Discovering Richmond Part 4

Pipeline Rapids. It sounds like a Kings Dominion water slide. It is so much better. No lines, no traffic, and best of all free admission. It is actually a part of the James River Park System, and apart from Belle Isle, is one of their crowning achievements. The rapids are slightly isolated, and you can get to them from either Brown Island or the Canal Walk on 12th and Byrd Streets.

The name of the rapids came from a water pipeline that the walkway is on top of, which hangs underneath a CSX railway line. If you get there at the right time you can experience the trains going right over your head. There are railings on most of the pipeline, mostly the parts that go over the rapids. The lack of railings isn't all bad, because it makes it easier to jump straight from the walkway to the rocks that are by the riverside.

There are many things to do at pipeline rapids, from kayaking to fishing and bird-watching (a great heron rookery is located there). The first time I went past it, I liked it so much I decided to have my birthday party there. And I did. And it was awesome. The beach and rushing water make it a great place to relax, and its located conveniently enough for anyone to go. I am honestly a bit scared to talk about it, but it is really too good not to share. Enjoy!

One of the walkways 3 semi-private beaches,.They are separated by the concrete pillars and foliage on both sides. It gives you the impression of having a whole section of the river to yourself.

The two-way CSX railway that is on top of the walk-way. It's pretty cool to see the trains, but you might want to look up, because rocks have a habit of falling down and hitting you in the eye as the trains rush past. 

The water pipeline that gives these rapids their name.Its covered with a kind of gravely concrete that's been flattened to give a better foothold when walking across.

The end of the metal walkway. I would have taken more pictures of it, but there was a lot of traffic on the walkway that day. 

In parts the river is shallow enough to wade to the islands on the other side. This is not one of those parts.

These are the columns of some power lines that span the rapids to (or from) the Southside.

Bridge to the Southside in the distance.

Apart of the river that looks suspiciously like it might have been a canal tow path, way back when the locks were working. 

The sandy path to Browns island. Mind the tree roots that stick out the ground!

The Browns Island entrance to Pipeline Rapids. It might look like a sandy wooded path, mostly because it is. 

The perfectly manicured grass of Browns Island, with its bridge to the Canal Walk and mainland Richmond. 

At the end of the day I was too tired to go back home by Pipeline Rapids, so I just took the Canal Walk from Browns Island. Good thing too, or I would have missed out on the $1 hotdogs at City Dog's on Cary. 

The walk was thoroughly enjoyable, and I recommend it to anyone and everyone who ever happens to be in Richmond. If you want more information on the Pipeline Rapids, check out the blog Richmond on the James.

To the architecture students, this particular walk illustrates to me the importance of reusing public space. Instead of just leaving it as a water pipeline the area is now a public recreational area that all of Richmond can enjoy. We can avoid urban sprawl if we just learn to reuse and rethink the spaces we have within our cities. I know everyone can think of an empty lot, building, or useless space in their neighborhood that could be re purposed to make something worthwhile. Let us push, as architects and architecture students, to make positive change, and make the most of the space we have.

Discovering Richmond Part 2

   For the second part of my Discovering Richmond series, I'm taking you to the other side of town. Shockoe Bottom is one of the oldest parts of Richmond, having been the center and starting point for slaves in the South. Slave markets, jails, and auction houses were all here once upon a time. There is so much history here that I could spend this entire blog on just that subject, so to save time, I'll just send you here instead.
 
   As an African American living in this particular District, I sometimes don't know how to feel, walking the same cobblestones as my people did hundreds of years ago. I know I said in my very first blog post that I would try to maintain objectivity as much as possible, so maybe I should leave emotions out of it. In any case, here are my photos, documenting my walk down Cary St. in Shockoe Bottom.

One of the many former tobacco houses on Cary St. that were converted into residential apartments. This particular one also contains a pool with a waterfall, an upscale Italian restaurant, and a gym.

All the other River Lofts on Tobacco Row and the Holocaust museum much farther down.
We'll see pictures of that later on. 

Nicest set of mushrooms I've ever seen, have nothing to do with architecture, but from a photography perspective, too perfect to pass up. 

I was fascinated by the brick detail on this building. 

The CSX train that I can hear screeching by at this very moment in time. Weird coincidence.

This particular train was only 2 cars long.

Virginia Holocaust Museum. I've never been inside personally, but I hear its a one of a kind experience.

The unopened (and to my knowledge, never opened) windows of the Virginia Holocaust Museum

One of the train cars I'm assuming they used to carry Jews in. 

The Richmond VA flood wall. Funny story about this wall, when the flood finally came, the city sewers backed up so the water was trapped on the wrong side. 

Believe it or not, these rocks were completely untouced, I was just lucky enough to find them this way. 

Those little spots of greenery that brighten up my day. 

One of the more interesting street facades I've seen. I don't think this building would be half as interesting if the windows were all the same. Its worth looking into for future projects. 

If anyone knows the purpose or practice of this "technique" please let me know in the comments.

The ceiling at Urban Farmhouse, one of the main, organic/green/fair  trade restaurants in Richmond .

Urban Farmhouse interior. It reminds me a great deal of Busboys & Poets in DC, with their couches and laid-back feel.  The setup is also similar to Globe Hopper, located a couple blocks down, on Main Street. 

Urban Farmhouse wine selection. 

Discovering Richmond

Though you might not think it, photography and architecture go hand in hand.  We need them for site analysis, understanding our surroundings, capturing inspiration, and general information gathering. I'm always grabbing my camera to get inspired by my surroundings, no matter where I am. I am by no means a professional photographer but I enjoy taking pictures as a reminder of where I've been, and it helps me formulate ideas about where I want to go from there.

So for this summer, I've decided to have a photography series, based on things I see around my hometown of Richmond. There's a lot of history here, and its an architectural goldmine. The old school feel is so strong they're planning on having the new Lincoln movie filmed here. The buildings this place really shines in are residential and mercantile, with big sprawling estates not 5 minutes away from Cary town. It exemplifies the concept of vertical zoning, with live/work/play all inside the same structure.

So here's a glimpse through my camera lens, and hopefully you can use my pictures to help you in your work. These particular pictures were taken in the Fan district, on the West side of town. I've always loved this district for its history and beauty. Enjoy!

These buildings are part of an almost one block set. The center of the set is on the far right. 

An example of a live work building

Really loving the double balconies and the building color. 

They should probably get that looked at... 

A type of column capital I have never seen before.

Even though it is not part of the building design, a chair made out of a dress is still pretty interesting.

This gate reminded me of Japan

Even the backalleys here are picturesque

This house makes me wonder whether its either really old, or just really beat up.

In love with the column capitals and general facade design.

Same building as above, with a better view of the porch.

Currently admiring the balcony and color scheme of this particular building. 

A better view of the porch of the building above. 

Columns!

I am, for unexplained reasons extremely attracted to side alleys. Their practical application, I don't know but they are much more appealing to me then house right next to each other. Could it be the visual break, or do i just like small gates? The world may never know. 

More beautiful glass work on the windows

What have we learned from this? I am a sucker for columns, pretty glass, side alleys, and the color green. If I took a picture of your house, please let me know, I am not a creeper, I just like pretty houses. To all the architecture students out there, you should try getting out and taking as many pictures as possible, because you never know when you will see something that will inspire you for your next project. A picture is worth a thousand words, but Google Pictures can only do so much.