Plug-Mobile (The Future House)

03: Expand House of the Future

Plug-mobile - Flying electro Living Capsules-

Andreea - Laura Nica | University of Westminster | DS10 | 2016

Future Housing Context New Urban Districts The project is placed over one thousand years ahead of us, in a dystopian world, where contamination land and overpopulation levels have reached their peak. By then, the spaces left to build infrastructre and dwelling spaces on the ground will be extremely scarced, forcing people to move upwards into the cleaner atmosphere.

The future will rely on flight and flying spaces. Drones will replace the need of streets, elevators and cable cars as they will be a reliant technology for movement. The need for quicker and adaptable mobility, will play a key role into the new urban organization, creating strategic multi-modal points to help coordinate the entire space transitions.

Future Dwelling Problem Currently, the living spaces that we design are dominated by partitions and segregated spaces. Spaces which we live, spaces in which we work and spaces which we do both. The minimum size of a room in which a person can live is 5 m2 , with some small additonal rooms. As live progresses, the need of space evolves and adapts thought time. It increases in size and even morphology to better suit the needs of a possible family. People are forced to move out and change location/ living space. In the future set up context, that would be challenged.

Design Proposal The living Capsules The future relies on flying and adaptable houses. Drones-like pre-fabricated living pods will use integrated smart technology to monitor internal systems and help in being directed to the right parking / anchoraged space. The new proposed capsules will adapt to the users activities, needs and budgets by constantly changing functions and space organisation. The new house proposal will represent a Plug-in module, made out out ultra-light materials that fly into the nearsest Tower to charge its bateries, as well as allowing the users to chose the Tower which will serve as their main Social Space.

The main house is formed of pre-fabricated customed elements, with doors that open-up and help inflate certain spaces. The inflatable rooms will be adaptable, pre-ordered and easy to install. The air cushions will act as dividers of the space and furniture, offering a comfortable living, while enjoying distant views.

The Hous-O-Port The Hous-O-Port or the Aero-parking Towers represent clusters of drone capsules that form the new Dwelling Districts of the Future City. The new Towers, will represent landing platforms for the flying capsules. Developed through studies in Minimal Surfaces, the tall structures will be built in phases, using tensile meshes and sprayed with concrete for durability. The main core of the Tower, the Living Hub represents the hearth of the structure, the place where people will interact after parking their house and will enable users to use it to their own convenience. The top of the Tower represents a complex system of antennas and cables that form the entire servers which help with the flight coordination and the precise alingnment and placement of the Capsules.

Future context - big data used as a way for future coordination

What is Big Data?

Information Created

Exabytes

A vast quentity of UNSTRUCTURED data which we now have the ability to process in REAL-TIME.

1800 1600 1400 1200

Digital Cameras Camera phones Laptops Medical imaging Video Games ATMs

800

Big data is generated in a number of ways including:

600

Sensors Email

200 CAD/CAM

0

Sensors in gambling casino chips

2006

Toys

Digital Radio Instant messaging

2008

Telematics Video conferencing

Security systems

Industrial machines

2007

Scanners

GPS

Satellite images

400

Moving around with your smartphone

2009

Appliencies

2010

2011

Sensors in the ocean Sensors in pet collars

Why is Big Data Important?

Sensors in the soil

Internet browsing

It can replace and support It creates transparency human decision making with that can be used to automated algorithms increase efficiency It allows better analysis of employee and system performances

Digital TV MP3

1000

What’s generating Data?

How is it useful?

DVD RFID

In March 2012 the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy announced that six US government agencies would spend 200 million to help the government organize and analyse data.

Sensors in pallets of products

Scientists

Government leaders

Corporate leaders

Health officials

Why is it becoming important now?

Rise of smartphones with GPS and internet connectivity

Aerial sensors and sensor networks

235 terabytes

What they may buy

40% projected torrent

53% agreed with this scenario:

235 terabytes of data have been collected by the US library of congress in April 2011

Big Data are drawn together in ways that will improve social political and economic intelligence.

The projected growth of global generated per year of torrent.

Future Smart cities Urban Planning

How people behave

Education specialists

Social Network adoption

Traffic control

How they might respond to products, services and programs

39% agreed with this scenario: Big Data could cause more problems than it solves between now and 2020.

Concerns Noise Urban Maps

Network organisation Intelligent shopping Network organisation

Privacy is an issue as more and more data is collected, knowingly and unknowingly about people.

