Kingston I – 2016

In Fall 2016 the CaD studio focused on the Block Park area  in the City of Kingston, New York. The site is situated along the Rondout River, a significant tributary to the Hudson River. The Block Park area was once a major port for the coal industry. Today it is comprised of several properties- an important marina for recreational boaters, a public park used by the local community and a privately owned, undeveloped island in the Rondout. Other marinas, park, industrial, and abandoned factory sites are nearby at the mouth of the Rondout as it drains to the Hudson River. Associated with the marinas is a historic waterfront destination called The Strand, which is growing commercial center with waterfront restaurants, museums, an operational trolley,  shops and other tourism-associated uses. Increasing interest in Kingston, and present and future needs to accommodate a growing, tourism-oriented economy, is turning Kingston – like many American cities – back towards its waterfront.

In Fall 2016, Cornell Landscape Architecture’s LA4010 senior undergraduate design studio focused on the Island Dock/Block Park site location. Six alternative design concepts were developed for the Island Dock project area. Each generated options for climate adaptation including floodable park spaces and flood-adapted structures, while seeking to link interventions to the ongoing growth of Kingston’s waterfront. The recent Kingston Exhibition and the six alternative design concepts developed for the Block Park project area are below.

October 2018 CaD Kingston Exhibition

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Image by Kimberly Blacutt and Ivy Wong, LA4010 Studio, Fall 2016 Cornell University

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Here

Kingston Rising

“Kingston Rising: Increasing Awareness and Education Through Revelatory and Adaptive Design” (Kimberly Blacutt BSLA’17 and Ivy Wong BSLA’17) responds to projected sea level rise with a multi-part proposal for adaptation and accommodation of corresponding marsh migration. Different strategies and edge conditions are demonstrated and tested on the site, turning Island Dock into a testing ground for marsh migration design. An elevated path through the site traces an allegorical timeline and offers visitors an overview of the changing ecology of the site through the coming decades.

Kingston on the Rise

The “Kingston on the Rise” design concept (George Anderson BSLA’17, Nathan Gowan BSLA’17, and Nathaniel Welsh BSLA’17)seeks to create a climate-responsive space of ecological quality, economic revitalization, and community engagement. Featuring an open-air performance space at the eastern tip of the island, multi-function ferries, and significant expansion and accommodation of freshwater wetlands, the project symbolically blurs the boundary between water and land, encouraging visitors to consider the relationship between the City and its waters.

Image by George Anderson, Nathan Gowan, and Nathaniel Welsh, LA4010 Studio, Fall 2016 Cornell University

Image by George Anderson, Nathan Gowan, and Nathaniel Welsh, LA4010 Studio, Fall 2016 Cornell University

Image by George Anderson, Nathan Gowan, and Nathaniel Welsh, LA4010 Studio, Fall 2016 Cornell University

Download the full PDF

Here

Hydrophilic Hudson

“Hydrophilic Hudson” (Pearlyn Chang BSLA’17 and Zhang Qingqing BSLA’17) envisions a networked system of green infrastructure and constructed wetlands to minimize demand on storm drains and reduce outfalls. Shoreline berms delineate edges between naturally occurring and constructed wetlands, acting as a final barrier of runoff filtration before the Creek.

Kingston Riverway

In “Kingston Riverway” (Mark Hirschbeck BSLA’17 and Ilia Savin BSLA’17) nodes of activity and a network of connectivity stitch the shoreline and the urban grid. Cut and fill operations expand wetland coverage inland and create elevated, flood-resilient transportation and activity corridors. Stormwater terraces, accessible shorelines, and multimodal transportation support new public use of the waterfront.

Image by Mark Hirschbeck and Ilia Savin, LA4010 Studio, Fall 2016 Cornell University

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Here

Image by Marianne Barrett and Whitney Gilbert, LA4010 Studio, Fall 2016 Cornell University

Image by Marianne Barrett and Whitney Gilbert, LA4010 Studio, Fall 2016 Cornell University

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Here

Generation Rondout

“Generation Rondout” (Marianne Barrett BSLA’17 and Whitney Gilbert BSLA’17) proposes revitalizing public and commercial areas along the waterfront, including athletic facilities, jogging paths, and kayaking to encourage climate-ready economic growth and community reinvestment in the river. Infiltration planters and green roofs act as green infrastructure on new development of a proposed hotel and office properties. Protected natural areas, expanded wetlands, and an adaptable event space turn Island Dock into an area for passive recreation while also retaining a varied ecosystem.

Revelatory Kingston

Disused industrial buildings are reclaimed as cultural and commercial spaces in “Revelatory Kingston” (Rachel Liu, Samuel Packer BSLA’17, and Susan Rhodes BSLA’17). New parks and playgrounds feature bioswales for stormwater retention and filtration. New construction follows amphibious and wet floodproofing practices, including a lookout structure offering overviews of the changing hydrology of Island Dock.

Image by Rachel Liu, Samuel Packer, and Susan Rhodes, LA4010 Studio, Fall 2016 Cornell University

Image by Rachel Liu, Samuel Packer, and Susan Rhodes, LA4010 Studio, Fall 2016 Cornell University

Download the full PDF

Here