Detritic-Skeleta : The Re-appropriation of a Second Nature

D e t r i t i c - S ke l e t a

Johana Monroy | C.Bio.MA | IaaC

D E T R I T I C - S K E L E T A T H E R E - A P P R O P R I AT I O N O F A S E C O N D N AT U R E

[

C. BIO. MA

]

THESIS STUDIO

[

S TU DE N T

]

JOHANA E MONROY

[

TU TOR

]

MARCOS CRUZ

[

BARCE LON A

2017-18]

INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED ARCHITECTURE OF CATALONIA MASTER IN ADVANCED ARCHITECTURE 2016-2018

D e t r i t i c - S k e l e t a coming from waste

the provides support to an organism

The Re-appropriation of a Second Nature the after life of waste

T a b l e

o f

C o n t e n t s Abstract / Key Words Waste : The Problem Project Description State of the Art Research Question Impermanence Framework Material Research Prototype 1.0 : Waste Tiles Prototype 2.0 : Waste Landscapes Prototype 3.0 : Growing Systems Project Conclusion Bibliography Acknowledgments

8/9 10 16 19 22 24 30 32 48 60 82 120 122 125

A b s t r a c t Novel manufacturing processes have allowed for fast and economical ways of production but have also embedded the idea that resources are unlimited and that waste disposal should be a mere afterthought, an idea that current society is paying a high price for with landfills and oceans being flooded with waste that could be re-purposed if the notion of material development were adjusted. This research proposes the creation of a bio-composite system of organic detritus to design and fabricate a bio-receptive matrix, inspired by the multi-compositional fabric of the skeletal system, that is both structural and nutritive for optimal pl ant growth. The work process consists of evaluating coffee grounds and banana peels as waste products that can support biological growth, eggshells and bone matter as materials for tectonic rigidity, fibrous based geometry through the use of computational design that reinforces the materials’ structural properties and allows for plant adhesion, and additive manufacturing as the ideal digital fabrication method to realize this bio-receptive l andscape. The workflow connects biology and architecture by the re-appropriation of waste as a new material matrix that takes a new life through innovative digital design methods and applications.

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K e y

W o r d s Re-appropriation Bio-composite Organic waste Bio-receptive Bio-degradable Ephemeral architecture Nutritive landscape

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W a s t e [ The Problem | The Blind Eye ] Waste disposal is a major problem worldwide, impairing public health, polluting the environment and threatening many growing cities in toxicity; as populations keep growing and moving to urban areas, the amount of garbage produced also increases exponentially. Globally, 1.3 billion tons of garbage are produced annually, a statistic expected to reach 4 billion by 2100. This garbage is either incinerated or buried or exported to be recycled. Major cities such as New York, transports 3,600 tons of waste down the Hudson River each day, while the Netherlands, despite their advanced recycling system, throw away approximately 400,00 loaves of bread per day. Africa is struggling even with its thriving cities to find a sustainable waste management plan, exposing its people to improper garbage disposal that leads to malaria epidemics, yellow fever and other fatal diseases. Most developing nations spend more money on collecting trash than on disposing it, amounting to the trash crisis.

The material comprising these landfills is also a major detriment, one of the top pollutants being plastic.

Plastic, as well as other solid waste and leachate, end up polluting oceans with the practice of informal recycling and byways of rainfall, wind and birds. The recycling movement to help reduce waste has mitigated the amount of trash in landfills, but not many take the time to filter their trash to make this movement a true suc10

cess. We still see large amounts of plastic and other harmful waste, taking hundreds of years to decompose, in landfills and worst, polluting oceans and killing wildlife.

Throughout history, bans have been made on harmful material and recently countries such as China, who since 1992 has been taking in 45% of the world’s plastic for recycle, have prohibited the import of plastic waste with its National Sword policy of 2018. Perhaps the The answer to the waste problem is not merely just recycling, but rather seeing the potential of waste differently. If we start to alter our perception of waste, can we start to use it in other ways?

Waste has a negative connotation being a material that is not wanted, the unusable remain of the byproduct of the forgotten. There could be a potential use for what is left of products if we don’t just end at recycling but rather start a pattern of re-appropriating. This conception has started on a small scale, with designers making materials out of organic byproducts, but can we start thinking of re-appropriating on a larger architectural scale?

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The Re-Appropriation of Organic Waste Materials [ A Notion of Environmental Re-Acceptance ] Ti me F i e l d o f Wa ste a s M a te r i a l b y Joh a n a M o n ro y, F a b i o R i ve r a , a n d C a ta l i n a P u e l l o IaaC, 2018

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Waste Valorization

Preven t i o n - waste of raw materials, ingredients and product arising is reduced - measured in overall reduction in waste

Prevention

Most P re f e rable Opti on

W h a t to do w i th Wa s te

- redistribution to people

- sent to animal feed

Recyc l i n g

- waste composted

Reco very - incineration i waste with energy recovery

D i s p o s al - waste incinerated without energy recovery - waste sent to landfill pre f e r a bl e o pt i on for food w aste / WR AP 2 0 1 6 h t t p : / / eu -ref re s h . org

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- waste as building material - waste as nutrient based material

Waste

Le ast P ref e rab le Op ti on

- waste sent to anaerobic digestion

R e - A ppro pr ia t io n

- waste ingredient / product going to sewer

Waste Metabolism Th e Cyc le

C om po s t F ood

Consumpti o n

Wa ste

Incin e r a t io n w it h en e rg y g a in

[ Cu r re n t L i fe to Gr a ve Cycle ]

Food

Landfill

Consumpti o n

Wa ste

M a te r ia l

Fo o d

[ M e t ab o l i s m Cyc le ]

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P r o j e c t

D e s c r i p t i o n [ The Reclamation of the Forgotten ]

Can the perception of waste be turned around and instead of seeing trash as a burden, can it be seen as the possibility of making another element? Is it enough to just throw away something in the right trash bin or can we take some of that trash and make new materials that will not only reduce the waste problem but will also help produce other cycles of life?

This project aims to abate the waste issue by not merely concentrating on recycling but rather on the re-appropriation of waste as a building material. As a society, it is understood that waste is inevitable but the problems lies in the disregard of the disposal of trash. Many would rather forget about the masses of trash that exist around the world than actually do something to repurpose it.

There are numerous types of trash, but the main focus of this research is organic byproducts that can biodegrade, that have potential structural properties and that hold a level of nutritious value to them. Perhaps organic matter wouldn’t be suitable for all architecture, but it might be adequate for temporary structures, that like all organic matter, have a lifespan.

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S t a t e

o f

t h e

A r t

[ A Look of What Has Been Done ] During the 1960’s, recycling wasn’t solely seen as reusing to get the most out of a material, but rather it became a way to tackle the growing amounts of waste. Recycling slowly crept into the design market and industries saw it beneficial to promote their products as being more “green” and/or sustainable not only to help the environment but also for an increase in their pockets. The idea of reusing material has been common for many years now but the concept of re-appropriation remains unconventional.

The main market for products made from organic waste have been focused around industrial design, with the scale ranging from water bottles to larger products including lamps and chairs. Not until recently has the architectural scale come about in this regard with the design and fabrication of the HY-Fi Pavilion by the Living, winner of the 2016 Young Architects Project for MoMa PS1. Here blocks are made out of mycelium, a byproduct of mushrooms, and used to make a structure that goes beyond the scale of an interior product.

Other products that work with mycelium are the Mycoform chair by Terraform One where waste is used in a structural way, with geometries that reinforce the properties of the material. Waste material can also be used for design effects such as seen in the Penta Lamp by Anon Pairot where the various layers of cassava waste allow different lighting intensities to surpass the material. Modularity can also be developed with waste material such as the Blood Brick by Munro Studio, bricks that could be stacked up to create bigger structures.

