Beginning with the study of Aldo Rossi and his view of the city as an ever-evolving architecture, the project began as a vessel for formalism in service of an unknown future. In particular, the historical precedent of Arles as presented by Rossi was particularly instructive as a guide in the unforeseen transformative use of the formal; what was once a venue for chariot races and gladiators soon reconfigures itself as a city contained within the walls of the amphitheatre.
A study of the vernacular architecture of the region also uncovered an interesting social construction, that of the collective roof or shelter. Communities would cooperate in the shared construction of a simple roof form, often circular or oval in shape, and individual families would erect walls or divisions within the interior to demarcate private space.
The collective roof of the vernacular tradition is reimagined in the contemporary present as a tensile roof structure with a PTFE fabric membrane. Providing shelter from the regular occurrences of daily torrential rain while allowing for the penetration of ultraviolet rays necessary for photosynthesis, the encompassing structure is both massive and economical in its scope.
The project proposes a botanical garden for research and cultivation of native plant species in the Amazon. Unparalleled in its biological diversity, the Amazon contains a wealth of flora that could conceivably contain the keys to manufacturing and producing more effective remedies for human illness. There remains much to be studied; the potential undiscovered medicinal uses of botanical extracts provides an opportunity to develop an industry intrinsically tied to the land.
As time passes, the lessons learned from the example of Arles begin to take root. Space dedicated to the cultivation of native plant species is replaced by commercial and residential structures of necessity. Yet, the figure remains and the collective roof continues to provide shelter from the elements and signals the remains of a ruin in reverse.
Instructor: Roger Sherman
