A Covering

GUIDING QUESTION  ─

How can humans
and ‘nature’ mutually inhabit a place?

 

A Covering is a solitary experience and a chance to tune into nature which begins to hint at a mutualistic relationship.

                SKILLS  ─

                Design Research
                Prototyping
                Architecture
                Speculative Design

                   

                                              

   
A humble covering. Made of phragmites and rope.

To truly bring ourselves into harmony with the natural world, we must return to seeing humanity as part of it. The project began with visiting Tillinghast Beach, in Rhode Island, exploring, collecting and drawing specimens from the land. This led to an intervention that is tailor-made to both site and use. I always consider the built environment as a totality and apply an integrated approach to regenerative design. The driving question was, ‘How can this pavilion serve as a functional shared space between the current ecosystem, being local plants and animals, and human visitors?’ The environment dictates the architectural form so the user feels a sense of integration within the landscape. It is temperature regulated architecture as the canopy provides relief from radiating heat. It is an environmentally sensitive and aware approach to design. The structure reacts differently based on the time of day due to the sea breeze effect. It re-establishes a connection to the land, responds and reacts to environmental conditions. The form is made from flat sheets which transform into curved geometry once the wind picks it up from underneath. It would be made of woven phragmites, a native species, with rope hanging from the ends. The rope would be attached to the ground by wrapping it around a local rock.