Title: HYDROscape: The [RE]Embrace of Water in a [RE]Imagined Landscape
Synopsis: "Hydroscape is a speculative research and design project that reimagines the Eastern and Gulf Coasts of the United States as a continuous hydrosocial territory rather than a fixed boundary between land and sea. As rising sea levels and intensifying storms expose the limitations of current coastal resilience strategies, the project investigates how fragmented governance systems and site-based design approaches fail to address the scale and complexity of coastal change.
Through a combination of territorial mapping, policy analysis, and design speculation, Hydroscape reframes the coast as a dynamic, volumetric condition shaped by watersheds, climatic forces, and the surrounding communities. The research includes a comparative analysis of coastal resilience plans across multiple states, revealing inconsistencies in strategy, scale, and implementation. These findings highlight a broader systemic issue: the misalignment between political boundaries and hydrological realities.
Building on this research, Hydroscape proposes three speculative policy scenarios that explore alternative futures for coastal living, including ocean personhood, incentivized inland migration, and the creation of a volumetric coastal national park. Each scenario generates new spatial and social conditions, offering design frameworks that prioritize adaptation over resistance.
Ultimately, Hydroscape advances landscape architecture by expanding its role beyond site-based intervention toward territorial and policy-driven practice. It positions design as a tool for reshaping how communities understand and live with water, advocating for more adaptive, relational approaches to an increasingly uncertain coastal future."
