Streets of Ambivalence The Streets of Ambivalence project takes the Streetscape Territories Research theme as a starting point and

focuses on the notion of ambivalence. Ambivalence is a concept too often related with negative connotations. However its a concept strongly related to our contemporary society. Our environments, cities and lives are becoming ever more complex and layered. Complexity is strongly related to the concept of ambivalence. In his doctoral thesis Depth Configurations, Kris Scheerlinck refers to the work of Warren Weaver to describe three types of complexity: simple complexity, disorganized complexity and organized complexity. Simple complexity, on the one extreme end, consists of only two or three variable problems, disorganized complexity, on the other end, are problems characterized by millions and millions of variables that can only be statistically approached, like for example behavior of molecules in a gas. Organized complexity however, is the middle region between the two extremes that involves billions of variables. And to quote W. Weaver: Much more important than the mere number of variables is the fact that these variables are all interrelated... These problems, as contrasted with the disorganized situations with which statistics can cope, show the essential feature of organization. 1 By focussing more on the middle region between simple and disorganized complexity in architecture we are able to enrich our urban fabric in ways that are much more related to our own human behavior and intentions. A more ambiguous architecture that makes us question our environments, that alienates and familiarizes at the same time, that makes us feel at home but distant as well. Architecture with a borderline characteristic that makes us feel safe and scared. An uncertain architecture. Human architecture. Jeremy Till illustrates the possibilities of ambivalent architecture with an anecdote in his book Architecture Depends 2 , when he describes the low-fi side of architecture. In one of the last chapters Till talks about how Elvis Costello would ask his technicians during the recording of an album to play the recordings through a cheap transistor radio because this would be how most people would experience his music. Till argues that architects should have a similar attitude, keeping in mind the low-fi while designing a project. And while Till is right to point out that the distance between designer and end-user is too large, Till forgets to incorporate an important

1 2

W. Weaver, "Science and Complexity"in American Scientist, n36, 1948, p 536 Till, J. (2009) Architecture depends. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.

element. We all have ambivalent feelings. Not everybody still listens to the cheap transistor radio. Theres people listening to cheap mp3 players, theres people who still love the sound of the good old LPs, but theres also a growing number of audiophiles with hi-tech equipment that want to hear the sound of Costellos fingers gently touching the microphone. And above all theres people who listen to the radio in the morning during a traffic jam in the car, and enjoy Costello in the evening on their Dolby Surround installation at home. We are ambivalent beings. We love to be able to enjoy both extremes and everything in between. Architecture needs this ambivalence in order to keep up with an ever faster changing and transforming society as our options of listening, to remain in the same terminology, keep on growing. One of the most interesting concepts is the notion of depth within a streetscape. To research how deep collective spaces penetrate into certain building blocks could help to discover how different types adjacent to these spaces work on a social or cultural level. If we are to combine this with the notion of ambivalence, one can argue that spaces that arent immediately clear in terms of depthness could be spaces that allow for multiple interpretations. Take for instance, the example of the network of little alleyways in Venice. You experience some alleys as being more collective than others. Visitors are often confronted with a hesitation of going into certain alleyways, regular inhabitants make other decisions in terms of which routes and alleys they follow. This all adds up to a multitude of ways to experience an urban streetscape. We need more of these ambiguous spaces also in terms of permeability of the urban fabric. Permeability is another concept that is used within the ST research project. In the Streets of Ambivalence project the idea of permeability questions how clear the line between permeable and not permeable should be. Does the level of permeability influence the way we engage with others? Are we actively invited to participate in the streetscape? An ambivalent relationship between permeable and closed off elements in a streetscape again offers multiple interpretations and makes the urban fabric more complex and thus more closely related to human life. Streets of Ambivalence in Gowanus, NYC. The Gowanus neighborhood is in a way defined and characterized by the history and future of the Gowanus Canal. This former tidal creek that has been turned into a canal in 1869, lies at the lowest point between the surrounding neighborhoods of Park Slope, Carroll Gardens and Boerum

Hill. As a result of its topography, the Gowanus is subject to regular floods caused by storm surges. The Gowanus Canal was built to accommodate maritime industrial activities penetrating deep into Brooklyn. The mainly service oriented businesses located along its banks included chemical factories, Manufactured Gas Plants and cement factories, amongst others. As a result, the canal and adjacent lots are highly chemically contaminated. In 2010, the EPA placed the Canal on its Superfund Priority List, a federal program subsidizing its cleanup. The Canal also holds 11 Combined Sewage Overflow (CSO) outlets, and as heavy rain and snowfall are common in the New York area theres regular outfalls causing raw sewage to enter the Canal. These chemical and biological contaminations lead to a decline in activity in the mainly manufacturing zoned area. Pressure on the real estate market is rising as the need for more housing increases. Mayor Bloombergs plaNYC2030 outlines the goal to provide housing for an additional one million residents. Gowanus, mainly zoned manufacturing and surrounded by highly gentrified residential neighborhoods, is consequently a prime location for developers. Keeping manufacturing alive and active in the Gowanus area is a viable argument in the light of a growing demand for local manufacturing and the necessity of service oriented industries and emerging markets close to residential areas and Manhattan. But we cant deny the rising need for housing in New York and the potential Gowanus offers to provide additional residential opportunities. A strong balance between the retention and creation of manufacturing activities and new intelligent ways of housing is needed in the Gowanus area. Aside from housing, New York City in general also faces another shared challenge with Gowanus; environmental issues. With only 15% in 2011, New York currently holds one of the lowest recycling rates in the nation (the nations average in 2010 was 34%). In comparison, San Francisco achieved a record-setting 77% diversion rate in 2009. The city responded to these numbers by devoting a chapter in its plaNYC2030 called Solid Waste where it outlines a set of strategies and goals the city wants to reach. An important part, thats often neglected or looked over in the waste management discussion are the so called canners. The term is used to described the estimated 5000 people that roam the streets of Brooklyn scavenging for empty plastic, metal or glass drink containers in order to redeem them at 5cent a piece. They face difficulties redeeming because of daily arbitrary limits set by collection centers, have limited options of storing their collected items and as some of them are homeless, lack basic personal hygiene.

