A BRIDGE FOR NYMPHS, 2021

︎ Class: Sanctuary, Advanced Studio
︎ Typology: Master Plan, Civic
︎ Location: Bay Bridge, San Francisco, CA
︎ Team: David Rico-Gomez, Eve Tobey

WHERE WILL OUR FOOD COME FROM IN 2121?

Bridge of Nymphs speculates about the future of food production in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2121, the climate catastrophe will have rendered traditional agricultural methods obsolete. Only small parts of the country have suitable conditions for crops, and water shortages make it impossible for livestock production to continue at the scale we know today. Lab-grown meats and “impossible-style” soy-based meat substitutes become the dominant choice of protein for the masses.

The Bridge of Nymphs is a farming experiment sited on the remnants of the San Francisco Bay Bridge. It serves as the breeding grounds for a colony of periodical cicadas, introduced to the Bay Areas moist and mild climate. These cicadas are a new type of livestock, and every 13 years, people from around the world make the pilgrimmage to the bridge to taste this rare protein.

The main structure is made of a synthetic bark, which the cicadas lay their eggs and burrow into while in their nymphal state. When they emerge as adults, the caretakers of the bridge are ready to operate the harvesting nets and begin to produce food for all the visitors. When the festival is over and the cicada colony has laid new eggs, the bridge returns to a more dormant state for another 13 years.

Work

David Rico-Gomez

Information

Work

David Rico-Gomez

Information