Mangrove Housing: New Barriers
Second Prize - House In Forest Competition
Location: Senegal Type: House Project year: 2017 Reference link: houseinforest.com/result/ see more
Context The Saloum River estuary, Senegal, is surrounded by mangrove forest. Between 1972 and 2017 , a coastal mangrove barrier sank into the sea, followed by a dying process of a large area of the forest. The primary causes mainly came from sea level rise, saltwater intrusion, a decline in rainfall and the over-exploitation of mangroves for lumber and charcoal. In 1972, the coastal mangrove barrier acted as an ecofilter which naturally desalinated saltwater from the sea into freshwater for the river. In 2017, saltwater intrusion into the estuary has changed the mix of salt and fresh water in the Saloum River, and thus making it too saline for many trees in the freshwater zone. The fate of these mangroves will depend on adequate freshwater flow to reduce the salinity to levels that favor the mangrove forest. Our proposal: New Barriers This proposal is an attemp to regenerate “New Barriers” by establishing mangrove housing communities where local people live, work with nature to filtrate saltwater from the sea into freshwater for the mangrove forest. The dome structure of the mangrovehouse is inspired by the mangrove root system. This structural form helps the house against the strong winds and storm. Meanwhile, in the larger scale, the trunks and roots of the surrounding mangroves and the pile footings of mangrovehouses protect each other from storm surge and weaken the strong water currents. The mangrovehouse is prefabricated and assembled by local inhabitants including carpenters, craftsmen, adult people and even children, in order to allow the participation of the entire community in building process, and eventually strengthen the relationships between people and their mangrovehouses. The materials are mainly timber from dead mangroves and from new mangrove forests which are well managed by mangrovehousing community. Besides, to harvest wood in the most sustainable way, this design avoids harvesting wood for charcoal, instead using biogas system for cooking purposes. With biogas system being settled, the amount of CO2 emission is reduced significantly, compared to a larger proportion when using charcoal. Each house can also open its windows in different corners to utilize natural ventilation, sunlight and to capture the forest ambience of the surrounding nature into daily routine. |
Seawater Tower
Evolo 2017 Competition
Location: Ocean Type: Skyscraper Project year: 2017 See more
There is a good deal of evidence that sea levels are rising due to thermal expansion and melting of ice in the polar regions and glaciers. They are widely considered to be the greatest threat posed by climate change. Sea level rise threatens low-lying countries with inundation, forcing inhabitants to migrate. Coastal cities and ports could be flooded, as could cities sited near tidal estuaries, like London, Venice. In Bangladesh coast, there is little or no chance of Moura or many other nearby villages being habitable in five years. Low-lying Pacific island nations like Kiribati and their beautiful coral atolls, as well as their ecosystem, may no longer exist due to the effects of sea level rise. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency’s analyses revealed that from 1996 to 2011, roughly 20 square miles of dry land and wetland were converted to open water along the Atlantic coast. To address this problem, we conceived a global long-term solution with Seawater Towers. This tower is literally a giant tank that stores seawater vertically, against the horizontal expansion when sea level rise happens. After being partly locked up, seawater of the ocean will decrease to an acceptable level that brings all the coastlines back to their previous condition. The project therefore protects Venice, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Lower Manhattan, South Florida, Bangladesh, Shanghai, Kiribati, Maldives, etc. from being submerged in water without forcing their inhabitants to leave their intimate land, their heritages, culture, tradition, ecosystem, and their Exclusive Economic Zones. The cylindrical wall of the tower is made from glass, constructed by Glass 3D Printing technique from MIT Media Lab. However, glass is made from sand – the unlimited material source right on the ocean floor, and hence Seawater Towers are situated around the ocean to easily collect sand for Glass 3D Printers. When the main material is available onsite and the energy comes from solar power, we can build thousands of Seawater Towers along the coastlines with the lowest cost. The transparent appearance also allows sunlight to shine through, reducing the shadow area of the tower on the ocean surface. To be able to contain a great amount of seawater, each tower is 4000 meter higher than the current sea level. At 3200m, the temperature is approximately at the freezing point of seawater: -2oC. In almost regions in the Troposphere, the higher the geographical altitude is, the cooler the air temperature becomes. From 3200m to 4000m, seawater naturally freezes into ice, a giant iceberg is formed on the top of the Seawater Tower. Ice may melt in the polar regions, but thanks to Seawater Towers, it is regenerated in everywhere on the ocean, waiting for the future use. |
In between
Finalist - Kairalooro Competition
Location: Tanaf Village, Senegal Type: Chapel - Sacred Architecture for Peace Project year: 2017 Reference link: www.kairalooro.com/competition/winningprojets_sacredarchitecture.html See more
Peace is a state of mind in which one’s soul is not engulfed in fears or agonies. “The tragedy of life is not death, but what we let die inside of us while we live”, said Norman Cousins. To achieve peace, is to reach to the point of equilibrium, where no fear of death, nor agony of life exists. The site is located in the region of Casamance where devastating droughts affect 80.000 people. Living without water is living in distress. The fear of death covers 350 villages and communities who live in the region. The project is conceived as a space for contemplation and introspection. With a half above ground, a half underground, it is a space that is "in between" - a balance of life and death. This settlement puts the design into a protective embrace of earth, and provives a discreet ambience to invite people to sink into the tranquility, leaving all worries and troubles above ground. The large roof is inspired by the canopies of the on-site baobab trees. They have the same function of providing shade and comfortable gathering place while the funnellike form of the roof maximizes the ability of collecting rain water. Below the funnel roof is the underground space for worship. As pilgrims approach the space, they see the rammed clay earth steps in circles that direct them downwards. Conceived as a place for introspection, it is a space that is in between the earth and sky - a journey down into this space is also a journey into one’s self. In the center of the space, rain water is stored in a shallow pool and a cistern below. During hot periods, water in the shallow pool evaporates, the surrounding air is cooled and becomes heavier and flows down to provide a passive cooling effect to the entire underground space. The space is buried under the earth, but in its deepest place, water in the shallow pool brings the sky down through its calming reflection. Inside the space dedicated to Death, we found water - the source of Life. |
