(B)Ranch
University of Houston, 2020.
While the built environment is made by humans, we are not its sole inhabitants. Insect and animal populations are critical to cultivation and success of regional ecosystems. Although many species have been driven out of human settlements through habitat destruction, many have adapted and thrive in the built environment. This project explores the incorporation of non-human clients into architecture to further the field of design through the practice of natural design solutions. The objective is to form greater awareness and appreciation of the ecologies within which we build.
Historically, reptiles have negative cultural connotations. They appear cold, unfriendly, and far removed from the human form. In cultural origin stories of the human race, the snake, specifically, represents evil and is connected to human’s separation with the natural world. Due to these long-standing beliefs, we often remove reptiles from our immediate environment. But reptiles provide beneficial contributions to regional ecosystems; from larger predators regulating local populations and providing natural protection from other predators, to smaller species that find habitat in decomposing conditions and are native to the region and deserve their home.
The Rough Green Snake is a nonvenomous and arboreal species of snakes that has flourished in Houston, TX. As a small snake that is safe for humans, Rough Green Snakes are abused in the captivity market as household pets. By increasing interactions of this docile snake in its natural habitat, my project seeks to create a greater understanding of reptiles as an essential part of the ecosystem and increased appreciation for the species.
Human and nonhuman interaction stems from commonalities between the two. Trees are a beneficial component of both humans and the Rough Green Snake and contribute to wellbeing and a center for resources. Using the tree as an integral life force component leads to architecture directly involving trees in itself. Cyclical domestic design reflects both natural cycles found in every species, and the niche routines made in individual households. Creating a natural commonality will provide both shade a privacy to the human dwelling and a mode of transportation and safe nesting spaces for the snakes.
A circular design and existing natural conditions such as trees questions traditional building methods and fabrication assembly. Circular design around a cylindrical feature begs fabrication to mimic in installment. 3D printing on a circular track observes existing habitats while creating support for an additional habitat. Mimicking the dark, cool, shallow spaces snakes naturally nest in, Binder printing in stone highlights the potential of digital fabrication in modular assembly, as well as provides attractive feature walls for the humans and housing for the snakes.
