Facing the precarity of current and future climate crisis, my project intends to research on the way of collaborative survival, which non-humans are indispensable participants for sustainable urban development. This proposition is taken following atelier's position to decentre humans in design considerations.
Inspired from my Timescape hand scroll of an acrylic painting of the Stockport timeline, a personal brief of an eco-themed art gallery and artists’ living and working space is proposed. The design aims to inspire the public through eco-themed art works to increase recognition of nature preservation under urban settings. The artists’ working space includes workshops for people to create eco art works themselves. Apart from humans, urban foxes are the main non-human users on site with the design intention of their unique living space, while there is a potential to create mediation space between people and foxes.
To respond to the brief, an ecological corridor is created with extruding pavilions towards the riverside green belt. In between the pavilions sloped landscape is designed to connect the green belt and green roof above the corridor. Together this forms a continuous dwelling space for foxes. The pavilions with workshop display and seatings act as mediation space for unexpected meetings between people and foxes. The indoor gallery on the upper floor overlooks towards the river. The artists’ houses are designed along the streetscape combining with the existing building. In between the houses and gallery, artists’ outdoor workspace and outdoor gallery form part of the site design.
The project is largely constructed with timber, with a combination of glulam frame, CLT structural walls and timber claddings. Technologically the project reduces site and energy impact through fabrication and environmental design, while increasing climate resilience. Overall, the scheme achieves collaborative survival through architecture (spatially) and artistic context (socially).
