The Future of Construction

A webinar series + design challenge for high school students

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Raphael Mouyal

ACE Mentor Program • Boston, MA

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In my design, I improved a parking lot near my house in France. The neighborhood basically consists of three tall concrete buildings surrounding this parking lot so, I wanted to improve both the social and environmental justice of the neighborhood. The first thing I did was change the asphalt of the parking lot to light gray concrete, as the dark color of the ground absorbed too much heat, making the surroundings very warm. I then superposed a platform on top of it, where I added a fountain, a walkway, and some greenery to contrast from the melancholic grey of the neighborhood. The fountain runs on rainwater, which makes it so there is no need for a complicated system to bring water in. While the trees, grass, and fountain solve the environmental justice of the area, this elevated park may also increase the social interaction of the building’s residents. One of the major problems I had when designing this was to find an environmentally friendly light source for the parking lot. I didn’t want to add any artificial lighting, or it would sacrifice the environmental benefits of the project. Instead, I added glass panes on the floor of the park, which would let sunlight down into the parking lot. I hope that this park will result in a better environment for my neighborhood, and act as a common area for all members of the neighborhood to enjoy and spend time in.​

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