Degree Type
Honors Capstone Project
Date of Submission
Spring 5-1-2012
Capstone Advisor
Jean-Francois Bedard
Honors Reader
Sinead MacNamara
Capstone Major
Architecture
Capstone College
Architecture
Audio/Visual Component
no
Capstone Prize Winner
no
Won Capstone Funding
yes
Honors Categories
Creative
Subject Categories
Architectural History and Criticism | Architecture
Abstract
From the Far East to the Western world, architecture has historically strived toward permanence and monumentality. Recent “sustainable” design practice is likewise concerned with preservation, seeking to maintain quality of life for future generations by conserving both built and natural environments. However, in an age of rapid technological advancement, designed objects and buildings are quickly rendered obsolete, and in effect, our culture has become disposable. Buildings are designed to be replaced or updated according to technological progress, and that which is no longer useful or relevant is simply discarded. An ephemeral architecture has the ability to mediate between aspired permanence and inevitable change, sustaining cultural meaning despite a short existence. Framing a moment in time through construction processes and lingering fragments, a building designed to disappear can foster a potent communal memory. The fleeting experience created by a temporal architecture can serve a didactic purpose within its community. The tectonics of the building will be telling of its mutable nature not only as urban furniure, but also as a dynamic marker of place and time, showcasing the potential sustainable value in impermanence. An amenity for the 2013 America’s Cup sailing regatta in San Francisco will test the sustainable potential of an ephemeral architecture. The building will not only enhance the experience during the race, but also frame a historical moment for the city. Located on a waterfront site, the building will embrace the unique climate of the bay, as well as contribute to a collective coastal identity at the scales of site, neighborhood and city.
Recommended Citation
Armada, Jacqueline, "Sustainable Ephemeral: Temporary Spaces with Lasting Impact" (2012). Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All. 111.
https://surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone/111
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
