The Fellowship intends to offer travel-study opportunities to west coast scholars similar to the Rotch and Rapson Fellowships. The Fellowship intends to nurture design understanding of resource sustainability in the world. The Cavin Fellowship awards will honor the families and architectural traditions of William Brooks Cavin, Sr. and William Brooks Cavin, Jr., FAIA. The Cavin family will remain involved in the mission of the Fellowship.
Here is one of the finalist:
Caldera by Scott Magic
Description
The primary act of architecture is to enclose, to make shelter within the infinity of nature. In an act of human confrontation, the Backcountry Ski Patrol + Operation Center will emerge from the weathered landscape like a man-made Caldera.
No man is ever alone for life is a shared endeavor. At the heart of the Center is a communal courtyard that welcomes guests and encourages interaction. During summer, it becomes an outdoor event space for lectures, films and education; During winter months, the terraced seating becomes a ski chute, funneling skiers down the slopes. Like a ring, each programmatic element is linked to foster communication and staff involvement.
Inspired by the process of weathering, the Center is built of basalt rock fragments, collected from the mountains and utilized in 2’ thick Gabion walls. The Gabion walls reduce the need for cast-in-place concrete foundations, labor, cost and create high-mass thermal wall. The building’s form fragments to maximize winter solar exposure and to block the prevailing winds. The solar exposure is captured and re-purposed with a Photovoltaic wind screen and the courtyard’s dual-glass skin turns radiation into conditioned air.
More at: Finalists Homepage
