Sentinels
Architecture in Duration and Degradation
Socrates Sculpture Park, Queens, New York, USA
Sentinel addresses the challenges of rising sea levels in New York, located at Socrates Sculpture Park, exploring the relationship between land and sea through innovative material studies and architectural design. The project proposes a resilient structure able to adapt to environmental changes at the waterfront’s edge, incorporating materials like mycelium to mitigate flooding impacts. Distinct "characters," including human-oriented spaces and non-human ecosystems are implemented throughout the Sentinels. These features work together to create a dynamic, adaptive environments responding to tidal fluctuations while promoting both human interactions and ecological preservation. The series of Sentinels proposed on site essentially serve as guardians, reinforcing resilience in the face of anthropogenic climate change and showcasing the potential for architecture to adapt to and coexist with extreme changing natural conditions over time.
NYC 100 Year Flood
Socrates’ Guardian
A Land to Sea Sectional Resilience Interpretation Overtime
Our studio began designing in section, situated at Socrates Sculpture Park, New York. With minimal constraints—only to keep our structure within the framework of a cube, cylinder, or a combination of both—we embraced these classic architectural forms to discover new possibilities. Our goal being to redefine these shapes, pushing the boundaries of conventional architecture.
The site's proximity to the East River's shoreline sparked our interest in the land-sea relationship, inspiring us to design a resilient structure. In light of rising sea levels and the increasing threat of severe natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy, we asked ourselves:
How could we develop a structure capable of adapting to such rapidly changing environmental conditions?
Moreover, how could we reimagine architecture not as a threat, but as an ally in combating climate change?
The Sentinels proposal reimagines these classical, yet vulnerable structures to become resilient beacons of sustainability, breathing new life into areas with potential devastations from rising sea levels and natural disasters.
Material Regime
The Process of Molting and Degradation
The material studies explore the interplay between concrete, mycelium, and degradation processes through various interpretations. We employed burning, cooling, and casting techniques to investigate material interactions. Instances of insertion and removal suggest how materials respond to different properties and external stimuli. These studies culminated in several innovative design solutions, able to adapt to the environment's changing landscapes while contributing to the structure's lifecycle, including a molting rain screen and a mycelium foundation.
01. Molting Rain Screen
Mycelium and Biological Concrete Panels
02. Mycelium Foundation
Process of Degradation
Other Details
Molting, Degradation, Hydraulic, and Enclosures
01. Molten Rain Screen
02. Mycelium Foundation
03. Infinity Pool
04. Observatory Terrarium
05. Green Roof and Biological Concrete
06. Observatory Green Wall
Climate Adaptive Infrastructure
Enhancing the Site’s Resiliency Against Sea Level Rise
To create a resilient design model, the structure utilizes a concrete foundation and shell to anchor back to earth. The steel framing is hung from the cantilever portion of the structure because steel is lighter than concrete. A concrete tube, comprised of a separate structural system, sits atop the concrete shell. The design distributes the load down towards the foundation through the shear wall. Mycelium panels meeting the ground will be able to degrade overtime without ruining the structure's integrity due to the steel framing and concrete foundational support. As the building's structure maintains integrity, the mycelium's decomposition process enriches the shoreline soils, initiates a natural cleaning process for both soil and water, and gradually reshapes the landscape. The innovative approach not only enhances the site's resiliency against sea level rise but also demonstrates a symbiotic relationship between architecture and environmental restoration, showcasing how buildings can actively contribute to ecosystem health and climate adaptation.
Guardians of Socrates Sculpture Park
A Shoreline Urban Connection
The Sentinels combine elements of resilience, adaptive reuse, and futuristic thinking to create a comprehensive urban design connection to Socrates Sculpture Park (North) and Rainy Park (South).
Like "The BIG U", the proposal incorporates flood protection measures, creating four interconnected structures, or Sentinels, safeguarding the park and surrounding areas from rising sea levels and extreme weather events. The Watcher, or greeter, to the site welcomes people from Astoria communities while creating an extended shoreline connection with a new proposed central plaza.
These structures are connected by a living tube inspired by "The Highline", double as elevated public spaces, offering new perspectives of the city and fostering community engagement. The design also incorporates elements of "The Stanford Torus", integrating controlled ecosystems within the structures to promote biodiversity and explore new forms of urban nature.
Our multi-layered approach not only protects the shoreline from environmental threats but also transforms the park into a living laboratory for sustainable urban development. The Sentinels become a symbol of resilience, offering social, environmental, and economic benefits while preparing the city for future challenges. By blending flood protection, public space, and innovative ecosystems, the project reimagines urban infrastructure as a dynamic, adaptive system evolving with changing needs of both the environment and surrounding communities.
University of Pennsylvania
Studio: ARCH 602
Professor: Simon Kim
Team Project: Christian Cueva and Prince Langley
Fall 2018