Workshop led by

Paul Nicolas - mense.net
Martin Tamke, Jacob Riiber - CITA

The workshop is supported by Mark Burry - Guestprofessor at Karch

Design Task

The workshop focuses on the exploration of structures which utilise material behaviour to mediate light and view in innovative ways.  Shading, direct, indirect light as well as the visual impact of open or inhibited lines of view are considered. The programmatic setting will develop from within the investigations, by which a wide range of ap-plications beyond shading devices, screens, canopies or building facades can be ad-dressed.  Priority will be given to the fast implementation and evaluation of material feedback loops, with the aim of gaining a deep working knowledge of material capacities and tendencies, and of their potential to mediate relationships between design intent, context and performance.
In keeping with the broader architectural nature of this investigation, this part of work-shop will focus upon generative and integrative potentials, and upon ‘aptimised’ design rather than strictly ‘optimised’ solutions.

The workshop introduces a series of new skills and is based on a constant negotiation between physical and digital media. You are asked to work between 3D modeling (rhino), parametric design (Grasshopper), speculative models (paper/wood) and full-scale demonstrators.

the complete brief can be downloaded here

Schedule
Wed Dec 2.

• 11.00 Introduction
• 13:00 Grasshopper tutorial I – Physical properties in GH
• 15:00 Material investigation and production of first speculative models

Thu Dec. 3.

• 9:00 Review of speculative models and results of investigation in physical behaviour
• 10:30 Grasshopper tutorial II - Components
• 13:00 Development of speculative models and measurement of physical behaviour, programming of behaviour in GH
• 18:00 Evening lecture Component Design

Fri Dec. 4.

• 9:00 Developing components and programming of behaviour in GH
• 17:00 Evening lecture Paul Nicholas

Sat Dec. 5.

• 10:00 Creation of assemblies. Developing physical models and prototypes
• 13:00 Grasshopper Tutorial III - Clusters

Sun Dec. 6.

• 10:00 Review of models and prototypes
• 14:00 Grasshopper Tutorial IV – Introducing environmental performance
• 14:00 Developing models and prototypes, building demonstrator

Mon Dec. 7.

• 9:00 Developing prototypes, building demonstrator

Tue Dec. 8.

• 9:00 Developing prototypes, building demonstrator

Wed Dec. 9.

• 9:00 Finalising of prototypes, building demonstrator13:00 FINAL REVIEW with tutors from your programme

Links:

• Download GrassHopper
• The Geometryof Bending
• BIOS
• BD Online
• BD Online - PDF
• JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR SHELL AND SPATIAL STRUCTURES

more pictures can be found on the related flickrpage

download grasshopper definition:

grid_component_grafted

WORKSHOP RESULTS

Group 1:

Dennis Carlsson, Bjarke Stenaa Ørvad & Stine Skogheim Walle

download grasshopper definition:

Rhino&GrasshopperFile_group 1

Group 2:

Jonas Tesch Hallberg & Christoffer Bjørn Weile

Group 3:

Nanna Riise & Johannes Beck

download grasshopper definition:

RhinoGrasshopperFile_group3

]]> http://www.aaet.dk/2009/12/workshop-encoded-behaviour/feed/ http://www.aaet.dk/2009/10/tutorial-6-volume-slicer/ http://www.aaet.dk/2009/10/tutorial-6-volume-slicer/#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:05:52 +0000 Martin Tamke http://www.aaet.dk/?p=598 Production - Slicer:

In this tutorial we will at how to generate a polysurface from a given volumetric mesh. This in order to extract height curves from the newly created BRep, label them and layout these curves for lasercutting.

Tutorial as pdf

Grasshoper definition and example Rhino File (zip):  grasshopper_slicer

Grasshopper definition, which doesnt number each part, but just every level (might be easier to use with small or delicat pieces (zip) divide_geometryandmove_2

Production - Grillages:

Eggcrate with Notches fabrication http://www.grasshopper3d.com/forum/topics/grillage-fabrication-1

Production  - Numbering:

in order to get the most out of it:  Engraving fonts and a script, which vonverts all slected textobjects into single stroke font curves. (if ushc a font was used last time when using the textobject. these settings are taken into considertaion in the script) Just drag and drop teh script and use ” ConvertTextToGeometryWithTextSetting” as command in order to call the function.

zip file containing fonts and rhinoscript:  cnc_singlelinestrokefonts

another approach using blocks: http://biosarch.wordpress.com/2009/07/17/cnc-friendly-numbers-in-rhino/

