Thesis: Into The Fog - Gabriela Fiorentino & Yara Kawar

Into the Fog By: Gabriela Fiorentino and Yara Kawar

2

Thesis Statement

p06

Abstract

p07

Scenarios: • Time Dilation; The unseen and the seen • Life without Culture • Deceiving Perception

p08-13

Fog: • Terms • Language • Media • Aesthetics • Perception • Acoustics • Types

p14-25

World Study: • World Map Fog Culture • Water Scarcity

p26-29

Biomimicry • Beetle • Namib Grass • Fog catchers • Spider Web

p30-39

Table Of Contents: Research Phase Precedents: • Cloudscapes • Blur Building • Yellow Fog • Fujiko Nakaya Installations

p40-47

Fog Performance Video

p48-51

Experiments • Fog Preformace Study • Terrain Morphology and Cymatics

p52-63

Circulation Enhancement

p64-65

San Francisco: • Fog Culture • Fog Mapping

p66-71

3

4

Introduction to design and proposal

p72-73

Selected Sites

p34-79

Fog Strip

p80-87

Urban Fog

p88-103

Genealogy

p104-105

Annotated Bibliography

p105-128

Table Of Contents: Design Phase

5

Abstract Rule Set

Thesis Statement We exist within the environment, we are engulfed by it, we are the environment. it affects us and we affect it. The hyperobject, an entity which blends time and space, imposes an “asymmetrical confrontation” between the people and the hyperobject that can frustrate the assumption of humans implied power over nature through the built world. This confrontation, raises the question of coexistence. Can architecture be meaningfully enmeshed in a hyperobject—in this case, fog— in order to renegotiate the relationship between the built world and its ecological context? We re-imagine the association with fog, we localize it within its vast system, bridging a communication between the people, fog and space.

6

_1 Identify and analyze a pattern of morphing terrain according to wind _2 Identify and analyze a pattern of morphing terrain according to sound _3 Understand terrain-fog morphological dynamic _4 Understand how terrain can re-shape fog _5 Identify and analyze the fog’s morphological conditions _6 Map the densities and movement of fog _7 Map fog’s interaction with spaces and people _8 Experiment with how fog affects space _9 Understand societal views of fog _10 Investigate how fog affects visibility _11 Investigate how fog interacts with sound _12 Understand fog at a molecular level _13 Investigate how can fog change molecular state _14 Explore ways to measure fog and create a measuring system _15 Comprehend fog’s controlling external environmental factors _16 Investigate fog’s uses in the world _17 Study the morphing conditions of fog and terrain and the driving factors _18 Conduct experiments in relation to fog and terrain _19 Investigate how to adapting to the changing fog and terrain conditions _20 Analyze fog’s interaction with certain shapes, materials and light _21 Explore different configuration of object formation that will sustain fog _22 Explore what types of materials can use their environment to generate fog _23 Design a plan that uses building to control the wind _24 Design an urban plan that will control and sustain fog _25 Design a plan that controls the wind to manipulate the changing terrain _26 Develop mechanism that will help you manipulate fog _27 Structure will allow for recreation of fog or simulate an improved and combined system. _28 Strategize a building system that can live with and without fog

7

Scenario_01

Time Dilation: The unseen and the seen.

Curiosity is what drives us to discover and create new experiences. On an unconscious level our curiosity and thirst for knowledge comes from the primitive survival instinct to understand our surrounding and possible threats. We are trying to grasp and become aware of the geological and biological environment so that we can adjust to our needs. When fog is present our senses are obscured and our instincts turn into fear and confusion. Fog is in constant adaptation, causing us to second-guess our past encounters with places we have visited. The ongoing transformation of fog reanimates the space or terrain allowing us to experience it differently.

Questioning our movements, what is there or not there and, time. Fog takes control of the environment and reshapes it to its will, obscuring certain areas and unveiling others, guiding us step by step to multiple areas.

When fog takes over an area, time stands still; we forget the road that we have traveled by everyday, the home we have lived a great part of our lives. Fog drains our vision and introduces us to the unseen. In order to move forward, we need to understand and adapt. Fog is fluid,

8

however, it has boundaries and external controlling influences we can use to understand and manipulate. The tactics and tools are in constant manipulation as the fog persists through spaces, you must reorder and recreate. With time, fog changes form, size and state, interacting with us at every stage. Fog cloaks over the landscape, revealing certain areas when the water molecules become sparse. Fog can change its volume and presented state, it can be collected as drinking water and released back into the air once more. This game of the seen and unseen circumstances is an exchange between us, as players, and the fog. Where fog challenges and gives the space and players a certain quality and identity in the moment. In return, the players interact and inhabit the spaces fog exist in and re-shape the fog’s identity.

one another. The terrain changes the fog; the player or the wind alters the terrain while the fog interacts with both. Your goal as a player is to gather the needed information and tools to begin to build inhabitable zones that can manipulate the fog and collect its benefits. It is not a question of survival but a question of better living of creating a new adaptive culture. Find the pattern of the controlling exterior forces, such as the wind, to help you build a stable zone that can begin to reshape the fog.

You can either stand still to see the morphing conditions of space, terrain and fog or move through it to create your own changing formation. In this scenario, the terrain plays an important role. The changing formation of the dunes as a terrain and the fog are a result of the wind. This Aeolian morphology comes into play in this scenario, where both are in constant play of one another. Fog follows the terrain; it moves with it and around it, as they both interact they will both begin to react to

9

Scenario_02

Life without Culture

In this scenario the world is divided in four zones, two of which were governs by fog while the other was not. In one of the zones, the inhabitants have become dependent on fog as part of our daily lives. They have built a world around fog, constantly depending on its arrival and density for water collection and protection from the heat. Fog has given the city an identity, but now it is gone. After three years, the struggle of the fogless zone continues. Due to climactic fluctuation fog has now transitioned to an area where it rarely occurred, shifting the paradigms.

Now they must learn how to live without it, and the climate-opposing society how to live with it. Both societies have adapted to different environments, and are now asked to acclimate the shift. Chaos took over during the beginning of the transition; there was an increase in accidents since people had little to no visibility, water scarcity and exhaustion. Adaptation is needed; we are recruiting an exchange of ideas and rule sets between the societies about how they adapted and built their ecologies in accordance to their past climate conditions.

Each zone adapted to its past condition in different ways. One of the previous sectors known for their fog, used it to supply water to the area by collecting and condensing the water molecules suspended in the air. The also managed to build a city where the buildings and the terrain where designed to sustain fog’s presence. They carefully placed opaque and reflective materials to 10

constantly cause the temperature inversion that naturally occurred at night and generated fog. The inhabitants also created a system of compression and decompression within the urban design of the city to control the wind, in order to dominate the flow of the fog and the dune-like terrain. They came to the conclusion, that with the combination of a changing terrain, such as the dunes, and the strategic positioning of the buildings the fog is harnessed, shaped and directed.

The other fog-zone society, created their city after analyzing fog at a molecular level. They where interested in the changing the state of fog and how it affected its overall volume.

The inhabitants in this area, played with the liquefaction and evaporation of molecules as a cycle. To liquefy, the water molecules were condensed into one, creating water. By doing this, the molecules occupied a smaller volume and were heavier. They used this automatic system for the times they needed water. The process occurred automatically when people needed to transform fog into water. They constructed a wall of buildings that captured the exterior fog and conducted the process. Some inhabitants allowed fog to occupy their homes, for natural airconditioning and shade; by doing this they had certain appliances, such as the sink that could preform the liquefactive procedure.

When they didn’t need a certain body of water, the molecules were separated into

minute and light water molecules so that it can once more be suspended in the air and occupy a greater volume. Their society revolved around this transformative cycle of fog at a molecular level.

Both no-fog zones built their cities, similar to the world we know today. They accommodate the needs of the present populations and not of those of the future.

Pollution became a big component of these areas, since they relied on machineries to extract the resources needed, and buildings generated a large amount of waste. Once fog came into the areas they needed to think about the immediate future need their society would need in other to develop the zone. Smog emerged after the interchange of the climatic phenomenon to the zones where there were no fog occurrences. We now beg the question, how these societies can adapt to the situation? How can one address the game when the rules of have changed? As players we must learn from the zones, so we can model our cities after it, or think of the future and combine the zone’s way of building into one system that can work with or without fog. It is up to us as players in nature’s game to find strategies that will address the circumstance. Will the previous fog-zones try to use technology to recreate fog or resort to other measures?

The game is adaptation, now lets see what can be done.

11

Scenario_03

Deceiving Perception

It is easy to imagine situations where we can effortlessly rely our senses to guide us, however, what happens when what we see or hear is being distorted? When fog roams into a space our perception of distance is misguided. We believe we know where something is, except in reality it could be a bit farther or closer than we think. Throughout the years, the human race have developed technologies to help heighten our senses, nonetheless, in the case pertaining fog they fail to do so. When we use flashlights to help us travel through the fog, it actually impairs our vision because of the large quantity of light being reflected back into our eyes. Fog plays with our instincts; when it blinds us we increase the brightness in order to see and scream higher so we can be hear, but all of our natural tendencies backfire in fog presence. Sound is essential when trying to communicate in these conditions, the lower the frequency of our voices that clearer it will be heard. In order to win fog’s deceiving game we must learn under which rules it is playing.

12

In this scenario, we begin to explore how a society can circulate in a space enveloped by fog. In order to do that we must understand how fog impairs our perception and movement. In a city where fog is constantly present, quotidian activities come to a halt.

In order to continue the flow of the city we must find a safe and efficient way to travel. A group of inhabitants aim to explore options of how to beat fog at its own game. They began to understand how fog decreases visibility. Their finding concludes that the water molecules suspended in the air causes the environments overall contrast to lower.

ourselves to a certain location. This ongoing game between the fog and the inhabitants is a continuous learning process. We must find ways to continue the flow of circulation with and without fog.

The group begins to test for sight; how does our vision work in relation to fog?

