JORI ERDMAN
ROBERT HOLTON
ANA OROSCO
ANDREW LAYMAN
ASALSADAT EMAMJOMEH
CHRISTOPHER JAMES
DELAYNEY MCGUINNESS
ETHAN JORDAN
GIOVANNI COAKLEY
MICHELLE JONES
YI TAO
WANQIN SU
“[Resilience is] the capacity to withstand, adapt to, and recover from natural disasters and major economic crises – so that people can continue to lead the kind of life they value.” – United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Situated on a narrow sliver of land between the ocean and the river, the village of Xinxing in the Hainan Province of China is positioned to become a beacon for resilience by utilizing its occupation of the intersection between fresh and saltwater to its advantage. Through the investment in resilient design, Xinxing will not only survive, but thrive in this unique geological condition, functioning as an example for other coastal communities. The goal of this project is to preserve and augment the elements that make an environment desirable for human occupation, while creating a means to mitigate and adapt to the damage of natural and economic disasters. Resilience by definition requires both active and passive measures to adequately confront present challenges while preparing for future ones, so as its name suggests, this proposal implements strategies that simultaneously break down the threats of flooding and isolation while they also make new opportunities for agricultural, aquacultural, and societal growth. The design strategies respond to the specific set of contexts at this harbor, including buildings that adjust to user needs, durable houses that consider availability of materials, as well as local technology, and are in tune with the site and climate conditions. The suggested programs within public spaces strengthens community bonds, while it fosters ownership and engagement in coastal issues. Architecture, here, is as much as an object and a symbol as it is a means of survival.