Post-Production - Smoothening Surfaces:

tools for reducing MeshCount in Rhino: reduceMesh (newest version here http://en.wiki.mcneel.com/default.aspx/McNeel/MeshStuff.html )

tool for subdivision of meshes: http://www.wings3d.com/

tool for Subdivison in Rhino: Tsplines http://www.tsplines.com/

Tutrial Production:  smoothing and pipeing

1. Generate model in topostruct

2. Export as dxf to rhino

3. Download and install reduce mesh plug in from here http://en.wiki.mcneel.com/default.aspx/McNeel/MeshStuff.html )

4. Open dxf surface in rhino

5. Scale to the desired size ( favoured rp size 15cm x 10cmx 15cm)

6. Call the “reduce mesh command”

7. Reduce by 80%

8. Export as *.3ds

9. Download and install wings3d from here http://www.wings3d.com/

10. Import and select geometry

11. Right click and “smooth” as you like

12. Export as .3ds

13. Import to rhino

14. Call “meshtonurbs”

15. Call “Explode”

16. Call “duplicate border”

17. Call “explode”

18. Call “select duplicates”

19. Delete duplicates

20. Start grasshopper

21. Assign linebundle to “geometry button”

22. Connect geometry to pipe button and define the radius

23. Bake

24. Export as *. stl in a reasonable resolution ( size of file should be around 50-70 mb)

25. Enjoy!

]]> http://www.aaet.dk/2009/10/tutorial-6-volume-slicer/feed/ http://www.aaet.dk/2009/10/workshop-topopt/ http://www.aaet.dk/2009/10/workshop-topopt/#comments Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:33:10 +0000 Martin Tamke http://www.aaet.dk/?p=582 Generative Design with Topologically Optimized Structures

workshop by Norbert Palz , Martin Tamke

The 5 day workshop will investigate a generative formfinding method for the creation of minimum weight structures with maximized Stiffness. This methodology that is more common in mechanical engineering and aeronautical research projects should be investigated for a potential application in an architectural context. The contemporary awareness of these generative structural processes is growing within the field of architecture, yet their application is very sparse due to the evolving irregularities of the calculated surfaces and volumes and the dependant manufacturing-and economical constraints. Examples of an evolutionary structural optimization in the field of architecture can be seen in the formfinding of Sagrada Familia´s Passion Façade by Gaudí (Burry, et al. 2004) and for the 2007 competition proposal of the new Florence train station by Arata Isozaki and Mutsuro Sasaki (Ito, Isozaki og Sasaki 2007).

Detailed Workshop description as pdf workshop_topologicallyoptimzedstructure

related software

topostruct - http://sawapan.eu/

manual and help (zip file) - topostruct-help

topopt - http://www.topopt.dtu.dk/

Timeline 26.-30.10.09

26.10.09 Monday
10.00 Start
10.15-10.30 Introduction Norbert Palz and Martin Tamke
10.30-11.15 Lecture Norbert Palz
11.30-15.00 Group Work and development of idea sketches
13.00              Intro to Topstruct tools
16.00 -17.00 Lecture Prof. Dr. Ole Sigmund, DTU poster (pdf)
17.00-17.30 Discussion

27.10.09 Tuesday
10.00 -10.45 Lecture Martin Tamke
11.00-11.30 Model Tutorial
11.30 - 16.00 Group Work – first Prototypes
16.00-18.00 Pin-up

28.10.09 Wednesday
10.00-11.30 Pin-up
11.30-16.00 Group Work – refined Working Models Time on Big Lasercutter
16.00-18.00 Group Work

29.10.09 Thursday
10.00-18.00 Group Work Time on Big Lasercutter Preparation of final Drawings and Models

30.10.09 Friday
10.00-12.00 Group Work
14.00-17.00 Final Presentation

• list of links… TODO!

…and some images

The technique seen above was used in a very similar project by lift architects - here is the link to the Grasshopper definition

…more images here. TODO!

For your assignment you can Download DWG files from here.  (The Cantina)

In this tutorial we will look at how to create surfaces that can react to external influences. This is exemplified with components whose properties can individually react towards the distance towards an attractor point.

The surface reaction can be written into a jpg sequence using the animation feature, which is integrated in every slider. Just animate the x,y or z Value of a point, slide it along a curve or many more things. The animation creates by default files, which are naemd bmp. In fact these bmps are jpges. So one needs to either give them another extension in Grashopper or rename them afterwords in the folder. Annoying. (at least on the 12.10.2009)

Tutorial as pdf

Rhino and Grasshopper file

Tutorial Pdf

Final Rhino and Grashopper  files

picture: arup agu

This tutorial will show how a reciprocal system can be constructed using Rhino, Grasshopper as design environment to inform a physical model.

Download Tutorial as pdf - workshopsafd8-digitalmaterialandfabrication-tut3-reciprocal

Download Rhino and Grasshopper file

example of the GH definition colouring sticks by length

Download the tutorial as pdf

Instruction to export files from Rhino to Lasercutter

Download the related Rhino and Grasshopper file

The first tutorial shows how this constrcution can be modelled in Rhino.

download the related tutorial as pdf

download the related rhino file

The industrialised manufacture of building elements is increasing computer controlled allowing for new ways of building. As our the digital tools by which we draw and think architecture are maturing, we are now entering a new phase in which direct interfacing between the drawn and the built becomes possible. This workshop introduces new digital fabrication technologies in a hands-on way. The reserach based workshop will focus on the link between the digital and physical, the representation and the build. We will introduce how to link this systems even in complex systems.

download program as pdf

Aim:
This workshop will teach basic and advanced 3d-modelling skills and give knowledge and first hand experience into today’s computer controlled fabrication techniques. It furthers a creative understanding of them. Participants will learn the use of the machines as well as 3d modelling software (Rhino).

