Project by Lorennah Marianna (Granfors) + Kelsey Wang
Located on 125th and Lexington in East Harlem, this project thesis repositions Carbon from an invisible metric to a civic material of belief. Through a coordinated network of architectural “temples”—a cafe, a train station, and a literal church—digital tools, and public rituals—culminating in the Museum of Carbon—our project transforms carbon-negative bio-material construction into a public spectacle of shared cultural desire and practice. Research shows that it takes roughly 10% of a population to influence society. Carbon Temples leverages this dynamic by creating engaging interfaces and feedback loops through our digital tools that track carbon-negative behavior, visualize impact, reward participation, and make commitment public and perceivable, without putting the burden on the individual. By tapping into human desires for identity, status, community and ritual (rather than solely altruistic motivations), the project offers a strategy for transforming individual choices into a scalable cultural shift.
