Christopher Cleland

Ecologies Design Studio P5 - Let Me Explain:
Rhynchocephalia Sphenodon Punctatus

This project considers the Rhynchocephalian Sphenodon Punctatus, also known as the Tuatara, in the post-anthropocene condition of Auckland, New Zealand. Greed-driven tech giants harness the magmatic power of supercritical water deposits beneath the earth's crust around New Zealand, but this results in a pressure imbalance that eliminates the presence of humans and fosters a warm and dense fog-covered environment. The Tuatara must adapt its spines for UV absorption, mating, and hunting, while repurposing its parietal eye for infrared vision and developing larger muscle mass in response to the deteriorating built architectural condition.