This design completion invited participants to design a multidisciplinary campus within a secluded nature reserve along south-eastern Virginia’s Severn River. Surrounded by wetlands and woodlands, this site offers a unique opportunity to blend architecture with one of the East Coast’s most sensitive ecosystems. Participants were asked to imagine an R&D Field Station that fosters innovation, research and collaboration across fields – science, art, technology and beyond. The architecture must be adaptable, sustainable and deeply responsive to the shifting terrain and climate risks of the site.

The project should go beyond functionality: it must serve as a model for resilient design, where built and natural environments interact harmoniously.

The design for The Vessel is inspired by the compact, efficiently organized explorer ships used for long-range marine research and the floating houses common in the Netherlands. Research ships incorporate systems not commonly seen in conventional buildings, such as water makers and sewage treatment, and make efficient use of underfloor areas for routing utilities and accommodating storage. PV and battery systems are often used to offset fuel requirements, are compactly designed, and efficiently interface with electrical systems. Floating houses in the Netherlands have been developed as a direct response to scarce natural land areas and to accommodate frequent flooding and high-water events. The resulting research station is designed to be a land-based laboratory barge which can respond to both temporary and long-term rising water levels.