JACOB ABBEY - PAULA CAMMILE SANCHO
THE NODE - 2019
The final project of my undergraduate degree was part of the NCC's Capital Riverfront Challenge 2019 in Ottawa and Gatineau. Over the remnants of a freeway access road, "The Node" is a riverfront park designed to minimize impact and maximize use. The NCC intended to build the winner of the competition, so it was my first project with the possibility to be realized. While preparing this design to be judged, I made great strides in my photo rendering abilities.
THE NODE BOARDWALK
INQUIRY
In 2018, the National Capital Commission created the The Ottawa River South Shore Riverfront Park Plan. A section of the Plan, Parkdale Node, was set aside for a a student competition called the Capital Riverfront Challenge 2019. It seeks to inspire creativity in the beautification of the Ottawa River shoreline by engaging design students all over Canada.
In the Riverfront Park Plan, the NCC outlined the transformation of the shoreline into programmable space. They gave reccomendations for features of the design as follows
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First Nations representation
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Shoreline park green space
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A pavilion with a lookout
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A restaurant/cafe
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Restrooms
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Segregated pathways
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Park related commercial space
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An over the water viewing platform
NCC SITE OUTLINE - PARKDALE NODE
DEVELOPMENT
To begin the development of our design we had a research phase. This portion of our design work included GIS data analysis and a physical site visit.
The GIS Mapping portion of the development was done individually. However, in order to amass a diverse collection of data, the studio pooled files and discoveries. In my research I found particular interest in the changes in the shores of the Ottawa River form. By overlaying infrastructure, zoning, and historical river maps, I uncovered heavy human influence in shaping of the Ottawa River. Multiple dams throughout the river regulate the water level, mitigating floods and therefore minimizing soil degradation along the rivers edge. People have gone so far as to use residential waste to infill the southern banks in order to manufacture land for the John A McDonald Parkway. A visual representation of these changes can be seen below.
OTTAWA RIVER GIS OVERLAY
HUMAN IMPACT ON THE OTTAWA RIVER
A trip to Ottawa was made in between the research phase and the design phase to give us a real understanding of the site. Unfortunately this trip was made in the midst of winter and the area was under three feet of snow. Despite the snow, this visit allowed me to gain insight into how the space could be best utilized. While visiting an art exhibit by Metis artist Christi Belcourt, we were struck by a painting depicting fish gazing thought a hole in the ice towards the stars. The painting depicted the indigenous folklore tale of B’gonegiizhik (The great hole in the sky), in which fish stargaze through to gain knowledge of the future, intended to share with the people. his painting would go on to inspire the feature pool at The Node.
The primary motivation behind the project was to create a unique experience that maintains the preexisting asphalt road, using the space for a series of recreational park, plaza and market attractions. The goal was to create an ecologically healthy and recreationally vibrant space where once there was only traffic.
DEVELOPMENT SKETCHES
DESIGN
The Node is located on a once old clover leaf freeway access on the Ottawa River shore. The park was created as a series of spaces connected by looping trails and circular plazas. The proposed park plan consists of three distinct areas: the overpass entry, the central circular plaza, with river look out, and the boardwalks on the Lazy Bay. These spaces work together with other proposed functions, such as a pedestrian overpass lookout and food truck zones to create a diverse and engaging space where once there was only traffic.
THE NODE PLAN VIEW
THE NODE
RIPARIAN RIVERWALK
THE NODE CORE
LAZY BAY SHORELINE
ZONES
CIRCULATION
PEDESTRIAN ONLY
CYCLIST ONLY
SHARED PEDESTRIAN/CYCLIST
VEHICULAR ACCESS/TRAFFIC
The old Parkdale Avenue road leading under the Sir John A. Macdonald parkway has been re-purposed as an entrance to The Node park. The road is kept as a palimpsest of the place to remind visitors of what used to be. In order to differentiate between the pedestrian and vehicular spaces, the walk up features a step up every 20 meters. Ramps exist along the edges to facilitate wheelchair accessibility. The entrance leads into a space between the parkway overpasses.
UNDERPASS MODEL
THE NODE UNDERPASS ENTRANCE
UNDERPASS PLAN
To contrast the busyness of traffic up above, a tranquil space along the foot of the massive concrete structures with waterfalls and soft tall grass was created. The sound of the waterfalls echoes around the underpass, muffling the vehicular noise above. Ample seating exists along this section to act as a meeting point for visitors of The Node.
UNDERPASS ROAD SECTION
After looping through The Node, a visiotor may find themselves on top of the overpass. A pedestrian corridor alongside traffic loops onto the overpass, connecting to the Riparian Riverwalk directly to the Lazy Bay shoreline. Reminiscent of the Wakefield covered bridge, a similar bridge cover is placed to frame the views of the river and the park.
OVERPASS ROAD SECTION
OVERPASS SECTION
The Node's road continues, once through the underpass, into a large circular plaza. The plaza is placed on an axis connecting to an island lookout. The southern rim of the plaza is shaded by showy mountain ash trees which provide food to attract birds in the area. The surrounding sections of the plaza are fixed with plenty of seating for viewing and resting. Bridging the gap between the peninsula and the adjacent small island, a lookout connects visitors to the water. A pedestrian lookout stands on the small island capping the axis. The lookout platform loops around the island providing a complete view of the river, the river-edge rock formations and the island’s natural ecology.
PLAZA AXIS PLAN
At the center of the plaza lies a calm black granite pool. A thin layer of water covers the dark surface achieving a reflective pond condition. The pool brings the sky closer to the ground by creating a reflected view of the stars. In the summer, the reflective pool is a splash pad for children of all ages with hopes of retaining its reflective purpose at night. In the winter, the reflective pool’s water freezes over creating a circular ice-skating rink. The pool can also be drained to accommodate other events.
CENTRAL POOL DAYTIME
CENTRAL POOL NIGHT TIME
CENTRAL POOL IN WINTER
CENTRAL POOL/PLAZA
SUSPENDED WALK
LOOK OUT
MAIN AXIS SECTION
Through the plaza along the road, a market space acts as the activity hub of The Node. Regularly serviced washrooms stand at the fork in the road, which leads into either the hub area or up onto the overpass. The hub area caters to temporary commercial uses and food trucks, with access from the parkway. On the overpass, like the Wakefield Covered Bridge, a sheltered walkway provides views out into the park.
THE NODE HUB PLAN
On the shore of the hub area, just to the north, public barges float on the shore of the Lazy Bay. The Lazy Bay Boardwalk provides a unique experience for park visitors and connect them to the river. Barges are installed along the boardwalk with places to sit and rest. Weaving on and off the shore, the boardwalk brings park visitors onto the river. The weaving boardwalk en capsules the city storm outlets and have potential to further filter the water entering the river.
THE LAZY BAY BOARDWALK
RIPERIAN RIVER WALK PLAN
West of the main plaza, an area focusing primarily on ecological benefit for the site. By creating habitat for birds and other wildlife, an effort is made to improve the riparian condition along the east shore. Weaving segregated pathways are introduced for pedestrians and cyclists, prioritizing efficiency for all types of visitors.