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XR Design for Thomas Greene Park

This project explored the application of XR technologies in urban spaces. I collaborated with designers to augment Thomas Greene Park in Brooklyn. Our work involved research methodologies used in Smart City initiatives, along with urban planning and spatial design techniques.

Timeline:

Aug 21 - Dec 21

The Team:

Simran Jagnik

Sarah Tsao

Sara Kobayashi
Binna Lee

Responsibilities

Unity environment design and VR prototype including animations, trigger interactions, physics simulations, terrain sculpting, textures, skybox, and cinemachine cameras.

Created high-fidelity 3D models of the Open Amphitheatre, buildings, and roadways using SketchUp and Blender.

Tools used:

Unity
SketchUp

Blender

Background

Conducted a site visit to Thomas Greene Park to evaluate its existing strengths and identify potential areas for improvement within the surrounding neighborhood. While there are many great details about the current park, we began to think about what could be improved and what would better the community’s needs.

Video Walkthrough

Prototypes

I was tasked with developing the Unity Environment with physics, simulations, lights, cinemachine capture and setup and interaction of 3D elements.

CHALLENGES

Sloping terrain

The park sits on a slope which meant the path walk through had to be angled correctly and unity terrain needs to have a smooth slope.

Realistic contraints

All dimensions had to be mapped and scaled to the real world, which meant translating 2D sketches into the 3D environment where the placement of objects had to be reconsidered especially when they sat on sharper slopes of the terrain. 

Animating elements

To highlight certain features of the park, the 3D models had to be animated and triggered separately in the walkthrough. Simulations like Day and night, water, wind, and grass had be feel realistic and immersive. 

Adding outer enviroment

The space outside the park design felt incredibly empty and was losing the touch of immersion, I then added the surrounding structures like buildings and roads.

KEY IMPROVEMENTS

Formal Entrance

A formal entrance acts as the landmark of the park strategically placed on the Southeast corner where the foot traffic is the highest due to the close subway and bus stations. From the entrance, parkgoers are guided into the center of the park and out to the Gowanus Canal on the west side of the park. The entrance is also a viewing point, where parkgoers can climb up the entrance for a view of the park from above. 

Open Greenery

During the rainy months, water seems to flood the park and the surrounding neighborhoods due to the lack of green infrastructures that could absorb the rainwater to prevent flooding. To combat this problem, we converted the extra handball courts and large black-top space into open green space that can manage stormwater. 

Stream & Fountain elements

Using the topographical nature of the incline, the stream can naturally flow through the center of the park down to the Gownaus canal, the other side of the park, which is currently deserted as well. This natural stream begins where the elevation is the highest on the landscape, on the Northeast side where the pool is situated on our redesigned plan.

Outdoor Amphitheater(OAT)

OAT was added to foster a more dynamic and unconventional park experience. This multi-functional space serves as a Community Hub, providing a large, open area for social interaction, and fostering a sense of belonging. Recognizing the importance of inclusivity, the OAT features ramps, ensuring accessibility for all park users.

The park cafe located underneath utilizes the elevation of the land and the compact nature of the space well. 

Year-round pool

The new pool was inspired by, DynaDome’s pool structure that slides open and closed based on the season and weather as the current one is open only during summer. The pool is placed on the northeast corner of the park because of the higher elevation where the pool can be created without hitting groundwater. The pool and the surrounding structures take up a lot of space in the park

Playground

We added abstract structures to the playground that would spark imagination among children. It was placed in the middle of the park where there is a lot of foot traffic, and where parents can overlook the playground from a higher elevation. 

We also added an open gym catered for older children and adults drawing from the community members wanting to be active. 

Sports 

While we kept the basketball courts that were heavily utilized by the community, we converted the handball courts into a skateboarding park since there are currently skateboarding summer camps and lessons held at the Park’s blacktop area. 

Bridge

Although located outside of the park, we noticed that the driveway near the canal was unused. Since a large portion of our park consists of guiding the park goers towards the canal and to the waterway, we created a pedestrian bridge over the canal that can take the park goers to the other side of the canal. This bridge is built to cater a Communal space, such as a farmers market and community fairs. 

Since the location of Thomas Greene park is compact, we narrowed down which existing park elements to improve to not overwhelm the park goers with too many elements and structures. We also did not want to change the park too much and make the newly redesigned park feel foreign to the current community, so we kept as many existing elements as possible.

Identifying Problems

KEY POINTS

Too conventional

There is no standing feature that distinguishes the park from others. We believe each park should be unique and possess characteristics that help provide meaning. This inspired us to create a design that makes this park worth caring about.

Disconnected sections

The park is currently divided into sections with tiered levels and no accessibility from the middle of the park. It's separated into sections with fences, and it loses a sense of connected community. 

Unused spaces

There are extra handball courts that are not frequently used, a pool area that is only open over the summer months, and driveways and streets surrounding the park towards the canal that can be put to good use by redesigning it into a functional space that is open and accessible to the community.

Seasonal Restrictions

Examining the overall design for the current park, we realized that most of the space is hard to use year round, especially in the winter. We believe that by converting areas such as the pool into a convertible indoor/ outdoor pool can help the park attract park goers year round. 

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