Archinect
John Decker

John Decker

Boulder, CO, US

anchor
scale in the natural setting
scale in the natural setting
39 more images  ↓

Studies of the Urban Design of Boulder

As an architect much of my practical experience has been at the scale of urban design. For an urban designer it is hard to live in a place and not analyse or study it. These drawings of the place I live are also personal explorations of ways to diagram and delineate urban and environmental factors and conditions and to understand the spaces and structures within them. The approach is deliberately cartoon-like, simplified and unrefined, using graphic manipulation to reveal the organism of the city. When it can be observed it can also be understood.

Boulder is a unique community in a phenomenal natural setting. A planned place, it has limited its growth and height and has surrounded itself with open space. It is a kind of city-wide experiment in sustainability and low-impact living. It is an interesting place to live and to observe.

 
Read more

Status: Unbuilt
Location: Boulder, Colorado
My Role: A personal / academic study of the design and environment that I live in. I am the principal designer.

 
pure space study of a typical Boulder house
pure space study of a typical Boulder house
opaque walls
opaque walls
efficiency of spaces
efficiency of spaces
the city space
the city space
skeletal structure and environment
skeletal structure and environment
the Cores and connective Rays
the Cores and connective Rays
flood hazard and city core superposed
flood hazard and city core superposed
cores exaggerated
cores exaggerated
city more delineated
city more delineated
streets filtered one way
streets filtered one way
then the other
then the other
and composited
and composited
amplified core pattern
amplified core pattern
juxtaposed
juxtaposed
landscape ...
landscape ...
color-manipulated
color-manipulated
masses delineated
masses delineated
explore other configurations against background profile
explore other configurations against background profile
a post-competition study of the civic area and creek-park
a post-competition study of the civic area and creek-park
a graphic variation
a graphic variation
more variations
more variations
adjust light
adjust light
adjust color
adjust color
isolate elements, surrounding masses
isolate elements, surrounding masses
buildout geometry and creek corridor
buildout geometry and creek corridor
masses
masses
uses differentiated
uses differentiated
movement grid and the flow of nature
movement grid and the flow of nature
increased basin volume with ox-bows and broad sinuous floodplain
increased basin volume with ox-bows and broad sinuous floodplain
urban chasis
urban chasis
all elements in juxtaposition
all elements in juxtaposition
the ground plane
the ground plane
synthesized
synthesized
early night
early night
late night
late night
new flows in post-flood drainage net
new flows in post-flood drainage net
zones of lost vegetation and soil cover
zones of lost vegetation and soil cover
visual clutter in stunning view
visual clutter in stunning view
post-flood beautiful day
post-flood beautiful day