Making Microclimates: The International Court of the Environment

A group of PennDesign graduate architecture students have dedicated themselves to design a building for an institution that does not yet exist. This unique design challenge was addressed by the students in their proposals for a future vision of an International Court for the Environment. Their research and design process revealed the difficult sociopolitical and environmental questions related to the design of this unique court. In the first year of a two year project, the student groups speculated the possibilities for a site on Roosevelt Island in New York City. The second year produced proposals for a site in Porto Maravilha in Rio de Janeiro. These two sites revealed the geopolitical question inherent in current environmental debates: Should environmental action focus on current international capitals (New York City) or the developing cities of the new global economy (Rio de Janeiro)? The sites were investigated for their climate opportunities – both weather and political climates. The students worked throughout their design process with an expert panel of consulting engineers and architects. They were also able to collaborate with the ICE Coalition, providing the students with information about challenges of founding this unique institution. This productive relationship with the ICE Coalition has been reflected in the caliber of their design work. Their final proposals imagine a new form of global environmental institution that would require novel architectural organizations and spaces. A selection of these projects, included within this publication, represent their collective efforts in probing the boundaries of environmental design.