PROJECT _02
AQUACULTURE CENTER

The city of Portland has a deep history as a working waterfront city and has retained that identity to present day. The project basis is an extension of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI), one of the organizations located on the waterfront. This organization is dedicated to the resilience of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem and the communities that depend on it. The lack of interaction between the public and the Institute leaves the citizens of Portland unaware of the issues that overfishing causes in the ecosystem.

The project utilizes the building program to capture a public space shared by both the public and by the institute. Since Portland’s waterfront is largely taken up by businesses the public space creates a new opportunity for a connection between the city and the water. An inviting threshold allows access from the street directly to a raised public space shared by multiple programs such as a gallery, an auditorium/event space, a restaurant, and new spaces for the GMRI. The visual and physical connections the building creates allows for a natural flow of information between the institute to the public.