concept & vision

post-hurricane Sandy, teaming up with SCAPE Landscape Architecture, we propose a strategy of ecological resilience through Living Breakwaters to protect against wave damage, flooding and erosion, and to increase water habitat, and a strategy of social resilience through Water Hubs to promote water engagement and activities, and direct monitoring of water conditions and risk

design & architecture

resilient shipping container structures, Water Hubs respond to different site conditions, adapting to topography and urban fabric to provide space for social gathering and lookout points along the coastline. Designed with direct interaction with local communities, different site condition and community need create different types - embedded, floating, cantilevered or elevated

program & use

Water Hubs connect people to the water, encourages water-based activities, provide infrastructure for education and recreation, and create a platform for the community to meet and learn. Each Water Hub offers kayak launch and storage, classrooms for local schools, wet-lab for the New York Harbor School, flexible space for community workshops, gatherings and exhibitions, local restaurant, bird blind and nature observation decks, plus bathrooms and water fountains

impact & significance

the Living Breakwaters' project reduces risk, revives ecologies and connects educators and the broader public to the shoreline. As Staten Island sits at the mouth of the New York Bight and it is vulnerable to wave action and erosion, rather than creating a wall between people and water, our project embraces the water. Through a necklace of Living Breakwaters and a number of Water Hubs, it increases awareness of risk, and steps down that risk, empowering local communities, schools, and families through science, recreation, education, and access