Bachelor of Architecture students Viviani Isnata and Maria Ulloa from the fall 2018 Buoyant Ecologies Maldives studio have been announced as winners of the AIA COTE Top Ten / Innovation 2030 Student Design Competition.
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 recognizes ten exceptional studio projects that demonstrate designs moving towards carbon-neutral operation through creative and innovative integration of design strategies such as daylighting, passive heating and cooling, materials, water, energy generation, and sustainable systems. The program 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.
Jurors included David Dowell (El Dorado Inc.), Bradford Grant (Howard University), Matthew Noblett (Behnisch Architekten/Partners), and Mary Demro (Montana State University).
The Buoyant Ecologies Maldives advanced Integrated Building Design studio, led by CCA faculty 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. This award marks the sixth CCA student project from the Buoyant Ecologies studio sequence to be recognized by the AIA/ACSA COTE Top Ten.
The selected project, Shore of a Hundred Islands by Viviani Isnata and Maria Ulloa, proposes a self-sustaining, buoyant community that blurs the line between land and water. The floating buildings provide habitats for both humans and non-human species such as marine invertebrates and plants. The buildings integrate a modular system of floating wetlands that treats wastewater and benefits the surrounding ecosystem. From the jury citation: "Shore of a Hundred Islands presents an imaginative approach towards the growing issue of rising sea levels. It demonstrates a compelling intersection of traditional form and modern function while also giving careful consideration to aquatic ecology. Within strict programmatic and environmental constraints, the design provides solutions to cultivating both community and privacy.