N on-Human Space
[ Experimental architecture ] prof. Nieves Mestre Martinez prof. Camila Aybar Rodriguez [ Alena Tkachenka]
[University Europea de Madrid 3d trimester 2016]
[ Alena Tkachenka_drawing ]
002
[ FLORA ]
[ Design Interventions in the Plant]
What is a purpose of design? It has been always taking the scale of a human, even for the small implementations in the body. But what is actually missing is the complexity of world we live in. We got used to the idea that the tree is something we put on the master plan as small rounds, to shape and beautify our new human building. The problem is not in the we dont care about a tree, but is in that we are missing something important. On this particular case our design is narrow-minded and is attached only to one side. The possibilities to take into account all living mechanisms and involve them into our “doing being� can deepen our society and lead to a new stage of human existence. The question how to do it is yet to be discovered... To take a risk and start designing for the animals, for inctance, can lead to a total failure (as we are not able to intervene in nature in the logical for it way) or to a great success. That is our infinite way towards mind investigation.
During the exsercise on the plant disection and implementation of several proposals to make it work in a more sustainable way it was important to understand the basic periods of life of a plant, main needs, structural capacities. The main proposal for a chestnut was to link it to another living beigns and their needs. The reason why I choose this plant was a strong memory from childhood about a tree being my house, as its large crone covered within its branches and leaves up to five kids... From this very personal approach it was easier to actually come into relation with a tree.
[ Karl Blossfeldt: ends of branches of horse chestnut,magnified 12times ]
2222
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2121
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103 103 103 6 5 8 8 5 8 8 7 8 6 7 8 7 7 7 6 5 8 68 55 88 88 57 8 8 86 77 88 67 7 7 8 7 7 7 7
227
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17
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3737 2626
7 7 9 7 8 10 7 7 9 7 7 7 8 9 107 78 710 7 7
99
99
9
9955
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41,68° 41,68° 41,68°
2 2
45
99
45 45
CHESTNUT CHESTNUT
19
19 19
72
72 72
30
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tuft tuft -- pointed pointed end tuft - pointed end end
The is The chestnut chestnut group is a a genus genus The chestnut group group is a genus (Castanea) of or (Castanea) of eight eight or nine nine (Castanea) of eight or nine of trees species of deciduous deciduous trees and and speciesspecies of deciduous trees and the shrubs in beech the beech beech family shrubsshrubs in thein family family Fagaceae, to Fagaceae, native to temperate temperate Fagaceae, native native to temperate of the Northern regions of the Northern regionsregions of the Northern Hemisphere. Hemisphere. Hemisphere. Chestnut trees of Chestnut treesofare are of moderate moderate Chestnut trees are moderate standing growth rate. When standing on growthgrowth rate. rate. When When standing on on their own, they spread their own, they spread on the the their own, they spread on theon develop sides and develop broad, sides sides and and develop broad,broad, rounded, at rounded, dense crowns at rounded, dense dense crownscrowns at maturity. maturity. maturity.
