GREEN NEW DEAL SUPERSTUDIO Can Parkitecture Heal?
Firefly Village: Bio-inspired architecture for healing Liza DeAngelis, Lee Williams
Harvard Graduate School of Design
Can parkitecture heal people?
Tactility
Play
Fantasy
Hands-on learning
Non-prescriptive play spaces for all ages
Buildings with wings
Movement
Synchrony
Nature
Accessible trails and transformable design
Attunement with park rhythms
Biophilic views and fresh air
Transformable design
Proposed buildings expand to meet park visitation needs in the summer and contract to minimize footprint in the off season. Walls and shading devices move mechanistically in response to human touch, leading to lower operating costs and healing benefits from increased movement.
Access (ABA trail) People of all ability levels may enjoy the healing power of nature and movement
RETREAT N
Ascribed therapy framework
Architectural touchpoints
Education
ENGAGEMENT
Curation and programming encourages environmental stewardship and actively integrates cultural histories
DISCOVERY
Play and fantasy
Play environments
e.g. IFS model, dance, play and theater therapies
e.g. arakawa and gins: reversible destiny lofts, noguchi: UN playground
PLAY Sensation
Tactility and materiality
e.g. sensitization, EMDR, yoga, TRE
e.g. zumthor: bruder haus, parent: life on the oblique
0’
100’
200’
Employment Design features inspire new practices and create jobs for people of all backgrounds and ability levels
Connection
Memorials, narrative design
e.g. attunement, synchrony, storytelling, reconditioning somatic responses
e.g. wodiczko: homeless vehicle project, EJI, MASS, national memorial for peace + justice
Can parkitecture heal the land?
EXISTING BUILDINGS
GATLINBURG Approx. 2 mi.
Public transit Bike trails, bus, and shuttle routes replace parking to lower emissions and support local businesses
Adaptive reuse All existing site buildings, and many of the existing paths, both formal and informal have been adapted
REVITALIZED TRAILHEADS
N
PROPOSED BUILDINGS
Rewilding Natural dispersion methods will be used, except for plantings in the sound buffer which are needed immediately to protect our site from highway noise
SOUND BUFFER
REDUCED LAWN DROP OFF LIMITED CONCRETE REMOVAL 0’
100’
200’
REWILDED AREAS
LIMITED VISITOR PARKING ABA PATH
Minimal disturbance
New paths are porous, and land use change, a major contributor to carbon emissions, is minimized by prioritizing reuse and minimizing concrete extraction SHUTTLE PARKING
GREEN NEW DEAL SUPERSTUDIO Can Parkitecture Heal?
Firefly Village: Bio-inspired architecture for healing Liza DeAngelis, Lee Williams
Harvard Graduate School of Design Snow
Storm
Humidity
Heat
Rain
Clear
Around 9 inches of snow falls annually in the region, with an average of no more than one inch accumulating at any given time
Between November and May, winds are moderate, with an average wind speed of 4.7mph
The site is typically muggy (70%) and hot during busy season (May through September) and dry for the rest of the year
Between April and September the average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter is above 5.9kWh
Gatlinburg recieves 54 inches of rain annually, which is 16 inches more than the national average (2-6 inches per month)
Clear skies are slightly more common than cloudy skies in the region
J
F
M
Programming for park phenomena
A
M
J
J
A
S
Bloom festival
Wildflower pilgrimage
Synchronous fireflies
Music of the mountains
Wings are expanded for the park’s busy season
Event featuring guided walks and exhibits
Fireflies light up the sky in synchrony during mating season
Sharing rich musical traditions of southern Appalachia
EXIT TO COURTYARD
O
N
D
Leaf peeping
Hibernation ceremony
Holiday festivals
Leaves stay at peak color for 5-7 days, typically in October
Wings are stowed for the winter months
Dollywood + Pigeon Forge host annual celebrations
SKYLIGHT + RAINWATER COLLECTION CHANNEL
“ANTENNAE” SUPPORTS WING PIVOT POST
STORAGE
BENCHES SWING OUT
SEATING FOLDS DOWN
EXPANDED WINGS
WINTER ORIENTATION
SUMMER ORIENTATION BREAK ROOM PARK WEBCAM PROJECTIONS BIOLUMINESCENT EXHIBIT
RAINWATER COLLECTION
DEBRIS FILTER SOLAR PANELS (ALIGN TO SUNPATH)
LOBBY RAINWATER STORAGE MAIN ENTRANCE
SLOPE
Compact plan
Expanded plan
Culture and heritage
Carbon-neutral mechanistic operation
Historically disenfranchised people, histories and cultures are engaged through interactive programming, exhibitions and employment opportunities
Walls fold and swing to expand orientation spaces in response to park visitation needs, minimizing each structure’s footprint and operating costs
Energy system roof
Spaces adapt to meet seasonal needs
MANUALLY OPERABLE “WINGS”
CHEROKEE MEDICINAL HERB GARDEN
GREEN NEW DEAL SUPERSTUDIO Can Parkitecture Heal?
Firefly Village: Bio-inspired architecture for healing Liza DeAngelis, Lee Williams
Harvard Graduate School of Design Locally sourced stone
Reclaimed logs
Fiberglass wings
Reclaimed wormy Chestnut
Source: WNC Smoky Mountain Land Management, LLC, native stones and installation in Marshall, NC
Source: Reclaimed Designworks, national supplier with shou sugi ban specialists in Nashville, TN
Source: Resolite, Custom Fiberglass manufacturer in Moscow, TN
Source: Barnwood Bricks, reclaimed lumber distributer in God’s Country, TN
Educational workshops
Community hub + exploratorium
Low-cost construction
Trained park employees offer workshops in backcountry skills and promote environmental stewardship
The Firefly Village lights up with activity as visitors, community members and staff interact with eachother, the Fireflies and the environment.
Locally grown or manufactured materials and reduced building systems (typically 15% of total construction costs) lower carbon and financial costs
Far-reaching impact
Responsible construction and labor practices
VISITOR CENTERS
30% of the US population is within an 8-hour drive of the GSMNP 60% of the population is within a day’s travel
PARK WEBCAMS US-441
EASTERN TENNESSEE
TRAILS
GATLINBURG
RIVERS SITE
N
CADES COVE CLINGMAN’S DOME
0
500
NORTH CAROLINA
8 hour driving radius
2,000
OCONALUFTEE
miles
EASTERN CHEROKEE RESERVATION
Accessible and inclusive programming
Park boundary and adjacent communities Most visited National Park in the country 12,547,000+ visitors in 2019
0
5
10 miles
Thank you to the park affiliates, local and national experts who helped with this project!
N
BIKE PATH TO TOWN
Design and value
PARK HQ STAGE OCULUS PAVILION SKY AND EARTH PAVILION
Chuck Hoberman Artist, Engineer, Inventor, Architect Lecturer at Harvard GSD
Sarah Willams Goldhagen Author and Architecture Critic
Linda Bilmes Lecturer, faculty at Harvard Kennedy School
Mike Aday Librarian/ Archivist
Adam McNeil PhD Candidate, Former GSMNP research fellow
Stephanie Sutton Supervisory Park Ranger, Division of Education
GSM Park affiliates ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
EXPLORATORIAM DROP-OFF
CLASSROOMS
GEAR CHECK
STORE + DINING
Cassius Cash Superintendent, Founder of Hikes for Healing
Community expertise NONPRESCRIPTIVE PLAY
HISTORIC EXHIBITION
Mike Weber Mayor of Gatlinburg, TN
Gil Jackson Educator, Member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee