staten Island, and Long Island, making land scarce and encouraging a high population density.

In the 19th century, the city successfully transformed its economy into a leading industrial manufacturing center. It was during this time that Manhattan took charge of its pattern of growth, and laid out a grid of major north-south avenues, and minor east-west streets. However, the scales required for modern industry and the growing land value eventually forced the relocation of the port up river. The city once again successfully transformed its economy to one based on commerce, and began to look inward. The construction of the elevated West Side Highway and the FDR drive in the 1960s essentially cut off the city from its historical reason to exist: the waterfront. Today, there is a growing effort to reintegrate the city with its waterfront as an amenity, the largest examples being Battery Park City and Riverside South.

Manitowoc, WisconsonLocated on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Manitowoc River, the name Manitowoc is derived from the Ojibwe Indian name Mundeowk, meaning habitation of the good spirit. Discovered by French trappers in 1673, Manitowoc became the trading post for the Northwest Fur Company in 1795. As building began, the area was settled by people of Bohemina, French, German, Irish, Norwegian and Polish descent. Officially founded in 1836, the shipbuilding industry played a major role in the growth of Manitowoc. From the first wooden sailing ships in 1847, to submarines during wartime, and today as a recognized worldwide manufacturer of luxury yachts. Manitowoc today remains a manufacturing town with a steady population of 35,000 residents.

Dallas, Texas

Dallas was settled by Caddo Indians because it was the only natural ford across the three forks of the Trinity River. In 1838, an old Caddo Indian trace was surveyed by the Republic of Texas to become part of a National Central Road to run north from Austin to the Red River. This road was also used as a segment of the old Shawnee Trail for cattle drives to Missouri. Today that road is known as Preston Road, the first paved street in Dallas and one of the first major highways in this area.

John Neely Brian became the first settler of the area setting up a trading post on the trail in 1837. Dallas became a major inland port because it sits at the intersection of two transcontinental rail lines and highways, and DFW Airport is one of the world’s largest. In 1907, John S. Armstrong began development of a residential community to be called Highland Park, so named because of its higher elevation as compared to the surrounding area and because of a plan to reserve 20% of the developed land for parks. Wilbur David Cook, the planner who had laid out Beverly Hills, California, laid out the plans for development of the area.

Greensboro, North Carolina

In 1781 Greensboro was the site of the Battle of Guilford Court House which ultimately played a key role in the outcome of the American Revolutionary war. The city was established in 1808 in honor of General Nathanael Greene who served as the commander of these American forces. Thus its siting was largely due to historical precedent rather than geographical factors. The later addition of the rail system served as a substitute for a river to link eastern and western portions of the state. With new infrastructure came the establishment of larger textile industries, namely Burlington Industries and Cone Mills - still largely active in todays economy.

Albuquerque, New MexicoThe city was founded in 1706 as the Spanish colonial outpost of Ranchos de Alburquerque. The village was named by the provincial governor Don Francisco Cuervo y Valdes in honor of Don Francisco Fernandez de la Cueva, viceroy of New Spain from 1653 to 1660. One of de la Cueva's aristocratic titles was Duke of Alburquerque, referring to the Spanish town of Alburquerque. Because the Spanish town of Albuquerque was invaded and settled by both the Moors and by the Romans, the word itself may have derived from either culture. If rooted in Arabic, Albuquerque (Abu al-Qurq) can be translated to mean "land of the cork oak". The Latin translation, 'albus quercus' would mean “white oak tree”. With the help of the railway and then Route 66, this original Spanish settlement of Albuquerque,NM grew from the valley of the Rio Grande River east to the foothills of the Sandia Mountains.

Athens, Georgia

Athens, Georgia is located below the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, north of the confluence of the North and Middle Oconee Rivers. In the late 18th century, a trading settlement was established on the banks of the Oconee River named Cedar Shoals, just south of where Athens lies today. In 1785 the state of Georgia charted the University of Georgia as the first state-sponsored university. The city of Athens grew out from the perimeter of the campus.

The Twin Cities, Minnesota

The term "Twin Cites" refers to the two cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The cities are located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. The large stone bluffs that define the Mississippi River valley in this area were ideal for maintaining military control over the territory. In 1825 Fort Snelling was erected on a bluff overlooking the confluence of the rivers in order to keep the British and Canadians at bay. The fort attracted other settlers who formed Minneapolis at the edge of the military controlled land. This location along the river also had a waterfall, allowing Minneapolis to harness its power and develop into a milling center for the midwest. Saint Paul was built 11 miles down river at the head of navigation for the Mississippi, which allowed it to act as a main shipping/distribution center and point of migration. For a short time, the twin cities was one of the few places the Mississippi could be crossed by rail. Like many Northern cities that grew up with the Industrial Revolution, Minneapolis and St. Paul experienced shifts in their economic base as heavy industry declined, especially in the 1960s and 1970s. By the 1980's Minneapolis and St. Paul were frequently cited as former Rust Belt cities that had made successful transitions to service, high-technology, finance, and information economies.

Happy Body

"How does Spinoza define a body? A body, of whatever kind, is defined by Spinoza in two simultaneous ways. In the first place, a body, however small it may be, composed of an infinite number of particles; it is a relations of motions and rest, of speeds and slowness between particles, that define a body. Secondly, a body affects other bodies, or is affected, that also defines a body in its individuality."

Gilles Deleuze