Design II / Spring 2022
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Freshkills Park, New York City
Professor Michael Young
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A space for contemplation and meditation hovers between ground and sky. Openings folded into the roof and soft depressions imprinted into earth serve to redivide program by replacing rigid planimetric walls with sectional compression and expansion. The result is an equilibrium at the intersection of vertical forces and the surrounding horizon. 
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Approaching the building begins by a descent from surrounding landscape into a recessed area which serves to narrow the building’s profile. The path then traverses a nonconforming ground condition complemented by the roof’s uniform rigidity, and leads to a sculpted entrance surrounded by vegetation.
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On the inside, spaces of meditation and rest are informally separated from places of gathering, dining and chanting. Throughout the day, rituals of monks correspond with the orientation of skylights that capture the sun at different times. Perimeter panels can be opened to peak over the horizon or closed to focus, relying on indirect lighting from the roof above. 
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The minimal design intends to simplify the sensory experience yet allow stimulation to not become lost. By incorporating the landscape and a reflective pool of the sky, monks who pass through the space sense calmness and connection with their surroundings. This space aims to complement the landscape of Freshkills park while providing the essence for ritual.