This project is research complex located on a barrier island on the east coast of Florida.
This complex straddles the width of a barrier island between the ocean and a lagoon. This project is a scientific facility to study the stars but it also becomes an intervention that measures changes in the site itself. It is an intervention that brings us closer to the sky and also brings us closer to changes that occur at the ground and horizon.
This site in Florida is a temporal location. It is a barrier island that fluctuates in width depending on the water levels. On a daily basis, the ocean tides raise and lower five feet between low and high tide, while the lagoon remains still and calm. On an annual basis, this coast is vulnerable to hurricanes, storm surges, and flooding. In which case, the ocean and lagoon become united.
Program
Laboratory
The laboratory is located at the edge of the lagoon. The intervention is lifted above the water to be protected from flooding. Overlooking the calm waters of the lagoon, Scientists focus on the analysis of the data gathered from the observatory in this space.
Observatory
The observatory is positioned in the center of the barrier. It is a grounded intervention that expands views upwards towards the heavens. Connecting the occupant to the stars for the collection of data. The control room integrated into the walls of the observatory.
Chapel
The chapel is a space of silence and for inward reflection. The chapel is anchored into the ocean to descend the occupant into a dynamic body of water. It is place of protected calm with in a volatile and continuously changing condition. In this space, the floor is rooted into the ground, while the enclosure is tethered to the floor structure. The ocean waves produce rhythmic sounds as it hits against the enclosure
Datum
A datum of walkways and walls brings all the main program components together. The concrete wall connects the chapel and laboratory at the path. This concrete wall supports a walkway that connects the laboratory and cabin (at the end of the wall) directly with the observatory. The path shifts and gets embedded in the sand and creates an underwater entry into the chapel.
Concept Parti
Plan Parti
Plan Diagram
Site Axonometric
On a daily basis, the tides affect the chapel. It is accessible during low and high tide because the entry into the chapel is protected by the datum wall. The water level will change in-between the floor and the enclosure without affecting the floor of the chapel. During a storm surge, the chapel becomes completely submerged and inaccessible. The observatory is anchored into the ground, and creates an enclosure to protect the equipment and space. The laboratory and cabin are both lifted off the ground to avoid the flood waters
From the Ocean
This project attempts to highlight the occupant’s relationship to the ephemeral untouchable sky and the dynamic physical ground. the observatory is primarily occupied at night and measures the stars. While the laboratory and the chapel interact with the conditions of water and together they measure the contrasts that occur in ground surfaces.
