Designing the Parks Conference--John Dixon Hunt

I attended the Designing the Parks Conference in Charlottesville Virginia, May 2008. I wanted to expand my understanding of the park system and found myself immersed in the Centennial Challenge of 2016. It will be a hundred years for the National Park Service (NPS). This conference was a look at the history of the parks and to the past, and conference II will be in December in San Francisco to look to the future. I intend on attending that conference as well.

My grad project includes an old park designed by George Kessler, Rotary Park in Oklahoma City. Although Rotary Park is nowhere in scale to Yosemite or importance as the First Federal Park, I am reflecting on my grad project and my interest in the unique “Place” of Oklahoma.

I took notes of the conference, and I'm going to truncate them into incoherent little pieces of thought in an effort to stimulate thought and exploration.

My notes from John Dixon Hunt's presentation: "Translation of Landscape Attitudes

John Dixon Hunt-Professor of History and Theory of Landscape, University of Pennsylvania

John Dixon Hunt was the most fascinating of speakers. Being naturally drawn to such theory based lectures; I was a little bit star struck by his discussion and prose of the picturesque. I have learned in numerous classes, even back to architecture, about the picturesque. The Oxford Architectural Dictionary defines the picturesque “It was a standard of taste, largely concerned with landscape, and with emotional responses to associations evocative of passions or events…Picturesque scenes were full of variety, interesting detail, and elements drawn from any sources, so were neither serene(like the Beautiful) nor awe-inspiring (like the Sublime).

Early American parks were set up perfectly for the picturesque and somewhat unrefined (un-Beautiful) characteristics. I wonder if part of this is because they were so different that they immediately became associated with America. When I see a pastoral field, an ancient oak and a row of field stone I think of an English farm. When I see a Giant Sequoia, Old Faithful or the famous Yosemite park I think of the U.S. It would be hard to associate these images with Brittan. But I can see numerous replicas of the pastoral field and stone wall and immediately associate it with England and her people and what she represents.

I think the picturesque, the sublime, and the Beautiful ideas may be part of the reason Oklahoma has an identity crisis. ( and I do feel that Oklahoma, especially the Oklahoma City Metro, has an identity crisis associated with lack of "place". ) How do you classify the the Oklahoma landscape? It can be sublime in a strange way with its endless horizon and dramatic sky’s that can bring as much terror as any sea storm. However, I would argue, it is not the sublime or picturesque of Yosemite or Grand Canyon. Pictures of the late 1800s show a much more severe and un-English like landscape. The Oklahoma landscape could also be transformed into a pastoral scene within a few seasons of farming. My ancestor’s farm in Lexington has a gentle rolling topography. It was prairie that no doubt was tilled and transformed as required to obtain the deed from the land run. In rapid succession the pre-landrun prairie was turned into agriculture. My ancestor's farm is now as pastoral as any scene of ‘Capability’ Brown. In true romantic notions it was named Willow View, probably after the willows that colonize the meandering stream.

Oklahoma was not a southwestern landscape with stone and desert plants. It does have unique red sandstone stone, which could be associated with the southwest or mud. The stone is soft and loses its crispness quickly as if melted by the never ending wind that blasts upon it. It looks aged and weathered, but never in a wise or sophisticated way.

I would not have noticed, until going to Virginia, how unique the native Oklahoman oaks are. They are rugged and sturdy. Their branches are stout from battling the wind and anticipating the ice. Their stature is slight in comparison of the mighty oaks of the east. The Post Oak and Blackjack hunker down to the ground in large thickets and brambles. The eastern oak is tall and majestic, stretching its refined branches out to soak up the soft gentle falling rain. The Burr oak of Oklahoma is anything but refined. Its arms flexed; its bark rugged; its stature eminent in preparation for the pounding rain and related weather it will endure.

I jump to Rotary Park with many thoughts. George Kessler would have been well aware of the picturesque and beautiful ideals A.J. Downing described in “Landscape Gardening and Rural Architecture” 1841. The World’s Fair had been designed in elms and natives and picturesque textures. George Kessler was familiar with the Oklahoma landscape, the landscape of Chicago, Kansas City and Dallas. The prairie aesthetics were his specialty. Rotary Park was designed with some of these picturesque principles, even though a more active play park was becoming the next movement. It still would have been seen as a park for improving health and maintaining good morality, embracing many of the Olmsted principals of park design. At this point I haven't had the opportunity to dig through the actual design of Rotary Park. It is shelved until I finish a little more preparatory reading.

A little post conference research:

Kessler, George Edward (1862-1923)

“Pioneers of American Landscape Design”

· Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. recommended Kessler to the Kansas City, Fort Scott, & Gulf Railroad to take charge of the firm’s pleasure park in Merriam, Kansas.

