Living building 1

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The Living Building Leonoor Leus



THE LIVING BUILDING LEONOOR LEUS

THE LIVING BUILDING CONTENTS 1

THE LIVING BUILDING

THE LIVING BUILDING abstract

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THE MODERN MOVEMENT

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MODERN-DAY PROBLEMATICS

A. B. C. D.

URBANIZATION CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER LEVEL RISING REGENERATION OF WATERFRONT CITIES SOCIO-ECONOMIC INEQUALITY

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DYMAXION HOUSE

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HELIOTROPE GEODESIC DOMES EDEN PROJECT TRITON CITY BIOSPHERE FLOATING CITIES

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THE LIVING BUILDING

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ARCOLOGY & BIOMIMICRY FOAM ‘SPHERES’ TRUNCATED OCTOHEDRON HEXAGON STRUCTURE MODULES LIVING MODEL PLANS FLOATING CITY SECTION RENDERINGS

The ‘living building’ is a building method that can grow, adapt and is prepared to challenge many of the predictable and unpredictable changes humanity will be faced with over the next centuries. Inspired by this framework of spheres and the idea of foam, my research led me to the truncated octahedron. This geometrical module is composed out of eight hexagons, and six squares, each with members of equal length. It proves itself as the optimised shape for modular connectivity. It allows for unlimited growth, three-dimensional connectivity, a maximum volumetric space, and a maximum surface area. A means to reach a state of resilience is by creating a strong framework that can host a diversity of programs, building methods, activities, and that be shaped and adapted throughout its period of use. Another means to freedom and movability in architecture, is the unoccupied territory of the ocean. Due to our current global warming conditions, the world’s seawater level is expected to rise 4.5 feet by 2100. The ‘living building’ could installed on land or be built water, creating floating structures offshore near a coast line in order to accommodate the growing population or victims of emergency situations such as flooding, natural disasters and more. This “urban oasis” would be floating in tropical ocean waters and will provide all the necessary elements to sustain modern life. The project will take cues from our physical sciences (biology, chemistry, and physics) to reenact processes of the natural world to harness the generative and restorative energies of the world’s oceans.

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THE LIVING BUILDING | LEONOOR LEUS

THE LIVING BUILDING | ON THE ADAPTABILITY OF ARCHITECTURE The architect, theorist, designer, and futurist Richard Buckminster Fuller claimed: “A room

As a model of development for human life, flexibility allows for a continuous adaptation

should not be fixed, should not create a static mood, but should lend itself to change so

that infinitely modifies itself to meet new daily challenges. When we apply this model to

that its occupants may play upon it as they would upon a piano.”

architecture, we can start to investigate at which level adaptability is the subject of a

The profound crisis facing our coexistence on ‘Spaceship Earth,' as Buckminster liked to

sustainable model. Such an experiment illustrates the meaning of variation, adaptation

call our world, and the unstoppable changes in our western ways of life demand an

and renewal and how we can apply these themes to construction concerns. What are

urgent change in the housing model that societies provide for their citizens. The idea of

the consequences for the built if it was thought, drawn and realized based on an idea of

adaptable architecture arose from the realisation that static building compositions, based

a progressive process? How can we react to the demand for flexibility by the built? And,

on traditional models of housing, in many cases established over 50 years ago, are not

ultimately: How can architecture provide a flexible environment allowing a constant

able to respond to the needs of our current lifestyle which is, unlike our houses, change-

change of use?

able, flexible and adaptive. Constant and rapid change, as we see nowadays, calls for

Within the history of modern architecture, there are excellent examples of how archi-

strategies in managing everyday life and a high level of flexibility. Static solutions are no

tects looked for adaptability in design. Many of the first generation architects of the

longer able to respond to the varying requirements of our modern society, defined by

Modern Movement in the 1920s presented projects and plans to experiment on these

social demographic needs, economical fluctuation, and even environmental change.

principles, among them Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, Mies Van der Rohe, Gerrit Rietveld

During the last decades, we saw the arrival of more dynamic ways of life, less tied to a

and, in particular (as detailed in this thesis) Richard Buckminster Fuller.

particular place and setting. Technological advances lead to new possibilities in the

This aim for adaptability, made possible by modern technologies and machines, inspired

mobility and transformability of space. New mechanical tools are capable of transforming

many radical architecture movements in the 1960s such as Archigram, Metabolism in

the home, to extend rooms, link spaces together, and adapt living areas through folding

Japan, and more recent architects such as Rem Koolhaas, Jean Nouvel and Steven Holl.

or sliding walls. We can create conditions in which we conceive a house literally in the same way as we would an instrument.