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Hy-Fi Pavilion The Living

Mycoform Chair Terreform One

Penta Lamp Anon Pairot

Blood Brick Munro Studio

Algae Water Bottle Ari Jonsson

Algae Rug Nieke Hoogvliet

An innate characteristic of working with organic waste is its ability to disintegrate or bio-degrade; the material will go back to nature after it serves its function, making the disposal of it inconsequential. This can be seen in the Algae Water Bottle by Ari Jonsson. Textures are also observed in these materials, those of their own and those given by the fabrication process, as seen in the Algae Rug by Nieke Hoogvliet.

As seen in the 6 mentioned projects, there are many advantages to using organic waste material. There hasn’t been much exploration on large scale architectural projects but it has been proven that with a modular system, such structures could be devised. Depending on the geometry, the material’s structural properties could be reinforced. There can be a play of aesthetic qualities based of the thickness of the material. The material undergoes a lifecycle that allows it to serve its duty and then slowly degrade, not causing harm to the environment or amounting to the waste issue. The material itself also plays on the senses as it has it own textures which provokes interaction with the medium. Detritic Skeleta seeks to use all these characteristic and incorporate an additional attribute, the nutrient property of waste to not just undergo one lifecycle but to start that of another.

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R e s e a r c h

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Q u e s t i o n

Can there be a second life for waste products by the creation of a bio-composite system of organic detritus to design and fabricate a bio-receptive matrix that is both structural and nutritive for optimal plant growth ?

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I m p e r m a n e n c e [ The Life Cycle of Material and Space ] In Buddhism, the concept of impermanence asserts that all of existence is transient, evanescent and inconstant. “All temporal things, whether material or mental, are compounded objects in a continuous change of condition, subject to decline and destruction.” Is the concept of impermanence something that we can take into the world of design, allowing structures or even just material to perform within their environments? Can there be a program that allows for a dissolving structure and if so, can we come to appreciate spaces more knowing that they won’t last forever?

Moreover, the term pavilion is something we hear very often in the world of art and architecture. Pavilions are structures that have a short installation life and are then discarded with material that serve one purpose and then are seen in landfills. In essence, these pavilions can be constructed with materials that have a certain lifespan and serve beyond the sole purpose of display. I believe the main question here is “why can’t impermanent structures be made of impermanent material?”

Experiment Video : Click Here

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There exists an idea that materials must be static and/or permanent in architecture which isn’t always the case.

All materials have a life cycle be it hundreds of years like those seen in castles and churches or a couple of years or months like those made of organic substances. The objective of this research is to explore the life cycle of

A .1

H o t Ro si n i n Co l d Wa ter

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A .2

A .3

26

H o t Ta r i n Co l d Wa ter

H o t Wa x i n Co l d Wa ter

biocomposites especially when put under natural conditions such as heat, water, wind, etc. In time, these biocomposites will start to deform, taking different shapes, informing the observer of the impermanence of things and situations; everything in time, develops different meanings. There can be ephemeral experiences accomplished through the malleability of material demonstrating the transient character of physical and mental things.

[ Thinkers ] In the introduction of his book The Destruction of Memory: Architecture at War, Robert Bevan explains the link between memory and architecture. Throughout history, the destruction of architecture and art has been common during wars, erasing the identity of a people. He speaks of the fragility of architecture though we often think of buildings as permanent things being made of physically durable materials. In reality, architecture can be easily destroyed, taking with them the representation of a culture such as the destruction of mosques, libraries, bridges in Bosnia in the 1990s or the destroying of Tibet’s monasteries by China. For Bevan, this is seen as cultural cleansing, the erasing of memory.

As all things, even architecture holds a level of impermanence. That which is material has the ability to vanish at any moment but its memory or value doesn’t have to. With this in mind, I question if we would give more value to spaces that we know will not be “permanent?” Does permeance only deal with a structure as a whole or can we break it down to its components and perhaps even material.

In “Architecture of Atmosphere”, Mark Wigley explains that architecture is not only about the built elements of a space but mainly about the atmosphere created by the space. “...the atmosphere of a building seems to be produced by the physical form. It is some kind of sensuous emission of sound, light, heat, smell, and moisture; a swirling climate of intangible effects generated by a stationary object.” (18) For Wigley, the user experiences the space though atmosphere which by his definition, includes all the other senses and not just sight.

Again, there is an emphasis that the physical architecture is not the only important part, but rather what is around it, the atmosphere that it creates, that which we can’t always see but can feel. Design should be felt to be enduring; experiences should be made that precipitate memory.

Departing from the world of design and stepping into a world of fiction and fantasy allows us to think of time and space in different ways. In her book “The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Huffman”, Carter tells the story of a character that travels through many different realities to capture and kill Doctor Huffman, a mad 27

B .1

Cr ysta l l i zed Ro si n su sp end ed a nd then hea ted

B .2

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Wa x Ma tr i x su sp end ed a nd then hea ted

scientist who has been creating new forms of reality with the use of his desire machines, where nothing is bound by time or physics.

In the book, there is a sense of the melting of time and the creation of different atmospheres that could perhaps exist even if only in one’s mind; the way that they are explained are very spatial allowing the reader to fully imagine a fantasy world where many scenarios could take place at once. The character that is going through all these different realities, sees himself in every person that he encounters, so in fact these realities are different faces of the self.

[ Material Experiments ] A series of experiments were conducted demonstrating the ductility of certain material. The dynamic aspect of each material was observed through an activating method that being either by pouring the material in cold water or by heating it. The selected materials were rosin (organic pine risen), tar, and wax, each having a solid state in ambient temperature but deforming when exposed to heat.

In Series A of experiments, each of the materials is heated, reaching its melting point and becoming liquid.

The material is then slowly poured into cold water, allowing it to make its own shapes, shapes and spaces that would be hard due to gravity. Each sample was then carefully taken out of the water and left to further dry; some retained their shapes while others deformed or broke shortly after.

Series B started off with the material in its solid form, the Rosin once it had been poured into water and taken out and the hot wax once it had dried on the matrix made of cotton fibers. The material was then hung and heated with a heat gun at temperatures up to 530 degrees Celcius (1000+ degrees Fahrenheit). Here we start to see how the material starts to take different shapes thus making dynamic spaces, spaces that can be occupied with a shift in scale.

The conclusion of these experiments was understanding the behavior of materials when exposed to outside forces. The objects made became dynamic with an external element, allowing the material to perform.

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F r a m e w o r k

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Hypothesis

:

this research proves that there can be a second life for waste products by the creation of a bio-composite system of organic detritus to design and fabricate a bio-receptive landscape inspired matrix that is both structural and nutritive for optimal plant growth.

test study [ research experiment ]

geometry

fibrous structure

specific materiality

waste products

hard organic

structure

soft organic

nutrients

f i n a l p ro j ec t

Waste Bio-Composites + Geometry +

to find a second life for waste materials that is both architectural and biological in specific bone, eggshells, coffee grinds, and banana peels

to design and fabricate a bio-receptive detritus matrix

Fabrication Methods

Material Research

abundant hard organic waste : - bone waste from slaughterhouses - egg shells

Material Experiments

waste and substrate composition : - gelatin based - starch based

proportion of mixes and optimization abundant soft organic waste : - coffee grounds - banana peels - other possible food waste that provide plant based nutrients

properties of new biocomposites : deformation, strength, receptivity

Geometries

fibrous structure

Fabrication

subtractive system : cnc blocks of waste material / extruding nutrients in designed crevices

for attraction of plants and other biological elements, ex : insects

additive system : 2 nozzle extrusion system (structure / nutrients) with robotic arm

to provide texture for the growth of plants

additive system on moulds : extrusion system that robotic arm deposits on pre-made cnc moulds

for structural rigidity and reinforcement of matrix and for the growing plant

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M a t e r i a l

R e s e a r c h

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Waste Metabolism M os t a bu n da n t O rga n i c Wa s te P rodu c ts

[ Possible Structural Materials ]

Valorisation Appropriate Waste Streams, 2016

By Refresh w w w. e u - r e f r e s h . o r g

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The urge to alleviate the waste issue and the want for it to be a preformative system that integrates into other life cycles made it clear that the best route was the organic one. Here there is plenty of waste to choose from and knowing that organic waste still has abundant nutrients that are not taken advantage of when thrown away, could help with the bio-receptive concept.

