Dissertation - Kaitlin Gordon

Building Biomimetics; An exploration of the evolving relationship of the body within architecture towards a biologically symbiotic and self-sustaining paradigm.

Kaitlin Gordon z3420173

Bachelor of Interior Architecture (Hons.)

Final Year Dissertation

Abstract “Building Biomimetics” is a dissertation that examines the binary and evolutionary

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GORDON

KAITLIN LOUISE

relationship of architecture and the body throughout western society, from an aesthetic regime towards a systemic implementation of the functions of the body within

INTA2411

DISSERTATION

T3 2019

DISSERTATION

contemporary architectural interventions. This dissertation argues for an epistemological shift towards the intrinsic adaptabilities and biological efficiencies of the body as a working methodology within the architectural discourse in order to moderate twenty-first century concerns of sustainability.

Through a historical survey the changing relationship of the body with architecture and

DR. SING D’ARCY

thus the interior will be established. This will provide the contextual foundations in order to discuss application of the emerging biomimetic paradigm. Further assessment will be consolidated into a biological framework of the skeletal envelope, the internal vital organs and their organ systems. Key examples will be comparatively analysed within this framework through visual and programmatic assessment in order to highlight similar symbiotic biologies of the body and its architectural counterparts. Theories of sustainability and health pedagogies will be also discussed as a backbone for contemporary analysis.

Additionally, a selection of architectural hospitality adaptations of the paradigm will be examined against this framework in order to further discuss the evolution of architectural biomimetics within twenty-first century spaces of consumption.

02-12-2019

Through the emergent ideologies of building biology and a re-appropriated architectural “body” established within this dissertation, a movement towards self-stabilised, adaptive and regenerative environments will be established in order highlight critical space for the growth of a regenerative phenomenology within both contemporary architectural and interior architecture contexts.

i

List of Figures Acknowledgment of Country

Figure

I would like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which

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Page The three architectural orders of Greek architecture, John Shutes,

4

Cullompton, UK, 1563, scanned image, (Source: Shutes,J 1563, The

UNSW is located. I would also like to pay my respects to Elders past and present.

First & Chief Grounds of architecture, 1563, RIBA Collections, via Slide Player, 2015,accessed 20 September 2019, <https://slideplayer.com/

Acknowledgments

slide/4987686/>) I would like to express my deep gratitude to Dr. Belinda Dunstan for her unwaivering

1.02

(a) The ‘Vitruvian Man’ as expressed by Leonardo Da Vinci, Gallerie

support, encouragement and belief in me. Her guidance, mentorship and critiques of this

dell’Accademia, Venice, approximately1490, scanned image. (Source:

research work have been invaluable throughout this entire process. A special thanks is also

Vitruvius, M 30-15BC, De architecture, Rome via Fletcher, R 2007,

extended to the staff of UNSW Built Environment for their knowledge and guidance in

‘Squaring the Circle: Marriage of Heaven and Earth’, Nexus Network

gathering resources for me to undertake this dissertation. As well as my dearest partner

Journal, 9(1), accessed 20 September 2019, < https://www.researchgate.

Jay and loving parents who have patiently and continually supported and encouraged me

net/figure/Image-Canon-of-proportions-from-Vitruviuss-De-architectura-

throughout this process.

Ten-Books-on-Architecture_fig9_226283092>)

5

(b) Geometrical proportions of the ‘Vitruvian Man’ as expressed by Leonardo Da Vinci, Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice, around 1490, scanned image, edited by author, accessed 20 September 2019. (Source: ibid.)

1.03

Golden proportions within Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Laon, Gautier de

6

Mortagne, Paris, 1230, digital image. (Source: Department of Art and History, 2016, The University of Alabama, accessed 20 November 2019, <https://art.ua.edu/news/ad-quadratum-the-art-science-of-cathedraldesign/attachment/laon_cathedrals_regulator_lines/>) 1.04

Floor plan of Sant’Andrea al Quirinale, Rome, Italy, Gian Lorenzo Bernini 1670, digital image, edited by author. (Source: Wiki Arquitectura, 2019, accessed 28 November <https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/building/ santandrea-al-quirinale/>)

ii

iii

6

1.05

Costume concepts exploring the body and joint mobility, Oska Schlemmer,

7

2.01

<https://drblawrence.com/home/spine/>)

Dodds, G, Tavernor, R, Rykwert, J 2002, Body and building: essays on the changing relation of body and architecture, MIT Press, Cambridge, accessed 2

2.02

October 2019)

14

15 October 2019, < https://www.archdaily.com/236979/one-oceanthematic-pavilion-expo-2012-soma>)

(b) ‘Technical Organism’ (Source: ibid. p.231) (c) ‘Dematerialization’ (Source: ibid., p.232)

2.03

(d) ‘The Marionette’ (Source: ibid., p.232) Floor plan of Haus am Horn, Weimar, 1932, George Muche with

8

15

Industry Tap, accessed 27 November 2019, < http://www.industrytap. com/self-healing-concrete-can-repair-cracks-bacteria/29051>)

Feuerstain, F 2002:233 in Dodds, G, Tavernor, R, Rykwert, J 2002, Body

2.04

and building: essays on the changing relation of body and architecture, MIT

Internal arrangement of the cancellous bone, Dartmouth, Hanover, New

15

Hampshire. (Source: Dartmouth, accessed 26 November 2019, <https://

Press, Cambridge), accessed 2 October 2019 (a) Human ergonomic dimensions, Henry Dreyfuss Associates 1974,

Self-healing process of bio-concrete, Delft University, Netherlands, Holland, digital photograph, Delft University. (Source: Goyal, N 2015,

Adolf Meyer with an overlay of Schlemmer’s spatial concepts. (Source:

www.dartmouth.edu/~anatomy/Histo/lab_2/bone/DMS071/popup.

9 2.05

scanned image. (Source: Diffrient, N, Tilley, A, Harman, D, Bardagjy, J

(a) Normal pupil condition (Source: Heiting G 2018, All about vision,

16

accessed 25 November 2019, <https://www.allaboutvision.com/

1974, Humanscale 1/2/3: a portfolio of information, Cambridge, Mass.:

conditions/dilated-pupils.htm>)

MIT Press, Boston, accessed 23 November 2019 via The Funambulist,

(b) Anisocoria pupil condition (Source: ibid.)

Architectural theories: the modernist ideal of the normative body, p.4,

(c) Dilated pupil condition (Source: ibid.)

accessed 26 November 2019, < https://thefunambulist.net/architecturalprojects/architectural-theories-the-modernist-ideology-of-a-normative-

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body>)

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Thematic Pavilion, SOMA Lima Architects, Yeosu, South Korea, 2012, digital photograph, Kim Yong-kwan. (Source: Arch Daily, 2012, accessed

(a) ‘Ambulant Architecture’ (Source: ibid., p. 231)

1.07

14

Lawrence Health and Wellness Clinic, 2018, accessed 15 October 2019,

Germany, 1924, scanned image. (Source: Feuerstein, F 2002, p.231-232 in

1.06

Human spine model, Dr. Bryan Lawrence, digital photograph. (Source:

Transformable curtain facade of the Hoberman Arch within the winter

16

Olympic medals plaza, Chuck Hoberman, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2002,

(b)Human Dimension, Henry Dreyfuss Associates 1974, scanned image.

image by Chuck Hoberman. (Source: Payson, D 2015, MIT News, accessed

(Source: ibid., p.7)

27 November 2019, < http://news.mit.edu/2015/interdisciplinary-design-

(a) Section of Bengt Sjostrom Starlight Theatre, Studio Gang, Rockford,

conversations-chuck-hoberman-1021>)

10

Illinois 2003, digital documentation, Studio Gang. Chicago. (Source: Studio Gang, accessed 26 November 2019, < https://studiogang.com/project/

2.07

Phillips Design’s ‘Metamorphosis Shimmer Wall’ concept - ventilation diagram, digital photo. (Source: Philips Design Probes - Metamorphosis,

bengt-sjostrom-starlight-theatre>)

