Synopsis
It is the year 2118. Changing ocean conditions have been the result of global warming, causing floating icebergs to swarm the Atlantic Ocean. Iceland, a sea-locked nation, once dependent on shipping, must now rely on domestic resources. With its market economy, where production and distribution are based on the interplay of supply and demand, the value of goods within Iceland rises.
Straddling between industry and tourist destination, the Working Landscape is located beside the Blue Lagoon and Svartsengi Geothermal Plant. The growth of the Quarry and the Farms are dictated by market demands. By chemically reacting minerals in basalt with dissolved CO2, the Limestone Farms 'grow' limestone on basalt surfaces. Pragmatically basalt is cut geometrically to create larger surface areas for higher yield and more unique limestone. Within two years, the limestone is 'harvested', and ultimately sold 'freshly' to the highest bidder in the AuctionHall, listed as the only limestone in Iceland.
Etched into the earth, the Working Landscape is an archaeological record of our economy; a physical chronicle of the constantly fluctuating prices. It is an otherworldly artefact, in the age of the Anthropocene.
Role
Designer, Researcher
Credits
Mentor // Jennifer Chen
Mentor // Maren Klasing
Mentor // Maren Klasing
Zero-waste quarrying
I consider this project as one of my earliest bodies of architectural work, but it was from this project that I developed a speculative mind that gave me the confidence to experiment and explore the field of design and architecture.
