7 hr N 51°16’20” 6 hr genesis [4] E 30°13’27” 5 hr the synthesis of man, 4.5 hr environment, and technology 4 hr 3 hr 3 hr This thesis project is exploring the synthesis between man, environment, and technology. I am beginning to ask how I can create an architecture that combines psychology of space and place, re- sponse to the condi ons of the natural environment surrounding, and crea on of technological systems that integrate into the expression of the building language—ul mately becoming a singular organism. I chose to explore this problem through extreme environmental condi ons by placing a botanical research facility in the epicenter of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. 2.5 hr Humankind, inevitably and irreversibly, endures a paradoxical rela onship to the surrounding environment: we destroy in order to create, and we create in order to destroy. This site was chosen because it is a direct, though accidental, result of our reliance on technology to manipulate the environment. The botanical research center proposes to remediate the radioac ve landscape to allow 2 hr 2 hr for reinhabita on of the land. The program was chosen to be applicable to any radioac ve site, poten ally any toxic waste or post-industrial site as well, allowing the environment to restore itself, although technology is inevitably used to aid this process. The building is designed to be modular and assembled off site to reduce the impact on the radioac ve soil of the site. All environmental systems are integrated within the closed building environ- ment to avoid exposure to the dangerous condi ons of the surrounding landscape. By default, these life-support systems must then be self-regenera ve to recycle air, water, and nutrients for the inhabitants of the site while research is on-going. UlƟ mately, and ironically, the design manifests itself as our direct reliance on technology, environmental response, and comfortable inhabitaƟ on 1 hr in order to survive in an extreme environment. 15 min 40 sec 2 mSv/yr 20 mSv/yr 100 mSv/yr 350 mSv/life me 10000 mSv/single dose dosage millisieverts typical background current exposure lowest level at criterion for relo- fatal within a few radia on limit for nuclear which any increase ca ng people a er weeks power plant work- in cancer is clearly chernobyl accident ers evident 5 km 7.7 km 16 km 30 km 50 km chernobyl 2 chernobyl belarus border exclusion zone slavutych cold war spy radar main city for which the surrounding context is adjacent country sharing much of the radioac- zone in which people were restricted from en- town constructed for displaced inhabitants of named ve fallout tering a er the explosion except for research chernobyl following the explosion and specially guided tours Ɵ meline site consequences building | program zones building | environmental systems site versus atomic pre explosion explosion remediaƟ on reinhabitaƟ on power resources general sustenance protecƟ on decontaminaƟ on chernobyl 1986 kiev, ukraine -reactor no. 4 explodes -sarcophagus built to last 20 years food hdvb biodieselbiodiesel (from waste)waste) aeroponicsponics 51°16’20”N 30°13’27”E 3 km producucƟ on producucƟ onon nutrientent recyclingling government pripyat a1 bay - administra on | zone of aliena on city built for the workers of the nuclear power plant complex food produc on occurs in biodiesel, a byproduct of nutrients from waste are food is grown aero- popula on (2010) the area where sunlight the algae growth, is used extracted and recycled for ponically (without soil - total | 0 reactor exposure can be maxi- to power the machines re-use in the food growth or water) by specifi c use mized. and pumps within the system. of nutrient satura on. 2006 module system. less energy and resource the site -new safe confi nement proposed requirements as well as a because original sarcophagus is in smaller chance of disease the history danger of collapse result in a much more ef- aqua c fi cient growing system. as humans have been pursuing progress and civiliza on develops, the needs of humans have changed drama cally requiring more land, ex- trac on of materials, and electricity to drive technology. this has inevitably led to the slow forest destruc on of the natural environment. this is 2011 where chernobyl emerges as a signifi cant pres- -construc on begins on nsc ence. the exis ng -chernobyl genesis project pro- living babayy waterr potableble waterwater guƩ err emergencygency posed fi ltraƟ on drainageage decontaminantaminaƟ onon the term nuclear is presented as a double- the nuclear explosion le radioac ve residue -exclusion zone becomes europe’s wetland largest nature reserve because of km edged sword. in one sense, it is used to