WILDERNESS WITHIN THE DOMESTICATED

SITE ANALYSIS REGENTS CANAL, LONDON, UK FIRST YEAR | 2020-2021

Brief: What is wild? What is domesticated? How can one separate the domesticated and the wild in an urban context such as London?

The studies of Regents Canal and Kings Cross Coal Drop’s Yard highlight a contrast between wild organic growth and restricted growth in London’s urban fabric, Despite COVID-19 restrictions, the sites were explored through Google Street View, resulting in a diverse set of site studies, including a photographic survey.

The bio reading on the far right showcases the complex root system of Camley Street Park, a natural habitat depicted in green, contrasting with the restricted root networks of potted urban trees in Coal Drops yard, depicted in white.

The final composites merge digital illustration and satellite imagery to convey the relationship between undomesticated and domesticated flora in London.

We ultimately question and reflect on how we should and are living alongside nature: be left untouched, or be domesticated

REVITALIZING HISTORIC HERITAGE COA VALLEY, PORTUGAL PROJECT LEAD | 2021-2022

The Coa Valley in Portugal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has experienced some of the highest rural abandonment rates in Europe. In an effort to address this issue, the project proposes to apply mutualism to an existing rural settlement in the region to create a sustainable solution to the distressed relationship between the aging population and the degraded land. Proposed architecture becomes one with the local ecosystem’s Wood Wide Web [subterranean root system].

Working alongside professionals and, most importantly, the local community, I proposed the creation of a controlled micro-climate within the town using a plant and tree nursery as a living membrane, while also establishing water harvesting and tree-growing infrastructure on the surrounding land.

By asking the question:

“How and why should we appropriate what has been abandoned, specifically land which has been disregarded and forgotten?”,

I proposal revives the ruins of a walled-in community and return life to the settlement and its surroundings.

Architecture built on the principle of mutualism can become a nurturer and teacher for its inhabitants, enabling them to sustainably live amongst each other and grow the land. In turn, the land provides physical and mental health, a sense of belonging, purpose, and community.

Looking both to the past and far into the future, I aim to learn from building with what we have by adopting a cyclical reconstruction program that prioritizes sustainability and community engagement.

Three-dimensional scans were stitched together using photogrammetric processing and modeling software. Raw video footage was used as the data-input, in contrast to conventional photographs - since directing people to develop tens of thousands of coordinated photographs on-site from abroad posed too much of an obstacle.

Ritual Lands

Uncovering Timeless Cultural Connections

TEYUNA, THE ARHUACO CULTURE SECOND YEAR | 2021-2022

The project delves into the concept of “ritual lands” and how they hold the key to understanding the value of abandoned sites. By exploring how human knowledge and culture are deeply embedded in the land, we can begin to understand the importance of preserving these sites.

The focus of this research is on the Arhuaco people, an indigenous group from the Serra Nevada region of Colombia. Through diagrams and visualizations, we illustrate the timeless cultural connections between the Arhuaco and their land, as well as the impact of foreign cultures over time.

Through this exploration, we aim to shed light on the significance of abandoned sites and the importance of preserving cultural heritage for future generations.