The desired physical properties needed for such a system and researching on the most abundant food wastes informed the adequate ingredients needed for the material research. The list of food waste highlights eggs and bones as being a high source of organic waste. These two products serve as structural elements for living things so why could they not be seen as structural materials once they are done with their first life-cycle?

The second part of the system would be developing the bio-receptive part and understanding what plants need to in order to grow. Following traditional growing methods, plants need plenty of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and also varied amounts of calcium. These nutrients could be easily found in organic waste and could be made into a material that plants could take advantage of. Waste products that have these elements are used coffee grounds, eggshells, bones, and banana peels.

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Organic Waste Composites : Focus N u tr i e n ts f or P l a n t G row th

Eggshell

Bone Meal natural fertilizers plant growth

Calcium Carbonate

Soil Neutralizing

Calcium + Phosphorous

Nitrogen

+

Potassium

SemiPermeable

Filter

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also need

[ NPK ] Coffee Grinds

Banana Peel

Bio-Composites P a r ts of th e W h ole

Binder

+

Reinforcer

Bio-Composite Resin

Waste

Binder

Human Anatomy

Bone

+

Muscle

Tendon

Reinforcer Bone

Muscle

Fascicle

Ligament

Bone

Cartilage

Spongy Bone

Medullary Cavity

Compact Bone

Porous

Dense

Eggshell

Bone

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O r g a n i c

W a s t e

[ Organic Debris Based Bio-Plastics ] With the waste considered, the next step was to develop a material that could be easily replicated and that was 100% organic, as one of the aims was to have a system that helps relieve the waste problem and leaves zero footprint. In previous research, it has been proven that a number of bio-plastics can be made using either a gelatin or starch based bio-polymer and a plasticizer, in this case glycerol. To this bio-polymer, organic waste would be added to not only add bulk to the plastic, but to reinforce it while adding a nutritional component to it.

The first batch of waste bio-plastic demonstrated a high flexibility attribute, a property which was not being sought for. The first objective of the material was to prove its durability and strength which meant that a higher degree of waste was to be used in the mix.

Other organic waste products were also used as additives to understand if fibers were needed for reinforcement. Such waste included pineapple skin, potato skin and carrot peel. The most successful out of the three was the pineapple skin, having fibers spread throughout the sample. If needed, natural fibers could be added to the final material recipe, augmenting the structural properties.

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Gelatin Based :

Pineapple Skin

Eggshell

Banana Peel

Potato Skin

Carrot Peel

-All mixed with : 5g gelatin 1 tablespoon water 1 teaspoon vinegar 1 tablespoon glycerine 4g waste material

Starch Based :

Pineapple Skin

Eggshell

Banana Peel

Potato Skin

Carrot Peel

-All mixed with : 2 parts water 2 parts cornstarch 2 parts glycerine 2 parts waste material 1 part vinegar

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S t r u c t u r a l

C o m p o s i t e s [ Strength and Robustness ]

Focusing on the structural aspect of the system first, a series of samples were made to understand which waste product would be best to make a structural material. Intuitively, the best waste to use structurally would be bone and eggshells. The first samples were purely made of either bone or eggshell with a varied amount of gelatin and water. From the previous samples, gelatin had proven to be a better bio-polymer, as it held the waste particles tighter together therefore making it tougher. Besides gelatin, vinegar was added to the recipe to provide more strength to material and the amount of plasticizer, glycerol, was decreased. The objective wasn’t to make a flexible plastic but rather a robust material that would hold up its own weight and could potentially hold additional weight from other components.

From the samples made, cracking was also observed depending on how much water was added to the mix.

The drying method also became an important factor; drying the sample too fast causes cracking and drying it too slow produces mould. The samples were air dried and rotated in order to prevent this.

After ruling out the starch based samples, those that proved to crack the most, the samples that seem stronger by means of visual observation were the bone, banana peel and coffee composite and the eggshell based composite.

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2/1 bone 1/2 v , 1/2 g , 30ml water

3/1 bone | banana peel | coffee 1/2 v , 1/2 g , 30ml water

3/1starch eggshell 30ml water

2/1 eggshell 1/2 v , 1/2 g , 30ml water

3/.75 bone | banana peel | coffee 1/2 v , 1/2 g , 30ml water

3/1starch eggshell 1/2 v, 30ml water

2/1 bone | eggshell 1/2 v , 1/2 g , 30ml water

3/.5 bone | banana peel | coffee 1/2 v , 1/2 g , 30ml water

3/1starch eggshell 1/2 v, 1/2g, 30ml water

2/1 bone | coffee 1/2 v , 1/2 g , 30ml water

3/.5 bone | banana peel | coffee 1/2 v , 30ml water

3/.75 eggshell 1/2 v, 1/2g, 25ml water

2/1 bone | banana peel 1/2 v , 1/2 g , 30ml water

3/.5 bone | banana peel | coffee 1/2 g , 30ml water

3/.75 eggshell 1/2 v, 20ml water

2/1 bone | banana peel | coffee 1/2 v , 1/2 g , 30ml water

3/.5 bone | banana peel | coffee 30ml water

3/.75 eggshell 25ml water

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[ Bon e Sa mple s a t 1 6 D a y s ]

Bone | 3.1 3 parts bone | 1 part gelatin 30 ml water 1/2 tbsp glycerin 1/2 tbsp vinegar - Broke at 2.4 bars 2.4 kgf/cm2 34.81 psi

Bone Dust | 3.1 3 parts bone dust | 1 part gelatin 30 ml water 1/2 tbsp glycerin 1/2 tbsp vinegar - Broke at 1.2 bars 1.2 kgf/cm2 17.4 psi

Bone Fragments 3.1 3 parts bone fragments | 1 part gelatin 30 ml water 1/2 tbsp glycerin 1/2 tbsp vinegar - Broke at 1.6 bars 1.6 kgf/cm2 23.2 psi

Bone 4.1 4 parts bone | 1 part gelatin 30 ml water 1/2 tbsp glycerin 1/2 tbsp vinegar - Broke at 1.2 bars 1.2 kgf/cm2 17.4 psi

[ Bon e Compos i te s a t 1 6 D a y s ]

Bone + Coffee | 4.1 2 parts bone | 2 coffee | 1 part gelatin 30 ml water 1/2 tbsp glycerin 1/2 tbsp vinegar - Broke at 1.6 bars 1.6 kgf/cm2 23.2 psi

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Bone + Coffee | 4.1 2 parts bone | 2 coffee | 1 part gelatin 20 ml water 1/2 tbsp glycerin 1/2 tbsp vinegar - Broke at 1.9 bars 1.9 kgf/cm2 27.56 psi

Bone + Eggshell | 4.1 2 parts bone | 2 parts eggshell | 1 part gelatin 30 ml water 1/2 tbsp glycerin 1/2 tbsp vinegar - Broke at 1.8 bars 1.8 kgf/cm2 26.11 psi

Bone + Eggshell | 2.25 - 1.75 2.25 parts bone | 1.75 parts eggshell | 1 part gelatin 30 ml water 1/2 tbsp glycerin 1/2 tbsp vinegar - Broke at 1.9 bars 1.9 kgf/cm2 27.56 psi

[ S t r e s s Te s t s ] The composite samples that proved to be more structural when observed were replicated along with new composites that might work when presented under structural loads. All samples were casted in wooden moulds of the same size, 25cm x 25cm, x 100cm (1� x 1� x 4�), and were left to dry for a total of 16 days. There were two batches, one consisted of samples made of different bone granules, while the other batch was of composites made from bone and another substance. The thought behind the varied bone samples was that the bigger the granules in the mix, the stronger the material would be once dried. This proved to not be the case as the material with equal amounts of bone dust and larger bone granules took the most amount of stress, breaking at almost 39 psi.

