Nick Pshegodskyy

This project is positioned as a UTOPIAN vision that speculates its DYSTOPIAN realities. The temperatures on planet earth have reached triple digits. The record-breaking temperatures are making uninhabitable large cities with vast surfaces covered with asphalt and concrete. This project assumes that as a consequence some people will move away from large urban centers to remote locations such as the Joshua Tree Desert. Open landscape, climate adaptation, and renewable energy production provide a safe haven for the newly transplanted residents. The architecture provides cool breezes, fresh air, and beautiful views of the site. The implementation of the latest technology provides a continuation of services like internet and deliveries in this remote location. But as we all know, life doesn’t always work as it is described, thus the DYSTOPIAN aspect becomes a central part of the project. The project’s DYSTOPIAN elements draws from social community prototypes based on sci-fi movies, video games, and historical precedents. Life in the desert will not be easy. While project NOMAD provides residents some conveniences, there is no way to ignore that, beyond the project boundaries, the emptiness of the desert is enormous and hostile to life. This project imagines how humanity might adapt to such a setting.

Faculty Jason Austin

Awards Design Excellence Award