Based on our site visit, we have decided to focus our investigation on the topic – ‘demarcation’,
which we are examining as a physical force that divides the city into two parts. Through
programmatic and photographic survey, we have found Tibbits Ave on Upstate’s Green Island
and Division Road of Downstate’s Governors Island create demarcations. Like a median,
Division demarks Governors Island as a place of temporal vs. permanent and Tibbits demarks
Green Island as a place of work vs. live. For both islands, the resulting city is disconnected. In
search for ways to address ‘demarcation’, we see such physical force as a place for new
opportunity – as a ‘juncture’ that can potentially unite each city into a cohesive entity. Our
designs envision Division as a juncture to tie the temporal and permanent together,
correspondingly, the design sees Tibbits as a juncture to link work and live together.
Our research shows that both islands splits base on the lack of a place-making ‘network’.
In the case of Green Island, the city’s current vision is to bring back industry, job forces and
ultimately its vitality. Like many other Upstate cities along Hudson, Green Island wants to
expand as a green-technology hub. However, due to the lack of socio-engagement of new
incoming national business, local business and local residents, Green Island is having difficulty
expanding its vision. Similarly, Governors Island sees its future as a public open space that
serves the greater New York City. However, due to its past as a secluded military camp,
Governors is a place that is long been forgotten by the larger city and lacks a longer network of
access and information.
Hence, we propose on the demarcation, Green Island as a place built by network of access,
daily-life business for the Technology and local Community, while Governors as a place built by
network of information in relation to current New York City Education Programs that have been
gradually implemented on the island for New York City.
Overall, both projects focus on making of network for ‘place’ at all scales – local, regional and
global. Most importantly, each project will be site-specific and build a network which addresses
energy, economy, and ecology in terms of zero state.
