Innovation for Living Brief 1. “The House of the Future� Case study: Murcia Bringing orchards back to the city
The house of the future will adapt to the inhabitants needs by easily changing its layout organization (not only furniture but also separate elements structures such as the kitchen). Because of the population growth, families will it is likely that in the future, families living in cities will call home a flat in a higher building, for this reason, all commodities from a detached traditional house will have to be adopted in these buildings. The flats will be self sufficient in terms of energy harvesting and ventilation, using and reusing the energy produced within the space, and nature will play an important role in the household every day life, being used for shading, cooling and growing fruits and vegetables to feed the inhabitants. In the urban scale, after years of pushing the nature out of the city by building concrete towers over them, cities in the future will bring this nature back into their core. Taking the example of Murcia (Spain), the problem with pushing the orchards out of the city (and as a result, decreasing their area) has a direct impact on its economy, as its main source of income are both tourism and fruits and vegetables export to the rest of the world. Encouraging the growth of orchards into the city through a new typology is how I envision Murcia’s future. Alba Building in Murcia (Spain) represents the construction boom Spain suffered from in the 60’s. Big max 90 m2 social housing, bad planning and the usage of cheap materials quickly transformed Spanish cities. Instead of demolishment of 60’s kind of buildings throughout Spain, this project looks to work with the existing structures. The reason why keeping the existing buildings is because of the memory neighbours have of them in their minds. The Building will change in the future. Improvement in ventilation and energy harvesting and recycling will be key innovations. Main innovations for Alba building (also to be adapted and extended to similar 60’s buildings throughout southern Spain): - Ventilation through vertical courtyards and under floor systems. This will replace air conditioning in the future. - Spaces such as kitchens, bedrooms and toilets to be flexible separate structures to change the flat layout depending on daily usage. - Solar chimneys for smell smoke and heat extraction - Inwards balconies and stepped terraces - Addition of interior greenery to grow own food - Façade new structure for garden/orchards invasion
Climate in Murcia Murcia has a hot subtropical semi-arid climate with Mediterranean influences with mild winters and hot summers
Exports and Traditions Economically, Murcia predominantly acts as a centre for agriculture and tourism. It is common to find Murcia’s tomatoes and lettuce, and especially lemons and oranges, in European supermarkets. During the 2000s, the economy of the region turned towards “residential tourism” in which people from northern European countries have a second home in the area. Europeans and Americans are able to learn Spanish in the academies in the town center. The economy of Murcia is supported by fairs and congresses, museums, theatres, cinema, music, aquariums, bullfighting, restaurants, hotels, camping, sports, foreign students, and tourism.
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Traditional house in Murcia Lack of ventilation, lack of living space and lack of sun light, but it has a lot of storage for goods and food, and life was done outside the home so the lack of internal living space was justified by the extense garden/orchard space surrounding the house.
El Bando de la Huerta A celebration that is part of the Spring Fiestas in Murcia, and allows you to enjoy the typical customs and traditions of this fruit and vegetable growing region. The “Bando de la Huerta” celebration comes on the first Tuesday after Easter, coinciding with the most important day of the Spring Fiestas. It consists of a parade of oxen-drawn carriages and booths from which the participants, known as “huertanos”, throw food at the spectators. After the floral offering to the Virgen de la Fuensanta, the parade begins through the streets of the city, accompanied by local folk groups and associations.
Past envisioning the future Walt Disney and his EPCOT: Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow
The initial idea of Disneyland was to shape a project that consisted of various elements that would fit inside what he thought is a city of the future would be: community housing, airport, industrial park, etc, all designed with the most technologically advanced in those years. The original plan had a capacity to accommodate 20,000 inhabitants and was viewed as a bank of tests for the planification of the city and its arrangement. The circular and concentric design around the shopping and business area, with service areas (schools, community buildings) and the residential neighborhoods around the perimeter. Transport systems were very similar to what we find today in any modern city with concerns about saving energy: a system of trams and APM systems (automated people mover), while parking systems and automobilist ways remain underground so the surface was completely pedestrian. It envisioned a housing system based on rental to low prices rather than purchase.
The Future 2030-2050 Expansion of Murcia in History Idea of the Future: Looking at success in the past and addapting it to the present needs
Murcia in the 1900’s
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Muria is well known for its orchard, often refered as the garden of Europe for its great level of fruits and vegetables export, but as Murcia expanded, its orchard started shrinking over time.
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Present day Murcia
Murcia in Plan Sun path and Wind main direction
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Case study: The 60’s Building Alba A promis of futuristic living. Grand and impressive. During the 60’s Spain went through a boom of construction. People wanted big buildings, the higher the better, not looking at the stetics of it but at the number of flats that could be included vertically. Murcia suffered this boom in areas such as Ronda Norte, which expanded into the orchards and gardens. This caused an invasion of concrete mass which is the result of most of today’s Murcia centre.
Alba building just built 1969
Alba building Today
Space Needed: Building Alba was finished in 1969 and its 15 floors are clear example of the 60’s construction boom.
Even though balconies are constructed within the building, people prefer to close them and make them part of their living room instead.
