Those who reside in cold and snowy cities know the thrill of a winter storm and the fleeting blanket of white that comes with it. It allows for an appreciated quietness, followed by social and cultural interactions truly unique to the urban environment. Schedules interrupted and plans cancelled, time is quickly filled with spontaneous events borne out of the dramatic shift in the urban landscape. This break in routine, while inconvenient and inefficient to some, is unparalleled in its impact on city dwellers. The experience of the city is altered overnight; for a short while the city transforms from a system of streets, transportation networks, landmarks, and nodes into a landscape of concealment and exposed void, dramatically simplified yet overtly dynamic.

"Second Hinterlands" proposes a defined and intentional shift in our current snow collection and clearing practices following the winter storm. Rather than the immediate clearing of the city streets, "Second Hinterlands" identifies a portion of the city that is transformed via the lack of snow removal and strategic snow relocation. Shifting territories every year, each winter brings new forms, drifts, and an entirely unique exposed landscape. Inhabitants actively engage themselves with the newly formed landscape while neighborhood boundaries dissolve as the softscape of snow meets the hardscape of the city.

Winner of "COLDSCAPES: New Visions for Cold Weather Cities" organized by Kent State University's Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC)