Designed and built by Kyle Graham and Sam Naylor
The Aquascape project was a Tulane School of Architecture option studio led by Ammar Eloueini focusing on the implementation of combinatory design logics within a complex program of a aquatic center with an attached hotel and spa.
The form is designed as two unique systems, a precast concrete snaking form and an expansive green roof partially enshrouding it, wrapped together to create a dynamic space that is fitting for a luxury destination in the growing Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans. The final shape is drawn from the development of iterative models that focused on developing a space that fit the program comfortably, appealed aesthetically from the nearby bridge, and balanced the scale difference between the residential and infastructural buildings that flanked the site.
The concrete forms are oriented to capture views of the surrounding context such as the nearby Claiborne Street Bridge and the New Orleans skyline. Openings are punched within these forms through the overlay of an organizing grid that “tattoos” the form with windows and skylights in areas that follow the underlying logic of the rest of the building.
The green roof is entirely occupiable, giving the building an uncommon feature in New Orleans, elevated public space. Finally, green space is allowed to filter into the interior of the building, complementing the continuous concrete surfaces with natural elements.
Photos by Sam Naylor and Kyle Graham
https://www.behance.net/Kgraham
https://www.behance.net/snaylor