– pale hilum –a abrown pale brown brown hilum –hilum a pale attachment attachment scar attachment scar scar
Fruit Fruit Fruit M 1:1 1:1 M 1:1M
2 42
22
66
ches Male ches Male Male chestnut fl M 4:1 4:1 M 4:1M
16 1116
48,85° 48,85° 48,85°
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14 7° ,67° 7° 3399,6
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105 105
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004
48 48
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45,76° 45,76° 45,76°
43,66° 43,66° 43,66° 44
3 4 4 3 7 4 6 5 7 83 4 8 7 4 6 5 77 6 5 7
M 1:2 1:2 M 1:2M
chestnut cover chestnut cover “burr” “burr” chestnut cover “burr” 5-11 Dcm 5-11 cm cm D 5-11D remain on the tree tree remainremain on theon treethe than they longer thanhold they hold hold longerlonger than they the fruit, but more thebut fruit, but often more often often the fruit, more achieve complete achieve complete achieve complete opening and opening and release release opening and release the fruits only theonly fruitsafter only after after the fruits fallen having fallen on the the havinghaving fallen on theon ground groundground opening is opening is partly partly due opening is partly due due soil to soil humidity humidity to soil to humidity
Leaf Leaf Leaf M 1:2 1:2 M 1:2M
hard, shiny, hard, brown shiny, brown brown outer hard, shiny, outer outer or husk, hull orcalled husk, called called the hull orhull husk, the the pericarpus pericarpus pericarpus skin, thinner skin, called called the thinnerthinner skin, called the the or pellicle or episperm episperm pelliclepellicle or episperm
skin, thinner skin, called called the thinnerthinner skin, called the the two two cotyledons cotyledons with a a two cotyledons with a with creamy-white creamy-white flesh creamy-white flesh flesh throughout throughout throughout
Fruit Fruit Fruit M 4:1 4:1 M 4:1M
Because the Because the seeds seeds lack Because the seeds lack lack a or a coating coating or internal internal a coating or internal food they food supply, supply, they lose lose food supply, they lose viability soon viability soon after after viability soon after ripening and must ripening andbe must be be ripening and must planted immediately planted immediately planted immediately
Annual AnnualAnnual growth growthgrowth (created (created from (created from from three three pairs of of three pairs ofpairs leaves. each leaves.leaves. each each following at following at following at right right angles angles right angles to the the to the to previous previous one) previous one) one)
Winter branch Winter branch Winter branch M 2:1 M 2:1M 2:1
Two or three flowers together form a four-lobed prickly calybium, which ultimately grows completely together to make the brown hull, or husk, covering the fruits
PROPOSAL
The ripe pollen carries a heavy, sweet odour
6 7 8 7 7 7
Male chestnut flower M 4:1
Detail M 8:1
Female chestnut flower M 4:1
#1 Smart earth grid catches the seed to be carried about. I m p l y i n g mechanism lacking in the nature:vehile. The grid takes the seed away until it checks the soil to be good and takes care during the first months.
45,76°
43,66°
The fiirst thing that a plant will care about is reproduction. With this proposal the amount of alive seeds will increase.
M 1:2
nut cover “burr” 11 cm
in on the tree er than they hold uit, but more often ve complete ing and release uits only after g fallen on the nd
ing is partly due l humidity
The leaves are simple, ovate or lanceolate, 10–30 cm long and 4–10 cm wide, with sharply pointed, widely spaced teeth, with shallow rounded sinuates between
Leaf M 1:2 renal scales (brown, sticky separated water-insoluble resin and protect bud)
leaf scars (in the place where leaves were) scar from the vascular bundle (blocked end of blood vessels and sieve tubes) Annual growth (created from three pairs of leaves. each following at right angles to the previous one)
lenticels (gas exchange) lignified stem lateral bud
circular scar left over from last year's inflorescence
circular scar left over from last year's apical bud leaf scars (in the place where leaves were)
apical bud
#2 Strong structure that gives a plant an ability to grow higher and with more safeness. #3 (macroscale) to change the shape of the leaf in dry areas. The thick structure in the leaf will keep water in case of dry seasons and will condensate it on the surface for insects and birds. |1| #4 “strong crone” additional devices to make the leaves stronger and waterproof to create better conditions for nests of birds. Reshape of the trunk for better nests.
Branch connection M 2:1 circular scar
resting lateral bud
Winter branch M 2:1
leaf scars (in the place where leaves were)
[ Alena Tkachenka_drawing ]
III trimester 2016. UEM. G4. Lena Tkachenka.
006
[FANTASY WORLDS AS AN INSPIRATION FOR ARCHITECTURE]
[ El Boscue. Garden of earthy delights. Fragment ]
The idea of linking art and architecture by speculating on the possible strucrures within he impossible worlds came out as very powerful .The intervention was important from the both sides: as a release from the basic architectural tools and forms, and as a learning from such inspiring masterpiece as the Garden of Earthy Delights by Bosch. The Garden gives the idea about how the world works, and how it is supposed to work as an impossible Place, where fear between animals and people doesn’t exhist, and all creatures live in coherency and trust. The reason why we separate our lives from another species is fear for life, for uncontrolled situations. We can not know for sure what will happen of we release control and let the planet be a but more itself.
