REFRAMING PHRAGMITES: A Productive Landscape in Transition

Abstract

Reframing Phragmites challenges the perception of invasive species as mere ecological problems by positioning Phragmites australis as a resilient and productive agent within the Hudson River estuary. As it occupies a substantial portion of the estuary, its dominance is reframed not as a crisis but as a spatial imprint of anthropogenic processes—trade, infrastructure, and altered sediment regimes. Rather than pursuing restoration toward a static historical state, this thesis proposes a phased reconciliation, harnessing the plant’s inherent capacities to guide the transition toward a resilient, productive landscape. Operating across three scales, the design assigns value through use: at the planting scale, spatial configurations reshape human perception; at the site scale, harvested stalks form sediment-trapping floating islands; and at the regional scale, accumulated biomass fuels renewable energy. By capturing the value of an invasive species to build a functional, transitional landscape, this project serves as a precedent for engaging contested ecologies as dynamic systems to be redirected rather than eradicated.