The Agency of Earth on the Site of the Design

Earth as a fundamental aspect of the existing conditions of a site has/can/should have agency in design, both historically and today. The aim of this study is to describe the agency of earth in design as a common premise between the disciplines of architecture and landscape architecture. The thesis question is "how can the earth on site have agency on the design?" Thinking of the physical earth, specifically the topography, as one of the basic structures of the existing conditions, the earth should be taken as the most important condition that both architecture and landscape architecture use and share; both disciplines have to deal with context; they both have to deal with surroundings, and then work within systems that exist around them. As landscape architecture has been incredibly important to civilization throughout history, this project looks at different ways that earth has agency in design through important periods of history, from Greeks to contemporary design. While there are many examples in which designers have worked with the existing topography, there are other cases across cultures where people have drastically altered topography. Thinking about those designs, there are many possible answers to this thesis question from using existing hills to making mountains.

This thesis explores the creation of an artificial mound, as a monument to indigenous people, in order to revive the missed parts of the earth and empower the ground. The thesis rethinks the whole ground, protecting the earth by turning excavated soil into an important earthwork. The design is not only about creating an earthwork for people, it also transforms invisible earth into a visible structure. Based on the practices of Native American mound builders, the earthwork stands for the values of diversity and equality in the US, creating a gathering space for all people made of the native earth/soil.