What type of light must be used, bright or dim? How can we use all our senses to circulate through fog? They later move on to acoustics; how are acoustics affected by fog? What are the best ways to communicate in fog? The results would vary according to the different densities of fog; for instance, when molecules are far apart the conditions are similar to areas where there is no fog.

They soon discovered that old methods of communication, like Morse code at low frequency could allow us to interact with other people engulfed by fog. And through the use of existing technological advances such as the radar; when blinded by the fog we are able to see our location in relation to the terrain in order to direct our ships or 13

Fog:

Fog Language Fog Terms Fog: Consists of tiny water droplets suspended in the air. It may also consist of ice particles in low conditions.

Mist: Mist is similar to fog, but is less dense and generally consists of larger water droplets, which fall to the ground.

Formation: Forms at the dew point when relative humidity is 100%. At that point, the air condenses into water droplets, which we see as fog.

Visibility effect: Depending on the concentration of the droplets, visibility in fog can range from the appearance of haze, to almost zero visibility.

Shadow: When fog appears dense the amount of light that passes through bounces off the water molecules, so as a result the shadow created is reflected on the fog in direction of the light source.

14

There are different vocabulary uses of the word fog in the English language, especially used in medical scenarios to describe confusion or forgetfulness. Neurological fog or brain fog, are different ways of referring to cognitive impairment and forgetfulness and it feels there is nothing but cloudiness when you are trying to think.

In the writing there is a term called the Gunning Fog Index, which measures the readability of a piece of writing using a certain equation.

In urban society they use the term “Fog people” to describe one or more persons in a dream having little to no visible facial features.

Then there is also the language used to describe fog characteristics and movement. Words such as: Drift: to be carried out slowly by a current of air or water.

Lurk: be or remain hidden so as to wait in ambush for someone or something.

Loomed: appear as a shadowy form, especially one large and threatening.

Shrouding: to cover or envelop as to conceal from view.

Rolled: move or cause to move in a particular direction by turning over and over on an axis.

The word “fog” is used as an adjective to indicate a sense of haze. This can be because fog induces that reaction and emotion from the people that encounter it. The low visibility and contrast generated by fog lets people see silhouettes but not a definite picture, which can be related back to confusion and forgetfulness.

When people are confused or are trying to remember something the image or words are blurry they can’t quite say what they are picturing.

15

Fog:

Fog Aesthetics Fog Media In cultural media, fog is seen as a cloak for danger. Many novels describe London fog within their book in order to foreshadow when something bad is going to happen. It is also used for phantasmatic apparitions, like on Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”1 In Victorian times fog was seen as spectral, an invader, a place where evil lurks and it are to be feared. In some cases, in books, films and nightclubs, Fog is acts as a suspension of morality, a moment where anything can happen. Fog gives a large room a sense of privacy, since it reveals and conceals certain areas according to its density.

San Francisco criminal history and the vast amount of fog that shape outsiders perception. But in reality, fog is considered a nuisance for some inhabitants, it impedes traffic and certain daily life activities. In film fog is depicted as a malediction, something that bring evil with them. Alfred Hitchcock took advantage of London fog and serial killer, Jack the Ripper, to create a film “A Story of the London Fog.”2 A film that takes all of the preconceptions about fog is John Carpenter’s “The Fog.“3 In the movie, the fog is a supernatural phenomenon, where the sailors that were murdered 100 years ago lurk in. Wherever fog occurs death follows. It is a fog that traveled at his own volition, not guided by the wind, to hunt the town.

1 “Culture Flash: Fog.” Accessed December 15, 2015. http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2011/nov/23/culture-flash-fog 2 “Culture Flash: Fog.” Accessed December 15, 2015. http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2011/nov/23/culture-flash-fog 3 The Fog. Directed by John Carpenter. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 1980. Film.

16

Fog is the visual language of fear. There are different ways to depict fog in film depending on the aesthetic you want to create. In John Carpenter’s “The Fog,”4 they use fog machines and fog filters to disperse or thicken the fog. In the film, the avenging dead are hidden in the haze until they emerge to kill, while the victims are still visible on the video footage. For this to happen there needs to be a filter that will thicken the fog so that it can hide the dead and that doesn’t reach the victims, allowing them to stay outside the fog so that they are still visible. This is all done using the fog machine, because of how it mimics natural fog’s movement, its density and, it allows the possibility to play with lighting that will make it appear as if it was glowing, unlike the filters. There are different ways one can manipulate fog in film for dramatic effect, for example make it sparse and visible in certain areas to frame a specific silhouette or view and then make it more dense to generate make it disappear increasing the viewer’s fear leaving them to imagine the worse.

Nightclubs, concert, magicians amongst other events use various methods of fog creation to evoke a certain ambience. Nightclubs and concerts mainly use fog machines, because they can play with the light color and rhythm to match that of the music. The fog machine rises up and can fill up a room with fog and decrease visibility, which is preferable in nightclubs since it can give a sense of privacy to its customers. In some concerts, or plays, the artist would want a low-hanging fog that can conceal the floor, achieved by dry ice fog. Different types of generating fog can be used in various situation all depends on what is the desired emotional and atmospheric result.

4. Sipos, Thomas M. Horror Film Aesthetics: Creating the Visual Language of Fear. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, 2010.

17

Fog:

Fog Acoustics

Fog Perception Fog conditions affect perception because it lowers the contrast, which results in diminishing our ability to see properly and our ability to judge speed and distance.

Drivers judge speed and distance according to their surrounding, because of the lowered contrast caused by the fog. Our eyes try to adjust to the conditions present, but fog doesn’t allow the eyes to accommodate properly causing the Mandelbaum Effect, when the eyes try to focus during poor visibility resulting in blurry vision. Human see the difference between an object’s brightness in relation to its darkness and background, where these are blurred we are unable to see the object. “Fog is produced by suspension of very fine droplets in the air, so the amount of scattering is even larger and there is more loss of contrast and more backscatter from headlights. This is the reason that you should not use high beams in fog. It may seem natural to switch to high beams so that you can see farther. In fact, the main effect is to scatter more light back to the eye and actually decrease visibility”5. The further the object is the harder it is to see it. During dense fog situations visibility can be decreased to less than a foot.

5 “Visual Expert Human Factors: Weather and Accidents: Rain & Fog.” Visual Expert Human Factors: Weather and Accidents: Rain & Fog. Accessed November 13, 2015. http://www.visualexpert.com/Resources/weather.html.

18

At a molecule sound acoustics is formulated by the following equation (velocity = fĂ—Îť), fog causes high-pitched sounds, which are a short wavelength due to high frequency, to travel a short distance. High frequency sounds require a higher amount of air to move back and forth, since fog is water molecule suspended into the air, this blocks the sound. However, a low frequency sound has a long wavelength that is able to travel further during fog, since it require less air to move back and forth so the loss of sound is reduced. In order to communicate with boats coming into the harbor, countries use foghorns because they transmit a low frequency wave, which travels further during fog conditions.

San Francisco is one of the main harbors that use foghorns. These are located at the ends of the Golden gate bridge and mid-span on both sides of the bridge. There are foghorns these operate with compressed air; the ones at the end have a lower tone than the mid-span. According to the San Francisco governmental website, the US coast guards set each horn at different pitch and marine navigational charts so that it will allow the vessels to now the frequency of each fog. Ship operators heading into the San Francisco Bay steer left of the south tower pier foghorn and right of the mid-span horn. Outbound vessels stay to the right of the mid-span horn.

19

Fog:

Fog Molecule

20

Molecules transition through the phases of water because of the intermolecular forces at play. These forces exert different levels of attraction and repulsion between the particles depending on the state they convert to; either the molecules are packed together or scattered. When water is at a freezing state below 0º Celsius or 32º Fahrenheit, it is in solid form, this means that the water molecules are packed close together preventing movement or any shape alteration6. Once the solid ice melts into liquid, the distance between molecules increase and they have more space to move around. The molecular bond of water at this phase is still strong but not as rigid as that of ice, therefore permitting water to take any form its container has. Once evaporation occurs the water molecules are very small and spread apart, the bond between molecules is weakened7 causing them to be at a constant rapid motion. This allows for different morphological conditions to occur. The more dispersed the molecules are the larger the volume.

Fog occurs naturally when there is a temperature inversion, caused by the release of heat from the Earth’s surface as cool air moves along it. It contains small water particles suspended in the air that sometimes mixes with the salt and dust particles found in the air. When there is an increased level of pollution in the atmosphere fog interacts with it and creates smog. Smog is the result of Anthropocene; due to human activities on earth, the amount of pollution discharged into the air has provoked the emergence of a new potentially deadly phenomenon.

6. “Condensation and Evaporation.” Condensation and Evaporation. Accessed January 8, 2016. https://www.chem.purdue.edu/ gchelp/liquids/condevap.html.

7. Konvicka, Tom. Teacher’s Weather Sourcebook. Englewood, Colo.: Teacher Ideas Press, 1999.

21

Fog:

Fog Molecule

22

Condensation is the phase change from water vapor to liquid. It occurs when two small water molecules are linked together to form a larger one, this process is called polymerization reaction8. It occurs when an enzyme covalently links single molecules, monomers, of hydrogen oxide, which is known as H2O. The enzyme takes a hydroxyl group from one molecule and a hydrogen atom from the other once the chain is formed they share an electron. The process of liquefaction reduces the water molecule’s overall volume in space and increasing their weight.

Hydrolysis is the reverse process of condensation, where an enzyme splits the water molecule into smaller ones; the hydroxyl group forms its own molecule and attaches the hydrogen to the exposed oxygen molecule in the air. This mainly comes from the ozone, O3, molecule produced in the stratosphere, a layer of the Earth’s atmosphere located above our skies, known as the troposphere9. In the troposphere a small quantity of ozone can be located.

Sublimation is when the molecules go from a solid state directly into gas, this can be seen when dry ice is exposed to a warm temperature . Dry ice is one of the methods we used to study fog’s morphological changes. Its molecular composition is carbon dioxide, which is pressurized in order to convert it into a solid state. Sublimation occurs when the molecules are tightly packed with a high level of kinetic energy stored, and when in contact with warm temperatures the molecules are abruptly released into the air10. On the other hand, deposition is the process of gas becoming ice without becoming a liquid first. This happens when the temperatures are really cold, and the miniscule water gas-molecules freeze in the air and turn into snow or frost.

