Fluid boundaries: Architectural tool kits for water-lands

Abstract

This article is a commentary on natural border conditions between land and water, on how they and communities associated with them are affected by behavioural changes of the weather and how groups of architecture students responded to the challenge of conceiving ways to minimise, alleviate and even harness the effects of deluges.

The historic dependence on water of human civilisation is making us vulnerable to the impact of the intensification and rise in frequency of climatic or other natural events. Lack of planning, regulation, strategies are in some cases responsible for an increase in the severity of damage caused by adjacency to water. The groups of students engaged in the project analysed different site conditions across the globe, investigating extreme cases reported in the media or of personal interest. Their proposals are based on material, social, cultural research into the affected communities and demonstrate the future architects’ awareness and their responsible, professional engagement with contemporary issues.

As a pedagogical exercise, the project demonstrated the students’ ability to construct effective groups in a short time to propose solutions ranging from long term visions to pragmatic immediate solutions.