Date:
30. Nov. - 2. Oct. 2009

Venue:
Royal Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture, The Red House

Tools:

Participants should have Rhino3D and grasshopper installed on their laptops.
http://www.grasshopper3d.com/
Besides extension cables, pliers, scissors, cutters, a cutting mat and a bit of 1.5mm cardboard is needed.

Ressources:
A very good ressource and entry into grasshopper is the Grasshopper Primer by Andrew Payne http://www.liftarchitects.com/journal/2009/3/25/the-grasshopper-primer-second-edition.html

The grassshopper community is super active - give and take on the forums. A lot of tutorials and examples as well.
http://www.grasshopper3d.com/forum

Here are some more advanced grasshopper definitions for having reactive walls etc.
http://www.giuliopiacentino.com/experiments/

Good written tutrials which partially include VB compents (just copy or invest into .VB)
http://woojsung.com/

Very boxy , but with a lot of tricks how to approach problems
http://paramod2.blogspot.com/search/label/grasshopper

Sun component influencing surface properties
http://www.gt2p.cl/index.php/category/gridshell_lab/

LAN / livearchitecture - lot of Grashopper 6.0 examples and more
http://www.livearchitecture.net/archives/2359

Nice 3D-2D Pattern Work from Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan
http://www.generativedesigncomputing.net/search?updated-max=2008-10-31T06%3A12%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=7

Schedule:
Start every morning 9.00h

30. Sep
9.00h     Intro to Rhino and parametric modelling - Tutorial 1
12.00h    Tutorial 2 – Zollinger structure and Lasercutting

1. Oct
9.00h    Networked structures – Tutorial 3
10.00h Assignment
13.00h    Leaving Holmen

2. Oct
9.00h    Tutorial 4
10.00h Assignment
15.30h    Final Presentation

12. October - Indepth Grasshopper
10.00 h Tutorial 5 - Morph
13.00h Tutorial 6 - Steered Surface

Robert J. Lang and Ali Tabatabai

Dr. Lang is one of the pioneers of the cross-disciplinary marriage of origami with mathematics; he has been one of the few Western columnists for Origami Tanteidan Magazine, the journal of the Japan Origami Academic Society, and has presented several refereed technical papers on origami-math at mathematical and computer science professional meetings.

from langorigami

Goal: Introduce students to concepts within origami and paper-folding that are particularly applicable to industrial and product design and architecture.

Duration: 5 days (Sept 9-10-11, Sept 14-15)

Format: 1-2 sessions of lecture, demonstration, and/or hands-on folding examples in the morning in a lecture format. Afternoon will be studio format, in which, the students will work in groups on independent projects with instructor roving. Students may work into the evening if desired.

For those who want to learn more about Origami and tessellations, here are some good links:

• http://www.papermosaics.co.uk/
• http://www.origamitessellations.com/

This is a Flickr group with the “latest and greatest” from the world of tessellations:

• http://www.flickr.com/groups/origamitessellations/

This is a downloadable booklet by Eric Gjerde:

• http://www.origamitessellations.com/docs/Tessellation_Basics_Eric_Gjerde.pdf

A list of material we will explore during this workshop:

• Foil
• Foil-paper laminates
• Sheet metal
• Foil-plastic (florist’s foil)
• Heavy cardboard
• Matte board
• Kapton, mylar
• Cloth
• Starched cloth
• Leather

Tools:

• GRASSHOPPER

Requirements for running Grasshopper: MS .NET framework. You can download the .NET Framework here if you don’t have it installed on your Windows operative system.

• MONKEY

LOTUS BLADE

For 10 år siden, begyndte den tyske botaniker Wilhelm
Barthlott, med at analysere lotus bladet for at
løse gåden om deres selv-rensende overfl ade. Han
opdagede at bladene var dækket med nanoskopiske
vox texturer, som forhindre vand og skidt i at
binde sig til bladene, og skaber den såkaldte lotuseffekt.
Firmaer rundt om i verden forsøger idag at integrere
lotus effekten i forskellige slags produkter fx
selv-rensende maling til bygnings fasader.

10 years ago, a German botanist, called Wilhelm
Barthlott, analysed the lotus leaves, to try to solve
the self-cleaning mystery. He discovered that the
leaves are covered in a nanoscopic waxy texture
that prevent water and dirt from clinging to the
leaves’ surface, creating the so-called lotus effect.
Today companies around the world, are trying to
integrate this lotus effect into different kinds of
products fx self-cleaning paint.