When it comes to the composites batch, the one that did the best was the bone and coffee composite made with 20ml of water, breaking at 1.9 psi. Though the bone and eggshell composite also broke at 1.9 psi, it was made using more water than the bone and coffee composite.

Moving on forward, the bases of the structural material would have to highly consist of bone waste with a varied amount of coffee grounds, a low amount of glycerol and vinegar and the least amount of water possible.

The ending product would be a material that was roughly 75% waste and 25% bio-polymer and plasticizer, moving it away from the realm of flexible bio-plastic to sturdy structural bio-waste material.

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A

B

C

D

We i g h t i n g r a m s :

We i g h t i n g r a m s ( +15. 5 h r s ) :

[ A ] bone 4.1 - 56g

[ A ] bone 4.1 - 69g (+13g)

[ B ] bone + eggshell 4.1- 49g

[ B ] bone + eggshell 4.1- 59g (+10g)

[ C ] bone + coffee 4.1 - 39g

[ C ] bone + coffee 4.1 - 50g (+11g)

[ D ] bone + eggshell 2.25 / 1.75 - 52g

E

A

B

C

D

[ D ] bone + eggshell 2.25 / 1.75 - 60g (+8g)

E

[ E ] bone + coffee 4.1(20ml h2o) - 42g

[ E ] bone + coffee 4.1 (20ml h20) - 52g (+10g)

4.25.2018 7:30 pm

A

B

C

D

4.26.2018 11:00 am

We i g h t i n g r a m s ( + 2 4 h r s ) :

We i g h t i n g r a m s ( +39. 5 h r s ) :

[ A ] bone 4.1 - 71g (+15g)

[ A ] bone 4.1 - 79g (+23g)

[ B ] bone + eggshell 4.1- 61g (+12g)

[ B ] bone + eggshell 4.1- 66g (+17g)

[ C ] bone + coffee 4.1 - 53g (+13g)

[ C ] bone + coffee 4.1 - 58g (+18g)

[ D ] bone + eggshell 2.25 / 1.75 - 63g (+11g)

E

A

B

C

D

[ D ] bone + eggshell 2.25 / 1.75 - 68g (+16g)

E

[ E ] bone + coffee 4.1(20ml h2o) - 55g (+13g)

4.26.2018 7:30 pm

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[ E ] bone + coffee 4.1 - (20ml h2o) 61g (+19g)

4.27.2018 11:30 am

[ A b s o r p t i o n Te s t s ] Though strength was an important property to the structural composite, it was also important to understand how it would perform when introduced to water. The material system was seen as a structure that would remain outdoors and that would perform dynamically under natural conditions, the main one being rain.

Each sample used in the stress tests was duplicated, dried for 16 days and submerged in water. To understand how much water was absorbed, each sample was weighed before being submerged and then was weighed periodically throughout the following 2 days.

After almost 40 hours, the sample that absorbed the most amount of water was that made purely of bone. As for the one that absorbed the least was the bone and eggshell composite. The samples that generated the least amount of mold were the ones with coffee.

This led to the conclusion that the best structural sample would be one that supports its weight and doesn’t dissolve as fast in water and resists the least amount of mold. The best mix would consist of mostly bone, coffee and some amount of eggshell.

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[ Waste Bricks ] To better understand the material and explore a fabrication technique, the samples were casted in bigger moulds and a series of bricks were developed, exploring past mixes in a larger scale and altering mixes by the introduction of a new bio-polymer, agar. Though the gelatin worked well in that it bonded the waste particles tightly, the drying time was long and each sample took 6 to 7 to fully dry. Agar could accelerate the drying process as it is known to dry in a matter of hours.

After casting, the bricks were left out to air dry and rotated to minimize the growth of mold. The brick containing the agar did dry the fasted but also was the one that molded the most. The strongest and least deformed brick was the one containing bone and eggshells while the one that deformed the most was the brick containing sand.

The bone brick underwent a second fabrication method and was cnc milled. A slight pattern can be read on the surface of the brick. After a week, the material had not fully dried on the interior, making the brick disintegrate as the mill subtracted material. Moulding the material and then subtracting from it seemed redundant and led to the conclusion that perhaps the best fabrication method was to cast the material already into the desired shape.

Again, the material that proved to work that best, even at a larger scale, was the bone and eggshell composite.

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- 3/1 Bone + Gelatin

- 3/1 Bone + Eggshell + Agar

- 3/1 Eggshell + Gelatin

- 3/1 Bone + Eggshell +Sand + Gelatin

- 3/1 Bone + Eggshell + Gelatin

- 3/1 Bone + Gelatin

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P r o t o t y p e

1 . 0

[ Waste Tiles ]

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50

W a s t e

T i l e

[ Deformations ]

Having created a material that has a high structural performance and having casted the material successfully, the objective of prototype 1.0 was to make a system that would support its own weight and that would be easily fabricated. The idea of growing was also a goal but the desired material was not yet obtained that facilitated the growing aspect of the system.

When casting the waste bricks, prior to the waste tile analysis, deformation and shrinkage were observed depending on the mix of the material. Deformation could possibly be seen as something positive, as a performance of the material and now tile. Could it be possible to control deformations and make the system behave in a desired way?

Modularity could also be considered in the system as it would facilitate the fabrication and assembly of the waste tile. Geometric studies would also have to take place to find the ideal shape of the tile that is modular, easily replicated and assembled, and stimulates plant growth.

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Geometric Studies A.1

[ Elevation ]

[ Perspective ]

[ Plan ]

Su r f a c e Attr a c tor s

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Geometric Studies A.2

[ Elevation ]

[ Perspective ]

[ Plan ]

Su r f a c e Attr a c tor s + Tex tu re

The first round of geometric studies focuses on taking a single surface and deforming it by the use of attractor points. In this script, the attractor points are all on the same plane, while the changing parameter is how far the surface is moving from the different points.

In the A.2 series, the surfaces are given different textures. The parameters now include the depth of the texture. The texture was to be used as an adhesion for the growing plant and also for the collection and retention of water and moisture.

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Geometric Studies B.1

[ Elevation ]

[ Perspective ]

[ Plan ]

Voron oi A r ma tu re s

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Geometric Studies C.2

[ Elevation ]

[ Perspective ]

[ Plan ]

Compon e n t We a vi n g

Knowing the structural capacities of the material, the B.1 series explores the idea of having a hard self supporting armature where plants can grow on. A second nutrient based system would have to be incorporated in this armature that would sustain the growing plants.

Series B.2 explores a modular woven system. Here both the hard armature and the soft nutritious layer could be interwoven and could be easier replicated for larger spaces.

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Bone Gelatin Composite

water deformation test

Bone + Coffee + Banana Peel Composite

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Bone + Eggshell Gelatin Composite

water deformation test

Eggshell Gelatin Composite

T i l e C o m p o n e n t “ A”

Bone Skeleta - Bone Meal - Coffee - Banana Peel

Porous Skeleta - Eggshell

Attractor Web - Eggshell

Array of Tiles 57

Bone + Coffee + Banana Gelatin Composite

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Bone + Coffee + Banana Paper Composite

Eggshell Gelatin Composite

Tile Composite

[ As Bio-Receptive Tile ] The final 1.0 prototype focuses on the idea of multi-materiality and modularity. The darker material (bone skeleta) consists of a bone/coffee/and banana peel composite, while the lighter material (porous skeleta) is made mostly of eggshells. The idea is to have the bone skeleta acts as the nutritious layer while the porous skeleta acts as support when the plant starts to grow. The shape of the tile allowed for modularity; a second tile could be easily attached to any of the sides of the previous tile. This would allow for easy installation.