2014, online video, accessed 26 November 2019, <https://www. (b) Internal performance arena with hydraulic roof, Studio Gang, Rock-

dailymotion.com/video/x2nta0z>)

ford, Illinois 2003, digital photograph, Greg Murphey. (Source: ibid.) iv

v

17

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2.09

2.10

Phillips Design’s ‘Metamorphosis Shimmer Wall’ concept - lighting

17

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Small elastic artery section, H&E Microscope Slide, histological image.

concept, digital photo. (Source: Philips Design Probes - Metamorphosis, 2014,

(Source: Willis, G, All Posters, accessed 16 November 2019, < https://

online video, accessed 26 November 2019, <https://www.dailymotion.

www.allposters.com/-sp/Small-Elastic-Artery-Section-with-Red-Blood-

com/video/x2nta0z>)

Cells-in-the-Lumen-H-E-Stain-LM-X64-Posters_i9011410_.htm>)

Lobby/library within the Stamba Hotel, Adjara Arch Group, Tbilisi,

18

2.17

Responsive curtain wall facade stimulated by sun exposure, Al Bahar

Georgia, 2018, digital photo, Nick Paniashvili, 2019. (Source: Stamba

Towers, Aedas, Abu Dhabi, 2012. (Source: Cilento, K 2012, ArchDaily,

Hotel, 2018, accessed 13 October 2019, <https://stambahotel.com/lobby-

accessed 24 November 2019, < archdaily.com/270592/al-bahar-towers-

library>)

responsive-facade-aedas>)

Brutalist framework to the hotel lobby, Stamba Hotel, Adjara Arch Group,

18

3.01

Conventional chest x-ray, 2018, Axis Imaging, India, digital image of

20

20

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radiograph, edited by author. (Source: Axis Imaging, 2018, accessed 25

Tbilisi, Georgia, 2018, digital photo, Nick Paniashvili, 2019. (Source: ibid.)

November 2019, <http://www.axisimagingnews.com/2018/12/konica2.11

Dissolvable stitches with embed scars to human skin, digital image,

minolta-motion-x-ray/>)

18

edited by author.(Source: Medical News Today, accessed 13 October 2019,

3.02

<https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325297.php#summary>) 2.12

Normal histology of the pancreas, The University of Utah

(Source: Lost Collective, 2018, accessed 25 November 2019, < https://

19

lostcollective.com/gallery/eveleigh-paint-shop/>)

Pathology Laboratory for Medical Education, 2019, accessed 15 October

2.14

3.03

Sydney, digital image, Zan Wimberley. (Source: Carriageworks, accessed

NORM165.html>)

25 November 2019, <https://carriageworks.com.au/venues/bay-22-24/>) 19

3.04

(a) Indicative parking provisions to the North Eveleigh Rail Yard Site

City, Mexico, 2013, Elegant Embellishments, digital photo. (Source:

at Carriageworks, Bates Smart, 2008, Redfern, Sydney, digital plans

Archilovers, 2013, accessed 15 October 2019, < https://www.archilovers.

submitted to Waterloo Redfern Authority. (Source: Yumpu, accessed

com/projects/108136/facade-on-the-torre-de-especialidades.html>)

24 November 2019, <https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/

Smog eating-facade, Torre de Especialidades hospital, Mexico City,

Vasodilated arterty, H&E Microscope Slide, histological image. (Source: SciChem, accessed 16 November 2019, <https://international.scichem. com/Catalogue/ProductDetail/mammal-artery-amp-vein-c-s-7-micro-mh-amp-e-microscope-slide?productID=5e10f738-23b2-4c16-942f-d9136b8

25

sm>) 20

3.04

(b) Concourse to main entry of Carrigeworks, 2006, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, Redfern, Sydney, digital image, Kokkai Ng, 2014, edited by author.

(Source: Flicker, 2014, accessed 24 November 2019, <https://www.flickr. com/photos/kokkaing/12855359614>)

b6b30&catalogueLevelItemID=6de52b6a-7aa6-4a8e-881d-26fce3c6059b>) vi

24

read/24338070/north-eveleigh-rail-yard-site-redfern-waterloo-authority-

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Mexico, 2013, Elegant Embellishments, digital photo. (Source: ibid.)

2.15

Bay 22-24 within Carriageworks, 2006, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, Redfern,

2019, <https://webpath.med.utah.edu/HISTHTML/NORMAL/

Detail of smog-eating facade, Torre de Especialidades hospital, Mexico

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1882 – 1988, architect unknown, digital photograph, Brett Patman.

Eccles Health Sciences Library, histological image. (Source: The Internet

2.13

Existing working pit within the aisle of Eveleigh Railway Workshops,

vi

25

3.05

Microscopic study of the epiphyseal plate at the end of long bones

25

3.11

Diners within the cafe space of The Eden Project, 2001, Grimshaw

showing hairline cartilage, Dr. Patrice Spitalnik, University of Columbia,

Architects, Cornwall, United Kingdom, digital photograph, Hufton +

United States, digital histological image. (Source: SBPMD Histology Lab

Crow. (Source: Grimshaw, 2019, accessed 20 November 2019, < https://

Manual, accessed 24 November 2019, < http://www.columbia.edu/itc/hs/

grimshaw.global/projects/the-eden-project-the-biomes/>)

27

medical/sbpm_histology_old/lab/lab06_bonedev2.html>) 3.06

Sequential radiographs showing phases of fracture healing within a 14

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month old child, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia,

United Kingdom, author unknown. (Source: Grimshaw, 2019, accessed 19

digital radiographs. (Source: The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne,

November 2019, < https://grimshaw.global/projects/the-eden-project-

accessed 25 November 2019, <https://www.rch.org.au/fracture-

the-biomes/>)

education/fracture_healing/>) 3.07

3.08

Cross-section of skeletal muscle, 2017, author unknown, Ohio, America.

26

of The Eden Project, 2001, Grimshaw Architects, Cornwall, United

(Source: Jennings, R, Premanandan, C 2017, Veterinary Histology, Ohio

Kingdom, digital documentation. (Source: Stevens, P 2016, Design

State University, Ohio, p.50, digital image, accessed 18 November 2019,

Boom, accessed 19 November 2019, < https://www.designboom.

<https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/vethisto/chapter/4-skeletal-muscle/>)

com/architecture/eden-project-video-grimshaw-worlds-biggest-

A sequence of inter-linked geodesic domes within the Eden Project, 2001,

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3.13

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photograph, Hufton + Crow. (Source: Grimshaw, 2019, accessed 19

November 2019, <https://www.designboom.com/architecture/eden-

November 2019, < https://grimshaw.global/projects/the-eden-project-

project-video-grimshaw-worlds-biggest-greenhouse-12-15-2016/>) Biome plan of The Eden Project, 2001, Grimshaw Architects, Cornwall,

Abseiler maintaining the EFTE clad geodesic dome to The Eden Project, 2001, Grimshaw Architects, Cornwall, United Kingdom, digital

Hufton + Crow. (Source: Stevens, P 2016, Design Boom, accessed 19

the-biomes/>) 26

United Kingdom, digital documentation, Grimshaw Architects. (Source:

3.14

Skeletal muscle cross-section, 2013, Springer Berlin Heidelberg,

28

histological image. (Source: Sirabella, D., De Angelis, L., & Berghella,

Stevens, P 2016, Design Boom, accessed 19 November 2019, <https://

L. 2013, ‘Sources for skeletal muscle repair: From satellite cells to

www.designboom.com/architecture/eden-project-video-grimshaw-worlds-

reprogramming’, Journal for Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle., from PubMed

biggest-greenhouse-12-15-2016>) 3.10

27

Image edited by author with overlay of longitudinal section of biomes

Grimshaw Architects, Cornwall, United Kingdom, digital photograph,

3.09

Existing Kaolinite mine site prior to architectural intervention, Cornwall,

Central, DOI: 10.1007/s13539-012-0098-y, accessed 18 November 2019,

Inside Biomes of The Eden Project, 2001, Grimshaw Architects, Cornwall, United Kingdom, digital photograph, Creative Commons.

