FORM FOLLOWS CLIMATE 2020 WINNER: Alluvium
4240 has won the 2020 Form Follows Climate international design competition to imagine a public use daycare and community center which explores the dimensions of play — with climate and environment as a central facet in design. Within the project, titled Alluvium, the natural flows and pattern language of the arid, desert environment sculpt a diverse community experience providing relief from the urban landscape surrounding the site. Derived from the idea of a slot canyon, eroding and flowing through a desert landscape, the design and expanded program exemplify the notion of nature and technology made visible and working in harmony. The design inevitably draws the user closer to the systems that ultimately sustain them.
Employing only passive heating and cooling systems, the building’s form allows for a climate specific response that extends beyond the immediate site boundaries to reinvent the urban fabric at a larger scale. The project is conceived around three primary goals:
To create a Living Building that capitalizes on the abundant natural resources, such as sun, wind, geothermal and gravitational energy, to support human and environmental health;
To expand the program to create a 24/7, vibrant community hub;
To create life-long learning based around nature and culture.
See all of the entries here