Fabrication wise, these tiles were casted in latex. The latex was cut into the desired shape, and the material was poured into the latex cast while it was hot. After a period of 24 hours, the semi-dry tile was taken out of the cast and was let to air dry.

Deformations would start to take place as the material started to dry and each tile would start to take a unique shape. Though the material was acting in a dynamic way, there was no control of each deformation. Shrinkage was also detrimental as each tile would minimize in size non-uniformly. Both materials were also of the same solidity making them both act as hard armatures.

The second round of prototypes would have to alter the current recipes to include a material with higher flexibility properties, which would allow plants to root themselves properly and flourish throughout the system.

Different fabrication techniques would also allow for minimal shrinkage and maximum material efficiency.

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P r o t o t y p e

2 . 0

[ Waste Landscapes ]

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J u x t a p o s i t i o n

o f

E l e m e n t s [ Protection and Form ]

As seen in other disciplines, there is always a play on the hard, protective elements, and the soft, the body, that which is flexible. Together they make a system that is able to adapt to its surrounding, while being protected and self supporting.

This play of elements can be seen in sculptures such as those of Cathy De Monchaux, where she focuses on hard outer shell like structures that protect soft, flesh-like elements. Here we can also see the repetition of elements, making them seem like 3-dimensional tiles that have a life of their own and yet work in unisense with one another; the use of greenery and organic geometry makes the sculpture seem alive. The sculpture is dynamic though there is no movement involved.

Fashion is also a place where there is a play on hard and soft elements. Designers such as Alexander McQueen see garments as armour that protect the delicate body; both the clothing and body adapt to each other and become dynamic components, each feeding off the other.

Both De Monchaux and McQueen use raw organic inspirations, motifs that are not always pleasing to everyone; there is a beauty found in the grotesque. Some might think that using waste as a means of structure and 62

Cathy de Monchaux ( To p ) S o v e r e i g n , 1 9 9 9 brass, copper, leather, wood, mink, oil on canvas, graphite and chalk (Bottom) Caught in Chaos, Courting Chaos, 2000 lead, leather, brass, copper, fur, thread, burnt woos, rope

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growth is an obscenity, but the mere fact of it being seen as something more than just waste, is one of the main goals of this research.

One of the lacking factors of the first set of prototypes was the loss of balance needed in a functioning system . The waste tiles created consisted of parts that were of similar physical properties, which means that they would potentially degrade equally as fast because there was no set hierarchy. Both parts were acting as structure while the nutritious factor was missing. Geometrically, the tile was invariable and the element of dynamism was absent.

When evoking the second, third, or fourth life of a material, in this case debris, one might expect a dead, static item. The beauty comes in when you take the inanimate and make it appear alive. In Detritic Skeleta, the appearance is not only important, but also the performance. The material being used still has nutrients that can be extracted. Performance also comes into play by how the material is applied, the geometry that it is given, the fabrication process. The material will undergo a life process in which it will degrade, lose color, give off smell, grow mold, but at the same time, it will be helping in the life-cycle of another entity.

From this point forward, the main goal is to find the correlation between technology, nature and deformation while using waste as a biologically nurturing material.

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Alexander McQueen ( To p ) F a l l 2 0 1 4 / W i n t e r 2 0 1 5 Ad by Steven Klein (Bottom)Savage Beauty, 2011 M e t r o p o l i t a n M u s e u m o f A r t , N e w Yo r k

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G e o m e t r i c

S t u d i e s [ Attractors in Time ]

From studies that were static in time, the next series of geometries were meant to explore evolution as a concept where material was to be used more efficiently by different means of fabrication that displayed the idea of life-cycle. Rather than developing a surface shape and later applying a texture, both objects would become inseparable, displaying the effect of time to an object. The notion of deformations now started from the conception of the script. There, a frame would be frozen in time, fabricated, and the remainder of the life cycle would be seen in a physical form through the manifestation of material.

The idea of casting was set aside, and the development of an additive manufacturing system was to be explored. The next question in hand was “could these different materials be robotically extruded to produce a landscape that in fact could promote the growth of a new organism?�

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[ Perspective ]

[Side Elevation ]

[ Front View ]

[ Plan ]

Geometric Studies D.1 R e a c ti on D i f f u s i on

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Geometric Studies E.1

[ Surface ]

[ Extrusions ]

[ Contours ]

G e n e r a ti ve A lgor i th ms

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3/1 bone + gelatin

3/1 bone + agar

- 3/1 bone + gelatin - banana / coffee / bone

3/1 bone / eggshell + gelatin

3/1 bone / eggshell + agar

- 3/1 bone + gelatin - banana / coffee / bone + sodium polyacrylate

3/1 bone+ gelatin / agar

3/1 bone / eggshell + agar

- concrete - banana / coffee / bone + sodium polyacrylate

3/1 bone / eggshell + gelatin / agar

E x t r u s i o n

T e s t s [ Layers of Waste ]

3/1 bone / eggshell + gelatin / agar

From geometries that were surface based to now exploring the idea of time and the physical, the means of fabricating these objects, which would lead into a new series of prototypes, was important. In these set of samples, it is proved that the material could be manually extruded at a small scale. It is also seen that studying new geometries and fabrication methods led to an efficient way of using the material. The new set of samples start looking more dynamic in the visual sense and new ideas of plant adaptation come into place. Texture is not something applied but rather something obtained through the material itself.

Later samples include the introduction of a second material, which would come to be the nutritious element, a softer material that would behave differently that the surrounding harder material. Concrete is even taken under consideration as a material that could possibly be used as a structural element.

3/1 bone + agar - coffee

The last set of samples shows more complex shapes, though the extrusion of layers are directly above one another. Here we see the introduction of a second material though there is still a broad separation seen between both materials. The challenge presented is to intertwine both materials into a cohesive system that is both dynamic visually and physically and that demonstrates the additive manufacturing capabilities of the materials.

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W e b s

o f

A t t r a c t i o n

Deformation is unavoidable when it comes to purely organic matter. As the material starts to dry, the loss of water causes it to warp, something that is typically seen as a drawback. In the first series of prototypes, warping was seen as something positive, as a dynamic aspect of the material but the lack of control of such distortions was a problem. Changing the geometric agenda from surface based modules to something more grid-like, where the same surface area was covered but with more negatives spaces for expansion and contraction, would give the material more flexibility during the drying process.

Geometry Animation : Click Here

Going back to the idea of attractor points and now interweaving it with the notion of time, the new series of geometries were to study how simple grids could start to make spaces by the deformation of a rigid system. The first series of grids were 2d, having all the attractor points on one surface. The new series would bring a sense of the 3rd dimension, have the grids react to points of varies levels, having grid surfaces interact with one another thus creating moments of tensions both visually and structurally. These grids could start reinforcing the material and have it be even more structurally sound through the use of geometry. The grids could also be seen as different layers of material where one is structural while the other is nutritious. Materiality, geometry and fabrication were now being seen as a cohesive thing, where one informs and structures the other, making the system work in complete balance.

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Geometric Studies F.1 G r i d Attr a c tor s _ Su r f a c e s

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Geometric Studies F.2 Sph e re Attr a c tor s

The F.1 series takes the 2d grid and starts to deform it in all directions. In the first geometry, the frame shows how 2 grid-surfaces come together to create a space between them. The other 2 frames focus on the deformation of a single surfaces. The second batch of geometries start with a 3-dimensional shape, a sphere, and then a series of deformations take place. Though the primary shape is lost, a new shape is formed, creating bigger negative spaces within the geometry that could be used for another purpose.

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Geometric Studies G.1 Attr a c tor s th rou gh Ti me

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Time Juxtapositions : Click Here

In the G series, each study starts with multiple geometries that then undergo a series of deformations. From surfaces, to spheres and cylinders, different spaces are created through the use of time, force and attraction. The shapes start to mould into one another and yet their grid-like characteristic is present, making them appear as if they are structurally sound.

