The Architecture of Water

THE ARCHITEC TURE of water Zh a oh a n g Z h a n g and Tay l o r H u sto n

Pa rt I : M e a n d e r i n g me a n d e r (v.) (of a river or road) follow a winding course.

Me a n d e r i n g co l l ec t s and o rganizes the explo rato r y f indings of the ear ly stages of ex p e r i m entat i on , a n d thus s um m arize s the les s o ns le arned and elements which we re p u s h e d fo r wa rd to be co m e a pro ject.

to p o grap hy (n.)

Connecting layers of earth and understanding pathways which weave a place together.

The changes to a landscapes topography drastically changes the ecosystem and creates a new kind of micro-climate. All changes should be purposeful. 挀漀

猀愀

渀琀椀

s ketch (n.)

A drawing made by one person, to be understood and interpreted by another.

The beginning of a project... chosen from another person’s hand... to become something entirely new....

ex p l od e (v.)

To separate an object, decisively, in order to better understand each part as a new whole.

in se r t i on (v.)

1. The act of placing an object into another, to create a new artifact from the two.

2. Connecting two dissimilar objects.

Pa rt I I : T h e I nte r m e diate Stage inte r m e d i ate (adj.)

Being, situated, or acting between two points, stages, things, persons, etc.: T h e I nte r m e d i ate Stage explo res a new understanding o f how a project relates not o n l y to i t s contex t , b ut als o the its ow n nature.

ex p e r i e n c e (n . ) To e n cou nter or u n d ergo and event o r oc c u ren c e.

T h e re i s a n u n d e rsta n d in g th at wh at take s p lac e insi d e t h i s p roj e c t sh o u ld b e fe lt as a se r ie s o f ex p e r i e n c e s a n d d i scove r ie s.

A d i s cover y i s ta k i n g place. As the term s and d efi n i t i o n s l e a r n ed d uring the M e ande ring Phas e a re a p p l i ed , a p a r t i c ular nature aro s e : Wate r.

Pa r t I I I : T h e A rc h i te c t u re o f Wate r The A rc h i te c t u re of Wate r m ake s us e o f t h e d i s cover i e s from the M e ande rin g an d I nte r m e d i ate P has es , in o rder to c re ate a n exp er i ential s pace de di cated to wate r a n d t h e i nte ractio n that take s p l a c e b et wee n i t , o urs e lves , and arc h ite c t u re.

T h is i s es p ec i a l l y i m p ortant in an are a su c h a s P h oe n i x, A r i zon a, w here rain is limited a n d t h e c i t y i s s p raw ling .

O f even m ore i m p o r ta n ce is the know ledge that w he n it do e s rain , t h e effec t s of water range f ro m a m ild inco nvenie nce to almo st cata sto p h i c p ro b le m s o f drainage and f lo o ding .

A s a res u l t , o u r c i t i es and ho m es are built o f pipe s and tun nels, d esig n ed to q u i c k l y a nd eff iciently re - dire ct wate r into a more d esira b l e l ocat i o n , u n s e en and unheard.

“ T h e key to u n d ersta nding th e arc h itec tu re o f water is to understand the water o f a rc h i te c t u re: t h e phys ical laws w hich govern its be hav ior, the ways in which it en ga ges t h e s en s es , h ow its pre s ence re lates to hum an life.�

-Char les Moore

T h es e t h ree a s p ec t s o f water have beco m e no t o nly an integral part of this project, a n d a rc h i tec t u re a s a w ho le , but pre m eate into alm o st ever y aspect of life. There is a c e r ta i n u n i q u en e s s to unde rstanding the qualities o f water... ...even m ore s o i f o n e intends to harnes s the s e qualities to create an exper ience.

W h at h a p p e n s i f we c re ate a building ....

...w i t h t h e i ntent i on of f lo o ding it?

W h at h a p p e n s i f we c re ate a building ....

... w h i c h fu n c t i on s a s a m achine fo r capturing wate r in a responsible, sensor y manner?

A liv i ng t hi n g w h i c h change s w ith the s e as o ns ... always o ffer i n g a n ew expe rience...

Two ma in p at h s o f water r u n t hro ug h the building .

O ne beg ins at th e roof and runs down the stairs...

...t h e seco n d r u n s fro m a n at u ral po o l, thro ug h a hall, blo cking entr y to the room beyond.

B o th paths the n e m pty o ut into the main entr y of the house.

This cycle continues on in perpetuity. The changing of the seasons, the changing of the water, the changing of the building. 300 years from now, the ruins of the building will constitute this evidence. With a large alteration to the terrain, the entire space becomes a place to collect water. Perhaps it is a pond...

Maybe it simply becomes a dried out hollow in the earth’s surface, waiting for the rains to come and give life.

Whether or not this ruin continues to hold water, the evidence of what once was will remain.

And so the cycle continues...