C H R I S T I A N NA B E N N E T TWORK SAMPLES : : 2012

C o n t a c t I n f o r m a t i o n :

e m a i l : c h r i s t i a n n a . b e n n e t t @ g m a i l . c o m

p h o n e : [ 5 1 8 ] 3 6 4 . 1 5 8 0

ARCTIC-TECTURE

AUGUST 2011 - MAY 2012 [9 months]

DESCRIPTION:

DEVELOPING A BIO-CULTURAL LANDSCAPE FOR SHISHMAREF, ALASKA

As the trends of globalization and new electronic media render place meaningless in contemporary society, the livelihoods of many small, disparate communities on the planet are being both culturally and ecologically threatened, especially due to the onset of climate change. What remains of high value in these locations, especially in comparison to largely commercialized areas, is the strong cultural connection to local environmental conditions and the inherent ecological knowledge imbued in everything from daily speech, to ritual practices.

This project explores the small Alaskan island of Shishmaref, where 600 native inhabitants have historical ties to the 4-mile long island for over 2,000 years. According to the islands creation story, the Shishmaref are approaching the clear demise of their way of life as the island sinks back into the sea.By examining the local folklore, as well as the ecological and landscape processes of barrier islands such as Shishmaref, a new, low-impact, and sustainable technology is developed as a means to redefine the eroding shoreline for the prolonged inhabitation of the Shishmaref community and for the perseverance of their resilient culture.

MOUNTAINS OF WATERSACRED RICE TERRACES OF THE PHILIPPINE CORDILLERAS

JANUARY 2012 - ongoing research [5 months +]

The Philippine Cordilleras sacred rice terraces, a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site, have been in existence since antiquity. The Ifugao community built these terraces to cultivate a single strain of rice in the Cordillera Mountain Range, a seemingly uninhabitable landscape, with slopes reaching 70 degrees of steepness. Here, where animals and machinery cannot be brought, the farmers follow a strict set of rituals on a 12-month calendar to plant, harvest, and maintain the rice wetland system by hand and foot. Sacred forests and planted groves serve to support the wetland system, capturing and containing rainwater that flows through bamboo pipes and into the agricultural landscape. The existence of the terraces, and their careful maintenance serve as a model system for natural rainwater purification, erosion prevention, and sustainable agricultural practice.

DESCRIPTION:

HISTORICAL IMAGERY OF IFUGAOS.

PLAN VIEW OF BATAD VILLAGE.

SECTION AND METABOLISM OF IFUGAO RICE TERRACE SYSTEM, NEAR HUNGDUAN VILLAGE.

VERTICAL ZONES IN THE MOUNTAINS AS DELINEATED BY THE IFUGAO.

KIANGAN VILLAGE, ADAPTED FROM A DRAWING BY A KIANGAN RESIDENT.

EARTH & SKY

JANUARY - MARCH 2011 [2 months]

DESCRIPTION:

A ECOLOGICAL VISITOR CENTER ON BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS, UTAH

BELOW-GRADE PLAN1 : 1000

UNDER THE LAND BRIDGE

RENDER FACING SOUTH

CONCEPT SKETCH: SPACES OF THE DAY VS. NIGHT

EYE-LEVEL ELEVATION OVER THE SALT FLATS.

RENDER OF THE GORGE CONDITION.ROOF PLAN OF THE TOWER.AERIAL VIEW OF THE EARTH & SKY SCHEME.

PLAN DRAWING, SHOWING GORGE AND OVERNIGHT ROOMS.

The Bonneville Salt Flats Visitor Center is more than a stop-and-go tourist destination. Here, the interaction of a tower and gorge take visitors through varied experiences of the unique landscape. Rooms for overnight stay are embedded within the soil, connected to open-air terraces for enjoying the stars at night or relaxing under shade during the day. The tower is first element seen by approach in a car, and is the main hub at the visitor center. From the upper levels of the tower, guests can see over the horizon of the salt flats to watch car races, a popular sport on the quick, salty ground. The gorge is its own experience, and takes visitors beneath the pristine salt-layer. At the end of the gorge pathway, the ground levels-out and one can begin exploration at the edge of a white desert.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT THE ZIGGURAT

AUGUST 2010 - DEC 2010 [4 months]

circulation through propsed

with nodes of intersection

interior & exterior ti

NODE

INTERIOR SPACE

EXTERIORSPACE

NODE

INTERIOR SPACE

EXTERIORSPACE

EXTERIORSPACE

INTERIOR SPACE

circulation through existing typology

NODE

4545454545455l tsun normal to tsun normal tlsun normal

park for long time span

building recievesbbuilding recievesbbuilding recievb ilding recievebno direct solar gain

stack modules

re-scale site specifically

inefficient sun

sun angled to park for long

ggpark for longpark for longtime span

building recievesdirect solar gaindirect solar gain

sun normal topark for shorttime span

building recievesno direct solar gain

rotate relationship

rotate floor slabs

desired sun

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This project is an architectural critique and continuation of the 2005 competition entry by UNStudio, taking the project through Design Development. The new proposal critically reinterprets the way building meets green space, to create a structure laden with transient spaces of both indoor and outdoor qualities. Exposed roof surfaces become garden terraces for the leisure of visitors and workers in the mediatech. A large, interconnected staircase creates fluid views and movements through the interior of the building. Furthermore, the architecture creates a multiplicity of levels and layers by which one can experience New Orleans in unprecedented ways. The rigorous integration of green space is also a model for new building in the city, as a haven for birds and wildlife that are endemic to New Orleans. Overall site planting and landscape design contributes to improving the ecology of the city.

LONGITUDINAL SECTION

UNSTUDIO PROPOSAL, 2005.

DESCRIPTION:CRITIQUE + CONCEPT DIAGRAM.

MODEL DETAILS.