Pavilion of the Origins
(Built)
Location: Dong Da, Hanoi, Vietnam Type: Pavilion, Garden Area: 18.0m2 Project year: 2017 Photographs: Nguyen Thai Thach Reference link: www.archdaily.com/869376/pavilion-of-the-origins-hung-nguyen-architects see more
The Pavilion of the Origins is located in Hanoi which is one of the most air polluted cities in the world. In 2016, the PM2.5 particulate level recorded in Hanoi was seven times higher than the permissible level set by the World Health Organization. The declining air quality in Hanoi has been attributed to high traffic volumes and industrial activities. Pavilion of the Origins is an attemp to bring the clean air back by setting a place for living plants which can help detoxify the air. They are not just ornamental plants for decorative purposes, but they are air-purifying plants that can absorb harmful toxins from the air. The pavilion sits on the terrace of a 3-storey house in Hanoi, with the main structure being constituted by many cuboid frames. Each small cuboid frame acts as a small pavilion for a few plants, then the superposition of many cuboid frames creates a big pavilion for human scale. With varying heights, the spaces in spaces flow into each other. Light is poured down, wind comes through the voids. The boundaries between inside and outside are blurred. A harmonious relationship is established between human, nature and space. The white color of the upcycled steel frames and the white round pebble stones on the floor blend into the sky and clouds, reflecting light in multiple directions while the translucent polycarbonate roof reduces the solar radiation. In different heights, the 200x200x200mm cubic planters are suspended and hovering around to distribute the purification in every corner of the pavilion. Plants grow and spread along the structure, bathe in the soft light. In this forest ambience, one may pass through the rugged terrain, climb up the branches of the frames and find his own tranquility on a floating hammock. Time presents in the flow of air, the change of weather, the shedding of leaves and the movement of people. In Pavilion of the Origins, trees and plants play a role as the main users for the amount of time they spent in this space, while the pavilion owners act as the servants who have the duties to take care of those main users and subsequently be paid in clean, fresh air, as well as experiencing the vivid beauty of the natural origins. This slender structure is just a minimal intervention of human to nature. Architecture, in this sense, acts as a rope to tighten up the interaction and connection between humans, nature and space. |
Museum of the Origins
Honorable Mention - 24H Competition (6th Edition)
Location: Planet Earth 3000 Type: Time Museum Project year: 2015 Reference link: www.if-ideasforward.com/memories see more
Brief:
We take on the premise that it is impossible to live without forgetting. Memory is like a mirror, a souls perfume, a conscience placed in time from where we can observe the past and those that are absent, calling them to us. By conserving not only their ideas, but also their order and position we can make part of the world they lived in. Memory is, therefore, the psychiatric faculty that allows us to retain and recall past events. In this exercise, we intend to discuss the theme of memory, as it should be preserved and maintained for future generations. Thus, inspired by the concept of a Time Capsule, we transpose it to a museum. A museum buried to be opened in the year 3000. This Time Museum will be buried for future generations to experience the same feelings we felt and still feel. For this we resort to the five senses: Hearing / Taste / Smell / Touch / Sight. Which memorie, historical event or character would fit best with each sense and what would be the best way to showcase it? Our proposal: MUSEUM OF THE ORIGINS Can we preserve any memory for the future generations while increasingly destroying our own habitats? It should be taken into consideration whether humans can survive in the year 3000. Perhaps they will settle in other planets because their intimate one has been devastated by global warming, ice melting, environmental pollution which were the consequences from their ancestors’ acts in the past. This design strives therefore to save and simulate the natural environments and landscapes when we are still able to feel them. And hopefully, the future generations may truly hear, taste, smell, touch, sight the vivid beauties in the origins of the Earth. Each sphere can only show a certain scene, but it can be replicated. Like the seeds under the auspices of the Earth, to be sown in different fields, we find a way to keep our memories alive. |
Camouflage
Second Place - Rome Motorino Checkpoint Competition (Archmedium)
Location: Rome, Italy Type: Motorino Checkpoint Project year: 2013 Reference link: pro.archmedium.com/competition/rmcp_pro/results/ see more
This design is quite literally a reflection of its surroundings. It is a minimal intervention and appears as a simple camouflage in order to give place for the characteristic images of Rome. A smoke-like aluminum roof sits on top of a steel column system, wrapping itself around the trees in the parking lots, providing a series of connected spaces while keeping a continuous view from the roads to Roma Termini station. An aluminum layer that covers the supplementary services rooms reflects the trees, the scooters and bicycles in the parking lots, the buildings around and the sky. Its appearance changes according to the weather, allowing it to melt into the surroundings. |
Symbio Island
Coming soon...
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