Project Description

Project Title: Joltoron (The Water-Gateway)

Design Intention & Selected Lens:

Joltoron is a metabolic threshold designed through the lenses of Narrative Depth and Future Resilience. In Bangladesh, where wetlands cover 50% of the land, a silent crisis of avian extinction is unfolding.  Within the challenge of this limited 10 cubic meter (10m³) volume, this installation serves as a "biotic bridge"—a symbolic and functional gateway that restores the delicate balance between human presence and fragile marshland ecosystems. Our intention is to move beyond human-centric architecture to create a "Living Monument" that serves as a sanctuary for birds and a ritualistic passage for people.

Spatial, Symbolic, and Functional Strategy:

The structure is a Parametric Arch generated from the geometry of a bird’s eye, symbolizing a shared gaze between species. We utilize indigenous, water-resistant flora including Nalkhagra (reed), Bet (cane), and Verenda. These materials are structurally flexible and naturally recognized by birds as nesting substrates. The arch is constructed as a mostly hollow, pipe-like structure bound with root fibers, embracing a philosophy of "Radical Impurity". The varying densities within the reed-matrix create differentiated nesting zones, while the structure rises from the shallow water on a footing of 1.5 to 2-foot wide stones to encourage aquatic micro-habitats at the base.

The 10m³ Constraint as a Catalyst:

The volumetric limit was the primary driver for our Volumetric Folding strategy. Rather than occupying the 10m³ as a hollow room for humans, we distributed the volume into a hyper-articulated surface. By stretching the arch to a height of 3m and a width of 6.7m, we maximized the "surface-to-air" ratio within the mandate. Every cubic centimeter is utilized to create nesting apertures and structural integrity, transforming the project from a simple "object" into a high-performance spatial filter where light, wind, and life circulate through the very mass of the architecture.

User Experience- A Call to Coexistence:

To enter Joltoron is to engage in a ritual of calibration. The experience is defined by the aeolian harp effect—wind whistling through the hollow reeds—and the tactile rustle of the structure as birds inhabit its frame. As users walk the stone path beneath the 10m³ apex, the architecture forces a meditative pace that humbles the human observer. It is a space where the boundary between species is erased. In this hollowed reed sanctuary, the sound of a heartbeat meets the flutter of a wing, reminding us that we do not just observe nature—we are responsible for its survival. Joltoron is not just an arch; it is a vow to remember, to care, and to guard the life of the wetland.