l-jacques abelman

Amsterdam Academy of ArchitectureGraduation Projects 2014-2015Landscape Architecture

Hoogte Kadijk 235Amsterdam, the Netherlands+31 (0)6 2928 2512info@groundcondition.comwww.groundcondition.comnl.linkedin.com/in/jacquesabelmanlandscape architect @groundconditon

Jacques AbelmanUrban LACEInfrastructures of abundance in urban Brazil

Landscape Architecture

Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody. —Jane Jacobs

The Urban L.A.C.E. project explores the potential of agroforestry to create a new type of infrastructure in rapidly developing urban areas in Porto Alegre, the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul at the southern tip of Brazil. The L.A.C.E. acronym stands for Local Agroforestry Collective Engagement. This strategy proposes adding a network of different scales and typologies of urban agriculture to the city. This multifunctional green infrastructure creates new economic opportunities, social networks and educational experiences, new modes of recreation and an additional urban food network based on native-species agroforestry.

The project proposes colonizing public parks, private land, public land, urban fringe spaces and fallow land with indigenous food bearing tree species from the Atlantic temperate rainforest ecosystem. The trees are planted as orchards for intensive production, or in multi-species associations mimicking a natural forest. There are hundreds of fruit bearing and medicinal species in this region which are all part of the living cultural heritage of Brazil. The process of building a network of productive urban agroforestry begins with a look into traditional and nascent practices in the area, from farmer’s markets and the agroecology movement to guerrilla gardening and a growing interest in urban agriculture. Based on the actions, interests, and needs of stakeholders in the city, the project augments these actions into a large scale urban network.

The design and visualization process of Urban L.A.C.E. asks if a new landscape infrastructure can be added to the city; in order to do so, many assemblages and alliances of stakeholders could potentially take place in the spectrum between bottom up and top down processes. Different scenarios are illustrated along this continuum, from individual actions multiplied into closely knit neighbourhood alliances to city wide transformation of public spaces initiated by the mayor’s office, changing the identity of the city. The Urban L.A.C.E. project has the potential to catalyze parallel processes of urban evolution with the landscape architect acting as a mediator. Based on dialogue, design, and the democratic ideal of inclusion, Urban L.A.C.E. works toward this vision for change as one piece of a complex process in creating the cities of tomorrow.

This project was made possible by the generous contributions of the NHBOS Foundation for landscape architecture and the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture Internationalization fund.

Graduation date19 12 2014

Commission membersJana Crepon (mentor) Marieke TimmermansHan WiskerkeRogier van den Berg

Additional members for the examinationJohn LonsdaleMirjam Koevoet

Jacques AbelmanUrban L.A.C.E.Infrastructures of abundance in urban Brazil

Jacques Abelman


1. canopy / tall tree layer2. sub-canopy / large shrub layer3. shrub layer4. herbaceous layer5. groundcover / creeper layer

6. underground layer7. vertical / climber layer

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creating food forests: multi-layer agroforestry sectionusing a palette of native food-bearing species

urban agriculture: networks made of people

5 major ecosystems within the urban fabriceach with specific food-bearing species

organizing stakeholders: short food production chains in the city

high steppecampo

aluvial plains forestmata aluvial

lowland shady forestmata com figueira

lowland forest and swamp mosaicmosaico

mountainside forestmata dos morros

high steppecampo

current spatial typology new green infrastructure potential

native ecosystemsmanaged for agroforestry

urban green

high density urban typology

medium density urban typology

favela typology

agriculture systems

housing

maintained grassland/lawn

agriculture

park

favela

high rises apartments buildings

warehousesindustrial spaces

native forest

native shrubland

degraded forestexposed soil / rock

native grassland






high steppecampo



urban green



favela typology

agriculture systems

housing


agriculture

park

favela



native forest

native shrubland


native grassland

lowland forest and swampmosaico





high steppecampo



urban green



favela typology

agriculture systems

housing


agriculture

park

favela



native forest

native shrubland


native grassland

lowland shady forestmata com figueiraaluvial plains forest

mata aluvial




high steppecampo



urban green



favela typology

agriculture systems

housing


agriculture

park

favela



native forest

native shrubland


native grassland

aluvial plainsmata aluvial





high steppecampo



urban green



favela typology

agriculture systems

housing


agriculture

park

favela



native forest

native shrubland


native grassland

$

neighborhood families andvolunteers

neighborhoodcoalition

municipal work program

street sellers

street beach park festival

individual consumersfamilies

restaurantsfoodbankscatererssmall scale artisanal products

distribution network wholesalers

farmers co-operative

local storefarmer’s market

who produces? who distributes? who consumes and where?

short food production chain: the network in action

short food production chain: alternatives of food production and distribution

short food supply chain (sfscs) is a term that describes a broad range of food production-distribution-consumption configurations, such as farmers’ markets, farm shops, collective farmers’ shops, community-supported agriculture, solidarity purchase groups. more in general, a food supply chain can be defined as “short” when it is characterized by short distance or few intermediaries between producers and consumers.

