AMPHIBIOUS ARCHITECTURE

This project consisted on developing desing proposals for Natalie Jeremijenko’s OOZ project. Like a traditional zoo, Ooz is a series of sites where animals and humans interact. Unlike the traditional zoo, this is a place where the animals remain by choice: a zoo without cages. What’s more, the human-animal interactions at an OOZ site are significantly different from that of a Zoo, comprised of two components: 1) an architecture of reciprocity, i.e. any action the person can direct at the animal, they can direct at the person; and 2) an information architecture of collective observation and interpretation.

An existing abandoned pier on the Hudson River in New York became the site not only because of the possibility to reactivate the area, but also because a natural ecosystem already existed, allowing a perfect condition for the proposed animal/human interactions. The new structure would include the following interfaces:

• Submerged (semi submerged) fish restaurants: places for feeding the fish, not eating them. Specifically: one-way valves through which people can push a food offering (lure).
• Water pressure exhibits: flexible and moveable wall parts that are filled by the water pressure and dynamic flow of the river. Of various volumes, people can push against these to test their strength against the river.
• fish petting: not only long rubber gloves, but water tunnels cutting through the human space that can provide short cuts for the fish.
• Above water displays: flow direction display; bird architecture (safe nesting areas)
• Submerged tendrils
• Transparent information walls: showing different water levels; water quality; water temperature
• Surface interactions: eyelevel site to interact with robotic water striders and other surface creatures

The proposals were presented by Natalie Jeremijenko at Materials & Applications in Silverlake on July 29th 2004 as part of the IDCA Satellite Symposium Los Angeles.

“IDCA:54 ‘ambient: interface’ brings into focus the design complexities of connection, contact and interaction. ambient: interface explores how computation changes design’s imagination of these complexities and their translation into the making of the material world. We propose for consideration an image of the world as an interface, and of all design as interface design.” (Text by M&A)