Design for Risk and Reconstruction

MFA Core Design Studio: Anjali Dave, Arianna Correa, Brissa Ramos, Elizabeth Hammett, Hang Min, Henry Domst, Jiahui Tang, Kathy Chiu, Katharine Oliver, Leah Toscano, Megan Pulling, Minqi Wu, Pornpitcha Ruampongpattana, Soohyun Ahn, Stephen Shkreli
Professors: Sheryl Kasak, Alvaro Gomez-Selles

Working title: cocoon[s]
Location: prototypical dry remote environment

In response to geopolitical fragmentation experienced by displaced, underhoused, persons/refugees, this project examines how food is deployed in times of crisis, conflict, disaster, and insecurity, and how people experience “meal” when no designated space exists to eat within.

Through a series of investigations, three globally regional typologies related to displacement were chronologically analyzed. Environmental conditions—ranging from dry, remote to cold, damp, urban zones—were assessed under varying population densities, revealing consistent physical and psychological health risks linked to climatic and occupancy factors. Housing typologies were studied for their materiality and deployment strategies, including stacked earth bags, communal tensile tents, and inflatable structures. Cultural dining rituals—both conventionally sited and those which adapted to inherited spatial conditions—were analyzed to understand the flexible occupation of space and the role of shared resources in maintaining social continuity.

Informed by this research, the project proposes a transportable, deployable space for food distribution, preparation, and consumption, a cocoon. A repurposed shipping container is transformed into a supportive module, functioning as the anchor and catalyst for gathering. A non-hierarchical, aggregated tensile fabric system extends from a central communal space, unfolding into a network of enclosures, canopies and vents defining private and semi-private spaces.

Extreme weather conditions and the need for heightened atmospheric awareness determined the materiality of the construct, positioning the enclosure as a tool for adaptation, communication, and recovery. The demarcation of the interior and exterior is dissolved into a proposed negotiation between perceived protection and connectivity, aiming to resolve safeness, awareness and spatial breadth. The thinness of the layered, coated polyester textile membrane[s] enables this interaction through visual and acoustic translucency, a means of conveying filtered information between the two sides.

The research, development and intention for deployment are ongoing.

School: Pratt Institute, School of Architecture
Program: Master of Science in Sustainable Environmental Systems
Project Title: Rising Solutions: Green Infrastructure for Stormwater and Water Quality Management in
Newtown Creek’s High Groundwater Landscape
Project Location: New York City
Student: Ruth Daniel

Newtown Creek is a 3.8-mile tidal waterway that forms the border between Brooklyn and Queens. Once a vital industrial corridor, its shoreline and hydrology were significantly altered to accommodate urban development. Today, the legacy of heavy industrial use, coupled with climate change, leaves the area increasingly vulnerable to flooding.

Surrounding neighborhoods such as Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Long Island City, and Maspeth are facing the growing threat of stormwater and coastal flooding. This is not only due to more frequent extreme rainfall events and rising sea levels but also because of a lesser-known but critical factor: high groundwater levels. As groundwater rises with sea level, it saturates soils, reducing their ability to absorb rainwater and undermining the effectiveness of common green infrastructure techniques like bioswales or rain gardens.

In response, this project, developed for the Newtown Creek Alliance, offers targeted recommendations for green infrastructure solutions specifically suited to areas with high groundwater. Rather than relying on infiltration, which becomes ineffective in saturated conditions, the project highlights alternatives like vegetated retention basins, sealed planting systems, and surface-based storage solutions. These interventions are guided by criteria evaluating environmental impact, cost-effectiveness, ease of implementation, and community co-benefits.

The research draws from both local site conditions and global precedents to understand how other cities have approached similar challenges. Expert interviews provided insights into regulatory, engineering, and ecological perspectives. A central conclusion is clear: green infrastructure can be adapted for high groundwater areas, but citywide planning must begin to explicitly account for this condition to ensure equitable climate resilience.

By prioritizing high groundwater regions like Newtown Creek in planning and funding efforts, New York City has an opportunity to address long-standing environmental burdens while building a more flood-resilient future.

School: Pratt Institute, School of Architecture
Program: Master of Science in Sustainable Environmental Systems
Project Title: A Path to Recover and Revive: Strengthening Strategies for Disaster Debris Management Following
Coastal Storm Events in New York City
Project Location: New York City
Student: Nandini Vavhal

As climate change accelerates the frequency and severity of coastal storms, disaster debris management has become a growing concern in New York City. While attention often focuses on flooding and damaged infrastructure, the massive volume of debris left behind—including construction waste, furniture, electronics, and hazardous materials—can pose a significant threat to public health, disrupt recovery efforts, and exacerbate inequalities in already vulnerable communities.