(Source: Teicher, S 2001, Atlas Obscura, accessed 20 November 2019, <https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/gardens_of_death_and_other_ horticultural_marvels>)

<https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13539-012-0098-y#Fig1>)

27 3.15

Open cool room within 1888 Certified Butcher, 2005, Tom Mark Henry, Double Bay, Sydney digital photograph, Damian Bennett, 2005. (Source: Tom Mark Henry, 2019, accessed 21 November 2019, < http://www. tommarkhenry.studio/projects/1888-certified/>)

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viii

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3.16

External view to butcher preparation area within 1888 Certified Butcher,

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2005, Tom Mark Henry, Double Bay, Sydney digital photograph, Damian Bennett, 2005. (Source: Tom Mark Henry, accessed 21 November 2019, <http://www.tommarkhenry.studio/projects/1888-certified/>) 3.17

External glazing within the facade revealing retail space behind within

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1888 Certified Butcher, 2005, Tom Mark Henry, Double Bay, Sydney digital photograph, Damian Bennett, 2005. (Source: Tom Mark Henry, accessed 21 November 2019, < http://www.tommarkhenry.studio/ projects/1888-certified/>) 3.18

Floor plan of 1888 Certified Butcher, 2005, Tom Mark Henry, Double Bay,

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Sydney, digital documentation, image edited by author (Source: Tom Mark Henry, 2005, accessed 24 November 2019) 3.19

Digestive system model, Laura Hospitรกl 2015, digital image. (Source:

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Perkins School for Blind e-learning, 2015, accessed 24 November 2019, <https://www.perkinselearning.org/accessible-science/activities/ digestive-system-model-demonstrating-sequence-and-length-organs>) 3.20

Floor plan of retail counter (not to scale) Certified Butcher, 2005, Tom

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Mark Henry, Double Bay, Sydney, digital documentation, image edited by author (Source: Tom Mark Henry, 2005, accessed 24 November 2019)

ix

x

Table of Contents

xi

Abstract

i

Acknowledgments

ii

List of Figures

iii

Introduction

1

Chapter One:

3

Chapter Two:

13

Chapter Three:

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Carriageworks re-development , Sydney (2007)

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‘Eden’ Project, United Kingdom( 2001)

26

1888 Certified, Sydney (2015)

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Conclusion

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List of References

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xii

Introduction As an architectural paradigm, the human body has evolved beyond an embodied

to explore a broad array of implementations of biomimetic concepts to gain widespread

manifestation of the whole (Dodds, Tavernor et al. 2002) through its aesthetic and

contextual understanding of their application. A comparative analysis of biological

proportional overlay towards an architectural opportunity of inherent functionality,

functions of the body within mimetic architectural interventions will be explored in order to

adaptability and regenerativity. With the expanding concerns of resource depletion

establish the similar structural and environmental symbiosis afforded through a biomimetic

and energy expenditure emerging within twenty-first century society, architecture is

architectural overlay. Following a similar study of programmatic functions, an in-depth

increasingly becoming encouraged to move towards an ecosystem-based approach of

analysis of three contemporary hospitality case studies will be explored within Chapter

symbiotics (Crook 2019) that enables architectural interventions to regenerate as opposed to

Three in order to uncover the rationale of the ‘building biology’ notion, the benefits of self-

augment or simply mitigate. Correspondingly, whilst contemporary health pedagogies move

stabilised, adaptive environments as a form of architectural homeostasis and its potential

towards an adaptive immune system-based approach, architecture is seemingly responding

application within future interior architectural contexts.

in parallel as it moves towards the totality of the human form and the functioning of its innate systems (Braham, Emmons 2002: 291). By analysing an emerging paradigm within contemporary architecture, this dissertation aims to contribute towards the expanding discourse surrounding architectural biomimetic solutions and its development in order to expand upon the ecologically beneficial nature of its application within an architectural context.

British architect Michael Pawlyn has implemented a biomimetic approach towards architecture in order to embed the efficiencies of nature and its established biological solutions within the functional challenges surrounding contemporary architectural practice.

This process of biomimicry has been adopted as a framework within this dissertation in order to distil a variety of programmatic and spatial analogies down to their comparative biological functionalities embedded within the body. Through biological linkages, this dissertation explores architecture as a microcosm of its larger ecology.

Chapter One will discuss the progression of the rigid figural gestures of the body’s proportions and aesthetic foundations towards the emergence of a systemic architectural discourse of functioning and flexible compositions. A historical survey of the evolving relationship of the body within architecture will be conducted in order to establish the epistemological shift of this relationship. Through a progressively internalised study of the body’s skeletal framework and internal programmatic functions, Chapter Two seeks

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During one of its earliest known inceptions, the body was seen to have informed the foundations of Egyptian architecture, acting as a system of measurement and trigonometry formulated on palm and forearm distances to calculate and construct the ancient pyramids of Egypt (Robins, Shute 1985). This dimensional approach towards architectural measurement acted as a precursor to the establishment of the colossal forms within Classical architecture (850 BC – 479 AD) in Greece, later borrowed and further ornamented (509 BC – 4th Century AD) by the Romans (Rykwert 1996). To architect John Wood the Elder (1704-1754), man was seen as ‘a complete figure and the perfection of order’ (Rykwert 1996:27-29) and through the socially idolised set of proportions, Woods believed architects could embody harmony and order within architecture. As seen in figure 1.01, the three classical orders - Doric, Ionic and Corinthian – personify features of the human body and its innate proportions within the architectural column (Hersey 1987). The regularity of this

Chapter One:

humanistic composition was seen as ‘pleasing’ (Rykwert 1996:27) both to the architectural

The evolutionary relationship of the human body, architecture and the interior.

“eye” and for its user, further supporting the concept of ‘corporeal unity’ (Rykwert 1996:29) of architecture with the people, as first identified by English physicist Isaac Newtown (1643

The universal anthropocentrism of the Vitruvian doctrine dominated western architectural

– 1727). This classical concept of architectural “order” was seen by Polish author Joseph

thinking for almost two millennia (Vesely D, 2002:36). This chapter will broadly survey

Rykwert (1996) as a more superficial view of the body’s aesthetics, whereas Romans were

the epistemological shift of the human body and corporeal ideologies embedded within

later seen to have conceived both their architecture and interior spaces more figuratively as

the practice of architecture from an Anno Domini (AD) western society, through to

‘physical bodies’ (Jo, Choi 2003).

contemporary practice. Furthermore, this evolution will be considered alongside respective social and cultural influences to highlight critical influences to its adaptation. To gain an understanding of the role of the interior within complexities of the body-to-building relationship, the evolution of an architectural framework and historical development will first be considered in order to traverse between the disciplines. Prior to developments within Christian religion and the emergence of a relationship between heaven and earth (Sivin 1995), Greek philosopher Aristotle (382BC – 322BC) saw the body as a microcosm of a larger cosmos, beyond the material body to its soul (Vesely D, 2002:31). Roman author and architect Marcus Vitruvius (80-70BC – 15BC) later explored the aesthetics of the body as a figural architectural construct in his book De architecture, more widely known today as ‘The Ten Books on Architecture’, a body of work and architectural sensibility that has become known as ‘Vitruvianism’(Trachtenberg 2014) that continued to reverberate in various iterations throughout architectural history up until the modernist movement.

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Figure 1.01: The humanistic features and proportions within the three architectural orders of Greek architecture in the first copy of ‘The first & chief grounds of architecture’ (Shutes, 1563)

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During the Renaissance period (14th-17th century AD), the human form was directly

de Mortagne in figure 1.03. As Swiss historian Heinrich Wölfflin (1864-1945) denotes, the

projected onto its architecture in order to conceive composition, proportion and authority

precision of the Gothic proportion and deportment of its architecture ‘body’ appears ‘tense’

(Vidler 1990:4). Artist and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598 - 1680) noted in 1655

and more sharply executed, later liberated however through the dynamism and mobility that

that ‘the beauty of everything in the world (and therefore architecture also) consisted of

emerged within Baroque architecture (Vidler 1990), as shown in figure 1.04.

proportions’ (Trachtenberg 2014), similarly the renaissance ideology according to Vitruvius as presented in figure 1.02 by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), the highly gendered “divine” man that acted as a universally stoic symbol of anatomical and mathematical precision in which proportion could be convinced. (Oranges, Largo et al. 2016). The proportional makeup engendered through his form has been distilled in figure 1.02(b). The Vitruvian man represented a commonality of all beings, reflecting the humanistic ideology of the Renaissance period of placing man at the centre of the universe and thus, its architecture (Oranges, Largo et al. 2016).

