Geomorphic Concrete

Kim, Il Hwan

SMArchS Architectural Design

Advisor: Skylar Tibbits

Readers: Mohamed Ismail & Sheila Kennedy

Given evidence of climate change and the global supply chain crisis, it is no longer viable to continually exploit nature and expect that the global industrial system will remain perpetually dependable. We have to prepare for a world that is not entirely controllable or measurable, which is an inevitable architectural condition of the future. This thesis introduces Geomorphic Concrete, an alternative aesthetic and design approach more closely aligned with nature, with technical advancements in concrete construction. Incorporating natural forces as collaborators in concrete fabrication, Geomorphic Concrete is also less labor-intensive and wasteful.

Geomorphic Concrete is an alternate paradigm of sustainable concrete construction achieved by exploiting variation in material properties responding to elemental forces. Nature shapes geological formations through a diverse array of materials and forces. For example, sedimentary rock’s stratified planes have varied grain, strength, and other characteristics, resulting in unique shapes and patterns through natural processes such as weathering, erosion, and sedimentation. A series of experiments in this thesis demonstrates how to design and construct concrete structures by mimicking the natural geological formation process, instead of relying solely on modernistic geometry-driven design. This methodology utilizes injection-printing technology, inserting reinforcement and suspension materials in liquid concrete to produce cast objects with varying material properties that erode, break, reconfigure, and recover through engagement with natural agents.

The thesis showcases three designs that exemplify Geomorphic Concrete: a high-performance heterogeneous concrete structure with injected reinforcement materials; a concrete structure printed into granular formwork that erodes due to gravity; and a concrete object that evolves over time by dissolving the injected suspension material.

Images opposite and below: Geomorphic Concrete, photo by author and Daisy Zhang

Humanizing Urban Waters: Civilian led Water Corps to Strengthen Decentralized Water Systems in Western India

Pramada Jagtap

SMArchS Architecture & Urbanism

Advisor: Brent Ryan

Readers: Geeta Mehta & Lisbeth Shepherd

Over the past century, we have witnessed global water-based displacement owing to the climate crisis, and displacement caused by large scale water infrastructure such as dams, long-distance pipelines, promenades and river fronts. Urban waters have infamously been presented as disruptors within community and ecology, often perceived as a violent threat or unpredictable “hazard” to urbanism. This thesis uses policy, design, public dialogue and sensory engagement to redefine our experience of water as a ubiquitous fluid, intrinsic to settlement and the very ground on which urbanism dwells.

Pune city in Western India is fertile for this exploration since beneath its dense urban settlement is a ground of flowing waters both surface and subsurface, a culture rich in indigenous techniques, historical waterfronts, stepped wells, aqueducts and water collection tanks. The Peshwa of the Maratha empire dominated a large portion of the Indian subcontinent from 1674 to 1818. During this time, they constructed numerous small scale water systems, such as canals, step wells and temple tanks in Western India, particularly in Pune, Maharashtra. While water infrastructure built in this era has been widely subjected to scrutiny of gender and caste based discrimination, one cannot ignore its close attention to community and geomorphology. India’s changing climate continues to have a significant impact on its water resources, which includes rainwater, groundwater, and surface waters. This thesis proposes the revival and re-adoption of existing resources through a civilian led water corps to design for long term resilience. I use a multi-pronged approach that includes a) grassroots organization creating water stewardship, b) conservation of traditional techniques and structures, using c) multimedia representation of water and the d) adoption of new experiments in nature based technologies.

Beyond its portrayal of urban landscapes, the medium of film has not been drawn upon in architecture as a tool for advocacy and social change.

This thesis adds to the field by using filmmaking as a method of inquiry, tapping into its potential to represent a diverse set of voices. Based on evidence collected through this community sourced videography, the thesis proposes the creation of a water corps, a catalyzing force at the intersection of community and water. The corps will train and employ young adults to develop learning tools, and lead the movement to long term resilience building with communities and ecology in the forefront of urbanism. This creation of a civilian water corps in Pune can accelerate a growing need to implement nature-based-solutions that enable equitable access and supply of water, while reviving traditional water systems. By taking proactive steps now, India can work towards a more sustainable and resilient water future by supporting the socio-ecological design of urban waters.