8. “Condensation and Evaporation.” Condensation and Evaporation. Accessed January 8, 2016. https://www.chem.purdue.edu/ gchelp/liquids/condevap.html.

9. Konvicka, Tom. Teacher’s Weather Sourcebook. Englewood, Colo.: Teacher Ideas Press, 1999 10. Konvicka, Tom. Teacher’s Weather Sourcebook. Englewood, Colo.: Teacher Ideas Press, 1999.

23

Fog:

Fog Types

24

25

World Study:

Fog Culture

26

During December 1952 London had a grand weather disruptions that has come to be known as “The Great Smog.”11 There was a severe air pollution that lasted about four days. London has experienced fog events before but not of this magnitude.

There was little to no visibility, and thousands of people died prematurely or affected by the smog due to its effects on the respiratory tract. The smog came to form from the natural fog conditions in London mixed with the large amount of burning coal during the time.

The fog was so dense that all public transportation and ambulances stopped, except for underground service.

As well as the cancellation of public events. The smog was a great disturbance to daily activities and health of many civilians. Similar to what is happening in Beijing and other cities.

11 “The Great Smog of 1952.” Met Office.

Accessed December 30, 2015. http://www. metoffice.gov.uk/learning/learn-about-theweather/weather-phenomena/case-studies/ great-smog.

27

World Study:

Water Scarcity

28

From this map we can observe which places are at a higher risk12 (gray) of water shortage and compare them to the places known for harvesting fog as a means for water supply. Countries like Chile, Peru, Namibia, Kenya, Ethiopian, Oman and Morocco are known for their arid environments and evolved fogharvesting techniques.

12 “The Risks and Opportunities Posed by Water Can’t Be Ignored-by Business, Industries, or Nations.” The Risks and Opportunities Posed by Water Can’t Be Ignored-by Business, Industries, or Nations. Accessed December 16, 2015. https://www. ifac.org/global-knowledge-gateway/viewpoints/ risks-and-opportunities-posed-water-can-t-beignored-business.

29

Fog Harvesting:

BioMimicry

“Life creates conditions conducive to life”. - Janine Benyus Biomimicry; designs derived from nature’s patterns and strategies over time. Plants and animals have evolved over time adapting to their surroundings and atmosphere, finding out what works best and lasts longest. They are the “Consummate engineers”13 . A very strong example pertaining to our thesis is the Namibian Desert is one of the oldest most hostile deserts in the world with little to no water. Survival there is almost impossible. However, the Namibian beetle has learned to evolve and adapt to this atmosphere and weather. The have years of evolution written in their micro structure, yielding insight into ways to harvest fog and interactions with it allows us to study ways to harvest fog and possible materials that can come from these studies. The structure of its skin and outer shell, allows the beetle to raise it’s back as the fog moves above it and the bumps on it catch the water droplets within the fog which then roll down chutes on the beetle’s back allowing it to drink water. This simple system has allowed researchers, engineers and architects to mimic the strategies and tectonics of the beetle to create designs of fog-collecting at larger scale for human use, like effective sustainable water bottles, water trapping tents or building coverings. Further studies have shown two different types of beetles in this arid desert, the smooth elytra of the Onymacris unguicularis and O. laeviceps and the bumpy elytra of the Stenocara gracilipes and Physasterna cribripes14.

13 “Biomimicry Basics.” Biomimicry San Diego. Accessed December 8, 2015. http://biomimicrysandiego.org/what-is-biomimicry/.

14 Noorgaard, Thomas, and Marie Dacke. “Fog-basking Behaviour and Water Collection Efficiency in Namib Desert Darkling Beetles.”

Frontiers in Zoology. Accessed December 16, 2015. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2918599/.

30

Their different skin structures allow for different ways of water-catching from fog.

The smooth surfaced species have been observed to “fog-bask” on the edges of dunes in the desert, they assume head standing fog-basking behavior and what is interesting is that only in the presence of fog that this behavior is triggered. It becomes part of their instinct it is a clear result of evolution.

In the Namib Desert, there are also a plant species that has adapted to the arid conditions. Through the use of scanning electron microscope, scientists were able to analyze S. Sabulicola Microstructure to see how they harvest water from the fog. This Namib Desert grass collects water through the microscopic hydrophilic grooves along the leaves; in between these there are hydrophobic smooth texture that allows the droplets to move down towards the roots. The study of the plants allows designer to innovate new structural systems and materials that can increase buildings efficiency.

Another important species that has helped design a new water collecting system is the Dew- Spangled Spider. This spider produces a silk-like web. “The silk’s tail-shaped protein fibers, which change structure in response to water. Once in contact with humidity, tiny sections of the thread scrounge up into knots, whose randomly arranged nano-fibres provide a roughly, knobby texture.”15 Not only can this system be used for water collection but also speeding up chemical or industrial processes. This system was mimicked by a scientist and his team as they used a synthetic polymer; Poly Methyl methacrylate to create a moisture and water catcher from a breeze and fog. MIT also developed a material that can collect 50 percent more water than the regular fog catcher.

15 “Dew-Spangled Spider Webs Could Inspire High-Tech Water Collection - 80beats.” 80beats. February 4, 2010. Accessed December 8, 2015. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/02/04/dew-spangled-spider-webs-could-inspirehigh-tech-water-collection/#.VmHqlISUe5I.

31

Fog Harvesting:

BioMimicry

The design of the research tower came from the study of Namib beetle, genus Stenocara, and plant, Welwitschia plant. They took into account the beetle’s skin bumps to create a fog exterior hydroskin, as well as the long water collecting root from the plant to formulate an architectural design. They implement certain features from both species in order to create a high functioning architecture proposition16.

16 “Namib Biomimesis Research and Eco-Tourism Tower - EVolo | Architecture Magazine.” EVolo Architecture Magazine RSS. Accessed December 16, 2015. http://www.evolo.us/architecture/namib-biomimesis-research-and-eco-tourism-tower/.

32

The Linear Oasis project in Qatar, is a multitasking infrastructure, it is a hybrid botanical and fog harvesting structure17. It learns from the beetles elytra to formulate a building design that can preforms various actions. They develop a combination of material and shape that forms a system that mimics the beetle’s fog-basking function. With this they have tapped into the possibility of creating a system that can transfom fog into a liquid state and also possibly sustain it so that it never fades.

17 “Linear Oasis - Phillip Denny.” Linear Oasis - Phillip Denny. Accessed December 16, 2015. http://cargocollective.com/pdenny/Linear-Oasis.

33

Fog Harvesting:

BioMimicry

34

35

Fog Harvesting:

Fog Catchers

36

Many ancient cultures collected water from fog by placing large pots under trees and shrubs. Today they have engineered a new effective way to collect fog called “fog catchers,” after studying how spider webs harvest water. When in contact with water spider webs create micros knots that catch droplets and once they are large enough they begin to travel along the web downwards to where water can be collected. MIT has engineered a material that collects water efficiently and fasted then the regular fog catcher mesh material.

“Fog catchers are very large screens constructed in arid areas. As fog comes in, water droplets form around the thin screens and drip to the collection pools below. In one day, a single screen can collect more than a hundred gallons of water saving of almost 60% in water usage.”18 In Ethiopia, collecting water could be both dangerous and time-consuming, you can’t never be assured that water will be found or that is actually clean. Italian designer Arturo Vittori, created 30 feet tall and 13 feet wide towers that harvest water efficiently. Tower uses three systems to capture each of the weather phenomena. A polyester mesh net fathers moisture from fog, rain collects directly into a holding tank and dew is directly down a funnel into the tank. The efficiency of water collection is due to the exterior is of bamboo rather than juncus, the top of the tower has reflective pieces to deter birds, and the structure is larger19.

18 “The “Fog Catcher” Project – Peru.” Youthinkgreen EV. Accessed November 14, 2015. http://www.youthinkgreen.org/en/ projekte/the-fog-catcher-project/.

19 “This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air.” Smithsonian. Accessed December 16, 2015. http://www.smithsonianmag. com/innovation/this-tower-pulls-drinking-water-out-of-thin-air-180950399/?no-ist.

37

Fog Harvesting:

Fog Catchers Many countries around the world rely on fog catchers for water supply. One of these countries is Peru, more specifically in the city of Lima. In this area they have little to no access to water, either from rivers, lakes or glaciers and well dry up quickly, however they have a large amount of fog coming into the area which serves as a way to supply water. They use Fog catchers that can be made very quickly and is inexpensive.

The MIT research team, comprised of post doc Kyoo-Chul Park PhD, MIT alumnus Shreerang Chhatre PhD, graduate student Siddarth Srinivasan, chemical engineering professor Robert Cohen, and mechanical engineering professor Gareth McKinley, created a more efficient mesh material that collects five times more water than the regular ones. They created a finer, smaller-pored material that increases water collection, especially in regions like the Atacama desert20.

How to Build a Fog Catcher Materials to be used: 2 ‘Guayaquil’/stems of wood available of 20 feet long (6 meters) Some PVC pipes to catch the water, 4 inches (10cm) worked well for us PVC tubes to connect to the tank, ½ inches (0,7cm) worked well for us 1 water filter Raffia or mesh 13 x 20 feet (4-6 meters) Rope or wire Tank to collect water Furthermore you need a saw, a hammer and some 3 inch nails (7cm) and a ladder.

20 “The “Fog Catcher” Project – Peru.” Youthinkgreen EV. Accessed November 14, 2015. http://www.youthinkgreen.org/en/projekte/the-fog-catcher-project/.

38

Steps: Prepare the ground. It must be a flat and firm ground.

Build a pond or buy a tank to catch the water.

Fix the stems firmly to the ground (dig in × of it at least). Place them in a distance shorter than your raffia/mesh is, so that you can fix it well.

Fix the raffia/mesh to the stems. It should look like an advertising panel when you are finished.