Figure 1.03: Golden proportions within Cathédrale

Figure 1.04: Floor plan of Sant’Andrea al

Notre-Dame de Laon, Gautier de Mortagne, Paris,

Quirinale, Rome, Italy, Gian Lorenzo Bernini 1670,

1230 (Department of Art and History, 2016)

image edited by author. (Wiki Arquitectura, 2019)

It can be evidenced that the relationship of the body established within the classical tradition was largely ‘dimensional’ (Trachtenberg 2014), seemingly favoring the uniformity, precision and harmonic symmetry based off a single figure of the ‘exemplary incarnation’ (Rykwert 1996:29) of man to produce ‘veritable bodies’ (Vidler 1990:4) within Figure 1.02: (a) The ‘Vitruvian Man’ as expressed by

Figure 1.02: (b) Geometrical proportions of the

Leonardo Da Vinci, Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice,

‘Vitruvian Man’ as expressed by Leonardo Da

around 1490 based on De Architecture (Vitruvius, M

Vinci, Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice, around

30-15BC)

1490, image edited by author (ibid.)

Although Renaissance anthropomorphic forms are sacral representations in their own right, such concepts were seen as divergent from the Gothic pedagogy (1150- 1450) of architectural proportion, directly attributed towards the power of God (Prak 2011).

Using architectural form and proportion as the connecting vehicle, the scaling periodic proportions can be clearly seen within the Laon Cathedral of Nore-Dame (1840) by Gautier

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architecture. Whilst the underlying aesthetic and proportional principles of the body continued to permeate the canon of architecture in their own right, emerging during the eighteenth century was an extension to this ‘bodily projection’ (Vidler 1990:4). Beyond fixed architectural attributes such as beauty and order, the various states of the body, both physical and emotional, became objectified within architecture, beyond imitating ‘bodily experience’ (Vidler 1990:4) and aesthetic quality. The psychological overlay of this concept, as identified by American professor Elain Scarry (1946 - ) enabled the body to become an active architectural figure as opposed to a static projection laminating its surface.

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More recently, following the establishment of The Bauhaus in Weimar, Germany in 1919 by architect Walter Gropius (1883-1969) the dissolution of corporeal portion and its form was replaced with a focus on function, as developed from a post-war ‘revolutionary mentality’(Loureiro 2014) . The ideals of Groupis and his contemporaries were utopian centric, and as Groupis states, as a means to ‘prepare for designing for mass production’ (Conrads 1970:182). Coupled with a growing social acceptance of machinery and a movement towards cheaper construction, Bauhaus pedagogies sought to unveil a mechanised architectural approach that could therefore accommodate for this (Loureiro 2014). Artist, choreographer and associate of the Bauhaus Oskar Schlemmer (1888-1943) saw architectural space as ‘less [of] a container for the body than as aspect of the body transformed’.

Schlemmer’s interest in the human condition caused him to begin to transfigure the human form through a compositional process of ‘hollowing out’ and ‘piecing together’ (Dodds, Tavernor et al. 2002). The fractured configuration of Schlemmer’s costume concepts, as displayed in figures 1.05 (a) to (d), display an exploration of the geometries that emerge from human movement and joint rotation. Similar ideologies to Schlemmer’s also prevailed as

Figure 1.06: Floor plan of Haus am Horn, Weimar, 1932, George Muche with Adolf Meyer with an overlay of Schlemmer’s spatial concepts.

(Source: Feuerstain, F 2002:233 in Dodds, G, Tavernor, R, Rykwert, J 2002)

architectural overlays during the Bauhaus movement, such as those evident in figure 1.06. The shift to the body as a functional composition of forms that, according to Schlemmer, could

This associated precision and idealism can be seen in parallel with the expanding

be ‘ordered and reordered’ (Feuerstain, F 2002:231) informed the framework of modernist

mechanistic world-conception and industrialisation prevalent the within the late 20th century modernist society. (Guillén 2006:9). The emerging rectilinear forms appear seamlessly appropriate for the ridged mechanics of mass-production (Day 2007:34).

However, author and eco-architect Christopher Day (1942 - ) argues that these forms cannot be found ‘anywhere in the human body, in human movement, human activity, nor anywhere in nature’ (2007:34), and as a result, the newly engineered architectural model’s disassociation with the body held aesthetic and functional consequence. The further institutionalisation of the modernist concepts can be seen through a merging of scientific

Figure 1.05: Costume concepts exploring the body and joint mobility, Oska Schlemmer, Germany, 1924 (Source: Feuerstain, F 2002:231-232 in Dodds, G, Tavernor, R, Rykwert, J 2002) (a) Ambulant

(b) ‘Technical Organism’;

(c) ‘Dematerialization’;

(d)‘The Marionette’; an

architecture; exploring

a study of the body in

the relationship of the

exploration of human

cubical space from the

motion

body under its costume

joints and a relationship

‘body’

to surrounding space

human form

management and architecture (Guillén 2006:1). Through ergonomic proportion (shown in figure 1.07), modernism transformed the capabilities and limitations of the body into a machine-like object, in order to construct spaces around rationalised occupation (Hassard, Holliday et al. 2000:4). However, what the modernist ergonomic overlay brought to interior arrangement was the notion of the interaction between two functioning bodies, as opposed to the singular, static Vitruvian man.

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as flexible systems’(2002:292). This suggestion alludes to the emergent twenty-first century notions of architectural embodiment towards a whole system approach that will be later unfolded throughout the subsequent chapters.

The resulting desirability of flexibility, both of the body, and as such, of architecture, allows for a dynamically responding architectural “immune system”, offering opportunities for engagement with our external surrounds. Just as the body internally adapts through thermoregulation (Sessler 1993), architectural mechanisms such as the transformable hybrid roof to Studio Gang’s Bengt Sjostorom Starlight Theater, Illinois, USA (2003) shown in figures 1.08 (a) and (b) have begun to allow for architecture to shift in response to its surrounding context.

Figure 1.07: (a)Ergonomic dimension of the human

Figure 1.07: (b): Human body ergonomics as identified by

body as identified by Henry Dreyfuss Associates in 1974

Henry Dreyfuss Associates in 1974 (ibid.)

(Diffrient, N, Tilley, A, Harman, D, Bardagjy, J 1974)

As a reaction to the consequences of modernist mechanisation (Braham 1999:60), architects such as Austrian-American Frederick Kiesler (1890-1965) began to develop archetypes of ‘functional architecture’ (Braham, Emmons 2002: 290), enabling the human being, and thus the body, to be explored in its totality. As Polish architect Maciej Nowicki (19101950) indicated, contemporary architects ‘still speak of functionalism, but while then it meant exactitude, now it means flexibility’(Braham, Emmons 2002: 291), in response to the shifting architectural paradigm of contemporary architectural practice. Kiesler’s principle of ‘correalism - the continual interaction of man and his natural and technological

Figure 1.08: (a) Section of Bengt Sjostrom Starlight

Figure 1.08: (b) Internal performance arena with

Theatre, Studio Gang, Rockford, Illinois 2003

hydraulic roof, Bengt Sjostrom Starlight Theatre,

(Studio Gang)

Studio Gang, Rockford, Illinois 2003 (Studio Gang)

environments’ (Braham 1999:58) - directs architectural thinking internally towards the evolving needs of mankind, exploring notions of one’s health as an extension of the

