Drifting: walking in relation to the terrain

 

A path in the desert. Las Vegas, NV. Personal archives, 2021.

I have chosen the name of this blog "Inbuilt Landscape" as a representation of my inner terrain-desire to be in contact with nature, and feel it as part of me. Being a child, I used to walk alone among Eucalyptus trees in my father's farm, crushing the leaves on the ground, smelling the leaves, sometimes graving my name on the trunks.... And when I went to a beach city for vacation, my favorite sidewalks where those adjacent to pine trees with branches I liked to touch and smell while walking. Being in any city, the detours to hidden streets are my favorite ones. Even in cemeteries, my passion is looking inside all mortuary buildings and walking randomly in a search for abandoned tombs. 

What I did not know at the time of my childhood, was that I have always been an unconscious situationist practitioner of "drifting" or "dérive," with the difference that I prefer to walk alone, rather than in small groups, and discover the "mystery" of the surroundings by myself. 

From Theory of the Dérive. Guy Debord Les Lèvres Nues #9 (November 1956) reprinted in Internationale Situationniste #2 (December 1958) Translated by Ken Knabb:

ONE OF THE BASIC situationist practices is the dérive [literally: “drifting”], a technique of rapid passage through varied ambiances. Dérives involve playful-constructive behavior and awareness of psychogeographical effects, and are thus quite different from the classic notions of journey or stroll. In a dérive one or more persons during a certain period drop their relations, their work and leisure activities, and all their other usual motives for movement and action, and let themselves be drawn by the attractions of the terrain and the encounters they find there. Chance is a less important factor in this activity than one might think: from a dérive point of view cities have psychogeographical contours, with constant currents, fixed points and vortexes that strongly discourage entry into or exit from certain zones. But the dérive includes both this letting-go and its necessary contradiction: the domination of psychogeographical variations by the knowledge and calculation of their possibilities. In this latter regard, ecological science — despite the narrow social space to which it limits itself — provides psychogeography with abundant data.

An informal path at the Long Beach Green Belt, CA. I took this photo with a special interest in the cactus scale. Personal archives, 2023.

Walking down an informal path to the lake among Eucalyptus trees. Note the colors, the light and shadows. Huntington Beach Central Park, CA. Personal archives, 2023.

I'd call this path "the light at the end of the tunnel", that's they way I felt when I walked along this path at the South Coast Botanic Garden, Palos Verdes Estates, CA. Photo from my personal archives, April 2024.

In this post, I am applying the term "drifting" to walk in landscape. Here I am sharing some of my impressions -which I love to keep represented in photographs-. It is important to see and feel the sounds, textures, enjoy the -healing- forest, the colors, the smells, the light and shadows.

Walking along a path in the Secret Garden of Huntington Beach Central Park, CA. Personal archives, 2022.

Walking along a path in the Secrete Garden of Huntington Beach Central park, CA. Here, at the fork, we have the choice of taking one path or the other. This will lead us to a different experience. Personal archives, 2022.

A path surrounded by cactus and succulents. Rancho Dominguez, CA. Personal archives, 2019.

Phil Smith, in his book Enchanted Things (Triarchy Press, 2014, page 70) illustrates the concept in this poetic way:

"When walking in relation to the terrain is complemented by a dancing in relation to entangled inner and outer lives (what the choreographer Siriol Joyner calls "mining", the extractive counterpart to our construction of an inner landscape), then this is where the resources of an otherwise irrecuperable surplus can be spent: in the reconstruction of interiority. 

But the starting point is not within, subjectivity has been too damaged recently to sustain a simple quietist mysticism. Instead, the increasing scatterings of enchanted objects in the streets are the required things "ready-to-hand" (or rather, escaping Heidegger, "ready-to-tentacle") to fashion new inner landscapes of terrain-desire."

For further information, please read my interview with Phil Smith on concepts of Mythogeography:

https://theclubofcompulsivereaders.blogspot.com/2010/03/concepts-on-mythogeography-interview.html?m=0

My photo of an "inner path" in Rancho Dominguez, CA, to illustrate Phil Smith's words. Personal archives, 2019.

Water Garden in Tochigi

 
Photo by Iwan Baan

Today I am sharing a landscape design from 2018, a beautiful water garden in Tochigi, Japan. 

I see it as a fractal garden design with healing, calming, characteristics. Each reflection, similar and different at the same time. There is not a single detail to miss here.