Stærkere end stål

Ved at splejse gener fra edderkopper ind i celler
fra geder kan man udvinde edderkoppesilkeprotein
fra deres mælk og på den måde skabe kunstig edderkoppetråd.
Trådens fordele er at den er stærkere
end stål, både i forhold til sin vægt og i selve trækstyrken,
samtidig er den også utroligt let og elastisk.
Edderkoppetrådens kvaliteter egner sig perfekt til
f.eks skudsikre veste, bil- og fl yindustrien og fordi
det er et biologiske material forskes der i muligheden
for at den også en dag kan anvendes til at
fremstille kunstige sener og ledbånd.

Download PDF

Stronger than steel

By manipulating genes from the spider into goat
cells, it has made possible to extract the spiders
silk protein from the milk and create an artifi cial
silk thread. The silk threads absolute benefi ts are
that it’s stronger than steel, both compared to its
own weight and tensile strenght. It’s also incredible
light and elastic. The qualities of spider silk thread
is that it’s a perfect material for bullet proof wests,
the car- and flight industry, and being a biologic
material it may also have the potential for the developement
of artificial tendons.

Download PDF in English

VELCRO

Velcro was invented in 1948 by Swiss chemist George
de Mestral, by copying the way cockleburs clung to his
dog’s coat. He examined these burs plucked from his
pants and dog’s coat after a hike and he found their
spines were tipped with tiny hooks.
He used this hook shape to create a two-sided fastener.
One side has got stiff “hooks”, just like the burs,
and the other side has got soft “loops” like the fabric
of his pants. The result was VELCRO® brand hook and
loop fasteners, named for the French words “velour”
and “crochet.”
The Velcro works as a construction that grips instantly
and lets go with a tug.

NAVIGERING MED RADAR

Flaggermus bruker lyd- eller radarbølger i luften for å navigere
unna hindringer og for å fi nne sitt bytte i mørket. De
bruker dette også for å identifi sere planter. Belgiske forskere
ved Universitetet i Antwerpen har funnet opp en robot
kalt “Bat-Bot”. Denne fungerer på samme måte som ekte
fl aggermus, altså ved å bruke ekko til å skilne mellom ulike
typer planter. Denne utviklingen er kanskje et stort steg
i retningen mot å utvikle selv-navigerende roboter. Forsvarsdepartementet
i USA gjør eksperimenter med
fl aggermus for å fi nne løsninger som kan forbedre deres
systemer når det gjelder undervannsnavigering.

Bats are using sound or sonar waves in the air to help them
navigate around obstacles and locate their prey in the dark.
They also use it to identify fl ora. Belgian researchers at the
University of Antwerp have invented a fragile looking robot,
called the “Bat-Bot”. It operates on the similar principle as
fl esh-and-blood bats, using echolocation to distinguish
different types of plants. This development might be a
giant step forward in the development of self-navigating or
autonomous robots. The US defense department is making
experiments on bats to improve their systems especially for
underwater navigating.

SHARKSKIN

Haiskinnet har vært en inspirasjonskilde i designen
av et belegg som snart vil kunne legges på marine
fartøys skrog. Det kan også bli brukt i stoffet man
lager badetøy av, for å redusere motstand og øke
farten.

The sharkskin is an inspiration for synthetic
coatings that may soon be applied to Navy ship
hulls and can also be used in the fabric of bathing
suits to reduce drag and increase the speed.

The natural principles of animal and human constructions from several different perspectives, and presents a great part of the knowledge that gives origin and shape to built form.

Download PDF from the workshop

bioarchitecure

And some of the examples from the pdf

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

KAN SELV - CAN SELF

Vores samfund bruger store ressourcer på at flytte ressourcer fra A til B. Et hus der kan fange regnvandet og gøre det til drikkevand, sparer hele den enorme infrasruktur
der kræves for at pumpe, rense og transportere det fra de fælles systemer.
ZeroHouse er arkitekten Scott Specht´s bud på et energiuafhængigt hus. Huset er selvforsynende med vand og strøm og komposterer al sit affald.
Hele huset kan flyttes i to lastbiler og sættes op på en enkelt dag hvor som helst.

Our society uses considerable resources to shift resources from A to B. A house that can capture rain water and turn it into drinking water, save the huge infrasruktur required to pump, purify and transport it from the common systems.
Zero House is the architect Scott Specht’s bid for an energy independent house. The house is self sufficient with water and electricity
and compost all its waste.
The whole house can be moved in two trucks and placed in a single day, anywhere.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

KAN SELV? - CAN SELF?

Scott Specht´s hus fremstår som det ultimative øko hus, det er totalt selvforsynende
med energi når det er bygget.
Men materialerne er energikrævende at producere og kan ikke nemt genbruges. At producere solceller er både ekstremt dyrt og energikrævende og de skal bruges i mange år før de har betalt sig selv hjem.
Huset er godt hvis du skal bygge et sted der er off the grid allerede, men det er ikke vanvittigt økologisk hvis man kigger
på helheden.

Scott Specht’s house stands as the ultimate eco house, it is totally self-sufficient
in energy when it is built.
But the materials are energy intensive to produce and can not easily be reused. To produce solar cells are both extremely
expensive and energy consuming and must be used for many years before they have paid for themselves.
The house is good if you need to build a place that is off the grid already, but it is not crazy organic if you look at the whole.

