A Butterfly’s Metamorphosis | Isle of Portland, UK | Unit 21 | 2022

walinnes.walanchanurak.19@ucl.ac.uk

Set on the lands of an existing deteriorated quarry ground lies a butterfly sanctuary. For over 500 years, Portland has been devouring its landscape for stone quarrying, leaving only traces of biodiversity left. Thus, the aim is to restore lost ecology, retain existing landscape, and improve biodiversity through butterflies – an indicator species for widespread biodiversity.

This project aims to translate structural colour – a naturally occurring small-scale butterfly alternation into a dynamic architectural scale element. On the temporary scale, this involves exploring prismatic mechanisms, attributes, and replication through shadows & dispersion. On a permanent scale, prismatic effects can be used to transform the user experience against time. Therefore, the sanctuary will continuously evolve; visitors will be exposed to an entirely new experience every time they drop by.

The sanctuary will take visitors on a journey to experience the many remarkable stages of a butterfly’s life: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis & butterfly. Each space will reflect a stage in a butterfly’s cycle through a design tailored to exhibit the action in that stage.

Project 1: A Moment in Time

This preliminary project investigates the relationship between Time and finite in the context of Portland. Geometries were generated through algorithms and data of Portland to create an everchanging design process known as a ‘Time-Telling Device

Prismatic Studies

A study of dispersed light produced within the egg phase, allowing spectrum traces to be marked for a tailored design.

Spaces are divided in butterfly’s phrases

Each phrase is positioned within the landscape to receive maximum light dispersion