3. TABLE OF CONTENTS
1/Shifting Horizons [Thesis project]
2/Truth and Reconciliation Archive [Comprehensive studio]
3/Upcycled and Thickened [Vertical studio]
4/A Manitoban Arcadia [ ENDS studio]
4. 1/ SHIFTING HORIZONS
CHARGING AND GROUNDING
THE KUWAITI DMZ
The Kuwaiti territory was once a
nomadic landscape, where people
were able to migrate freely. The
enforcement of territorial borders
on the nomadic Kuwaiti landscape
has propagated a number of socio-
political and ecological tensions
between urban Kuwait and it’s Iraqi
neighbor. The permanency of divides
disrupted the fluid lifestyle of existing
Bedouins through social classification
and hostilities which increased as
issues of ownership and identity arose.
Urban Kuwait was left vulnerable to
globalization and previous nomadic
culture was left abandoned.
The DMZ is the first official
demarcation of the existing border
between Iraq and Kuwait. This
thesis utilizes the naturally occurring
phenomenon in the unoccupied DMZ
as a resource for generating local
temporal events that respond to the
tensions created by the delineation
of the border. These events aim to
create occurrences reminiscent of
the nomadic Kuwaiti culture. In
addition, markers of infrastructure
along the border aim to highlight
these recurring events and offset the
eternal nature of the border. Through
cultivation, remediation, construction
and harnessing elements of the land
these temporal events are made into
infrastructural spectacles, allowing
people to inhabit and experience the
ephemeral qualities of the landscape.
MASTERS OF ARCHITECTURE
THESIS PROJECT
YEAR THREE
Creating a physical place of the abstract line
150,000 mg/l salinity
7,500 mg/l salinity
3,000 mg/l salinity
Saudi Arabia
Iraq
Gulf
Iran
Urban Kuwait
5 km 10 km 30 km 50 km
Example of site study along the border
5. Kuwait
Iraq
trench
electrical fence
trench
Iraq Kuwait
Salt flats
Infrastructural
conduit
Truffle fields
A landform that is controlled by natural temporal
events, including truffle growth and lightening events,
that is related to a larger system beyond the control of
any political, social, or governmental entity.
Truffle growth
Salt flat salinity change
I.S Market
Iraq
Kuwait
100 m 300 m50 m 500 m
Launvh tower
Salt Walk
Site plan of the three local constructs
6. The Launch Room [triggering]
Site plan of the Launch Room
Isometrics of launch room during day/night
The launch room combines
the mechanical launch room
required for triggering the rockets
and an observation room for
the Kuwaiti people to visit. The
movement through out the space
provides controlled view points
out onto the landscape during the
lightening months in Kuwait.
As you enter the building you are
taken underground through the
mechanical launch room and into
a low lying viewing area. At this
point you are only allowed a view
out to the sky and lightening.
All of the furniture is embedded
within the concrete wall. As
you move up to the elevated
platform above, you are allowed
a more expansive view out to
the landscape in relation to the
lightening
7. A A’
B
B’
Entrance
Launch roomObservation room
Ground level plan of launch tower
Second level plan of launch tower
Long section of the launch room
Section A-A’ of launch tower
Section B-B’ of launch tower
8. The Salt Walk [Remediating]
Site plan of Salt Flat
Cross section of retaining wall Isometric of Salt Flat
The Salt Walk is a
promenade within the
landscape and through
the retaining wall
that provides views
and different types of
exposures out to the salt
flats and the surrounding
environment.
The promenade begins
with a descent down to
the salt flats from the
top of the landform.
The visitor would then
move along set of stairs
within the retaining wall.
Along specific points the
landings of the stairs
thicken and openings
within the retaining wall
provide a glimpse outside.
With each opening of the
retaining wall, as you are
descending, the amount
of concrete that has to be
cut away thickens. This
provides a register to the
viewer of the massive
infrastructural unit they
are in.
Finally as the viewer
reaches the bottom
landing they are taken to
the vast landscape of the
salt flats.
All the openings within
the retaining wall are
lined with reflective
limestone in order to
increase the reflectivity of
the light.
10. Section-Isometrics of I.S Market
The I.S market combines the
instrument stations required to
measure environmental signals during
the lightening season with a market
during the spring time for the farmers
to sell their truffles to the public.
The market is designed to create
a relationship between the visitor
and the ground and then with the
landscape beyond. The visitor is taken
underground into a market. The
ground along that point is titled up
so that the horizon line is shortened
and the viewer is allowed an intimate
view of the truffle fields. From that
point the viewer can ascend up
where they are taken to a 6m above
ground market that. The viewer is
elevated high enough to see far into
the landscape and across the border
into Iraq.
Again the market bar is lined with
limestone in order to be in contrast to
the environment it is within.