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THE LIVING BUILDING | LEONOOR LEUS

The purpose of this proposal is to investigate the flexibility of current building models

As Buckminster stated:

using historical solutions, present-day examples and future predictions, the rise of new

”Our beds are empty two-thirds of the time. Our living rooms are empty seven-eighths

technologies and the ability to change the function or configuration of a building. The

of the time. Our office buildings are empty one-half of the time.

influence of Buckminster Fuller on this subject applies to the various fields of study that

It is time we gave this some thought.

are related to this dissertation. He demonstrated as no one did, the importance of

My proposal takes an example from Buckminster’s former idea and adapts it to our

targeting the future and providing new answers.

current social, ecological and economical setting, still determined by huge population

In views of the demographic and environmental changes taking place today and

growth all over the world, and hanging climatic conditions of the climate. Introducing

prospected for the remaining 21st century, flexible layout and ideas of participation, as

new technologies and materials could finally make an affordable housing solution for all

well as simple, industrialised, yet individualised architectural solutions, are highly topical

people, realisable.

once more. Buckminster already seemed to have recognised — and at least partially

The project proposes a housing type that is based on the idea of planning “houses like

solved — in the midst of the previous century, some of the problems with which our

trees”, making them best capable of accommodating ongoing change. The project is

modern society is confronted today. His ideas and way of thinking are, maybe more than

capable of being transformed, by its inhabitants, adapting it at every moment to their

ever, relevant today. We are still lacking a consistent housing model that offers a

personal necessities.

dynamic way of living, a so-called flexible house, that with the help of tools and strategies allows for a re-configurable living space that we can easily adapt to changing needs.

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THE MODERN MOVEMENT | ADAPTABLE ARCHITECTURE IN THE 20TH AND 21ST CENTURY FROM BAUHAUS TO BUCKMINSTER FULLER At the beginning of the nineteen twenties many creators, architects, and engineers — Buckminster Fuller none the least — committed themselves to the conception and construction of adaptable objects. During this era, the development of pre-fabricated, flexible objects and architectural elements resembled a race to set new records. Following the technological advancements of the Industrial Revolution, many leaders in the field sought to do away with the static structures in architecture. In no time at all, architecture was transformed and became considered as having a crucial role and an important function in recreating the living environment from a progressive, rational and democratic point of view. According to the architects belonging to the Modern Movement, the construction of modern architecture had to be the expression of a liberal spirit that, in proposing new forms of housing, offered an alternative way of living to the reigning social injustice, misery and exploration of the previous years. Technological and structural innovations, amongst others, allowed for architecture in glass and steel and liberated people and their strict living spaces from its thick and enclosed atmosphere. The architects of the Modern Movement started designing from a credo that could be resumed as 'less is more.’ Buckminster took this idea even further, as he was aiming to 'do the most with the least.’ Later on, he would call this process 'ephemeralization,' his term for doing 'more and more with less and less until eventually, you can do everything with nothing.’

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1919

1920

1921

1924

1929

Bauhaus / Walter Gropius

Le Corbusier

Mies Van der Rohe

Gerrit Rietveld

Dymaxion House


THE LIVING BUILDING | LEONOOR LEUS

The dwelling of our time does not exist. But altered circumstances in our lives demand that it be created. Mies Van Der Rohe, German Building Exhibition, 1931.

1948

1952

1967

1961

1963

1987

1989

Standard Living Package

Geodesic Dome

Triton City

Archigram

Metabolists

Jean Nouvel

Steven Holl

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MODERN-DAY PROBLEMATICS | URBANIZATION | SUSTAINABILITY CLIMATE CHANGE | FLOODING | SOCIO-ECONOMIC INEQUALITY The last decades have brought about enormous social changes. The traditional occupa-

A. URBANIZATION AND OVERPOPULATION

these new approaches are urgently demanding.

tion of a house has transformed in many ways to present a more varied field of types of

Individuality, alongside urbanisation, is one of the fastest growing tendencies of the last

Many of the issues that Bucky dreamed of erasing by intelligent design, still need to be

configuration. Social tendencies have modified the number of individuals that consti-

century. Nomadic lifestyles and joined work and living spaces ask for a different

faced today: urbanisation and land scarcity, limited resources, socioeconomic inequali-

tute a household, even varying multiple times over a lifetime or in the timespan of a

approach and development models in how to achieve houses that grow with us and for

ty, changing domestic structures and climate change. The concepts that he brought

week. In a technologically advanced society, more people work from home, partly,

us. New social needs require changeable spatial configurations.

forward are still being studied and used by modern day architects as a possible solution

totally or remotely — and are traveling often. Ever smaller personal computers and

These principles apply to the new ways of living that have re-emerged, especially in the

for many of the problems facing our world today.

broad band wifi-connections have allowed people to connect their living and working

Western World, during the last decades. They are also related to the housing forms that

Buckminster Fuller seemed to have approached the idea of construction in a genuinely

space more closely. Our relationship to the environment, technology and work also

these new approaches are urgently demanding.

original and innovative way. He attempted a method that allowed architecture to cut

challenged our way of living. To accommodate these new relations and lifestyles, it is

Looking both at historical precedents, Buckminster’s research and the future possibili-

loose from its previously solidly secured roots.

undeniable that a new housing model is required.

ties and development in technology, we can distinguish methods and strategies that

