Apr 16, 2021
A proposal submitted by Assistant Professor Juan José Castellón in collaboration with his research assistants Beixi Zhu (M.Arch. '22) and Estefania Barajas (M.Arch. '22) and the support of Ricardo Pittella, principal of Arup Houston, has been selected as one of eight proposals to be built on the theme of refuge as part of the Global Studios Exhibition of the next Seoul Biennale (SBAU 2021), September 16 to October 31, 2021, at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul, Korea.
The jury selected the proposal for the "coherence and relevance of the conceptual approach to the notion of refuge as the main theme of the Global Studios Exhibition."
The proposed 4x4x4m modular solution (rendering pictured above), lends itself to operate as a prototypical flexible module that is able to be deployed onto any pre-existing urban rooftop. The modular system is comprised of post-tensioned hollow ceramic pieces acting as structural columns and water collectors, a wooden framework and soil boxes conforming the floor system and showcasing the implementation of our urban farming concept, and a water collector membrane system—a light-weight tensile membrane structure— that captures rainwater through its expansive surface and carries it through the hollow ceramic columns, from which it is diverted to pipes inside the wooden floor and soil boxes for irrigation purposes.