Designer: Brendan Cole Buchanan Dee
Course: Landscape Architecture Elective
Prof. Christophe Girot
ETH Zürich / 2018
Point Clouds
Using a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) scanner, the physical world can be captured and represented in a constellation of millions of points known as a point cloud. At the ETH Zürich main campus a selection of trees were scanned and used to examine how selective planting can alter the experience of an existing site. The tree scans enable the modelling of mature specimens, capturing crown diameter, branch arrangements, and foliage textures.
The site of interest, Schienhutgasse, is a steep path connecting the campus with Zürich’s Altstadt (old town), featuring historic homes and views to the city skyline, which is part of a daily commute for many students and staff between the university campus and the city’s transportation network.
The proposal of planting two large deciduous trees (horse chestnut, Aesculus hippocastanum) divides the linear path into a sequence of outdoor spaces. Variation in the tree canopy creates a gradient of light and shadow, reinforcing the framing and denying views to enhance the pedestrian experience of climbing or descending the path between the ETH campus and the old city.