Place the PVC pipes under the panel so that caught water will drop into it and will be lead into your tank/pond. Place the water filter before the tank.

Another interesting country that has utilized fog catchers is Morocco. In the southwest area water scarcity is almost nation wide, but they compensate the lack of water by having the largest fog-collection and distribution system. Fog is abundant in this area six months a year. The fog delivery system allows for a stable community to flourish. “Delivery of fogwater significantly reduces women’s laborious water- gathering chores, and help foster stable communities. Specifically, water-gathering chores took up to 3.5 hours/day and often interrupted, or prevented, girls from regularly attending school. And, water availability allows poor farmers to keep their livestock which they previously might have sold during increasingly frequent droughts that lowered the water table, forcing livestock sales and driving farmers into cycles of poverty.”21

21 “Fog-Harvesting.” Dar Si Hmad for Development Education and Culture Dar Si Hmad for Development Education and Culture.

Accessed November 15, 2015. http://www.darsihmad.org/fog-harvesting/. “Fog-Harvesting.” Dar Si Hmad for Development Education and Culture Dar Si Hmad for Development Education and Culture. Accessed November 15, 2015. http://www.darsihmad org/fog-harvesting/.

39

Precedent:

Cloudscapes

40

Cloudscapes: Transsolar + Tetsuo Kondo Architects The installation mechanically controls heat and humidity creating three layers of fog. A spiral walkway guides visitors up through the layers to emerge above the cloud, before they descend back down through the vapor to the floor.

This meandering pathway aims to show all three layers of distinct climates in the room: on the ground level, the air is cool and dry, while half way up the ramps among the clouds, the air is warm and humid22. When you finally come up above the cloud layer, the air is hot but moisture less. By replacing pressure differences and temperature gradients, all instances of the structure offers a unique atmosphere with different qualities of light.

22 “Transsolar Tetsuo Kondo Architects: Cloudscapes, at Venice Biennale.� Designboom Architecture Design Magazine Transsolar Tetsuo Kondo Architects Cloudscapes at Venice Biennale Comments. September 3, 2010. Accessed November 13, 2015. http://www.designboom.com/architecture/transsolar-tetsuo-kondo-architects-cloudscapes-atvenice-biennale/.

41

Precedent:

The Blur Building

42

Blur Building: Diller & Scofidio The ‘blur pavilion’ consists of a 60 x 100 x 20 - meter metal construction.

It uses 31400 jets that sprays water from the lake. The high-pressure spraying technology allows fog to be present in all weathers, rain or shine. “The highpressure spraying is carried out by high-grade steel jets with tiny apertures only 120 microns in diameter, through which the water is forced at a pressure of 80 bars onto fine needle points directly above the apertures and atomized into innumerable tiny droplets 4 to 10 microns in diameter”23.

Computers are adjusting the strength of the spray according to the different climatic conditions. The fog creates a dynamic building, constantly changing according to the exterior governing conditions such as wind, temperature and moisture.

23 “Diller & Scofidio: The Blur Building.” Diller & Scofidio: The Blur Building. Accessed November 13, 2015. http://www.designboom.com/eng/funclub/dillerscofidio.html.

43

Precedent:

The Blur Building

44

“Appropriate adjustments can be made on various levels, e.g. the placement of the spray mechanisms, the number of jets, planning of different spraying areas.

The optimization of these measures is carried out with the help of a computerized weather station that supplies the necessary information about the relevant parameters. This information is analyzed by the computer and subsequently used to determine the adjustment of the spraying on the basis of conclusions reached in connection with tests carried out the year before”24. The project uses raincoats that react to each other according to the interactions between visitors.

The raincoats’ color and sound changes according to how positive or negative the interaction was.

24 “Diller & Scofidio: The Blur Building.” Diller & Scofidio: The Blur Building. Accessed November 13, 2015. http://www.designboom.com/eng/funclub/dillerscofidio.html.

45

Precedent:

Yellow Fog and FUJIKO NAKAYA

Yellow Fog by Olafur Eliasson

Foggy Forest

46

Glass House by Fujiko Nakaya

Yellow Fog by Olafur Eliasson Renowned danish artist olafur eliasson uses fog as a tool to allow the viewer a new perception of urban space. Located in the center of Vienna, Olafur Eliasson has embedded 32 fluorescent tubes in the pavement along the 48 meter façade of the Verbund headquarters. These emit a yellow light that transforms the fog into a yellow fog. Everyday at dusk the orchestration of the light and fog veil the building for one hour 25.

Foggy Forest (1992 Children’s Park, Showa Kinen) and Glass House by Fujiko Nakaya.

“Nakaya felt that the way in which people reacted showed a lot about them as individuals: nurses covered their mouths assuming it was poisonous, children played and some people meditated. There was one particular account of a man who became nostalgic for his childhood within the fog – his memories were triggered by the childhood sensation of being hidden and revealed in a playful manner. This demonstrated to Nakaya the magical quality of the fog, feeding forward and also providing a link to the past” 26.

25 “Sammlung Verbund.” YELLOW FOG by Olafur Eliasson. Accessed May 09, 2016. http://www.e-flux.com/announcements/ yellow-fog-by-olafur-eliasson/.

26 “Fujiko Nakaya: Tate Modern Talk.” — Arnolfini. Accessed May 09, 2016. http://www.arnolfini.org.uk/blog/fujiko-nakaya-tatemodern-talk/..

47

Fog Performance Video:

Aeolian Morphology

48

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8BE3BNO9F0&feature=youtu.be

49

Video:

Aeolian Morphology

50

Through this video we attempt to measure and test the control of different systems and applications of fog. The play with speed and sound begins to attempt the control of the experience one might feel with fog in those different stages and implementations.

The concealing and revealing begins to be evident through the density the fog creates, the sound changes pitch and volume also in accordance to density and speed. It all becomes a constantly changing experience. The specific song we chose relates to the already existing idea that people have with fog and its mystique and ambience.

51

Experiment:

Fog Mapping Analysis In order to explore the morphological conditions in fog and terrain, a series of experiments we designed. The experiment seen in the video were devised in a constructed gridded four feet by six feet box that tracks the different paths, movements and density variation formulated by fog. In this experiment two types of fog were explored; one generated by a fog machine, which mimics common radiation and advection fog, and fog that results from dry ice, this type imitates a low hanging fog. Fog from dry ice is acquired through a process of sublimation of carbon dioxide and the fog machine expels minute water molecules in the air.

52

The analysis below was gathered by studying the videos that demonstrated fog created by the fog machine. Each one of these mappings explores movement of the fog through time and its morphological trajectory. In mapping two and three objects have been added in order to observe the reaction of fog with it. The objects located in the testing platform begin to manipulate and reshape fog, creating an interaction between both. This informs us of the possibility of certain objects being used to manipulate this interaction between fog and buildings creating an ecology that mutually affect each other.

53

Experiment:

Fog Mapping Analysis

54

55

Experiment:

Aeolian Morphology

56

After completing the experiments for both the fog machine and dry ice, we began to extract the different forms the fog inhabited during the study. By giving these morphological condition specific terms, we can begin to analyze the movement and apply them into potential architectural assembly that can start to interact with the fog. They also inform us how fog begins to interact with terrain, such as the term “combing,� there we can see how it wraps around the given surface. Fog follows the ground surface conditions, when these change fog is able to envelop it in a different manner.

57

Experiment:

Aeolian Morphology

58

In the future, while designing the ecology architecture could learn upon these conditions and begin to interact with fog at different levels. The architecture can begin to harness, sustain, shape and direct the fog’s morphology and coexistence with its surroundings, while allowing it to have flexibility.

59

Experiment:

Terrain Cymatics

60

In order to comprehend sand morphology we began observing its reaction to specific vibrations. We placed metal plates on top of a frequency generator and began to slowly increase the frequency, with each one the sand began to reshape itself according to the vibrations. The piano notes were a study completed by Shannon Novak27, from his study we can see the complexity within the morphological conditions as different notes are played. Another study was the exploration of Aeolian transport using a blow dryer, as the particles moved began to re-shape the sand dunes in different configurations according to the intensity and direction of the wind.

In each of these experiments interesting formations began to occur, allowing us to understand how sand begins to interact with various vibrations and eroding conditions. This allowed us to explore possible technique to reconfigure sand and potentially this changing condition can begin to redefine the interaction between the terrain and fog.

27 Novak, Shannon . “Piano Notes Create Incredible Psychedelic Mandalas.� Piano Notes Create Incredible Psychedelic Mandalas. Accessed December 16, 2015. http://www.thehealersjournal.com/2012/09/28/piano-notes-create-incredible-psychedelic-mandalas/

61

Experiment:

Terrain Aeolian Morphology

Dunes figure. McHarg, Ian L. Design with Nature. Garden City, N.Y.: Published for the American Museum of Natural History [by] the Natural History Press, 1969.

62

The mappings of the terrain experiments take similar form to those of the fog. Each term explores the possible morphological action that is observed in the documented data. These movements can begin to inform how sand and fog act in similar ways and can develop a duality between them that begins to shape each other.

McHarg studies the formation of the ever-changing dunes. The dunes are constantly changing shapes according to Aeolian transport. He begins to map the process of saltation, surface creep and suspension that causes the sand dunes constant reconfiguration28. Saltation is the small grains that are being moved by the wind or water. Surface creep is the movement of larger particles. And suspension is tiny particles that are carried by the wind, not necessarily coming back to the ground and contributing to the reformation of dunes. The changing terrain can cause an interesting duality when fog is added. Both are constantly changing conditions that correlate to one another.

28 McHarg, Ian L. Design with Nature. Garden City, N.Y.: Published for the American Museum of Natural History [by] the Natural History Press, 1969.

63

Fog:

Circulation Enhancement

64

In a twelve by twenty-two feet room, we conducted three experiments that would allow is to study the circulatory patterns within fog. The first experiment was done with only the presence of fog in the room. Here we observed how most individuals tried to avoid the areas where there was a higher density in fog and stuck to the areas were the visibility was a little bit better due to the lower density of fog in the area. For the next two experiments we wanted to test the efficiency of the flow of circulation within fog using certain elements. We developed strategies for the main components that can inform the human senses and helps them travel the space; low frequency sound, low beam and color lighting and terrain textures, such as sand, soft, concrete, etc., all of which in can enhance the flow in the presence of fog.