As architecture simultaneously evolves to become a system of a ‘flexible network

body as a fundamental denominator to design methodology (Braham 1999:59). American

of connections’ (Greg Lynn in Braham, Emmons 2002: 290), emerging notions of

anthropologist Emily Martin (1944 - ) also remarks within her book “Flexible Bodies” on

architectural autonomy are becoming facilitated through expansions of technology within

a similar diversion away from notions of hygiene perfection, towards an adaptive immune

society. Injecting a once static environment with a dynamic ability to sense and shift in

system directly responding to its immediate environment (Martin 1994), present within

response to the continual feedback loop that the technology affords (Van Hinte 2003:15) is

the 21st century health pedagogy. As the body has previously informed architecture, these

similar to the inherent voluntary and involuntary actions within the body.

theories emerge from a new correlation of health, the body and the space it occupies. As William Braham and Paul Emmons suggested ‘if our bodies are increasingly conceived

A brief historical survey reveals that the body is firmly embedded within the western

as dynamic, interconnected systems, so too will our buildings be imagined and admired

architectural model. Through architectural assessment, it is apparent that the classical

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proportions of man deduced from the ‘ideal upright posture’ (Braham, Emmons 2002: 291) has dissolved as the dominant discourse of a once aesthetic regime. Following a wave of modernistic ideals, contemporary reassessment has suggested an epistemological shift within architectural pedagogy and practice towards a reconsideration of the aptitude of the body and its inherent systems as a foundational means for design. Following twenty-first century theories of architectural embodiment, Chapter Two will allow for contemporary practice to be further analysed in order to explore the ‘body-as-system’ (Braham, Emmons 2002: 292) approach as a catalyst for future architectural opportunity.

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Skeletal framework: Vertebrae As a by-product of the industrial revolution, the rhythmical repetition of forms and structures within architecture, whilst fundamentally utilitarian, has imposed a regimented and stagnant system, neglecting the surrounding contexts of each individual element (Day 2007). Comparatively, the repeated form of the bones of our vertebrae in figure 2.01 each carry a slightly different load and accept a slightly different movement (Day 2007), individually metamorphosing and adjusting in response to the individual structural demands that the body imposes. Italian architect Andrea Branzi (1938 - ) suggested a movement of architecture to be perceived no longer as ‘separated environmental realities, but rather as active elements of an enzymatic territory, always changing its function and form’ (Alsaigh, Basso Peressut 2008). Moreover, through flexibly adaptive spaces and passive design principles, static environments are able to shift in order to become a continually responsive

Chapter Two:

‘outer body’ (Day 2007:32) enabling it to work in harmony with its users and external

A programmatic analysis of the inherent systems of the body with its architectural affinities.

environment, as seen within the kinetic, self-regulatory state of the bionic façade to Soma Architect’s thematic pavilion (2012) in Yeosu, South-Korea as showcased in figure 2.02.

The binary and supportive relationship of architecture to the human body and its activity remains universally dynamic and interactive by nature (Day 2007). This chapter will comparatively analyse the intrinsic adaptability of the internal systems of the human body in parallel with broad notions of twenty-first century western architecture. The body and its functions as an architectural paradigm cannot wholly be explored within the limits of this dissertation. For this reason, the examples within this chapter will be explored in

Figure 2.01: Human spine model, Dr. Bryan Lawrence (Lawrence Health and Wellness Clinic, 2018)

relation to three subsections of the body; the skeletal framework, the enclosed vital organs and its functioning organ systems. Whilst architectural form is static by nature, this chapter aims to reveal notions of the emerging phenomenon of ‘building biology’ (Day 2007:119) in order to examine the similarities of the body’s system to architectural adaptation.

Furthermore, comparative anthropomorphic analogy will be considered alongside relevant contextual issues of sustainability to aid in informing the application of this relationship within a contemporary climate. An architectural analysis will first be examined to explore a re-definition of the body-to-building relationship in order to speculate on its mutually beneficial reappropriation within an interior context. These ideologies will assist in establishing the foundational framework for the analysis of contemporary hospitality Figure 2.02: Thematic Pavilion, SOMA Lima Architects, Yeosu, South Korea, 2012

interior case studies within chapter three.

Kim Yong-kwan (Arch Daily, 2012)

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Geometry through biological gesture psychologically impacts spatial use, relative to the encompassing movements of the human embrace. The generosity of internal angles according to Day (2007:40) directly impacts on the way in which one experiences a space; either as a ‘life-renewing…[or] life sapping’ (Day 2007:43) environment. Through this analogy it appears that architects are able to tap into the neuro-pathways of the users in order to create architecturally responsive environments.

Organs: Human eye Just as Julius Wolff ’s law of skeletal physiology supports the shifting architecture of bones as they adapt to the various mechanical loads which they may bear (Martin 1998), involuntary fluctuations of the internal reflexes of the eye continually work to constrict or dilate its pupil to similarly adjust, control and stabalise optical brightness in response to the surrounds (as shown in figures 2.05). Correspondingly in figure 2.06, The Hoberman Arch, Salt Lake City (2002) designed by Chuck Hoberman displays a bio-inspired mechanised

Skeletal framework: Bone structure

oculate that dynamically expands and contracts the curtain wall. Whilst the eye maintains With the expansion of scientific knowledge and technologies expeditiously propelling

its integrity throughout these changes, architectural transformation offers an opportunity

twenty-first century society forward, functional challenges already solved through biological

for a shifting identity; of its form and for its users.

efficiencies are appearing less of an architectural constraint and more of a plausible reality (Pawlyn 2016). First appearing in in 1962, the concept of biomimicry, later followed by biomimetics are terms synonymously used within architecture. (Pawlyn 2016) Whilst many examples look to solutions within the conservational ecology of nature, biomimetic parallels can also be drawn with the inherently renewing biological framework of the body. An example of this occurs within the protective hard tissue of the human skeletal bone; a self-

(a): Normal pupil condition

renewing and protective structural mechanism of the body that can be entirely regenerated within a 4-20 year period (Korkusuz 2016). Whilst comparably architecture is a non-living organism, biologically analogous solutions such as the self-repair of the vascular network used within the self-healing material ‘bioconcrete’ by Dr. Henk Jonkers in the Netherlands

(b): Anisocoria condition

are emerging within architectural research. Shown in figure 2.03, the bacterial structure of bioconcrete is dispersed in the same way the outer layer of cortical bone compacts the elastic nature of the inner trabecular bone (Seifan, Samani et al. 2016) seen in figure 2.04.

Although still in its infancy, opportunities for self-renewal could enable a transformation

(c): Dilated pupil condition

Figure 2.06: Transformable curtain facade of the Hoberman Arch within

of the architectural model towards a generative ecosystem of ecological adaptation and

Figure 2.05: Variable pupil conditions

the winter Olympic medals plaza, Chuck Hoberman, Salt Lake City, Utah,

(Heiting G 2018)

2002, image by Chuck Hoberman. (Payson, D 2015)

resilience.

As the eyes work to control light entry in order to adjust visual clarity, simultaneously the regulatory glands such as the ‘pituitary, pineal and hypothalamus are all stimulated by light’ (Day 2007:318) as a binary response. Through this analogy, as the glands respond in order to control internal functions, embedded architectural transformation can evolve Figure 2.03: Self-healing process of bio-concrete, Delft

Figure 2.04: Internal arrangement of

University, Netherlands, Holland (Goyal, N 2015, Industry Tap)

the cancellous bone (Dartmouth)

15

beyond a controlled structure, to become a kinetically co-dependent system. With a similar ability to regulate, architecture begins to work to “nourish” its inhabitants; the organs of 16

the architectural “body”. Notions of similar self-regulation through light are beginning

breathe a second life (Lanz 2018). Through a symbiotic balance of past and present the

to arrive within an interior context to symbiotically benefit the user and architectural

spatial integrity of the structure can remain, akin to the healed membrane of figure 2.11.

environment. Phillips Design’s ‘Metamorphosis Shimmer Wall’ evident in figures 2.07 and

Rodolfo Machado suggests:

2.08 presents a proposal for a biomimetically automated wall system of simulation that kinetically adapts lighting, acoustics and ventilation in order to mitigate and equilibrate the inevitable notions of growth and change (Coley 2014)

‘The past provides the already written, the marked ‘canvas’ on which each successive remodelling will find its own place. Thus the past becomes a ‘package of sense’, of built up meaning to be accepted (maintained), transformed or suppressed (refused)’.

