Sable Island National Park: Design with a Dynamic Ecosystem

• Main Author: Griffin-Allwood, Matthew
• Language: en
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: Innovation in building details and connections; Green building methods; Adaptive structures; Dynamic ecosystem; National Park Infrastructure
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10222/49085

To design with a changing ecosystem requires examining and understanding site dynamics, extracting guidelines for making architectural decisions and defi ning processes that allow for change. Sable Island National Park is an ideal case study to test this method because its simple and dynamic ecosystem defi nes clear guidelines and requirements for adaptation. The proposed National Park infrastructure remodels human interaction with Sable Island by replacing and remediating existing settlements. Designed to be sensitive to and participate in the island’s natural processes, the new architecture protects the delicate ecosystem and facilitates low impact visitation. The systems, spaces and experiences serve to deepen understanding of human interdependence with the environment. === The thesis is a architectural case study for designing with dynamic ecosystems. To test a methodology for designing in dynamic ecosystems, a National Park infrastructure is designed for Sable Island, Canada. The exercise requires learning from the dynamic ecosystem, extracting guidelines for making design choices and developing designs with the capacity to adapt to their surroundings.