Land and Water: Ecological Education Center at Seattle Waterfront

Abstract

Since the mid-21st century, the urban waterfronts have become a fertile land for mixeduse development. Being the front porch of the city, these waterfronts are often sites of urban spectacles that have sought to reactivate the shorelines, both culturally and economically. But the original nature of these fringe spaces as an ecological system has often been neglected due to human settlements. With today’s concerns about climate change and rise in the sea levels, the waterfront has become one of the most vulnerable sites in the city. This thesis will explore a way of proposing an architecture that will not only support the diverse habitat of Puget Sound but also create a scenario where man can co-exist with nature. The focus will be towards re-establishing of the Elliot Bay shoreline’s ecological process while creating natural waterways that can once again feed the Elliot bay as it used to, a century ago. All with the city’s life existing side by side.