[ Alena Tkachenka_section ]
008
[ El Boscue. Garden of earthy delights. Fragment ]
|1|
[ Alena Tkachenka_section ]
010
[ NON-HUMAN MEANS AN INSECT]
[ Alena Tkachenka_detail ]
[ “Urban Eden” Module ] Urban Eden Module is a structure which can enrich the life of a city, enrich the diversity, change the human environment. Urban modules placed around the city will welcome many bees which will run the process of “bringing back the green” by natural mechanisms. The project gives homes for 7 honey bee colonies and for numerous single bees. We keep the module self-sustainable. Everybody speaks about the problem of the honey bees, as we have got to use them. But the real importance for our planet is to have single bees as main polinators of crops. In this proposal we create different types of single bee houses: -8mm diameter for female bees; 6mm diameter for drones; 2-3mm diameter for for the smallest species. We also divercify the morphology of the single bee house (wooden sticks ; separated flexible modules, etc) The water pond underneath serves as a cooling and is used by the needs of bees. The modules of the bee houses can be replaced; the function of it can be changed (to earth boxes with plants, for divercifying the fabric). People can also come inside of the bee module, the entrance is visually divided (human and non-human space). We believe in an ideal world in which the fear between human and non-human disappears.
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artificial meadow
bee hive enatances
glass protection
modula structure for single bee houses
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[ Alena Tkachenka_visualization]
012
[PARK RETIRO ARTIFICIAL MOUNTAIN]
[ Alena Tkachenka_drawing ]
[ Self-Growing Structure ] Retiro park of Madrid, Spain, is located in the very center of the city surrounded by dence living quarters. Its history tells us that once this place was a suburb toyal residence, linked to nature even though the landscape interbentions were artificial... One of these interventions was an artificial mountain,which for some time was a home for cats and other small animals. Nowadays the mountain is the last place where visitors of Retiro would go to. This is understandable: there is no life, no question, no intrigue about the mountain, even though construction has a potential. The proposal is to enhance the interest in the mountain by actually making it a place to live of different species of birds and insects. Actual excludement of people from the mountain will not make it “unaccessible�: due to the investigation in the shape it will be easy to observe the wild life.as well as to perceive it from underneath. With this idea I try to get closer to the paradoxes of biotic organisation of nature, guessing how the artificial structure would act, if the materiality of it would have been alive.
[ Alena Tkachenka_drawing ]
014 The basement for the self-growing structure is made out of light metal construction with the cover that has to be discovered. The structure provides a complex space which is fulfilled with a “living” materia during the process of growing. The void space underneath the artificial mountain is maintained and can be used from the outside from both ways: from the sidewalk or from the open public space.
The inner space formed by the supporting structure is kept as “sacral” and “untouched”.
[ Alena Tkachenka_section ]
artificially
made cliff
entrance from the water
The basement is made out of concrete and is placed at four points
sidewalk
The structure keeps growing during the whole season, and at winter time “stands up” out of the trees, when in summer it hides in between the leaves. The idea is to create an ecosystem including birds and insects, imagining their symbiosis and sustainable co-exhistence.. [ Alena Tkachenka_conceptual plan ]
growing process. March
growing process. April
growing process. May
growing process. June
growing process. July
growing process. August
growing process. September
growing process. October
016 Micro-Facade
Microfibre Section
The structural intervention during the development of the project has been changed the scale to a macroscale.
Facade During the investigation on the facade it was useful to learn how the primary simple nature materials, such as diatoms, create connections to keep the structure stable. The placement of the holes for ventilation is always made according to the dencity and stress of the material. One big hole is almost always replaced my the two small in the next row. In order to connect the materials with bigger openings nature creates more complex forms. The joints in between work as a lock.
In the microfibre construction was important to show the flow of the water inside. It consists of two structural parts, an inbetween space is used as a cleaner (masic natural system in macroscale).
The idea of the proposal is to create a water supply and cleaning system within the structure.
[ Alena Tkachenka_facade ]
[ Alena Tkachenka_section ]
water collector
water-cleaning system
water
Joint connection mimicry from diatom structure
Joint connection rapidly interconnected points create a strong structure out of light materials
Space for birds
[ Alena Tkachenka_detail ]