Architecture for Guerillas

Boo!

2011-10-27T11:52:00.001-04:00

The Splendor of Excess

2011-10-26T20:40:00.010-04:00

Metalmorphosis by David Černý. Photographs by Flickr user Rick_28105.

What a splendid waste! Metalmorphosis is a 7.6m tall animated sculpture by Czech artist David Černý. The fountain, which is 14 tons of rotating stainless steel plates, adorns the courtyard of a corporate center in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. As a sculpture, it is a work of artistic and mechanical wonder. The head of the any-man slowly rotates in and out of existence - a thousand pieces in all directions - a confused mind in pure blinged-out ignorant bliss. It's powered by internal motors which are controlled by the artist via internet link. You can watch a live webcam of the fountain here. Metalmorphosis is an artistic statement in engineering that kinetic buildings and other large-scale public objects could become commonplace. The many potential applications limited only by doubt.

As a symbol, it excels even that of it's engineering. The shear size and materiality of the sculpture renders it visually and physically grand. It's familiar form and incorporation of water make it feel playful and whimsical. A grand statement for any successful corporation, indeed. However, rotating in it's Sisyphean glory, the continuous rotation and flow of water belies it's own inherent imagery of excess. What could possibly be a better symbol of waste than one spitting out water in perpetuity? It is, at once, a grand gesture of accomplishment and the spoils that come along with it.

Seen on DesignBoom and Colossal.

Mediated Matter - Neri Oxman at Greenbuild Toronto

2011-10-17T12:10:00.010-04:00

Neri Oxman, who directs the Mediated Matter research group at the MIT Media Lab, recently spoke at Greenbuild 2011 in Toronto. The group studies the naturally occurring relationship between structure and function within the natural environment, and how digital fabrication technologies can shape the way synthetic materials are developed. What is the natural material logic? Once we understand the natural logic of a material and how it relates to the function and response of the macro-structure, how can we translate this material logic to built form?

In her presentation, Oxman discussed a fundamental difference between the way natural materials are generated and the way in which we "build". When we construct objects today, we use a component-based design logic. Each element within the object is a distinct layer with a separate function. A typical wall section might include vertical and horizontal structural elements for support, layers of sheathing and barriers for containment, insulation for temperature mitigation, and glazing for visibility and aesthetics. In this approach, various layers are assembled to produce a "functioning" element. This is where Oxman sees a fundamental flaw in the design process.

In nature, form is dictated by a combination of structure and environmental performance. Rather than "separation and distribution", natural materials are derived from "continuity and distribution". Plants are composed of one type of material, but utilize different genetic variations to respond to different needs. Bone is also a naturally occurring material that develops with different densities depending on where they are located and what function they accommodate. Bone is able to directly respond to changes in it's environment. The bone structure in pregnant women is known to grow more dense to accommodate the additional weight, whereas bone that spends time in the gravity-free environment of space tends to grow less dense.

It is this distinction in assembly and response that Oxman sees as the future of material technology. She envisions a future where materials are designed to modify themselves in response to external factors. Building skins are able to modulate themselves in response to the micro-climate. In the next 100 years, she sees the rise of bio-fabrication and construction in which material distribution and density are controlled by use at a micro-scale. Structure is fluid - strong and stiff where necessary, flexible and light where not. In the next 1000 years, Oxman is even more progressive, extolling the possibility of genetic construction where materials and structures are "grown".

Of Buildings and Time

2011-08-07T19:14:00.017-04:00

Image via SciFiReality.

The earth is big. But amazingly, it's scale is still small enough for us to visibly measure its impact on our practice and understanding of events. From the beginning of our existence, most of our actions have revolved around the rising and setting of the sun. Tall buildings may introduce a strange new paradox to our experience of time and routine.

Time is a very tricky thing in theory, but it also gives us a simple, equitable way to mark out the actions of our lives. Routines are developed around regular time periods - breakfast in the morning, work during the day, sleep at night. Routines tied to time occur over all intervals. Many religions promote regular acts of faith that occur periodically over longer lengths of time.

Ramadan, for instance, is an Islamic holy month, in which practicing Muslims spend that time fasting and promoting spiritual betterment. Many Muslims fast during the day and do not eat or drink from dawn until after sunset. After sunset, families traditionally break fast in a meal called the Iftar.

A cleric from Dubai suggests that people living in the upper floors of the Burj Khalifa - the worlds tallest building at 828 meters tall - should fast longer owing to the fact that the sun sets later according to the vantage of the upper floors.

Burj Khalifa. Image: Hadrian Hernandez/Gulf News

Per the BBC,

"...Dubai cleric, Mohammed al-Qubaisi, has been quoted as saying that people living above the 80th floor should fast for an extra two minutes, while those on the 150th floor and higher should wait for three more minutes before eating or drinking."

Therefor, a person fasting at the ground level of the Burj Khalifa will be able to break fast three minutes prior to one fasting at the top floor - say 8:57pm as compared to 9:00pm. Given that the two individuals at fast exist in the same moment of time, the building's immense geometry has allowed it to physically span our combined perception of time by allowing a routine to exist simultaneously in two states, daytime at one end of the structure, and nighttime at the other. There is precedent, however. The earth's rotation causes day and night to exist simultaneously in time, as well as localized differences in day and night at mountains, but those are natural occurrences. The Burj Khalifa may be the first example of a human-made structure impacting our time-based routines at the scale of the earth itself.

Time Dilation.

Is a tall building a form of time travel? Not really - it's more of a time-bender. But at certain heights it can alter our perception of it. The experience of day and night, as interrupted by our built environment. As the scale and complexity of our creations grow, the implications of their physical nature will continue to generate and inspire unforeseen consequences.

Of Bridges, Counterfiet Money, and International Relations

2011-07-19T20:32:00.010-04:00

The Ponte Vecchio. Photo by Flickr user Stevehdc.

The bridge has long been both a physical and symbolic construction of positive connectivity. The theory goes that a bridge connects two distinct areas by spanning some obstacle, be it physical or metaphysical. The bridge as structure stands particularly noble when connecting nations. It's materiality promoting development, commerce, and, at it's most basic, trust.

1000 AFRO Note by BIG.

1000 Euro Note by BIG.

BIG, The Bjarke Ingles Group, has designed a series of monetary notes consisting of a 1000 Euro Note and a new corresponding 1000 AFRO Note, in an effort to promote a "United African Currency". Both banknotes graphically portray a proposed bridge that would span from Africa to Europe via the Strait of Gibraltar. The bridge, massive in scale, would provide commercial development, residential property, and other public functions as well as the typical modes of transport. According to BIG:

The bridge is conceived as an inhabited overpass uniting Euro-African typologies—such as Firenze’s Ponte Vecchio and Le Corbusier's Obus Plan for Algiers—into an intercontinental hybrid of city and infrastructure. The investment in concrete and steel doubles as load-bearing structure for living and working spaces for the many immigrants anticipated over the next decades, and will help establish the bridge itself as a bicontinental city in its own right.

The Strait of Gibraltar as seen from space. Photo via NASA.

The bridge is materialized space that attempts to connect two landmasses with physical infrastructure but also to stimulate economy and relations. Because of this, it is ironic and somehow just, that real money would be the perfect medium to convey and promote such a project. The structure represents a real connection between Europe and Africa, which in turn, promises increased movement, commerce, and their effects. Both sides are guaranteed a double-edged sword, experiencing both the benefits and headaches of this improved connection. But in the end, new and ever-evolving economies and relationships could be forged by the bridge - an ambitious, yet honest physical structure.

Seen first on BLDG BLOG.

Wear Your Grass on Your Sleeve

2011-06-28T20:32:00.017-04:00

Grass Skin Rug by earthwormstudio.

It's like a bear skin rug - without the bear. Hopefully the bear left behind is out there somewhere, being a bear. Instead, curl up and watch your favorite movies on a nice piece of the countryside. The right patch of grass can be downright comfortable and even adds a great splash of green to any naturally day-lit room. And why stop there? Strike a pose in your best Grass Yeti suit.

Yeti, by Misstika at Figment Festival in New York. Seen on Wooster Collective.

The grass family is one of the most abundant plant forms on earth. It is important in every ecosystem it inhabits - providing a vital energy source to the food chain around it. It also helps to filter rainwater into the soil below and even holds the top layer of earth in place. And it's entirely renewable for the cultavatively curious. Why wouldn't you want some grass walls, floors or clothes?

"Calm down. Stroke the furry wall."

Get Him to the Greek

How Tall is Too Tall

2011-06-19T21:02:00.017-04:00

Photograph by Declan McCullagh Photography.

We often say that we should follow the biological examples set forth by nature when we design. But what happens when our ambitions are greater than the limits of natural design? Take the height of a tree for example - in many cases, the taller the tree, the more energy it can harvest. Since trees naturally grow close to one another, they need to grow vertically to reach the sun amidst it's neighbors. The taller the tree grows, the more access to life-giving sunlight it has. However, any successful quest for the sun would surely be folly - and nature knows it. At the upper limits of a trees structural and functional capacity there is a point where the need for more height becomes obsolete. Growing taller would mean too much energy is invested in moving water from the roots to the upper branches and leaves. The quest for height is counteracted by the physical limits of the trees natural capabilities and thus, an upper limit is reached.

Coastal Redwoods via Coastal Care.

The tallest tree now generally accepted as the tallest living is a 379.1 ft (115.56 m) Coast Redwood in Redwood National Park, California. The height of the Coast Redwood Tree is within the upper limits of a trees natural boundary. Any taller, and the energy required to function would be too great to validate it's successful existence. What are the upper limits of buildings?

The Burj Khalifa.

The tallest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE. It measures 2,717 ft (828 m) tall. The building, designed by Skidmore Owings Merrill, is undeniably a marvel of modern design and construction. The sheer enormity of the structural, mechanical, and planning needs of a building this tall alone warrant it's status as one of humankinds greatest achievements. The structural system of the building was an elegant solution to excessive height. According to Gulf News:

"To support the unprecedented height of the building, the engineers developed a new structural system called the ‘buttressed core', which consists of a hexagonal core reinforced by three buttresses that form the ‘Y' shape. This structural system enables the building to support itself laterally and keeps it from twisting."

The strength of this revolutionary system allowed the engineers to add more floors than building was originally designed for. The building will apparently also use solar power to heat 140,000 litres of water a day for use in residential and commercial use in the tower. However, the building still consumes a massive amount of resources to operate. Consider the comparison by The Red White and Green:

Water: Around 250,000 gallons of water a day
Electricity: At peak times, roughly 40,000 kilowatts — the equivalent of 500,000 100-watt light bulbs burning at the same time
Raw materials: Nearly 40,000 tons of steel — enough to stretch a quarter of the way around the earth if laid end to end
Wasted space: The upper 30+ floors are so tiny, they can only be used for storage.

The building is an enormous achievement of excess. Beautiful and terrifying.

But can they become bigger without some type of radical new technology? Can a building of that size exist without consuming more than it takes to operate? Give back even?

The Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

A building twice the size of the Burj Khalifa boasts of the idea of reaching for the gods - a true Tower of Babel. A feat that surely will be attempted, and probably even achieved some day. But like the tree before it, will it do something for humanity, the earth, or for something else altogether - our ego and physically awe-inspiring proof of our dominion over this planet. Will the world be better with it, than without it? That's what nature knows. and is trying to tell us. It only allows for something to exist when that something is a both a benefit to itself and everything else around it.

Inspired by What is a Tree's Maximum Possible Height as seen on i09.

Of Bricks and Bacteria

2011-06-14T12:39:00.008-04:00

On average, the kiln-drying process for one brick emits 1.3 pounds of carbon dioxide. Every year, 1.23 trillion bricks are made around the world. The environmental pollution associated with this process totals more than that of all aviation pollution worldwide. Fire-kilned brick has been around for over 5000 years, making it one of the oldest - if not the oldest - manufactured building material in the world. Introduced to the world by the Romans, the technology surrounding brick has changed little over that span. However, as manufacturing and technology increases, the environmental impact of the material is being unearthed. The traditional method has never changed because there was no reason to change it. Now there is. And now you can grow a brick.

Ginger Krieg Dosier, 24 year-old architecture professor with a passion for microbiology, and chemistry, and winner of the Build a Better Brick competition sponsored by Metropolis, has invented a brick manufacturing process that works sans heat. According to Bustler:

"Dosier's process replaces baking with simple mixing, and because it is low-tech (apart from the production of the bacterial activate), can be done onsite in localities without modern infrastructure. The process uses no heat at all: mixing sand and non-pathogenic bacteria (sporosar) and putting the mixture into molds. The bacteria induce calcite precipitation in the sand and yield bricks with sandstone-like properties."

The brick represents a twofold advantage over the traditional methods of kiln-firing. First, the environmental impact. By replacing the most environmentally damaging part of the manufacturing process - the firing - the process is rendered almost entirely natural. The brick relies on the active ingredients to produce chemical reactions to achieve the brick's hardness and strength. Second, again by replacing the firing process, the physical infrastructure required to manufacture the brick has been reduced. Without the need for large firing kilns, the process becomes much more suited to rural and developing areas where a manufacturing operation can be set up quickly, on site and local, and without permanent structures or facilities.