(Stone 2005) Although a disjunction exists in the autonomy of the two processes, in both instances the remodeling for repair involves notions of memory; of the initial state and sympathy towards the former function and values (Stone 2005), often emerging through the architectural skeleton. Resilience emerges in both cases through the cycle of adaptation. A resilience in which architectural theorists Michael Mehaffy and Nikos Salingaros (2013) suggest a turn towards could assist the current architectural paradigm.

Figure 2.07: Phillips Design’s ‘Metamorphosis Shimmer

Figure 2.08: Phillips Design’s ‘Metamorphosis Shimmer

Wall’ concept - ventilation diagram (Philips Design

Wall’ concept - lighting concept (Philips Design

Probes - Metamorphosis, 2014)

Probes - Metamorphosis, 2014)

Organ systems: Integumentary system (skin) The body is also imbued with an innate ability to regenerate after physical alterations or wounds to its natural state. Regeneration through healing and repair is a sequentially overlapped series of processes involving a constriction through homeostasis, protection through an inflammatory reaction, the proliferation of new tissue, a subsequent adaptation

Figure 2.09: Lobby/library within the

Figure 2.10: Brutalist framework to the

Figure 2.11: Dissolvable stitches

Stamba Hotel, Adjara Arch Group,

hotel lobby, Stamba Hotel, Adjara Arch

with embed scars to human skin,

Tbilisi, Georgia, 2018, Nick Paniashvili,

Group, Tbilisi, Georgia, 2018, Nick

edited by author (Medical News

2019. (Source: Stamba Hotel, 2018)

Paniashvili, 2019 (Stamba Hotel, 2018)

Today,

of collagen (Friedlaender, Lieberman 2005) and in some cases, the permanency of scarring.

Comparatively, spatial occupation also follows a sequential process of transformation,

Organ systems: Digestive system (pancreas)

with the predominant concerns of interior architecture being the adaptation of existing space (Lanz 2018). Whilst interior architecture may not always return space to its preexisting state, as tissue regeneration may, notions of restoration and adaptive-reuse allow for references of the previous space and its values to permanently scar the architectural envelope as evidenced within the skeletal framework of the Stamba Hotel in Tbilisi, Georgia

by Adjara Arch Group (2018) in figures 2.09 and 2.10. Structural re-use emphasises the continuity of the remodelling process, allowing the inherent qualities of a building to 17

Further cyclical bio-chemical systems originate within the body through the self-regulation of enzymes, hormones and neurotransmitters (Genuis, Sears et al. 2013). The histology - as seen through a microscope - of pancreatic action in figure 2.12 highlights an example of an organ of digestion and continual regeneration that intrinsically works to repetitively excrete, purify and replace in order to assist the body’s function. As nature and technology gradually become unified, London-based architect Emma Flynn (2016:23) suggests the

18

rise of a ‘synthetic biology’ within architectural practice. An example of this can be seen

Organ system: Circulatory system (arteries)

in an architectural intervention by German-based company Prosolve370. As seen in figure 2.13 and 2.14 the modular façade system applied to the Torre de Especialidades building

The expanding global population and a reduction in carbon emissions have become

in Mexico City in 2013 works to absorb and neutralise air pollutants through its titanium-

ubiquitous concerns within the 21st century landscape. As the urban environment attempts

dioxide (TiO2) coating that becomes activated by daylight (Prosolve370e n.d.). The external

to respond, Flynn suggests a societal shift away from a closed looped ‘machine-inspired’

threshold juxtaposes the sterile interior of the hospital creating an ‘active envelope’ (Flynn

(2016:22) approach towards sustainability in favour of ‘living architecture’ (2016:22).

2016:24), one that like an organ becomes a responsive moderator to the surrounding reactive

The self-regulatory shifts of vasodilation to vasoconstriction of blood flow to the skin in

environment.

response to external environmental shifts (Daanen, Van 2016) evident in figures 2.15 and 2.16 are similarly emulated through the notion of architecture as a responsive ‘dynamic living system’ (Flynn 2016:22) within the responsive façade of the Al Bahar Towers in Abu Dhabi by Aedas Architects (2012) in figure 2.17. Regulatory expansion and contraction embeds the ability of the contrasting built form to adapt and react to its surrounding contact, future possibilities and inevitable change. Herbert Simon’s ‘Science of Design’ concept of the dynamic transition ‘from existing states to preferred ones’ (Huppatz 2015) further suggests the active moderation of currently inert buildings to a homeostasis-like

Figure 2.12: Histological image of the

Figure 2.13: Detail of smog-eating

Figure 2.14: Smoge-eating facade,

pancreas, The University of Utah

facade, Torre de Especialidades

Torre de Especialidades hospital,

Eccles Health Sciences Library. (The

hospital, Mexico City, Mexico,

Mexico City, Mexico, 2013, Elegant

Internet Pathology Laboratory for

2013, Elegant Embellishments,

Embellishments (Source: ibid.)

Medical Education, 2019)

(Archilovers, 2013)

state. Through technological advancements humans have become increasingly enabled to manipulate and experiment with the automation of natural processes external to the body (Flynn2016:23). In conjunction with an architectural envelope, the ability to exert control over its internal system has led to the emergence of resilient architecture as a social

Political economist Nassi Nicholas Taleb’s (1960 -) notion of ‘antifragile’ (Mehaffy,

construct.

Salingaros 2013) directly addresses this pivotal growth point for contemporary architecture and its ability to learn, and even advance from a disordered environment in order to become ecologically resilient. French physiologist Claude Bernard (1813-1878) originally termed the concept of ‘milieu intérieur’ (Schrank, Ekici 2017) to embody the optimal stability of the internal environment of the body as a self-regulating mechanism, later coined by American physiologist Walter Cannon (1871-1945) as the notion of ‘homeostasis’ (Schrank, Ekici 2017). Similarly, Flynn (2016:24) suggests that through direct collaboration with living systems the built environment is also able to strive for an architectural and environmental equilibrium.

Figure 2.15: Histological image

Figure 2.16: Histological image

Figure 2.17: Responsive curtain wall facade

of a vasodilated arterty, H&E

of a small elastic artery section,

stimulated by sun exposure, Al Bahar

Microscope Slide, histological

H&E Microscope Slide (Willis, G,

Towers, Aedas, Abu Dhabi, 2012. (Source:

image. (Source: SciChem)

unknown)

Cilento, K 2012, ArchDaily)

Through a comparative programmatic analysis of the body and architecture at large, insights have been provided into the binaries of the shifting body-to-building relationship.

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Established through the inwardly progressive analysis from the body’s foundational framework, its internal organs and the active co-dependency of their systems, the body as an architectural discourse remains pertinent within today’s twenty-first century society. The emergent notions of ‘building biology’ (Day 2007:119), as established within Chapter Two, forms the foundational framework for further analysis within the subsequent case studies in order to formulate a greater understanding of the opportunities for an equivalent symbiosis within the architecture model.

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Skeletal framework: Carrigeworks, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, 2006 The mechanical framework of the endoskeleton enclosed within the human body biologically functions in order to withstand external loads, internally distributing their forces (Martin, 1998). Much like the steel girder support beams often embedded within architectural structures, the bones within the skeleton provide a framework that both enables and determines the shape and movement of the body (Nagel, 2000a). The revival of the former Eveleigh Railway Workshops (1882-1988), known today as Carrigeworks in Redfern, Sydney (2006), heralds a post-modern paradox; symbiotically intersecting its modernist past through a recontextualisation of its architectural skeleton (Wharton, 2014) to create a multi-purpose arts-cross-hospitality venue.

