Coastal architecture design for the transition zone /

by Kay, Christina L.

The coastline is a unique condition where a fusion of many forces occurs. There are two main ways the coastline has been addressed: the manmade and the natural. The human population typically sees this condition as a harsh edge where our known entity of land ends and our unknown entity of water begins. In contrast, nature produces this condition to be a transition zone for these two realms, forming a connection between land and water. The coastline is in a state of constant flux, acted upon by a multitude of forces. This thesis will look into the main forces acting on the coastline and find a way to design in response to the changes happening in this environment. The design will also focus on ways to build in the coastal zone without causing additional harm to the environment allowing a harmony to be created between the built and natural environments.