A Material Forest Spring 2024 (in progress) Partnered Project This project is an urban design proposal for the Meadowlands in Secaucus, NJ with a focus on amphibiosity. We approached our analysis by considering humans, plants, and water as intertwining elements. How could we redefine the relationship between humans and plants? How could we reform the perceived uselessness of the Meadowlands by working with plants? How could we adopt housing into the lifecycle of these plants and this ecosystem? Using a “periodic table” approach, we documented the past, present, and potential futures of flora, water types, soil types, volumetric water content, people, building typologies, and materials on site. By analyzing projected sea level rise and charting where plant types were, we came up with a proposal of construction and deconstruction. In our chosen site (following page, left), we would begin planting a forest of flood-resilient trees. Eventually, we hope to relocate the inhabitants on the western half of our site into climate-resilient housing built into the marshes on the east, first using trees from the forest and then using the deconstructed homes, turning the site into a material forest both raw and repurposed. At the same time, as buildings are deconstructed and hollowed out, we propose planting new trees and reeds that can continue this cycle.
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