The SONOSCAPE competition entry was designed for the 2016 What’s In Quad Competition. It was a finalist and took an Honorable Mention in the competition.
SONOSCAPE is a destination. In the space of the Quad, you are drawn to the volume out of curiosity—What is it? What does it feel like? What will I do there: read, nap, have a glass of wine, hear a lecture, meet a friend, people-watch, take off those shoes? As a gathering space , just like the town square or the public park, it encourages collective leisure. It invites visitors to tread across its lawn, sit on its edges and perch on its rolling bumps. From the apex it provides a vantage point and a landmark within a large disorienting space. As you circle the Quad, the exposed SONOSCAPE structure is utilized as the armature of display. At the same time, the central expanse provides a moment of visual rest in a conference hall that can be jarring to the senses.
In an urban green-space, the presence of SONOSCAPE could be rebuilt with gabions of reclaimed material, planted over and tuned to the geometry of the site. The conceptual goal remains to achieve maximum topographical impact with minimum budget, in a way that is sensitive to the social and communal use of the shared space.
SONOSCAPE is prototypical. It is meant to be easily imitated, in a variety of materials that a community might have on hand. For ease of transportation and assembly we have chosen Sonotubes, ratchet straps and carpeting. All elements can be moved by hand or handcart, and can be assembled with hand tools.