Afledning eller avant-garde? - Distraction or avant-garde?

Alle ambitiøse lande gør det - får en økoby.Italien har en, Tyskland har en på vej og Sverige kan ikke længere se nyheden i at de har en økoby.
På billedet ses visionen for én af to “grønne” byer der er under projektering i Sydkorea lige nu.
Hvis visionen holder, kommer de grønne byer til at blive de første eksempler på bæredygtighed på virkelig stor skala.
Vil de kunne lukke munden på nej-sigerne og bane vejen for en mere gennemgribende økoficering af hele lande?

All ambitious countries do it - gets an ecocity.Italy has one, Germany has one on the way and Sweden can no longer see the news in the fact that they have a sustainable city.
The picture shows the vision for one of two “green” cities that are in plans in South Korea right now.
If the vision comes true, the green cities will become the first examples of sustainability in really large scale.
Will they be able to silence the nay-sayers and pave the way for a more thorough økoficering of entire countries?

EN BY SOM ORGANISERER SIG SELV - A SELFORGANISING CITY

Tegnestuen Kokkugia forsker i hvordan byer kan vokse ud fra naturens principper af selvorganisering.
Cellullar automata er en model som kan beskrive cellers livs cyklus. Cellens overlevelse afhænger af nabo liggende cellers tilstand. Ligesom i naturen skabes og dör celler i gode og dålige forhold.

The architecture firm Kokkugia is researching how cities can emerge based on the principle of natures selforganisation. Cellular automata is a modell that can describe the lifecycle of cells. The survival of the cell depends on the state of its neigboorhod. Like in nature the cells are replicating and dieing depending on if the conditions are good or bad.

THE EDEN PROJECT

Phyllotaxis
Som en del af The Eden Project designede Grimshaw Architects en bygning til undervisning.

Tagets form genereres udfra en naturlig spiral, der hedder Phyllotaxis. Denne matematiske model kan i princippet beskrive alle planters udvikling.

Phyllotaxis
Grimshaw Architects designed a education center As a part of the Eden Project.

The form of the roof was generated from a natural spiral called phyllotaxis
which is the mathematical basis for nearly all plant growth.

LINDEMEYER SYSTEMET - LINDEMEYER SYSTEM

Lindemeyer systemet er oprindeligt en model for at beskrive hvordan planter vokser.
Systemet kan anvendes i arkitektur for at generere kompleksitet og skabe bebyggelse af höj diversitet. Denne model bruges også til at genere kunstigt liv.

The Lindemeyer system was originally developed to describe the growth of plants. The system can be applied in architecture to generate complexity in order to create neighborhoods
with high diversity. Lindenmayer systems are also popular in the generation of artificial life.

STRUKTUREL ORGANISERING - STRUCTURAL ARRANGEMENT

Naturens strukturer kan være strukturelle, materialebesparende
og ikke mindst æstetiske, og er tit matematisk bestemt.
Solsikken er et eksempel på naturens egenskab til at forene matematik, æstetik og konstruktion og det er bl.a. blevet brugt i Palazetto dello Sport i Rom fra 1958. En matematisk model af solsikkens organiseting
blev opsat af matematikeren H. Vogel i 1979.
Arkitekt Pier Luigi Nervi

Nature’s structures can be structural, material saving and not least, aesthetic, and is often mathematically
determined.
The sunflower is an example of nature’s ability to combine mathematics, aesthetics and design and this has been used in Palazetto dello Sport in Rome from 1958. A mathematical model of the sunflower’s floret arrangement was deferred by the mathematician H. Vogel in 1979.
Architect Pier Luigi Nervi

MATERIALER ER DYRE - MATERIALS ARE EXPENSIVE

Everything happens for a reason.
Naturen former strukturer som den gør, ikke af æstetiske grunde, men fordi form er billig og materialer
dyre. I naturen indgår alt i en større helhed og materialespild er derfor ikke-eksisterende.
Udover blot at imitere form vil en dybere forståelse indbefatte naturlige fremstillingsprocesser. Hvordan kan naturens økosystemer imiteres, således at form og funktion optimeres uden at skabe materialespild?

STRUKTURELLE BOBLER - STRUCTURAL BUBBLES

Det olympiske svømmestadion, Watercube i Beijing er efterhånden kendt af de fleste og bygningen har fascineret, ikke mindst pga. den spinkle konstruktion.
Inspirationen til den fascinerende konstruktion kom fra den formation/organisering som opstår når sæbebobler “smelter” sammen. Denne formation er samtidig idéel, da sæbeboblerne netop finder den tilstand hvor formationen er stabil.
Arkitekt PTW Architects

The Olympic swimming stadium Watercube in Beijing
is now known by most people and the building has fascinated, not least because of the slender
structure.
The inspiration for the fascinating design came from the formation/organization that occurs when bubbles “melt” together. This formation is also ideal, since soap bubbles find the state where the formation is stable.
Architect PTW Architects

NATURENS SKALKONSTRUKTIONER - NATURE’S SHELL STRUCTURES

Gennem tiden har mennesket bygget kupler, og man har med tiden lært at forstå hvor vigtigt det er at have den ideelle form. Naturens egne skalkonstruktioner,
såsom muslingeskaller og æggeskaller, har optimerede former, og opnår derfor stor styrke med en lille godstykkelse. De er dog sårbare så snart de brydes.
Klassiske kupler har en tykkelse/radius ratio på 1:50; æggeskaller har en t/r på 1:100; moderne beton skalkonstruktioner kan laves med en forbløffende
ratio på 1:800.

