KOSY collective in collaboration with Adorno Arquitectos have unveiled their design proposal for the Marine, Business, Research and Innovation Center located in the old Naval Station Roosevelt Roads in Ceiba, Puerto Rico.

The peninsular site is currently occupied by structures abandoned by the US Navy and severely impacted by hurricanes beyond repair. The project aims to promote the renovation of the site by creating a new center that supports the Blue Economy workforce providing facilities for education, training, and science.

The proposal reimagines the site as open, inclusive, connected and respectful of its context, by proposing to integrate local flora, by a modular and prefabricated strategy that minimizes the environmental impact and by creating a central space that is open and publicly accessible.

The building form responds to the geographical peninsula condition of the site by addressing the proposal as a building in the round; A new focal point of the bay.

Due to Puerto Rico's location, the country is in the cross path of destructive hurricanes that have become more frequent and destructive in the later years. Susceptible to storm flooding and damaging winds, the built form is not only elevated to protect the interior, but also designed to withstand external forces with a robust exterior facade that acts both as a protective shield. This envelope simultaneously acts as passive solar shading while providing visual transparency to the context from the interior. 
 

The courtyard is shielded and thus has been designed to be transparent, emphasizing cross visual connections between the different programs as well as to the central courtyard.  The Oasis courtyard is a contemporary interpretation of “el Patio”, a fundamental social space in the vernacular Puerto Rican architecture. It is considered to be the heart of the project and has been designed as an inclusive community space shielded from harsh sun and wind.

The garden is also a refreshing area that promotes the regeneration of local flora that will help prevent erosion and integrate the ground plane with its context. The courtyard will act as a social condenser of the science center with spaces for the resident scientists to break out, meet, relax and mingle, for the community and the local fishermen, and a welcoming arrival space for visitors. 

Two key goals of the proposal is to support the local economy and minimize the impact on the local flora and fauna during construction. The building's design is based on 19 precast modules that will be transported to the site via sea or land, with building enclosures and panels installed on site. Utilizing locally available expertise and technology, the building will be constructed on the island of Puerto Rico to bolster the local economy.

Additionally, the modular design and prefabrication method will enable faster construction with minimal environmental impact. The structural touchpoints have been designed to converge at one structural axis, further reducing the impact on the local flora and fauna.