Most of the data collected now is considered poorly organized which can make it diffciult to analyze.

future context- overpopulation and highly-technological infrastructure

Processor board

Underground speed

Excess of cables ‘Big Data’ connection

Huge Energy consumption Light city Geo-location surveillance Super Data Farms

Google Data Centre Farms

Energy dependent objects Self-driving cars

Google Data Centre Farms

Data infrastructure

Hologram screens

Plug-in systems

Possible cities with overpopulation & concentrated networks San Francisco, USA Grid, regularity, Concentrated

Tokyo, Japan Multiple connection nodes, concentrated nodes

London, UK Organic growth, underground systems

Future context - concept diagrams & Initial ideas

Plug-in Capsules

Structural Cable

Empty ‘pockets’

Google ghettos

3.

Electricity clusters

2.

Urban grid network

Sensors

Drones for transporting the plug-ins Concrete structure exoskeleton for adaptable spaces

1.

Capsule plug-ins

Urban grid network

Concrete misplots - MATT FRODSHAM -

Blob Mobile

Living Pod- David Greene

Underground cables

Subtractive urbanism - construction of house-o-ports districts The project is placed over one thousand years ahead of us, in a dystopian world, where contamination land and overpopulation levels have reached their peak. By then, the spaces left to build infrastructre and dwelling spaces on the ground will be extremely scarced, forcing people to move upwards into the cleaner atmosphere.

The notion of Subtractive Urbanism plays a major role in establishing clear proximity centers where the Towers will be build, according to the net & cables infrastructure. The existing urban settlements will be carved slowly and the debritis will be used in recycled concrete to form the base foundation of the Hous-o-Ports.

Existing Urban Grid

Proximity Determination -node detection

‘Hous-o-Port’ Initiation

Proximity network exercise - establishing key points for ports Network Proximity - Delaunay Mesh (Euclidian Plane) Site Points / CENTRES

Voronoi Edge/ BOUNDARY

Convex Hull / COVERAGE Voronoi Vertex/ CONNECTION

Center Selection

Typical Voronoi Structure

Join Centres

Subtractive Surface - Weaverbird Subdivision

Main Geometrical relations

Split distances in half

Join the half lines

Delaunay Triangulation

Final Voronoi network

Subtractive urbanism - cnc experiments to simulate the future urban context

Flying neighbourhood - initial proposal

Future context - top view of major house-o-ports

FELC - Flying electro-living capsule-

CHANGING NEEDS FOR FUTURE LIving conditions - analysis of space needs Currently, the living spaces that we design are dominated by partitions and segregated spaces. Spaces which we live, spaces in which we work and spaces which we do both.

The minimum size of room in which a person can stand is 5 m2 , with some small additonal rooms. The diagrams below show the basic need of space, using standard typologies of people, couples and working people.

As noticed, the space evolves and adapts. It increases in size and even morphology to better suit the needs of the family. People are forced to move out and change location/ living space. working space from individual to diverse company

5 - 6.5 m2

5 - 6.5 m2

11.5 - 15 m2

10 - 20 m2

10 - 11.5 m2 11.5 - 21 m2

20 - 31 m2

5 - 6.5 m2

Living space from individual to 2-child family

5 - 6.5 m2

Living + working space from individual to 2 people company

space organisation & life cycles - main principles of house The diagrams below show different studies within a typical flat and its life cycle. The main needs of a house can be coined around Comfort and Privacy, with its Programmed spaces distributed according to the Lifestyle and Demography of the ocupiers.

A typical flat is not used at its full capacities since not all the spaces are used by one single person. By moving from a room to another, dead / unused spaces are created, and therfore a waste of space. The entire basic kit for spaces can be summarized within a 5 m2 main space that the user inhabits all the time.

Main needs of a house

Typical use of space and life cycle of a flat Work / Live relations

Clustering living spaces

Evolution of House Use

Shared Amenities

THE LIVING CAPSULE - Internal space adaptations - Adaptable Living capsules, variation and transfortmations - initial explorations -

Possible Exo-skeleton transformations according to space need Adaptable capsules to be ‘pluged-in’