Through time, man has built domes, and has over time learned to understand how important it is to have the ideal shape. Nature’s own shell structures such as seashells and egg shells, have an optimized shape, and can by this mean obtain high strength with a small thickness. However, they are vulnerable
as soon as they break.
Classical domes have a thickness-to-radius ratio of 1:50; egg shells have a t/r of 1:100; modern concrete shell domes can be built to the astounding ratio of 1:800.

BIOLUMINESCENT MATERIALS

Bioluminescent materials use living organisms, such as worms and tobacco plants, that glow or emit light to provide light in conditions where electricity would normally be used. These living materials could be used to light cinema and computer screens, stock tickers and scoreboards, as well as rooms and cityscapes.

In a studio project at Bartlett, Octave Augustin Marie Perrault illustrated the idea of a “bioluminescent bacterial billboard.” He writes, “A bioluminescent bacterial billboard glows across the harbour… We are constantly reminded of the condition of the surrounding environment as the bio indicators becomes an expressive occupiable ecology.”

- Download pdf in english

ARCHITECTURE COMES ALIVE

Neo-Plasmatic Design takes it inspiration from science-fiction, employing semi-living materials or entities to explore the impact of emerging and progressive biological advances upon architectural and design practice. As such, architecture is no longer confined to conventional dead matter (timber, concrete, steel, etc.)Neo-Plasmatic design manipulates actual biological material and takes a multi-disciplinary approach, combing architecture with biology, microbiology, biotechnology, medicine and surgery.

Figures like Marcos Cruz and Rachel Armstrong, both at Bartlett, are researching metabolic materials to develop more dynamic and environmentally-integrated materials. This would confer properties of living systems on buildings and cities, enabling architecture to change over time using local sources of energy and raw materials and respond to variations in the urban environment.

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INTERACTIVE MATERIALS

Rachel Wingfield and Loop Ph have created smart materials that respond to biological presences, providing an interactive experience between human and materials. “Inverted Shadow” is a proposal for a tiling system to illuminate public spaces. Each tile forms a pixel that responds to a moving shadow being cast upon it, mapping a physical pathway with an inverted, illuminating shadow. Light trails linger as you move through space providing localized and personal illumination.

Sound reactive wallpaper takes a traditional textile heritage and brings it to life as it reacts to ambient noise levels. The louder the space the brighter the wallpaper glows. It explores the experience of human presence and action having a tangible effect on space.

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ALGAETECTURE

Algaetecture employs principles of microbiology to harvest hyrdrogen from algae and provide energy efficient living. Algae produces hydrogen more efficiently than any other process, allowing it to operate as a renewable source of biomass and sustainable energy.

The PhotoBioReactor sculpture by Charles Lee is part renewable fuel factory and part bio-remediation plant. The design brings artistic, yet functional, forms into the landscape to inspire the imagination. Students at Cambridge University created “Algae House” based on the principle that hydrogen produced from a 75m2 algae pond could produce more than 4000KW/h of sustainable energy, and this in turn, could be converted into electricity.

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SELF-HEALING CONCRETE

What if concrete, the world’s most used construction material, could detect cracking and heal itself? There would not only be significant cost savings, but there would be an environmental benefit as well; concrete production accounts for 10 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. Researchers are taking biologically-based approaches to create concrete that heals itself using bacteria to fill holes.

At Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, bacteria are being used to produce limestone (calcium carbonate) and fill cracks. If a crack occurs and water and oxygen enter the concrete, then the bacteria can produce limestone.

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HANDS-OFF ARCHITECTURE

While bacteria can now be used to produce smart materials, they can also be used on a large scale to create entire landscapes and topologies. In addition to being inexpensive to produce and able to facilitate large-scale growth, bacteria also produce great structural strength.

Magnus Larsson’s Dune project explores the large-scale deployment of bacteria to combat the progressive desertification of Nigeria by growing a 6,000km wall using the bacterium, bacillus pasteurii, a microorganism readily available in marshes and wetlands, which rapidly binds loose sand into firm sandstone structures. Larsson’s significant re-imagining of architectural construction methods using a renewable approach to a longstanding problem depicts how the practice of the built environment may approach sustainable practices in new ways.