· Designed Kansas City’s first park and boulevard plan for the city—Considered one of his finest works—A vision of the City Beautiful and the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago

· Fairlawn Cemetery, OKC 1892

· Riverside and Overton Park and park system plan for Memphis, TN 1900

· Louisiana Purchase Expo in 1904

· Boulevard plan for Indianapolis 1905

· Park System for Syracuse, NY 1906

· Cincinnati park system 1906

· Fort Worth park and boulevard system 1907

· Denver Parks 1907

· 1910 starts work for Dallas

· 1911 publishes his proposal, which is showing signs of the “City Practical” movement as well as the City Beautiful

My Definition of Landscape Architecture

Second year reviews arrived, and the age old question of how do you define Landscape Architecture was asked. Here is my response:

First of all I need to define architecture with a little "a".

Architecture is the purposeful manipulation of space. It is the organization of information, function and systems with regard to aesthetic qualities and social affects.

If Architecture would have been named Building Architecture there would be no confusion about Landscape Architecture. The difference between the two is information, functions and type of systems. The principles are similar.

Just a few weeks left till schools out. I'm counting the days.

jlw

Spring Break

We have passed hump-day of spring break. Notice my days left at school. I only get busier. For the very acute, I'm adding GIS links this week. Maybe summer break, I'll have a chance to clear my head and do some writing.

jlw

New Year Resolve

New Year Resolve

2000 was a tumultuous year for me. It was the year I threw everything back into the pot and stirred. I felt life had dealt me a cruel hand, and I was most unhappy. By the end of the year I had hit such a low point that my mind will no longer allow me to revisit. I wrote down several New Year’s resolutions that year, and I have successfully moved forward on many of them.

At 38, I no longer see my life in fragments. All of the experiences of my life are woven together and are interrelated. Everything I have done has made me who I am. One of those commitments in 2000 was to move forward with “me”. (As the preacher back home frequently said, “The hen is dedicated to laying eggs; the pig is committed to ham.”) I have truly kept this commitment close. I have seen moving forward as a steady climb. The goal has been clearly ahead with much rough terrain in between.

It is the first morning of 2008, and I see my resolutions of 2000 maturing. I feel self-confident. I am happy. I continue to move forward in a positive direction. 2008 presents a new challenge. It is time to set new long-term goals. It is time to refocus.

Health: School has been brutal to my routine, and work is only going to make physical activity more challenging. It is time to get back on track. I resolve to develop the habit of movement.

Plan of attack:

Lunch time walks with the camera.

Weekend hiking and exploration of Oklahoma.

Bicycling to get a more intimate view of my rural town, Slaughterville

Gardening as a form of meditation and better eating practices

Family: The keystone of my success has been the support of my family. I resolve to return the support they have given me.

Plan of attack:

Participate more in the educational growth of my children.

Be a Dad. Holler louder at their games.

Get that Civil War tour of the South planned and taken.

More family outings, even if the gameboys are allowed.

Education: I resolve to graduate with a Master’s in Landscape Architecture from the University of Oklahoma.

Plan of attack:

Hang in there, and make it happen.

Career: A career in Landscape Architecture was the top priority of my resolutions in 2000. I felt if I worked diligently and selfishly towards that everything else would fall in place. Now, as new employee of an environmental and engineering firm, with a Landscape Architect as my boss the world looks a little bit different. It is still a surreal moment. The next mountain is to work towards certification. I resolve to work hard towards the preparation and passing of the LARE.

Plan of attack:

Work hard and become an invaluable employee

Recognize my niche and become the master of it

Continue to read and explore the world of LA

Add to my network of professional relationships

Set goals and timelines to wade through the examination process

Personal Goals: Woven into my 2000 New Year’s resolutions were many personal goals—goals that I have met and goals that are still in my sights. I have numerous personal goals looking out into and past 2008 (There are several that are too personal to write here.)

Become more involved my community

Attend town meetings and festivals at Slaughterville

Volunteer and be active in the kids’ school and extracurricular activities.

Write to educate and celebrate Oklahoma and Landscape Architecture on my blog.

Develop the social skills beyond email to match my profession

Go to the Christmas party and talk to people

Continue to work on my professional wardrobe and presentation.

Buy or build a house.

Continue to line the stars up to make this happen.

Pursue hobbies

Add to my genealogy knowledge of my Oklahoma heritage

Take more photos

Maintain my heritage farm stock

Garden more/meditate more

Be an activist

Touch all of my projects with environmental sensitivity

Design for the underprivileged in all of my projects

Educate and promote education

Define Landscape Architect and Landscape Architecture and commit to memory

Fight social discrimination

Promote Oklahoma

Give my education back to the community

Lose some weight

You knew it had to be in this list somewhere didn’t you?

I consider this as a rough draft. It will take me several weeks to get a more polished draft. Of course I retain the right to add amendments as long as they are in keeping with the spirit of the resolutions above.

