2023

Forward Slash: An Architectural Rescuing and Mitigation of New Zealand’s Slash-Damaged Landscapes

Ben Mason

https://www.instagram.com/ben_mason_arch/

Perspective for MODOS Compressed — The Slash Tent: On the Outskirts of Production

Forestry slash, the subsequent woody debris of deforestation is an ongoing consequence of our industrialised landscape. Following recent cyclones Gabrielle and Hale, slash is showcased as an aggravating secondary impact of our inevitably declining climate. With an urgent need for change, the issue is currently being tackled through environmental, political, ecological, and technological methods.

This thesis contributes to the conversation through an architectural lens. Adopting speculative design thinking emerges a mobile, modular factory unit which roams slash-damaged landscapes, cleaning up and processing the waste material into valuable primary products.

The module is a hybrid of architectural elements and mechanical parts, a machine which considers both its mechanical needs and spatial experience. An operators safety pod is nestled within a yellow skeleton frame, from which a lightweight tent fabric is attached. Continuous tracks allow the machine to occupy uneven terrains. Fold-out platforms, stairs, balustrades and conveyors allow the module to compact for ease of mobility.