PROJECT BRIEF AND AGENDA

My project has been focused on designing a conservation centre for a threatened landscape

called the Sonoran desert in Arizona, USA. The Sonoran desert has been threatened by a

number of urbanisation projects such as installing renewable energy plants and mineral

mining plants near the site. Moreover, there has been appeared to be a decline of rainfall rates

which consequently resulted in increasing temperatures over 25years, providing warmer and

drier desert conditions. These impacts of the land use and climatic changes affected a serious

warning of fragmentations and loss of wildlife and plants species in the sonoran desert.

Therefore, this conservation centre will provide research spaces for scientists and biologists

who can monitor the endangered species and other opportunities for the visitors to have

highlightened desert experiences from internal spaces and the sub-merged artificial landscape.

There will be a new landscape constructed on the roof level of the building and the artificial

landscape will continue/ follow the surrounding topographies.

Main Materials: Organic materials that can be found on site such as, stones, tree trunks,

laminated timber, earth

Construction methods: each joint of the structure can be pinned by sharpened stones and

connected with rope ties. The construction will be processed through a depth of

understanding of analytic site conditions, weather conditions and topographies affecting

different path ways.

visitors interactions: they will explore the sonoran desert by understanding the natural

phenomena and environmental facts that should be protected for plants and wildlife species

growth while visiting the educational units. Also the viewing platforms will allow them to

admire wonderful surrounding landscape sceneries within the sunrise and sunset boundaries.

circulations: As soon as visitors arrive at the drop off in the coach parking area, the entrance

path will guide them to the landscape which will be open to be explored freely.

Existing museum: the museum site will be directly link to the conservation centre. the route

to the museum is intentionally designed to educate visitors about the desert life before going

into the museum.