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LONDON SOUTH BANK UNIVERSITY MASTER OF SCIENCE OF DIGITAL ARCHITECTURE AND ROBOTIC CONSTRUCTION
Arch. MARCO ANTONIO ZOCH SOUZA
(IM)MATERIAL POROSITY: Adaptability on Extreme Tropical Environments through High-Low Robotic Design
London, UK. 2018

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Arch. MARCO ANTONIO ZOCH SOUZA
(IM)MATERIAL POROSITY: Adaptability on Extreme Tropical Environments through High-Low Robotic Design
Thesis presented to London South Bank University as partial requirement to obtain the title of Master in Digital Architecture and Robotic Construction. Mentors: Federico Rossi, Onur Ozkaya
London, UK. 2018
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Arch. MARCO ANTONIO ZOCH SOUZA
(IM)MATERIAL POROSITY: Adaptability on Extreme Tropical Environments through High-Low Robotic Design
Thesis presented to London South Bank University as partial requirement to obtain the title of Master in Digital Architecture and Robotic Construction. Approved by the Examination Committee on ___/___/ 2018, with grade __________(______)
EXAMINATION COMMITTEE
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LSBU
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LSBU
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External Jury
London, ___ / September / 2018.
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INSCRIPTION
I Dedicate this work to my niblings, Yasmin, Markus, Thomas, Gabriel and Lucas.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To The Great Architect of the Universe, my primary source of inspiration To my family for all the blessings To my doctors for giving my life back To my mentors for improving my knowledge To the University for efforts To Brazil To the UK â˜ş
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EPIGRAPH
After sleeping through a hundred million centuries We have finally opened our eyes on a sumptuous planet, sparkling with color, bountiful with life Within decades we must close our eyes again Isn't it a noble and enlightened way of spending our brief time in the sun To work at understanding the Universe and how we have come to wake up in it? ‌ "We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born The potential people who could have been here in my place But who will in fact never see the light of day outnumber the sand grains of Sahara Certainly those unborn ghosts include greater poets than Keats, scientists greater than Newton We know this because the set of possible people allowed by our DNA So massively exceeds the set of actual people In the teeth of those stupefying odds it is you and I, in our ordinariness, that are here We privileged few, who won the lottery of birth against all odds How dare we whine at our inevitable return to that prior state From which the vast majority have never stirred?"
The greatest Show on Earth Marco Hietala ; Tuomas Holopainen
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Bibliographic Reference ZOCH SOUZA, Marco Antonio. (IM)MATERIAL POROSITY: Adaptability on Extreme Tropical Environments through High-Low Robotic Design. 2018. 65 pages, Dissertation (Master of Science Degree course in Digital Architecture and Robotic Construction) - London South Bank University, London, UK, 2018. Architecture; Parametric Design; Natural Systems; Robotic Construction; Digital Fabrication; Sustainability; High-Low; Tropical Weather Design; Materiality; Immateriality; Virtuality;
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ABSTRACT The study proposed here aims to analyze the correlation between the natural space and the constructed space in a practical way, where it is possible to analyze the relationship between nature and climate, thus bringing intelligent bioclimatic solutions to the architecture through state-of-the-art digital fabrication methods such as robotics. It will also analyze the value of space in its material and immaterial scope, as well as the porosity and virtual character of contemporary space, to better integrate design with a regional cultural background that extends to a global culture with real constraints such as climate and economy. It is through the study of natural systems that this integration will be achieved, having a character of innovation when applied to the new virtual era, for its high technology, as well as bringing more dense issues, such as social injustice, globalization, environmental impact and the draining of nature. Therefore it seeks to bring cost effective solutions in an era of high technological power of great socio-economic disparities. And finally test the moral credibility of design, its technologies, materials and social impact.