Perspective view of capsule explorations

Top view of capsule explorations

THE LIVING CAPSULE - EXTERNAL space adaptations

INDIVIDUAL LIVING SPACES

- Evolving capsules, variation and transfortmations using MetaBalls studies -

Iteration 1 Main Capsule

Iteration 6

INDIVIDUAL / Small Size Family LIVING SPACES

2 Main Capsules

Iteration 13 8 holes

Iteration 2

Iteration 3

Main Capsule

Iteration 4

Main Capsule +1/4

Iteration 7

Iteration 8

2 Main Capsules + 2 1/3

2 Main Joint

Iteration 14 8 holes

Iteration 5

Main Capsule + 1/3

Iteration 9

2 Main Capsules + 2 1/2

Iteration 15 8 holes

Main Capsule + 1/2

Iteration 10

Iteration 11

3 Main Capsules

2 Main Capsules + 2 1/4

Iteration 16 8 holes

Iteration 12

2 small Main Capsules

Iteration 17 8 holes

Iteration 22

Iteration 18 3 Main Capsules

Iteration 19

2 Main Capsules +1/2

Iteration 20

2 Main Capsules +1/5

Iteration 21

2 Main Capsules +1/8

Main Capsules +1/3

Iteration 27

Main Capsule + 1/8

Iteration 23

BIG FAMILY LIVING SPACES

Main Capsule + 1/8

Iteration 28

3 Main Capsules +1/2

Iteration 24

Main Capsule + 1/6

Iteration 29

3 Main Capsules +2 x 1/2

Iteration 25

Main Capsule + 1/3

Iteration 30

4 Main Capsules +1/2

Iteration 26

Main Capsule + 1/2

Iteration 31

3 Main Capsules +1/2

Iteration 32

7 Main Capsules +3 1/2

Iteration 12

Main Capsule + 1/9

Plug-in prototype - exploration 1 The initial proposal consisted in experiments using Weaverbird to simulate several subdivisions and ‘plug sockets’ onto a spherical geometry. The main idea was to include a rubber ellipse in the interior of a metal carcasse, which will help in extending the future plastic rooms. The main parts will be an Imput and an Output, through which the capsule will be charged.

Main diagram of plug-in capsule

Weaverbird experiments on a sphere

Main morphological diagram

Sketch renders of possible rubber plug system

Plug-in CAPSULE - initial proposal The initial proposal of the full house was a rigid flexible structure based internally with maleable exterior membranes that would adapt according to the docking space within the Scherk Towers. The entire house would have been self-suficient, relying only on electricity.

Once plugged-in, the electricity would have been used to charge all the main control elements (drainage pipes, systems for harvesting the fog and GPS sensors), as well as help in the movement of the flexible room modules.

Main adaptable steel structure

Flexible Modules

Material Exchanges Final Posible Interior

Side Perspective

Back View

Front View

Flying CAPSULE - Development sketches After the last review, the house capsule adapted into a more integrated solution for its purpose. The three main principles of the house were established: Drone characteristics, adaptability & expansion and electricaldependency. (plug-in need). An aerodynamic shape made the capsule morph accordingly and a drone-like system was integrated after several wind simulation tests.

Flying mode- DRONE system

Adaptability & Expansion

Electrical relay

Flying CAPSULE - Development rendered sketch

Scherk’s Minimal Surface Tower Scherk’s Docking Place to anchor the flying capsule

Main Core Social space with multi-use spaces

Scherk’s Docking Place to anchor the flying capsule

Substructure holding the capsule

Electrical & other facilities supply pipe

Possible inflatable space

Axonometric view of 1/5 sliced Tower with plug-in capsules ready to be anchored and inflate the spaces

capsule concept - inflatable space phases - Pre-fabricated cage with retractable doors and inflatable rooms -

Interior room evolution The diagrams below show different stages from the first landing of the flying capsule to the finished house customised for the user. After anchorage, the grey capsule expands its doors and allows ETFE air cushions to get inflated and expand according to their immediate need. (kitchen, bathroom, living room or study room). Each room will get inflated until it reaches the margins of the Scherk Tower.

Kitchen

Kitchen

Dressing

Living Room

Living Room

Bathroom

Bedroom

Main Space requirements is defined

Dressing

Bathroom

Bedroom

Flexible Envelope Size

Main Internal Relations

Living Room

Kitchen

Dressing Bathroom Bedroom

Circulation Routes

Proposed Furniture

Final ‘Plug-in’ Capsule

felc - flying electro-living capsule - Exploded axonometry of the capsule and inflatable spaces -

Inflatable rooms

Main Capsule design stages

felc - flying electro-living capsule - Sketched render of inflated capsule in a Hous-o-Port Tower -

Initial sketch of ‘parking’ moment - Section with anchored flying capsules -

design development of ‘parking’ moment - Axonometric section through the House-o-Port Tower Core and Capsule -

