Whitehouse Redux
Competition Entry with Emergency Studio
Concept, Design
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1. Deconstruction. The existing Whitehouse complex is dismantled. The perimeter fence is removed, the stone, wood, and glass from the massive structures salvaged, to be reused in the new construction. The footprint of the buildings is left to mark the center of what is now an open, publicly accessible park.
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2. Dispersion. Materials from the old Whitehouse are distributed throughout the grounds along with residential and governmental functions. Executive offices, conference rooms, staff offices, and residential zones are reconstructed from the salvaged materials, becoming follies in the landscape.
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3. Democratic Interaction. Many functions of the government – policy discussions, debates – now happen in semi-enclosed pavilions, accessible to the public. The dispersion of offices and conference areas also creates opportunities for Roman Forum style citizen-government interaction as officials move from place to place throughout the park.
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4. Transparency. Other governmental activities are performed in semi-public buildings, glass enclosures raised above ground level. The raised buildings provide a moderate level of privacy while ensuring transparency and creating covered public plazas beneath.
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5. Privacy. The most private zones (primarily residential) are buried or partially buried underground, creating berms in the landscape which are planted with native grasses and publicly accessible.
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6. Renaturalization. The landscape is subdivided along the implied lines of the larger Washington grid. Part of the existing driveway and Great Lawn remain, defining public park space for active recreation. Surrounding the dispersed government buildings are community gardens, forests of indigenous plants and trees, tree groves, and wildflower gardens.
