extreme environments

Suzanne Mathew, Wat[er] Wonderful World
Kotchi, Kerala, India

This project seeks to examine the potential of water to generate a dynamic, productive landscape that can adapt to seasonal and long-term climate changes in an urban environment. The city of Kochi, India is located 1M above sea-level and experiences annual flooding during a 6-month monsoon season. While the city embraces industrial growth its ability to provide potable water and agricultural resources to its inhabitants is facing immediate depletion.  By creating an infrastructure that submerges, raises and floats the layers of Kochi’s urban landscape, this project presents an urban model that uses water to weave together the productive layers of the city and create a dynamic infrastructure that changes over time.