See the whole process of making a brick here at Metropolis.
As a type of unit masonry, the brick lends itself to small-scale and mass production. However, the idea of growing structural components is intriguing. Could the scale be increased, and entire building structures be grown organically from the ground up? Moreover, if the active ingredients were designed to not just activate, but multiply, could we see structures grown with the precision typically reserved for Mother Nature? Strength where required, and lightness where it is not. This would relate very well to the theories of Neri Oxman and iGem Synthetic Biology.

Seen on I09, Bustler, and Metropolis.

The Library as Vending Machine

2011-05-16T12:35:00.004-04:00

There is something mysterious and exciting about walking down a dark narrow library aisle - the stacks closing in over top of you, the dusty smell of aging paper, and the possibility of stumbling upon a book you never even knew existed. This is the experience of silently wandering through countless libraries all over the world. Unfortunately, this experience is also at odds with the fast-paced immediate retrieval experience that is the digital age we find ourselves in currently. Starting your search may be as easy as typing in the broadest definition of the topic, and result in countless digital paths of inquiry - akin to browsing through dusty stacks as organized by Dewey. However, if you know exactly what you are looking for, the ability to narrow down feedback results can be as precise as you can type. Results can be almost immediate - and all from the comfort of your home computer or mobile device. This is the wonder and detachment of the internet and digital information.

The new Joe and Rika Mansueto Library at the University of Chicago has bridged the gap between physical records and digital accessibility with it's "Automated Storage and Retrieval System" that "takes inspiration from commercial inventory techniques". The books and manuscripts are stored in special preservation-condition bins and bar-coded so that the system knows exactly where to send it's robotic retrieval arms for delivery. The user short-circuits the traditional method of library searching, and instead, is greeted by the worlds largest vending machine. Instead of Honeybuns and Cheetos's, pressing B5 will bring you Shakespeare and Darwin.

The technology is indeed highly sophisticated and brings a new level of organization and ease to a process once fraught with uncertainty and confusion. The search for information has become more direct and efficient, however, gone are the days of exploration and tangential discoveries that often lead to new avenues of research. The Joe and Rika Mansueto Library uses an online catalog that allows users to digitally "search" the library holdings. It would be interesting to know if a certain amount of "randomness" could be built into this search so users are given several options to branch out their search. The catalog could have a built-in "I'm Feeling Lucky" function similar to Google's Search Engine, or even a recommendation function similar to Amazon's "User Who Searched for This Product Also Searched For..."

Seen on Gizmodo.
Video via University of Chicago

Of Robots and Clouds

2011-03-28T12:13:00.009-04:00

In the summer of 2022, Qatar, a small country on the Arabian Peninsula will host the FIFA World Cup. In the summer of 2022, temperatures are expected to reach, as they do now, up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (50 C). FIFPro, the global football players union stated that temperature extremes such as this "...[do] not provide suitable conditions for a festival of football such as the World Cup". FIFA officials initially stated that the tournament, which is historically played in the summer months of June and July, would be moved to the winter months, but have since stated it would go on as planned during the summer.

Qatar engineers plan to air-condition the host stadiums through energy collected from solar arrays to combat the excessive heat, but also have a new trick up their sleeve: Robotic Clouds. According to a video clip on BBC, The "clouds", constructed of lightweight, inflatable materials, driven by four turbine engines are powered by integrated solar collectors and would be remote controlled to follow the path of the sun, thus "shielding it from direct sunlight and providing a favorable climatic environment" for the stadium.

This robotic cloud may be part of the natural evolution of the "Goodyear Blimp" phenomenon, which began in 1925 as a platform for advertisement and eventually the television and video broadcasting of sports events. Add to this technology the ability to create remote controlled micro-climates, and a new breed of airships is born. One where, as BLDG BLOG notes "the next step in temporary event architecture will be a remote-controlled swarm of rearrangeable horizontal and vertical surfaces, forming ceilings, roofs, walls, floors, ramps, and stairways."

The idea of a technology enabling users the power to control their environment is not a new one, but is still an extremely powerful one. One can easily imagine entire fleets being used to alter entire environments, programmed to mimic the circadian rhythms of far-off regions to enable agricultural production until now rendered impossible due to harsh climates. Or conversely, in a dystopic realization of the technology, climate warfare where fleets of robotic clouds are positioned to disrupt agriculture and other physical and social benefits of the sun.

I am reminded of a scene from the recent The Simpson's Movie where helpless Springfielder's stand trapped under a dome and watch a live feed from their captor on a huge video screen above...

Seen on BLDG BLOG and the BBC.

Nature in Architecture by Michael Pawlyn

2011-02-21T12:44:00.005-05:00

In this TED Talk, designer Michael Pawlyn of Exploration discusses the advantages of biomimicry for the future of architecture and design. Pawlyn begins by citing a few examples of nature's own inventive ways of adapting to specific climate needs and indeed, makes a very clever analogy out of this evolutionary advantage:

"You could look at nature as being a catalog of product's and all of those have benefited from a 3.8 billion year research and development period, and given that length of investment, it kind of makes sense to use it."

Throughout the talk, Pawlyn uses examples of existing technologies and projects that learn from nature's example and use bio-mimicry to solve what he sees as the three necessary steps to becoming truly sustainable:

1. Radical increases in resource efficiency
2. Linear to closed loop systems
3. Fossil fuel economy to solar economy

Perhaps the most intriguing indictment against us is expressed in Pawlyns second step - the comparison of our current method of resource use versus the way nature does. Our current mode of design, consists of extracting resources, turning them into "short-life products", and then disposing of them. However, this contrasts greatly with the way nature uses resources. In the natural model, everything that is created is used, - the waste generated in one system, is used for energy in another. By altering our current mode of design to a "systems" model, we are able to add value to waste, which is currently now a completely negative by-product.

Video via TED.
Seen on ArchDaily.

Buckyball Distraction

2011-01-06T23:34:00.004-05:00

Kowloon Walled City

2011-01-03T23:39:00.007-05:00

Kowloon Walled City was an urban Chinese island in the British-owned territory of Kowloon, Hong Kong characterized by it's incredible density, labyrinthine structure, and social make-up of pimps, gangsters, and opium dens. Founded as a Chinese outpost in 920 AD, the city was condemned to demolition in 1987 by the government of Hong Kong. It was demolished in 1993 after a six-year eviction process of it's residents. The city-within-a-city became notorious for it's reputation as an urban construction of hell-on-earth and indeed became a walled zone where most people could not enter without a high possibility of incident.

In 1993, prior to demolition, a team of Japanese researchers was allowed to map the interior of the settlement and produced these colorful section diagrams showing both the social and sectional topography. The tangle of activities and spaces show an existence of incredible complexity and spatial relationshio to the inhabitants surroundings. However, as frantic and limitless as the graphic seems, it stands to reason that the true experience of the space was even more extraordinary than illustrated.

Seen on deconcrete. Aerial image copyright Ian Lambot via ArchDaily. Graphics courtesy of Zoohaus.

Ice-Nine, Or How to Grow Concrete from Bacteria

2010-11-29T21:30:00.008-05:00

In Kurt Vonnegut's 1963 satirical novel Cat's Cradle, the protagonist follows the trail of a brilliant researcher's children who hold with them ice-nine - a chemical invention small enough to be carried under the fingernail, but potent enough to freeze all water on earth solid. The element is described as a "seed" that alters the atomic composition of liquid:

"There are several ways", Dr. Breed said to me, "in which certain liquids can crystallize - can freeze - several ways in which their atoms can stack and lock in an orderly, rigid way." That old man with spotted hands invited me to think of several ways in which cannonballs might be stacked on a courthouse lawn, of the several ways in which oranges might be packed into a crate. "So it is with crystals, too; and two different crystals of the same substance can have quite different physical properties."

He goes on to describe the stacking process:

The theoretical villain, however, was what Dr. Breed called "a seed". He meant by that a tiny grain of the undesired crystal pattern. The seed, which had come from God-only-knows-where, taught the atoms the novel way in which to stack and lock, to crystallize, to freeze. "Now think about cannonballs on a courthouse lawn, or about oranges in a crate again", he suggested. And he helped me to see that the pattern of the bottom layer of cannonballs or of oranges determined how each subsequent layer would stack and lock. "The bottom layer is the seed of how every cannonball or every orange that comes after is going to behave, even to an infinite number of cannonballs or oranges."

And of course, the prolific advantages are described alongside the horrific consequences:

And that old man asked me to think of United States Marines in a Godforsaken swamp. "Their trucks and tanks are wallowing", he complained, "sinking in stinking miasma and ooze." He raised a finger and winked at me. "But suppose, young man, that one Marine had with him a tiny capsule containing a seed of ice-nine, a new way for the atoms of water to stack and lock, to freeze. If that Marine threw that seed into the nearest puddle...?" "The puddle would freeze?", I guessed. "And all the muck around the puddle?" "It would freeze?" "And all the puddles in the frozen muck?" "They would freeze?" "And the pools and the streams in the frozen muck?" 'They would freeze?"

In 1963, Vonnegut pondered both the possibilities and the dangers of such technology through dark humor, the absurd, and the profane in this story of invention and the human hands that guide it. In 2010, however, the potency of this allegory is all to familiar as science, theory, and invention is constantly redefining the ability of humans to solve problems.

For the annual iGem synthetic biology contest, a group of students at Newcastle University have engineered BacillaFilla - a type of bacteria that, once inserted into a concrete crack with the proper growing media, will germinate and produce a "mixture of calcium carbonate, levan glue and filamentous cells" that will densify and "activate concrete repair". Eerily, the scientific name for the compound is called Bacillus Subtillus 168. According to the team:

BacillaFilla repairs concrete by producing a mixture of calcium carbonate, levan glue and filamentous cells in the cracks. Once we have applied BacillaFilla spores onto the concrete surface, they will start germinating in the presence of media. Once the cells have germinated, they will start to swarm down the crack. At the bottom of the crack when they reach a high density, they will use subtilin quorum sensing to activate concrete repair. BacillaFilla repairs concrete by 3 different processes:
1. Some of the cells with produce calcium carbonate crystals,
2. Some of the cells will become filamentous thereby acting as reinforcing fibres in the crack and
3. All the cells will produce Levans glue which acts as a binding agent and at the same time it fills up the whole crack.

Interestingly, the bacteria only work through a swarming process whereby the bacteria propel themselves to reach the point of germination. Also, almost in a pre-meditated response to detractors and grey-goo fear-mongers, the team has implemented a genetic "kill-switch" to stop the spread of bacteria.
Of course, the ability to repair concrete from within is as exciting as the potential for a runaway concrete-producing super-bacteria is alarming. Material technologies such as this blur the lines between natural phenomena and synthetic architecture, border on Utopian ideals and science-fictional dystopias, and represent bold new ideas in research and development.

Images via TeamNewcastle and Newcastle University. Seen on i09.

A View of the Pakistan Floods

2010-08-21T22:50:00.006-04:00

The Indus River Watershed on August 18th, 2010.

The Indus River Watershed on August 13th, 2001.

The beautiful imagery of this satellite image belies the terrible ongoing event that is causing it. The flooding in northern Pakistan started in mid-July when monsoon rains exceeded expectations and overwhelmed an already overstressed watershed of the Indus River. Since then, the region's population of over 15 million have been terribly affected - millions homeless, over 1,500 people dead, and most with little or no access to proper shelter, sanitation, food, or health care. Extent of flooding graphic via The NYT

The situation is expected to worsen, as more rains are expected in the coming weeks.

There are many ways to get involved. Donate time, money, or expertise to aid organizations or local communities. Spread the word about the event to friends and family. UNICEF has made clean drinking water and food to be priorities among aid divisions. Donate via UNICEF here. The Red Cross lists shelter and medical aid as a major concern for immediate relief needs. Donate to the American Red Cross here. The Huffington Post has also assembled a more extensive list of ways to help here.

Images via NASA Earth Observatory.

LIVE BLOG - Promoting Green Building Rating Systems in Africa - 2015 Goals

2010-05-13T20:27:00.005-04:00

2015 Goals

In the final day of the conference, there were several things left to do. Previously, the group spent two days engaged in discussions and brainstorming sessions. By the third day, it was evident that everyone in the room had a lot of ideas about how to move forward. There were three overarching conference goals:

1. Make commitments, develop elements of a strategy, and create a road-map for achieving those goals.
2. Develop an outline for a continental network supporting the sustainable building industry and professionals, and for assistance in establishing green building councils.
3. Provide recommendations to UN-Habitat on how this can be achieved.