________________________________________________ Key-words: Architecture; Parametric Design; Natural Systems; Robotic Construction; Digital Fabrication; Sustainability; High-Low; Tropical Weather Design; Materiality; Immateriality; Virtuality;
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RESUMO
O estudo aqui proposto visa analisar a correlação entre o espaço natural e o espaço construído de forma prática, onde é possível analisar a relação natureza e clima, trazendo então soluções bioclimáticas inteligentes para a arquitetura através de métodos de fabricação digital de ponta como a robótica. Será também analisado o valor de espaço em seu âmbito material e imaterial, bem como a porosidade e caráter virtual do espaço na contemporaneidade, para melhor integrar o design a uma cultural regional que se estende a uma cultura global com condicionantes reais, como clima e economia. É através do estudo de sistemas naturais que essa integração será alcançada, tendo caráter de inovação quando então aplicada a nova era virtual, por sua alta tecnologia, bem como trazendo questões mais densas, como injustiça social, globalização, impacto ambiental e o desgaste da natureza. Portanto busca trazer cost effective solutions em uma era de alto poder tecnológico de grandes disparidades económico-sociais. E por fim testar a credibilidade moral do design, suas tecnologias, materiais e impacto social.
________________________________________________ Palavras-chave: Arquitetura; Design Parâmetrico; Sistemas Naturais; Construção Robótica; Fabricação Digital; Sustentabilidade; High-Low; Design de clima Tropical; Materialidade; Imaterialidade; Virtualidade;
10 / SUMMARY 1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 01 1.1 THEME ............................................................................................................................. 01 1.2 PROBLEM ...................................................................................................................... 02 1.3 OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................... 02 1.3.1 MAIN OBJECTIVE ....................................................................................................... 02 1.3.2 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................. 02 1.4 JUSTIFICATION .............................................................................................................. 02 2 DEVELOPMENT ...................................................................................................... 03 2.1 LITERATURE REVISION ......................................................................................... 03 2.2 METODOLOGY ............................................................................................................ 04 2.3 RESEARCH SCHEDULE ........................................................................................ 05 2.4 EXPECTED RESULTS ......................................................................................... 05 3 CHAPTER I- (IM)Material ………..……………………………………….…………….. 06 3.1 –Materiality and Immateriality …..………………………………………………… 07 3.2 - Immaterial toVirtual …….……………………….……………………………….. 08 4 CHAPTER II- Natural Systems …………………………………………….…………….. 10 4.1 - Emergence …….……….………..……………………………………………….. 11 4.2 - Homeostasis ……………………….……..…………….………………………… 11 5 CHAPTER III- Virtuality and its Global Impact ………….………….………….. 13 5.1 – Worldwide Theft Tradition ………….………..…………..……………………… 15 5.2 - Colonization, Globalization, Virtualization …….………………………………… 17 5.4 - Cyberspace ………….………..…………………………………………………… 19 5.3- Virtuality and Morality ..…….…………………………………………………….. 22 6 CHAPTER IV- Sustainability and Global Ecology ……..…………..…….…………….. 24 6.1 - Extreme Tropical Weather …………..……….…………………………………… 25 6.2 -Bioclimatic Design …….…….…………………..……………………………….. 27 6.3 - High-Low …………..…….……………………………………………………….. 33 7 CHAPTER VI- Digital Fabrication ……………….…..………………….…………….. 35 7.1 - Vernacular Digital Fabrication …………..……….…………….………………… 35 7.2 - Robotics …….……..…..…….…………………..……………………………….. 36 7.3 - Virtualization of humans and labor: Robotics and AI ..………………..………….. 37 8 CHAPTER VII- Case Study: [MAR]Cobogó ….……..………………….…………….. 39 8.1 - Research ………………….………………….…………………………………… 44 8.2 - Digital & Physical Analysis ….…………..……..……………………………….. 46 8.3 - Overview ……………..……………..……….…………………………………… 54 9 FINAL CONSIDERATIONS ............................................................................................. 64 10 BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES .............................................................................. 65
1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 THEME:
(IM)MATERIAL POROSITY: Adaptability on Extreme Tropical Environments through High-Low Robotic Design.