Buckminster identified technologic specialisation as a means to the progressive dema-

In 1931, Mies van der Rohe directed an exposition at the German Building Exhibition, in

convert buildings to be responsive and adaptable to its user’s requirements, and

terialisation of architecture, meaning less material is used for each project. His represen-

which he stated:

technologic and energy-efficient solutions, that can make the necessary resources

tation of spaces was based mainly on mathematics and biology and, to a lesser extent,

available to all mankind.

on the tradition of housing construction. Thus, he was able to attack the building prob-

“The dwelling of our time does not exist. But altered circumstances in our lives demand

If we start using the technological innovations available to us in an intelligent way, archi-

lems as if it were the first time that someone had looked at the problem. Because of his

that it be created. Before it can be created it is essential that we have a clear idea of what

tecture can become a powerful tool that shapes our daily living conditions. While some

inventiveness, however, the technology and construction methods necessary to realise

our living requirements really are. Overcoming today's discrepancy in living conditions

challenges still remain determinately urgent to overcome, others can be eradicated by

most of his projects were mostly undeveloped, unavailable or insufficiently adapted to

between actual needs and false pretensions, between genuine demand and inadequate

modern design and technology.

architectural projects at the time. He therefore repeatedly claimed that his ideas were 50

supply, is a burning economic challenge, and a precondition to the advancement of

These principles apply to the new ways of living that have re-emerged, especially in the

years ahead of their time.

‘culture’”.

Western World, during the last decades. They are also related to the housing forms that

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B. CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER LEVEL RISING

fascinating design solutions that test the resiliency of architectural possibilities and the

Buckminster Fuller no longer saw ‘the act of building' as a strategic act of colonisation,

The problematic situation of rising water levels is a recurring issue in many places in the

need for adaptation that these changes will produce.

which according to him had previously often led to social injustice, misery and war. For

world that border the ocean, with three quarter of the world’s largest cities, such as

Sustainable solutions are an urgent priority to waterfront cities and driving structures

Fuller, owning a property signified living at a particular place for a certain time, and

London, Miami, Tokyo, Amsterdam and Djakarta, directly touching the coast.

are part of a strategy of adaptation. One of the prototype projects is the Floating

using the land as a source of food or as the site of a house. It also meant that the land

Scenarios of floating structures and cities are being experimented, especially in Asia and

Pavilion, a mobile pavilion made out of floatable geodesic domes that houses exposi-

remained available to others, as the sea remains open to others when we cross it by

the Netherlands. For the Netherlands, their relationship to water and the risk of rising

tions about architecture on water. Dutch engineering firm DeltaSync, who built the

boat. ‘On the sea which is constantly in motion, no one who crosses it seeks to possess

sea levels has been a historic working point, with a quarter of their total land surface

project, presented the Floating Pavilion as part of their manifesto on the Blue Revolu-

the water beneath it. Only on the static country, people get this idea’, Fuller remarks

laying beneath the water level. Various actions are currently being put in place to

tion, a strategy that include several of the oceans strengths and benefits to expand

sarcastically and polemically, but ultimately he was convinced that sooner or later it

protect the Dutch coast from the expectation of a 65 to 130 cm rise in water level in 2100

human society. Their visions include modular cities that can expand gradually, in line

would become clear to what extent this is absurd.

and up to four meters in 2200. The possibly affected areas house up to nine million

with social needs and economical possibilities. Elements can be moved around to create

people. The unpredictable nature of the water calls for adaptable strategies that will

a dynamic geography that changes along with the cities growth and transformation.

proof their resilience in the future. In the prospect of climate change, land shortage and

D. SOCIOECONOMIC INEQUALITY

the rise of water levels, architects and urbanists alike are looking for sustainable and

Dealing with land scarcity, floating cities would be able to house up to 100,000 people

durable solution.

and include outdoor spaces, shopping, entertainment and schools. They could also be

C. REGENERATION OF WATERFRONT CITIES

connected to one another or to the mainland by bridges. In a city docked with these

As land scarcity and climatic uncertainty contain to rise the possibilities and opportuni-

floating constructions, the purchase of land becomes useless, and homes would be

ties of mobile and floatable architecture needs to be further investigated as a means to

cheaper and therefore readily available to a broad audience. Fuller also pointed out that

house people at risk of losing their land and accommodation. Unpredictable climate

such a city model would increase the land area available for agricultural purposes.

changes along the world's most vulnerable coastal communities, have produced some

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DYMAXION HOUSE | A FIVE PERSON DWELLING WITH A HEXAGONAL GROUND PLAN AND A CENTRAL MAST CONTAINING ALL THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS. The investigation for the project starts from the study of the Dymaxion House by

BUCKMINSTER FULLER - Dymaxion Bathroom. 1929.