create through the natural and built environment sur- 1 a2 systemm the ul mate weapon of war and destruc on-- rounding the nuclear power plant complex that ul - the lack of human infl uence nuclear power plant complex the other, a reac on to the speed of progess. mately resulted in the establishment of a 30 kilome- epicenter of explosion biome.b inhabita on, living, and water is recycled through water is gravity-fed water is removed from in case of contamina- ar fi cial landscape.c nuclear power was needed for two reasons, ter exclusion zone where no permanent residence exercise programs are the use of a natural water throughout the system. it the building by use of an on containment failure, one as a clean and much less destruc ve form can exist. the landscape is poisoned, ci es are located in this module. fi ltra on system. is in a closed loop with the external gu er system re- a backup system is set of energy as opposed to fossil fuels and the oth- forcefully abandoned, decaying buildings in dan- water recycling system. ducing chance of damage up as a countermeasure er to provide power for an ever-growing and ger of leaking more radia on into the environment grassland life safety module.a and infi ltra on of hazard- to protect the research demanding popula on. there was, however, endure the elements. a shell integrated with reac- ous elements. inhabitants. an unforseen incident that aff ected the natural tor no. 4 to contain radia on is falling apart exist- environment on a global scale through the ex- ing only as an architecture of isola on. equipment plosion of reactor no. 4. this moment became used for cleanup a er the explosion s ll emanates 2015 infamous as the most destruc ve, man-made large amounts of radia on. special radiotrophic -nsc completed and reactor no. 4 incident on the environment in history. the in- black fungi is growing within the reactor walls. hu- is sealed cident also ins lled within the human psyche man error manifests itself through the ‘red forest’ -construc on begins on the cher- a fear and paranoia of the term ‘nuclear’--a incident: a buried forest nearby is the most radioac- nobyl genesis project common percep on that exists even today, 24 ve place on the planet. years a er the 1986 explosion. wind turbines wellnessess baybay photovoltaicsovoltaics hdvb algaealgae air solar panel recyclingling 2020 array geographical features of the exclusion zone -modules in place wind is primarily northern in direc on. a3 -remedia on begins turbines take advantage of the building’s a daily threshold of medi- a solar farm tracks the algae very effi ciently the geographical zone of ‘chernobyl npp 30 km height to gather wind streams. the solar panel array system is centered cal examina on and com- sun’s movement through- recycles carbon dioxide exclusion zone’ is within the kiev poless’e in the over the living module and is angled munity interac on must out the day to maximize allowing for a completely south part of poless’e province. this region is towards the southern sun. it is equipped be passed through to keep solar energy gain. excess closed air system to exist. characterised by gradual slope from west and with sensors to allow the tracking of the a constant check on the energy is stored in a bat- although the air is safe to north-west to the east and south-east. al tude sun’s movement for more effi cient solar inhabitants’ psychological tery system. breathe, no external air is varies from 182m to 103m/ASL. this territory is power gain. as well as physical health. introduced into the system drained by pripyat, uzh, teterev rivers. exten- 2044 as a safety preca on. sive areas of the ‘chnpp 30 km exclusion zone’ -natural process remedia on are bog land. con nues -modules removed and relo- climate is mild-con nental with mild winter and cated to other radioac ve sites as warm summer. the presence of forests, ponds, needed storage tanks reservoirs, bogs and se lements aff ect the lo- cal clima c condi ons. in winter the air tem- perature ranges from -25 to +5 celsius, aver- age - 6c. depth of frozen soil reaches 80 cm and verƟ calal wind turbines the height of snow cover is 16cm. temperature four liquid storage tanks [potable ranges from 17 to 19 celsius during summer. 2063 circulaaƟ on babayy -reinhabita on of surrounding water, water recycling, decontaminate average length of unfreezing period is approxi- area chemicals, biodiesel] sit on the top of the mately 160 days. annual average precipita on a4 -research site preserved as re- building’s mechanical structure allowing is near 500 cm. maining wildlife reserve medical center a.roof for gravity feeding of the liquids into the all ver cal circula on wind is primarily northern system.