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DEBAT: GRØN PRODUKTION

Djævelens advokat har ordet

Når man snakker om biomaterialer er man nødt til at tage højde for produktionen af disse. Produktionen af et bæredygtigt materiale er lige så vigtig som selve produktet. Er der affaldsprodukter gennem produktionen? Er energiforbruget markant højere end ved produktionen af et traditionelt materiale? Er energiforbruget ved distributionen højere? Kan det overhovedet betale sig at producere grønt? Og hvis ja - på hvilken måde er det så bedst?

At være grøn, miljøbevidst, CO2-neutral osv. er en ny megatrend. En god historie sælger og vi køber gerne aflad. Eksempelvis skal vi skære ned på vores CO2 forbrug, og derfor bliver vi opfordret til at købe hybridbiler. Men den strøm hybridbilen bruger kommer hovedsageligt fra kulkraftværker, og at producere batteriet er ekstremt energitungt og udleder derfor en masse CO2. Spørgsmålet er derfor, om Toyota Priussen er lavet for at gøre verden til et bedre sted, eller om de gør det for at sælge flere biler, og altså bruger det “grønne“ som et buzz-word uden reelt indhold.

Denne problematik gør sig også gældende på markedet for biomaterialer. For eksempel findes der indenfor isolering flere hundredevis af patenterede grønne materialer. Hvordan skal vi som arkitekter kunne gennemskue, hvad der er reelle grønne produkter og hvad der er markedsføringsbullshit.

Vi har jo ikke den nødvendige viden indenfor kemi, biologi etc. til at vide, hvad de miljømæssige omkostninger er i en produktion. Måske ligger problemet i, at vi, i vores videnskabelige nuværende paradigme er vant til at se ting som isolerede størrelser; altså at være grøn vil sige, at bruge dette eller hint materiale.

I virkeligheden skal vi lære at tænke holistisk, lære at se, at alting hænger sammen. At vi ikke nødvendigvis kan have god samvittighed fordi vi køber FairTrade. Set fra denne vinkel lyder biomaterialer som en virkelig god ide uden indhold.

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SMARTE MATERIALER SKRUER OP FOR VARMEN

Med ny forskning kan man nu arbejde med materialer, der reagerer dynamisk på ydre forhold.

Afhængig af temperaturen kan materialerne fx udvide og trække sig sammen via formskift i strukturen og dermed afgive varme. På den måde kan indendørs temperaturen reguleres, hvis materialet fx bliver brugt som del af en klimaskærm.

Eksempler på dette er forskellige typer af plastic, men også en aluminiumshud med disse egenskaber er under udvikling. De sensitive materialer har en længere levetid og et mere effektivt energiforbrug og bliver spået en stor fremtid.

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SMART MATERIALS TURN UP THE HEAT

New research makes it possible to work with materials that react dynamically to exterior conditions.

The materials expand, contract and release heat in response to the temperature. If the material is used as part of the building envelope, the temperature inside can be regulated.

Examples include different types of plastics, as well as a kind of aluminum skin, which is being developed. These sensitive materials have long lives, are more energy efficient, and they are predicted to have a great future.

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PLASTMATERIALE LAVET AF MAJS

Majsplast (PLA) er baseret på mælkesyre, der fremstilles ved gæring af majsstivelse, kan indgå i en lang række produkter som f.eks. engangskrus, poser, kreditkort osv. Majsplast kan erstatte brugen af det giftige PET og PVC, og det er konkurrencedygtigt med andre materialer på både pris og egenskaber.

Nedbrydningen af PLA sker i et industrielt komposteringsanlæg, hvor det opbevares ved høj luftfugtighed i 45-60 dage. Den tilbageblivende mælkesyre opløses af mikroorganismer, som nedbrydes til vand og kuldioxid. Kuldioxiden er som bekendt miljøskadeligt, men ved PLA genereres der 68% færre drivhusgasser end ved alm. plast.

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PLASTICS MADE FROM CORN

Corn Plastic (PLA) is composed by lactic acid (fermentation from corn starch) and can be used in a wide range of products, such as disposable mugs, bags, and credit cards. Corn plastic can replace the use of toxic PET and PVC, and it is competitive with other materials in both price and features.

The dissolving of PLA occurs in industrial compost facilities where it is stored at high humidity for 45-60 days. The remaining lactic acid dissolves by micro-organisms and decomposes into water and carbon dioxide. While carbon dioxide is known for damaging the environment, PLA generates 68% fewer greenhouse gases than normal plastic.

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SVAMPE SOM ISOLERING

Svampe i veggene er ikke længre dårligt

Det unge makkerpar Bayer (21år) og McIntyre (22år) er i færd med at udvikle en ny form for isolering. Tag lidt vand, mel, nogle østersvampespore, et gødningsmineral og du har produktet “Greensulate”, et organiskt, brandsikkert isoleringsmateriale, 100% afsæt i en oranisk process.

Bayer & McIntyre (Ecovative Design) arbejder på at producere større eksempler af “Greensulate”  så det rent faktiskt vil kunne bruges som isolering af bygninger men siger at at de ikke vil sætte det på markedet før de har et robust og modent produkt.

