Lofted: Housing for Coastal Studies Institute - Courtney Richeson
The current CSI campus consists of a research building and a boathouse. These are linked by a series of landscaped retention ponds through which people can meander along small footpaths from one to the other. The experience is one of openness, magnified by the immense scale of the flat, surrounding landscape. We sought to both preserve this experience and create a new one by creating a residential complex not on the existing site, but in a very different one: a wooded area adjacent to the main campus.
This presents an entirely new and unexpected experience of the site: from a lofted perspective amidst the trees. Each building is oriented to take advantage of views to the north (woods) and south (Croatan Sound). The housing units are arranged along a boardwalk to provide a distinct separation from the campus environment but encourage communal activity.