Hiteshree Ðas

FOREST FUTURES

Forest Futures explores the intertwined histories of forests and humanity, critically examining the deep connections between design disciplines and these vital ecosystems. It offers a glimpse into the vast, 350-million-year timeline of forest evolution, highlighting a striking reality: a millennium of human impact—an instant in geological terms—has disrupted the balance of these life-sustaining habitats.

How might design mediate between scientific understanding and sensorial experience to deepen our relationship with forest ecosystems?

Project & Event Documentation

Supported by

Department of Landscape Architecture

Team

Instructor | Curator
Anita Berrizbeitia

Design & curatorial:
N. Boverman, M. Bouzas, H. Das, E. Dunnenberger, R. Gao, L. Garinois, A. Harvey, M. Lantigua, Y. Ji, A. Jones, A. Kupi, F. Lima, P. Margain, G. Meek, E. Menard, R. Palladino, Y. Qin, K. Wu, E. Zmuda.

Technical collaborators:
Dan Borelli,
David Zimmerman

The Dymaxion Map is an invitation to reconsider the perception of the world and its forests. Buckminster Fuller, a visionary architect, introduced the Dymaxion Map in 1948 with the intention of rectifying biases inherent in traditional flattened projections of the globe. This map, selected for its capacity to over-come inherent distortions in east-west and north-south orientations, ensures a cohesive representation of continents without altering their shapes or sizes.

Utilizing geospatial data, the installation showcases the intricate web of forest ecosystems on our planet—both those that have been lost and those that remain—emphasizing the urgent need for preservation. It aims to underscore their significance to both humanity and the non-human, through spatial representations of Forest Biomes, Climate Zones, Annual Vegetation, and Canopy Heights.