When we talk about technology applied to the extreme tropical climate in the framework of architecture the most important factor are passive bioclimatic solutions, what is proposed as a strong challenge requires a complex solution. Like in nature, one of the things that most intrigues researchers is their adaptive power and how intricate forms emerge in different biomes. Humanity is no different, not only by the body constitution but also by its quest to produce artifices that in turn also adapts to its conditions. The dialogue between the production of the artifice under the analysis of natural processes has been an instrument of innovation sine the beginning; the adaptation of nature to different environments is a clear indication of specific intelligent systems. becoming then a possible primary source for building regional identities. What for now seems to dissolve from the current culture is possibly a rescue of its essence. The porosity in the material composition of plants brings with it numerous variabilities, such as reservoirs, structural morphology, permeability and discrete circulation. It is in the porosity that the concept of materiality and immateriality becomes evident, as on a micro scale it is sometimes also represented in its macro but having real value for architecture in the scope of phenomenology, light and virtuality. All this process comes into vogue as we enter the digital age, processes that would be discarded because of their complexity can be largely developed in their complexity with the use of robotics, CNC and 3d printing, at the same time as natural resources draining is amplified and search for ecological solutions with less impact and greater sobriety is necessary. The union between the two create a high-low product that is capable not only of adapting to the modern World and the environment but also to projects of lower cost, increasingly necessary with the growth of the worldwide poor population nowadays. On a global scale where virtual processes become the new way of social interaction and exchanges, the porosity of virtual space dilutes socially created boundaries, thus becoming the most appropriate way of representing contemporary society. The more humanity evolves in the human and machine interaction, the more questions arise as of the possible dangers that technologies, AI and the constant virtuality can bring to society. 1.2 PROBLEM: How to express in architecture identity values through the study of nature in tropical climates with the use of high technology and low cost materials in the virtual era?
2 1.3 OBJECTIVES: •1.3.1 Main Objective: Study natural systems and translate them into a possible integrated architecture solution to support the bioclimatic architecture as well as the concept of permeability, material to immaterial and human, machine and virtual interaction, as well as their social impact and identity values. •1.3.2 Specific Objectives: 1. Extract possible natural solutions from a tropical plant. 2. Translate them into an integrated architectural system for bioclimatic solution. 3. Investigate digital manufacturing processes as well as their impacts on society. 4. Research values of materiality and immateriality as well as their impact on virtual relationships on a global scale. 5. Emphasize possible relations of identity between culture and nature. 6. Analyze the relationship between man and machine in contemporaneity. 1.4 JUSTIFICATION As part of a long journey of research, I always focused on adaptability wether cultural or natural, to extend growth of knowledge in one of the most complicated issues in Architecture, as it dialogues with the overall landscape, society and culture, as well as with natural, economical and material constraints. I believe the process of adaptability is the best to construct identities as everything in nature and society is a product of its surroundings. So it comes handy to use it as a tool to rescue possible lost symbologies that existed or could have existed if it wasn’t for colonization and now globalization. Robotics then join an important role of bringing from virtual to materiality one of the most ongoing issues on countries that still are forming their identities, as it is the most advanced tool to output design. Joining that the economical constraints and the necessary sustainable approach make this a relevant research, instead of a futile form-based design with no realistic or empathetic financial perspective on a World where the vast majority is poor and even more needing of quality architecture. So to the end of the research its expected to come with a vast study of possible solutions and a final economically viable solution to control heavy Weather conditions, an evolution of the Brazilian ‘cobogó’, now bringing to the front characteristics that could only be brought with robotics and biomimicry. The natural systems might relate better with the natural landscape from where it was extracted then it will with any culturally constructed element whose principals were mere functionality or a formalistic approach, as
3 natural systems are prone to homeostasis through its porosity, which can be easily translated into architecture. Knowing that, it is a known fact that with the new global pertaining ideas it is no longer possible to fully integrate with cultural historical elements, as the new generation also needs to be circumscribed on the landscape as well, representing its time and the new virtual era where things are interconnected. It is therefore a task of bringing immateriality to materiality, and understand the reasons to do so and its specific constraints. That will be achieved through digital manufacturing processes, from virtual implications and design to its materiality on digital fabrication, on an integrated system. 2 DEVELOPMENT 2.1 LITERARY REVISION It is a known fact that society is dissolving its limitations on a more fluid society, whereas virtual boundaries seem to play a bigger role than physical. The world, environment, and society are constantly changing at an ever– faster pace. Borders are dissolving, whether they’re political, cultural, or sexual. People are becoming educationally and vocationally more flexible but yet specific, less geographically and domestically committed but at the same time increasingly addicted to continuous medial input, social connectivity, and an abundance of information. Since architecture is omnipresent and permanent during every stage of life, it carries a great responsibility to address and respond to these advancements. This not only means the incorporation and adaptation of new technologies, among which smart materials will certainly play a lead role, but also the effort to reach beyond dogmatic paradigms like longevity, stability, and performance for the creation of softer, more dynamic environments. Manuel Kretzer, Alive : Advancements in Adaptive Architecture
This study will demonstrate how natural systems may bring smart solutions like homeostasis through porosity, can be applied into architecture with studies from researchers such as, Michael Weinstock, Michael Pawlyn and Buckminster Fuller, and how this can generate another form of adaptability not further explored to its full potential on our past as technology wasn’t as advanced. As stated by Michael Pawlyn on his book Biomimicry in Architecture: It is in the area of thermal control that I would argue we have lost most in terms of historical intelligence, and still have the greatest strides to make in leaning from biology. It is precisely the kind of ingenuity, such as that displayed by the ancient Persian art of ice making, that humans developed prior to the Fossil Fuel Age that we need to reawaken.