Each country represented at the conference was asked what their specific goals were for the year 2015. The following are individual country goals for 2015:

Uganda: Written green building guidelines for different environmental regions in country.
Nigeria: Establish a GBC. Complete an example building (pilot project).
Tanzania: Integrate green building (re-integrate traditional sustainable building techniques) into codes. Pilot projects for schools, healthcare/clinics, and commnity centers for public awareness. Financial system in place w/industry support.
Malawi: Environmental curriculum in schools (all levels).
Gambia: Sustainable design guidelines.
Cameroon: Grass-roots awareness campaigns at the local level.
Zambia: Implement a GBC and get government commited to green building.
South Africa: Integrate social aspects into rating systems.
Ghana: Involve government and private sector into GBC development.
Ethiopia: Worldwide sharing of knowledge and goals (networking).
Morocco: Complete a pilot project in each sector.
Burkina Faso: Promote traditional methods of green building and integrate into codes/regulations. Create GBC and green building guidelines.
Egypt: Mandate zero-emission codes.
Chad: Develope institutional framework for GBC at a local level and connect to the Africa-wide and global GBC network.
Mauritius: Be self-sustainable in all aspects (energy, food, materials, etc.).
Rwanda: Tax-incentives for green buildings. Awareness campaigns.
Kenya: Increase in demand for green building among developers and the public.

As these goals were discussed, several general themes emerged. There were four broad action-categories that each goal could be attributed to:

Policy Implementation: Codes/regulations. Political support.
Market Transformation: Financial Incentives. Industry Buy-in.
Guideline Development: GBC's. Rating Tools.
Awareness and Education: Curriculum. Pilot Projects. Awareness Campaigns.

LIVE BLOG - Promoting Green Building Rating Systems in Africa - Policy and Finance

2010-05-10T20:56:00.005-04:00

How Can National and Local Government Policies and International Programs Encourage and/or Finance the Construction of Green Buildings and Rating Systems?

The United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative is a program that studies and defines the global metrics of sustainable building policies. It is a policy-oriented program and does not deal directly with the technology involved in sustainable building practices. Rather, it explores the financial impact of green building and the industry reaction to the trends. These industry reactions are explored in terms of financial markets and government policy and input.

Niclas Svenningsen of UNEP states that in actual practice, the the long-term cost benefit of sustainable design is not a reality to the construction and development industry when compared to the high cost of initial investment. For it to become real, there need to be mechanisms in place to move the long-term savings of resource-efficient design to the front-end of the finance model. Enter the Stick, the Carrot, and the Tambourine. The stick that will get developers to implement sustainable design practices are policy measures such as the adoption of codes and regulations as well as penalties for under-performing buildings. The carrot, of course, is the opposite and offers tax incentives, and other rewards for well-performing buildings and development. The tambourine, though, is slightly more intangible, but perhaps less policy-oriented and therefore more relate-able to the public. The tambourine involves actions and initiatives that public promote sustainable building practices such as public relations, marketing efforts and awareness campaigns, and educational programs.

However, according to Svenningsen, the bottom line is that sustainable design cannot be promoted as a separate agenda. The concepts and benefits of green design need to be tied to other policy agendas. For example: Schools and offices with better indoor environments have statistically better performance records. Responsibly designed communities have a statistically lower rate of poverty and crime, and have a better public health record. If the benefits are explored and extolled in terms of larger issues, the ability to be implemented within the context of industry and government as a whole, from the top-down, becomes more likely.

In the opinion of the blogger, this is an issue that LEED in the United States has failed to address. Although there are some ties to government and industry, the system as a whole has positioned itself as an actual force within the market, rather than a network amongst it. This has commodified the green building field, and being a commodity, it inherently becomes an extra to the process of design and building. It is not promoted as a part of responsible design practices, rather, it is promoted as an additional service that can be included in a project if the client is able to fund the inclusion of the practices. Little effort is put into incorporating these practices into codes or regulations, and until it is done, "green buildings" will continue to be seen as a privilege instead of the norm.

LIVE BLOG - Promoting Green Building Rating Systems in Africa - Alternatives to Nation-Specific Green Building Councils

2010-05-06T15:32:00.013-04:00

UN-Habitat Human Settlements Advisor Robert Kehew.

Alternatives to Nation-Specific Green Building Councils

Although it is clear that the implementation of a Green Building Council is not a solution for instituting sustainable building practices in Sub-Saharan Africa, rather, it is a potential way to create a framework for developing the methods and metrics needed to advance the field of sustainability in Africa. However, a Green Building Council is a complex mechanism that relies on input and involvement from many different players within the building sector - architects, contractors, developers - as well as support from industry and government. So, while many countries in Africa lack formal economies advanced enough to support complex industry as well as battling political systems rife with corruption, the question arises, how small can a nation's building sector be and still support a full Green Building Council?

If there is a correlation between a nation's Gross Domestic Product and the size of a building sector, then the smallest existing GDP's with a full-service Green Building Council are New Zealand and South Africa. The United Nations estimates that the building sector accounts for 5-15% of a country's GDP. According to the World Bank, in 2009 South Africa is second in GDP among African nations behind Egypt, and almost twice that of the next two rankings (Nigeria and Algeria). After this, the number drops precipitously.

If a country cannot support a full-service Green Building Council, are there alternatives? According to Robert Kehew of UN-Habitat and Bruce Kerswill of the World GBC, there are.

Kehew lists Government-sponsored rating systems and Sub-Regional GBC's as options. Government rating systems are able to focus primarily on energy efficiency and can easily integrate simple rating metrics into existing regulations, however, many governments already deal with corruption and other issues that may minimize the importance of sustainable design within the larger political and social context. Sub-Regional GBC's are systems that may straddle several nations that share trading relationships, common codes and regulations, and/or cultural ties. This allows several countries to share cost, responsibility, and benefits. This model, however, also relies on the cooperation and power-sharing between potentially strained political systems and relationships.

Bruce Kerswill of the World GBC recommends a phased approach to growth where larger, more developed nations act as a hub for smaller nations and assist in the development of rating systems and networking. This model requires that the developing country may need to adapt or customize the existing rating tools to suit their individual country-specific needs. This works well where countries share geographic similarities or borders, but may require additional time and effort where similarities or geographic proximity do not exist.

Beyond this, are there more options? The immediate reaction from the writer of this blog is that GBC's may not be appropriate for countries at this stage of development. Where GBC's are systems that help to quantify, coordinate, and track the performance of green buildings (a very simplified definition), they are essentially bookkeeping measures. Where a nation lacks the infrastructure to support this system, it is possible that implementation of educational programs and community awareness campaigns about sustainable concepts and methods may be a better use of resources. Once these ideas and technologies are in place, and the advantages of sustainable design are understood and experienced, it would be a natural progression to then begin to quantify those results.

LIVE BLOG - Promoting Green Building Rating Systems in Africa - What is Appropriate for Africa?

2010-05-05T16:01:00.005-04:00

Speaker Akin Akindoyeni

What is Appropriate for Africa? Country-Specific Challenges Facing the Green Building Industry in Africa.
During this session four panelists - each representing a different country in Africa - were posed a set of questions and asked to answer in terms of their own country-specific experience and ideas. Discussion was then opened to audience members after panelist response. This was easily the most interesting session of the day, as it highlighted many commonalities between the different countries and participants, but also raised many cultural issues that were unique among them. This was a long session, so highlights in note form below.

Panelists:
Akin Akindoyeni, Chairman - Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria, Nigeria
Dr. Kamugisha Byabato, Engineer and Lecturer - Tanzania Energy Research Institute, Tanzania
Tony Lee Luen Len, Mauritius GBC, Mauritius
Elijah Agevi, Kenya Private Sector Alliance, Kenya

QUESTION 1: WHAT ARE THE KEY CHALLENGES FACING GREEN BUILDING IN AFRICA?
Akindoyeni: Need to educate the general population on the consequences forseable in the future if the current building trends are maintained. Genral population does not understand that current actions will have negative consequences.
Agevi: Priorities. 70% of Africa is poor, and most need access to other basic life-needs (shelter, job, education, access to water, food, and proper sanitation) before sustainable building technologies and strategies can be considered.
Len: Out-of-sight, out-of-mind. Fear of unknown (lack of understanding of green concepts and the desire not to build out of comfort zone). General population has little participation in development and the decision-making process.
Byabato: The concept of green design is not unknown to Africans. Traditional building techniques are inherently sustainable (solar shading, building orientation, water collection). Africans have a desire to be modern, but in the international sense - not in through a contemporary African perspective. The move to modern has pushed away the traditional techniques in lieu of the international style which is not appropriate in Africa (environmentally, culturally, or politically). These new post-colonial technologies systems, and governments are not reconciled with the traditional.

-COMMENTARY OPEN TO AUDIENCE-

Representative from Cameroon: Too much concern for profit in the short-term.
Representative from Sudan: (Comments specific to post-conflict nations). Lack of infrastructure and facilities. Post-conflict nations just want to re-build. Desire for most immediate solution. Cheap. Fast. Familiar. Many post-conflict countries are funded by outside sources, so they may be subject to the agendas of the funding organizations/countries.
Representative from Ghana: No advocacy from the intellectual class. Politicians and government are the elite that push development. Action needed at the local level. No action from the top-down.

QUESTION 2: WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE IN TERMS OF GREEN STANDARDS?
Akindoyeni: Change needs to happen at the elite level. If a country has a building code, it needs to be updated AND enforced. Education needs to occur at all levels. Change needs to be forced (later redacted during discussion to use the word enforced). People who do not understand, will not change.
Agevi: Change the mind and way of thought about sustainability (cost vs. net benefit) at all levels. Aggressive awareness campaign aimed at all stakeholders. Tax incentives. Mainstream standards and codes need to be adopted and enforced. Solutions must be sensible and cost-sensitive.
Len: Update building codes as per region. No more one-size-fits-all set of regulations.
Byabato: Look to traditions. "Slums were not created by God. At independence, only the leaders changed - the rules did not. Africa is still playing by rules created for them, not by them." Use public buildings as public examples. All new buildings should be built by these [updated] standards. No exceptions.

-COMMENTARY OPEN TO AUDIENCE-

Representative from Egypt: Do not force the poor. They are the ones who need access to sustainable design the most, but forcing them will not work. Lead by example.
Agevi Response: The biggest issue with codes and regulations is enforcement.
Byabato: (Response to earlier comment by Sudan - no infrastructure, etc.) "The advantage of underdevelopment". If there is no inherent infrastructure or institutions then there are no physical barriers to new development strategies - only mental and cultural.

QUESTION 3: WHAT CAN REALISTICALLY BE ACHIEVED IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS?
Agevi: Mainstream awareness. Audits on existing buildings and industry stakeholders. Change in language (i.e. sustainable as part of normal design, not an extra). Regional thinking. Need champions.
Len: GBC set up fully in Mauritius. Pilot projects.
Akindoyeni: Building profession to cooperate in sustainable design practices. Use rating systems as a campaign tool. Example buildings and best-practice examples.
Byabato: Engage and involve financial institutions in building practices. Make financial institutions into stake holders.

LIVE BLOG - Promoting Green Building Rating Systems in Africa - Introductory Session

2010-05-04T17:53:00.010-04:00

The conference assembly hall with attending members.

The UN-Habitat Conference on Promoting Green Building Rating Systems in Africa opened this morning at the UN Compound in Grigiri, Kenya. Representatives from twenty African nations, seven countries from Europe, Asia, and North America, and delegates from the United Nations were in attendance as Inga Bjork-Klevby, Deputy Executive General of UN-Habitat welcomed the assembly and introduced the goals of conference:

"In the United States, the building industry is responsible for approximately 40% of the green-house gas emissions for the country. At present, there are no figures for African cities. How do you measure the effectiveness of green building strategies where little or no record is kept? The purpose of this conference is for participants to understand the available options in terms of sustainability so they can make informed decisions. It is not the responsibility of the people, but of you, the building industry - architects, engineers, builders, developers, and legislators - to generate and organize ideas to meet the challenges of the future of urbanization."

Tirop Kosgey, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing in Kenya echoed the sentiments of Bjork-Klevby:

"We need to harness the full potential of technology to address the effects of climate change and to build sustainably, to build smart infrastructure, and create robust building codes. We need to move beyond advocacy, and put into place, legal and legislative standards."

The opening remarks by both Bjork-Kevby and Kosgey were clear: accountability would be placed squarely on the shoulders of the building industry, and the only way to truly promote sustainable design in Africa is through collaboration, education, and the incorporation and enforcement of legislative guidelines.
The United Nations Building in Grigiri, Kenya.

LIVE BLOG FROM NAIROBI - Promoting Green Building Rating Systems in Africa

2010-05-03T12:28:00.012-04:00

Architecture for Guerillas will be blogging live from Nairobi, Kenya on the UN-Habitat Conference on Promoting Green Building Rating Systems in Africa. The objective of this conference is to familiarize industry professionals in Africa with an experience-based perspective on sustainable buildings, best practice examples of green buildings and technology, and the implementation of rating systems to objectively measure and track sustainable building technology and trends. The conference also seeks to introduce and encourage a global network of professionals dedicated to developing these tools.

Stay tuned for updates and commentary.

The Archigram Archival Project Now Online

2010-04-26T13:19:00.006-04:00

Don't wait. Just click here to see it.

In a surreal world not so far away, Warren Chalk, Peter Cooke, Dennis Crompton, David Greene, Ron Herron, Michael Webb and countless collaborators formed the group Archigram. Part architectural visionaries, part cultural commentators, and part machine, the group would go on to create a technicolor utopia of projects that walked off of the page and presaged the future collision of architecture, technology, and the society of tomorrow. In an exhaustive effort of archiving, research, and archi-sleuthing, the architectural research group EXP at the University of Westminster have published the Archigram Archival Project - an online repository of over 200 examples of the groups work. The project was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Foundation. If anyone has searched for the work of Archigram in the past, many will understand the pain and frustration at the dearth of available information on the Archigram projects, but this website opens a new door into the archi-mechanical techno-utopias of a truly unique architectural movement.