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INSULATING MUSHROOM

Mushroom in the wall - not a bad thing

Young partners Bayer and McIntyre (Ecovative Design) are in the process of developing a new form of insulation. Mix water, flour and oyster mushroom, a mineral fertilizer and you will have the product “Greensulate”, an organic, fire resistant insulating material, composed by an entirely organic process.

They are working to produce more copies of Greensulate so it will actually be used as insulation for buildings, but they will not put it on the market before they have a robust and mature product.

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CELLUPRESS

10 års forskning har ført til det bæredygtige materiale Cellupress der hovedsageligt er baseret på plantefibre. Nøjagtigt som plastik kan Cellupress formes tredimensionelt, hvilke giver stor fleksibilitet ved formgivning. Cellupress består af træ og et tilsat kunstigt materiale der kan varieres afhængig af hvilken struktur og udtryk der ønskes i det færdige produkt.
I forbindelse med udviklingen af Cellupress er stolen Imprint blevet fremstillet. Stolen er designet af Johannes Foersom og Peter Hiort-Lorentzen, og det anvendte materiale består af 95 % træfibre og 5 % Polyethylen fra genbrugte japanske colaflasker.

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CELLUPRESS

10 years of research have led to the sustainable material Cellupress, mainly composed of plant fibers. Cellupress can, exactly like plastic, shape three-dimensionally which allows for greater flexibility in design. Cellupress consists of wood plus an artificial material that can vary depending on what kind of  structure and expression is desired in the finished product.
During development of Cellupress, the chair “Imprint” was manufactured. The chair is designed by John Foersom and Peter Hiort-Lorentzen, and the material used consists of 95% wood and 5% polyethylene from recycled Japanese coca cola bottles.

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URIN + OLIE = GUMMI

Fransk forskerhold har udviklet et selvhelende gummi.

Forskerhold ESPCI har udviklet en ny form for gummi. Det endnu unavngivne materiale er lavet af vegetabilske olier og stoffer fra urin.
Molekylerne i gummiet er bundet sammen på en anden måde end normalt - som en masse små hænder der når de slipper hinanden genfinder grebet.

Dr. Liebler der er leder af ESPCI forestiller sig gummiet brugt i f.eks. pakninger og legetøj, men mulighederne er uendelige.

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RUBBER TAKES ON NEW LIFE

French researchers have developed new self-healing rubber.

The French research team ESPCi has developed a new kind of rubber. The still un-named material is made of vegetable oil and components of urine.

The molecules of the rubber bond together so that it can self-repair. Like billion of tiny hands re-finding their grips when parted.

Dr. Liebler, head of the team, sees the use of the rubber in for example seals or toys, but the possibilities are endless.

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HOLLANDSKE BIOKOMPOSITTER

Er dette materiale det nye sort?
Denne biokomposit er et 100% naturligt blandingsmateriale af cellulosefibre og bioplastik. Det er bionedbrydeligt og kan genanvendes. Et materiale der kan erstatte træ-, metal- og plastplader, og kan bruges udendørs.
Det er lettere end aluminium, billigere end glasfiberplader og 3 gange så stærkt som hårdt træ.
Det kan formbøjes ved høj varme og bearbejdes med almindeligt værktøj som sav og boremaskine.

Materialet har åbentlyst mange kvaliteter og vi må vente og se om det kommer til at være en del af fremtidens byggeri.

Materialet Biopregs er udviklet af det hollandske firma Kiem. Se mere på materia.nl

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DUTCH BIOCOMPOSITES

Is this material the new black?
This biokomposit is a 100% biodegradable blend of cellulose fiber materials and bioplastic. The material can replace wood, metal and plastic plates, and can be used outdoors. It is lighter than aluminum, cheaper than glass fiber and 3 times as strong as hard wood. It can be molded at high heat and used with ordinary tools like saws and drills.

The material has many qualities and we must wait to see if it is going to be a part of future construction.

Biopregs material developed by the Dutch firm Kiem. See more at materia.nl

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NY BETON INDFANGER CO2

En ny måde at fremstille beton på bidrager samtidig til at reducere mængden af CO2 i atmosfæren og dermed udledningen af de samlede drivhusgasser.

Betonbestanddelen cement fremstilles ved at opvarme kalksten ved brug af fossilt brændstof og ifølge U.S. Environmental Protection Agency er hidtidig betonfremstilling den tredje største CO2 synder i USA.

Hvor der førhen blev produceret et ton CO2 ved produktionen af et ton beton, absorberes der ved denne fremstillingsform et halvt.

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NEW CONCRETE SEQUESTRATES CO2

new way of producing concrete contributes reducing the amount of the greenhouse gas CO2 in the atmosphere.

Concrete is made of rock and cement, the latter obtained by removing the CO2 from limestone by heating it by burning fossil fuels.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this process is the third largest source of greenhouse gas pollution in the U.S.

Making one ton of cement results in the emission of roughly one ton of CO2, but with this new technique, half a ton of CO2 is sequestrated.

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