martian animation

The monorail inspiration as a device on Mars played out for the animation.  I envisioned the rail transecting the planet’s surface and cutting into mountains on its journey.  The first rendering was too “cluncky” and choppy with the train following it’s path and the two cars cutting into each other.  The second animation was a little better after I spaced the cars and assigned them seperatly to the same path.

 https://filestogeaux.lsu.edu/public/download.php?FILE=jmilaz1/586677wPbtJ

martian flora

With inspiration from Red Mars and deserts here on Earth, I used 3D Studio Max to create an organic environment on the surface of Mars.  If Mars had an atmosphere, humans could genetically alter the plants found on Earth to withstand conditions on Mars.  Some examples include desert pioneer species such as Tumbleweed and Broomsedge.

martian terra

Representing the terrain of Mars with inspiration from the novel Red Mars.  Contours were drawn in Civil3d, imported to 3D Max, and represented with point, line, surface, and environment.

the martian express

It resembles a cross between a freight train and a space shuttle…or it could just be the Disney Monorail entering Epcot

mars device

“The train to the Burroughs carrie mostly freight, thirty narrow cars of it, with two passenger cars up front, running over a superconducting magnetic piste so quickly and smoothly that it was hard to believe the view..”

I’m in to trains on earth, so I guess I’m in to them on Mars.  I will attempt to model one of these passenger cars.  Having never been on a train ride on Mars, I can imagine a Disney-like monorail traversing the terrain, offering expansive views of the landscape.  Windows are a must if one is to experience the Mars landscape….

downtown complete:

Block 3 is finished after a frustrating trial with ketchup.  Spencer and I worked on the Governmental building while Narcissaworked on the adjacent library.  We move on to Mars

downtown ketchup

Group 3 surveyed our block.  We 3 will attempt to re-construct a block downtown in ketchup. 

bread is in the oven

Yep. It’s done.  Waiting on the doors to open to the Commons so I can sleep.  Sleep would be nice.

I hate perkinss

perkins ‘to do’ list

I have  to get an experiential perspective completed.  I have to develop a prototype of the market space under the interstate(add to model, section/elevation, diagram).  I have to develop a plan for this proposed passenger train stop(refer to Peter Calthorpe). 

re: perkins

After a week long hiatus in Paris, Perkins road waited patiently for my return.  Based on the pin-up with Jim, I have done a little research on Peter Calthorpe and his approach to “transit-oriented developments.”  His book, The Next American Metropolis: Ecology, Community, and the American Dream, describes transit-oriented development.

Transit-oriented development

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Aerial view of growth patterns in Arlington County, Virginia. High density, mixed use development is concentrated within 1/4 to 1/2 mile from the Rosslyn, Courthouse and Clarendon Metro stations (shown in red), with limited density outside that area. This photograph is taken from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [1] website describing Arlington’s award for overall excellence in smart growth in 2002 — the first ever granted by the agency.

Street-level view of the area around the Ballston Metro Station — also in Arlington, Virginia. Note the mixed-use development (from left to right: ground floor retail under apartment building, office buildings, shopping mall (at the end of the street), apartment building, office building with ground floor retail), pedestrian oriented facilities including wide sidewalk, and bus stop facility in the center distance. Parking in this location is limited, relatively expensive, and located underground

A transit-oriented development (TOD) is a residential or commercial area designed to maximize access to public transport, and often incorporates features to encourage transit ridership. A TOD neighborhood typically has a center with a train station, metro station, tram stop, or bus station, surrounded by relatively high-density development with progressively lower-density development spreading outwards from the center. TODs generally are located within a radius of one-quarter to one-half mile (0.4 to 0.8 km) from a transit stop, as this is considered to be an appropriate scale for pedestrians.

Many of the new towns created after World War II in Japan, Sweden, and France have many of the characteristics of TOD communities. In a sense, nearly all communities built on reclaimed land in the Netherlands or as exurban developments in Denmark have had the local equivalent of TOD principles integrated in their planning.

Transit-oriented development is sometimes distinguished by some planning officials from “transit-proximate development” (see, e.g. comments made during a Congressional hearing [2]) because it contains specific features that are designed to encourage public transport use and differentiate the development from urban sprawl. Examples of these features include mixed-use development that will use transit at all times of day, excellent pedestrian facilities such as high quality pedestrian crossings, narrow streets, and tapering of buildings as they become more distant from the public transport node. Another key feature of transit-oriented development that differentiates it from “transit-proximate development” is reduced amounts of parking for personal vehicles.