An environmental response in the design of a public aquaculture center at the Charlestown Navy Yard

Abstract

To design with the environment can mean many different things- from analyzing energy efficiency, to building with recycled materials, to researching a material's embodied energy. This thesis is not a technical paper, nor does it attempt to find novel ways to save energy. Rather, it first tries to understand a building through it's sensitivity to climate, to the wind and sun, therefore dealing with solar gain, daylighting and natural ventilation. Second, it tries to design with sensitivity to the contextual surroundings, incorporating observations of the site and surrounding buildings, melding these observations with the design. Third, it tries to make a human-oriented environment, providing a public place in the city, contributing to the contextual landscape. The building is an aquaculture research center in the Charlestown Navy Yard. Three main programmatic components define the building: a production-oriented fish farm which uses the dry dock for growing fish and also stocks the dry dock to provide public recreational fishing; a research facility to study and experiment with the growth of new species; and a public exhibition space where people can observe the production of fish, an experience enhanced through the building form.6