Archology
2750 AD
If we follow the worst projections of climate change and sea level rise, we fall into this pattern or idea of reverting and inverting. What would the world look like if we adapted to those changes, instead of combatting our own doing? How can infrastructure play a role in how we navigate a potential dystopia, and create a new narrative of "utopia?"
Coming from quiet neighborhoods, being a light sleeper, and also just a general quiet person when left alone, loud sounds are all I seem to notice. The site had spoken to me loudly, and I definitely made sure to listen. In the beginning, I started noticing the sound in Marble Hill. We started and met at the very busy intersection of W 225th and Broadway. Throughout the whole experience, I realized that the more industrial we got, the louder it became. This may seem obvious, but I realized that the correspondence of the entire theory was based off materiality.
From my sound observation, I decided to look into how sound moves throughout the site. I wanted to know the math behind it, and how different materiality can affect sound. I had already known about a forest being able to dampen sound, and also how concrete and rock can reflect it, however I wasn’t too sure on how water affects sound, in being that our site has an abundance of that.
Being that sound travels well over water, I was intrigued about the shape of it on our site. Why is it so weirdly shaped? Why is there so much differing topography? It was then when I discovered that the water had not always been this way, and it had been man made. In 1895, our site was redesigned because trading ships were unable to make tight corners and turns in the original canal. In this case the water acted as a corridor, comparatively the random and irregular shape of the canal was the barrier. The commissioners plan became true, by the end of the 1880s and the they displaced an enormous amount of water, separating what is now Marble Hill, away from Inwood.
I was challenged with the task of either fighting the water, or living with the water. I had just taken a short trip to Amsterdam, not for research, but research did happen. It was interesting that in New York, we continually fight the water, whereas Amsterdam has opened up its arms to the water. Although, both sit and coexist with water. we have projects like #FundtheBigU by Bjarke Ingles Group, and we super levees in production resulting from Hurricane Sandy. I think this way of thinking isn’t helping us anymore, and there needs to be a change in our infrastructure and systems thinking.
Whether or not you believe humans are the cause for climate change in our lifetime, you cannot deny that our climate is changing, and that our global average temperatures have been rising. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, (Late 1700’s/Early 1800’s), the average global temperature is predicted to increase by 4ºC. By every 1ºC, our sea levels rise by 2.3 meters or 7.6 feet. Scientists say that once our global temperature reaches 12ºC, half of the inhabitable spaces on Earth will become uninhabitable if we continue doing whatever we’re doing, and the sea levels rise accordingly to the temperature increase. In fast forwarding to a time like this, the water will have risen by 91 feet, by year 2750.
We live with the water, and not fight against it. Climate change is an unfortunate event that’s happening for us and if we’re not prepared for it, I believe we’re going to fail ourselves. We continually try to fight our efforts against it, and we live in a world where we will never win against capitalistic government and private endeavors.
Process
With this being my last project, I really wanted to test myself. I pushed myself to learn new software, like Grasshopper, and also pushed myself to make an entirely casted model out of concrete and epoxy. Not only did I gain these new skills, but I definitely had a fun time in the process of everything.
ABOUT
Michael Toomey, also known as Mika Tumi by his friends, is a 24 year old Filipino-American living in New York City. Coming to America at 3 years old from Manila, Philippines, Michael grew up in Livingston, New Jersey and graduated Livingston High School in 2014. Michael is a recent architecture graduate from Parsons School of Design in Manhattan and also working freelance as a graphic designer and a photographer.