Buckminster Fuller (1929), a 5-person dwelling with a hexagonal ground plan and a central mast, pulling up both the ceiling and the floor, similar to hanging bridge, allowing the walls to be non-baring. The mast anchored into the ground by means of a base that included a sceptic tank, a deposit of fuel, the heating, the electricity generator, the pumps and an air filter. By regrouping all the utilities into this central pole, the whole installation could be easily transported in a compact metal tube. Fuller first imagined housing towers built around a high mast of reinforced concrete from which different slabs were hung, suspended by cables, in the form of metal rings. He was, amongst other structural elements, inspired by the large communications BUCKMINSTER FULLER - Dymaxion House. 1929. Plan.

towers popping up on landscapes at the time. These structures hold no beams and are created only as elements of compression and traction, whose rigidity and stability is achieved solely through triangulations. Since his early days, Fuller had been attracted to triangles and tetrahedrons, forms that repeatedly appear in the models that he, since he was a kid, build with small sticks. He was also fascinated by the structures of bicycle wheels, umbrellas and tennis rackets. Fuller knew that steel was the most efficient when applied in traction, in order to attain a determined force with a minimum amount of material and weight. The cables in these towers were hidden, both in the facade as in the interior partitions. In this way, the central mast functions as

BUCKMINSTER FULLER - Dymaxion House. 1929. Article in Architecture Magazine.

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“a house in which the real individualism of a person and their family can be developed; in which all the necessary that has to be done (eat, sleep, clean) demands little time. Leaving time to other things, the mind can be dedicated to a contemplation of a life more rhythmic and philosophical.” the only support, but also serves to canalise the installations and contain the elevator.

one cup of hot water and a toilet that uses no water at all.

Fuller presented his Dymaxion house in the following way: “these new houses will be

This mast held up the complete structure, following a hexagonal geometry, with

The house was light, portable and mobile. The exterior walls would be fabricated from

structured after the natural systems of trees, with a central stem or backbone, from

triangular floors and facades.

thin metal plates, making the house easy to be transported, stored and re-built or

which are provided all pumping, supply, filtering units, aerial systems, nerves or

This structural model allowed Fuller to imagine high housing towers, put together in a

deconstructed rapidly. The weight of the construction (a recurring theme in his further

reception units, with appropriate covering and temperature retention.”

factory, equipped, transported through the air and dropped on site. He drew towers

works) was aimed to be as minimal as possible, as such that the Dymaxion could to be

hanging from helicopters and made schemes showing that they would be significantly

easily shipped across the country or the world. The remodelled 1929 version weighed

lighter and faster to build than traditional constructions.

under 3000 and provided over 150 square meters of living space.

The house would be delivered fully equipped with furniture and installations such as a

The interior of the space was modular, creating a flexible ground plan that was incredi-

radio, television (used for the first time that year), a writing machine and a calculator. It

bly customisable and permitted users to easily adapt the configuration to their person-

also held air-conditioning, in a way that the air entered the house through a couple of

al needs, by hiding away the bedrooms to enjoy a large living room for example. The

openings in the central mast and was humidified, cooled down or heated as wished.

idea was that the house would be in constant evolution. Buckminster’s idea was that

The bathroom was a prefabricated “mold” that held a bathtub, the toilet and the sink,

the inhabitants could modify over and over again the configuration of the house,

and included light, ventilation and water flow.

converting it in a clear example of the adaptable dwelling. All the elements in the

Additionally, the house was an example of self-sufficiency: it could be heated and

house were designed to be mobile, including the installations. Even the technical

cooled using natural systems, produced its own energy, was built to resist earthquakes

unities, that were connected to the central structure, could be moved or replaced.

and storms, was made out of engineered materials that did not need any painting,

Although never built, the Dymaxion's design displayed forward-thinking and influen-

repair, or other periodic maintenance. The design also included wind turbines on the

tial innovations in prefabrication and sustainability. Not only would the house have

roof and a vast system of cisterns to collect and recycle rainwater. For the bathroom

been exemplary in its self-sufficiency, but it also could have been mass-produced,

unit, Fuller created the 'Dymaxion Bathroom' — consisting of a shower that required

flat-packaged and shipped throughout the world.

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HELIOTROPE | THE ROTATING HOUSE In 1994, Rolf Disch designed his own house as the ultimate experiment for the latest

ROLF DISCH - Heliotrope House. 1994. Section via Rolf Disch website

technological and sustainable solutions. His Heliotrope House, located in his hometown, Freiburg, is both his personal house and his architecture studio. The construction uses modern technologies, resulting in a sustainable and eco-logical building of excellent thermic and energetic efficiency. The construction was designed to be fully pre-fabricated in a covered area, transported and later assembled on site. The 18-sided circular building has a total heigh of 14 meters and a diameter of 10.5 meters. It stands on a single supporting central column, 22 meters high and 2,9 meters wide, built in certified Finnish wood. The central mast contains the electrical and water installations as well as a spiral staircase that circumferentially distributes the levels, the rooms which are all connected to one another and the different installations. The interior divisions of the house are flexible according to the inhabitant's needs. On top there is a roof terrace with a rain water collection system, a solar panel installation and a two-axis sun-tracking system. The house revolves entirely around its central mast, moving about 15 degrees every hour, accompanying the sun, trying to find an energetic efficiency and optimal illumination. To catch the most sunlight and use it in the best way possible, half the facade is made out of wide windows, with triple glazing, which face the sun in winter to absorb heat, while the other half incorporates high insulation panels, to protect

ROLF DISCH - Heliotrope House. 1994. Image via Wikipedia/CC BY 2.0.