The Streets of Ambivalence project proposes to construct a Gowanus Environmental Center at a location on the head of the Canal where the two main CSO outlets are located alongside a flushing tunnel pump station. The program is comprised out of community based activities that aim to raise awareness among local residents living in Gowanus and its surrounding neighborhoods. The container park offers members of the community the opportunity to deposit waste that cannot be put out for curbside collection. A container park, a mainly European concept is a city organized collection point for all kinds of waste open to members of the public. These parks greatly improved recycling rates across Europe, but, more importantly, raised awareness amongst local communities. Theyre places where people have the opportunity to meet other locals and discard of their household waste. Unfortunately, most of these containerparks are placed outside of city limits. The Streets of Ambivalence clearly aims to position this activity in the heart of the community, actively inviting citizens to participate. The urban gardening center, part of the container park, collects organic waste and resells it, among other materials, back to the community. Organic waste is one of the least recycled items in NYC. The center also provides workshops and information on urban gardening in general. The redemption center provides infrastructure for canners to redeem collected drink containers and aims to relieve some of the hardships they currently face. The waste transfer station is a key part in optimizing the garbage collection routes. Collection trucks deposit waste at the Gowanus transfer station and from there on it is transported by barge to the recently constructed South Brooklyn Marine Terminal recycling facility. The last included program is the cso retention facility, designed to retain 4 million gallons of raw sewage during heavy rainfall and as a consequence avoiding further biological pollution. All these functions are combined into the Gowanus Environmental Center. The center is an extension of the existing streetscape in a horizontal and vertical sense. The heavy horizontal concrete floor slabs are in strong contrast with the intricate steel truss frames that carry the slabs and provide an ambiguous filter throughout the project. As with the current existing surrounding streetscape, all infrastructure inside the project is conceived as separate systems existing side by side. The lighting fixtures remind us to a bygone time where electrical cables for the trolley lines floated over our heads. Signage language is derived from the adjacent streets and safety infrastructure is designed as a separate system. Where the program requires protected areas such as the gardening center or the redemption center, ad-hoc lightweight structures are placed in the projects streetscape. As mentioned before, flood

mitigation is an important part of the design philosophy used in this project. The ground floor is raised 1.5meters (5feet) to prevent most categories of storm surges. As a secondary precaution, the lower floor is conceived as being as temporary as possible. In the event of a flood, all containers, machinery and equipment can be transported to higher levels or can be loaded onto barges for safekeeping. The CSO retention facilitys pumps could afterwards be used to facilitate a quick cleanup of the site and pump excess water back to the sewage system. The Environmental Center is above all city infrastructure. Its a flexible and adaptable structure thats able to sustain and accommodate changes in demographics, zoning overlays and future climatological challenges. The large open spaces allow for a multitude of different uses should the need for some of the proposed programs disappear. In an uncertain landscape like the Gowanus is at the moment, ambiguous architecture like the Streets of Ambivalence project provides a platform to deal with these uncertainties. At the same time it tackles current challenges by using the many opportunities the area offers. Environmental challenges, both locally and in a city wide context are met by lowering biological pollution of the canal through the CSO retention facility, construction of new bulkheads and removal of polluted soil and by activities organized within the Environmental Center. Containerparks offer a community based participation within the waste management challenge and the urban gardening center offers members of the public the opportunity to actively engage in organic waste recycling. The redemption center offers a means to help those who already play an important part within the recycling chain. On a socio-economical level, the project offers direct manufacturing jobs, which could be useful to those unemployed, unschooled citizens living in nearby social housing buildings. Waste transportation (export out of city limits) and collection takes up one third of the annual waste management budget of approximately 1 billion dollars. By organizing a collection point where trucks can transfer collected waste onto barges the costs of these operations can be greatly reduced. Above all the project raises awareness within the community. The Environmental Center is an infrastructure that is closely nested into the urban fabric of the city. It is not pushed out of sight. It is part of the streetscape and is experienced in that way. The structure is a vibrant, productive extension of the existing surroundings where one can drive to by car to discard of household waste or by bike to buy garden materials, or just go on foot to enjoy the rooftop view over the area or visit a second hand market organized by local community organizations.

Photo illustrating the ad-hoc placement of infrastructures.

View on the main entrance.

View showing people using the container park.

View on the main entrance and urban gardening center.

View on the urban gardening center and loading dock/waste transfer station.

View on the double truss structure and traffic flows.

Overview of the containerpark and upper levels.

View groundfloor and Gowanus Canal dockside.

View on the urban gardening center and ramps.