Proposed requirements · 13 October 2026
A pavilion that can adapt.
Shade when it is warm. A protected refuge when conditions change. A digital commons that stays useful.
Concept specification only. Site, occupancy, design life, budget and engineering approval are not established. No measured environmental performance is claimed.
Created for AkashicNET with ChatGPT-assisted research and design on 13 October 2026, following a request to connect the organisations encountered at TSC in San Diego. Published on akashicnet.org to explain their work, prepare useful questions and explore possible collaborations; this is an independent resource, not an official TSC or sponsor publication.
The proposed physical system
Two connected environments
Open commons: a shaded, naturally ventilated demonstration and conversation space for suitable weather.
Protected refuge: an enclosed cooled and filtered space, either purpose-designed or provided by an assessed host building, with capacity matched to the event plan.
Where safe conditions or refuge capacity cannot be maintained, the programme relocates, moves online or pauses.
Requirements and acceptance evidence
Design for the conditions, then test.
These responses are proposed design requirements. Numeric targets will be set by the design team once the site and loads are known.
Heat
Deep shade over seating and queues; light-coloured roof; low-heat screens and lighting; drinking-water refill points; access to an insulated, cooled refuge. Open-air ventilation only when outdoor conditions are suitable.
Model solar exposure and occupied conditions for the chosen dates and future climate scenarios. Test with expected occupancy and equipment. The operator sets relocation and closure triggers.
Wildfire smoke
Provide an enclosed, cooled refuge with weather seals, compatible high-efficiency filtration and correctly sized portable air cleaners. An open canopy cannot serve as a smoke refuge.
An HVAC professional verifies cooling, airflow, occupancy and filter compatibility, considering MERV 13 or better where appropriate. Rehearse the smoke plan; indoor/outdoor PM2.5 trends supplement official alerts.
Coastal flood & intense rainfall
Choose the site using current flood mapping and local future coastal/rainfall projections. Preserve drainage routes, protect electrical systems and use demountable modules.
Record map versions, site survey, drainage assessment and an accessible evacuation route. Establish relocation lead time. Flood elevation and equipment heights must be determined for the actual site.
Drought & water
Use refill stations, low-water planting where suitable and supplier-approved low-water cleaning. Avoid decorative water features and reliance on evaporative cooling.
Prepare an event water budget, verify drinking-water supply, check leaks and confirm cleaning requirements. Rainwater reuse needs an approved, purpose-specific system.
Power interruption
Separate essential safety, communication, accessibility and cooling/filtration loads from optional displays. Use appropriately designed backup power and a printed/offline directory.
Measure loads and rehearse an outage. Determine backup duration after calculating refuge demand and capacity; no autonomy duration is promised yet.
Wind, rain & coastal exposure
Use a conventional engineered frame and roof, mechanically secured displays, sheltered connections, drainage and protected storage for removable panels.
Qualified designers assess site wind and rain exposure, corrosion protection and connections. Operators receive explicit closure and disassembly limits.
Access & continuity
Provide step-free routes, seating choices, readable signs and equivalent access during relocation. The digital hub supports keyboard navigation, readable content, captions where needed and low-bandwidth use.
Review physical access, test the digital interface and rehearse evacuation with mobility, sensory and communication needs represented. An alternative route must remain usable in each operating mode.
Mycelium material schedule
Specify the product.
Protect the assembly.
Start with dried or deactivated, replaceable nonstructural display or acoustic panels. Keep them away from rain, ground contact and persistent humidity; keep the frame, roof and life-safety functions independent of experimental materials.
A primary materials study found that fabrication choices affect mechanical and water-related properties. Our design inference is to assess a specific product and assembly, rather than assign one performance class to “mycelium”.
Living-mycelium demonstrations, if any, belong in separately contained, labelled research exhibits.
AkashicNET’s proposed contribution
A transparent performance record.
Every component and environmental claim can carry a source, responsible owner, evidence status and next review date. Keep proposed targets, modelled estimates and measured results distinct.
Monitoring status: not instrumented. There are no live pavilion sensors or fabricated performance readings in this concept.
Delivery gates
From idea to an accountable pilot
- Brief: select a site, event scope, hazards and accountable team.
- Review: assess materials, services, access and local approval requirements.
- Prototype: build one removable demonstration bay and test its actual assembly.
- Rehearse: test heat, smoke, power and relocation procedures with realistic loads.
- Open: obtain venue and authority sign-off as applicable; train operators and publish the operating plan.
- Learn: measure event performance, log faults and record reuse or disposal outcomes.
Source basis
- City of San Diego: Climate Resilient SD — local hazard context.
- US EPA: wildfire smoke in public and commercial buildings — building-specific smoke planning.
- US Department of Energy: passive design principles — residential guidance used for general principles, not pavilion certification.
- FEMA: flood map guidance — current mapping is one input, not a complete future-climate assessment.
- Appels et al.: fabrication and mycelium-composite properties — primary material experiments, not certification of this design.
