Courtney Springbett
Changing Tides
The environments we inhabit are never static. They transform daily as tides shift and light changes, seasonally as weather patterns evolve, and over lifetimes as coastlines erode, reefs bleach, and sea levels rise. In my own lifetime, I have witnessed storms and swell events permanently reshape coastal communities, reducing beaches, destroying structures, and erasing habitats. These changes demand a design approach that does not resist the ocean’s cycles but works in collaboration with them.
Conventional erosion control relies on seawalls and breakwaters to dissipate wave energy. While effective in the short term, these interventions often damage marine ecosystems, leach harmful materials, and fail to provide habitat. This thesis proposes an alternative: a regenerative artificial reef system that simultaneously restores ecological function and supports human engagement.
The structure serves dual purposes, acting as a modular reef that mimics the crevices and textures essential for coral attachment and marine shelter, while functioning as an occupiable building for marine research, eco-tourism, and public interaction. Circulation routes and spatial access shift with tidal changes, encouraging visitors to experience the architecture as a dynamic system.
Fabric-formed casting methods create a unique, varied surface for each reef module, combining controlled geometry for assembly with irregular, porous textures ideal for colonization. Over time, the structure becomes a living archive—its surfaces layered with coral growth, algae, and the physical record of environmental change.
This thesis repositions architecture as a participatory ecosystem, one that embraces adaptation, temporal transformation, and cohabitation between human and nonhuman life. By integrating ecological performance with public engagement, the project offers a model for coastal resilience—an evolving structure that protects shorelines, restores biodiversity, and deepens our cultural and emotional connection to the sea.