So the ongoing research is valid for tropical countries that need passive solutions to reduce heat and increase ventilation throughout design on a practical perspective, but also beneficial on its experimental approach and theoretical value brought through the investigation of material tangibility and virtuality on a network based contemporary World. Why is nature this way? The pressures of survival in all its varied aspects — finding sustenance, thermoregulating, mating and avoiding predation, amongst many other factors — have, over aeons, ruthlessly refined the structures and other adaptations that genetic mutation and recombination has created. Michael Pawlyn, Biomimicry in Architecture
Going to a further understanding of society with its permanent issues of political control the will be testified through Noam Chomsky, George Orwell and Aldous Huxley, to fundament
4 and better understand how globalization grow on a faster pace with virtuality, and the virtuality of the human labour — which is robotics. To further understand the negative side, black code from Ronald J. Deibert, and Ted Talks will be used, along as a philosophical base of what is virtual? from Pierre Levy. On a more pragmatical approach, studies from Steven Hill and Kengo Kuma, on virtual space and immateriality will be used against the ongoing research to testify the value of the study. Architecture today is in danger of degenerating into a game played with over-complicated forms and computer generated images… [which reveal] an obsession with willful Imagery, excessive visual retorci and vapid form-making for its own sake.” William Curtis
On a practical approach, Achim Menges, Gramazio & Kohler Manuel Kretzer will bring the main focus to a robot approach, material based evidence study. … As production machines no longer remain dependent on a clear set of instructions cast in determinate control code, they are increasingly capable of sensing, searching, processing and interacting with each other and the material world in real time, opening up the possibility of truly explorative processes of computational construction that merge design and making. Achim Menges, Material Synthesis: fusing the physical and the computational.
To finalize possible synesthesia will be obtained with a comparison on researched work with the case study, to achieve a wide perspective on the new virtual era. 2.2 METODOLOGY Both the quantitative and qualitative approach will be used in the work because despite a practical scientific approach, analyzed through data, the theme can not be effectively quantified, extending to a larger spectrum where the need for greater theoretical and methodological freedom arises, to identify the socio-cultural character and the global impact. The work employs the use of case study, bioclimatic analysis softwares as well as extensive bibliographical reference, documentary and interviews with related professionals of the area to amplify the study. The research therefore has both a practical and a contemplative character, since it arises from a practical necessity as well as its social impact and its design elaboration, being the process equivalent to the product, where the researcher interprets the reality. Information according to Patton, 1980, Glazier, 1992 and Bradley 1993. In order to begin the work, a bibliographic search will be necessary, bringing references both in books and academic articles, websites and periodicals that will pass through the sieve of the author. After the initial study, case studies are used with a view to a final architectural element of practical function. Then interviews and a re-analysis with a dialectical character will be applied to greater critical value to the study. At the end, it will be possible to identify, through the interpretation of the results, plausible solutions for design and digital fabrication of socio-cultural and environmentally responsible character.
