Overflow Schematic
Using Houdini to explore eroding landscapes
Translated river morphologies into abstract geometric schematics to visualize hydrological change across global landscapes.
Research Project · Harvard MDE
Role: Computational Design · Interaction Design · Parametric Geometry · Houdini
Team: Hana Khurshid, Liz Wu
Overflow Schematic investigates the geometry of rivers as a means of visualizing environmental change. By reducing the shapes of nine iconic rivers around the world to simplified geometric forms, the project explores what makes each river distinct while revealing patterns that relate to past, present, and projected hydrological shifts.
Through systematic shape abstraction, the work captures structural characteristics of each river basin and frames them as visual schematics. These forms serve as proxies for environmental data, linking geographic identity with climate-related variability. By distilling natural systems into geometric representations, Overflow Schematic makes complex landscape narratives legible, offering a visual language for discussing water, place, and ecological impact.
Abstract geometric schematics representing nine global rivers.
Method
River geometries were extracted and reduced through computational shape abstraction to derive simplified schematics. These forms emphasize characteristic curvature, extent, and flow pattern while supporting comparative visual analysis.
Implications
Simplified geospatial forms offer a way to visualize environmental change and highlight differences in river morphology across regions and time, supporting broader conversations about climate impact and resource awareness.
