Building on the rich history of the city’s water management infrastructure, DATAField draws its inspiration from the desire to establish a connection between the city’s subtle yet life-defining TOPOGRAPHY and its intricate SYSTEM OF PUMPING STATIONS essential to the continued existence of the city within its current footprint. Using parametric modeling software as a means of conceiving the desired geometry, a network of macro and micro points is established based on the relationships between pumping stations and their respective capacities. Linking these points to a sectional representation of the topography establishes a visible network of nodes visualizing the underlying water management system and creating a three-dimensional MAP OF THE CITY.

DESIGN Strategy:

DATAField consists of a dense field of DATA POLES overlaid over an ABSTRACTED MAP of the New Orleans DRAINAGE NETWORK. Two different categories of poles are placed to index varying data streams in relation to water management activities. The larger macro poles are placed in direct conjunction with pumping station locations providing general user and systems capacity information. In support a field of medium poles record frequency and intensity of pumping activity at several New Orleans pumping stations referencing real-life data. The experience is completed by densifying the field through the addition of responsive LEDs alluding to the configuration of the water network.

MEDIA Strategy:

The large macro poles respond to real time data (water pumped from pumping stations) through a connected real time visualization App (to raise awareness about water conservation, management and quality). The vertical linear LED fixtures are programmed through custom software connected to a light system manager registering the overall water fluctuation in the city and translating it through light intensity; as soon as the water flows at a pumping station, it triggers an immediate response that is displayed through a change in color/intenstiy in the LED poles. The installation becomes a REAL TIME MAP of the dynamic water conditions of the city, always experienced differently according to the input received.

DATAField is designed to raise awareness of the water network of the city of New Orleans, making it visible to draw the general community towards water related issues. The place making intervention aims at establishing a PLATFORM FOR CITIZENS to share and communicate the challenges and opportunities that New Orleans faces in living with water.