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2.3 RESEARCH SCHEDULE STAGE
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Theoretical Reference 1/3 Theoretical Reference 2/3 Theoretical Reference 3/3 Practical Approach
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2.4 EXPECTED RESULTS At the end of the work, its expected plausible bioclimatic architecture solutions that relate well to cultural identity as well as to better understand design extraction techniques and their proper digital fabrication and the global impact of new technologies as well as the essential concept of porosity, permeability and how they are transmuted into virtuality.
6 3 - CHAPTER I - (IM)Material The boundaries between materiality and immateriality in architecture are blurred, although it might seem against logic to consider immateriality a form of architecture it is a common goal on the designing quest of architects such as Kengo Kuma, Diller Scofidio and Jean Nouvel to name a few. Although a similar way they develop works on a different fashion. The design of materials that seem to camouflage with the environment or dilute in the landscape, revealing a sense of weakness bring however a paradox; elements such as the Musharabhiah and the cobogó as well as frosted glass for example, are originally used to hide and separate the inside to the outside, although its material porosity might bring within a sense of innate immateriality. The space between this porous system, its permeability, is indeed of virtual nature; although its existence is clear, there is no physicality. Since Frank Lloyd Wright, the study of architecture seem to fantasize human relationship with nature, as Alex Haw writes on Alive, the relationship isn’t as simple: If nature were hospitable, we’d be out of business. We need rain to sell shelter. We need nature to build against. But we also need it to build with . Tons of it. Buildings are great heaps of relocated nature— whether freshly chopped green oak or age– old stone, mined metals or minced minerals. Sometimes this gives the impression that our buildings are indeed alive.
So although appreciation and integration with nature is a valid approach, humans are of cosmopolitan nature, and need to cohabit in the realms of architecture in order to fully experience 'life', going against Kengo Kuma’s primary thoughts: “My ultimate aim is to ‘erase’ architecture, because I believe that a building should become one with its surroundings.” There is the need of each generation to see itself represented on the landscape, as Kevin Lynch pointed out: An environment organized even to the smallest details can inhibit any possibility of new structuring. A landscape in which each stone has its history can make it difficult to create new stories. Although we are not threatened within the current urban chaos, these observations demonstrate that our demand is not absolutely a definitive order, but an open order, susceptible of indefinite development.
Which confirm the necessity not only of generating elements to the landscape, but the production itself of constructed environments. Kengo Kuma on another period says that: "I have started to doubt whether buildings should really disappear into the environment and become completely invisible.” The reason as he stated is an ethical approach towards clients: "We must, however, be humble enough to listen to what people want. I believe that superior architecture is achieved through a sense of humility toward contemporary movements…”
Photo 1 , 2, 3 Chokkura Plaza— source: http://www.floornature.com/kengo-kuma-chokkura-plaza-takanezawajapan-2006-4935/
7 But the reason behind the client's need of a ‘material architecture is as above-mentioned through Kevin Lynch words, the primary necessity of seen their representation circumscribed on the landscape of time. 3.1 –Materiality and Immateriality Jonathan Hill (2006) states that: "There are many ways to understand immaterial architecture. As an idea, formless phenomenon, a technological development towards lightness, a tabula rasa of a capitalist economy, a gradual loss of architecture’s moral weight and certitude or a programmatic focus on actions rather than forms. “Therefore it is important to understand the primary differences, been the immateriality of an idea, a perception, of design elements or interactions. Architecture however increase on its value on the quest towards immateriality, thus improving the senses. as also stated by the author: "On a more fundamental note, immaterial architecture revels in qualities - the subjective, unpredictable, porous and ephemeral - that are contrary to the solid, objective and respectable practice expected of a professional.” Therefore, case studies will be presented to evidence the differences of material to immaterial architecture. Blur Building is possibly the best example of immaterial architecture, designed by Diller and Scofidio, was a media pavilion for the Swiss Expo 2012. It was a lakeside pavilion that sprayed 5000 liters of water each minute forming an artificial cloud having sensors to control water vapor output as a response to weather. Jonathan Hill (206) describes: As visitors wandered passed one another, their coats compared character profiles and blushed in response, changing color to register either red for desire or green for no interest, the colors standing out in the white environment. So bringing virtuality to physical tangibility as Diller (2002) states: We wanted to synthesize architecture and technology in a way that each would exchange the characteristics of the other, that is to say, de-materialize architecture and to materialize technology.