Seen first on BLDG BLOG.

How to Make Light Transmitting Concrete

2010-03-30T00:10:00.006-04:00

Instructables - a member populated web archive of do-it-yourself tutorials - has a step-by-step guide on how to make light transmitting concrete using several simple materials. By setting fiber optic wires into a clay mold and pouring concrete around the assembly, the result is a solid disc (or other clever shape!) with the ability to transmit light through it's mass. The effect is quite beautiful. The traditional weight of the concrete is never lost and still remains inherent in the object, and yet a light, ethereal quality is achieved. Perhaps the area under bridge overpasses might never be dark and inhospitable again. Rather, the bridge would glow and shimmer with the movement of the cars against the sunlight beyond.

Seen on Instructables by member Nepheron and on Gizmodo.

Harvesting Water from the Sky

2010-03-19T12:46:00.005-04:00

In many places around the world, getting fresh water is not as simple as turning on the faucet. In fact, in rural areas around the world, limited access to fresh water supplies force inhabitants to walk miles to fetch water. This hike not only entails long walks and the carrying of heavy water-laden receptacles, but in many rural developing countries, the groundwater may also be contaminated or in short supply. However, in areas where fog or low-lying cloud cover is frequent enough, there is a low-tech solution that could provide clean drinking water to communities. A recent installation in Venda, South Africa - part of the fog harvesting research project by The University of South Africa, has proven the technology successful by supplying approximately 300 litres of water per day on average to the community of Tshanowa. The system is relatively simple. According to Professor Jana Oliver of UNISA School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences:

"Each collection system consists of three six-meter-high (twenty feet) wooden poles, mounted nine meters (thirty feet) apart. Steel cables stretch horizontally between the poles and anchor the structure. A double layer of 30 percent shade cloth is then draped over the cables and fixed to the poles on each side. This forms a fog collection screen of about 70 square meters (750 square feet), with a gutter attached to its lower end. The technology behind fog collection is extremely simple, during foggy conditions, the tiny fog particles are blown against the screen and deposited on it. As the drops become larger, they trickle downwards and drop into the gutter. From there, the water is channeled through a filter to a pipe that leads to a water collection tank."

Due to the simplicity of construction and also the technology behind the concept, this seems to be a solution that would work very well in areas with little access to suitable or existing infrastructure.
A similar project by Imke Hoehler called Dropnet also uses the same technology as the UNISA but has redesigned the system to be smaller and more portable. Whereas the UNISA project is a built-in-place installation, the Dropnet can function as a re-deployable system.

UNISA project seen on NatGeo News Watch and The University of South Africa.
Dropnet project found on Designboom.

Fab Fi, Or How to Make the Internet From Junk

2010-03-04T21:42:00.003-05:00

Dubbed Fab-Fi by it's creators at the MIT Media Lab, this rusty contraption is actually a handmade reflector for a wireless internet network in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. While traveling in the region, members of the Bits and Atoms Lab showed locals how to build the reflectors from scraps of metal, wires, and tin cans. Since then, members of the community have built enough reflectors and, in conjunction with wireless routers, have boosted the range of internet connection to many locals who would have no access otherwise with 25 simultaneous live nodes in Jalalabd.
When compared to a similar World Bank funded initiative to install internet infrastructure in the region - which took 7 years and millions of dollars worth of investment to achieve similar results - the idea that teaching concepts is sometimes the best solution. Imported infrastructure is often expensive and highly sophisticated, whereas a piece of technology developed from a concept that uses local materials and methods can evolve into an extremely potent solution. By using materials that already exist at hand, the users are most likely tapping into a material stream that is both local and readily available. As these materials are probably common to their makers, their use and manipulation is that much more of a familiar process. Furthermore, the possession of imported infrastructure is often kept to the supplying entity. With locally created technology, the process can become part of a user-generated economy - something that will do more good for a distressed region than any type of imported technology.

Seen on Gizmodo.

Landscape Condenser

2010-02-17T12:20:00.005-05:00

As a proposal for a multi-use building in Yecla, Murcia - a region in Spain known for it's production of grain, wine, oil, and fruit - Andres Jaque Arquitectos has designed a building with distinct sections of green roof, each suited for a different crop. In addition to being an extension of the surrounding landscape, the sectionalized roof-crops offer a precursor to the future of vegetative buildings. Considering that different components of buildings - roof, wall, floor - have specifically constructed variations in size, shape, and orientation, it is easy to associate their form with that of the naturally occurring landscape of a given environment. Where certain species of flora require flat, shallow troughs of land to grow, a flat roof may be suitable. However, if certain species are able to adapt to a steep incline, walls or a pitched roof may be accommodating. The natural variations in building form could also be used to limit or maximize exposure to the elements. Plants that need large quantities of sunlight to grow can be placed with a southernly exposure, whereas more sensitive crops could be shielded from too much light by a carefully placed pitched roof. The topography of a landscape has as much to do with species growth as that of the climate. As designers begin to reproduce and incorporate elements of nature into the built environment, careful consideration of all aspects of locale should be considered.

Seen on DesignBoom. Landscape Condenser images via Andres Jaques Arquitectos. Machu Picchu image via Colorado University

Morphing Furniture Celebrates All

2010-02-05T20:42:00.008-05:00

Noiz Architecture, Design & Planning created this custom furniture installation within a cultural salon for Taiwan Land Corporation. The laser-cut plywood panels morph from one iconic chair or table profile to another, blending the likes of Garret Rietveld's Zig-Zag Chair and Eero Saarinen's Tulip Chair into single fluid extrusions.

Seen on Designboom.

Inflatable Hospital in Haiti

2010-01-25T12:48:00.007-05:00

Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) has set up a 'mobile field hospital' made up of a collection of nine inflatable structures. This 'plug-and-play' encampment is located on a soccer field just outside of Port-Au-Prince and will provide space for 100 beds, a surgery unit, an intensive care unit, and relies on a power and sanitation system that operates independently from the local infrastructure. The kits are designed to be as self-sufficient as possible. In an interview with Boing Boing, Laurent Didieu of MSF describes the set-up and theory behind the installation:

9 tents, 100 beds, including hospitalization and ICU and recovery beds. A triage and emergency tent, and two operations theatres. The idea is that within the tent we have a complete kit we can deploy including energy supply, water supply, all the sanitation, and all medical equipment inside the tent. In Haiti, everything needed to run a hospital including beds and biomedical equipment is included.
We want to be as autonomous as possible with regard to energy. In this case we have one 30 KV generator and one 60 KV generator. Plus an electrical board, and equipment to ensure electrical safety. And then you have all the electrical wire you need to set up lights inside the ward, and set up plugs for the medical equipment.

MSF designs and operates the units themselves and over the past decade, they have modified the design through field experience. All units use standard MSF components and technology and are designed to be employed in most any environment or situation. Since 2005 they have been used in such diverse locations as Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and now Haiti. Pioneered by experimental designers like Ant Farm in the 1970's, the mobile field hospital by MSF proves how dynamic inflatable structures can be in response to time-critical building and infrastructure mobilization.

Seen on Boing Boing. Photos by Benoit Finck via Boing Boing.

Robots and Monsters to Aid Haiti

2010-01-23T10:47:00.004-05:00

Shadebot by Joe Alterio of Robots and Monsters.
Robots and Monsters is a self-proclaimed Charitable Menagerie. The group is a collection of artists who trade original works of art for donations to causes worldwide. After the recent earthquake in Haiti, Robots and Monsters teamed up with Doctors Without Borders to raise money for earthquake victims in Haiti. By donating to the organization, the donor will receive an original drawing or painting of a monster or robot - sometimes both - from an artist, and the majority of funds donated will be transferred to Doctors Without Borders. According to the Monsters and Robots website:

RobotsandMonsters.org is an effort started by Joe Alterio to trade original, commissioned art for donations to a good cause. This is the way we work: you donate a set amount for an original Robot or Monster, as defined by three words or phrases you provide. Then, one of our amazing artists interprets those three words or phrases any way they see fit, in the form of a robot or monster. A few weeks later, you get your amazing original art in the mail, and a large percentage of your donation goes to a great cause. Everybody wins.

Since it's inception in 2006, Robots and Monsters has raised over $20,000 for such causes as Water.org, The Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Visit Monsters and Robots to help aid victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

The Earthquake in Haiti

2010-01-14T19:08:00.006-05:00

Image by Logan Abassi.

The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that shook Port Au Prince on January 12th is estimated to leave tens of thousands dead and a fragile city destroyed. Prior to the earthquake, the bustling capital city of Haiti already had chronic infrastructure problems like so many other impoverished nations, but in the wake of this disaster, it is clear just how important robust and well planned modes of infrastructure, means of transportation, access to resources, and physical and digital connections are. Aid workers are working on all fronts to establish not only short and long term medical support, but to provide adequate shelter, food and water, and other basic necessities to the entire population of the city and it's surroundings.

There are many agencies and organizations that are doing their part to help. Text the word 'Haiti' to 90999 and $10 will be donated to The American Red Cross (via The NYT and mGive). U.S. News and World Report has 10 Ways You Can Donate to Haitian Earthquake Victims or research locally for many other options.

See a US state-by-state map of mobile donations via text here.

The Hidden World of Augmented Reality, Building Facades, and the New Digital Landscape

2010-01-12T17:32:00.006-05:00

Tokyo's N Building, a collaboration between Quosmo and Terada Design Architects, has a facade that is imprinted with two-dimensional QR code that can be read by certain mobile phones. When a user focuses their phone (or other enabled device) at the building facade, digital information is virtually layered over a real-time image of the scene. Tweets from within the building (geotagged by GPS location) are visible as if the Tweeter's window just opened. Information and advertising from the retail shops in the building appears and users can browse merchandise, see shop hours, and even download special coupons.
Thinking about cities full of buildings with this technology is the equivalent of putting on a pair of 3D glasses and instantly being transported into the world of Blade Runner (without that constant nagging feeling that Deckard is actually a replicant). Suddenly, the city becomes a landscape layered with not just bricks and mortar, but with ideas, information, and virtual connections. The vast surface area of buildings form a new three-dimensional network liberated from the static desktop. Massive real-time games take place through the city, following signs invisible to the naked eye. Be the first to reach the blinking building - win a prize!

N Building from Alexander Reeder on Vimeo.

Seen on Designboom and Gizmodo.

Carnivorous Tomatoes and Passive Consumption

2009-12-07T13:19:00.009-05:00

"Feed me Seymour!" While compiling a report on carnivorous plants to celebrate the bicentenary of Charles Darwin's birth, researchers at the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew have made a shocking discovery that many common plant species are, in fact, carnivorous. Unlike many familiar carnivorous plants such as the infamous venus fly-trap and the pitcher plant which are highly specialized and actively catch and consume prey, many other plants consume prey through more passive means. For instance, many common varieties of the tomato plant are covered in thick sticky hairs that will catch and contain small aphids and other insects.
However, lacking an external apparatus to consume the trapped insect, it has been found that the plant will wait for the insect to decompose and fall to the ground, fertilizing the soil. According to the report:

Domestic varieties of tomatoes and potatoes retain the ability to trap and kill small insects with their sticky hairs and are likely to absorb the nutrients through their roots when the animals decay and fall to the ground.

Among other common plant species found to behave in a similar way are several different varieties of potatoes, ornamentals, and even the petunia. It is interesting to note the long-term strategy of the plants. Where most carnivours are documented as predators who hunt/trap their prey to consume it immediately, this discovery shows that some carnivors will actually invest in a long-term solution that works through improving the local environment. While most predators ingest prey and benefit exclusively from the meal, the predator that lacks an instrument to intake directly must enrich the soil and only benefit indirectly. This idea of passive consumption is a philosophy that could find potential in other fields of science or development. Could the construction industry or energy producing sectors benefit from a philosophy of long-term passive consumption? It seems plausible that more localized long-term indirect investments could help to produce better yields not just for the industry, but also for connected economies and environments.

Seen on The Independent.
Venus Fly Trap photo via Warped Photos Blog.
Movies to see: Little Shop of Horrors and Day of the Triffids.

Concrete Cloth

2009-12-05T17:27:00.005-05:00

Winner of the 2009 Material ConneXion Material of the Year is Concrete Cloth by UK based company Concrete Canvas. The material is a layer of fiber reinforced cement sandwiched between a cloth outer layer and in interior PVC backing. The result is a flexible fabric that, once hydrated, will set in two hours into a lightweight concrete shell or surface. The cloth was initially developed for use as part of the Concrete Canvas Shelter. According to Concrete Canvas:

Concrete Canvas Shelters are rapidly deployable hardened shelters that require only water and air for construction. The 25sqm variant can be deployed by 2 people without any training in under an hour and is ready to use in only 24 hours. The key to CCS is the use of inflation to create a surface that is optimised for compressive loading. This allows thin walled concrete structures to be formed which are both robust and lightweight. CCS consist of a cement impregnated fabric (Concrete Cloth) bonded to the outer surface of a plastic inner which forms a Nissen-Hut shaped structure once inflated.

