Contact

This project was carried out as part of Alexandra Arènes’ post-doctoral work at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris from 2023 to 2024 for TERRA FORMA Equipex +, in the WP4 « Du savoir à l’Action », Gaïagraphies. With many thanks to the TERRA FORMA community, the OZCAR (Observatoires de la Zone Critique, Application et Recherche) and ZA (Zones Ateliers) networks, for access to the observatories and their collaboration throughout the process.

Alexandra is a graduate architect from ENSAG (2008), Sciencespo (SPEAP 2016), and Doctor of Architecture (University of Manchester, 2022). Her research and practice focus on understanding and visualizing landscapes in the face of climate change at S.O.C and Shaā, atelier for architecture and urbanism. In partnership with scientists of the Critical Zone, she develops cartographies of the Earth’s cycles: Gaïagraphie. She is co-author of “Terra Forma, a book of specualtive maps”, MIT, 2022 (French version B42, 2029), and author of “Gaïagraphie, carnet d’exploration de la zone critique”, B42, 2024.

As co-author of the book « Terra Forma, manuel de cartographies potentielles« , which inspired the title and concept of the Equipex project, Alexandra produced maps of observatories based on the new viewpoints offered by sensors (Gaïagraphies). These maps are based on a « critical zone » frame of reference, and aim to help us better situate ourselves in complex, dynamic environments – water circulation, erosion and chemical alteration of rocks and soils – and populated by living organisms, microorganisms in underground environments, and so on.

These maps, intended for the network’s researchers and the general public, are based on information collected in the field by the observatories and the TERRA FORMA network: visits, interviews with scientists, making up a heterogeneous and qualitative data set from which the maps are produced. 

Since the start of the project, three maps of the pilot observatories have been created, along with sensor data sheets to help us visualize the phenomena they detect. This increase in the number of sensors corresponds to a desire to increase the number and quality of possible relationships with natural entities.