Natural Dialysis
ARC2014 | Circular Library Complex | Institution
Water is the one of the most used agents to carry and transport substances ever since the beginning of life. Our site, like any other
industrial port, is also shaped by the canal. Due to the reckless pouring of pollutants into the water, the canal condoned the polluting of the site. However, water itself is neutral and innocent, it’s the substance we spontaneously chose to put in that eventually transforms the ecology and gets back to us as an inseparable part of it.
By using the analogy between the kidney and dialysis machines, we’d like to present the drastic difference between the artificial and natural cleaning methods in terms of cost and impact. By placing them at two most significant locations in our building, we want to start a dialogue between the two and expose it to people. ‘One eyewitness is better than ten hearsays.’ We believe only when people experience the contrast on a daily basis will they be able to make more responsible choices towards the surroundings.
Located at the intersection between smith and 9th street along gowanus canal, we envision our project as a water purifying machine that betters the neighborhood while exposing the artificial and natural means of water treatment to raise people’s awareness towards a sustainable approach to the surrounding environment.
Our inspiration comes straight from the industrial character, such as the remarkable bracing structure of bridges and pipes. Not to mention water, which make the transport of goods and matter possible for the site. By using the collage of dialysis machine and the kidney, we want to establish the dialogue between artificial and natural cleaning process.
Embarking from its past, we also imagined our project’s lifecycle as continuing the endeavor of environment improvement followed by two ongoing timelines, which are MGP(manufactured gas plants) and gowanus canal cleaning.
In terms of the canal cleaning process, it involve 3 stages: dredging, solidifying, and capping. Before the canal fully regains it self cleaning ability by growing its ecosystem, we see our building as a dialysis machines that helps the canal to prevent second pollution.
By creating an architectural form that features two voids that expose the daulity of treatment methods(natural and artificial), we strive to raise the awareness of not only the users but also the public on the cost of environment stewardship.