As a result, we discover that light and sound are the main promoters of circulation; they act together to help people speculate what is around them.

During the experiment many directed themselves towards the light, it seems to be a predisposition in the human mind as light normally means civilization, though they also relied on sound as a secondary tool to inform them what is near. If it sounds threatening, like a vehicle motor and light near the sound people tend to walk cautiously and while hearing wild animals then the move away from the area.

Touch is a tertiary support that informs what kind of terrain they are on and objects in proximity. All the three indicators can allow circulation to flow efficiently in an more organized manner.

65

Fog:

Manipulation and Perpetuation

The perpetuation and manipulation of fog comes from understanding the wind patterns, fog molecular transformations at each phase, how it is affected and how it affects and, have a strategic controlled system of the terrain, weather it is architectural or sand dunes. To start we must separate the elements into primary, secondary and tertiary classifications. The environmental controlling agents like the wind and temperature inversion that generate fog, encompass the primary classification, as well as the configuration strategy of the urban fabric. The secondary classification includes the buildings, how they are shaped structurally, the materials used, etc. The main human interaction or “play� with fog commences with the tertiary aesthetic systems such as, lighting colors, filters, sound, condensation of fog and the play between revealing and concealing spaces.

To commence the design for fog we must investigate and understand how the external forces at play function and study a variety of urban planning organizations that can be used to map the ecological system. An environmental change that has a significant role in the emergence of fog is temperature inversion. It is normally caused when the warm, with a less dense air mass is pushed upwards by a dense, cold air mass. This is seen when the Earth’s surface rapidly looses heat and the cool air near the ground traps it. Topography can also have and impact on the inversion, because sometimes the cold air moves down to the valley and its confined under the warm air.

66

By decreasing the cool air in warm environments, fog begins to disappear, as there is no more temperature inversion. Using the temperature inversion we can arrange the topographical features of the ecology to fit the needs of the phenomenon, potentially causing fog to originate at certain places with the combination of building materials and arrangement according to the absorption of heat and cool air passage. There are a variety of building configurations that generate urban spatial conditions that can manipulate fog’s density, such as, constraining negative space the fog can be traps and decrease visibility and when spread apart or pronounced elevation changes occurs fog can travel easily through the spaces and becomes more dispersed.

After experimenting and achieving the most successful cityscape for fog, we can begin to incorporate materials according and structural formations to building in order to enhance and manipulate spatial creations caused by fog. Mesh could be placed to diffuse or collect fog; a combination of reflective, opaque, translucent, transparent and textured materials can act together to achieve the desired environmental conditions and interactions with fog. Lighting, sound and technological fog-related advances, such as fog catchers, could be embedded into the building assembly and the designed ecosystem. Fog catchers among other conditions can accomplish a new level of performance, as seen in the previously mentioned precedent Qatar’s linear oasis project. There they developed an inverted triangular pyramid form that maximized the surface area of the material to collect a greater amount of water while redirecting the prevailing wind29. Fog architecture can attain new methods of constructions and city planning that can effectively harness, direct and shape fog. This design environmental and ecological conditions at play with human interaction.

29 “Linear Oasis - Phillip Denny.” Linear Oasis - Phillip Denny. Accessed December 16, 2015. http://cargocollective.com/pdeny/Linear-Oasis.

67

San Francisco:

Fog Culture

68

Traffic

Zone Use

Grid Matrix

69

San Francisco:

Fog Mapping

70

71

Into the Fog:

Design Proposal

72

We exist within the environment, we are engulfed by it, we are the environment. it affects us and we affect it. The hyperobject, an entity which blends time and space, imposes an “asymmetrical confrontation” between the people and the hyperobject that can frustrate the assumption of humans implied power over nature through the built world. This confrontation, raises the question of coexistence. Can architecture be meaningfully enmeshed in a hyperobject—in this case, fog— in order to renegotiate the relationship between the built world and its ecological context? We re-imagine the association with fog, we localize it within its vast system, bridging a communication between the people, fog and space Fog dwells in many forms, creating different layers of legibility within the occupied terrain. As the terrain is modified the fog inhabits and moves differently around it/. Fog induces a somber emotion and fear, giving power to our primal instincts as we are weakened by our dependability on sight, connotations reinforced by the media. Its grandeur is misunderstood. /Has power to change people’s perspective and experience of an ordinary place. In San Francisco, the presence of fog, as a hyperobject, has a destabilizing effect on the citizens, forcing them to recognize it as part of the character or essence of the city. What they have yet to do is to understand how to inhabit the fog and its different volumes.

The notion of the hyperobject is beginning to “infiltrated human social and philosophical space.”

73

Into the Fog:

Design Proposal

Our proposal is to create a bridge of communication between the people and the fog through architecture. Fog then becomes a type of building material, reshaping our usual understanding of the “typical� building materials. We choreograph movement through the space for the ability to experience different experiences of fog, whether it relates to density, the sectional difference, or even the physical levels of interaction.The whole journey becomes a balance between scripted and unscripted choreography. The meandering paths begin to offer tranquil resting spots, through niches embedded within the site. The three varying space sizes begin to allow for specific amounts of people within each pathway or in the breathing spaces.

These ranges of design opportunities slow down movement they allow for the constant reveal and concealing of our surroundings.

74

The alliance of existing and built fog carves a path for play within the architecture. It heightens the dialogue between the built world and the environment by the play of scales that act together at a vast system. Achieving a small scale of constructed fog, gives way to the initial crossover as it re-introduces fog to the built world, frustrating their preconceptions of fog as an everyday impairing nuisance and culturally feared hyperobject. The scripted distribution of fog in the city exploits on fog’s ability constantly change the spaces though obscuring and revealing. Fog surges through controlled apertures that serve as a marker of when fog becomes an object that morphs the existing space, giving a sense of privacy and directionality. Fog begins to take serve as a temporary architectural material forming implied enclosures, up to the point when it fails as an object, dematerializing the structure allowing for light to act as a guide.

We have identified a constellation of spaces between places formed by the grid matrix that results from the nine different grids that compose San Francisco and the overlapping moments of the street hierarchy. This constellation of sites brings forth an implied connective tissue that transforms the experience of each space according to its location. Fog veils over San Francisco at different densities. It arrives from the west slowly dematerializing the city as it makes its way to the east side of the city, but it rarely approaches it. We emphasize this contrast by creating an ambiguity between the role of our architecture and fog as one transitions through the constellations of interventions.

75

San Francisco:

Selected Sites

76

77

San Francisco:

Culture

78

79

Into the Fog:

Fog Strip

80

The west side is empowered by the morphing avalanche of fog that drapes over it, allowing the architecture to act as an agent to move through the fog. The circulatory path is altered to achieve different levels of occupancy within the fog, letting it conceal the paths and city grid relative to your position in time and space.

81

Into the Fog:

Fog Strip

82

83

Into the Fog:

Fog Strip

84

85

Into the Fog:

Fog Strip

86

The eastern side of San Francisco is less affected by fog giving architecture the opportunity to distribute and manipulate the morphology, pressure and directionality at which fog begins to engulf the residual spaces, allowing it to then follow its own path. Fog inhabits the area and erases the outside world of the city and limits the view of the surrounding pillars, revealing it at certain times.

The paths create a narrative of experiential space.The residual spaces within the city are activated by the built fog enhancing the multiple qualities of fog and magnifying its scale throughout the city. The scripted system of fog sheds light to the grandeur of the fog as an hyperobject.

The existing fog and built fog are choreographed to magnify the grandeur of the hyperobject. The urban fog system is activated by the increasing moments of flux when the locals and tourist are filling the street.

87

Into the Fog:

Urban Fog

88

The interventions are illuminated with low-beam light that guides the user through the fog, the light takes on its identity within the fog. Light becomes the fog. A vagueness comes over everything. There becomes an interplay, a question of control between all the variables at play, whether it becomes the light, the people, the fog or the architecture. All this can either raise curiosity or drive us back to somber fog effect that is usually represented when thinking of fog. As we take it down to human scale, we choreograph its effects through architecture on the people that inhibiting it. As we begin to produce fog we begin to play with the notion of a hyperobject, controlling the time and space where it distributes upon. However only for a certain amount of time.

Fog as a scientific entity, is elusive and ethereal, defying our attempts at easy prediction.

89

Into the Fog:

Market St. and Bush St.

90

91

Into the Fog:

Market St. and Bush St.

92

93

Into the Fog:

Market St. and Bush St.

94

95

Into the Fog:

Market St. and Bush St.

96

97

Into the Fog:

Market St. and Bush St.

98

99

Into the Fog:

Market St. and Kearny St.

100

101

Into the Fog:

Yacht Rd. and Marina Blvd.

102

103

Genealogy

Balance is the main component in formulating a new ecological system. The system is a dynamic between environmental controlling agents, architecture and species. The word “balance” indicates to the interconnectivity and coexistence of various ecologies and environmental systems without either party being affected.

All parties are able to benefit from each other through the re-definition of the idea of shelter and what it means for each species their interaction with one another.

Architecture will serve as a mediator of the balance between the environmental controlling agents and the ecologies, as seen in the film “The Last Airbender” where the balance is mediated by the avatar, which allows the existence of an adaptive morphing city. The main ecological factor is fog, with it in mind as a program an urban system can be developed that sustain fog at any stage. With the use of materials, shapes and urban design fog can be manipulated at every state, liquid or airborne, causing a constant morphing city adaptive to fog’s flexibility.