Time could be better understood through the juxtaposition of frames seen on this page. Here, frames of the script are overlaid, showing how the family of shapes starts to morph. Through these analyses, the physical properties of the made material and the method of extrusion can be predicted, and in the end it is anticipated that these shapes could be fabricated to make fiberlike dynamic structures that could in turn become receptors for biological growth.

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Fabrication Process M ou ldi n g La n ds c a pe s

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[ Manual Extrusions ] The next task at hand was finding a way to extrude these intricate grid inspired geometries and understand how to have them dry and yet not distort out of the desired shape. Creating moulds to house the initial shape proved to be the best answer. Several foam moulds were computationally designed and then cnc milled, serving as backdrops to the extrusions process. Once milled and coated with a release agent, the various organic materials were manually extruded using a large-scale syringe.

The first layer of each of the tiles in the landscape series starts with 2 layers of structural material, consisting mostly of bone and coffee. As the extrusions continue, a higher degree of nutrition based material is added.

As the layers dry on the mould, they start reinforcing the other. The tile is then released from the mould and turned upside down to allow the lower layers to dry as well. The weight of the material and the geometry type doesn’t let the overall shape warp significantly.

Prototype 2.0 demonstrates that the material could be scaled up through a new fabrication method while using less material. Though the landscape is still manifested as 50cm x 50cm (20” by 20”) tiles, the design vision is to have these extrusions over open fields where they can serve as protection from pests and as nutrition when the material starts to runoff when it rains. The structures can replenish barren soils, while undergoing their life-cycle, meaning that there will be no trace of it once it disintegrates.

Fabrication Video : Click Here

In an open field, a series of life-cycles would be observed. The detritic structure would start to dissolve with rainwater and aliment the soil. The soil in turn would regain it’s fertility and plants would start to grow.

Loops would be closed and that which was waste would have served its second and third life as structure that protects and nourishes. As explained in previous diagrams, the idea of a cradle to grave cycle would be displaced, as parts of the cycle would start feeding into the other.

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Landscapes Wa s te Ex tr u s i on s

To p o f L a nd sca pe

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B o tto m o f L a nd sca p e

Each of the landscape tiles has different properties that were being studied at the time of creation. The first tile is purely made out of bone which informed that the next studies should have starting layers of bone material, giving the tile its structural foundations. The following study shows varying materials. The darker material has the nutrient based elements needed for the growth of plants. The third is a simple grid informing that a single layer of material is enough for structure. The last tile falls out of the norms of the rectangular tile and informs that the ending geometries need not be bound to the mould.

Another interesting aspect was the underbelly of each tile. Here a different texture is observed as the material drops on the mould and spreads. The drying method is also different, having to wait until the tile is uncasted and flipped over. The layers of materials can also be understood differently.

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P r o t o t y p e

3 . 0

[ Growing Systems ]

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G r o w i n g

S y s t e m s [ Parts of a Whole ]

From exploring different geometries and fabrication techniques, the material was at a point where it was proved to work structurally, supporting its own weight, and having the possibility to take stress from other loads. The bio-receptive nutrient based material was the last piece of the system.

Researching growing methods that didn’t necessarily use soil as a substrate, the concept of “wick� hydroponics came about. Parts of this hydroponic system could be replicated. Perhaps the system could be seen as something that is hung rather than just lying flat and being extruded up. The various layers to the hydroponics also made it clear that the detritic system had to not only be made of material based layers but of layers of parts, that by the use of water, would start working with one another.

Skeleta would be the structure, the layer that would hold the system together and protect it structurally. It would be seen as a scaffold that also provides the system with a texture where plant life can attach itself to.

The nutritious layer would be on the inside of the skeleta. It would be of a softer material, that can dissolve faster with water and would give the growing plants the nutrients needed to survive.

The armature starts to be read clearer and that which is the soft part also has a logical place in the system.

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plant A B

growing medium wick reservoir nutrient solution

Upright S y stem

Double S urfa c e S y s tem

Flip It “Wic k� Hydroponic s

rain water nutrient casted channel banana fiber substrate herb

[ A ] I rri g a t i on Ch a n n el

skeleta structure

herb

De tritic Landsc ape

[ B] A t t ra c tor Web

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plant growing medium wick nutrient solution

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Ground Landscap e

Hu ng L a ndsc a p e o n Stru c tu re

Se lf Sup p orti ng Hung Landscap e

F lo a ti ng L a ndsc a p e

The two parts start to interact with one another to reach the same goal, to protect and enhance plant growth.

The 2-layered system could be designed in a number of ways. It could directly replicate the “wick” hydroponic system but could be something linked to the ground where plants grow on a horizontal landscape, something that goes back to the waste landscape idea, or the system could be seen as a “hung” system. This could mean something that relies on a secondary structure that holds it up using either a steel or aluminum frame, though this would slightly invalidate the research of the material being structural. The landscape could take the shape of a dome that because of its geometry, could support its own weight along with the help of the structural characteristics of the material. The hung landscape could also be seen as an object, a smaller farming floating atmosphere that somehow could be suspended from nature in a way that yes it relies on a secondary structure but the secondary structure relates more with the organic concept of the detritic skeleta.

The idea of the structure being hung also incorporates the idea of verticality. Landscape is no longer something that is on the ground but something that the spectator has to look up to admire. The structure starts to create its own environment and the experience of space is taken out of the norms; it’s no longer just something visual. You are now engulfed by a space, a living space, that in time well deform and take on different shapes.

Pallasmaa writes that the center of perception is not just a visual element, the use of the eyes to experience design, but instead it is the body that is responsible for perception, thought and consciousness. For him, all the senses are “extensions of the tactile sense; the senses are specializations of the skin tissue.” (Pallasmaa, The Eyes of the Skin, 10) For me, this expresses the importance of having an architecture of sensation, and in that concept of sensation, comes the significance of memory. The use of all the senses, heightens the capacity of retention.

On the following page of his book, Pallasmaa states that “significant architecture makes us experience ourselves as complete embodied and spiritual beings.” ( The Eyes of the Skin, 11) Again, design is not only for visual pleasure but should transcend materiality and should make us reflect.

Pallasmaa goes on to explain the difference between focused vision, that which pushes us out of a space, and peripheral vision, that which integrates us with space. Peripheral vision takes into account the environment that surrounds us, including sound, smell and temperature. Architecture that only serves to entice us visually is surely tantalizing but is it enough to produce an enduring spatial memory?

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T h e

S i t e [ MoMa PS1]

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[ Life-Cycle of Space ] The concept of life-cycle is something recurring in the detritic system. Organic waste is given another life by making it a usable material that can be extruded into structures. As this waste starts to dissolve through rainwater, the nutrients it holds start running off to provide nurishingment to plants which are growing on the structure itself. As one system dies, the other is being born. In order to observe this loop, the site itself had to have a lifespan and had to be outdoors. It was also necessary for the site to be visited often by an audience that would come to understand the life process of the decaying structures.

The site considered is the MoMa PS1 site, located in Long Island City, New York. Not only is this site tied into a diverse urban fabric, but it is the home of the Young Architects Program, an annual competition where architects are asked to pitch in their ideas on how to bring people together through innovative design. The winner of the competition builds and displays their design in the outdoor courtyard of the museum, where a series of spring and summer concerts take place, bringing thousands of people every weekend to interact with one another, while enjoying different genres of music.

YAP would set the stage and bring the audience while Detritic Skeleta performs its life-cycle, creating an experiential space while producing new plant life.

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[ YA P ] a t P S 1 Su mme r Li n e u p

Wend y, 2 01 2 HW K N

P ar t y Wal l , 2 0 1 3 CO DA Courtyard

Lu men, 2 01 7 J en n y Sa b in e St u d i o

We av i n g t h e Co ur t y ard, 2 0 1 6 E sc o b e d o S o l i z S t u d i o

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D e s i g n

P r o p o s a l [ Detritic Scaffolds ]

Taking advantage of all the aspects of the site was key, as different kinds of structures could be designed depending on the program and formal adaptation to the site. Here we have tall empty surrounding walls and two smaller confined spaces. The initial idea was to have something that would interact with the wall while another element suspends or protrudes from the smaller spaces but yet interacts with the larger courtyard.

