Final Presentation

I gave my final presentation for the Epping Way site today. I received some great feedback from professors, professionals, and students alike. And now it is finished..well..for the time being. Capstone is wrapped up, and the semester is coming to an end. It has been an extremely enlightening semester, I must say. But this is only the beginning for the Epping Way site. Good things are right around the corner for this site and for this community.

Promotional Poster

The Final Packet

The link to follow is the final .pdf packet for the Epping Way site. This is my attempt to bring back a part of Frayser that has been lost, to link this community back to its roots as well as to the ecology surrounding it, to educate the youth of this city by Fostering Epping Way. Feedback is welcome on the blog or via email.
Thank you.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/45081854/FinalPacket.pdf

Nearing the End

These sections and perspectives very well may be my last drawn for this department. It's bitter sweet, reflecting on the many hours spent at the studio, all the lessons learned, the frustration and the joy. This may not be my last post, but I'll take this opportunity to say thanks first, to the faculty and staff of the Landscape Architecture Department for guiding me through these seemingly very short 4 years. Second, a special thank you to all of those involved in the Epping Way Project. We are far from finished, this is merely the first step in a long process of shining this gem. So here's to nearing the end of this stage in the project, and here's to what is to become of this very special place.

The full packet can be viewed as a .pdf by copying the link below:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/45081854/IllustrativeDrawings.pdf

Master Plans

 Overall Master Plan for the Epping Way Site. 

BlowUp Master Plan for the Wolf River Conservancy Offices, drainage corridor, and surrounding area.

Cypress Middle Presentation

I had the pleasure of meeting with students (7th and 8th graders) at Cypress Middle who have participated in the "fostering" of Epping Way. These kids piled into one room to listen to my presentation regarding the industry of Landscape Architecture, the Epping Way site, and even submarines. We talked about the opportunities and constraints that this site presents, and what they would like to see happen moving forward. All of the feedback I received was very beneficial moving forward into the Masterplan Phase. Some comments were a bit more adventurous than others (i.e. a submarine/ship on the lake, an underwater parking structure), but all were creative and inventive ideas.

Overall, I believe the presentation went very well. It was nice to see how everyone came to their conclusions and made their design decisions. This was definitely good practice for the final presentation. Got a lot of work to do between now and then, though...

Supplemental Sketches for Concept Plans

Below is a link to a series of supplemental/illustrative sketches for the 3 Concept Plans.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/45081854/Final_ConceptSketches.pdf

Concept Plans

Below is a link to a .pdf packet containing the 3 Concept Plans for the Epping Way site. Copy the link in a new tab or window to view.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/45081854/Final_ConecptPlans.pdf

Making Any Sense Yet...?

Moving forward...through many many sheets of trash paper. 

New Inspiration

Follow-up research on sites similar to Epping Way turned up an interesting conservation area in Picayune, MS: The Crosby Arboretum. This area focuses first on the ecological habitats and second on how people interact with them. A clear delineation of plant communities and habitats allows for native plant development that is slightly supplemented by additional plant material (also native). What initially caught my attention was how the designers (Ed Blake and many others) move pedestrians through the site while still maintaining the integrity of the natural processes at work. This arboretum is a prime example of what the Epping Way site could be.
How do we conserve the current ecological functions of the site? How do we teach the community (and students) about these ecological functions without deterring from them?

Enter conceptual design...

Process Documents

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/45081854/Capstone_ProcessDocsBinder.pdf

Wolf River Greenway

This greenway runs directly through the Epping Way site. This is the perfect opportunity to connect to it. It will allow us to bring people into the site as well as through it.

History of Frayser

The History of Frayser. This area needs help..serious help. The ironic thing is that this is some of the best landscape and topography in the metro-Memphis area. Plus, the proximity and connection to the Wolf River..this place has SO MUCH potential. We're not trying to tackle every last one of the economic, cultural, and social issues of this area on this one parcel, but strides can be made to bring people together in an ecologically sensitive area. Education is the key, not bigger houses...bigger, sexier developments...it's the people. Bring them together, bring other people to them, provide them a means to other places. These are some of the issues we CAN tackle here, at Epping Way. We can provide a space that brings outsiders in and creates a sense of pride for Frayser-ites. So many of these citizens feel stuck in this area (financially, economically, literally). Let's give them something to be proud of...something that makes them want to stay, regardless of whether or not they are able to.

Context

Site context @ city scale. On the border of Frayser, Raleigh, Hickory Hill, and Midtown.

This blog is an attempt to increase awareness about the Epping Way site in Frayser, TN. I am Nate Thompson, and I have the pleasure of exploring the opportunities this site has to offer as part of my Capstone project at Mississippi State. I will be working in conjunction with the Wolf River Conservancy and Memphis City Schools   to address the cultural, ecological, and educational issues presented by the site.