The American Coot

Location : Ithaca, New York
Independent project
Advised by Andrew Fu, Lorena Del Rio, & Jim Williamson

The project focuses on the folding movement of the coot’s lobed toes and how the changing surface area forms a close relationship with the ground that the coot walks on. After modeling a sequential, repetitive series of the folding movement, different variations of movement were recorded and studied. The resulting spaces formed by the dynamic folds are transformed into architectural space that can be occupied with flexible programs and visitors. The final proposal is an excavated space with floating folded canopies that mirror and react to the site. The space created by the folds and the site results in various moments that visitors pass through.