Conceptual Residential Design
December 2018 | Critic: Christianna Bennett
While envisioned as a conceptual residential design with a laboratory component, Oculina tells a broader story of interspecies coexistence. The project consists of a house atop a limestone site, with an adjacent partially submerged laboratory space connected to the main structure via an underground tunnel. This space was created to host a variety of coral species, with the adjoining house serving the needs of resident marine biologists studying the specimens onsite.
Originally conceived as the union of a lotus and its shell, the resulting design takes the form of an unfurled mollusk, paying homage to the marine inhabitant. Cohabitation is a key facet of Oculina, explored through the creation of species-specific zones throughout the site. The presence of pathways leading down to the coral and low-lying tide pools contributes to the two symbiotically-planned mutually occupiable spaces.