The shelters are seen as an innovative solution to disaster response and other humanitarian crisises that require immediate relief housing and infrastructure construction. Although the system can be erected quickly by two people with little training, once set, the material has a ten year life span which makes it ideal for both short term response as well as mid to long-term transition shelters. Apart from the shelter design system, the cloth alone is already being used in numerous civil and military use applications including slope protection, ditch lining, and pipeline protection. It is evident that the potential for a flexible material that can be set and hardened in place is great. New and innovative applications for this simple system are sure to emerge.

Seen on Inhabitat and Dezeen.
Images via Concrete Canvas.

Of Suits and Robots

2009-12-03T12:12:00.006-05:00

Straight out of The Jetsons comes Alton Lane, a "premium custom clothing" maker in New York City that provides custom suit fitting - by robots. Stepping inside what looks to be a blacked out phone booth, digital scanning technology initially developed for airport security surveys the human topography and creates a virtual avatar complete with all requisite measurements. Sadly, small scurrying nano-bots don't appear to assemble the suit on-person, rather the measurements are passed on to human tailors in meat-space who custom cut and tailor the suit. However, all irony is not lost, as Alton Lane is located within the famous Flatiron Building - one of the most progressive buildings of its time.
Seen on UrbanDaddy.
Jetsons imave via Dental Collectibes
Flatiron image via SkyscraperCity.

Leapfrog Technology: Cellular Phones and Microfinance

2009-11-11T21:39:00.011-05:00

Cell phone tower in Pakistan. Image via Telecom PK.

The cell phone is an example of trickle-down leapfrog technology. In the past several years, the development of mobile technology has reached such ubiquity that it's use transcends social, economic, and in many cases, physical stratification. It has done so for two main reasons; innovation and cost. Through the development of traditional communication systems (telegraph, landlines, etc), cellular technology has seen mobile telecommunication devices replace the need for expensive and labor-intensive hardwired infrastructure. As the technology advanced, the cost of production and implementation dropped, and thus, reached a level of economic viability. It is these two factors, innovation and cost, that have allowed mobile phones to take root in developing societies. As WorldChanging notes:

It's easier and faster to put in cellular towers in rural and remote areas than to put in land lines, and as a result, cellular use is exploding. As we've noted, mobile phone use already exceed land line use in India, and by 2007, 150 million out of the 200 million phone lines there will be cellular.

In this case, cellular phones begin their new life in developing countries as a piece of highly specialized technology that has a history of industry investment and technological refinement. The result of it's advanced stage of development is a technology that trickles down through social and economic systems and allows for it's wide-spread use.
Kiva is an organization that helps find donors for microfinancing projects in the developing world. Image via Kiva.

Microfinance, however, is an example of the potential of trickle-up leapfrog technology. Though newer than cellular technology (and not "technology" per se), Micro-finance is an economic tool that allows for banking and financial transactions to occur at a "local" level, where large capital institutions and systems are not needed. In this case, however, the technology was developed not through industry and capital investment, but through a social and economic response to a need. In places where micro-finance thrives, most of these economies generally don't have the financial backing or institutions necessary to provide large-scale lending. Of course, investment in industry, individuals, and social infrastructure is still needed for economic prosperity and development, so micro-finance responds to this need by allowing small scale loans and investment to local users for local projects and needs. It is being found that micro-finance works well in developing countries because it is a simple solution to a wide-spread problem.

Here is the potential for a leapfrog technolgy through the trickle-up effect. Where cellular phones are an example of a technology that moves from a complex process to fulfull a need in developing societies, micro-finance is a technology that is created from a response or need that has the potential to move to more complex markets and economies.

At a time when the largest and most "established" financial institutions and systems in the world are reeling from debt and irresponsible investment and loan practices, it is ironic to think that the systems in developed countries could be revolutionized through a leapfrog technology currently being sown in countries throughout Africa, India, and South America. In the United States, where such malpractice has caused a constriction of large scale investment and lending (resulting in a global financial downturn), it is being discovered that restricting finance within the system is not a viable solution to the problem and that it is still neccessary, just as in developing societies, to invest in industry, individuals, and infrastructure. It is possible that a system of micro-finance in developed societies might allow for a leapfrog oppurtunity akin to the advantage that cellular phones are bringing to developing countries.

Renewable Energy and Future Political Strife

2009-11-05T19:35:00.012-05:00

The worlds largest renewable energy producing installation is a project by the DESERTEC Foundation that will see 100GW of solar energy to be harvested in the Sahara Desert throughout Northern Africa. It will be one of the largest networks of photovoltaic arrays in the world. According to Inhabitat:

The project will link multiple solar concentrating facilities around coastal North Africa and transmit most of the renewable energy through high-voltage DC lines to Europe. Additionally, desalination plants will be coupled with the solar concentrating plants to bring fresh water to people in Africa.

The potential is obviously great. The environment of North Africa is ripe for solar collection. Since the power is being sent to Europe, there is also a viable consumer base to tap into, which, in the end, will create an economy based around the technology and its delivery. Unfortunately, this also means that there is much profit in the venture. If it is not integrated into the political and social landscape as well, the struggle could result in an instance of instability. If a large foreign entity attempts to create and legitimize a blossoming energy economy throughout several countries that struggle for economy, and not take steps to integrate the system into the local political and social systems, future strife is inevitable. You only have to look at the current struggle in the Niger Delta of southern Nigeria for example.

However, the project holds the potential to be an instance of leapfrog technology within the region. The DESERTEC solar belt is scheduled to produce 15% of Europes power needs. This is an incredible amount of energy being transmitted OUT of countries that are lacking in viable energy production. If that amount of energy production and economy could be put IN to the countries of North Africa, the stability and infrastructure of the region would improve drastically. What better leapfrog technology than solar energy in North Africa? The $555 billion price tag could easily micro-finance thousands of local operations in a place where people are literally fighting for economy. If the money and technology are incorporated locally (rather than through a state), the result is infrastructure being designed, used, and sold by the people designing, using and selling it.

Seen on Inhabitat. Images via Inhabitat and DESERTEC Foundation. Niger Delta image from George Osodi AP and the Guardian.

Of Tuna and the Oceansphere

2009-11-04T21:04:00.005-05:00

Tuna are one of the ocean's most magnificent fish. Some of the larger species, such as the Bluefin, Yellowfin, and Pacific Bigeye are the top predators within their ecosystem. Yet they are also the one of the most overfished stocks in the sea, and action is needed to stop irreversible harm from being done to the species. Enter the Oceansphere. Invented by the Haiwaiian company, Hawaii Oceanic Technology, the Oceansphere is essentially a huge sphere suspended in the Pacific where the species will be raised naturally. According to National Geographic:

Each 162-foot-wide (49-meter-wide) aluminum-and-Kevlar cage would be completely untethered to the ocean floor and self-powered by a system that converts the ocean's thermal energy to electricity. The spheres lie about 65 feet below the ocean surface, and the company says they are designed so as not to be a hazard to whales, sharks, or other marine life.

State regulators in Hawaii have just approved the companies plan to build and operate three of the Oceanspheres two miles off the coast of Hawaii's Big Island. If these three test models are successful, the State Board of Land and Resources has granted the company the right to construct nine more. If, or when, all twelve Oceanspheres are operational, the fish farms will produce approximately 6,000 tons of Pacific Bigeye Tuna a year, which equals the amount of Tuna lawfully harvested per year by the Japanese.

As there are consistently reports that many countries, regularly overfish the lawfully regulated amount, the Oceansphere could be a responsible way to farm a vital food source for the world. It may also set a precedent for innovative ways to utilize the natural environment as incubator for production rather than altering the envirnoment for production processes.

Seen via NatGeo News Watch. Images via Hawaii Oceanic Technology.

Neri Oxman and the Process of Form

2009-10-27T21:11:00.009-04:00

Neri Oxman, a designer and PhD candidate in Design and Computation at M.I.T.'s Media Lab, is proving that the design of the natural world is based, not around form in total, but rather a series of processes and relationships that result in form. Challenging the notion of "form follows function", Oxman would see the traditional process of design, where a form is created and then analyzed against it's task, inverted. In this way, design begins with analysis and form is generated through the findings.
The bulk of her examples are extracted from nature and highlight the incredible ways that the natural world responds to it's own environment and complications. Citing the 1905 discovery by Julius Wolfe that bones grow stronger and increase calcification when put under weight, Oxman argues that bone is doing design and execution at the same time. As it responds to the new requirements of it's existence, the bone adapts and changes in space and over time. This is a critical point in her research and defines the future of design. How is it possible to create forms that follow the examples set by nature and react in time and space to the localised needs of not just the environment and the user, but also by the form itself?
In her project Beast, a chaise, Oxman has developed a process that is a fully customizable chair capable of structurally supporting itself and the user while cradling specific pressure points. The chaise is also a direct vision into its function, as the darker spots indicate a thicker, more structural point whereas the lighter shades are areas that need less support. The project is a result of her studies at the M.I.T. Media Lab into a procedure called the variable printing process. With this process, a form is printed in three-dimensional space after analysis and the solidity or structural capability of each point in space is "printed" at optimal density or capacity. The result could be a future where entire buildings are printed in space and structural faculties are optimized at an atomic level.

Neri Oxman's blog MaterialEcology.
Ethan Zuckerman's blog post on Oxman's presentation at 09 Pop!Tech Conference via World Changing.

Energy Positive

2009-10-07T22:08:00.011-04:00

The world's first energy positive office building, Elithis Tower, has opened in Dijon, France. Designed by Arte Charpentier Architects, the design and construction of the 10 story building was a conceptual challenge by Thierry Bievre, the General Director of Elithis Engineering. Surpassing net-zero, the building utilizes solar panels, recovered emissions, and solar shading to minimize solar heat gain. The building also employs over 1,600 emission-analyzing sensors to continuously monitor and display energy usage to the occupants. Surplus energy is fed back into the grid. Surprisingly, at 54,000 square feet and costing only 10 million, the office building is reasonably priced compared to typical office buildings of similar size.
According to the design firm Skidmore Owings and Merrill (SOM), energy positive buildings are the result of performative design, where four specific goals are engaged; reduction, absorbtion, reclamation, and generation. Whereas reduction and reclamation deal with the efficient use and re-use of energy available, absorbtion is the act of harvesting other available energy streams into the building. "Following the example of nature, don't shed water, absorb it." Of course, with the efficient use and re-use of energy, and the maximizing of available energy streams and technologies, the ability to generate positive energy and other potential effects becomes possible.
Pearl River Tower, the design for a skyscraper in China is another example of positive energy producing buildings but at a larger scale. Not only will the Pearl River Tower return energy to the grid, but due to it's size and efficiency, several floors of rentable office space were actually added to the design at no additional cost. The building height and form channel the prevailing winds through large openings in the mechanical floors that contain energy harnessing wind turbines. The louvres on the southern facade, which act as both solar shade and light shelf, have integrated photovoltaics that power internally mechanized shades on the same facade. The opposite facade is constructed as a double skinned curtain wall that forms a thermal barrier between the exterior and the interior, and ventilates vertically. The heat and moisture that is trapped and allowed to rise naturally is removed at every other floor level and is used in the building's dehumidification system.

Imagine several Pearl River Towers grouped together in an urban area. Each building, connected by these infrastructural systems, workng their own day job, providing physical space for day jobs, but producing energy at the same time. If connected, this network of super-efficient buildings could themselves be integrated into the local power grid and act as both infrastructure and power plant. By producing and distributing the surplus energy locally to their immediate surroundings, the buildings can replace the traditional infrastructure which is externally produced and delivered. Power generated off-site, which typically involves the consumption of fossil fuels or nuclear reaction, is inefficient and expensive due to production methods and the need to send power great distances through service lines. The need for large power plants and lengths of inefficient infrastructure is drastically reduced. The buildings themselves serve as producer and supplier, not to mention the effect of increased community interaction, education, and awareness of power needs and methods.

Elithis Tower seen on Inhabitat. Images via Arte Charpentier Architects. Pearl River Tower images via SOM.

Of Fish and Communicative Movement

2009-10-03T23:11:00.010-04:00

When large schools of fish travel through the water, the body operates with three simple rules of movement; collision avoidance, side-by-side locomotion, and distance metering. The school of fish, sometimes numbering into the thousands, is able to act as one unit because each individual fish is able to maneuver through the water in any direction in close proximity to it's neighbor without colliding. Nissan is using this natural ability of individuals safely navigating within a group as a model for a next-generation vehicle communication and movement system. According to Nissan:

"fish demonstrate extraordinary "anti-collision" abilities, navigating instinctively and intelligently through challenging terrain by detecting and avoiding obstacles"

Enter the EPORO. Well, actually, enter a lot of EPORO. As they move around, the small group of robots are able to communicate with each other based on the three simple rules of the school; collision avoidance, side-by-side locomotion, and distance metering. Nissan hopes that in the future, this communication based behavior could lead to more efficient and safe vehicular travel in heavy traffic situations. The application may also have potential in other industries such as urban design and development, weather information monitoring, and disaster relief response. Previously disparate objects, areas, and populations could become communicative networks that respond in real time with their environs and with each other.

