Video link for animation and per-formative model:

The aim of the workshop was the construction of a prototype of a single module from the proposal for the studio project: Hyperbordered Port. The important thing was the development of the unit referring to the entire system.

The prototype of the unit was developed in order to study the function of the hydraulic system in the module. The element used for the hydraulic system were the syringes. The syringes were connected such a way that the water pushed in one side was used to lift a surface besides.

The same hydraulic concept was used to build a system of the units. This piece shows the interaction of the modules

This exercise was helpful to understand the function of a unit in order to come back to the project with the same hydraulic concept.

Mobility networks, flows and interactions were mapped along the second term of RS1 Emergent territories studio, for the final submission,the approach of the mapping changed from the midterm in means that the scale was reduced, while before, we were studying these inputs in the port but also along the coast, now the site of study was reduced to only the port, after its punctual importance was determined as a part of the whole system which had to be studied in a precise and more acute way.

These flows and networks generate a series of invisible patterns and happen mostly in a infrastructure of visible roads, in this case we identified the different types of movement happening on site, the agents of movement, whether they are people or vehicles, the speed, percentage of occupancy of the infrastructure, and how this oscillates in given timetable of 24 hours. We were able to determine that the capacity of the existing infrastructure is used from a 20% to an 80%, leaving a 20% time gap of opportunity in the mapped hours. Having learned this we now understand how and why the flows are working the way they do, how to intervene or re-estructure them, and how it could become a more efficient network with the use of “urbiotic” technology.

Being the goal to optimize the port, cruise activity, overseas and city activity all into one project, one that introduces the port of the future, where this logistics are no longer limited to the formality/spatiality of the existing port, but become as flexible as required to fulfill the needs its serving.

March, 2012.

Fort this presentation the research topic had evolved from studying mobility and flows to something that could be measured in a more precise way, our first approach was to measure the density, fluidity, timetables and places where the people are “directing” to, we were enthusiastic about the idea of understanding by means of data and patterns what is drawning the agents of study, in this case, people, and vehicles, apart or together, to understand the capabilities and implications that a program and certain types of infrastructure have, and how the “swarm intelligence” was reacting to these attractors or repellers, not only on site, but along the coastline and nearby attractors to the port, and to begin to think of a port where the programs could stretch along the whole coast line of Barcelona, in a responsive to data influx manner.

Devyani Gupta. Farshad Mehdizadeh. Maria Elena Amescua

January, 2012.

Our first impression of what was happening on the site, and how we understood it, had to be represented in a short video, where our interest in researching a specific line of information/topic had to be chosen and shown in this manner. We were attracted right from the beginning to the “dynamics” of the site, the logistics of how a cargo port and a cruise terminal work, and what these two separate programs which are working in conjuction with the city imply.

Our interest for the “moving things” was born at this point, and was explored deeper in future submissions, we understood we needed to map mobility networks and interactions in order to understand fully the logistics of the port and then determine if these flows should be kept or could be re-structured and fit new programs on site, a new type of port maybe? the port of the future?

Devyani Gupta (India)- Farshad Mehdizadeh (Iran) – Maria Elena Amescua (Mexico)

Ode to Salt Series 3.2012

‘Ode to Salt’ is a series of films with focus on remedying the Llobregat delta’s delicate eco-system and symbiotic relationship with the port of Barcelona through a milieu of reformative interventions. The title is inspired by the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda’s poem ‘Ode to Salt’, and is derived from salt as a tangible yet ethereal and elastic medium through which the emergence of large urban structures out at sea may manifest.

However, note the following film is a narrative-driven segment with an atmospheric quality. It is not meant as a concrete realisation of physicality but rather as a demonstration of the forces at play and the underlying potentials existing within the site.

To view the finished film, please click on the head title ‘Ode to Salt Series 3.2012′, or copy and paste the link just below.

https://vimeo.com/38863904

excerpts;

Clic on the image to watch the video.1

Using the Real Time Data that is available right now we could start mapping flows of people and sites of interest at the time it happens . This way of mapping flow of people specifically cruise passengers and linking them to the main attractors of the city and also very important the spaces where locals go and visit often, could be the bridge between the classical and the a new way of tourism, a la Carte.

What is going on at the port… activities – separation
NO boat… NO activity…

Can we activate those dead areas?

Back on the studio we question ourselves some issues about our project related to connectivity: Who/What/How do we connect; What are the issues with this connection?; What data to collect and how?; How do we use the data?. The conclusions and ways taken to realize some of the answers are shown in the next images.

Clic on the image to see the video.

The Analysis of the site points amounts of people that comes from 1000 to 3000 through the port taking in count that there are different interests that can be perceived from the touristic information that we gathered from several sources.

One dynamic that we noticed is that there is only one way to leave the port, this is what costs to passengers from half to 4 hours waiting at the port. The strategy focus on getting data from the users and give it back to them in order to take advantage of the new connections made and a new way of tourism coming from the sea.

The first and last slides represent the idea of connection and is not a physical interpretation of the project for the port, is the conceptual image that says it could be anything, but at this step we were developing the idea of connection based on data.

video link:

http://vimeo.com/38951683