LANDSCAPE ZONES & MATERIAL FAMILIES The Fjord Trail moves through the four landscape zones: the river, the highlands, the forest, and the marsh. As the surroundings change, the material identity and “look and feel” of the trail banks, meanders, and structures will similarly change. This approach magnifies the distinct aspects of each landscape zone, creates interest and surprise within each landscape zone, and uses an elemental, indigenous material palette to tell a deeper story about the cultural and ecological history of the place. The design proposes two basic materials, stone and wood, and applies them differently in different locations along the trail. Each use of the material is inspired, but not dictated, by the surrounding landscape. Stone represents durability and permanence, a sense that the intervention will endure through centuries. At its most visible, stone in the Highlands takes the form of massive boulders, stony outcroppings of bedrock, and even dimensional quarry stone that evokes extraction and other cultural activities at Breakneck Ridge and Mt. Taurus. Closer to the river’s edge, the boulders give way to smaller stones, evoking the glacial processes of weathering until they erode to the pebbles on the Hudson’s beaches. Wood, a cyclical and regenerative material, evokes a feeling of temporality, in contrast to stone. In the forest, the design proposes larger, vertical or horizontal logs, representing the dense forest condition and shady quality of the forest understory. In the marsh, the scale of wood is reduced, representing the “reedy” and delicate nature of marsh vegetation. At the river’s edge, driftwood piles up. These naturally occurring elements present an opportunity for people to actively and directly engage with the management and stewardship of the land. The collection and bundling of logs, the piling and curation of driftwood, and the active interpretation of forest and marsh restoration foster a sense of stewardship. The following sections describe material elements of the trail that change with the landscape. The tone, form, and materiality of the elements will be deployed in ways that engage and intensify visitors’ experience and understanding of the four landscape zones. These elements: Create an immersive experience the moment you step off the trail; Are constructed of materials that highlight the unique characteristics of the surrounding landscape; and Balance durability and permanence with regenerative life cycles. HUDSON HIGHLANDS FJORD TRAIL | MASTER PLAN MATERIAL GRADIENTS As the Fjord Trail moves through the landscape, materials take different forms. One may even perceive gradients of material change across the site, illustrated in the above sketch. STONE WOOD MARSH FOREST HIGHLANDS RIVERS EDGE 73 DRAFT