From Arquitectura Viva: 

The idea that architecture is a form of nature has become a maxim that the firm Junya Ishigami + Associates faithfully follows in its work, an oeuvre now enriched by the Botanical Garden Art Biotop: Water Garden in Tochigi, Japan. The singularity of this project lies in all the recycling it involves: on the one hand, Ishigami has reused hundreds of trees that were supposed to be felled altogether, and on the other, he understood that taking advantage of an existing irrigation system would be the best way to create the watery soil on which a new kind of natural environment that has much to do with architecture would be able to thrive.

Photo by 9 Monkeys (Google)

Photo by O Kaneko (Google)

From DesignBoom:

‘the primary objective of this project was to create a new form of nature as an extension of nature as we now know it; the future of nature through the eyes of man. the site was originally heavily wooded before it was cleared for rice fields. later, it became meadowlands. by maximizing the environmental potential of this land, we will create a new landscape that fuses ‘density’ and ‘relationship’ which do not coexist in nature.’ says junya ishigami to designboom.

Photo by Tao Tao (Google)

Photo by Yaziret E B (Google)

Mirrored and immersive landscapes

 

Photo credit: Adrien Williams

One of the many challenges we have when we design a house is the settlement on the lot, the impact the house will produce, if it is an object of art, or a place for human living where function prevails, or if there is a balance between beauty, form and function. 

Nature and landscape in relationship with architecture must be carefully considered. I am sharing here this project "Forest Glamp" Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, Canada, by Bourgeois / Lechasseur architects, from V2.com. The pure geometric architectural form is embedded in nature, just by using mirror glass. See how beautifully the trees and grass are reflecting on the facades, there is no perception of the hard geometry. At least on two sides.

The landscape visually penetrates the interior space

Photo credit: Adrien Williams

The front facade is resolved with a design more aligned with an entrance from  a suburban street. The street is not seen but I'm assuming it's there.

Photo credit: Adrien Williams

See how the cabin is elevated from the ground, giving it an ethereal perception.

Photo credit: Adrien Williams

A fantastic example of mirroring landscape (orchids indeed) and enhanced by an immersive experience is this exhibition of 13,000 living orchids at teamLab Planets Museum. From the CNN article written by Dan Hodge and Amanda Sealy:

"The exhibit comes into its own when you halt in the center of the space, the floating plants slowly closing in around you. Enveloped by a mirrored floor, light pouring from the ceiling, the plants' aromas and composer Hideaki Takahashi's otherworldly soundscape, it's a satisfying -- and almost hallucinogenic -- assault on the senses. "Floating Flower Garden; Flowers and I are of the Same Root, the Garden and I are One" is on show at teamLab Planets, a Tokyo museum featuring nine absorbing works that encourage visitors to become one with the art. The installation will remain open until the end of 2022."

This is what I call "Inbuilt Landscape", where we actively interact with plants, flowers, they surround us with textures, fragrance, spatiality........

Photo credit teamLab Planets

The orchids that do not need soil, grow along almost invisible wires

Photo credit teamlab Planets

Another example: the reflected ceiling of Heito 1909. Photo downloaded from Dezeen

"The project by ECG International Landscape Consultants transforms the site on both sides of Snake Creek into a public space that combines natural environments with the preservation of the factory's ruins. The park is shortlisted in the landscape project category of Dezeen Awards 2021, alongside a tranquil garden designed for a property development in Danyang, China, and a playful park in Beijing featuring large pipes that contain walkways and bridges."

Keep on reading: 

https://www.dezeen.com/2021/11/04/heito-1909-landscaped-park-former-sugar-factory/

Water features at the Forest Pavilion- The Forestias

 

The Canopy Walk

The name of this blog is related to the landscape that is part of oneself, nature and mankind becoming one, feeling nature inside us.

This project by Foster and Partners expresses very well the idea of "Inbuilt Landscape". From v2.com:

"The Forestias is one of the largest property development projects in Thailand. The highlight of the project is a 48,000 square meter of urban forest at the center of The Forestias, connecting all developments within the site to create a healthier and happier living for all residents. The Forest Pavilion is located in The Forestias, which currently functions as the sales gallery, and will be converted into The Forestias Ecosystem Learning Center for sharing knowledge of forest ecosystem, and be a hub of residence society for joyful moments. it is also an entrance gateway to the broad forest zone of The Forestias, providing a prototype of living with nature. Our commitment is to support happiness and wellness of the users and create an immersive experience of living with nature, which achieved by utilizing the research as design strategies."

