Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-2016

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Architecture

Major

Architecture

Major Professor

Tracy Moir-McClean

Committee Members

James Rose, Jason Young

Abstract

Iceland’s Heimaey Island’s population is approximately 4400 people (Vestmannaeyjar). The island’s main industries are fishing and tourism, which depend on the harbor on the island’s northeast side (Iceland: Westman Islands). Keeping the harbor accessible is essential to these industries. Because the harbor was almost lost during the 1973 volcanic eruption, proactive measures must be taken to protect the harbor from future eruptions.

For the purpose of this thesis, an architecture has been designed that creates a mutualistic relationship between humanity, architecture, lichens, and lava flows that is experienced over three scales of time by humanity. The concepts of instantaneous time, generational time, and geological time are reflected within the investigation. Instantaneous time is experienced in three ways. The first is visual, providing an immediate, improved view of the island for visitors. The second is through observation of the metabolic processes of lichens living on the architectural and landform surfaces. At every moment, lichens change color, activity, incrementally improving air quality, filtering excess particulates, removing carbon dioxide and adding oxygen to the atmosphere. The third is the moment of eruption, which transforms architecture, landscape and human experience in a single instant.

Generational time is human in scale - experienced through repeated experiences and memories of architecture and landform over the course of a human lifetime. Generational time is reflected in two ways. The first is in the slow growth of lichens on the lava rock and architecture. Lichens only propagate a fraction of an inch each per year, so seeing growth will take many years (Hale 79). The second is in the weathering and wear of the soft lava rock used to construct architecture, landform and pavements.

Geological time exceeds generational time. The next eruption of Eldfell will occur within the next 500 years (20-25 generations). The architecture and landform are designed to endure in place, passing between generations perhaps maintained or perhaps as ruins, and then implode when breached, thereby slowing and diverting lava flows to protect most importantly the harbor and secondarily, the town.

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