Breathing Monument

The goal of making the breathing monument is to create a changing and interactive sculpture as a monument to the natural process of growth we have forgotten about so easily. When people see trees or bushes they often first think that that mass is accumulating out of the ground. In reality, the process of photosynthesis takes carbon dioxide from the air and uses the carbon to create structure, while emitting breathable oxygen as a consequence. It is critical that humanity looks to nature’s process of construction when creating new materials.

The breathing monument is a reminder of the constructive process of nature, and how connected and reliant we are on it. It is a message that changes and reacts to the current time, the environment, and the individual. Just as much as the foliage relies on our breathing to grow, we rely on its oxygen to survive. The structure is a skeletal dome that mimics the visual language of chlorophyll, a key player in the photosynthesis process. Much like with the monument, chlorophyll is a hexagonal structure that makes up the plant’s walls and reflects green light. The monument’s framework begins its life bare, but over time it is grown over by vines, leaves, and branches that shade it and make the space more and more secluded from the busy environment. The structure invites people to step inside and emphasizes that with every breath they take they are helping to grow and build its walls. It will wilt and flourish throughout the seasons, and, depending on how we deal with the impending climate crisis, exist forever in the cycle of life and death.