Best wishes to all in the new year. I hope you have time to reflect on your footprints and the paths before you. All paths have a direction make sure that the path you choose deliberately and with knowledge of where it leads.

The Un-Central Park

West 8 wins Governors Island

What a great project, and what a great rendering. It looks almost like airbrushed fondant frosting. I am looking forward to more details of the design.

I must say, I go to West 8 to see what top notch graphics are looking like.

jlw

Designing the Parks Conference

This looks like a conference I would like to make.
Check it out: Designing the Parks

I'm especially interested in the future of park design. How is technology and the mass media changing how we use parks? How should we as designers be responding to the next generation of park users? More high tech? Or much less high tech, and more nature?

Merry Christmas

A cold blustery day hit us this morning with a couple of inches of snow. We had a Roadrunner move in this fall under the cedar trees just out the back door. He/she is the most interesting creature. He is curious and not real afraid of us. He doesn't mind the cats. I see him most every day I'm home, skirting about from cedar to cedar.

I had to check out some facts on this bird. He looks like one I don't mind hanging out at my back door. As long as he doesn't eat my baby chickens.

Curious Facts

Roadrunners are quick enough to catch and eat rattlesnakes.

Roadrunners prefer walking or running and attain speeds up to 17 mph. hour

The Roadrunner is also called the Chaparral Cock.

The Roadrunner reabsorbs water from its feces before excretion.

The Roadrunner’s nasal gland eliminates excess salt, instead of using the urinary tract like most birds.

The Roadrunner is the state bird of New Mexico.

Ice Storm 2007

I'm trying to think of a good reason to plant pear trees in a region with high winds and ice storms?

The Undaunted Garden

Ice Storm 2007

If you have watched the news or live in Oklahoma, then you know that we had one of the most devastating ice storms in our history. Power is still off at day 4 for over 200,000 people in Central Oklahoma. Ice storms are frequent to Central Oklahoma and property damage is inevitable. I have driven through north Oklahoma City and Norman and its neighborhoods. There are some lessons to be learned from the storm.

Lauren Springer wrote a book called The Undaunted Garden Planting for Weather-Resilient Beauty. In it she discusses how plants have evolved and adapted to inclement weather common to its place of nativity. Plants have special adaptations that we should take special notice of. When we take plants out of their native systems and use them as ornamentals we are taking them out of context. If we look back at the environment in which they evolved get a much better understanding of what they can do and what their limitations are.

An example is beach plants must be resilient to wind in order to survive. Palm trees can survive hurricanes because of their lack of branches. Banana leaves can shred and still be viable because of their specially adapted vascular systems. Evergreen trees have adapted to snow loads and short summer seasons. We know that succulents can take drought and Cypress trees with their specially adapted breathing knees can grow in a swamp.

Lauren Springer's book talks about the importance of plant origins. She gives the example of the English garden and how the flowers are large and the stalks are soft because of the moderate and tempered climate. There is a reason gardeners do not grow delphiniums in Oklahoma. More importantly she talks about native plants to North America and their special adaptations. The Midwest has special weather--high winds, ice storms, temperature fluctuations, severe hail, humidity and drought. So it would seem that plants native to this climate have special adaptations suited to its unique weather.

This was very evident in our recent ice storm. Yes, Pecans and oaks fell. Most notable damage to native species was on declining trees. Young native trees that had grown to fast due to added fertilizer and care also show severe damage, especially their crowns. A great comparison is the Mexican Sycamore and the native Sycamore. The Mexican Sycamores are completely limbless and crushed. The native sycamore weathered very well loosing only a few limbs. The Lacebark Elm, a non-native were annihilated. Other elms took damage too, especially older elms, but many of the natives faired well and will recover reasonably well. Pear trees--there should be a deposit required for every pear tree that is planted. A deposit that plants good sturdy trees that survive. Many of the Redbuds didn't even sag, and the native Caddo maple faired well.

So when planting in Oklahoma do your homework. Don't plant every new ornamental that comes down the line. Look for ornamentals with roots in the Midwest or be prepared to be devastated the next ice storm or hail storm. Natives aren't immune, but they are resilient.

Still kicking

End of semester...

New Job....

The flu...

Computer crash...and re-crash...

I'm struggling to meet all of my obligations at the present, and my blog is not at the very top of the list. Actually, I'm postponing one of my most dreaded school projects as I write. I can't say to much about it, except that it is painfully boring. I tend to glaze over when I'm not stimulated.

I did run across a great site today. I read the Larch Serve, I have for many years. I'm a lurker only. However, it seems at work I've been needing good solid info, and the Brick Industry site was listed on the Larch Serve. There is great technical notes: Brick in Landscape, Misc apps, Paver Systems, and Garden Walls.

This is a great resource, especially for us new guys on the job or in school.