The smaller spaces could perhaps show the concept of life cycle through the vision of the open field, where the detritic scaffold would hover over an open space providing protection for growing plants below and slowly deteriorating with rain thus providing the soil with the nutrients held in the organic waste. The main walls of the courtyard could be aligned with large vine-like structures that act more like tiles or growing cladding that plants would latch onto while undergoing their process of taking nutrients and growing to overcome the waste structures. The space would be surrounded with these vertical waste gardens that would be growing greenery literally from what we perceive as garbage and that which we describe as grotesque would start to turn into the living, the greenery, the beautiful. The shift in color from brown to green, the change in textures from rough materials to living plant life would also alter the space and the experience would altogether change.

Life-Cycle Animation : Click Here

Here, the audience would come to realize that materials don’t always have to be static to be architectural nor 93

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Waste as Spine

Waste as Structure

Waste as Object

Waste as Tree

do spaces have to be permanent in order to have impact. Things, ideas, feelings, can and will change, and spaces can be ephemeral yet influential as well.

Other design ideas arose while thinking of the site that are linked to previous geometric analysis. The first thought was to have a direct correlation with the human skeletal system and design the detritic element as a spine that would run down the site and latch itself to the central wall. Here, people would have the ability to walk down an arcade-like space which would have hanging plants growing from the top and the sides.

The following design idea mimics the previous vision of small farm like spaces with giant cantilevers having hanging plants as well, while in the other corner of the site there would be a pavilion that again people could go under to experience the space through the waste structure and growing greenery. The next proposal saw the waste as floating objects that were taking over corners of the site, carrying in them plant life that would slowly start to take over the encompassing structure. The final vision was waste as tree which inverted the natural cycle of the growing tree. Here the waste tree would not grow but would rather die in order to allow the greenery to grow.

The scaling up of the structures also demanded a new way of fabrication. Manual extrusions would be out of the question which led to the idea of robotic fabrication.

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F a b r i c a t i o n

P r o c e s s [ Additive Manufacturing ]

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D e t r i t i c

P a n e l [ Modular Vines ]

From the landscape tiles to now the modular vines proposed for the MoMa PS1 site, there was a call for a shift in scale. The material had been proven to work through manual extrusion but now had to be prepared for robotic extrusions which meant altering the mix to have a higher viscosity and faster drying time. The layers of materiality would have to hold up their own weight and also the weight of the growing plant. The mould in which the material was extruded on would also have to be scaled up. To better understand the material before fabricating with the robot, the panels were to be manually extruded, reaching a material matrix that could be used in the bigger scale.

The designed panel was to utilize one mould that would be used to make both sides of the panel. Once dried, the panels would come together, acting like a complete armature, and bound with each other by use of the same waste material. Between the two structural sides would be the nutritious layers, here rendered as bulbs, that would be made of a softer material that would dissolve in time with rainwater.

The transplanted greenery would be sparse around the panel and bulbs and would start to grow as the rainwater would start to dissolve the material. Within a couple of months, the duration of the YAP exhibit and summer concert series, the greenery would be the dominant element throughout the site.

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Panel Prototypes M ou ld Se r i e s completed panel

structure a

nutrition bulbs structure b

cnc milled foam mould

machine path

extruded structure

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[ Detritic - Greenery ] The concept of greenery growing around the panels was a concept from the beginning of the research though the making a material that was both soft, slowly dissolved with water and that provided the adequate nutrients was one of the hardest tasks. Numerous experiments were made in which seeds were tried to grown directly on the nutrient based material, a flexible waste material made of coffee (N), bone (P), banana peels (K), and a very small amount of eggshells to balance out the mix. Double the amount of glycerol was added and vinegar was omitted to the ending nutrition recipe. Growing directly on the material proved to not be as successful though some of the seeds, in this case watercress, did germinate. The 2 layered system lacked appropriate ventilation and become infested by mycelium.

Another approach was to transplant greenery on to the system and then see if the plant would adapt to the structure and prosper. Also, the new adapted plant could possibly bring more organisms into the structure and create a microenvironment within the detritic skeleta. One of the transplantations was moss. Moss, liking acidity, latched to the system within a week and started to grow. The reasoning for transplanting the moss was to see if an organism could indeed grow on the detritic system and perhaps invite other organisms to adopt the waste landscape as a home. More research would continue to see how the nutrition based mix could be changed to be used with other plant life.

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2 Layered System Te s ti n g Bi o-R e c e pti vi ty

G er m i na ti o n o f Wa tercress

Tr a nspl a nti ng Mo ss

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Mo u l d Mi l l i ng a nd Prep a r a ti o n

E x tr u si o n o f S tr u ctu r a l B o ne L a yer s

E x tr u si o n o f S tr u ctu r a l B o ne a nd Co ffee L a yer s

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[ Panel Process ] Similarly to the moulds made for the landscape tiles, the Detritic Vine Panel also had to be extruded on a mould. The 50cm x 100cm x 16cm (roughly 20” x 40” x 6.25”) high density foam mould was cnc milled to the negative side of the computationally designed panel. Guidelines were also milled to aid with the manual extrusions.

The first 2 layers of the panel consisted of purely bone based material for structural integrity. The following layers were made of 45% bone, 45% coffee grounds and 10% eggshells. These layers weren’t only structural but also prevented the structure from dissolving as fast with water. The peaks of the panel were reinforced with an extra bone layer to prevent flexion.

After 2 days of air drying, each panel was uncasted and turned around to let the bottom layers dry. Another panel was cast and once dried, both sides were attached using the same waste material.

Fabrication Video : Click Here

The nutrition based bulbs were then introduced into the crevices of the panels with the transplanted mould and left to further dry.

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[ Panel Conclusions ] Once uncasted and dry, the panels were set upright on tables for display. They held up their own weight and the moss started to spread to the other parts of the bulbs. The design on the panel would have to be altered to better adhere to a wall application without needing a secondary structure.

The geometry also led to the idea that these same panels could be rotated and placed upright to represent a free floating column. The mode of fabrication, along with the growth of the geometry and the structural properties of the material allow the concept of the Detritic Skeleta to be versatile. The material could be easily extruded into more layers where more structure is needed. Depending on the mould, the structure could open up or close more if the nutrition based bulbs needed to house bigger or smaller plants.

Although structurally supporting itself, the apertures made during the extrusions makes the panel lightweight.

The material is extruded where it is needed for structural stability, reminiscent of vines that grow around other structures.

Though moss wasn’t the initially planned plant to grow on the panel, it does prove that the material holds a level of bio-receptivity that can be altered to allow a variety of plant life. The next steps would be to start altering the nutrition-based recipe to understand what nutrients are needed for other desired plant.

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D e t r i t i c

C a n t i l e v e r [ Waste Structures ]

The more enclosed parts of the site called for a different design. Here the Detritic Skeleta could be appreciated in 2 ways. One directly below the structure in the small space, where plants would start to grow and over the wall in the main courtyard, where part of the structure would cant over, showing the highest point of the cantilevered structure.

The aim of the Detritic Cantilever was to demonstrate that the material could be extruded robotically thus allowing for the scaling up of an architecturally sized structure that went beyond the notion of cladding. Here the limits of the material would be tested and later altered if it failed.

A bigger structure required an even bigger mould to aid in the extrusion and drying process. Rather that building up the mould with milled foam pieces, bigger EPS foam blocks would be cut using a hot wire cutting method with the KuKa 6-axis robotic arm. As seen on the following page, the robot would start extracting pieces from the block which would later be used in the making of the cantilever. The overall dimensions of the cantilever would be 2m long by 80cm wide and 60cm high ( 3.2’ x 2.5’ x 2’ ), an eighth of the actual size of the proposed cantilever.