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2000m1: 20.000

N

Jacques Abelman

current green spaces

urban lace newtwork map of new green infrastructure potential in porto alegre’s urban core

full potential of the augmented network

urban green native ecosystemsfavela typology medium density urban typology






high steppecampo



urban green



favela typology

agriculture systems

housing


agriculture

park

favela



native forest

native shrubland


native grassland





high steppecampo



urban green



favela typology

agriculture systems

housing


agriculture

park

favela



native forest

native shrubland


native grassland





high steppecampo



urban green



favela typology

agriculture systems

housing


agriculture

park

favela



native forest

native shrubland


native grassland





high steppecampo



urban green



favela typology

agriculture systems

housing


agriculture

park

favela



native forest

native shrubland


native grassland





high steppecampo



urban green



favela typology

agriculture systems

housing


agriculture

park

favela



native forest

native shrubland


native grassland

structural elements of lace network

augmenting the green infrastructure of porto alegre

native forest existing parks urban voids linear infrastructure semiprivate green areas

large-scalehardscapesplazas

urban typologies

large-scale parking lotsurban voids

urban squaressmall plazas

parkwaysgreen avenues

linear urban spaces

neighborhood squarespocket parks parks

informal settlementsurban interstices

roadsinfrastructure


urban typologies




linear urban spaces



roadsinfrastructure

large-scalehardscapes

plazas

urban typologies




linear urban spaces



roadsinfrastructure


urban typologies




linear urban spaces



roadsinfrastructure

large-scalehardscapes

plazas

urban typologies




linear urban spaces



roadsinfrastructure


urban typologies




linear urban spaces



roadsinfrastructure


praça açorianos seedling banks

praça dos açorianos botanical plaza

maintenance done by municipal workers and work program

municipal workers and work program

small stands in market plazalocal co-ops

outdoor marketfood banks

on plazaschools hospitals

SOURCE

PRODUCE

TRANSFORM

DISTRIBUTE

CONSUME

PREPARE

site-specific narrative of urban agroforestry

starting point: analysis of the site’s social and economic context

section through five ecosystem botanical gardens

illustration of agroforestry through the various zones of the city

concept: creating a showcase for the lace network

c c’

justice tribunal + Tribunal de Mediação e Arbitragem do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul

Escola La Salle Pão dos Pobres:social and educational projects for the poor

educar:school organiza-tionmany schools in downtown centro area

cidade baixa:alternative cultural neighborhood of poa.many students, shops, stores, restaurants, cafes, etc.

people take shelter / sleep on plaza during day

procergs:office for processing of official government data

monumento aos açorianos:iconic sculp-ture of the identity of first settlers of poa

centro adminis-trativo do estado do rio grande do sul:main government administration building

praça dos açorianos: social context

ESCOLA

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municipal seedling center kiosk native ecosystem plantings ephemeral fruit market

central kiosk

15m 12m 10m 8.5m 5m

botanical plaza legend

Jacques Abelman

praça dos açorianos: botanical flagship plaza for the urban core of porto alegre

b’

b

c

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azorean monument

fountain

municipal seedling centerwork program headquarters

botanical circles

fruit market

botanical gardens

lowland forest swamp mosaic

aluvial plains lowland shady forest

high steppe

mountainside forest

Amsterdam Academy of Architecture

Architects, urbanists and landscape architects learn the profession at the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture through an intensive combination of work and study. They work in small, partly interdisciplinary groups and are supervised by a select group of practising fellow professionals. There is a wide range of options within the programme so that students can put together their own trajectory and specialisation.With the inclusion of the course in Urbanism in 1957 and Landscape Architecture in 1972, the Academy is the only architecture school in the Netherlands to bring together the three spatial design disciplines under one roof. Some 350 guest tutors are involved in teaching every year. Each of them is a practising designer or a specific expert in his or her particular subject. The three heads of department also have design practices of their own in addition to their work for the Academy. This structure yields an enormous dynamism and energy and ensures that the courses remain closely linked to the current state of the discipline. The courses consist of projects, exercises and lectures. First-year and second-year students also engage in morphological studies. Students work on their own or in small groups. The design

projects form the backbone of the syllabus. On the basis of a specific design assignment, students develop knowledge, insight and skills. The exercises are focused on training in those skills that are essential for recognising and solving design problems, such as analytical techniques, knowledge of the repertoire, the use of materials, text analysis, and writing. Many of the exercises are linked to the design projects. The morphological studies concentrate on the making of spatial objects, with the emphasis on creative process and implementation. Students experiment with materials and media forms and gain experience in converting an idea into a creation. During the periods between the terms there are workshops, study trips in the Netherlands and abroad, and other activities. This is also the preferred moment for international exchange projects. The Academy regularly invites foreign students for the workshops and recruits wellknown designers from the Netherlands and further afield as tutors. Graduates from the Academy of Architecture are entitled to the following titles: Architect, Master of Science; Urbanist, Master of Science and Landscape Architect, Master of Science.

l-jacques abelman

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