ARCH 672 Propositions Studio
Design Project
Aether Ground Canopy
fictional farm/circus hybridization proposal
“the aero, the ground”
original by Camille Pissarro.
title: Haymaking at Éragny. 1892
proposal set of interest/focus:
stationary vs. transient
efficient farming
circus nature & characteristic
aviation standard/kind
migratory bird patterns
function species
large_scale industry production
experience of viewership
brief intro for the proposal:
In this design work, I challenge the view of framing as fixed-location, periodic actions. Inspired by circuses' touring, bird migration, and flight routing, I propose moving farmland through the air, always in ideal climates, enabling year-round farming. I then explore a hybrid model combining farms with large airborne vehicles, inspired by research on large aircraft. This aircraft system will operate like a circus and a fleet, constantly traveling and performing, with farming equipment integrated into circus roles. Later, I considered the system's production and operational processes, which aligned with my interest in large-scale industrial production. To visualize all these concepts, I created renderings from a viewer's perspective, imagining witnessing the aerial farm circus in action.
“aether chronos”
ground image generated by MidJourney.
prompt: “farm land with gradient transition of four seasons”.
Dec 2025
We tend to think of agriculture and farming activities as fixed-location, periodic practices. Limited by factors such as time, weather, and crops, a piece of land can only produce a certain yield within specific seasons and conditions each year. The desire to overturn this perception, combined with an interest in integrating studio theme, circus, and carnival elements, is my starting point.
“aero nav_112508272025”
In my early research, I noticed that migratory bird patterns, modern flight maps, and circuses' itinerant nature all align with my design goals. Inspired by circuses' touring, bird migration, and flight routing, I develop my proposal with an operational framework that moves farmland through the air, always staying in ideal climates for crops, enabling year-round, 365-day farming.
“fleet flyer”
After establishing this framework, I examined traditional large aircraft and defined a hybrid agricultural model combining farms with large airborne vehicles. Inspired by circus caravans and actual fleets with different species, I designed my traveling agriculture as an aerial fleet of diverse-species aircraft, each serving a specific function.
“canopied from cornfield”
Simultaneously, driven by my interest in large-scale industrial production, I also considered the production and operational processes of the airborne agricultural system. The fleets would be constructed from the farming field and take off after completion. Post-construction action would leave some holes in the ground, which could be used for other forms of temporary farming, and reversed as future maintenance docks for the flying fleets.
“site_construct_scene.1”
“site_construct_scene.2”
“site_construct_scene.3”
“site_construct_scene.4”
“a unman circus performance”
“observation deck_suspended harvest”
“feast of harvesting”
My vision for this fleet is that it would resemble a "circus," stopping at various locations to perform agricultural acts that would translate into a circus show for audiences. After harvests, celebrations like carnivals and communal feasts would occur. While developing this concept, I aimed to merge agricultural tools, circus characters, and performance types.
“visitor photo_01_field”
“visitor photo_02_lab”
I also try to envision my design from a viewer's perspective during the visualization process, imagining witnessing the aerial agricultural circus fleet in action and experiencing farming and performance as intertwined spectacles to convey its essence.
a digital construct for the proposal
a still frame
a puppet show of the aero farm play
a performance on stage
early work documentation