Common Problems in residential buildings in Murcia city centre
Problems
The house of the future will adapt to the inhabitants needs by easily changing its layout organization (not only furniture but also separate elements structures such as the kitchen). Because of the population growth, families will it is likely that in the future, families living in cities will call home a flat in a higher building, for this reason, all commodities from a detached traditional house will have to be adopted in these buildings. The flats will be self sufficient in terms of energy harvesting and ventilation, using and reusing the energy produced within the space, and nature will play an important role in the household every day life, being used for shading, cooling and growing fruits and vegetables to feed the inhabitants. In the urban scale, after years of pushing the nature out of the city by building concrete towers over them, cities in the future will bring this nature back into their core. Taking the example of Murcia (Spain), the problem with pushing the orchards out of the city (and as a result, decreasing their area) has a direct impact on its economy, as its main source of income are both tourism and fruits and vegetables export to the rest of the world. Encouraging the growth of orchards into the city through a new typology is how I envision Murcia’s future.
Hig tempertures and Abuse of air conditioning Water shortage Lack of space as families grow Lack of open-air area in properties Lack of green areas Lack of community feeling
Possible solutions Ventilation improvement through vertical courtyards Including vegetation iside properties to lower and freshen the air temperature Communal gardens at rooftops and facades to promote orchard back into the city Vertical gardens for families to grow their own fruits/vegetables Solar and Eolic energy installed as well as watter collection system
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Alba Building in Murcia (Spain) represents the construction boom Spain suffered from in the 60’s. Big max 90 m2 social housing, bad planning and the usage of cheap materials quickly transformed Spanish cities.
Abuse of air conditioning in spanish cities is a comon problem
Air conditioning causes runny nose, watery eyes and sore throat when abused
Bacteria Legionella can be reproduced in air consitioning units and transmitted to humans
A new Typology substituting 60’s buildings in Spain
Innovation research. to be addapted and included in the Design
Wall that opens inwards becoming an interior balcony
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Power Production Ambient air Intake Humidd air Condensation Water Production Water Filtration Available fresh drinking water
The Ecooler awakens all of our senses – with the sound of filling water, the refreshing scent of moist clay, the moist, cool feel of its surface and the appearance of accumulating drops – all these contribute to a sense of refreshing coolness and awaken natural, primeval sensations.
Parabolic dish concentrators shell type receivers with a reflective area of 9.2 sqm Reflects sunlight on receivers by white glass pieces Steam is collected in header pipes via insulated pipes to cooking vessels in kitchen
Emilio Perez Piñero’s Foldable Structure
Emilio Perez Piñero, a spanish architect from Murcia, invented a kind of foldable structure which could be easily transported and built. A folding structure will stand at the top of the tower controlling the ventilation and shading of the vertical courtyard This structure will study Emilio Perez Piñero’s folding structure as well as new ways of achieving asimetrical movements depending on the season and time of day The geometrical steel structure will be coveres by a traslucent elastic fabric to easily addapt to the different positions
Old pictures and drawings of Emilio Perez Piñero’s folding structure
A new Typology in spanis 60’s Buildings
A mixture of vegetation growing inside of the building as well as invading its facades This highly ventilated prototype will not require air conditioning thanks to the vertical courtyards piercing it
Building a Reinforced Concrete Structure Simulating the already exisiting concrete slab to be cut into and replaced by the new translucent and reinforced glass pannels
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Material Research Experimenting with cement, glass wax and reinforcements at different percentages
Light
Modular Wall The wall is designed to rotate (around water pipes) to open or close allowing for ventilation increase and at the same time creating horizontal surfaces to be used as possible furniture. The bimetal sheets on the wall’s exterior surface curl when heated by the sun, allowing air through its porous composition. At night or when shadowed, and therefor a cooler atmosphere, the bimetal streightens fully covering the wall, stopping this way air travelling through into the property. A set of air pressure fans will be installed in the interior side of the wall.
Ventilation
As the air warms up, it rises and exits the space through the various courtyard extraction windows and vertically drawn out of the builting. The cool air travels through the glass floor pannels thanks to the carved circular cavities in it.
Cold air entering the building through the floor, between the concrete slab and the rised final glass floor.
Front Facade Walkways as hanging gardens and modular/bi-metal wall
Under-floor Ventilation
A hatch door on every floor allowing for possible vertical extension of the property by renting/buying the below neighbour’s property
Tree-shaped new structures allowing for shelving space as well as a wheel mooving kitchen structure covered by a chimney hood to collect the smoke produced through a solar chimney flue. The flexibility of the moving structures in side the house allows for freedom of usage of the house by the inhabitants. The concrete ceiling is carved and replaced by glass wax and concrete tiles allowing for light to go through from floor to floor, making it easier for the vegetation to grow inside the property.
An opening on floor and ceiling in the same possition at every floor allows for the service pipes to go through and divide among. Vegetation growing arond these pipes will reduce the noise produced in each floor as well as creating fresh humidity in the properties Floor ventilation to be created by the lifting of a seconf floor creating a void between the concrete slab and the carved glass flooring above, stimulating the air circulation.