Parsons Architecture + Design Students: the next generation of healthier materials advocates *Spring 2023 Edition

Project 1: MCB: Mycelium Ceiling Baffle

Students: Noa Sklar, Cody Burchfield, Thomas Chisholm

The Mycelium Ceiling Baffle provides an aesthetic, acoustic, non-toxic replacement for unattractive drop ceilings and existing PET baffles. The design is applicable in any interior space and can easily plug into standard hanging systems. The MCB is a biogenic, carbon-sequestering interior product with the capacity to make meaningful change in our constructed environment.

Project 2: SeaPanel

Students: Angela Zeit, David Maria d’Olimpio

SeaPanel is an interior wall finish made from three ingredients: sugar kelp, paper, and water.

Lightweight and easy to install, SeaPanel can be cut to any size and is intended for vertical application: tackable walls in classrooms, a sound absorption layer behind wood planks, or as a stand-alone aesthetic wall finish. The inclusion of sugar kelp makes SeaPanel a carbon-storing and biodegradable product that also diverts paper waste from landfills.

Project 1: Anthropocene Crofting

Student: Katy Brett

Pre-industrial crofting of the Scottish Highlands involved gathering local organic materials and processing them into habitations. Anthropocene Crofting uses this approach to critique today’s globalized interiors. Apartment 229, housed within a tower block in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, has been reimagined through a site-specific interior. A 3D-scanned driftwood shard, plastic cutlery, and bones are reconfigured as domestic objects, shifting their significance and uncovering meaning in the detritus that proliferates our local surroundings.

Project 2: Bucha Resiliency Project

Students: Artem Chouliak and Bruke Alemayew

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, millions of Ukrainians have lost their homes in a desperate attempt to escape death and destruction. The need for safe and dignified housing is more urgent than ever. Our design for social housing in Bucha utilizes a framework for new prefabricated modular housing and a system for modular integration into partially destroyed buildings. The program provides immediate housing and community space as a refuge for healing and connection. A living memorial weaves through the whole site and into the fabric of the community, a symbol of resilience and a place to reflect, unify, and fortify.

Project 3: Social Housing, Austin TX

Students: Kohki Hiramatsu and An-Tai (Alex) Lu

The recent influx of immigrants at the US-Mexico border has brought a multitude of health concerns due to the difficult journey and harsh conditions in detention facilities. One solution to address the health and social challenges faced by immigrants is designing housing developments that prioritize growing, cooking, and sharing food within the community. Austin, Texas, a city renowned for its welcoming and inclusive attitude towards immigrants, has established programs and services to support and protect its immigrants. By providing shared kitchen and garden spaces, immigrants can grow and cook their wholesome foods, share meals with neighbors, and foster social connections within the community.