CONFLUENCE PAVILION IS A 3D-PRINTED CONCRETE LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE LOCATED WITHIN CHICAGO’S PARK SYSTEM, CONCEIVED AS AN INHABITABLE LANDFORM RATHER THAN A CONVENTIONAL BUILDING. THE PAVILION IS COMPOSED OF LAYERED, RIBBON-LIKE CONCRETE WALLS GENERATED THROUGH PARAMETRIC DESIGN METHODS THAT DRAW DIRECT INSPIRATION FROM DIFFERENTIAL GROWTH PATTERNS AND THE STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOR OF EXTRUDED CONCRETE DURING THE PRINTING PROCESS.

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THE GEOMETRY EMERGES FROM THE CONTROLLED VARIATION OF WALL THICKNESS, CURVATURE, AND HEIGHT, ALLOWING FORM TO BE INFORMED BY BOTH MATERIAL PERFORMANCE AND STRUCTURAL LOAD PATHS. THIS APPROACH RESULTS IN A POROUS, CONTINUOUS MASS THAT BALANCES ENCLOSURE AND OPENNESS WHILE CHANNELING PREVAILING WINDS FOR NATURAL VENTILATION AND USING SCULPTED OVERHANGS TO MODULATE SOLAR GAIN THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

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FABRICATED USING LOW-CARBON CONCRETE WITH RECYCLED AGGREGATE, THE PAVILION DEMONSTRATES MATERIAL EFFICIENCY BY ALIGNING STRUCTURE, ENVELOPE, AND FINISH INTO A SINGLE PRINTED SYSTEM, ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR FORMWORK OR APPLIED CLADDING. INTEGRATED GREEN ROOFS AND LIVING WALLS SUPPORT URBAN BIODIVERSITY, REDUCE HEAT-ISLAND EFFECTS, AND SOFTEN THE STRUCTURE’S MONUMENTAL SCALE. RAINWATER IS COLLECTED THROUGH THE SCULPTED ROOF TOPOGRAPHY AND REUSED FOR IRRIGATION, REINFORCING A CLOSED-LOOP ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY.

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AT GROUND LEVEL, CONFLUENCE PAVILION OPERATES AS A CIVIC ROOM—PROVIDING SHADED GATHERING SPACES, INFORMAL SEATING, AND FRAMED VIEWS OF THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE AND CHICAGO SKYLINE. THE PROJECT POSITIONS PARAMETRIC DESIGN AND LARGE-SCALE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING AS BOTH A PERFORMATIVE AND EXPRESSIVE FRAMEWORK FOR SUSTAINABLE PUBLIC ARCHITECTURE.

PROJECT LOCATION: CHICAGO, IL

COMPLETION YEAR: -

GROSS BUILT AREA: 875 SQF

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CLIENT: -