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Hot Wire Cutting with Kuka Simulation of robot cutting EPS foam blocks for mould making

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styrofoam cube

wire cut pieces

1st layer of extrusions

2nd layer of extrusions

3rd layer of extrusions

final cantilever

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[ M o u l d E x t r u s i o n s a n d To o l D e v e l o p m e n t ] Once the different pieces of the mould were cut, the bigger piece was placed on a plywood base for better support. All the pieces were coated with a release agent, liquid latex, that would allow the material to grip on to the foam when extruded but would also allow easy uncasting.

The designed mould called for 3 layers of extrusions. After the first layer of extrusions were dry, a second part of the mould would be placed and the other layers would follow. The same went with the following layers. Ideally, as explained with the Detritic Panel, the first layers were to be of bone based material and as the structure grew up, the material what start to incorporate the coffee grounds for water remediation.

As the structure dried, parts of the mould would start to be taken out, leaving behind the structure itself. Designed with the same vine-like geometry patterns as the panel, the cantilever was to be lightweight but be able to support it own weight and that of the greenery it would help produce.

The simplicity of the mould also allowed for flexibility, as it allowed for other patterns to be extruded while using the same building up logic.

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Extruding material by robotic means meant developing a tool that could be attached to the robotic arm which could hold and slowly release the waste material based on a desired tool path.

The first set of tools were designed for the smaller robotic arm. One tool used a pneumatic chamber and an auger screw that was at one end attached to a Nema 17 stepper motor while the other end was fixed in another chamber that attached to a 3d printed nozzle. As the screw would rotate, material would be pushed down into the nozzle. This tool worked with clay, but when the bone material was introduced, the large particles found in the mix, impeded the rotations of the screw. The next method omitted the auger screw and worked only with a pneumatic extruder. A nozzle was attached to the chamber containing the material that was pushed through force by the use of an air compressor. Scaling up the prototype meant using a bigger robot and the KuKa 6-axis robot was used again, now with a pneumatic extruder that was previously used for the clay extrusions. The larger diameter nozzles were used which allowed the passage of the thick material.

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Extruding with Kuka Simulation of robot extruding waste material with pneumatic extruder tool designed and made by Sofoklis Giannakopoulous

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[ Robotic Extrusions ] Once the mould and tool were calibrated, the designed tool path was ready to run. Though the lines were designed to have the tool follow and extrude the material, the amount of pressure needed and speed were still to be experimented with. Here, there is a series of lines of the first layer of the cantilever that are producing patterns that seem as if they were knotted or braided. This was due to the pressure of the compressor and the height of the extruder from the mould. As the speed and height were better understood, the lines start to appear straighter and more controlled.

Though the material ran out before the second layer was be extruded, it was understood that the waste material could be digitally designed and fabricated using robotic means. The possibility to construct large scaled structures with waste to create dynamic spaces was present, it was just about making more material.

Through experimentation and “accidents�, it was learned that texture could be developed with the robot itself.

Different levels of texture can be observed. The material already has its own texture, with scattered pieces of bone matter and eggshells and then another pattern is developed through the amount of pressure given while the extrusion is taking place. Once these extrusions start overlapping, another level of texture will be observed and when stepped back, the object present is the cantilever itself.

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Extruding with Kuka 6-axis robot extruding bone and coffee based waste material with pneumatic extruder tool designed and made by Sofoklis Giannakopoulous

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Up close, the material looks rough and because of its color, it isn’t too appealing. The smell of it when it’s cooking and drying isn’t the most pleasant either. But once extruded to the desired structure and dried, the textures of the material are more prominent, the patterns of the extrusions start to take a life of their own and the overall structure is what is noticed. That which was seen as just waste is now appearciated as something else. Architecture should go beyond just visual pleasures and should invite the user to participate in ways that relay on all the senses. As explained, this material doesn’t have the best smell or isn’t always aesthetically pleasing, but because of its nutrient based material, it can start to produce plantlife that does. Its all a matter of surpassing one life-cycle and starting another.

For Pallasmaa, architecture has become a discipline that mainly focuses on the sense of sight forcing the individual to play the role of a spectator rather than one of the user. Design should incorporate all the senses thus producing a complete environment that integrates the user with the space. “Architecture is our preliminary instrument of relating us with (space and time) and giving these dimensions a human measure.” (Pallasmaa, The Eyes of the Skin, 17.) Architecture should go beyond that which is merely physical and should be seen as the linkage between our emotions and space.

We must also remember that all spaces aren’t complete without material. These materials are what make the space complete when it comes to sensorial experiences. Tactility is a big part of design that is often ignored.

As Pallasmaa explains, all the senses are mere extensions of the tactile sense.

Often we think of the word aesthetics as something that is visually pleasing or beautiful when in fact the original definition of the late 18th century is “relating to the perception of the senses.” In time, we have come to rely on just one sense, sight, to identify something as pleasing. Can design once again integrate all the senses, focus on the importance of material as a tactile driver, and persuade the users of a space to retain a prolonged memory of their experience?

Once you are close to the structure, the roughness of the material invites you to touch it, to smell it. It is not until you know what it is actually made of that you seem to step back. But at the same time, you are left with the idea that waste, garbage, the grotesque can become something usable, something beautiful, something that produces life and that shows the evolution of a dynamic system.

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P r o j e c t

C o n c l u s i o n s [ The Future of Waste ]

Detritic Skeleta seeks to reinvent the concept of waste and take what is seen as a burden, as the grotesque and make it into something that is space making, dynamic and beautiful. The material not only works in a structural sense, but invites the user to interact with what’s built. Architecture should transcend the visual sense and instead encompass all the senses, allowing users to fully understand a space.

Impermanence is of great relevance not only in this project but in the society that we currently live in. Nothing seems to be permanent anymore, everything is constantly changing, so why can’t our architecture also follow this ideology? The spaces created with the detritic scaffolds are meant to show change; the material is undergoing a life cycle that is altered by rainwater. Though the structure is meant to disappear, to biodegrade, it has an additional focus, it is meant to provoke other life cycles. From waste, what many see as dead, comes a new life, plants.

Perhaps this is not the end of all waste issues, but it does alleviate some of the problem while provoking the notion of ephemeral architecture with the use of the least desirable matter. With the use of computational design, these spaces are articulated in the most efficient way, using material where it is needed structurally to support itself and the growth of other organisms. Through digital fabrication, these spaces can be imagined 120

and proposed in a large scale, where they will affect a multitude of users.

Rather than design a static space, Detritic Skeleta strives to create an atmosphere, where it isn’t just about the negative space, but rather about the makeup of the material, the interaction of different elements, all working together for one purpose, the conception of another entity.

The next steps to a better realization of this vision is to understand the nutrients needed for the growing many types of plants. This would lead to the making of a series of materials that use different types of organic waste. Here a catalogue of materials would be started that could lead to the design and fabrication of different ephemeral spaces that could adapt to different sites and adopt many life forms. Detritic Skeleta serves as a concept that goes beyond the idea that spaces have to be everlasting in order to be impactful or that materials have to be static in order to be considered architectural.

That which is considered debris (Detritic) supports itself and others (Skeleta) not only structurally but nutritionally, giving waste a new meaning (Re-appropriation) by the reproduction of new organisms (Nature).

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Acknowledgments

Special Thanks to : AIA Europe BKSK Architects The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia Mathilde Marengo Marcos Cruz Kunaljit Singh Chadha Sheikh Riaz Thanks to my Family and Friends for all the love and support ... and to my amazing Barcelona Family ...

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and for the battles won and lost of Ana and Walter, I owe it all to them.

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M a s ter i n A dv a nc e d Arc hite c ture Detritic - Skeleta Johana Monroy 2017-2018