ARCH005 → MARCH Degree Project - Airscape
The project prioritizes creating spaces that shelter, rejuvenate, and treat individuals affected by poor air quality in St. Louis. The program integrates indoor exercise facilities, including a basketball court and swimming pool, designed to encourage physical activity that aids in expelling exhaust air from the lungs. Treatment spaces, such as inhalation rooms and fresh air zones, provide accessible, localized care for com - munity members with respiratory challenges, offering daily or weekly treatment alternatives to hospital visits. Additionally, Vashon High School students’ sheltered classrooms and activity spaces supply environments enriched with fresh, filtered air.
The design employs a multi-layered approach to air fil - tration, functioning both passively and actively based on varying needs. The building’s form directs polluted air sequentially through filtering stages: initially through existing tree canopies, then into an indoor greenhouse layer, and ultimately to an underground mechanical filtration system. A network of chimneys facilitates cross-ventilation and establishes pressure zones to expel waste air efficiently, optimizing indoor air quality throughout the structure.
The project integrates structural, environmental, and envelope strategies to address air quality challenges while promoting community health and well-being.
Structural Strategy
The building’s structural system incorporates a combination of open frameworks and solid cores to support functional flexibility and accommodate specialized spaces like indoor exercise areas, treatment rooms, and greenhouses. The design uses vertical chimneys integrated into the structure to enhance cross-ventilation and direct airflow. Lightweight materials are employed in non-load-bearing elements to optimize adaptability and minimize construction impact.
Environmental Strategy
The environmental approach focuses on multi-layered air filtration and ventilation. Air passes through existing trees as the first filtering layer, into indoor greenhouse spaces for further natural purification, and finally reaches an underground mechanical filtration system. This sequential strategy combines passive and active techniques to address varying air quality demands. Cross-ventilation is facilitated by chimney systems, which create pressure zones to efficiently remove waste air.
Building Rendering
1/8’’ Physical Sectional Model
Envelope Strategy
The building envelope is designed to maximize filtra - tion and air quality control. Controlable façades and adjustable louver systems enable dynamic interaction with outdoor air, regulating its flow based on environmental conditions. Greenhouse glazing provides an additional layer of thermal and air filtration. The envelope balances thermal performance, light penetration, and air circulation to maintain healthy, energy-efficient indoor environments. By combining these strategies, the design ensures the building serves as both a sanctuary and a functional hub for improving air quality and fostering community health.