Nour Abdulhussain

THE BODY X THE CITY

The future structured around my thesis is a projection of 150 years where-in climate change and capitalist urbanization, an exploitative system propped up by injustice and inequalities have geographically, socially and architecturally altered the global fabric resulting in land inhabitability, mass displacement, migration and population density consequently establishing the creation of Mega-cities, concentrated mass high-rise towers where home, work and daily life have become enmeshed. With global growth and levels of industrialization on the rise and the advancements of technology this urban environment is rooted in today's reality. Consider the predictions that cities globally will increase by 68% in both capacity and size resulting in the erasure of suburbia. As well as a 3.1 billion increase in population by the turn of the century this depiction could be a glimpse into the future. Already covid stats are illustrating an increase in burnout when our lives become confined and restricted. There has been a 35% increase in rentals of cabins and lake houses within a 400 mile radius of urban cities. This illustrates the increased necessity in taking a break from the demands and pressures of life within cities. As well as the desire for this offline period to be situated within a naturescape yet close enough to home, a balance between distance, duration and destination. In an environment such as this with consistent unending burnout and a lack of public naturescape to access where can someone reflect, relax and breath without the pressures of society. How can design function in this atmosphere in service of the user. How can it be resilient, How do we design within limitations that in a single stroke can not be cured, altered or forgotten. How do we design knowing we are heading towards ruination? The site of my project aka this futuristic city was created through the combination of Dubai, New York and Hong Kong, three cities with the most skyscrapers and continuously developing technology that can result in the evolution that operates as the base of this site and grounds this fiction in reality.

“My thesis proposal aims to work within this futuristic dystopian context and tap into an unexplored environment: the skyscape. Through a series of magnetically floating tec-clouds composed of particle pods that immerse the users in a contemplative, relaxing and tranquil atmosphere in order to facilitate moments of dissociation and disconnect from the heavy urban built environment and the existence within the vertical towers. This rejuvenating experience and euphoric journey within the cloud and sky is open to the general public regardless of the confines of the urban fabric or socio-economic status. All roads return to the cloud patterns, they inspired the formation of the outer shell of the pods as well as the base shape of the nests. Each individual nest is composed of an outer-shell that contains the pods not currently in use and a magnetically charged backing allowing the magnetic field to spread across the city. The nests are dispersed organically and softly following the wind pattern of the city against the facade of all residential buildings.The user enters sky mode as soon as the pod exits the nest and picks them up at their specified location leaving behind the burdens of the city. The journey’s duration is an hour allowing for a concentrated 30 minute experience and a gentle 15 minute ascension and dissension. The interior of the pods are composed of a bio-polymer surface that hugs and surrounds the user as they lay inside. Woven with smart technology able to scan the biometrics of the individual the pod can monitor their heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate and brain waves. Within the pods the user is provided options of sensory stimulation both physical and mental and can establish the form of journey to their liking. As the pod ascends it connects with other in use pods and forms the tec cloud, a continuously evolving form that camouflages itself by mimicking the movement, shape and density of the clouds surrounding it. Sink within the soft folds of the pod and allow yourself to be transported physically and spiritually. ”