Rachis

Wave Hill Academy & Visitor Center • 2015

Advised by Professor Ezio Blasetti

Rachis refers to a spinal condition from which a secondary system stems. This can be referenced in botany, such as grass that bears stalks at short intervals. In anatomy, the rachis is seen in the spines and ribcages of many animals, as well as in the structure of feathers. This project interprets and assesses the rachis as a formal architectural element.

  • The project scheme was generated through material studies of zip-ties anchored in foam. By threading several along a singular tie, a spine is formed. By manipulating the anchoring point and length of each secondary tie, the main spine is distorted and supported. The repetition of the subsidiary elements along anchoring arcs creates enclosure through the accumulation of the curvilinear members.

 

  • The project is located in the Bronx at Wave Hill: an expansive park, botanical garden, and nature center. As the name suggests, the 28-acre estate occupies an extremely undulating and steep plot of geography, positioned on the slopes overlooking the Hudson River. Because of the extreme topographical conditions of the site, the environmental constraints were analyzed as a means to generate the intervening architecture from the particular specifications. By considering not only the contour profiles of the landscape but also the grade of slope and location of existing agricultural elements, the implemented structure coexists harmoniously with the surrounding natural environment.

 

  • Rachis was designed by applying the formal typology identified through experimentation with spinal zip-tie models at an architectural scale. With anchoring curves based on site analysis of topographical and environmental conditions, the construction was created to be a structurally self-supporting system comprised of a main spinal cross and a secondary set of load-bearing branching members. This enclosure acts as a trellis structure, from which vines and other flora can climb and grow upon. Nested within these penetrable partitions, two glass buildings contain classrooms, lecture halls, research labs, and display facilities. As an academy and visitor center for the siting park, the rachis-derived external skin functions to surround inhabitants with the botany they are studying, while the underlying skin creates a conditioned interior space that operates as a protective but visually-permeable shelter to harbor visitors and researchers through their exploration. 

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