Intake / Bridgeport
Duggal Visual Solutions
Mixed-use & Urban Design
100,000 sq. ft.

Intake involves the adaptive reuse of a former shipbuilding factory and boat ramp. The design expands the existing 50,000-square-foot factory into a 100,000-square-foot mixed-use facility that combines manufacturing, office, education, and event programming. The existing structural frame, rising 90 feet in height, is carefully repurposed to encourage interaction among people within the facility. The concrete boat ramp is reimagined as an active plaza and park.

Award: Winner, 2019 Emerging Voices Award
Winner, 2017-18 NEA US-Japan Program
Winner, 2016-17 Founders Rome Prize

The existing interior lacked effective air quality and energy control, so it was subdivided using high-velocity air curtains. These invisible boundaries limit the spread of airborne pollutants while allowing free movement throughout the building. The system economically creates conditioned, partially conditioned, and unconditioned zones without visual separation. This approach improves workplace health and productivity while reducing construction costs. Classrooms, events, and exhibition spaces overlook these interconnected zones, extending the industrial process into public experience.

The revitalization of existing structures extends to the exterior, where the former boat ramp is transformed into a publicly accessible waterfront plaza and park. Because of the ramp’s thick concrete construction, selective interventions are used to activate the site. The ramp and concrete paths along the water’s edge are converted into a scenic walking trail, enhanced with lush, flood-resistant plantings. The centerpiece of the park is the “garden island,” a green and inviting gathering space. The park is irrigated with reclaimed rainwater collected and channeled from the surface of the ramp.

Project Team: Phu Hoang, Rachely Rotem, Chih-Ying Wong, Munyoung Lee, Margaux YoungCredits: Isoenv (Environmental Analysis)

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