Creating a city with fog as a program entails to unite all of the knowledge about it unto one functioning system. Certain architectural materials can arrange a series of building to mimic the temperature inversion of which fog is created in order to have a source of supply. The combination of certain shapes and textures can direct fog’s directionality or contribute to changing its state, from liquid to airborne and vice versa. When creating an ecology one must take into account circulation of all its inhabitants, how the areas of the city are connected through various forms of movement; a continuous path, a close fragmented path or stepping stones, use

104

of barriers to dictate movement and experiences of spaces, vertical and horizontal movement, including occupation of air space. The terrain has a dynamic with the fog, when the terrain changes the fog accommodates the change. The flexible morphological condition of both begin to create an interesting interaction as the terrain changes according to the wind and causes the fog to react to the transformation.

With the city we begin to give boundaries and edges to something that doesn’t have it and challenge its limitations.

The theory of the dérive challenges our subconscious acts when experiencing a landscape. The journey taken through the landscape in manipulated by the aesthetics that encompasses it. We see nature as this beautiful “picturesque” world, however we ignore the grotesqueness and viscosity present in it. We have assigned them with a symbol of fear because we are unable to the control it and understand the phenomenon. Being able to manipulate these viscosities in its natural state and incorporated into the urban fabric is an approach that many circumvent.

By challenging the idea of nature and the picturesque, we can begin to explore new coexistence of systems that can embody a city and shape its identity. Timothy Morton mentions in his book Hyperobjects, “Culture has entered an age of asymmetry in which the nonhuman matches human cognition equally, but not in a neat Goldilocks way. Rather, humans are sandwiched between two giant beings that increase one another in a feedback loop: (human) reason and hyper objects.”

We face the challenge of not inhabiting the world and only being inside a number of hyper objects. Thus, in a way we are bound to the viscous limitations, we build our world around it. Cities are built and modify to fit the environmental factors we have come to understand and can measure, but we have not evolved our designs to accommodate the cause of the fluctuations in the environment. We can see and address the environmental symptoms but not to the disease that is causing them, which are the hyperobjects.

105

Annotated Bibliography

1. Cline, Ernest. Ready Player One. New York: Crown Publishers, 2011.

The book takes place on Earth from 2041-2050. There is a current energy crisis in the world, catastrophic climate change, widespread famine, poverty and disease, wars among many others. James Halliday has created an “open-source reality” program called “OASIS”, which allows humans to escape from reality with just a visor, console and a computer. OASIS is the new “real” world, it’s used to work, attend school, shopping, access unlimited information, playing etc. The money or credit you collect inside OASIS is real. The virtual reality is divided equally into 27 cube-shaped “sectors”, that resembles a Rubik’s cube, each containing 100th of different planets and measuring 10 light-hours across. Travel between worlds is done through interplanetary vehicles or transports terminal, but there is a fee for fuel and the use of teleportation. Sectors are divided in zones that vary in size and shape; these zones encompass various planets. Planets range from sword and sorcery settings to cyberpunk-themed planets to

106

post-apocalyptic wastelands to book pre-existing worlds, like lord of the ring, star wars, etc. The planets populations are composed by non-player characters, which are computercontrolled humans, animals, aliens, and monsters, among others. Each zone is a combination of rules and parameters that serves as follows; Dual zones permit the use of both technology and magic; Null zones doesn’t allow either; Pacifists zones doesn’t allow for player-versusplayer combat; PVP zones allows combat. Ludus is a learning planet where schools are, therefore a pacifist zone. Ludus houses thousands of schools and has no quest portals or gaming zones, but has vast landscapes and forests.

The basic parameters and rules of the interplanetary virtual world allow for a structured game board that allows for seriousness and play to occur. The various zones allow certain planets to work a certain way and the different themed planets allows for diversity. These rules allow for the various individuals to find the world that fits their interest. In a non-combat zone one can feel free to walk the streets without worry of being stolen, raped or killed. You as an avatar are able to be armed in certain zones and feel protected if your strength levels are high. You are able to work towards your desired levels and be able to know that you will be OK. The creations of these worlds rely on these rules; if the zones shift it can affect the planets environments.

Setting up a set of parameters and zones within the city to design, not to what we know as zoning, but something different. What drives that specific zone? How are the boundaries composed? What are the possible “themes” one can use? Looking at themes as a form of experience that applies to reality. What experience does each zone provides through architecture? Allowing one part to be only of curvilinear spaces, formed ecologies, air sidewalks. First parameters must be established according to the sectors of the city and the zones within it.

107

2. Avatar, the Last Airbender. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Paramount Home Entertainment, 2010. Film.

The film takes place in a world composed by four nations; Water, Earth, Fire and Air. Each nation has element-specific nomads and only some can bend their natural element. Only the avatar can bend all four elements and communicate with the Spirit world, with the spirit’s guidance he keeps the balance in the world. The avatar is an important component to this world. The Fire nation wants to be freed from the spirit world and upset the balance so that they can govern over the other nations, for this they must kill the avatar. Changing the way this world works can have create repercussions to the balance and the benders. Once the Fire nation found the location of the Moon and Ocean spirits, an Admiral was sent to kill the moon spirit. During the battle he succeeded in killing the moon and the waterbenders powers diminished. The Moon gave the princess life as an infant, and when she was older she returned the Moon’s life by sacrificing her own, and balance was once more returned. But let’s speculate for a moment that the balance wasn’t returned. What would have happened to the world? The waterbender wouldn’t have been able to fight against the firebenders, and they would have taken control of the world. Especially since the fire nation doesn’t rely on his bending powers but also on weapons, unlike the other nations. Other benders powers would also be affected by the death of the moon, but not as greatly as the waterbenders. The Fire Nation would now govern the world and the Avatar would be captured, not killed so he doesn’t reincarnate, and prevented from completing his training.

What are other ways that the balance can be affected? Let’s explore the possibility that multiple people can communicate with the spirit world and be able to bend all elements. How many people is too many? Can the balance still be kept or will it be destroyed? If each nation had an Avatar and the cycle of reincarnation was kept then each nation can be protected and they can all work together to keep the balance. Or they can fight each other to try and be the strongest nation. One can explore the different possibilities that can affect the world.

The Avatar, the Spirit world and the fact that some can bend their element are important components that affect the balance in this world. As a designer the main restriction would be

108

the maintenance of the balance, so it doesn’t negatively disrupts the ecosystem. Also analyze how the people use the entire ecosystems and adapt to them. The water tribe lives on ice and has created an entire city over it. Also use the bending movements to create spaces that enhance the practice of it. Also play with the rules, for example, add more avatars and see how that affects the balance. The balance is the limit to me as a designer to be able to challenge the rule sets as much as possible.

The important factors in the balance are the existence of a higher power, the sun, moon, ocean, etc., the coexistence of all elements and most importantly the mediator between both. The Higher powers are the controlling agents, such as the environmental change and limitations set by the world. Architecture acts as the avatar, unifying the natural conditions and elements into a sustainable design that accommodates not only humans but also the environment and various ecologies. One doesn’t damage the other and they both adapt to one another to keep the balance. The city is designed to acts as an agent for the ecology rather than a destructor.

109

3. Forman, Richard T. T. Landscape Ecology Principles in Landscape Architecture and Land-Use Planning. Cambridge [England: Cambridge University Press, 1996.

Forman speaks about the different times of urban landscape and its ecological effects.

Though the illustrations of ecological networks and systems like patches, edges, corridors and mosaic, one can begin to understand the interactions and effects of urbanism. In terms of patches the bigger they are the wider is the diversity of species, that when disturbed by a barrier causes fragmentation and the loss of species. According to the edge movement occurs a certain way; when is curvilinear one tends to move across the landscape versus a linear edge where one tends to move along it. The connections of the natural and infrastructure are very important. Even though fragmentation of the natural environments has occurred they can still survive as one if they are close enough to each other. But continuity is very important to nature. He describes the different benefits and cons of every possible reality.

Forman provides us with a set of rules that gives us an insight in the creation of urban spaces and ecologies. The use of these concepts and combination of them can help analyze existing ecological spaces and design them to achieve the desired effect. We can analyze Forman set of rules through movement to create different ecologies. Connectivity is essential for moving through landscapes or urban ecologies. Connections between networks allow for the distribution of supply and also spatial exploitation. There are various ways for movement to occur; a continuous path, a close fragmented path or stepping stones, use of barriers to dictate movement and experiences of spaces, vertical and horizontal movement, including occupation of air space.

110

4. Kurzweil, Ray. The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology.

New York: Viking, 2005.

Ray Kurzweil examines the inevitable evolution of humans and machine becoming one, he refers to this merge as the Singularity. In the future humanity will be able to transcend our biological limitations, where our intelligence will become digitized. There will be no clear distinction between the real and the virtual. He analyzes the progress in technology and due to the exponential evolution of technology the creation of artificial intelligence and nanotechnology will come within the next ten years and by 2045 the Singularity will occur.

There will be a point when nanotechnology begin to substitute certain functions in our bodies and potentially cure diseases.

The merge of technology and humans is a pivotal moment in society, the moment when we no longer need our bodies to survive. This merge begins with nanotechnology, and the unlimited potential they bring. It can allow the human body to adapt to various environments, it can allow humans to breath underwater, potentially to be able to survive on unbearable conditions. The singularity opens up questions such as, how is space now occupied?

Administered? Will we be perceived as data and able to navigate and occupy a virtual world?

Who will maintain the computer on the real world if we all become data? If we are no longer physically present, how will it affect the remaining ecosystems? The complete submersion into the computer and the creation of endless virtual data and worlds is a provocative idea.

111

5. Terrestrial Remnants. Directed by Gabriela Fiorentino and Rick Lee. 2015. Film Jamaica bay is going through an ecological transformation caused by the introduction of invasive species, over development of its borders and water pollution. Only those that survive the changes can form part of the new ecology. The “native” species is defined by those previous invasive species introduced on the 1800s by the Europeans, such as swans, that have survived the antecedent ecological alteration. Invasive species and urbanization are the cause of ecological disturbance. The surviving species have adapted to create a new ecology. Evolution occurs by the adaptation to disturbances, the struggle of survival for resources to form a new working ecology.

