YCJ Studio
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The Field Station
Terraviva - Golden Mention
Team: Jing Chen, Yanci Chen
The proposed Field Station at the Shenk Property is conceived as a Living Threshold - a minimal, adaptive architecture that coexists with the ecological rhythms of the Severn River wetlands. Inspired by the Hytrocotyle spp., a species known for its ability to thrive in symbiosis with surrounding flora, the building embodies a philosophy of co-living with nature rather than imposing upon it.
Set within a delicate landscape where forest meets marsh and fresh water yields to salt, the Field Station emerges as a mediator between land and water, human and non-human, permanence and change. Rather than dominate the site, the architecture withdraws, establishing a series of light-footed elevated structures that hover above the shifting ground plane. This strategy not only anticipates rising tides and flooding but also preserves the existing soil ecology, allowing water and vegetation to continue their natural cycles beneath the building.
The form of the building is deliberately modest, broken into a network of pavilions and platforms connected by open-air walkways. This fragmented approach reduces the impact on the site while mirroring the patchwork character of the wetlands. Each pavilion houses a flexible program—research labs, R&D studios, lecture spaces, and temporary accommodations - designed with mobile partitions and modular systems to adapt as needs evolve. Transparency and porosity define the architecture, ensuring that light, air, and views flow uninterrupted between interior spaces and the surrounding forest canopy.
Inspired by hydrocotyle, the Field Station is a resilient, symbiotic research hub that floats above wetlands, integrating architecture, ecology, and community through elevated pavilions, porous spaces, and living green roofs.