Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

CHEONGNA CITY TOWER COMPETITION


THIS IS AN ENTRY BY EMERGENT ARCHITECTURE FIRM FOR THE CHEONGNA CITY TOWER IN KOREA.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Biomimicry

Biomimicry
-Inspiration for transforming the principles of nature into successful design or science that studies nature's models and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human scale needs and issues.

It is a thought process that involves what we can LEARN from nature, not EXTRACT from. It should then obey the laws and principles of nature, if not all then at least a few.
-runs on sunlight
-uses only energy it needs
-fits form to function
-recycles
-rewards cooperation
-banks on diversity
-demands local expertise
-curbs excess from within
-taps the power of limits

Earth's Paradigms
Agricultural Revolution>Scientific Rev>Industrial Rev>Petrochemical & Genetic Rev (which Biomimicry falls under)

Biomimicry can occur on several levels large and small scales. Either at a mid range to small animal scale or even at a molecular level. In many cases pattern can be observed at both. For example, a fish's repetitive scales, a shell's spiralling shape, etc. An example of this science unrelated to architecture is can be as simple as observing burrs stuck in an animals fur and creating velcro. An example of how we can learn from a molecular model is the abalone. Under an electron microscope it appears to be a black and white relief and is an intricate crystaline structure that allows the shell to shrug off stress. Up close the shinny swiveling interior of the shell is composed of millions of hexagonal disks of calcium carbonate stacked in a brick wall motif. Between the "bricks" is a narrow "mortar" of squishy polymer. The polymer acts like a thin smear of chewing gum that stretches ligamentlike when the disks are pulled apart and it slides and oozes in response to head on stress. If a crack occurs the "brick wall" pattern forces a crack to follow a tortuous path stopping it in its tracks. The material appears to be cermamic in appearance and hardness but deforms under stress like metal. The Hex disks are twinned and mirrored forms of each other repeated in a perfect geometric pattern. The grains within each domain are also twinned, showing mathematical repitition and beauty that characterizes form. Essentially, the structure grants function.

Recently i found an atopsy report of a pygmy right whale on its rib structure. Its rib structure changes gradually from normal separated ribs to flattened overlapping ones. The regular ribs allow them to move as the animal breathes and accomodates changes in volume that occur as the air is compressed by water pressure when the whale dives through deep water. The flat ribs don't have as much space between them and overlap giving the animal increased stiffness and advantages in the way them swim.

How can this be applied architecturally?

The abalone for one is an examples where studying it can be applied possibly to large and small scales alike. The material properties of its interior shell are remarkable. Harder than ceramics and behavior like steel only at a fraction of the weight. Perhaps a new type of structural material? On a larger scale this repetitive pattern of geometric shapes and a polymer like replacement could become a buildings exterior skin and its main structural system much like a monooch structure.

Food for thought hope this has been helpful.

-Hunter