Black and white photograph of the heads and torsos of a light skinned man, child, and woman in front of an iron gate at the American Academy in Rome

Ursula Emery McClure and Michael A. McClure

Gorham P. Stevens Rome Prize
September 8, 2008–August 7, 2009
Profession
Principals, emerymcclure architecture
Project title
Terra Viscus: Hybrid Tectonic Precedent
Project description

For eight years we have been research practicing in southern Louisiana, an environment we define as the terra viscus. The terra viscus is a super-saturated condition, never completely solid or liquid. It consists of geological, economical, cultural, and ecological conditions that interweave and overlap. This physical description of our present site also serves as our analytical methodology. The terra viscus condition allows us to vivify, analyze, and create relevant building strategies in the phenomenal identity that is southern Louisiana. Ancient Rome’s ability to focus on communicative tectonics over pragmatic safety offers unique counterlessons to the Gulf Coast’s current fixation of solely pragmatic solutions.We propose to apply the analytical methodology of terra viscus to Rome focusing on its hydrotectonic development. The end product will be a pamphlet of graphic, written, and design proposal studies: a continuation and (post) precedent study for our existing research, terra viscus.