Topographic Options (Topic 4 of Ground Rules)

 

Waves applied to Architectural Berms are extended to flat and concave contouring, and modified in a manner consistent with cubodal geometry to merge with random natural terrain.


Because implementing the high specificity of topographic schemes addressed thus far would often be impractical or undesirable, design options that easily harmonize with natural terrain should convey the notion that GDCode is not an all or nothing proposition.


In addition to the flexibility provided by terracing, wave/cylinder mounds pose another option. The accompanying depiction suggests the end result. In practice, the wave will spin around a (cratered) circular plateau to retain water for new plantings.


The concept of the cylindrical intermediary may be extended transversely with berms. Another scheme extends the maximum slopes of quarter waveforms straight to the ground. Spun around corners or capping off berms, the resulting (truncated) conical form merges with the terrain in a cleanly distinctive and complementary way.


Thus far, waveforms have been spun about crest-point axes to fashion mounds and berms; but such waves may also be spun about trough-point axes to contour concavely at intersections. Such contouring is especially useful in courtyard corners or wading pools in other outdoor room situations that may also feature mounds and berms with cutaway seating in a garden ambience. 


To contour flat terrain for water drainage, the shallow angle needed is derived from the angular difference between the edge representing the only cubodal feature directly faced via secondary rotation that possesses no symmetry whatsoever, and the nearest symmetry orientation in which it manifests. The angular edge differential is approximately 1.5˚ (31.5˚ - 30˚) and exemplified by the 3˚ circular arc in the illustration.


As the basics of topographic design are now concluded, abstractions and methods introduced here are extended to infrastructure that begins Part VI - Wheel Extrapolations.