Reading Ground: The language of a living landscape Part 2 Project 2025 Aoife Sheridan University College Dublin | Ireland Reading Ground is an off-grid educational space set within the intertidal wetlands of the Broad Lough in County Wicklow.Designed for children, the project encourages ecological learning through direct contact with the landscape. With no road access, the site is reached only by foot or boat, and the building is raised lightly above the mudflats using low-tech foundations inspired by Irish crannógs and Venetian piling techniques.The design uses local, low-impact materials such as alder, quartzite and sheepswool insulation, as well passive systems for heating, cooling, and ventilation. Spaces are arranged to follow natural cycles of water and light, drawing from the Cistercian lavabo sequence to choreograph movement from compost toilets to reed-bed filtration and out to the lake.Each room frames a specific view, connecting daily activities of washing, cooking and learning with the rhythms of the site. Composting, rainwater harvesting and grey water reuse are part of the building’s everyday function and offer visible, tangible and therefore, teachable moments.This project explores how architecture can engage people more deeply with place by using careful construction, low- tech systems and sensory experience to foster awareness, responsibility and care for the fragile ecologies we inhabit. Tutor(s)