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The house revolves entirely around its central mast, moving about 15 degrees every hour, accompanying the sun, trying to find an energetic efficiency and optimal illumination. from overheating in summer. The photovoltaics on the roof rotate according to the

The house resembles Buckminster’s Dymaxion dream in many ways: it is a pre-fabricat-

sun, producing a net energy four to six time higher than the average daily use of the

ed and self-sufficient structure. It features a hexagonal plan mounted on a central

house.

column that holds all the mechanical services to allow the house to turn around its

In addition, 34.5 square meters of vacuum tube collectors are installed on the balcony

central axis. The walls are non-bearing and the space can be divided to fit the inhabi-

brackets to generate energy for hot water and heating. Another geothermal heat

tant’s preferences.

exchanger, a pellet stove, a ventilation system with heat recovery as well as floor and

The building however, is not transported to the site in an air balloon, nor placed in a

low-temperature ceiling radiant heaters are integrated.

giant crater. Despite its great flexibility and adaptability, it is not a house that is meant

Fully furnished with eco-bathrooms that recover rainwater and re-use residual water,

to be moved, modified or disassembled and reassembled once it has been built. The

the collected rainwater is used for rinsing and washing, while the waste water is

design of the house has some features that make the house adaptable through

clarified in a planted pond cascade on the property. Waste and faeces are decomposed

everyday use and on the long term, but generally still portrays a sort of static nature.

without odor in a dry composting plant.

The materials used are heavy and durable, rather than light and replaceable.

Beside this house and studio in Freiburg, Rolf Dish designed two other Heliotrope projects. One of them, entitled the Solar Tower, belongs to the brand Hansgrohe and is located in Offenburg. The other one was built in Basilea, for Swissbau. Both projects show great understanding in optimising the found resources in nature and transforming them by means of technology, in the power to run the entire building. The 240 square meters rotatable eco-house is now available for about 400.000 euros. The prototype however still costs 2 million euros and was financed by a credit of the Ă–kobank.

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GEODESIC DOMES | ‘DOING THE MOST WITH THE LEAST’ Buckminster sought for efficiency and beauty through geometric structures. Symmetrical triangulation proved for them to be the most rigid structures and a way to englobe the most amount of volume with the least amount of material. He continued to work on geometric structures, and by the nineteen fifties, he had further developed the probably most defining project of his lifelong career: the geodetic dome, from which the first large-scale models were built at the Black Mountain College. A geodesic dome consists of a pattern of adjacent triangles placed on the spherical structure started from an icosahedron or a 20-sided shape. All the nodes of this structure are found on a spherical surface, resulting in smooth domes composed of individual bars. The design of the geodesic dome is so precisely calculated that it perfectly distributes the structural stress throughout the geodesic sphere and, when simplified, only contains elements of the same length. This form makes it possible to englobe a maximum of volume with as little material as possible. Buckminster was convinced of his virtuosic invention, and he saw it as an illustration of his strategy to always start his inventions with whole pieces instead of several components. The principle of the dome signified for Fuller more than just a question of geometry. It held an equally important structural component: how can we, by means of a geodesic network, create a supportive structure that can be produced in an industrial way, that allows an easy and time-efficient installation, uses a minimum of material to attain a minimum weight, doesn’t need any structural support, is economically interesting to produce, can be modified, can be put in position, withdrawn and re-used, can be

BUCKMINSTER FULLER - Geodesic domes. 1952.

transported over long distances, resists extreme weather conditions, etc.

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EDEN PROJECT | WEIGHS ‘NO MORE THAN THE AIR INSIDE’ When Tim and Jonathan joined forces in 1997, they decided to create an immense complex regrouping all kinds of vegetation, including flora and fauna from all over the world. For geographical, historical and social reasons, they determined the perfect location to be Cornwall, UK, in the Bodelva valley. The clay under-ground of the site however was extremely unpredictable due to ongoing excavations during the planning process of the project, resulting in a frustrating situation. Plans had to be constantly redrawn and adapted to the rapidly changing topography of the terrain, while still being quarried during their preparations. Heavy rainfall and hard weather conditions distanced them even more from a finished project. A solution occured when they came in contact with architect Nick Grimshaw. Grimshaw was a longtime admirer of Buckminster’s work and saw in his geodetic technique the perfect method for the botanical garden that needed to be placed on a fluctuating underground. Fuller’s geodetic domes were at the time, as so often is the case with great minds, impossible to realise due to the technology still being unavailable. By the late 1990s, development of both materials and production techniques, made it possible to imple-ment Buckminster’s ideas. Without this innovation, the Eden Project would probably have never been realised. Only small adaptations were needed to adapt the large domes to their underground. By adapting Fullers geodetic domes to a series of intersecting domes, made out of light hexagonal steel components and by applying the correct transparent foil instead of using glass, the enclosed biospheres of the Eden project turned into something more

NICK GRIMSHAW - Eden Project. 1997

than a regular greenhouse. It became a complex structure made out of soap bubbles. The fact that this structure is recurring in nature, from bee combs to the eyes of insects, shows that the designers truly understood the objective of the Eden project.

