Dialogue of Civilizations

Comprehensive Design Studio

Work:

Individual

Tools:

Revit, Cad, Grasshopper, Rhino

My Dialogue with Civilization focuses on water exploration. The project is a think-tank that addresses the global demand for clean water, both literally and figuratively. Through this project, we aim to explore the global need for clean water and propose innovativesolutions to meet this demand.

Site & Program:

The Centre is a 1800 m2 facility in Calgary's downtown area that integrates education, research, administration, and think-tank functions. Its architecture prioritizes innovation, diverseuses and users, and stimulating design. Achieving an ethos conducive to the Dialogue ofCivilizations in this urban setting demands resourcefulness and sensitivity.

“Civilisation did not come with fire. This came with the discovery of how touse fire to heat water”

Concept:

The building's front side represents a perception of normality, while the black side depicts realityas it truly is - uncertain and raw. The steps and floors inside create a dynamic form, encouragingconversation about the nature of community, as design is a form of communication andinformation. Our cities are rich in navigable information and communication interfaces, with acomplex matrix of territorial distinctions. The building doubles as a large billboard, featuring awaterfall space.

Ideas explored in this design:

The act of crossing thresholds from one territory to another can alter the conversation, and thisconcept also applies to civilizations. Buildings serve as a form of communication, whereparticipants engage in ongoing spatial communication. Once inside, the communication followsa set of premises derived from the building's form, where organization is instituted throughphysical distancing, barring, and circulatory channeling. While the physical mechanics canoperate independently of nuanced perception and comprehension, organizing withoutarticulation severely limits the complexity of social communication.