Within the existing architectural framework, the static steel pillars ground and support the

Chapter Three:

architectural mass, forming a protective “ribcage” that transfers vertical loads down to its

A focused analysis of architectural biomimetics of three contemporary hospitality spaces.

connecting concrete “vertebra” below, as described through the figures 3.01 to 3.03. The adaptive reuse of its historical steel framework acts as both ‘a homage and a kind of ironic

To further examine the comparative ideologies of a new body-to-building discourse

thumbed nose to the past’(Hutcheon, 1986).

explored within chapter two, this chapter will spatially analyse three examples of bio-inspired public architectural and interior programs. Given the limitations of this dissertation the case studies within this chapter will continue to separately explore the three distinctive systems of the human body and its functioning established in Chapter Two; the endoskeletal framework, organ functions and a direct focus on the internal metabolic digestive system in relation to contemporary hospitality design interventions.

Through a comparative spatial and programmatic analysis, this dissertation strives to bring further awareness towards the nature of ‘building biology’ (Day 2007:119) as a symbiotic architectural construct. As interior applications at this time are limited in their progressivity in comparison to their architectural counterparts, broader architectural programs will first

Figure 3.01: Conventional chest

Figure 3.02: Existing working pit within

Figure 3.03: Bay 22-24 within

x-ray, 2018, Axis Imaging, India, the aisle of Eveleigh Railway Workshops,

Carriageworks, 2006, Tonkin

edited by author. (Axis Imaging, 1882 – 1988, architect unknown, Brett

Zulaikha Greer, Redfern, Sydney, Zan

2018)

Wimberley. (Carriageworks)

Patman. (Lost Collective, 2018)

be explored in order to suggest a synchronicity of approaches as a result of the dualism of both disciplines. Furthermore, alongside the emerging methodologies of ‘biomimetic

Likewise, physiological ossification - bone remodelling through the proliferation of new

architecture’ (Gruber & Imhof, 2017) the following analysis offers comparative notions

cells of bone material – occurs throughout human life, sculpting the skeletal framework to

of re-generativity and adaptability within an emblematic architectural ‘greater body’ in

adapt to growth and change (Martin, 1998). The connective tissue of cartilage initiates the

response to contemporary issues of sustainability.

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growth, later forming a soft mediating surface between the formed bones (Martin, 1998). In

Regenesis (1995 - ) looks at the process of regeneration as a re-alignment of ‘human

the instance of Carrigeworks, train tracks remain scored into the smooth concrete surface,

activity with the evolution of its ecosystem’ (Murphy, 2015), encouraging the movement

reconciling the site’s past within its contemporary adaptation as seen in figures 3.04 (a) and

beyond its innate cycle. The liberation of the individual beyond previous ‘bureaucratic

(b). Whilst unable to compress like the elasticity of the layer of human cartilage in figure

anonymity’(Wharton, 2014) through the architecture’s function at Carrigeworks represents

3.05, the embedded layers of architectural fabric alleviate the site itself, despite its varied

this idea of spatial evolution. However, the metaphorical skeletal framework closely

functions, to provide it with a “self-regulatory” framework to continually return to, similarly

embedded within the architecture of Carrigeworks suggests the possibilities of a burgeoned

transferring its own skeletal load.

architectural paradigm shift towards similar concepts of bone fracture healing and selfregenerative systems within the future.

Organ functions: Eden, Grimshaw Architects The static nature of contemporary architectural practice can be seen to be a divergent solution against fundamental growth concepts of human biology and its innately adaptable genetic code (Gruber & Imhof, 2017). Through the examination of the integrated Figure 3.04 (a): Indicative parking provisions

Figure 3.04 (b): Concourse

Figure 3.05: Microscopic study

to the North Eveleigh Rail Yard Site at

to entry of Carrigeworks,

of the epiphyseal plate at the end

Carriageworks, Bates Smart, 2008, Redfern,

2006, Tonkin Zulaikha

of long bones showing hairline

Sydney, submitted to Waterloo Redfern Authority. Greer, Redfern, Sydney,

cartilage, Dr. Patrice Spitalnik,

(Yumpu)

Kokkai Ng, 2014, edited by

University of Columbia, United

author. (Flicker, 2014)

States. (SBPMD Histology Lab Manual)

As shown in Chapter Two, unlike the body’s delicate skin tissue, bones hold an innate ability to self-heal without scarification. Fractures to the bone’s anatomy biologically regenerate through a three-phase healing process; inflammation, repair and remodeling (Martin, 1998) as displayed in figures 3.06.

connective tissues of a histological cross-section of a skeletal muscle as seen in figure 3.07, the self-regulating organ systematically contracts to enable movement, stability and growth.

Within its intrinsic evolutionary process of growth, unlike architectural sites, the body remains functional and its network of cells is re-configured accordingly (Gruber & Imhof, 2017). Comparatively, the large biomes enveloping the ‘Eden’ development by Grimshaw Architects in Cornwell England (2001) unveil similar biomimetic growth attributes from its concept through to construction, as well as further structural mimicry seen within the geodesic domes in figures 3.08 and 3.09.

Figure 3.06: Sequential radiographs showing phases of fracture healing within a 14 month old child (The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne)

Whilst “scars” of the structure’s previous life remain persistent in an architectural and material sense, the regenerative quality of the Eveleigh Railway Workshops’ redevelopment shows an example of early shifts beyond a state of sustainable neutrality (Cole, 2012) towards notions of regenerative architectural mediation. American ecological design group 25

Figure 3.07: Cross-section of skeletal

Figure 3.08:Inter-linked geodesic

Figure 3.09: Portion of the biome

muscle, 2017, author unknown, Ohio,

domes within the Eden Project, 2001,

plan, Eden Project, 2001, Grimshaw

America. (Jennings, R, Premanandan,

Grimshaw Architects, Cornwall,

Architects, Cornwall, United

C 2017)

United Kingdom, Hufton + Crow.

Kingdom,Grimshaw Architects.

(Stevens, P 2016, Design Boom)

(Stevens, P 2016, Design Boom)

26

The ‘Eden’ proposal offers a biophilic experience of biodiversity as users traverse

Additionally, the dual layered ‘hex-tri-hex’ (Blueprint, 2015) canopy is constructed of panels

throughout the internal exhibition and café spaces enclosed within its spherical membrane

of the light-weight plastic polymer Ethylene Tetra Fluoro Ethylene (EFTE) forming the

as visible within its enclosure in figures 3.10 and 3.11.

pillowing skin to its filigree trusses, as shown in figure 3.13. The equilateral undulating structure encloses the diverse landscape of activity below, forming a regenerative biome of individual “cells” that can be individually removed, maintained, repaired or replaced.

Furthermore, the similarity of the membrane to the post-mitotic state of skeletal muscle - unable to divide and heal through mitotic division and reliant on stem or satellite-cells to intervene (Partridge, 2002) as seen in figure 3.14, the geodesic ‘cells’ also rely on external intervention, or individual replacement in order to actively regenerate its unique membrane.

In this instance, the structure remains functionally active throughout phases of regeneration and pragmatically adjusts to the shifting surrounds, akin to the growth and repair of human

Figure 3.10: Inside Biomes of The Eden Project, 2001,

Figure 3.11: Diners within the cafe space of The Eden

Grimshaw Architects, Cornwall, United Kingdom,

Project, 2001, Grimshaw Architects, Cornwall, United

Creative Commons. (Teicher, S 2001, Atlas Obscura)

Kingdom, Hufton + Crow. (Grimshaw, 2019)

organs and their tissues.

Reclaiming the Kaolinite mine in Cornwell, the site remained an active quarry and its foundations tectonically shifted as a result throughout the design process (The Eden project, 2016). The sites’ challenges imitate the histological contraction of muscular tissue and as such, the architectural membrane becomes a homologous cellular intervention overlaid onto an unstable site, as shown through figure 3.12.

