CORE 1 | MIT SA+P
Prof. Brandon Clifford

This project emerged from witnessing the undeniable disruption that humankind causes to other forms of life and what it has called Nature. An obvious reaction to this is to try and preserve Nature wherever it still stands. However, as we will soon enter the third decade of the 21st century, it becomes clear that the natural cycles and the recuperative forces of natural environments are just not strong enough to balance out our civilization's constant extractivism: because the equilibrium is already so shaken, not doing anything is not solving the problem either.

Situated in the Emerald Necklace, this project asks the question: could bringing another -temporary- disruption to the park's natural cycles help Bostonians build a stronger connection with the natural realm? This project proposed a venue to host the grand celebration that marks the beginning of the open fire season in Massachusetts. Organic matter produced by the park would be collected throughout the year, prepared, and burnt ‪on the 15th of January‬. The produced ashes, charged in symbolic energy and memories, will be individually collected and released back to enrich the park's soil.