Located at the seawall, this set of buildings would become a bridging tool where the residents of Odaka can inhabit the wall while accessing the ocean and its products. A lake, an auditorium, restaurants, co-working spaces, and a market would become connected by the upper section of the wall and transform the uncomely barrier into an attractive waterfront.

The buildings would serve as a space for social interaction, teaching and product exchange; attracting tourists and residents through a direct engagement with the ocean.

Pre-Disaster Research

Before the disaster, the inhabitants of Odaka were conformed by generations of fishermen who ventured into the ocean and engaged into commerce with adjacent markets. However after the disaster, the access to the ocean was limited, fear to the ocean grew among the fishermen and their numbers decreased considerably.

Post Disaster Research

With the construction of the seawall and the cleanup of contaminated soil, farmland is starting to grow. Local business are returning to the city, as well as the population. Nonetheless, the access to the ocean is still limited and the few fishermen remaining have to travel large distances to access the ocean.

Proposal

After the Tsunami, many of the population from Odaka refused to look into the ocean again. The project aspires to be included in the border so the inhabitants of Odaka can use the project as a healing tool and engage with the ocean practices in a safe environment. The buildings would serve as a space for social interaction, teaching and product exchange; attracting tourists and residents through a direct engagement with the ocean.

Dialogue Between The Existing + New

These buildings would become a bridging tool where the residents of Odaka can inhabit the wall while accessing the ocean and its products. A lake, an auditorium, restaurants, co-working spaces, and a market would be connected by the upper section of the wall and transform the uncomely barrier into an attractive waterfront.

Typology

Both facades of the wall depict a different scenario. The buildings will change their construction method as the building trespasses the wall. The gradient in fortitude is related to the distance from the ocean, in other words, the market is constructed with concrete, the restaurants is a concrete framework with a wooden structure and the Workshops and auditorium is mainly made out of local timber. This has a direct relationship with the resilience of the structure. The closer it gets to the ocean the structure resistance increases.

Materials + Structure

Inspired by the ephemeral nature of the structures, the buildings will change materiality as the building trespasses the wall. The gradient in fortitude is related to distance from the ocean. In other words, the market is constructed with concrete, the restaurants and co-working spaces is a concrete framework with a wooden structure, and the Workshops and auditorium are mainly made out of timber. These different construction methods with various types of resilience intends to gradually reinforce the sense of security and safety to the people of Odaka as they come closer to the ocean.