Truk Lagoon

North of New Guinea is a sheltered body of water in the central Pacific that consists of 11 large islands and 46 smaller ones. Ironically, these islands were given to the Japanese after its seizure from the Germans and mandate from the League of Nations post-World War I. These islands served as a forward anchorage for the Japanese Imperial fleet during World War II. It was heavily developed, described as the equivalent of America's Pearl Harbor.

Truk Lagoon was attacked on February 17, 1944 by Allied forces. The assault (Operation Hailstorm) spanned three days, resulting in the sinking of 60 ships and 275 aircraft. These found their place at the bottom of the sea where for many decades they sat in a gloomy abyss. Alien to their environment, they served as a catalyst for marine life in the area. Today they are a protected reef considered to be a diver's paradise after being popularized by Jacques Cousteau's 1971 television documentary where he brought the coral-encrusted wrecks to light. This new synthetic ecosystem now houses over 266 unique species (2007 Earthwatch study).

[Image courtesy of http://aquaviews.net]

House Demolition

The primary concern with the House as Thesis was the fallacy to distinguish a unique focus. The House dealt with wide-ranging sustainable/ecological tactics, but for no greater good than composing a responsible space around the notion of thermal delight. Unfortunately, this is not the intended focus or the sole target of my ambiguous thesis. The House was supposed to raise questions on synthetic versus natural systems and spaces. It was intended to explore the relationship of these opposites and propose a new integrated approach or hybridization in which the building did not only incorporate green spaces, but that the green spaces were responsible for the well-being and functionality of the synthetic living quarters in which we have all grown accustomed. Why much of this failed to reach this pinnacle lies in the fallacy to determine or at the very least speculate a method of such integration. Is it through built green space or mechanical systems? Is this through site integration? Or is it through bio-technologies?



Site was also an issue. The landscape chosen for its conception was the sandy shores of Holland, MI. This coastal area played an insignificant role in the beach house development. The design was intended for universal applications as a more internally focused project, but this made it too narrow. It should have been more contextually reliant, especially since the coastal location was such an original fascination. Additionally, water should have played a larger role in the project as this is a personal fascination and the role of which I wish to explore deeper during my thesis. But, alas, with the House demolished I am free to start again...

River Plant Aquarium

The River Plant Aquarium by Mathieu Lehanneur is an ecosystem study as it relates to basic human needs. Lehanneur, a French designer with an ecological agenda, examines the concept of the aquarium as a source of food and lifestyle influence beyond eye-candy. He utilizes the aquarium as a fish hatchery and introduces simple agriculture through small vegetable gardens.


The refrigerated aquarium houses the fish which produce waste into the water column. This waste is extracted as a nutrient source by the plants which in turn purify the tank water encouraging fish development and growth. This cyclic method does not work without the addition of food for the fish or natural sunlight for the plants, but is essentially a minor maintenance living artificial environment. The small footprint and multiple intent of the River Plant Aquarium enriches the urban experience for those who lack private outdoor space.

[photo from duendepressrelations and inhabitat]

House as Thesis

Examining the present state of the world and the role we as humans have assumed, the House as Thesis acknowledges the bare necessities of what defines a living quarters for a family, but moves beyond this role to conceptualize a new, dynamic structure in which to not only encapsulate and shelter life, but enrich it.


[Bio-core of the housing construct]

A current issue with the majority of single-family homes erected throughout North America, as well as much of the world, has to do with its relationship to the surrounding environment. Instead of utilizing natural energy sources (progressive blue measures) -- wind, hydrological, geo-thermal, or solar -- these homes sit as exposed monolithic entities, parasitically feeding on the planet and fouling the world around them. House as Thesis explores relations of the natural and the synthetic world. It raises questions on the overbearing demand of mechanical systems and seeks to provide alternative solutions, if not entirely, at least in assistance to those we have grown accustomed.