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Chesapeake Cultures Lab
Client: Elizabeth Wilkins + Jacque Von Montfrans

3,500 sf :: unbuilt

Located near the Mobjack Bay and the Chesapeake Bay on
Virginia's Northern Neck Peninsula, this seawater testing facility
in a VE10 flood zone is carefully sited to accomodate the
facility's water intake requirements and withstand the storm
surge conditions of this flood zone site. This building is
elevated 8ft above grade and designed to withstand severe
flood conditions without interference to its operations. Loading/
unloading requirements for the tanks, materials, and deliveries
is accomodated through a raised and retained portion of the
site to allow vehicular access. Additional outdoor platforms in-
line with the finish floor of the main building are designed to
allow connection from indoors to outdoors for those activities
that require close proximity to one another.

The Chesapeake Bay is the conduit of life for the tenants of
this building. Chesapeake Cultures is a business which farms
and trades water quality testing animals such as mysids,
leptocheirus and fatheads. The simple yet classic building forms
allow the buildings compatibility in this humble waterman
community. Low maintenance and non-corrosive building
products provide longevity and sustainability.