Leisure Institute
A Sub-Aquatic Experience
Developed in the class “Leisure Institute”, this project questions how biodiversity can dictate architectural design—beyond land.
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Notions of leisure often bring up landscapes, weekend afternoons, and national parks in the American imagination. The emergence of this phenomenon however was based upon the seizure of land, bourgeois sensibilities, and ultimately vehicular access for transit. Leisure here instead means symbiotic relationships between a marsh based in Rye, New York (easily accessed by Metro North), and users who wish to partake in an experiment of an inverted aquarium.
Site Overview
Site Overview
Figure 1.1 Site Section/Front Elevation Layer
The section shows the descent from earth to sea and intentionally removes rigid program from the space.
Figure 1.2 Site Plan
The site plan shows the development descending into marsh, which hosts the inverted aquarium. This marsh is an estuary that is in danger of damming. To prevent water blockage and promote wildlife growth, the sub-aquatic portion is enmeshed in a man-made reef.
Sub-Aquatic Design
Sub-Aquatic Design
In this program, people remain interior to a space built within the marsh, while they view a naturally robust ecosystem flourish around the building, spectator now spectacle. Materials and intentional placement of building structure facilitates the continuation of the marsh, an increasingly scarce resource, allowing the nursery of the sea to expand and flourish.
Figure 2.1 Chunk Model of Inverted Aquarium Within the Marsh
Playful elements are present in the design, swirls, lateral movement, and an overarching canopy all enclosed within a submarine grade panelization system.
Figure 2.2 Detail Within Inverted Aquarium
Section shows fenestration, finishes, structure, and scale of inverted aquarium.
Figure 2.3 Rendering of Inverted Aquarium