In their 1971 project entitled Truckstop Network, the ever-experimental information nomads, Ant Farm, proposed a system of user-feedback devices connected across the interstate system of the US. The network of video screens and communication devices envisioned the users across the system interacting and responding to concurrent events taking place at the other truckstop locations. Large screens would project live video feeds, and continuously updated information boards would list ride information, events, and news. Here, the infrastructure itself, though 'virtual', serves as the empowering element in the system rather than occupying a typical subserviant role based on pure function.

EPORO seen on Inhabitat. Images via Nissan. Ant Farm Media Van image via CCA MEDIA Lab.

Urban Camouflage

2009-10-02T12:06:00.008-04:00

As China rapidly enters a new era of pseudo-capitalism, the idea of "fitting in" is no longer the result of communist dictatorship, but rather takes from the western philosophy of consumer culture. A quickly growing middle class and access to an ever-expanding array of goods has allowed much of the urban population to take part in mass consumerism backed by media and advertising. In the series "Camouflage", Chinese artist Liu Bolin has cued in on this new role of the people and poses them within the landscape painted to match their background. The figures, stationed in the foreground, disappear into their environment. In a sense, the human subjects within the work, and thus their individuality, are reevaluated at the level of society as a whole, and interpreted as a product of their environment.
Interestingly enough, the artists own commentary is relating the human being to animals and their need for camouflage in nature to remain safe. Bolin comments that human beings are not animals because they have no way of protecting themselves, and yet they are still incapable of removing themselves from this environment by choice. Bolin:

"Now, in the real material world, the world views of different people’s are also different. Each person chooses his/her own way in the process of contacting outside world. I choose to merge myself into the environment. Saying that I am disappeared in the environment, it would be better to say that the environment has licked me up and I can not choose active and passive relationship. In the environment of emphasizing cultural heritage, concealment is actually no place to hide."

The emergence of this new consumer culture is a dramatic shift in idealogies for one of the worlds strongest communist heritages where, ironically, the image of Chairman Mao is one of the most popular images seen on T-shirts for sale.

Liu Bolin at the Galerie Bertin-Toublanc. Seen on v1kram's posterous.

Living Artwork

2009-09-28T12:37:00.007-04:00

Using vegetation and milled wooden frames, Edina Tokodi of the design studio Mosstika, creates vertical living wall panels that, when viewed from afar, produce images and patterns. Exhibited first in Brooklyn at Green Spaces 2009, the piece was constructed of succulent plants that are irrigated and placed under the wooden frame and allowed to grow, resulting in a "green-tone" image of a women. As simple as the technology seems, having grow-your-own living artwork in your home does not seem far off. Even better, could this technique be used to replace paper and glue billboards that line the highways of today?

Seen on Designboom. Images via Mosstika.

Tensegrity

2009-09-23T12:55:00.014-04:00

Tensegrity, a term coined by one of this century's greatest minds, Buckminster Fuller, is a moniker for tensional integrity, and refers to a type of lightweight construction where tension and compression members are balanced computationally in space with every member being either in pure tension or pure compression. Typically made of lightweight rod and cable systems, the result is often a delicate-looking structure which is actually mathematically as strong as it's component material properties allow. According to Donald Ingber at Harvard:

"The tension-bearing members in these structures – whether Fuller's domes or Snelson's sculptures – map out the shortest paths between adjacent members (and are therefore, by definition, arranged geodesically) Tensional forces naturally transmit themselves over the shortest distance between two points, so the members of a tensegrity structure are precisely positioned to best withstand stress. For this reason, tensegrity structures offer a maximum amount of strength."

When he first saw the sculptures by Kenneth Snelson, Fuller realized the potential of the technology and incorporated the system in the development of his famous geodesic domes.
Fuller was able to observe that the basic priciples of the system were the same:

"Tensegrity is a contraction of tensional integrity structuring. All geodesic domes are tensegrity structures, whether the tension-islanded compression differentiations are visible to the observer or not. Tensegrity geodesic spheres do what they do because they have the properties of hydraulically or pneumatically inflated structures."

Although structurally efficient, for many years the structures were left to sculptures and small scale construction due to it's need for adjustment and the fact that a single structural failure will cripple the system (though that may be part of it's natural beauty). However, with advancements in construction methods and computational modeling, tensegrity structures are again being considered for large scale development and construction. The Kurlipa Bridge in Brisbane, Australia was designed and built on the principles of tensegrity and appears to span the river below with a minimal cross-section.
Filamentosa is a skyscraper envisioned by the firm ORAMBRA that sees a solid core wrapped by a tensegrity structure.
The firm, whose moniker stands for The Office for Robotic Architecture, sees structure like this as an integral component in the future of "smart" buildings. From ORAMBRA:

More than being a series of smart systems attached to a dumb building frame, responsive architectures actually consist of intelligent frames, skins and systems. These buildings change shape and color. They have intelligent systems within them and around them. They track the sun gradually and they adjust their shape to improve shading in the summer or day lighting in the winter. They shake snow from their roof. They even change shape to reduce wind loads or improve the way they ventilate. Unlike the conventional boxes that we live in, these buildings adapt to the natural environment to improve the way that people live. They address suitability and socio-technical issues in three key ways. Firstly they provide a means to reducing the mass and embedded energy used within buildings without sacrificing robustness. Secondly they enable architects to produce a new class of building envelopes that actively adjust and shape themselves in relation to the natural environment, its seasons and weather. With this they offer great potential in reducing the energy used within buildings.

See more examples of tensegrity at oobject.

architectural graffiti

2009-09-16T12:55:00.004-04:00

Seen on the streets of Lisbon, artist unknown, but apparently a fan of Niemayer, Utzon, Zumthor, and OMA. And maybe Space Invaders. See them all here.
Ganked from SpaceInvading

Of Dune and the Wealth of Water

2009-09-15T12:06:00.014-04:00

In 1965, Frank Herbert published the novel Dune which would go on to be called the world's best-selling science fiction novel of all time. In it, Herbert describes a desert world in which it's inhabitants struggle to survive in an inhospitable environment where water, in any form, is an extremely valuable resource. To spit on the ground while greeting someone is considered a highly respectful act and water is distilled from the dead. Such is the value of water that any form is carefully considered and conserved. The population has adapted to live in this harsh dystopian world. In 1965, this novel explored an environmental concept relegated to deserts that seem foreign to much of the worlds population, but today the real-world impact of water use and conservation is becoming a harsh reality.

The country of Kenya, on the east coast of Africa is in the midst of a two year drought. Traditionally, there are two rainy seasons, the long and the short which, in the past, have provided much of the regions water during approximately six to eight months of the year. However, the drought has reduced the rains from an average of 4-5 times per week to one rain every three weeks. The evident impact is immediate. Without rain, little grass can grow throughout the country and because of this, the soil cannot be held in place, and the result is large swaths of dirt where once fertile soil existed. The dust is everywhere and can be seen in the atmosphere. The national parks, which make up much of the regions income through safari tourism, are experiencing mass dying-off of animals which cannot survive on such little water and vegetation. The desertification of the region is compounded by lakes which are drying up not only due to the drought, but also by large-scale irrigation practices for a growing wildflower industry. Water collection and conservation, which has long been practiced, is now becoming a critical factor in all development.

Using the novel Dune as a precedent, Andrew Kudliss of the firm Matsys has proposed, Sietch Nevada, an ecologically engineered desert environment "that makes the storage, use, and collection of water essential to the form and performance of urban life." Using the desert landscape of the American southwest, the project is an underground community of canals living space, and urban development tht connects the land above with the deep aquifers below. Cellular in structure and planning, the proposal mimics natural water erosion created landscape but also allows the cells to form the community organization.

Seen on BLDG BLOG. Sietch Nevada images via Matsys.

the fleeting tags of long exposure

2009-08-06T11:56:00.005-04:00

The Halo light by French designer Aissa Logerot is an ephemeral alternative to the typical process of graffiti or street art. Shaped like a clear glass can of spray-paint, the Halo uses an LED bulb in place of the usual cap and a long exposure photograph in place of a wall. Left open, the long exposure camera records the path of the light in what appears to be writing in space. The LED light can be changed for different intensities and colors. The Halo light also cleverly mimics it's real-life counterpart in charging. While shaking a typical spraypaint can, the widget inside liquidizes the paint enough to be sprayed through the nozzle cap, whereas shaking the halo light, the interior battery is charged. Seen on core77 and Gizmodo. Images by Aisso Logerot.

subdivisions

2009-08-05T19:45:00.007-04:00

Artist Ross Racine draws aerial views of imaginary suburbs that blur the lines between reality and whimsy. The drawings borrow from real world examples of the sprawling suburbias so visible from any Google Map and create intense magnifications of the geometric patterns we see. Both fantastic and oddly dystopic at the same time, the images seem to belie a sense disorientation through disorder-by-order. Driving through any American suburb, this feeling may be well familiar. Row after row after spiral after spiral of organized, seemingly generic homes is supposed to be a system of order. But Elm Court, Sycamore Lane, and Poplar Street all share such similarities that it's often impossible to identify where one is. The images created by racine amplify and, in a way, seem to texturize this feeling.
Seen on SpaceInvading and Bad Banana Blog.

urban islands - cockatoo island

2009-08-02T19:12:00.009-04:00

Urban Islands is a architectural studio hosted every two years using the Cockatoo Island as a site for spatial and architectural investigation. Cockatoo is an abandoned factory island in Sydney Harbour, Australia. One of this years instructors was Geoff Manuagh of BLDGBLOG, who recently posted some of the projects from the intensive twelve day studio. According to Manaugh: It's a studio inspired by the amazing Cockatoo Island, an abandoned industrial site – former prison, former shipyard, former quarry, present campground and concert venue, ongoing archaeological site, future megastructural weather-altering agri-utopian astronomy research station at sea (or whatever our students decide to make it) – in Sydney Harbor.

One such project was the Cockatoo Island Zeppelin Airport by MItchell Bonus. Questions Bonus, Why fly when we can float? The project suggests that the abandoned industrial site be updated into a transit hub for a perversely neglected form of transportation - the solar-powered zeppelin. The presentation, packaging and future marketing strategy of the project also attempts to affect change from the ground up. Individual graphic trading cards make up the knowledge campaign for the Cockatoo Island Zeppelin Airport comparing zeppelin use to automobile use, saftey, energy and resource consumption, and even trip costs. To be found in cereal boxes and mailboxes everywhere, the trading cards float quietly over and through consumer conscience.
Images by Mitchell Bonus via BLDGBLOG.

cthulhu's new apartment

2009-07-30T20:23:00.011-04:00

There goes the neighborhood. Cthulhu recently reported as moving from a small studio apartment in south Cosmic Eternity, to this bright and spacious four-bedroom flat in the Upper Present area. The installations of artist FilthyLuker generally try to anthropomorphize their subject matter. In this case, the giant tentacles of the enormous squid-monster writhe freely in the air as it wiggles it's way into a fresh new skin of bricks and mortar. All at once, the absurd scale of your imagination is realized, and it's what is not seen that moves your imagination to wonder. Or horror.
Often, buildings are said to have human or animal-like features. Windows and doors and columns make faces. Building surfaces sometimes look like scales or skin. And oftentimes, these buildings are noticed more acutely than a typical building-building. Perhaps it's in human nature to associate or recognize living features in the presence of an other. FilthyLuker capitalizes on this trait and lends personality to physical environment in, perhaps, the most primal way possible - to characterize space. In the piece CC TreeV, the tree is transformed from a background object into a participant in the crowd.
Seen on i09.
Images via FilthyLuker on DeviantArt

poster pocket plants

2009-07-23T12:56:00.003-04:00

Combining the acts of adbusting and urban gardening, artists Eric Cheung and Sean Martindale are, by their description, "activating public space" with Poster Pockets. As layer after layer of advertising is posted to the walls of the city, the advertisements themselves become a perfect conduit for the guerilla activity. The artists cut deep into the layers of posters and fold the resultant angles into small planters. Cheung and Martindale then fill the pockets with dirt and a plant. Citing the desire for the act to be repeated and expanded, the artisits have used a Creative Commons license to allow others to use the templates they have provided on their blog Poster Pocket Plants. See the original article on the Torontoist. Also seen on Wooster Collective.

earthquake dinner plate

2009-07-20T22:10:00.008-04:00

A test on the worlds largest shake table revealed that this building could structurally withstand a magnitude 7.5 earthquake. The Hyogo Earthquake Engineering Center subjected the seven-storey wood frame structure to forces equal to the 7.5 quake in order to test a pre-engineered nail-distribution plan and tie-down system. The system withstood the forces applied to it, and remained structuraly stable; only minor surface damage experienced.
The image that intrigues me the most is the interior view of the ground floor framing. The simple wood framing method gives way to structural piers - groups of wood studs. Seven (7) 2x8 wood studs are shown. If the studs are attached correctly in one direction, the structure might provide a high level of load bearing capacity, but would also move freely in a lateral direction. This may enable the entire structure above to sway horizontally during an earthquake event, but would not collapse. Seen on Inhabitat.

martha und daniel gantenbein winery

2009-07-20T16:22:00.006-04:00

As an addition to an existing winery, the Gantenbein Winery in Flasch Switzerland by Bearth & Deplazes Architekten, maintains the simple vernacular feel of the region, but adds a textured layer of sophistication to the facade. Structurally, the building is a concrete frame with infilled brick. The double wythe brick skin was designed with the help of Gramazio and Kohler who used a computer generated patterning system and robotic production unit to individually stack and rotate each brick within the wall. Each infill panel was constructed off-site within a precast concrete panel and inserted into the super-structure on site. The resultant effect, when viewed from afar, is a facade composed of three-dimensional bubbles or bunches of grapes. On the interior, the sunlight is diffused into a soft glow that reveals the oversized exterior pattern. Seen on A Daily Dose of Architecture.

the elevator door

2009-07-17T21:35:00.004-04:00

Things you don't know about elevators via Tudzy

In naming The Doors, Jim Morrison quoted Aldous Huxley's The Art of Seeing by saying "There's the known. And there's the unknown. And what separates them is the door." Arguably one of the most important inventions in modern construction, the elevator allows users rapid vertical movement through space. The elevator physically connects two places, yet in most cases, the users inside are visually unaware of their movement through space. Instead, they are introduced into a third, distinct environment - the elevator cab. The user enters through a door, the door closes, and as far as they are concerned, the physical world outside of the cab is moved to the other side of the door -the same door they entered through. A change of place has occurred with no changing of places. In this case, the door is the link between two known spaces and yet shields the user from many unknown ones. By removing the visual (known) connection with movement-through-space, the physical distance between space becomes abstracted simply into time. Curiously, this may heighten the users sense of the unknown, which may explain the urge for users to silently search for the rhythm of passing floors validating that movement is actually occurring.

the natural beauty of attractive and repulsive light

2009-07-14T22:48:00.010-04:00

Image Credit: Hong Tang and Yale University.

