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The Architecture of Deep Time

Part 1 Project 2024
Aoife Cowman
University College Cork | Ireland
Cape Clear Island, situated off the coast of County Cork, Ireland, has experienced considerable population decline, reflective of broader trends in rural and Island communities in Ireland. The Community of Cape Clear particularly suffered during the Great Famine and subsequently the population went into further decline in the 1900s. My project sought to rejuvenate the island by making investigations into its traditions and culture.

My thesis revolved around the concept of deep time architecture which advocates for the integration of long-term geological and environmental perspectives into architectural design and urban planning. This approach emphasizes the importance of considering the extended temporal scales of natural processes and the enduring impact of human activities on the Earth when designing built environments. By adopting a long-term perspe-ctive, deep time architecture aims to create structures that are sustainable and resilient to environmental changes.

Applying this to Cape Clear, deep time architecture underscores the significance of respecting and integrating the cultural and historical contexts of the landscape, thus fostering a design that is resilient. Using these deep time principles I designed a community centre, using renewable materials, designed for disassembly and reuse, thus creating adaptive structures capable of evolving over time.

Aoife Cowman

Tutor(s)

2024
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