The increasing mosaic of infrastructure and defined edges fragment the existing natural ecologies of the wetland. Nowadays the scale of fragmentation, according to Forman’s “Landscape Ecology Principles in Landscape Architecture and Land-Use Planning.” is still considered continuous due to its closeness. But at the rate the wetlands are disappearing it will soon considered fragmented enough that some species won’t be able to live in them anymore. Adapting to the urban fabric is essential to the survival of many, being able to overcome and survive in pollution. Urbanization has polluted the waters enough that eating from the marsh can become fatal, still swans and some animal still feed from them and have adapted the body to the chemicals.

The further delineation and expansion of the border aggressively transforms the natural marshes. We are imposing human activities onto the surrounding species, leaving them no choice but to change their ways to match ours. Because of this the set of rules and needs of the animal species and humans merge into one, creating at times conflict. There is a certain season when turtles go onto the airport runway, stopping air traffic. The mergence of all ecologies into one will cause for a new set of rules to be forms in order to create a “balance.”

Each transformation caused by the disruption of either ecology will change how it works and begin to reset.

112

6. EXistenZ. Directed by David Cronenberg. UGC PH [éd., Distrib.], 2009. Film.

To create a world you must create it relatable to the species that will inhabit it. People will feel lost between reality and the rules of the game or space. Their conscious will act to their surrounding and create a subconscious reaction. I believe a main rule in this movie is to create your own world, the way you experience the world and how you can manipulate that world. Although they were in a game, it all felt “real” to them, and in the end we notice that the user controls the idea and aim of the game. The designer only somewhat sets the scene, creates the open world and the user paints within the lines. A place designed to comply to the needs of the users but still be controlled to get a somewhat ad-hoc outcome that will surprise both the inhabitant and designer.

7. Kawar, Yara. “Tumblr.” Accessed September 29, 2015. https://www.tumblr.com /reblog/129821823954/fHmaZNGy?redirect_to=/blog/yarakawar.

In this video we created a conversation; a conversation between people, their environment and architecture at different scales. For this intimate conversation we simply focused on one architectural element within its specifically chosen site and how that influenced the interaction. The amount of people, the speed, the time, and the way they interacted. The smaller the scale the more intimate, more time spent and more physical interaction was witnessed. The large alien objects placed on open field would have constant movement and barely interaction. People were passive, but when scale relates and is approachable by the users. It allows a relationship on the same level.

113

8. Knabb, Ken. Situationist International Anthology. Rev. and Expanded ed. Berkeley, CA: Bureau of Public Secrets, 2006.

This text goes in detail about the Theory of the Derive by Guy Debord. In this study they let go of all life attachments, their relationships, their jobs, and every type of orientating mechanism and let themselves and are guided through the landscape by their subconscious. “The spatial field of a dérive may be precisely delimited or vague, depending on whether the goal is to study a terrain or to emotionally disorient oneself.” This randomness allows for new “labyrinths”, new ways of thinking about building types based on human emotions or curiosity.

9. Darnielle, John. Wolf in White Van: A Novel. New York, New York: Picador. 207.

In my opinion this is a strong idea of Architecture at Play. This sense of freedom that Darnielle gives his players in his game is captivating. He does not only create this imaginary world, he considers the grotesque. Rarely do you find designs that seek to challenge the idea of beauty. It is a powerful statement as that is when people are able to distinguish their true style and some surprise themselves by adhering to the rules or ideals of the space. Darnielle gives options, as in real life our life is built on the decisions we make. We make decisions everyday.

In architecture, we make decisions that will define what the space will do and be, a piece can never be finished but still begin to give a sense of the space. I want to be able to design based on needs, this back and forth between the architecture and the user is what makes the space effective. Although I give the options there will be opportunity for re-evaluation. For choosing and paving the way. Even when built, an option can rebuild.

114

10. Rogers, John, and Andrea Vito. “Dungeons & Dragons”. San Diego, Calif.: IDW ; 2012.

Dungeons and dragons allow the freedom of the creation of characters. But limits their abilities and potential by the role of the dice. The player formulates the game and the game dictates how the player creates the fantasy. The manual goes through each step as to how to play and create as well as how the scores work. It gives very detailed information and graphics to help illustrate the manual.

11. Hasbro games. “Risk Manual”. Pawtucket, RI, 2009.

Risk manual begins with the objective of the game and what you will need to begin playing. It specifies how to attack and eliminate opponents and where. It demonstrates all the important rule sets that will allow you to use as a guide. It is brief and easy to locate. The constant gain and loss a territory creates allows for the game to be in constant change.

12. Morton, Timothy. Hyperobjects: Philosophy and Ecology after the End of the World.

Hyperobjects are massively distributed around us. They occupy space and time. We can sometimes measure them and analyze them without seeing them. They are the viscous, the untouchable, they are nothing but a mere feeling. Fog is a hyperobject. The hyperobject can be the end of the world but it could be a way for humans to reflect and question their purpose on the world. Morton likens an object’s appearance to rhetoric, a form of persuasion that involves both delivery and reception. What hyperobjects persuade us of is the end of a finite, human-centered “world.” Not only do they force us to recognize the nonhuman that we live in and around and which live in us, they force us to recognize that in such a mesh of interaction, there is no “safe” distance.

115

13. Lally, Sean. Softspace: From a Representation of Form to a Simulation of Space.

Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2007.

Softscapes doesn’t question the tools but rather what they are made of; energies and matter of space. It engages materiality and their effect on the spaces. It allows architects to move from a cave mentality to a fireplace ideal. Architects use formal strategies that focus on form and the enclosure and the boundary between the environment and the building.

Banham has challenged these strategies of organization that are based on a cave mentality and explored the use of the campfire as a means of spatial organization. The campfire is a source of energy that creates microclimates such as heat, light and darkness. Using these microclimates to create an atmosphere within the building blurring the boundaries with the environment. The energy exchange between the environment and the building evolves as it is replicated, modified, conditioned and mutated through the architecture and integration of technology and microclimates.

14. Sammlung Verbund. “YELLOW FOG.” By Olafur Eliasson. Accessed November 19, 2015. http://www.e-flux.com/announcements/yellow-fog-by-olafur-eliasson/.

Olafur Eliasson’s Yellow fog gives an atmospheric quality to an urban environment. Eliasson uses the fog to provide a new perspective and experience of distance and spatial relations.

The ephemeral lit fog facade allows a dialogue between the urban space, the individuals and the atmosphere.

116

15. “Biomimicry Basics.” Biomimicry San Diego. Accessed December 8, 2015. http:// biomimicrysandiego.org/what-is-biomimicry/.

Biomimicry has allowed humans to learn from nature; it begins to highlight the importance of preserving our surroundings and the species within. It is because of their ability and the amount of information we can learn just by simply studying their ways of survival throughout these years that can help us create designs that will help solve many ecological and natural problems we face today. These creatures have adapted throughout the years and learnt from their surroundings finding and collecting the best ways of survival and “better living”.

The Namibian Beetle has learnt to live by interacting with fog and collecting its water for hydration and survival just by using its outer shell structure.

16. “Dew-Spangled Spider Webs Could Inspire High-Tech Water Collection - 80beats.”

80beats. February 4, 2010. Accessed December 8, 2015. http://blogs.discovermagazine. com/80beats/2010/02/04/dew-spangled-spider-webs-could-inspire-high-tech-watercollection/#.VmHqlISUe5I. A further elaboration on how biomimicry has allowed us to improve our living and sustainability using a system engineered by the Dew-Spangled Spider which in turn will help us improve chemical and industrial evolutions and of course, water collection. Chinese Scientists, Lei Jiang and Yong Zhao from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, Observed how the spider web changes when in contact with water. The web begins to create small microscopic knots that acts as hydrophilic surface and in between the knots the smooth lining acts as hydrophobic surface. The web begins to create small microscopic knots that acts as hydrophilic surface and in between the knots the smooth lining acts as hydrophobic surface.

Chinese scientists have engineered different fibers that efficiently collect water. The thinner the fiber the higher the capacity to collect larger drops of water.

117

17. “Leaf Surface Structures Enable the Endemic Namib Desert Grass Stipagrostis Sabulicola to Irrigate Itself with Fog Water.” Leaf Surface Structures Enable the Endemic Namib Desert Grass Stipagrostis Sabulicola to Irrigate Itself with Fog Water. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.

Though the use of scanning electron microscope, scientists were able to analyze S. Sabulicola Microstructure to see how they harvest water from the fog. This Namib Desert grass collects water through the microscopic hydrophilic grooves along the leaves; in between these there are hydrophobic smooth texture that allows the droplets to move down towards the roots.

The study of the plants allows designer to innovate new structural systems and materials that can increase buildings efficiency.

18. Noorgaard, Thomas, and Marie Dacke. “Fog-basking Behaviour and Water Collection Efficiency in Namib Desert Darkling Beetles.” Frontiers in Zoology. Accessed December 16, 2015. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2918599/.

Namibian Beetle. The Namibian Desert is one of the oldest most hostile deserts in the world with little to no water. Survival there is almost impossible. However, the Namibian beetle has learnt to evolve and adapt to this atmosphere and weather. The structure of its skin and outer shell, allows the beetle to raise it’s back as the fog moves above it and the bumps on it catch the water droplets within the fog which then roll down chutes on the beetle’s back allowing it to drink water. This simple system has allowed researchers, engineers and architects to mimic the strategies and tectonics of the beetle to create designs of fog-collecting at larger scale for human use, like effective sustainable water bottles, water trapping tents or building coverings. Further studies have shown two different types of beetles in this arid desert.

The smooth Onymacris unguicularis and O. laeviceps and the bumpy Stenocara gracilipes and Physasterna cribripes . Their different skin structures allow for different ways of watercatching from fog. The smooth surfaced species have been observed to “fog-bask” on the edges of dunes in the desert, they assume head standing fog-basking behavior and what is interesting is that only in the presence of fog that this behavior is triggered. It becomes part of their instinct it is a clear result of evolution.

118

19. “The “Fog Catcher” Project – Peru.” Youthinkgreen EV. Accessed November 14, 2015. http://www.youthinkgreen.org/en/projekte/the-fog-catcher-project/.