Scientist Hong Yang at Yale University has proven the ability to "manipulate circuits on silicon board with attractive light" and has now done the same with repulsive light. The technology splits a beam of infrared light down two nano-wires which then causes the silicon chips to move perpindicular to the direction of the light and nano-wires. The ability to control these components in both directions now means that they have complete control over an object -- though at an incredibly small scale -- through the use of light alone. Says Yang, "We've demonstrated that these are tunable forces we can engineer." Small as it may seem, this is an incredible breakthrough considering the ability to engineer functional technology powered by the physical force of light is possible. Photosythesis is the naturally occuring process that allows plants, algea, and bacteria to use sunlight to process carbon dioxide into natural energy-providing elements. Considered as a sustaining source of all carbon-based lifeforms on Earth, photosynthesis -- the conversion of light into energy -- can be viewed as a fundamental condition for "life". Yang's findings may lay the foundation for "living" materials that function and exist indefinately under the power light.

"Photosystem: A light-harvesting cluster of photosynthetic pigments present in the thylakoid membrane of chloroplasts." via Wikipedia.

Seen on i09 and Physics.org.

prada transformer - cinema

2009-07-14T12:23:00.005-04:00

A short time ago, we wrote about the Prada Transformer by OMA, the dynamic installation that is four buildings in one; each new floor plate revealed as the entire structure is rotated in place. The second position is now being set up and new photo's have been released. The second position is a cinema and it will showing two films until it is repositioned again to host a fashion exhibit by Prada. Images by Iwan Baan. Seen on ArchDaily.

the age of stupid

2009-07-06T22:03:00.004-04:00

Told in hindsight, the British film The Age of Stupid is a foresight of the future we may face and the incredible sense of shame that might very well accompany the great sense of loss. The film follows it's narrator, a lone survivor in the year 2055, as he watches film footage of 2007 and the swirling arguments and political stand-offs that the idea of climate change generated. As he watches real footage from 2007, the narrator (played by Pete Postlethwaite) wonders aloud why we didn't stop climate change while we had the chance. Meanwhile, epic scenes of the disaster and the world we constructed are flashed on the screen. It will be frightening to see real images of natural disasters today side by side with the haunting but beautiful scenes of a post-apocalyptic world and all to easy to see the two being not-to distant relations. Seen on i09.

innovation

2009-06-30T15:21:00.001-04:00

the legacy

2009-06-29T21:39:00.014-04:00

Industrial Revolution

Great Depression

Suburbia

Our greatest problem was that we were given everything. Our great-grandparents invented industry and our grandparents lived without so that it might succeed. Our parents worked hard, built the middle class, and laid a foundation of stability. We are the fruits of this labor, and we seem to be satisfied with it. Without something to fight for or rebel against, we let stand the progress. Why progress when the outcome of the past was comfort? Is what exists of this process the peak? Do we refine the product? Re-invent it? Or do we just take advantage of it's stasis and let the meaning behind the process disappear. Will we let it fall into disrepair, only for the next generation to fix? If it does, will that be our legacy, or theirs?

the problem of organic form

2009-06-22T21:50:00.006-04:00

Green Algae. A microorganism that uses protons to produce molecular hydrogen.

"The external configuration is usually rather simple, but there is packed into the interior of an organism an amazing complexity of structures which have long been the delight of anatomists. The specific form of a plant or animal is determined not only by the genes in that organism and the cytoplasmic activities that these direct but by the interaction between genetic constitution and environment. A given gene does not control a specific trait, but a specific reaction to a specific environment."
-From The Problem of Organic Form by Edmund W. Sinnott, 1963. Seen in Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture by Robert Venturi, 1966.

shenzhen crystal island

2009-06-18T21:35:00.013-04:00

OMA, in collaboration with Urbanas, has recently been announced as the winner of the Shenzhen Crystal Island competition. The scheme imagines an inter-connected landscape of creativity. Located in front of the old City Hall, the development would link the creative industries of the city through connective infrastructure. Layered into the urban fabric the plan vertically stacks three zonal concepts. Underground, a network of "shortcut connectors" form the "design link", a system that physically joins the disperse creative industries of the city. A large-scale public plaza and "creative center" occupies the surface area of the site and provides 20 hectacres of parks, pavillions, and "design villages". Amidst all of this is the Shenzhen Eye. This feature is seen as the "landmark" element on site. Situated between the underground network and the above-ground landscape, the "eye" seems to defy it's own spatial existence. Located below grade, the curvalinear form of the apperature and the distorted perspective provide a "floating" glimpse of the city skyline beyond, realizing at once the spatial implications of creative design. swiped from designboom.

asphalt spot

2009-06-17T23:50:00.002-04:00

Asphalt spot is a bastard-hybrid parking-lot-exhibition-hall-facilities facility by Francois Roche and R&Sie(n) in Tokamashi, Japan. Whether the 300m2 folly exists to carry 20 parking spaces on it's undulating roof surface or it is that very surface that purposely hides the folly is called into question. The traditional programmatic idea of primary use and it's relation to support function is neutralized by elevating the supporting functions to prominence. No longer does the exhibit hall and rest facilities command visual and circulatory precedent. Instead, they become subject to the redfined whimsy of a traditionally ignored site element. seen on SpaceInvading

16,000 year-old concrete

2009-06-17T19:00:00.005-04:00

photo by chris bobko
Engineer's at MIT have discovered the cause behind concrete to deform and weaken over time due to stress. called concrete creep, a rearrangement of structure at the nano-scale, professor Franz-Jozef Ulm's paper suggests that, if slowed by 2.6%, the result would increase the effective lifespan of concrete up to 16,000 years. Although I understand BLDGBLG's hesitation at a material synonnomous with parking structures being able to last for 16,000 years, there may be practical uses for this. Aside from the ecological benefit of only producing the concrete once, extended-use infrastrcutre such as bridges and foundations would require less maintanence and replacement over the material life-cycle. Also, by micro-engineering the material, a complete re-imagining of construction methods with the material is possible. Working at a nano-scale it becomes possible to engineer into the concrete certain nano-structures or formulas that would allow for easy assembly/disassembly and manipulation. If the material does indeed have such durability, the ability to re-engineer that actual piece of concrete, whether to repair or reform, could yield infinite solutions. Ironically, the material that defined 'modularity' could be re-engineered to be modular at a molecular level. Could actual 'curable' concrete be created where the atomic structure is re-energized and given a molecular tune-up? A structural member is tested and the calculations reveal it's structure has decomposed to an unsafe level. A specific electrical current is applied to the material and particles are jostled back into place and the original strength is again realized.

destroy build destroy

2009-06-16T20:37:00.002-04:00

Noveau rocker Andrew W.K. is hosting an upcoming television show on Cartoon Network where kids get to blow something up, inspect the wreckage, and then build a better machine, and then, I would suspect, maybe even blow it up again. The show looks to be part Double Dare, part Mythbusters -- a great combination indeed. It's actually quite interesting to tie the idea of destruction to creation and see how kids react. At best, this may teach the kids to look at ordinary objects through a critical lense and question the validity of the solution rather than just accepting the product/object. Similarly, we may see the development of the idea that all things have a lifecycle, and the future is not necessarily tied to the built creations of the past. At worst, we get to see kids firing rocket launchers. seen on gizmodo and laughing squid

flow 5.0

2009-06-16T19:57:00.002-04:00

In the 2007 project Flow 5.0, interactive artist Daan Roosegaarde created a 10-meter long space with two parellel walls composed of hundreds of small ventilator fans linked to audio and visual sensors. The result is a "pixelated" interactive surface that responds to user and environmental stimulus. According to the Dutch artist "Flow 5.0 is an interactive landscape made out of hundreds of ventilators which reacts on your sound and motion. By walking and interacting the visitor creates an illusive landscape of transparencies and artificial wind. Moving through Flow 5.0 the visitor becomes conscious of himself as a collective body, in dynamic relation with space and technology." In his statement, Roosegaarde admits a fundamental desire to link the built landscape more dynamically with that of it's users and environment.

yggdrasil electric pole

2009-06-12T19:58:00.006-04:00

the yggdrasil electric pole by no picnic is the recently approved design for a new high tension electricity pole at a highway entry point into stockholm, sweden. the structure both carries elevated electric lines but also functions as a large light sculpture. as a conceptual gateway into the city, it is undoubtedly a beautifully designed structure that will emit low level ambient light between the tree-like masts. unfortunately, using energy, to project light directly up into the atmosphere does not quite seem like an efficient or environmentally friendly decison. the design is named after the yggdrasil, or earth tree, of ancient norse mythology. seen on gizmodo.

metropol parasol

2009-06-08T12:52:00.006-04:00

construction is underway for 'metropol parasol' designed by Jurgen Mayer H. The project was the winning entry in a 2004 design competition to redevelop the Plaza de la Encarnacion in Seville, Spain. the competition entry is an attempt to create a new contemporary urban center that provides an archeological site, a farmers market, public gathering space and numerous commercial venues. the structure, which, once complete, will be on of the world's largest timber-frame constructs, is scheduled to be complete in late 2009. the form itself seems to grow from the cityscape below and spreads out overhead creating a canopy that weaves it's way through the plaza. serving as both facility nodes and as vertical circulation, the large columns speak of the connection between earth and sky, historic and contemporary, past, present, and future. swiped from designboom

Lego Mania!

2009-06-03T10:01:00.005-04:00

Ahhh, yes...LEGOS!!!!! We grew up playing with this amazing toy designed by the Dutch. Below are some fine examples by Nathan Sawaya, posted on Design Boom

Little girl, why do you have grenade in your hand?

2009-06-02T17:55:00.003-04:00

I thought this was a powerful one and coincidentally, so did someone else as I was taking the shot. I ended up having a good conversation with this man about the meaning of the one. We talked of innocence, puppeteer-ing, war and greed in a good 10 minute conversation. I've been trying to get a shot of this one for a while and finally got it. Rain had been getting in the way.

[Taken near Georgia Ave and Quincy streets NW, on 4/19/09]

Google Street View

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Post Industrial Revitalization ?

2009-06-01T11:38:00.005-04:00

I looked at this image and just had to say "wow!" followed by a short breath of disgust and concern. There are huge built forms like this that are just barely holding itself up...if not structural, morally. This was once the central train station in Detroit. In its time, probably thousands of people are scrambling through the space, yelling, running, trying to find their next train. Now, absolutely nothing. It's sad... Maybe the building could be partially renovated to accomodate a new function, artist lofts, indoor mall, skate board arena....anything!??!

