ON A DUNE
Name: Carolina Bongiorno
Track: Architecture
Studio: Form Studies
Year: MSc2 / 2024
Type: Design Project
Tutor: Geert Coumans
Description:
The sea research shelter is located on a dune of the Verdronken Zwarte Polder. Shaped by waves and wind, and vulnerable to the same forces, this dune acts as a natural barrier between man and the sea.The shelter is a system of fragmented rooms, each interacting with parts of the landscape and providing respite from the vastness of the environment. It is a sculpture in the landscape, gradually revealing itself as one approaches.The separation of the rooms forces physical disconnection. The landscape is the distribution system, with the dune wall naturally dividing exposed and sheltered areas. There are no predetermined routes, people create paths and move according to nature’s cycle, leaving footprints that modify the shape of the landscape.Each room is a long-term installation intended to evolve and change. The materials for the exterior, concrete, and polyester fabric membrane, reflect the decaying yet permanent nature of the experiment. In this way, the shelter becomes a measuring device for studying the interaction between humans and nature.