This capstone project examines how New York City can develop a more resilient and equitable approach to disaster debris management, particularly in flood-prone, underserved neighborhoods such as Red Hook, Coney Island, the Rockaways, and NYCHA public housing developments. These areas are often the hardest hit and face compounded vulnerabilities due to systemic disinvestment and limited access to resources.

In collaboration with the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY), the research involved spatial analysis, site visits, stakeholder interviews, and comparative case studies. A review of New York City’s (NYC) response to Hurricane Sandy, alongside Harris County’s approach during Hurricane Harvey, identified critical gaps in NYC’s current system, including inadequate pre-disaster contracting, limited staging sites, poor interagency coordination, and a lack of inclusive communication strategies.

The study recommends the development of Zonal Disaster Debris Management Plans, the expansion and decentralization of storage sites, and the establishment of pre-event contracts with local waste vendors. It also proposes incorporating disaster debris training into NYC’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program and establishing multilingual communication systems tailored to public housing residents.

By embedding community-based organizations and local leadership into planning and response frameworks, New York City can enhance efficiency, prioritize equity, and strengthen community resilience. Note: This project was completed by Nandini Vavhal as part of the Demonstration of Professional Competence (Capstone) course, which culminates the MS Sustainable Environmental Systems curriculum at Pratt Institute, in collaboration with the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) as the client.

Pratt Institute Design Studio VI Thesis by Junwen Chen
Nanjing, Jiangsu, China – project site

Located on the slopes of an abandoned steel factory in Nanjing, Breathscape envisions architecture as an active environmental system—one that functions across both interior and regional scales. At its core is a living ecosystem of cascading algae gardens and black soldier fly bioprocessing systems that actively remove CO₂ from the air, capture carbon, purify air, and support human health.

Visitors traverse a sequence of public and private volumes threaded together by terraced algae waterfalls. These flowing systems cleanse incoming polluted air from regional intake vents to interior distribution, while also animating the space with visual movement, shifting light, and reflective surfaces. Once saturated, the algae are harvested and fed to black soldier flies, whose digestive process removes compounds that would weaken concrete and produce carbon-rich plant fibers. These fibers are later mixed into concrete, enabling durable construction and long-term carbon storage.

At the interior scale, the algae systems shape both spatial layout and environmental quality. Pools are integrated into bedrooms, workspaces, quiet and oxygen zones, providing users—especially those with respiratory conditions, mental health concerns, or weakened immune systems—with access to continuously purified air. The immersive environment, enhanced by algae waterfalls, dynamic lighting, and layers of vegetation, redefines healing through both ecological and architectural experience.

By embedding living biological systems into architectural form, Breathscape offers a new model: buildings that go beyond protection and actively contribute to environmental repair and collective health.

Visiting Professor: Dr Sandra Piesik
Project Title: The Green Stitch
Project Location: Cross Bronx Expressway, Bronx, NY
Student Designers: Sivapriya Janakiraman, Yash Oza & Manasi Bhise

For decades, the Cross Bronx Expressway (CBE) has acted less as a piece of infrastructure and more as a scar—dividing neighborhoods, displacing families, and leaving behind fractured green spaces and a deep social disconnect. “The Green Stitch,” a fourth-year urban design proposal from students Sivapriya Janakiraman Yash Oza and Manasi Bhise at the New York Institute of Technology, reimagines the CBE not as a barrier, but as an opportunity for reconnection.

Guided by the studio theme Regenerative Urbanism: One Planet, One Community under Dr. Sandra Piesik, this project aims to transform the expressway into a regenerative landscape—a living infrastructure that heals both ecological and human systems. Inspired by the organizational logic of Physarum polycephalum and the continuous topography of Seattle’s Olympic Sculpture Park, the team developed a sectional strategy that integrates landform, ventilation, water management, and public access into a seamless whole.

The proposal identifies three paradoxes—abundant green fabric without programming, high population density lacking civic infrastructure, and rapid transit systems that ignore local community needs. In response, five programmatic anchors were introduced: a civic spine with libraries and urban farms; cultural zones with dance plazas and cafés; interactive play areas; rest hubs with food vendors and coworking stations; and reprogrammed landscape zones for art and sports.

More than a cap, The Green Stitch is a call to reframe infrastructure as a tool of healing. By listening to community voices and applying regenerative strategies, the project envisions a Bronx where green space isn’t just seen—but lived, shared, and grown into a resilient future.