Figure 3.13: Abseiler maintaining the EFTE clad geodesic

Figure 3.14: Histological image of skeletal muscle cross-

dome to The Eden Project, 2001, Grimshaw Architects,

section, 2013, Springer Berlin Heidelberg. (Sirabella, D.,

Cornwall, United Kingdom, Hufton + Crow. (Grimshaw,

De Angelis, L., & Berghella, L. 2013)

2019)

This approach, British architect Michael Pawlyn (1967 - ) in his interview with Design Boom suggest moves beyond striving sustainability in order to ‘mitigate negatives’ (Crook, 2019) within the environment towards a restorative cyclic ecosystem within architecture, one that aims for regenerative systems over carbon-neutrality (Crook, 2019).

Figure 3.12: Existing Kaolinite mine site, Cornwall, United Kingdom (Grimshaw, 2019)Image edited by author with overlay of longitudinal section of biomes of The Eden Project, 2001, Grimshaw Architects, Cornwall, United Kingdom (Stevens, P 2016, Design Boom)

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Digestive system function: 1888 Certified by Tom Mark Henry

Whilst digestion for the most part is an internal process, the transparency of the peristaltic flow of digestive action comes through biological sensations, and in some cases surface

Beyond the individual organs that comprise the body’s make up, eleven systemic

reactions (Nagel, 2000:50). Within the butcher, the large apertures within tenancy’s façade,

combinations of organs work together to form the unique, yet interdependently active

evident in figures 3.16 and 3.17, methodically place vantage points to direct gaze inward

systems of the body (Nagel, 2000b). In order to maintain its proper functioning, a digestive

to each individual stage. Through the intentional engagement within each phase, a similar

dependency exists with the voluntary and involuntary actions within the body’s metabolic

reactive response is encouraged, from both immediate clientele and incidental interaction

function (Nagel, 2000:61). The linage of enzymatic production to nutrient absorption

passing by.

and the resulting energy availability as part of the process, whilst not wholly cyclic, allows each function to ripple a symbiotic continuity throughout the body, felt beyond its

Furthermore, the linking adjacencies of these cumulative stages can be seen within the floor

immediate digestive organs (Nagel, 2000). Comparatively within an interior context, the

plate as displayed within figure 3.18 as they layer horizontally across the interior. Analogous

design objective behind 1888 Certified butcher by Tom Mark Henry, Double Bay (2015) was

to the interdependency of the chemical and mechanical processes within digestion from

intended to unveil the entirety and transparency of the client’s cattle farming processes

mastication to elimination (Nagel, 2000), the interior programs each become reciprocally

through its interior program (Tom Mark Henry, 2019).

reliant on the former adjacent phase.

In parallel to digestive linage, Tom Mark Henry move customers through the ‘paddock-toplate chain of production, processing, transportation and retail’ (1888 Certified, 2015) in a similar accumulative four-stage spatial intervention. From whole carcass storage within the open cool room (“production”) in figure 3.15 to the preparatory fabrication cuts of meat (“processing”) in figure 3.16 that are seamlessly transported through to the adjacent displays (“retail”) in figure 3.17, customers are consciously engaged in a similar symbiotic sense

Figure 3.18: Floor plan (not to scale)

throughout the whole process.

of 1888 Certified Butcher, 2005, Tom

legend dry store storage

Mark Henry, Double Bay, Sydney,

cool room

image edited by author. (Tom Mark

preparation

Henry, 2005)

retail back of house / staff

Figure 3.15: Open cool room

Figure 3.16: External view to butcher

Figure 3.17: External glazing within

within 1888 Certified Butcher,

preparation area within 1888 Certified

the facade revealing retail space behind

2005, Tom Mark Henry,

Butcher, 2005, Tom Mark Henry, Double within 1888 Certified Butcher, 2005, Tom

Double Bay, Damian Bennett,

Bay, Sydney, Damian Bennett, 2005.

2005. (Tom Mark Henry, 2019) (ibid.)

Mark Henry, Double Bay, Sydney, Damian Bennett, 2005. (ibid.)

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Internally the static display counters enclose the pulsating movements of the butcher as

stabilising framework enclosing the multi-functional structure to mitigate and support a

they select, prepare and distribute the meat to their onlooking customers. Comparably, the

transferral of its own skeletal load throughout operational fluctuations. In contrast to this,

slow, non-digestive movement through the large intestines that can be seen in figure 3.19

the Eden project uncovered opportunities for incorporating architectural biomimetic growth

to equally frame the active digestion to the tightly coiled small intestine (Nagel, 2000), the

in order to move beyond a static architectural model towards active regeneratively, whilst

space becomes embedded with a synergetic quality.

1888 Certified presented shifting notions of programmatic adaptation towards bio-inspired chemical and mechanical processes within its spatial arrangements. The three case studies presented only typify a small sample of structural “greater bodies” within the current architectural landscape. Whilst still in their infancy within broader architectural and design pedagogies, shifts towards the functioning body and its system allude to a possibility for homeostatic and responsive architectural interventions within the future.

Figure 3.19: Digestive system model, Laura

Figure 3.20 Floor plan of retail counter (not to scale) of 1888

Hospitál 2015. (Perkins School for Blind

Certified Butcher, 2005, Tom Mark Henry, Double Bay (Tom Mark

e-learning, 2015))

Henry,2005)

Through an alignment with the client’s own ethos of the authenticity, 1888 Certified demonstrates an example of an embedded internal system to its interior. Through the interior overlay the butcher’s clientele are consciously guided through the dynamic process behind their purchases in order to develop an understanding of sustainable consumption through a localised paddock-to-plate framework (Tom Mark Henry n.d.). In this example, the interior program both mitigates and stimulates the ingestion of a more sustainable production process into a pragmatically palatable physicality in order to connect the user.

As a result, the interior of the butcher at its core becomes a microcosmic interior “body”, continually administering an equivalent process of deconstruction and ingestion.

Through a comparative spatial analysis of three distinctive biomimetic architectural interventions, insight has been provided into the symbiotic nature of the developing ‘building biology’ (Day 2007:119) as an architectural overlay. The embedded layers of the architectural fabric of the re-development of Carriageworks revealed notions of a self31

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Conclusion As it has been evidenced, anthropocentrism has permeated and informed the western

Responding to the emerging concerns of architectural sustainability within twenty-first

architectural discourse across almost two millennia, as first established through the

century society, the insights into biomimetic concepts initiated through a redefined building-

Vitruvian doctrine and later altered through mechanised modernist thinking. Through

to-body relationship established within this dissertation offer opportunities for further

a dissolution of the once static and stoic proportions of the body’s aesthetic towards

exploration towards future architectural efficiency. Although the architectural “skin” is

an adaptive “immune system” embedded within the inherent functionings of the body,

typically seen to inform its interior fabric, notions of building biology suggest a symbiotic

architecture has begun to engage similar methods of self-sustainability and autonomy

synchronicity of architecture and its interior would enable a pervasion of biomimetic

as found within the involuntary actions of the body’s systems. Through comparative

concepts beyond their biological benefits towards a macrocosmic “greater body”.

biological linkages, this dissertation has revealed prevalent biomimetic concepts within the contemporary architectural discourse that has initiated a shift towards an ecosystem-based architectural approach. Furthermore, through the reappropriation of the architectural “body”, a shift towards symbiotic interventions has begun to emerge within contemporary architectural practice that holds potential for application within the closely associated interior architectural context.

Through a broad historical survey of the relationship of the body within architecture and its interior, Chapter One revealed the contemporary shift away from the lamination of the body’s aesthetic proportions onto the architectural surface. As a reaction towards the modernist paradigm and the development of ergonomic foundations within space, the emerging notions of flexible architecture were seen to have replaced the exactitude of the preceding ideologies to initiate the further biological exploration of the functioning of the body within the architectural discourse. Continuing the shift from an aesthetic regime towards the functioning totality of biological mimetics, Chapter Two analysed the programmatic functionality of the body whilst exploring the innate appearance of its functioning systems with its comparative architectural applications. This dissertation explored the endoskeletal system, organs and its combined organ systems as layers of the body in order to visually and spatially validate the notion of building-biology across architectural interventions. Chapter Three offered further exploration into biomimetics in practice, in order to examine the symbiotics imbued through its regenerative, adaptive and self-sustaining potential.

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