Extreme Environments in Architecture

Jacqueline Yeung

2006-11-16T19:11:00.000Z

Hyperbolic Growth in Architecture

This architectural investigation is by borrowing the analogy of sea slug performance and growth organization to enhance the spatial inhabitation in a constraint limited dimension and to structure a programmatic response to site specification as well as redefining a sustainable urbanism both at micro and macro scale.

chain sequential reaction

sun - water - carbon dioxide - sea slug surface -> chemical reaction -> chloroplasts for food source -oxygen food source: from the sungetting food source: surfacesperformance: maximise the surface area for chemical reaction to produce chloroplasts as food source to sustain survival and growth. Hyperbolic Growth in architecture:

To be continued.......

Kazuhiro Murayama

2006-11-15T23:03:00.000Z

Unjoined Whole, or Organised Individuals

When a complex geometrical form is made up of a simple relationship of many similar elements, the relationship between the local geometry and the global one – the latter including the former – is critical. Such an organisation requires multidimensional observation.

The surface of a woven object is made up of separate threads, and intersecting lines make the surface here too, by functioning as reinforcement points in a loosely organised geometrical form. Adjusting the quantity and the positioning of the intersections, can create a certain geometry of local rigidification within the whole. This geometry, in turn, enables the whole to retain its overall form.

The structural potentials of such an organisation can be seen where both rigid and flexible factors come into play and assume a crucial role. The flexibility/rigidity of the whole structural system depends on the geometry, density and material performance of individual elements, as well as on their relationships.

Eda Yetis

2006-11-15T21:45:00.000Z

The euplectella deep sea glass sponge exhibits structural integrity at a global scale through an organised system of extremely fine glass threads, which are in turn composed of calcium silicate structures called spicules aranged in a composite aggregate system.

There is inherent variability within the system, with specific areas responding to localised conditions such as fastening to the sea bed, as well as exterior fins aiding lateral stability.

The potential for translation of this porous system, into a structurally supportive secondary skin, within an existing urban framework, exists for deployment in earthquake prone areas.

Kunwook Kang

2006-11-15T21:18:00.000Z

Hydro-Filtering Bi-Valve System

Corrurgated bi-valve system protected by hard skins enables to control the amount of water flow through it by horizontally opening and closing.

The incurrent and excurrent holes on corrugated soft skin followed by the shape of the hard skin defines the path of the water. When the system is in the position of opening, the amount of water flow through the inside of the system is controlled once more by movement of folded sufaces with a series of water canals, which filter substances from the water.

The variations in corrugation and folding within the system open up the possbility of controlling both local and global bebaviours of the system as well as surroudings.

Dan Marks

2006-11-15T19:29:00.000Z

Distributed Pod System

Macro organisation of the pods is based on voronoi diagrams - similar to the organisation/ packing of coral polyp colonies.

Each individual pod is connected to its neighbour via a connective membrane so that local variations in organisation will affect global configurations.

Tosin Oshinowo

2006-11-15T14:54:00.000Z

Adhesive Ripples
The exterior surface of flower pollen, Exine has a perfomative quality to adhere to other pollen and objects in aid of the male gamete to the female part of the flower. The configuration of the Exine of each pollen is intricately sculptured and species-specific. The species-specific configuration determines how efficient the Exine is in adhering the other objects.

The striations and grooves of the Erodium Cicutarium work as a system to allow the smallest surface area of contact to have the largest adhesion/linking of the Exines. This intelligent system guarantees a linking across the oblate Spherodial pollens and allows several connections of pollens and clustering.

The Exine acts collectively and individually in a system. The Exine works as a system of adhesion that deals with connecting two similar surfaces based on its configuration as opposed to a system where adhesion is created by the use of two different materials. The Exine’s responsibility is to protect the gamete and to adhere to other objects.

The configuration of the Exine surface can be adapted, where an increase in bends will proportionality increase adhesion/linking and reduction in bends will reduce adhesion. This organisation could be used to create linking and repletion in a spatial organisation dealing with the establishment of barriers and enforcements.

:: tOm :: 06.11.13 ::

2006-11-13T18:53:00.000Z

:: Voronoi Tessellation ::
Voronoi diagram, in geometrical terms, voronoi tessellation, is a definition of decomposition of a plane with a given set of n discrete points such that each tessellated polygon will have exact one point within, whereas the boundaries are the equidistance from every two adjecient points. research start with studyin leaf cells...
Formation of site points determine the outcome of voronoi tessellation, regular arragement certainly gives expected results. Experiements start from regualr formation, with simple deformation rules, e.g. polar array, alternate shifting... surprising result could be obtained. goal is set for simulation of chaotic formation in nature...
Beyond the 2D plane, 3D voronoi cells give highly efficient spatial packing in space. scripted in Rhino, with voronoi calculation from Qhull (http://www.qhull.org/), 3D voronoi experiement starts...
Paramters for test: formation, density, site points distance...

Toby Burgess

2006-11-08T14:31:00.000Z

Systemic surface sculpturing transitions and performative variation.
Chitin cuticles, the exterior surface of an insect's exoskeleton, respond to local performative criteria such as porosity, flexibility and strength, as well as highly specialised variations in extreme climates such as hydrophilic and hydrophobic patchwork surfaces as evidenced in Onymachris Onguicalaris.

These surfaces also operate on the global scale of the insects morphology with specific water harnessing and flow direction control mechanisms for efficient transport.

Graig Delany

2006-11-08T10:38:00.000Z

Arrayed Hydrostatic Segments

For linear arrays of like segments, the potential lies in the segment materiality and physical ability. If each segment is able to react to its local environment, while maintaining continuity then a relatively simple diagram can begin to have great variation. This continuity in the hydrostatic skeleton directs the arrayed segments in their response to local conditions.

So under no pressure the segments would all be similar in radius and width, but as compression is applied, the cells thicken, whereas when tension is applied they begin to reduce radius and grow in width. The advantage of this system is in its flexibility, such that within the same array, there can be many sequences and combinations of forces applied that have both local and global effects.

Erik Brett Jacobsen

2006-11-05T09:42:00.000Z

Loose-Fit Fillaments
The Fillament Body is a series of parameters that revolve around a central spline. On the most abstract level, the fillaments are constructed by tracing the control-vertices of a predetermined profile that moves along a spline. By changing variables of the profile and its relation to the spline, one can start to adapt the first level of complexity in the system.

The grouping of fillaments that relate to a particular spline is dubbed a “fillament body”. The second level of complexity in the system involves weaving splines together in order to create intersecting fillament bodies. At this stage, care is taken that none of the individual fillaments intersect. At this point, the system consists of several fillament bodies that weave together in a loose-fit system.

The behaviour of the organization is realized by imposing dynamic and behavioural qualities to the system such as time, gravity, friction, rigidity and flexibility. This removes the organization from the pure geometric (formal) realm into a speculation on the physical. The organization can adapt to a wide variety of forms through dynamic variables (time and gravity), but is constrained by the relationship between the woven fillament bodies and the physical quality of the fillaments (friction, rigidity and flexibility).

In order for the organization to take on different variations, it relies on a loosely fitted organization of fillaments. The loose fit is generated through spatial excess in the weaving procedure. The woven fillaments intentionally allows for “errors” and large gaps (in terms of conventional weaving) in the structural fabric of the organization, thus allowing for spatial excess and room for variation when subjecting the organization to dynamic forces.