“atmosphere: interactive nature performance”
Houston, USA
2024.10 - 2024.12
Houston is a seasonal weather area. Usually, there are only two extremes, one is hurricane season with rainstorm, other one is dry or high temperature with sun. The site vividly shows the two-weather phenomenon. Rainy shaped the site, creates clean boundaries between plants and soil naturally represent flooding footprints, and several drainages in the site link to the city infrastructure system, proving past ponding status on the site.
Assisted by statistical analysis in Rhino grasshopper, the site is the one of the lowest part in the whole campus also contributes during the flooding period, as water will pool into this area. And during the most of the rest of the year, it is totally dry state on the site.
The project as the continuous of the site two characteristics architectural interventions that are benefited by the seasonal water-changing characteristic to achieve both helping collect rain during the hurricane season and creating shade though the sunny days. Rectangular slope roof leading the rain water flow into the center yard. I leave the center yard as the more natural and organic condition to keep the wetland system and more space to absorb and bear the rain water. The center yard still consider a potential platform for performance which is deeply fusion and integrate with original wetland landscape and the infrastructural architecture intervention. Under roof area provide some semi-indoor space for people, they could enjoy the rainy scenery under the roof, or sit at the edges on the bridge getting close with nature. And also people could have the shady and cool activity space in the sunny days.