Flying CAPSULE - Final Proposal with 2 different phases

7 6 4 1

3 8

2

KEY 1. Empty House-o-Port Tower (strcutural Skeleton) 2. Emply ‘parking’lot 3. Full drone capsule 4. Inflated Rooms

5

5. Possible internal layout 6. Main Core 7. Social and Recreational Spaces 8. Plug-in Mesh

‘Hous-o-port’ Districts - Scherk’s Minimal Surface Towers-

MAIN TOWER TYPOLOGIES Typology 1 - a, b, c, d, e -

Typology 2 - F1, f2 -

Typology 3 - g, h, i , j, k -

1. The geometry is generated as a developable surface.

1. The geometry obtained is a mesh.

2. Using the ‘UnrollSrf’ (fabrication method 3 from small scale tests) the Saddle Tower can be flatten into fabrication sheets.

2. Using digital computation, vertices can be extracted and transformed into steel trussts, which support the entire structure.

f2

A

2. Main steel frame can be designed, fabricated and assabled on site. Then fabric is woven onto the frame and concrete is then sprayed to create the shape.

3. Reinforced mortar or plaster (lime or cement, sand and water) is then applied over layer of metal mesh, to construct relatively thin, hard, strong surface, and concrete-render.

3. By applying the same principle to any flat sheets of material (metal, polypropylene, plywood), we are able to transform the surface and its properties into something three dimensional as well as flexible.

f2

1. The geometry obtained is a relaxed mesh. (simulation of a stretched fabric placed on a metal frame).

f1

f1

k

B

h

j

g

B C D E

f1 k f2 g h

i j

g ‘STRETCHED’

FABRICATION OF TYPOLOGIES 1 & 3 (A, B, C, D, E & G, H, I, J , K) - Scherk Minimal Surfaces analysis reinforcing mesh and concrete sprayed -

1. The geometry is generated as a developable surface. any sheet material

2.

Using the ‘UnrollSrf’ (fabrication method 3 from small scale tests) the Saddle Tower can be flatten into fabrication sheets.

The majority of the main metal bars that form the shape are twisted in all 3 directions. A proposed way to fabricate these would be the use of a robotic arm and a programmed tortion machine.

3. By applying the same principle to any flat sheets of material (metal, polypropylene, plywood), we are able to transform the surface and its properties into something three dimensional as well as flexible.

main metal bars

1. The geometry obtained is a relaxed mesh. (simulation of a stretched fabric placed on a metal frame).

2. Main steel frame can be designed, fabricated and assabled on site. Then fabric is woven onto the frame and concrete is then sprayed to create the shape.

Main relaxed mesh on metal frame

Main metal frame

Using spray-concrete speeds up the process of construction and it can be used both for rigidity formation and structural repair. Installed properly by experienced applicators, sprayed concrete provides designers with a cost effective and adaptable method to create concrete structures.

MODULES FOR TYPOLOGIES 3 (G, H, I, J , K)

METAL FRAME

- Discrete Minimal Surfaces in Cubic Lattice -

RELAXED FABRIC

Perspective View - cubic polyhedron

Perspective View - relaxed mesh

TOWER MODULE EXPLORATION

Monkey-Saddle M

Mirrored Saddle S

Left-handed screw S

Right-handed screw Z

Scherk minimal surface (singly- periodic)

Scherk minimal surface two-fold rotational symmetry

Mirrored Saddle S vertical circulation

Mirrored Saddle S vertical circulation and formation of ‘plug-ins spaces’

Perspective View - relaxed mesh module development

Mirrored Saddle S horizontal platform

ITERATIONS OF MODULES 1

Monkey Saddley M Iterations

2

Cubic polyhedra withnsingle monkey saddle

3

Scherk minimal surface (singly periodic) Iterations

4

Scherk minimal surface two-fold rotational symmetry

3

4

2

1

Hous-o-port Tower - initial proposal - Main Tower Diagram and Plug-in Concept -

High Level Ventilation

Gardens Added Module Saddle S on metalic frame Plug-in System for the Capsules Plug-ins for Living Capsules

Charging sokets

Public Space

Market

Module Saddle S

Main Cable Circulation

Main Social Spaces Spaces for flying houses plugs Main Circulation Core

Sketched render of the plug-in Tower Sketched renders of plug-in system tower

FINAL HOUS-O-PORT TOWER - iteration explanation - Scherk’s Minimal Surfaces typologies and iterations that form the Tower -