Another example is the Ryugyong Hote l in Taiwan. Two problems here, out of funding and poor quality concrete was used and structural failure is occuring. This one, I think the building is really freaking ugly but just another example. Following are some links of abandonment posts:
Web Urbanists - Abandoned buildings, spaces
Web Urbanists - Abandonment in Asia (inc the hotel)

evol : spotlight on

2009-05-21T12:05:00.005-04:00

evol, a street artist from germany is known for installations that call into question our relationship with the urban environment. frequently pointing out the failures of 'modernist utopia schemes' and the oft overlooked corners of the city, evol's work draws attention to grand schemes and the scale of misunderstanding. for some of his recent installations evol has taken the repetitive and often senseless facades of public housing projects and applied them to small city objects, thus forcing the viewer to re-evaluate the scale of the idea. see more at fabrik project and spaceinvading.

electronic paper display

2009-05-20T19:36:00.012-04:00

from e ink:
"An Electronic Paper Display is a display that possess a paper-like high contrast appearance, ultra-low power consumption, and a thin, light form. It gives the viewer the experience of reading from paper, while having the power of updatable information."
see more at xconomy here

gas stations and rocket ships

2009-05-19T19:46:00.007-04:00

Tramway Gas Station / 2901 North Palm Canyon Drive by frey and chambers. 1963.

you can't explore space if you run out of gas. but cars and planes and rockets all carry their own fuel supplies. so, at best, only relatively short trips are possible. how far could you drive your car if there were no gas stations within driving distance. you would always have to return to that fuel station to make any travel possible. thus, as an organism, a space ship does not thrive in it's environment, it merely exists in it. it can make limited trips in and out but that's the extent. satellites and space stations only hang there, balanced perfectly, in a pre-set orbit, yet no free movement is possible. instead of carry-and-consume, the ship should produce-and-transform as it travels. if the craft can harness and utilize naturally encountered energies, it could travel and exist indefinitely. imagine limitless travel where time is the only constraint on distance (both being af function of each other anyway...)! but a vessel might use passive energy such as solar or transform it's internal bio-processes into energy (poop=power). who knows, maybe sans-gravity, a perpetual motion apparatus may finally be realized and the resultant emmision is propulsion?

magnetic termite mounds

2009-05-18T12:59:00.007-04:00

the termite has long been known as highly social insects that live in large colonies with a very specific social order. however, the 'mounds' that they construct are quickly being identified as sophisticated structures. the compass termite of australia orients it's mound along a north-south access to utilize the process of thermoregulation to maintain the interior temperature even as the outside air may vary from hot to cold. with it's largest elevations facing east and west, the mound collects the warm sun in the morning and evening, as the center stays cool. however, once night falls, the heat captured by the exterior is transferred to the interior. mounds also use the stack effect to cool and ventilate the interior of the structure. warm air is drawn up through the network of tunnels that are similar to capillaries in the human skin and the warm gaseous air is exchanged at the structure's surface. read more at environmental grafitti and at the national. images by neil liddle.

grey goo

2009-05-15T12:36:00.005-04:00

grey goo is the name given to the hypothesized scenario which envisions the world being taken over by self-replicating nano-technology. giacomo costa is a digital artist who imagines the world post-infiltration. the forms that begin to arise in the decimated landscape seem to grow organically, yet mimic the vertical growth patterns of urban density. calling to mind the singularity, where the rate of technology expands so rapidly that a super-intelligent 'being' is created, these images imagine a new phase in evolution; one created by humans, but not controlled by them.

of google maps and robots

2009-05-14T23:57:00.005-04:00

just as it is difficult to imagine getting work done without email, finding your way around town without google maps is risky, at best. the old-fashioned way of navigation, interaction with the urban fabric and local populace, has been relegated to several mouse-clicks and a printed screen-shot. asking for directions is for old people. and robots. old people and robots.
a team of german scientists at the technical university of munich have programmed a robot to navigate an urban area to a destination one and a half kilometers away through human interaction. nicknamed ACE, for Autonomous City Explorer, the robot approaches a human target and subsequently displays a message on it's screen asking the human if it would like to help. If the passer-by chooses to help, the robot vocalizes it's current position and destination, and asks for directions to it's endpoint. the robot is programmed to scan the stance of the human target and recognize pointing and gestures. continuing it's data collection, the robot requests wayfinding tips through identification of landmarks and map input. as ACE continues to collect and analyze the data in it's system, the robot and generates a 3-dimensional real-time map of information.

data collected from New Scientist

liquid signage

2009-05-14T23:26:00.005-04:00

WATER LOGO, by the hara design institute and atelier omoya, is fabric structured at the nano-level to repel drops of water larger than a certain size. These droplets are moved off of the textured surface passively, by gravity, and only drops of a specific size remain. the structure is constantly re-supplied with water, so control over the droplets is possible. seen via designboom

of bricks and robots

2009-05-13T12:41:00.006-04:00

Louis Khan was famously quoted as saying " 'What do you want Brick?' And the Brick says to you, 'I like an arch.'..." Much of Khan's work was rooted in the honesty of heavy materials such as concrete and brick. His comment, moreover, belies his belief that all materials contain certain physical characteristics that define their usage. Brick was invented as load-bearing unit masonry and for much of it's history was used as such. However, in recent years, the meaning of brick has become convoluted in modern buildings. No longer used as a load bearing unit, brick has become a skin applied to the surface of structure. Ironically, it is the meaning of 'brick' that sustains it's usage. Technologically, brick does not function well as building skin. The units themselves are small, heavy, and require internal structure to carry their weight. However, brick is still used as skin in modern buildings because of the meaning and familiarity behind it. A brick wall recalls the idea of permanence and strength. It is a material of comfort in spite of the fact that today, unbeknownst to the user, the system is literally hanging over them.
However, the very properties that make brick a perverse choice for skin, may also enable a renaissance in it's usage. Capitalizing on the very fact that it is a small, unitized system, new technologies are revolutionizing the three dimensional capabilities of it's stacking. Using digitally defined algorythms and computer controlled robotic stacking devices, complex forms are able to be generated. At the 2008 Venice Bienale Fabio Gramazio and Matthias Kohler constructed an installation entitled 'Structural Oscillations' that consisted of 14,961 individually rotated bricks in a 100 meter-long wall (pictured above). Here, the modern technology used to create this wall redefines the idea of the 'brick wall', while using the very properties of traditional brick. The individual units are rotated in space, creating spatial surfaces yet still rely on their load-bearing capacity for support.

Dematerialization of Brick

2009-05-11T08:56:00.005-04:00

Another example of creative using brick to articulate a facade treatment. Here rather than having actual spaced openings, the brick units are rotated incrementally. As the spacing between gets too wide, it naturally lends itself in being an opening. Pretty cool.

Image is from Archidose Porous Masonry Posting

favela eyes

2009-05-08T13:16:00.008-04:00

for his latest 'intervention', street artist and photographer JR has tagged the walls of this favela in Rio de Janeiro with the oversized portraits of his subjects. viewed from a distance, and at such a large scale, the human faces and eyes turn the stacked structures of the favela into a crowd of silent observers. perversely the very favelas which are generally looked upon with distrust, are transformed into the watchers. the personification of the structure is a reminder of the humanity that inhabits them.
Seen via BLDG BLOG

'phyte' tower

2009-05-07T12:49:00.005-04:00

'phyte' tower, the winning entry in a competition sponsored by the Foundation Societe Tour Eiffel, is a 380 meter tall mobile-communications tower that bends and flexes with the wind. Designed by Nicolas Mouret, the structure is a combination of structural members and cables operating both in tension and compression, allowing it to move freely with the elements.
Acting as a dynamic counterpart to the static iconography of the Eiffel Tower, Phyte Tower re-interprets the spirit of technology and progressive design that made the former possible. As it's structure bends and sways, internal mechanisms generate sufficient energy to power it's lighting.

morpho butterfly

2009-05-05T20:04:00.004-04:00

The wings of the morpho butterfly remain bright and shiny throughout the butterfly's entire lifespan. The vibrant color is created by light refraction rather than pigment. The tiny scales that make up the wing membrane are made of layers of protein that refract light in many different ways, so the color seen is that of reflected light.
According to Ask Nature, an advanced fiber company Tenjin Fibers Limited has begun to manufacture fibers mimicking this structure. The resultant fibers require no pigments and resist fade. The color shades and brightness are created by the thickness and frequency of structural layering.

suburb eating robot

2009-05-01T13:17:00.005-04:00

The large, colorful robot is so big it could be a building. But it's not. Not really. It looks like it could be an AT-AT's distant, cheery relative that chases houses instead of Ewoks. There are people inside of it, probably. Either working for it, operating it's movements, or maybe inhabiting it, just enjoying the view. It happily chomps through house after house. Walking spirally ever forward, it leaves nothing behind it but great trails of green. Trees. Grass. Maybe a picnic or two.
Andrew Maynard's Suburb Eating Robot is an attempt to imagine a building, albeit mostly robot, contest a built environment deemed unacceptable. That Maynard is an architect in Melbourne, Australia, where suburbs have recently begun to expand into the surrounding areas, might come as no surprise. And whether one is fighting sprawl with giant, colorful robots, generating energy to return to the grid, or just plotting to take over the world, the signs are clear! Buildings can be more than just building. Technology, research, and advanced (and simple) construction techniques allow today's buidings to confront today's problems.

prada transformer

2009-04-30T22:47:00.008-04:00

The Prada Transformer by OMA, which is the firms most recent collaboration with the well-known design house Prada,is structurally and functionally a tetrahedron that can be rotated by cranes to four different positions. Each new structural positioning reveals a new floor-plate for each new event; a fashion exhibit, art exhibit, cinema, and fashion show. The interior is a collection of walls that become cielings that become stages that become seating. M.C. Escher would be proud.

Designs Released for the Smithsonian Museum of African-American History and Culture

2009-03-29T15:41:00.012-04:00

Designs for the last piece of the national mall have been unveiled and include designs from 6 of the most recognized names in architecture. The entries include submissions from Devrouax +Purnell Architects & Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, Diller Scofidio + Renfro in Association with Kling Stubbins, Foster + Partners / URS Group, Inc., Freelon Adjaye Bond / Smith Group, Moody Nolan Inc. / Antoine Predock Architecture PC, & Moshe Safdie and Associates Inc. The site for this new half a billion dollar LEED certified building will be on the corner of 14th street and Constitution Ave, directly opposite the American History Museum. According to The Washington Post Models of these submissions are on display to the public at the Castle Building until April 6th, and if these models are anything like the renderings then you should probably take a few hours out of your day to check it out! The Castle building is located opposite the Natural History Museum on The Mall.

the seed

2009-03-21T21:22:00.001-04:00

The Seed from Johnny Kelly on Vimeo.

For you bikers out there!

2009-03-19T12:59:00.002-04:00

Check it out, a neat idea

the atom suit project

2009-03-18T22:00:00.005-04:00

the photo series atom suit project by japanese sculpter/photographer/artist kenji yanobe shows suited figures roaming desolate, but strangely compelling landscapes. the mixture of dystopic imagery and the contemplative nature of the suited explorers create an all too familiar feeling of looking into a future that we have created for ourselves. are the suits needed for survival in this new old land, or are they merely housing visitors surveying the post event fallout? the seeming neccessity of the suit itself perversely reminds the viewer of the cushicle, an automated leisure environment suit created by archigram in the 1960s.

wii graffitii

2009-03-16T21:58:00.007-04:00

the future is here. in another example of a haptic device bringing user-generated actions to the small screen, students at the bauhaus have created a wii-based game that simulates the act of spray-painting. the graffiti game uses the wii-mote as a spray can so the user can "paint" the surface of the monitor. ganked from oobject. see more haptic controllers here.

analog blogs

2009-03-14T00:30:00.000-04:00

even though much of today's communication takes place in a digital realm, it's hard to deny the connection between physical message boards and the digital news we consume via broadcast media and the internet. this guy, Alfred Sirleaf, in Liberia runs an analog news stand along side of a busy road, physically recording news items, gas prices, and advertising throughout the day. not confined to large broadcast-populations, a physical message board offers a public locality and the ability to respond to local environments. in most of these instances, the media is supplied and organized by the surrounding populous.

space invader

2009-03-12T23:16:00.000-04:00

a cool new video of a stealthy installation by Invader. ganked from Wooster.
SPACE INVADER #763
by extermitent

grow your own house!

2009-03-12T22:21:00.000-04:00

Why build a house when you can grow one? Green roofs, living walls, and all sorts of crazy! See a living wall get built here.

abandoned lot, berlin, germany

2009-03-09T23:58:00.000-04:00

an empty lot, adjacent to friedrich strasse, berlin, germany... I found it wandering not to far from my hostel, my first day in the city...

spray cans, rags, cigarettes, with an ever-changing canvas of walls, buses, and any/all surfaces activates the lot with a relentless urban intensity...

further in, layered within the graffiti lies a small artists collective, housed under tents, shipping containers, and makeshift structures... sculptors and painters working in concert with their environment to defy convention through art...

a fitting slogan for a space unabashedly embracing flux, defined by nothing but open and defiant expression of art and energy...

2009-03-08T15:20:00.000-04:00

Civil Disobedience is BIG in Adams Morgan...

Local artists in conjunction with Capitol Climate Action go big in Adams Morgan, DC to promote renewable /sustainable energy.

Visit http://www.capitolclimateaction.org/ for more info.

park/ing

2009-03-04T13:16:00.000-05:00

Entry in NOTORIUS LA Design Competition, sponsered by RTKL. The competition brief provided two building sites at the intersection of Figeroa Ave. and the 110 Freeway, and invited proposals for a gateway into downtown Los Angeles. The site itself is bi-sected by the freeway. The program is split on the site. The tension of the 110 Freeway connects each function. On Figeroa Ave., a major artery to downtown LA, a parking garage and public transportation hub is located. The structure of which, acts as a multi-media platform to the park located on the opposite side of the freeway.

A Poem by David Greene

2009-02-18T00:15:00.000-05:00