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This project explores the notion of an infrastructural ecology in which architectural surfaces are transformed into architectural spaces of varied thickness embedding structural, plumbing, lighting and mechanical systems within the building’s functional voids. Biological systems encourage the exploration of architecture in the phygital world to develop strategies and tools for a multi-layered, integrated assembly that ultimately blurs the boundaries between infrastructure and architecture.
Venice has maintained its strong, frozen architectural image over the centuries, yet over-tourism and invasive micro-algae have altered daily life, diluted its culture, and decayed parts of its urban fabric. The fragile ecosystem of Venice becomes an interesting ground for research to explore the relationship between the Lagoon, the city, and its inhabitants.
The facility lies at the intersection between the Lagoon, the citizens, and the city, partially submerged and partially emerged. The design blends with the dynamic transformation of the Lagoon and its tides,
constantly adapting and interacting with its surroundings over the seasons and over time.
The facility proposes an architecture of biological system integration that reimagines how mechanical and structural systems are assimilated into a holistic architectural design approach that steps away from the fragmented composite assembly.
The facility fabric challenges conventional building structures by hybridising the steel exoskeleton structure to enable airflow around the envelope, encouraging energy efficiency, and reducing the need for overly dense cores with ducts and systems.
The proposed heterogeneous ecology utilises additive manufacturing to assemble the building in chunks intelligently, similar to automotive and aerospace assemblies, utilising their functional voids to fuse and integrate energy-generating systems.
The facility infrastructure speculates how mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems are integrated within the building fabric, proposing a new ecology where these systems are interoperable with each other, similar to biological systems.
Architecture in the phygital world lies between physical and digital time, trying to negotiate, medicate, and orchestrate the two-time frames into an infrastructure that changes and adapts over time following material and environmental conditions.