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TRITON CITY | FLOATING LIFE In 1967, Buckminster Fuller was commissioned by Japanese executive named Matsutaro Shoriki to design a community for Tokyo Bay. The city was getting overcrowded and new territory needed to be explored. Thus, they turned to the waterfront as a solution and an opportunity for expansion of the city. Buckminster’s driving structure was made up out of a set of habitable tetrahedrons which would be floating on water and which could be anchored to the shore. Dealing with land scarcity, these cities would be able to house up to 100,000 people and include outdoor spaces, shopping, entertainment and schools. They could also be connected to one another or to the mainland by bridges. In a city docked with these floating constructions, the purchase of land becomes useless, and homes would be cheaper and therefore readily available to a broad audience. Fuller also pointed out that such a city model would increase the land area available for agricultural purposes. Buckminster Fuller no longer saw ‘the act of building' as a strategic act of colonisation, which according to him had previously often led to social injustice, misery and war. For Fuller, owning a property signified living at a particular place for a certain time, and using the land as a source of food or as the site of a house. It also meant that the land remained available to others, as the sea remains open to others when we cross it by boat. ‘On the sea which is constantly in motion, no one who crosses it seeks to possess the water beneath it. Only on the static country, people get this idea’, Fuller remarks sarcastically and polemically, but ultimately he was convinced that sooner or later it would become clear to what extent this is absurd. BUCKMINSTER FULLER - Triton City. 1967.

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Three-quarters of our planet Earth is covered with water, most of which can accommodate floating organic cities. Floating cities do not pay rent, have no owners. (...) They must not go anywhere. Their shape and accommodations that allow human life are not compromised, as it must be for the shape of the living areas of ships whose hull shapes are constructed so that they can slip, like a fish, at high speed through the water and offshore with maximum economy.


THE LIVING BUILDING | LEONOOR LEUS

BIOSPHERE | FLOATABLE CITIES OF THE FUTURE The idea of colonising the sea, as overpopulation and climate change is threatening our inhabitable lands, is starting to become a realistic and crucial part of withstanding upcoming challenges. Florida architect Jacque Fresco anticipated this idea by designing ‘cities of future’, giving preference to dome-like shapes, one of which he himself lives in. These hybrid solutions allow for a dynamic infrastructure system that is supported by the water. Entire city extensions can be imagined, simply anchored to the shore and moved to different locations once that proofs to be necessary. They offer a political, social, and environmental mobility like never before. The house resembles Buckminster’s Dymaxion dream in many ways: it is a pre-fabricated and self-sufficient structure. It features a hexagonal plan mounted on a central column that holds all the mechanical services to allow the house to turn around its central axis. The walls are non-bearing and the space can be divided to fit the inhabitant’s preferences. The building however, is not transported to the site in an air balloon, nor placed in a giant crater. Despite its great flexibility and adaptability, it is not a house that is meant to be moved, modified or disassembled and reassembled once it has been built. The design of the house has some features that make the house adaptable through everyday use and on the long term, but generally still portrays a sort of static nature. The materials used are heavy and durable, rather than light and replaceable.

PHIL PAULEY - Sub-Biosphere 2.

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THE LIVING BUILDING | LEONOOR LEUS

THE LIVING BUILDING | ARCOLOGY & BIOMIMICRY The ultimate purpose of this project is to regard the dwelling as a living organism, also a

The aim is to constantly live in an ongoing laboratory allowing us to control, prove and

‘living building’ that can grow, adapt and is prepared to challenge many of the predict-

change the way we are living.

able and unpredictable changes humanity will be faced with over the next centuries.

Instead of focusing on immovable and permanent constructions that function as a static

Italian architect Paolo Soleri describes this process as:

frame to our busy lives, architecture can become a physical form of our human ecology,

In nature, as an organism evolves it increases in complexity and it also becomes a more compact or miniaturised system. Similarly a city should function as a living system.

In a society where production is a successful and physically gigantic fact, the coordination

He defines his way of thinking as 'Arcology' (Architecture and Ecology), as it is focussed

and congruence of information, communication, transportation distribution, and

on the integration of ecological process within built structures.

transference are the mechanics by which that society operates. It is not accidental that

Arcology, architecture and ecology as one integral process, is capable of demonstrating

these are also dynamic aspects of another phenomenon, the most dynamic of all: life.

positive response to the many problems of urban civilisation, population, pollution,

When we go look for inspiration in nature, for example in an ever busily thriving ants’

energy and natural resource depletion, food scarcity and quality of life.

nest, it is clear that processes are constantly being repeated, improved and adapted.