Nature Walk

My emphasis is on the water features, with a contemporary design, but still as a reminiscence of rocks and waterfalls. I like to see how children could play in this immersive proposal.

This one reminds me as a child, playing inside the arroyos of Cordoba, Argentina, and looking for colorful rocks and stones. I would have selected the color of real stones and mica brightness under the sun. 

The 5 meter waterfall

All pictures and citation paragraph from V2.com 

https://www.v2com-newswire.com/en/newsroom/press-kits/4015-02/forest-pavilion-the-forestias

Screenplay, Montreal

 

I'm suscribed to V2com.news from which I get information about contemporary architecture and interior design. But this post was different, it is related to a 10 day workshop in Montreal, Canada. As follows:

Montréal, Canada, 2021-06-30 - Invited by the UQÀM School of Design to present an intensive 10-day workshop, architect Jean Verville, professor at the School of Architecture at Université Laval, offers a collaborative work gamification laboratory. Exploring the notion of an event as a means of activating a reappropriation of the deserted city, but also of demonstrating the interdependence of individuals and their participatory responsibility, Verville introduces students to a method tracing his professional process, from ideation to realization and to diffusion. As the professor and his special guests submit themselves to various challenges to activate the production of heuristic tools, the students develop a repertoire of more than 5,000 shapes, collages, models, materials, details, and lexicons, without justification of origin, meaning, or possible interpretations.(...)

I think the work of these students is fantastic. So absolutely creative. And what is more, is the relationship with the human body, with both architecture and landscape. So conceptually explicit here. Photo credit: Maxime Brouillet Photographe + DES7029  

There are more pictures on the site, the link is here:

https://www.v2com-newswire.com/en/newsroom/press-kits/1010-18/screenplay-032830dc-2216-435c-9321-01461b0549d6

Front yards of Long Beach

 

I have been walking around a residential neighborhood close to 10th st, in Long Beach, southern CA, and I am happily surprised to see the front yards, which are "waterwise" and much more creative than those we have in Orange County. 

I have taken some courses on line offered by the G3 group, through the Metropolitan Water District in Southern CA, related to turf removal (and replacement with drought tolerant species) and garden designs also related to Sanitation in L.A., which is part of so many residential and commercial architectural projects, and not necessary of landscape.

I want to share some important links for those who are interested on the rebate program, the replacement of turf and waterwise gardens:

Regional rebates

https://www.bewaterwise.com/

CA friendly and waterwise landscaping guidebooks

The Waterwise garden

Plants research

I can clearly see that these gardens are not designed by professionals but they are showing a lot of love and care. Which is so important. 

This is my favorite one, full of native cactus and succulents.

The one below, I like it a lot as well. It needs more water, but wilderness is my favorite style.

There is also a lot of plantation in the right of way. This is something that the City of Santa Ana promotes as well, drought tolerants next to the sidewalk, instead of grass. See how the ground cover extends below the railing.

This garden is more eclectic and the roses are protagonists. See some decorative stones have been added and paths are around to walk and maintain the garden.

This one has a path of stepping stones on the mulch. I think it must have been under the rebate program.

I took this picture as an example of an interesting divider, a sort of planter, with concrete cylinders of different heights. See the tones and shadows of the red leaves during the golden hour. 

This bicolor wood fence with the bush in the corner is unusual in southern CA, I find it very interesting as well.

This is a real surprise for me. I would have never expected raised beds in the right of way. I am wondering if traditional neighbors in Orange County would accept this. But people of Long Beach have a culture of producing the veggies themselves. My compliments to whoever made them.

The bushes are overgrown here and the house can't be clearly seen. The right of way has plants as well. I think with some trimming it would look great.

The design guidelines of the City of Santa Ana make us aware of succulents and cactus with thorns in the right of way. They look beautiful, but of course they have to be trimmed regularly.

This palm tree is truly splendid and I believe nobody complains to walk under the "tunnel" created by the leaves.

The following pictures belong to my 2024 archives. We can see the beauty of cactus and succulent gardens, including native California poppies.

Another combination I've seen is poppies with wild grasses and lavender.  And even Sunflowers in the right of way. Some front yards have lots of flowers in Springtime.