Invisible Crisis

Abstract

Since their introduction to the built environment, mechanical systems and building technologies have been taken for granted. They are insulated, buried, removed from view, and expected to perform the single task expected of them. In 2012, David D. Cosner developed a report on University of Maryland’s continued deferred maintenance entitled “Invisible Crisis.” The University of Maryland, hosting goals to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, must make the state of its mechanical infrastructure a priority. This thesis explores the power of mechanical infrastructure to propel us into a future of integrated design. Pre-existing consolidation of mechanical elements within SCUB (satellite central utility building) structures are a point of focus. New SCUB(s) act as performative infrastructural monuments, utilizing proximity of elements to increase functionality. Occupants will be immersed in the functions necessary for campus/building operations, forming a tactile connection between university occupants and their biproducts/energy usage.