Soleri states that because we are faced with those problems in a rapidly changing world,

There is a continuous flow of data and physical matter that adapts to changing condi-

it is necessary to adapt our strategy, our processes and the results we want to achieve

tions and to improve and assure the integration of each of the elements that make up

with them. We need to recognise the necessity to re-organise our cities, houses and

the system.

living environments to better support our complex, rapid, digital and nomad lifestyles

This idea is confirmed by the term biomimicry, also known as ‘innovation inspired by

and the activities that define our world today.

nature’. In her book, Biomimicry, professor and biologist Janine Benyus defines it as:

We need to create a collaboration between different elements and the possibility to

the process of learning from and then emulating life’s genius. It’s based not on what we

adapt the system while it is up and running, rather than perform on outdated methods

can extract from the natural world, but what we can learn from it.

which are difficult and time-consuming to modify.

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with are continuously changing configuration to optimally handle input and output.


THE LIVING BUILDING | LEONOOR LEUS

When we apply biomimicry to our future designs, we re-create a connection with our initial design methods. I use the term ‘initial,’ because at least in our recent history we have been designing almost exclusively to meet our own demands, ignoring the negative impact such actions have on our natural environment. We are creating pollution, hazardous waste and many other side products of building in a way that goes against natural processes and is now seriously damaging our ecosystems and harming human life. The purpose of biomimicry is to create — or recreate — a symbiotic relationship between humans and nature. If we manage to effectively imitate natural systems we can reproduce some of the amazing features that occur in nature’s ecosystems, in such a way that the waste of one system is recycled to become a powerful fuel for a new system to benefit from. From this perspective, architecture can be seen as a truly dynamic practice, constantly creating and re-creating itself. It is not so much about the finished product or building one creates, as about the process and the key each project represents in the circular chain over the duration of the process.

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THE LIVING BUILDING | LEONOOR LEUS

FOAM ‘SPHERES’ | AN ANALOGY BETWEEN CITY AND NATURE Peter Sloterdijk, a German philosopher and cultural theorist, gives insight into this

horizons. Living in spheres means creating the dimension in which humans can be

webs, he places thin threaded polyhedra in a large open space, technically and architec-

process of individualisation and solidarity in this book ‘Spheres’ as he uses the concept

contained. Spheres are immune-systematically effective space creations for ecstatic

turally exploring social phenomena like self-organisation and the organic structural

of 'Foam Cities' to advocate for a collective approach in imagining and building cities,

beings that are operated upon by the outside.

system of communities. He places humans in a future Aerocene era, speculating that

one that focusses on the encompassing of many fragmented social groupings in the

Spheres are a natural occurring phenomena, found amongst others in plants cells, foam

somewhere in the future we will be inhabiting clouds which spontaneously cluster in all

present-day world into one world view.

and throughout the human body. This analogy with nature affirms that Sloterdijk has an

three dimensions.

He states that human societies are not static and analyses the changes necessary to

organic vision on architecture.

The flexible way in which Saraceno explores creative wisdom with reality is similar to

grown from various small and separated units to a bigger grouping, like a city, a nation

The co-isolated foam of a society conditioned to individualism is not simply an agglom-

Buckminster Fuller’s approach in exploring utopian or dystopian hypotheses and his

or an empire. Ultimately, Sloterdijk defines the relationships between these scales as

eration of neighbouring (partition-sharing) inert and massive bodies but rather multi-

desire to improve the human condition, as well as Archigram’s fictional urban visions in

‘spheric expansion’. The success of the expansion depends on the ability of the ‘sphere’

plicities of loosely touching cells of life-worlds.

3D and outer space.

to absorb foreign elements and naturalise them as part of itself.

This powerful analogy between foam and the city shows how even in an extremely

The work of Sareceno also references the unconventional and experimental designs of

This new adventure in urbanism, as explored by Buckminster Fuller, Yona Friedman,

individualised society, at least one of the limits of our isolated unit is shared with the

Lebbeus Woods, an American architect who shared with Fuller and Archigram the imag-

Paolo Soleri, Peter Cook, Ron Herron and other architects, Sloterdijk states, is empha-

common space. Co-operation and contempla-tion between collective ensembles

ination of hypothetical futures in which cities were either underground constructions,

sised on experimental city shapes, resulting in a redefinition of urban space and a sense

become a necessity for innovating architecture.

air bound ‘spaceships’ or situated in eternal space. His floating structures pointed out his

of 'society' in ever denser environments. The growth of those so called 'Foam cities' is an

Referencing this experimental form of urbanism, is Tomás Saraceno, an artist and archi-

critical analysis of the human impact on our Earth and its environment in our current era

assembly of enclosed social spaces whose limits are equidistant from one local centre

tect from Argentina. His work ‘Cloud cities’ proposes a model for a utopian city floating

and his proposal of a new alternative future.