The Instrument Station Market [Growing]
Site plan of I.S Market
12. 2/ TRUTH AND
RECONCILIATION
ARCHIVE
ENGRIDDED
The BC Truth and Reconciliation
Commission Archive is comprised
of an underground dimensional
grid of storage that is accessed by
an intertwining ramp system. The
archives are accessed from the ramps
at specific junctions, as though they
are a series of ‘floating’ islands. The
archival contents of each island are
organized into successional zones of
Personal, Communal, Institutional,
and Reconciliation. Each zone
has its own identity, through its
method of storage grid, light, and
materiality. At the point where
two zones meet, break spaces are
inserted into the program, rotated
30 degrees, distinguishing themselves
from the overlying emphasis of the
grid. Break spaces are introduced
as a moment for pause; a break
from the heavy subject matter that
the archive contains. At the break
spaces, light wells are inserted to
further demarcate themselves from
the archival space, and to allow
natural light to penetrate deep within
the building.
MASTERS OF ARCHITECTURE
COMPREHENSIVE DESIGN STUDIO
PARTNER/ LINDSAY DUTHIE
YEAR TWO Exploded isometric
15. Long section
Unfolded section through ramp system
Short section Schematic section: Illustrating integrated fan assisted stack effect for
ventilation and light well for natural daylighting
20. 3/ UPCYCLED AND
THICKENED
AN URBAN-SCAPE OF HYPER
PROGRAMMED BANDS
In response to the projected condo
development along the False Creek
waterfront and the ‘park’ space
required by the city, the project acts
on a scenario that breaks up and
groups the condos on alternate bands
along the site separated by ‘pause’
spaces. The condos are than pushed
up and supported by columns to
free up the ground space for public
use. As a result a new urban-scape is
created by alternating bands of hyper
programmed spaces encompassing the
notion of ‘live/work/play’, situated
under the condo strips, and wild ‘pause’
spaces. The band stretches from the
intended condo developed site out
towards the Georgia viaduct with the
intention of connecting the band to
the surrounding area. The band is
divided into three types: live, work, and
play. Each segment is characterized
by the function of each concept in
order to create a hyper-programmed
public space. As the band moves along
the site, it starts to thicken, widen,
narrow, or even hollow in order to
provide spaces that are able to be
occupied. Connecting landscaped
nodes then break up each of the bands
at designated spots not only to create
a connection to the adjacent strips,
of ‘live, work, and play’ but also to
connect to the surrounding ‘pause’
spaces.
MASTERS OF ARCHITECTURE
VERTICAL STUDIO
YEAR TWO
+
City’s idea of park Concord’s idea of built environment
New urban-scape
1/ Rearrange building footprint of required condos into smaller dense bands
Result: Increased available
ground space
2/ Greater potentials with the newly available ground space
Result: Bring in water from
False Creek into the city
3/ All condos will be pushed up and supported on columns to free up the
ground space
Private
Public
4/ Alternating bands of hyper function (live, work, play) under the codos
and ‘pause’ wild spaces in between
Hyper function
(live, work, play)
Pause Hyper function
(live, work, play)
21. Potential chinatown connection
Andy Livingstone park
EXPO
Blvd
Main entrance
Pacific Blvd
Forest Field Field WetlandForest
False Creek
Play
Work
Live
Modes
Landform
Built structure Landform and built structure
Site plan
22. Site plan Live Work Play
Deck
Connecting
node
Recreational
water
Commercial
Water seating
Personal
nook
Personal
showers
Housing
Main entrance
Entrance from park
Andy Livingstone Park
EXPO Blvd
23. Site cross section
Pause Hyper Pause PauseHyper Pause Hyper
WetlandDeciduous
forest
FieldEvergreen
forest
Live Work Play
Cross section
Live
Work
Play
24.
25. 4/ A MANITOBAN
ARCADIA
NEITHER URBAN OR RURAL
La Tourette is a monastery designed
by architect Le Corbusier. It was
built out of sight of the surrounding
towns, however one could look
out from La Tourette and see
the surrounding countryside. It
was built to encompass monk’s
ideals of seclusion, isolation, and
contemplation. Arcadia in its design
seeks to imitate the notion of
isolation, as a sanctuary in the midst
of the Manitoban prairies. Patrons
can come to the site to rejuvenate,
revitalize, and relax .
Arcadia is meant to encompass a
contrast between the natural versus
the programmed with respect to the
islands, vegetation, and activities.
The islands, imitating the natural
shape of the water flowing over the
land, take on a natural appearance.
The natural elements are contrasted
with programmed elements, such as
functional islands. There is a large
island dedicated to gardening and
sports, where patrons of the facility
can enjoy a game of soccer or
harvest vegetables and fruits. A small,
secluded island is dedicated strictly
to meditation and yoga, and one can
travel to this island to be in isolation;
much like the original theory of
La Tourette. This island becomes
uninhabitable during the higher flood
conditions, adding to the feeling of
seclusion and isolation.
BACHELOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL D.
VERTICAL STUDIO/ YEAR TWO
COLLABORATION/ TAYLOR BISHOP
KAILA JOHNSON Detailed plan overlooking the programmed and wild islands
Site plan within vast open fields
26. .5 m flood 1 m flood 1.5 m flood 2 m flood
Flood conditions
Experimental india ink and salt testing