The MIT research team, comprised of post doc Kyoo-Chul Park PhD, MIT alumnus Shreerang Chhatre PhD, graduate student Siddarth Srinivasan, chemical engineering professor Robert Cohen, and mechanical engineering professor Gareth McKinley, created a more efficient mesh material that collects five times more water than the regular ones. They created a finer, smaller-pored material that increases water collection, especially in regions like the Atacama Desert.

20. “Fog-Harvesting.” Dar Si Hmad for Development Education and Culture Dar Si Hmad for Development Education and Culture. Accessed November 15, 2015. http://www.darsihmad. org/fog-harvesting/.

He developed the largest fog collector in Southwest Morocco. Fog harvesting systems are considered part of the ecosystem; it relieves countries in need of water and helps its economy bloom.

21. “This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air.” Smithsonian. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.

Italian Architect Arturo Vittori redesigned fog catchers in Ethiopia in order to make them more efficient. Tower uses three systems to capture each of the weather phenomena. A polyester mesh net fathers moisture from fog, rain collects directly into a holding tank and dew is directly down a funnel into the tank.

119

22. “Visual Expert Human Factors: Weather and Accidents: Rain & Fog.” Visual Expert Human Factors: Weather and Accidents: Rain & Fog. Accessed November 13, 2015. http://www. visualexpert.com/Resources/weather.html.

Perception of fog is limited by the drastically lowered contrast. We are no longer able to distinguish brightness and darkness, which is why we can no longer judge distances or speeds accurately. People fear fog for this very reason and many accidents occur due to it as well. Perception is a factor one can begin to play with in order to obscure and conceal certain aspects of the environments and reveal others, this will constantly change but if manipulated one can use the revealed areas to guide the movement of people as they will tend to go towards that area, rather than the unknown darkness.

23. “Diller & Scofidio: The Blur Building.” Diller & Scofidio: The Blur Building. Accessed November 13, 2015.http://www.designboom.com/eng/funclub/dillerscofidio.html.

The use of technology in order to generate an inhabitable constant fog environment that changes the building exterior physic every second. Computers are adjusting the strength of the spray according to the different climatic conditions. The fog creates a dynamic building, constantly changing according to the exterior governing conditions such as wind, temperature and moisture. The building is able to take the many diverse forms in a manner of minute.

120

24. “Transsolar Tetsuo Kondo Architects: Cloudscapes, at Venice Biennale.” Designboom Architecture Design Magazine Transsolar Tetsuo Kondo Architects Cloudscapes at Venice Biennale Comments. September 3, 2010. Accessed November 13, 2015. http://www. designboom.com/architecture/transsolar-tetsuo-kondo-architects-cloudscapes-at-venicebiennale/.

The use of different levels and circulation to experience fog is an interesting approach to the project. When one occupies fog at a lower level, it can get intimidating and fearing, but once you acquire a different perspective by being above it you can see what its happening around you and feel safe. The pavilion plays with the idea of the known and the unknown, the seen and the unseen, by using fog to do what it does best, limit our perception.

25. “Culture Flash: Fog.” Accessed December 15, 2015. http://www.theguardian.com/ culture/2011/nov/23/culture-flash-fog In cultural media, fog is seen as a cloak for danger. Many novels describe London fog within their book in order to foreshadow when something bad is going to happen. It is also used for phantasmatic apparitions, like on Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” In Victorian times fog was seen as spectral, an invader, a place where evil lurks and it is to be feared. In some cases, in books, films and nightclubs, fog is acts as a suspension of morality, a moment where anything can happen. Fog gives a large room a sense of privacy, since it reveals and conceals certain areas according to its density.

121

26. Fiorentino, Gabriela and Kawar, Yara . Duna. Youtube video, 2:25, November 03, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22O3-WJ62ds&feature=youtu.be The planet of Duna alters its environment every seven days; it changes terrains into four different ecologies, the desert-like, the mountainous, rainforest and inverted mountain plains.

The atmosphere is also in constant change abiding the laws of the four elements, water, fire, wind and earth. 500 years ago the original society of the Dunami found a small safe zone in the planet, away from the planet’s constant changing into different conditions. They decided to live in it but once the society began to grow they tried to recreate the safe zone using technological advances. They soon realized that the planet allowed only for limited areas of safety. If society tried to recreate more than the limit it would self-destruct. The planet is constantly trying to balance itself. The Dunami came to the decision that for them to survive they must kill some of their own members in order to keep living within the limits and maintain this piece with nature and their surrounding. 200 years later, there was a revolution that changed how the society worked. The new leaders came from a generation of a family that challenged the boundaries and pushed the limitations with the use of their advances on nanotechnology to be able to survive and expand their environment. They realized that in order for the society to flourish they had to learn to adapt and survive. Many died, until years later the society learned to adapt and live outside of the boundaries. The planet’s original safe zone was chosen to place Dunami newborns and young adults for protection. To train them they created an island that replicated the conditions of the planet, but unlike the rest of the planet, which changes every seven days, the island changes every 48 hours.

Nanotechnology is injected within each Dunami during their birth. This helps them adapt to the next changing conditions. With the creation of the island the Dunami soon realized that once all five lives were over the young Dunami would morph into the current animal threat within the prevailing environment and ecology, they would forever be stuck on the island never to reunite with their families.

122

27. Gabriela Fiorentino and Yara Kawar. Aeolian Morphology . Youtube video, 2:18, November 03, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8BE3BNO9F0&feature=youtu.be Through this video we attempt to measure and test the control of different systems and applications of fog. The play with speed and sound begins to attempt the control of the experience one might feel with fog in those different stages and implementations. The concealing and revealing begins to be evident through the density the fog creates, the sound changes pitch and volume also in accordance to density and speed. It all becomes a constantly changing experience. The specific song we chose relates to the already existing idea that people have with fog and its mystique and ambience.

28. McHarg, Ian L. Design with Nature. Garden City, N.Y.: Published for the American Museum of Natural History [by] the Natural History Press, 1969.

McHarg studies the formation of the ever-changing dunes. The dunes are constantly changing shapes according to Aeolian transport. He begins to map the process of saltation, surface creep and suspension that causes the sand dunes constant reconfiguration. Saltations are the small grains that are being moved by the wind or water. Surface creep is the movement of larger particles. And suspension is tiny particles that are carried by the wind, not necessarily coming back to the ground and contributing to the reformation of dunes. The changing terrain can cause an interesting duality when fog is added. Both are constantly changing conditions that correlate to one another.

123

29. “Namib Biomimesis Research and Eco-Tourism Tower - EVolo | Architecture Magazine.”

EVolo Architecture Magazine RSS. Accessed December 16, 2015. http://www.evolo.us/ architecture/namib-biomimesis-research-and-eco-tourism-tower/.

The design of the research tower came from the study of Namib beetle, genus Stenocara, and plant, Welwitschia plant. They took into account the beetle’s skin bumps to create a fog exterior hydro skin, as well as the long water collecting root from the plant to formulate an architectural design. They implement certain features from both species in order to create a high functioning architecture proposition.

30. “Linear Oasis - Phillip Denny.” Linear Oasis - Phillip Denny. Accessed December 16, 2015. http://cargocollective.com/pdenny/Linear-Oasis.

The Linear Oasis project in Qatar, is a multitasking infrastructure, it is a hybrid botanical and fog harvesting structure. It serves as a barrier for sandstorms while collecting water with its facade that mimics the beetle’s’ elytra. The water collected in distribute to the plants and the city.

31. The Fog. Directed by John Carpenter. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 1980. Film.

The film took place in a town called Antonio Bay in the Californian coast. On the 100th anniversary of the town many supernatural occurrences started to occur. It is also the anniversary of when some townspeople murdered a rich man infected with leprosy when he was on his ship with his crew, on his way to establish a leper colony near by. They murdered his so the colony wouldn’t be established and took the gold he had to construct the town.

The dead sailors lurk in the fog trying to get his revenge. John Carpenter uses fog as an unnatural phenomenon inhabited by death and a vengeful invader. He complies with societal views of the fog, that comes from due to the lack of visibility that it creates. The denser the fog the less visible it is and the greater it allows the imagination and fear to run wild. Fog is the visual language of fear.

124

32. “The Great Smog of 1952.” Met Office. Accessed December 30, 2015. http://www. metoffice.gov.uk/learning/learn-about-the-weather/weather-phenomena/case-studies/ great-smog.

The Great Smog of 1952 in London lasted about four days. There was a great death toll and thousands afflicted with respiratory problems. That December many people were burning coal and increased the pollution in the air, this mixed with the natural formation of fog at night caused a great disruption in the city. The toxic pollution was so dense that it caused all public transportation and public events to be cancelled; only the subway was still functioning. The impact of smog in the city was a great disturbance to daily activities and health of many civilians. It re-shaped London’s dynamic and life for a few days. The cause of smog and the vast death toll throughout the ages could be the cause of why people view fog as a killer.

34. Sipos, Thomas M. Horror Film Aesthetics: Creating the Visual Language of Fear. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, 2010.

There are different ways one can manipulate fog in film for dramatic effect, for example make it sparse and visible in certain areas to frame a specific silhouette or view and make it more dense to generate more confusion and obscurity to allow people’s imagination and fear to fill in the blank. Different types of fog can be formulated according to the source; fog machines, fog filters and dry ice. Each can create different times of densities and effects in movies, the combination of some can create a great suspense in horror movies.

35. “Condensation and Evaporation.” Condensation and Evaporation. Accessed January 8, 2016. https://www.chem.purdue.edu/gchelp/liquids/condevap.html.

Here water is explored at a microscopic level. They analyze the movement at of the molecular composition at every phase, as well as the acting forces of attraction.

125

36. Konvicka, Tom. Teacher’s Weather Sourcebook. Englewood, Colo.: Teacher Ideas Press, 1999.

This book gives a clear and simple explanation of the phases of water and other weather conditions. It talks about the transformation of the bonds and how they are affected. Konvicka gives a better understanding of the phase changes, thermodynamic processes by applying it in a realistic setting.

126

127