Master of Architecture students Madeline Cunningham and Taylor Metcalf from the fall 2016 Buoyant Ecologies studio have been announced as winners of the AIA COTE Top Ten for Students awards.
The American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment (AIA COTE), in partnership with Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), selected the recipients of the national awards. The competition challenged students to submit projects that use a thoroughly integrated approach to architecture, natural systems, and technology to provide architectural solutions that protect and enhance the environment.
The Buoyant Ecologies advanced Integrated Building Design studio, led by CCA faculty Adam Marcus, Margaret Ikeda, and Evan Jones, is part of an ongoing research partnership between CCA, Autodesk's Pier 9 Workshop, Kreysler & Associates, and the Benthic Lab at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. The research is focused on developing innovative material approaches to resilient waterfront structures in the San Francisco Bay.
The selected project, SubOrdinate by Madeline Cunningham and Taylor Metcalf, proposes a new ecological research and education center for Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in the Port of Oakland. From the jury citation: "This innovative project pushes thinking in resilient design by taking a new approach to sea level rise: not by fighting it, but working with it. The attitude is animal-centric and non-confrontational and shows how architecture can adapt to an environment rather than control it. The students also consider the longevity of the project by showing a 100-year progression. The exploration of improving the relationship between nature and built environment is a complicated topic that is resolved impressively."