ARIA GRIFFIN // Arch 212: Ives
Table of Contents:
Ecosystem Unit -- Duckweed Chandelier.... 4 Site Mapping exercise.................... 7 Urban Greenhouse......................... 9
Duckweed Chandelier
Duckweed (commonly referred to as pond scum) is know as a nuisance—an ugly invasive gunk that’s sucks the nutrients out of water and suffocates surrounding plants. Recent studies have concluded that these annoying attributes also have potential to be very beneficial for our ecosystem. Duckweed is a starch and is a potential source of effective, clean, renewable energy—in the form of a starch biofuel. It prefers still water although it is not a finicky plant and in the best conditions it will even double its population in less than 48 hours.
Because of its bad reputation as well as its incredible environmental assets, I chose to elevate Duckweed and explore its beauty potential. Mimicking the seemingly suspended qualities of each strand of the Duckweed, the chandelier suspends the top-lit duckweed over a reflection pool which reflects the underside image of the floating duckweed—a beautiful image that cannot be seen when its found in nature.
Wooden Armature Battery Compartment LED Strips
5” 16”
A
Reflective Pool Concrete 25” 25 2 5” 5 ”
12 1 2” 2 ”
SITE MAPPING | Light studies GATEWAY ARCH VISIBLE FROM SITE [PICTURED BELOW] : 1017 LAFAYETTE AVEST. LOUIS, MO 6310
Yellow light isn't absorbed efficiently by the cells within a plant that help turn light falling upon it into usable energy through the process known as photosynthesis. ]Plants exposed only to yellow light may grow at first, but they won't grow well or for too long. Sunrise to Mid-Morning [7:00am ~ 11:00am] -- Peek 30% photosynthetic effeciency
Red light stimulates vegetative growth and flowering, but if a plant gets too much red light, it will become tall and spindly. Red light, when combined with blue light, Mid-Afternoon to sunset [4:00pm ~ 7:00pm] -- Peek 70% photosynthetic effeciency
Blue light is primarily responsible for vegetative leaf growth. Blue ligh regulates plant growth, which makes it ideal for growing foliage plants and short, stocky seedlings. Midday [12pm ~ 3:00pm] Peek 80% photosynthetic effeciency
The iconic Gateway Arch’s reflective surface offer the site a unique tool for indicating the light quality being cast at a given time of day. Sunlight contains the complete spectrum of light including all colors of the rainbow. Plants use the full spectrum of light the sun provides for photosynthesis, although red and blue light seem to have the greatest impact on plant growth.
URBAN WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY New research suggests that Duckweed has numerous capabilities to positively impact our environment including the ability to clean contaminated water. Besides the greenhouse, my main program on the site is a waste water treatment facility that would function to provide recycled water to approximately 40 homes in St. Louis. So the extending beds of duckweed would function as the various bays used in the treatment process-- and they are incorporated into the tiered typography of the site.
SITE PLAN
• Approaching from street view one would see the smooth green bed flush with the walking path that extends the length of my site • One has the option of going up the stairs to the offices and looking down off the balcony from directly above onto the duckweed • Or one circles down below ground on a ramp so that they would view the duckweed at eye level in elevation • Finally they arrive underneath the chandelier and into the greenhouse where other plants would be grown which need partial sunlight-- as the duckweed provides a spackled light for the plants underneath
GREENHOUSE / EDUCATION LOUNGE
LOBBY LEVEL
OFFICE LEVEL
INFLUENT
EFFLUENT [RECYCLED TO GRAY WATER]
Section | Recycled water diagram
PUMPED THROUGH DUCKWEED BEDS X4
Street Elevation