Connecting Greenland: Cultural Sensitive Urban Development in the Arctic

CONNECTING GREENLAND Cultural Sensitive Urban Development in the Arctic

Blake John Solberg Senior Thesis Project

CONNECTING GREENLAND Cultural Sensitive Urban Development in the Arctic

Created in 2016 by Blake John Solberg 1400 29th St SE Buffalo, MN 55313 email: blakesolberg@gmail.com http://bsolberg.wix.com/blakesolberg Text and Illustration by Blake John Solberg This book was designed by Blake John Solberg at Drury University.

Blake John Solberg has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electric or mechanical, indulging photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

A digital record for this document is located on https://issuu.com/blakesolberg or can be obtained by contacting the author, Blake John Solberg.

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CONNECTING GREENLAND Cultural Sensitive Urban Development in the Arctic

Blake John Solberg Senior Thesis Project

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CONNECTING GREENLAND

Figure 2: Greenlandic Port

PREFACE

T R A N S F O R M AT I O N

The Arctic is undergoing an unprecedented transformation. The changing climate is causing drastic alteration to the culture, geography, and development of the Global North. As a result of globalization and an increasing demand for commodities around the world, the Arctic’s untouched land could offers the potential for extraction of oil and mineral needed to fill the fuel void.

This potential for resource extraction is resulting in the development of urban areas within the Arctic. Consequently, as these cities are developed the cultural traditions and demographic are change as an increase in workers and tourist start to inhabit the land. New inhabitants bring new cultures and traditions, that differ from the existing, potentially resulting in conflict.

So the questions becomes, how can architecture transform a city that has such a strong cultural presence, into a diverse and multicultural environment, while still persevering the tradition and heritage of the land?

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CONNECTING GREENLAND

THE INUK PORT

THE INUK PORT

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CONNECTING GREENLAND

RESTORING NUUK’S CONNECTION WITH GREENLAND As one approaches Greenland’s capital city of Nuuk, they are greeted with a new shining port, one that glows as if it is a lighthouse. This port was built to bring together the ever changing demography of Greenland. A place where the locals, the visitors, and the workers could all join together and celebrate the life in Greenland.

The Inuk port, named after the Greendlandic word for people is a bustling place with fisherman and visitors coming and going all day long. With locals and visitors cleaning their fish, to a high paced market with fish fresh from the sea.

THE INUK PORT

The Inuk port offers a new connection with the sea that has never been seen.

It brings the people out into the water and puts program on and below the water. With the changing climate and Greenland’s government facing issues of completely altering the face landscape of Greenland, the locals need a place to reflect and observe the changes. The Inuk port offers spaces for interaction, reflection, celebration, observation, collaboration, and connection. The end goal of the Inuk port is to allow for the change within Greenland, but does it in a way that is sensitive to what is there. A place where one can look to the right and see the growing city, and then to the left and see the changing envrioment.

Figure 4: Approaching Inuk

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Typical Port The typical shape of a port in itself allows for interaction between people, but there are areas that do not allow for this to happen.

Singular Circulation Path Changing the path so that it has one circulation path will allow for more open interaction. This shape, however, leaves the port unprotected from powerful waves.

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Water access While the circle is great, it has one flaw. No entry. To address this the circulation paths moves up and down.

When one enters they are greeted visually with the Mother of the Sea statue that is located on the beach.

Addition of Program Additional covered program is necessary for the port. This program will rise out of the path of the port, mimicking the varying terrain within Greenland.

Catch anything today Bernice?

Figure 5: Conceptual Process, Steps 1-6

THE INUK PORT

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Connection to Land and Creation of Path To allow for continuous circulation the form became a circle that starts out thin near the shore and grows as it reaches out to the sea. This change it width allows for more program to occur further out.

Connection to Land and Creation of Path To allow for continuous circulation the form became a circle that starts out thin near the shore and grows as it reaches out to the sea. This change it width allows for more program to occur further out.

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Cultural Impression Pulling from the context of Greenland, the entrances to the interior spaces jet out of the hillside. This is done to tie back to the houses jetting out of the hillsides.

Glazing A mixture of channel glass, curtain walls, and thick plexi glass help give the building’s facade a continuous look that allows for the building to glow.

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Figure 6: Underwater Observation Area

THE INUK PORT

Figure 7: Reflection Space

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Figure 8: Site Plan

THE INUK PORT

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Upper Level Located on the upper level; outdoor observation and seating areas, upper level entrance to auditorium, large indoor observation space, and bridge room connecting each side of the port.

Second Level Located on the second level, outdoor gathering and seating area, educational space, auditorium, classrooms, seating area for market, and additional gathering and out door observation.

Main Level Located on the main level; the kayaking rental space, the small boat loading and unloading, access to the docks, underwater observation area, fish cleaning, reflection space, entry offices, market, boat storage, and public storage.

Figure 9: Floor Plans

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CONNECTING GREENLAND

Figure 10: Detailed Construction Building Section

THE INUK PORT

Roof top Spaces The ultimate goal is to create a path for the citizens to use to gather, talk, sell, and enjoy the nature around them.

Keeping open space and a continuous path helps allow for this.

Glazing A mixture of channel glass, curtain walls, and thick plexi glass help give the building’s facade a continuous look that allows for the building to glow.

Structure A simple structure helps ensure the views out are not obstructed by a complex structural system.

Wood Floor Slabs To pull in richness and warmth from the surroundings, all floors that do not contact the outside or the ocean bottom are glulam structures.

Concrete Floor Slabs Concrete slab floors help give a rawness to the lowest levels that are directly above the port base.

Ground Impact To ensure as little impact on the ground as possible, the pathway starts small as it pulls out of the beach and the gets wider to allow for more program.

Figure 11: Exploded Building Components

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Figure 12: Building section showing fish cleaning and observation

THE INUK PORT

Figure 13: Building section showing reflection, education, and boat area

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Figure 14: Building section showing market, observation, and unloading

THE INUK PORT

Interaction

Reflection

Celebration

Observation

Collaboration

Connection

Figure 15: Words and experiences that drove the design

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THE INUK PORT

Figure 16: A day at the Inuk Port

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Figure 17: The beginning of the building section

THE INUK PORT

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THE INUK PORT

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CONNECTING GREENLAND

THE INUK PORT

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CONNECTING GREENLAND

THE INUK PORT

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CONNECTING GREENLAND

THE INUK PORT

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THE INUK PORT

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CONNECTING GREENLAND

THE INUK PORT

Figure 17: The conclusion of the building section

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CONNE GREELA BLAKE J SOLBER

ECTING AND JOHN RG

“I always enjoy being in the company of someone who looks at things differently in order to reflect on whether what I see is actually real or not, or whether I can see something new.”

OL AF UR E L I ASS ON , POSSIBLE GREEN LAN D

2016