Iteration 5

Iteration 6

Iteration 7

scherk’s minimal surface main ieterations that lead to round geometry

Iteration 4

VARIATIONS IN BRANCH NUMBER

Iteration 8

2 saddle branches

3 saddle branches

Iteration 9

Iteration 10

Iteration 11

Iteration 12

Iteration 13

Iteration 14

Iteration 15

Iteration 16

0.4 height of stories

10 holes

Iteration 17

0.6 height of stories

Iteration 18

0.8 height of stories

5 saddle branches

12 holes

Iteration 19 1 height of stories

14 holes

Iteration 20

1.2 height of stories

VARIATIONS IN HEIGHT STORIES & HOLES NUMBER

8 holes

4 saddle branches

Volumetric diagram assembly

Top view

Final Hous-o-port Tower

MAIN GEOMETRY STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS - Scherk’s Minimal Surfaces typologies analysis using Scan & Solve Rhino plug-in* -

Scherk’s minimal surface

Scherk’s saddle towers -typology 1-

Scherk’s expanded branches -typology 2-

Linear stress analysis

Main geometry / primitive

-unit module-

MAX- Fragile (dangerous for construction) MIN- Resistent (optimal under stress)

possible deformations / failures

Applied Load + Restrictions

* http://www.scan-and-solve.com/;

Normal Gravity Load

Scherk’s branches -typology 3-

Final Scherk - typology 4-

FINAL TOWER STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS - Scherk’s Minimal Surfaces typologies analysis using Scan & Solve Rhino plug-in* -

Main geometry

Linear stress analysis

possible deformations

Several loads were applied to the modules that form the final Scherk Tower. The restrictions and limits were formed by the ends of the geometry, and gravity forces were applied, As noticed from the diagrams above, the geometry becomes more stiff when bent towards the centre.

When stacked on top of each other, the modules become very rigid in the centre, leaving small vulnerabilities on the exterior rings.

Main geometry with forces and loads applied

1. Restrictions were implemented in the Reinforced Concrete; 2. Main loads were simulated (as in a house just landed)

normal gravity load + boundary restrictions

3. Resistant bent core modules; 4. Vulnerabilities on the lower part of the building;

Gravity + extra load (houses) + boundary restrictions

5. Main deformations are visible form the original geometry. When high load forces are applied, the central axis of the tower gets displaced, as well as small twists and bends appear in the exterior cantelivered rings.

1

2

3

4

7

EXCAVATION & PILE FOUNDATION

SCAFFOLD SUPPORTING MODULE

4

(BRANCHING STRUCTURAL SYSTEM OF THE MESH)

PRE-STRESS TENSION ANCHOR

STEEL COLUMNS CONNECTION 7

8

POSSIBLE MODULE CONNECTIONS

SCREWED WOODEN PLANKS

6

5

CYLINDRICAL CORE 3

- interlocking pre-cast concrete parts -

IN SITU RC SLAB

2

4. completed foundation pile;

3. concrete poured into trench (slurry pumped out);

2. reinforcing steel cage inserted into the trench;

1. soil dug out and replaced with slurry;

1

further tower development- Variation in space

Main Core / social space

social space 2 social space 1

Main Core / social space

Main Core / social space

- Tower typologies and iterations that form maximum and minimal ranges for the capsules -

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Option 4

Option 5

FINAL HOUS-O-PORT TOWER - Final Tower sliced views through differnet parts of the geometry -

Integrated inflatable capsules

Option 1

- Explorations within the space created by the Scherk geometry -

Option 2

Final Option

Design development of main core - Plug-in system of the capsules and Social Space -

Determining the level to place the main spaces

Sketches

Main Core developed through different use spaces

Final Porposed ‘Sockets’ / pockets for the capsules

Main core - final design - perspective view through the House-o-Port Tower Core and Capsule -

Openable doors

Electricity harvesting system Main Platform connecting with Core

Retractable Platform

Main ‘Night Area’

Storage Drone system

Main ‘Day Area’ Inflating a Living Capsule

Sleeping Capsule

Light-weigth base

NIGHT AREA Deployable bedroom, bathroom, storage

MAIN CAPSULE Permanent circulation hall

DAY AREA Deployable living room, study, kitchen

house support structure

House type B

House type A

MAIN DETRIUM (central core)

air collective systems

moisture system

bio-filtration system

pipes for construction

antennas +GPD systems

+10 m

+20 m

+30 m

+40 m

+50 m

+60 m

+70 m

+80 m

+90 m