Thesis -Riparian in Our Midst

Better excerpts of my thesis live here than locked away from the world on my laptop. May this thirst for knowledge and design never end.

Title - Riparian in Our Midst
Location - Surrey, BC, Canada

Inquiry - “In the past, development has typically degraded stream environment and neglected cultural opportunities inherent in its landscape. This project proposes an alternative future where development reintegrates stream, ecology, and community by mitigating stormwater, enhancing ecological integrity, and providing cultural amenity.“ 

RE: Sheena and Laura -Dim Sum

What's a meal amongst friends? Over the art of dim sum nonetheless. 

Below is a map of dim sum locations I frequent, this includes our dine out at Kingsway. Having mapped this, Vancouver seems to exhibit a band of dim sum restaurants spanning along its north-south axis -either my ventures are limited in scope or that's where the ethnic communities are congregated. 

To let you know you've been thought about, I've drawn tea for three on three seperate dine outs. Laura, for you, a steamed bean curd with three types of mushrooms (far left, second down). 

 With all the staring (at the food) I've done at the restaurants, I think the waitresses were getting the wrong idea I was a mole from the food inspection department.

And with this post, I submerge into the depth of thesis until May. Safe trip Laura, Sheena and I are on our own epic journey in Vancouver.

All in my head...

Left with little time to explore, and even less time to feel rejuvenated, I spent my bus rides recalling moments when I felt uplifted, content, or charmed. Places I could close my eyes and trace the memories.  Slightly different from most sketches posted to date, these were drawn from hindsight, months or years later.

Portland - journey to Washington Park / porch of our hostel.

Beijing - stone archway to boat dock within Old Summer Palace / inconspicuous alleyway 

Nanaimo - dinner company / Surrey - rough contemplation about thesis site

SFU - terraced pub with honey-combed patios / Unknown - based on someone else's description

Beijing - stone path floating on depthless green water, surrounded by the bamboo ravine. 

UBC -Bean Around the World cafe (I believe the interior setting was much nicer when Salt Spring Coffee owned the place, the barista table with its high chairs was the only part they kept intact and thank goodness for that). 

Vancouver - narrow cafe in Gastown

Process

There is nothing like beginning the lunar new year with a healthy does of nostalgia. With thesis on the horizon, design process has been on the forefront of my mind -how does one process information? What data should be focused on? It also doesn't hurt that this balances out my lack of blog activities over the past months.

These are scans from a studio project sited along Kingsway / Metrotown. These snapshots, now three years ago, portray a site information gathering session.

Brain stew.

Conversing with shop keepers.

 Sketching outside of a tattoo parlour. 

 Sketching outside of a beauty parlour inside a mall.

Synthesizing on the bus.

Then on a unrelated but relevant note, sometimes, you really do dream things up. This was a scene I (sleepily) dreamt of shortly after my visit to Cumberland, the land of rivers and lake. The current consensus are that processes are diverse -sometimes linear, other times radial, then there are quantum leaps.