Isabella Hillman wins architecture prize for her Bio-school in Guánica
- Post by: Humberto Cavallin
- November 1, 2021
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While searching for sustainable alternatives for solving the shortage of schools in the municipality of Guánica, the University of Puerto Rico’s School of Architecture (UPR) alum found inspiration in biomimetics. More specifically, she was inspired by the woodpecker and the sea urchin when designing a sustainable school, this as a part of her master’s thesis.
Titled “Bio-School en Guánica,” the young architect in training came up with that plan because she wanted to work on a project that would address some structural issues caused by the Hurricanes Irma and María, which later worsen after a series of earthquakes affected the southern part of the island. She made her plan a reality with the help of her committee, composed of professor Rafael Vargas, her thesis director, and the engineer Luis Daza and biologist Elvia Meléndez, who both served as consultants.
“The sea urchin’s oval shape helps the animal anchor itself to the ground. Even though it can hold up against strong sea currents, the sea urchin can also move while being anchored, an important element to think about when designing seismic resistant structures,” she stated. How woodpeckers peck to reach their food also caught her attention. She highlighted that these animals never show brain damage because of their cranial system. “They have a type of shock absorber. This feature was reinterpreted as a base isolation system that raises a building from the ground and suspends it. This allows for the structure to move at a different magnitude from the one experienced on the quaking earth,” she stated.
The project was so successful that this past June she won a prize for her sustainable school model for Guánica, awarded by El Colegio de Arquitectos y Arquitectos Paisajistas de Puerto Rico. The award was given during their 26th Bienal de Arquitectura 2021, and it won in the Academic Publication or Research category.