AN ENDLESS AMERICAN ODYSSEY (SPRING EDITION) KELSEY DePOLO
UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE THESIS
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The United States’ labor market is shifting towards temporary gig work, advancing communications technologies are eliminating the need for people to meet in shared physical spaces, and global warming threatens the longevity and livability of cities and towns around the world. In the future, it will be increasingly unnecessary and even ill-advised for humans to attempt to settle permanently in one location, yet the transient populations that currently exist in America are already insufficiently supported by the infrastructural systems in place. This thesis project proposes a tandem system of mobile architectures and moveable plug-in infrastructure that is designed to provide support to a near-future society of an evergrowing number of these transient Americans. By following a caravan of travellers with differing needs and desires on a rather mundane cross-country journey in this hypothesized future, it is revealed that though many of those who will live a nomadic lifestyle are able to do so as a result of social and economic privilege, at least as many will do so out of necessity. For the migrant workers and climate refugees forced into this lifestyle, the proposed mobile architecture and infrastructure would provide a degree of physical and social comfort to its users, but it would likely be unable to provide true respite from the ever-increasing tenuousness of employment and stationary, property-based settlements.
SUMMERTIME THREATS HEAT HAZARDS COASTAL FLOODING WANING ECONOMIES WILDFIRES
MAJOR CITY INTERSTATE NATIONAL PARK
WINTERTIME THREATS DAYS BELOW FREEZING COASTAL FLOODING WANING ECONOMIES
MAJOR CITY INTERSTATE NATIONAL PARK
AVERAGE TRANSIENT CONCENTRATIONS LOWER
HIGHER
MAJOR CITY INTERSTATE NATIONAL PARK
EPISODE 1 TUCUMCARI
CURRENT WHEREABOUTS
MAJOR CITY INTERSTATE NATIONAL PARK
CARAVAN TRAIN #3
GLYDE
& SON
SAMPO STARTER HOME
SAMPO BLANK TRAILER W/ CUSTOM TOP
DIY STORAGE TRAILER
SELF-DRIVING DIY SCRAPPER CAR
STARTER HOME ASSEMBLY PROCEDURE 1.
INCLUDED ACCESSORIES
2. AIRLESS TIRES
ADJUSTABLE HEADLAMPS
3. FOLDOUT BED/SEATING
COLLAPSIBLE TABLE
UNDERSIDE OF CEILING
PULL-DOWN CABINETS
ENTRY DOORS/STORAGE
4.
FLOODLIGHTS
5.
6.
