Moving Mounds
ARCH 401
2024
Baytown, TX
The Houston Ship Channel is an industrial corridor endures constant dredging to maintain navigable depths for containerized ships servicing its heavily trafficked ports. Today, the dredged material is deposited along the channel, forming artificial islands that obstruct natural water currents and undermine ecosystem diversity.
Ship Channel Topography
Salinity Development of Man Made Islands
Ship Channel Section
Dredge Calculation
Dredge Transportation
Dredge Dehydration Process
Petrochemical Plants
Residential
Greenland
Potential Sites
Residential + Unit Movement
Program Transition
Baytown Timeline
We reimagine dredge as modular units that transform the region's environmental and social future. With a series of angle tests, the final geometry of our unit generates a smooth landscape in that maximizes the wetland area, fostering ecological regeneration. Some units are designed with voided interiors to trap water, creating microhabitats that support biodiversity and enrich local ecosystems. The aggregations of the units are tailored to function, addressing diverse site conditions, including coastal edges, residential zones, and infrastructural corridors. The units are designed to situate themselves through erosion and sedimentation. In the early stages of deployment, we prioritize human engagement with parks, hiking trails, and canoeing routes. As the landscape matures, the units transition to hybrid programs that accommodate ecological and economic activities: aquaculture, oyster farms, and bird sanctuaries.
Geometry Study
Construction Diagrams_ Water+Land
Unit Movement Over Time
By reclaiming the coast through modular interventions, the design transforms a byproduct of industrial dredging into a catalyst for resilience and ecological restoration. Through fazing, the project redefines the relationship between industry, ecology, and community, providing a model for resilient coastal design in an era of climate uncertainty.
Perspective Renders
1:300 Model