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Old Posted Dec 4, 2009, 5:46 PM
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Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
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Forwarding Dallas
Nature has been working forever, what challenges us now is finding how it will keep working forever. Intelligence as brought us to a point at which we have at hand an array of technical solutions that can either deprive or provide us with comfortable, culturally rich living conditions. The way we arrange such devices will ultimately make all the difference. In this project we aim at recognising how natural cycles work and replicate them; as a vast strategy, as a way to organise space, and as a model to technical solutions that are incorporated.

As a paradigm we chose the hillside, for it is one of the most diverse systems in nature. To this complex program, as well as to what is human interaction, one large single approach could never be tuned to meet all requirements. So, the space is organized as valleys, slopes and hilltops, to maximize solar gain, views and productive surfaces. The final goal of this project is not to build a physical structure, but rather set the means for a community to inhabit it. Not counting on people that will dwell here is only seeing half of the equation. This project intends to bring Dallas up to date, as well as aims to forward Dallas to the word as a paradigm of a solution to other cities facing the same problems. All sustainable projects have to be a compromise between what we receive and what we deliver to others, so in more than one sense we are Forwarding Dallas.










All text and photos are from urbanvision.org

Here's a couple of points that I've excerpted from John Greenan, the Executive Director of the Central Dallas CDC.

Quote:
1. The vegetation on the slopes isn't part of a vegetable garden--it's actually composed of sedum and similar plants that take very little maintenance. Assuming they remain in the design (not necessarily a given), those plants would require care only a few times each year, and that would be done by professional staff (can't be worse than washing the windows at Fountain Place!).

2. The current residence capacity of the project was set forth correctly above at just over 850 people. That's in 440 apartments. I expect that the density of the development will decrease by about 25% in the final design, but we haven't yet begun that work.
I've been keeping posted of this project via a thread at www.dallasmetropolis.com. Watch out for the naysayers. This is a Texas forum.

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