To_Flo/Fau,
Spring 2021THE PROMPT: To reimagine the existing Liberty State Park Administrative Complex in Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ by proposing a design that not only considers the needs of people, but of the environment, flora, and fauna.
THE PROJECT:
The first part of the project name, "To", is a reference to the project's consideration of today and tomorrow and as a whole, how a structure originally designed for humans can be returned "to" nature, or flora ("flo") and fauna ("fau").
The project is meant to critique the modernist architectural approach of the past, which is defined in this project as an architectural style that doesn't carefully consider all the stakeholders of a site. It does that by contrasting and eventually replacing the modernist approach with a more contemporary architectural style that does carefully consider nature and the environment.
The program in 2020 is centered around learning about human impact on the environment, with a museum that can not only inform visitors about architecture's relationship to the environment but also how the effect that humans as a whole have, has changed over time. The lab has a similar intended goal of delving into research regarding human interaction with the natural environment. However, in the future, the structure will become more "sculptural" and will be mainly used by flora and fauna.
Arch164_SP21_Tam.pdf
The plinth creates a bold statement compared to the contemporary system surrounding it, highlighting how the Modern architectural style, similarly, purposely made a bold statement in nature.
The enclosure of the contemporary system not only draws its characteristics from the formal geometry of the system but the chosen more eco-friendly and bio-degradable material, transparent wood, also connects back to the contemporary-style idea of creating a structure that has better consideration of nature.
The way the contemporary system begins to grow out of the modern flat roof represents how the former architectural style in a way developed from the latter, but takes on its own identity and characteristics.
Through the plans, it is clear how the structure will change over time, with the contemporary system growing, overtaking, and replacing the modern parts of the structure. In the so-called "end", the structure becomes much more sculptural and is not meant to allow humans into its center, instead, having its primary user being flora and fauna. Thus, beginning its "second life".
Through the section, serial perspectives, and the "Today" photomontage, you can not only see the interaction between spaces and parts of the structure, but also the interaction between the structure and its surroundings in present day time. As seen in the photomontage, the modern-style flat roof stands out starkly when looking from afar, while the contemporary system does not.
And finally, in the future, or "Tomorrow", the contemporary system will become a habitat and sculpture-like structure for marine life to interact with (or terrestrial if sea level does not rise). The rough concrete texture and the nooks and crannies created by the system will allow for oysters, which naturally filter water, to more easily take hold. So in a way, the contemporary-style structure will contribute to the environment at the end of its human-used life cycle by nature to restore nature.