point.

in the air which, according to him, projects a network of inhabitable spaces in the sky as

Saraceno’s Cloud cities are drifting in a similar atmosphere, launching us into a futuristic

The sphere is the interior, disclosed, shared realm inhabited by humans – insofar as they

a response to our fragile ecological situation.

space where we have solved our human relationship to the Earth, the environment

succeed in becoming humans. Because living always means building spheres, both on a

He deems it possible that in the near future civilisations will not be limited anymore by

andto each other, living as a more interconnected society.

small and a large scale, humans are the beings that establish globes and look out into

standard constraints such as asphalt, citizenship, or even gravity. Inspired by spider

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THE LIVING BUILDING | LEONOOR LEUS

Peter Sloterdijk

FOAM ‘SPHERES’

CHRIS BOSSE, ROB LESLIE - CARTER WATERCUBE (BEJING)

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THE LIVING BUILDING | LEONOOR LEUS

TRUNCATED OCTOHEDRON | AN INFINITELY CONNECTABLE STRUCTURAL MODULE Inspired by this framework of spheres and the spatial construction of foam, my research led me to the truncated octahedron. This geometrical module is composed out of eight hexagons, and six squares, each with members of equal length. It proves itself as the optimised shape for modular connectivity. It allows for unlimited growth, three-dimensional connectivity, a maximum volumetric space, and a maximum surface area. My proposal is a building structure based on the formation of foam ‘spheres’, grouping together a number of repetitive modules which can be added on to each other in different directions to result in an organically growing structure composed out of a repeating module, that however, is modified in its appearance and use through the different set of combinations and connections. These joined hexagonal shapes form interesting and variating spaces and could form entire cities based off of one module. The notion was that a true city doesn’t follow a particular form or style, from beginning to end, but that instead, there are invisible guidelines that allow a city to grow naturally. The added value and ultimate potential of such a simple and easily repeatable framework, allows for the city to grow in a much wider reaching direction. With just one repeatable hexagonal module, an entirely organic and natural process of growth can occur. When financial means grow, or occupied space shrinks, population rises or expansion is needed, hexagonal modules can be added at any side and can be retrofitted to accommodate any new program for a city.

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THE LIVING BUILDING | LEONOOR LEUS

HEXAGON STRUCTURE | A GROWING ORGANISM MODULAR CONSTRUCTION

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CELL STRUCTURE


THE LIVING BUILDING | LEONOOR LEUS

FLOOR PARTITIONS

VERTICAL & HORIZONTAL CIRCULATION

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THE LIVING BUILDING | LEONOOR LEUS

MODULES | SCALEABLE SIZES FOR SPATIAL DIVERSITY The structure of the truncated octahedra is defined by a closed structure with two different touching surfaces, a square and a hexagone. The truncated octahedra is one of the most compact structures. The formation of this structure is a part of a discipline named spherepacking, in which they strive to generate a structure as compact as possible on the basis of geometric shapes. The parameters of growth and the possibilities of connecting different modules are made even more interesting by adding different types and scales of module. By proposing three different sized modules (1:1, 1:2, and 1:4), the city become a rich patch work of interconnecting shapes, programs and circulation, hosting public, semi-public/semi-private and private uses. The combination of different polyhedra reassures stability. The finishing elements for these constructions can both be imaged highly technical, featuring solar power, wind turbines, sophisticated materials, or at a smaller scale, more self-made with recovered materials and DIY techniques, creating social, economical and aesthetic variety. The rapid adaptability of the project shortens the span of trial and error, and gives the opportunity of experimenting with new urban forms and testing their resilience in a short time span.

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THE LIVING BUILDING | LEONOOR LEUS

LIVING MODEL | PARAMETRIC GROWTH Fractal growth processes are a class of phenomena which produce self-similar, disordered objects in the course of development far from equilibrium. The parameters of growth involve a sequence of random positioned modules that are incorporated into a growing aggregate when they get into contact with other modules. Its modular growth can be gradually adapted to its environment, taking in account different thermal, energetic, solar, and responsive conditions. This results into a growing model that can be adjusted and actually react to its atmosphere. The evolution in technologic materials, as wel as our understanding of biological progresses, can make for an architecture that “grows like an organism”. Joined with new means of artificial intelligence, a software can be developed that can learn from outside impulses. Beside the compatibility of the models as an exterior model, the interior partitions can also be scheduled in a free form of ways. This modular approach opens up the possibilities of interior design. Instead of defining one particular “optimal form”, the organism could have intelligent materials and technologies embedded that create energy, react to temperature differences, and develop inquisite interactions with humans and nature. This responsive nature leads to “living architecture”. This way we can create a presence that works with us, instead of for or sometimes againt us. The overall meshworks of growing clusters can reach out and seek for interaction based on human, individual and sensorial boundaries. Instead of purely structural, the system becomes deliberately fragile, and can we worked and renewed overtime.

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C1

C2

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