B9_#094 // SUBSTATION // ELIF ÖNGÜT

As substations become harder and harder to hide, the design proposes to reinhabit/ repurpose this micro typology by creating a laboratory for research institutes and universities where horticulturists, biologists and ecologists could conduct research on a niche ecological pocket. The particularity of this site arises from the high voltage, which might affect parameters such as conductivity and pH levels of the soil.

The structure and layout of the substation as a grid, creates order and modularity for the botanical garden. Specimens are either placed inside the grid or planted within the cylindrical wireframe structure around the electrical poles.

This design shows a fragment of the substation and creates a botanical garden within its boundaries. As different species of plants begin to invade the infrastructure, the substations slowly disappear into the skyline leaving a vertical forest.

Elif Öngüt is a Part 1 Architecture Graduate from The University of Edinburgh (ESALA)

Inspired by Divisare