THE ARCHITECTURE OF SUBMERSION
“In order to mitigate the impact of the global sea level rise on artificial and natural infrastructure, the project recognizes the shoreline as a moving battlefront that creates inland and seaward theatres of operation.”
Maria Bessarabova, 2020.
SYNOPSIS
Architecture of Submersion proposes setting up of a brief for the spatial organization of the Gulf of Mexico and its coastal areas.
Within the timeframe of the next 80 years the slow violence of climate change is expected to reshape the borders of US and Mexico and with it, current socio-economic relations of the whole region. In order to mitigate the impact of the global sea level rise on artificial and natural infrastructure, the project recognizes the shoreline as a moving battlefront that creates inland and seaward theatres of operation.
Redevelopment strategy deployed on the barrier Island of Galveston offers a methodology of feasible and time-framed response to the inevitable crisis of environmental pollution. By incorporating the spectrum of Building material Toxicity into the Geographic Information System the work establishes an algorithmic process informing the general public and the local governmental institutions on the requirements for safe and efficient city deconstruction.
Dictated by the principles of Toxicity awareness, current approach towards coastal administration temporarily abolishes the concept of state division. It creates a unified sovereign front with authority over national environment policy and economic affairs, allowing for the Zone of Submersion identified in the brief to become a platform advocating for spatial responsibility.
MARIA BESSARABOVA
Born in Moscow, Maria Bessarabova graduated with commendation from AA School of Architecture in 2020. Her work focuses on the concept of geo-political responsibility and questions existing practice of territorial management. Maria’s design approach responds to existing crises through architectural interventions while advocating for levels of institutional adjustments on projects of small and large scale. She has previously worked for MosProject-4, CRAB Studio and WilkinsonEyre.