November 18, 2024 Aydelott Recipient Investigates Eroding Architecture

As the son of a Naval officer, fifth-year student Joseph Hanlon’s life has been shaped by the water. Even before applying to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to pursue a degree in architecture, he considered degrees that involved water. Instead, he has been able to combine his interest with passion for art and physics.

Earlier this year, Hanlon was selected for the 2024 Aydelott Travel Award, a prestigious prize which provides funding for students to study historically significant architectural structures from around the world. His project investigated water-related challenges impacting sites in the Netherlands, Italy, Japan and the Federated States of Micronesia.

“I initially applied in 2023, and I think the most unique aspect of the award is that the jurors provide feedback,” he said.

With guidance from his advisors, Associate Professor Gregor Kalas and Distinguished Lecturer James Rose and the 2023 Aydelott jurors, Hanlon was able to refine his proposal, selecting two new sites that embraced their water-related issues and incorporated a cultural perspective.

Hanlon embarked on his Aydelott travels this summer, beginning with Sluishuis Residential Building, a floating neighborhood that provides 442 zero-energy homes, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, a special location as much of his maternal family still live in the country.

“The Netherlands complex history with the water has helped shaped a unique country-wide infrastructure system,” he said. “The role of water management in the Netherlands has shifted away from the individual architect to the country as a whole. This shift in agency allows architects to shift focus from water management systems to the architectural design of each building without sacrificing safety, a unique attribute compared to other sites I visited.”

In Venice, Hanlon explored the Fondazione Querini Stampalia, a Venetian family’s palazzo dating back to the sixteenth century. He paid special focus to the ground floor renovation work done by Carlo Scarpa, which reconnected the building back to the water in a dynamic way. The Itsukushima Jinja, a Shinto shrine located on a sacred island, in Hatsukaichi, Japan was then visited to analyze the impact of regular tsunamis and typhoons. The site is well known for its “floating” torii, a traditional Japanese gate that marks the entrance to the shrine.

At high tide, the shrine appears to float on the water. Hanlon was able to observe the regular repairs of the shrine, made during low tide, due to the growing high tide levels.

“This process of repair can be thought of as an art. For this reason, these craftsmen can be referred to as artisans.”

Hanlon rounded out his travels at the ruins of Nan Madol, a historical landmark and UNESCO World Herritage Site in the Madolenihmw district of Pohnpei state in the Federated States of Micronesia. Previously the capital of the Saudeleur dynasty, Nan Madol is an ancient civilization containing over ninety artificial islets and built on a coral reef.

“Nan Madol was the outlier of the four sites I visited as it was the only ruins,” he said. “Having never been to this part of the Pacific and Asia, the historical sites, Nan Madol and Itsukushima Jinja, were the most impactful experiences and the greatest culture shocks.”

Accompanying Hanlon, at almost all sites, was a family member, making the journey even more memorable.

“Having a family member with me added a more personal and memorable aspect to the trips,” he said. “They gave a non-architecture perspective at each of the sites.”

His experience sparked Hanlon to pursue further research in climate conscious design through his undergraduate thesis project and Fulbright application to Denmark.

“It is such a pleasure to see Joseph Hanlon develop as an architectural designer, as a researcher, and as a photographer after pursuing his Aydelott-sponsored travels last summer,” said Kalas.

The Aydelott Travel Award and Aydelott Prize was founded in 2016 by Alfred Lewis Aydelott, FAIA, and his wife Hope Galloway Aydelott, the award helps architecture students at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; Auburn University; Mississippi State University; and the University of Tennessee develop effective analytical skills.