Defining the Edge: Programming Louisiana's Working Coast

Honors Thesis

The following project investigates the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, or LUMCON’s, role along the Louisiana coast. Currently, Louisiana’s dynamic working coast is undefined and suffering from the negative effects of coastal erosion and the oil and gas industry’s historical and modern practices. A variety of environmental conditions blur the distinction between land and sea, leaving the fragile landscape vulnerable to sea level rise and negative human actions. Architectural interventions to the existing LUMCON facility and surrounding site will prepare it for the future and allow it to pioneer new methods of coastal research along Louisiana’s dynamic coastal edge.