Based in Discovery Bay, Jamaica, the design is an intervention within a rocky limestone forest. The building is a low impact, ecologically sensitive construct that will be used as an interpretive learning centre for the study of marine biology.
The Discovery Bay Marine Lab is a leading centre for the study and preservation of marine life, reefs and the natural coastal environment of Jamaica. The design brief called for the development of a new learning centre at the Discovery Bay location. The centre will serve as an interactive exhibition space, where various marine and terrestrial species will be exhibited for the education of the general public. With regards to building typology, the building is described as an interpretive centre, as it is an institution for the dissemination of knowledge of cultural or natural heritage, a contemporary learning space associated with visitor centres or eco-museums.
The key design feature of the building rests in its form as an open-air pavilion; whereby the building is slightly raised above the jagged limestone rocks so as to preserve the landscape. The design also integrates wide shade canopies and open trellises that allow the dry limestone forest to “grow-through” and become a part of the building. As an Interpretive Centre, the space will use interactive and multimedia displays to communicate with the visitors, stimulating discovery though the user’s connection with the natural environment.
Nicole Auden | Vidal Dowding | Ravi Sittol | John Samuels II | Dewayne Webb