1. TWO QUEEN-SIZED PILLOWS 2. ONE QUEEN-SIZED SHEET SET 3. ONE QUEEN-SIZED COMFORTER 4. HAND SOAP DISPENSER 5. HAND SOAP 6. DISH SOAP 7. TOOTHBRUSHES 8. TOOTHPASTE 9. HAND TOWELS 10. BODY TOWELS 11. DISH TOWELS 12. TWO SETS OF TABLEWARE 13. EATING UTENSILS 14. A HOTPLATE 15. A TOASTER 16. A CUTTING BOARD 17. SPATULAS, TURNERS, BIG SPOONS, ETC. 18. POTS AND PANS AND STRAINERS 19. TUPPERWARE 20. A LAPTOP 21. ALCOHOL 22. A CORKSCREW AND BOTTLE OPENER 23. GLASSWARE 24. SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER 25. PAPER TOWELS 26. SUNSCREEN 27. BUG SPRAY 28. A GARBAGE CAN 29. TOILET PAPER 30. A BUCKET 31. HAIR STYLING PRODUCTS 32. NAIL CLIPPERS 33. CLOTHES HANGERS 34. MULTIPLE OUTFITS OF CLOTHES 35. UMBRELLAS 36. A FLASHLIGHT 37. WINTER OUTERWEAR
INTERFACE POD
TUCUMCARI SAMPO CAMP
GREYWATER TANK
POD B
BLACKWATER TANK
POD A
BLACK WATER
GREY WATER
COLLAPSIBLE TURBINE TOWER
WATER HARVESTER
GENERATOR
TOILETS & SHOWERS
POD C
MICRO-TEXTURED FINS
TUCUMCARI SAMPO CAMP LAYOUT M.O.F. POWDER CHAMBERS
I-40/R-54 NUTRITION COLLECTOR
ASTRA (SWORN ENEMY)
EPISODE 2
OZARKS NATIONAL FOREST
CURRENT WHEREABOUTS
MAJOR CITY INTERSTATE NATIONAL PARK
CARAVAN TRAIN #2
URSUS
SHADO
VOLKSWAGEN TYPE 2 BUS
DOUBLE TANKER CAR
CUSTOM HYDROPONICS CAR MOUNTED ON BLANK TRAILER
OZARKS NATIONAL PARK CAMPSITE
OZARKS NATIONAL PARK CARAVAN ENCAMPMENT
OZARKS NATIONAL PARK NEIGHBORING ENCAMPMENT
EPISODE 3
MIDWESTERN HIGHWAY
CURRENT WHEREABOUTS
MAJOR CITY INTERSTATE NATIONAL PARK
CARAVAN TRAIN #1
SERENA
LLHAD
SAMPO STARTER HOME
CHILDREN’S BEDROOM CAR
NIMBUS
GENERATOR CAR
CHILDREN’S BEDROOM CAR ASSEMBLY PROCEDURE 1.
2.
INCLUDED ACCESSORIES ENTRY DOORS/STORAGE
3. CONNECTOR HALL PANELS
AIRLESS TIRES
UNDERSIDE OF CEILING
PULL-DOWN CABINETS SLIDE WALLS
4.
5.
6.
1. TWO TWIN-SIZED PILLOWS 2. TWO TWIN-SIZED SHEET SETS 3. TWO TWIN-SIZED COMFORTERS 4. MARKERS/COLORED PENCILS 5. CONSTRUCTION PAPER 6. SCISSORS 7. OTHER ART SUPPLIES 8. AT LEAST ONE VIDEO GAME CONSOLE 9. TWO CONTROLLERS FOR EACH CONSOLE 10. VARIOUS PLUSH ANIMALS 11. VARIOUS TOY DINOSAURS 12. MISCELLANEOUS TOY CARS 13. ACTION FIGURES 14. TWO PIGGY BANKS 15. TWO COLLECTIONS OF SCHOOL BOOKS 16. TWO TRAPPER-KEEPERS 17. ONE GRAPHING CALCULATOR 18. TWO SETS OF HEADPHONES 19. VARIOUS CHARGING CABLES 20. TWO LAPTOPS 21. TWO WIRELESS MICE 22. ONE SECRET PET BUTTERFLY (DECEASED) 23. TWO LIGHTNING BUG COLLECTION JARS 24. ONE ROCK COLLECTION 25. TWO SETS OF OLD BIRTHDAY CARDS 26. VARIOUS CHILDREN’S BOOKS 27. TWO PAIRS OF NICE SHOES 28. TWO PAIRS OF OLD TENNIS SHOES 29. TWO PAIRS OF SNOWBOOTS 30. TWO PAIRS OF NEWER TENNIS SHOES 31. A GARBAGE CAN 32. NAIL CLIPPERS 33. CLOTHES HANGERS 34. MULTIPLE OUTFITS OF CLOTHES 35. UMBRELLAS 36. TWO FLASHLIGHTS 37. WINTER OUTERWEAR
SAMPO HOME LINE VEHICLES SECTION
CHILDREN’S BEDROOM CAR
STARTER HOME
I-39N: ABANDONED GAS STATION LOT
VEHICLE ARRAY SAMPO CAMP VEHICLES
SAMPO HOME LINE VEHICLES
MISCELLANEOUS VEHICLES
SAMPO BLANK TRAILER VEHICLES
NUTRITION COLLECTOR