Photo 4 , 5 Blur Building— source: https://www.archdaily.com/239669/think-space-look-what-charles-renfro-ofdsr-has-to-say-on-blur-building-project-after-a-decade-or-so-competition
Although one of the best representations of the blurred boundaries between, materiality, immateriality and the virtual, the 'Cloud' can only address to ephemeral use, thus been able to go further on immateriality that common permanent architecture wouldn’t be able.
8 Sometimes the function of the project has an engrained cultural sense of immateriality, as an example of cemeteries. Visited on a field trip to Barcelona in January 2018, the Igualada Cemetery on outskirts of the city designed by Enric Miralles and Carme Pinós is a fair example. Jonathan Hill (2006) states that: After 50 metres, concrete burial niches surrounded us and another interpretation was at hand. We had been lowered into the earth. Mirroring the decaying body, the cemetery is designed to weather. The body turns to dust and the cemetery to rust. On steel gabions, lamps and plaques and cast-iron mausoleum doors, rust forms a velvety surface.
Thus alining with the Seven lamps of architecture from John Ruskin, been impossible to raise the dead as it is to restoring the greatness of architecture (although necessary). The intention of the project however is a social space for the alive, leaving the mundane sound to easily float around boundaryless. The building is also on continuous expansion leading down the slope on a path that goes nowhere bringing a relationship with christianity as written by Jonathan hill (2006) But the pat goes nowhere. Or, as Christianity assumes that the soul is immaterial, nowhere in this world… The cemetery is the end of town and the end of life. In contrast, Toyo Ito, whose architecture is generally inspired with nature and soft, designed Photo 1 , 2, 3 Chokkura Plaza— source: http://www.floornature.com/kengo-kuma-chokkura-plaza-takanezawajapan-2006-4935/
the Sendai Mediateque, an interesting example of materialized architecture on a reversed process (from a digital, more immaterial concept to materiality). Brownell, Blaine Erickson (2011) states: Toyo Ito consolidated building services and vertical circulation into a series of bundled tubes resembling sea sponges or stalks of seaweed. Recounting the design process of the Mediatheque, Ito says that “contrary to the historical order of architecture taking shape in nature, I attempted the reverse process: to induce nature out of built forms, as well as to inject materiality into ‘Less is more’ space, precisely in order to return some living reality to the void of economics and data.”
The structure thus been highlighted on the void sending a strong message to the observer of strength, on an primarily abstracted glass and visually permeable design. 3.2 - Immaterial to Virtual To broaden this perspective there is also the role of virtuality in nowadays culture, where not only a project exist before its materiality, gaining physicality through digital fabrication but also as social interactions throughout the globe that are present without physical reality, becoming then porous systems, an excellent representation of nowadays global society, that cohabit the cyberspace (the virtual framework). The first and most common association is the digitally based project, wether as a shape, algorithm, BIM or CAD model, it might not have physicality yet, but it might be brought into reality. The second and most common is the most blurred between virtual and immaterial, as the practice of architecture is; the formulation of ideas, sketches and concepts are all virtual representations of an element that thus involve immateriality, in the sense that architecture can only be consider so when it takes its users from experience. Jonathan Hill (2006) States that:
9 "architecture must be immaterial and spatially porous, as well as solid and stable where necessary; and so should the practice of architects”. A third aspect and as important between virtuality and immateriality, it is the cyberspace, a virtual platform of immaterial matter that is present everywhere, could well be considered a global metropolis where most of humanity now inhabits. It does affect how we interact in the physical World, it is changing jobs and local culture and has a prominent danger of causing harm that it is important to be studied. Jaron Lanier (2018), considered the founding father of the field of virtual reality admit that internet needs a remake. It all start on the early stages of digital culture, where while facing the possible darkness of virtuality with the attempts of generating instead something creative and
beautiful. There was this belief that technology could bring the most positive side of creativity, alternative of creativity as an alternative to death as a fact, so there was this interest in picturing a positive scenario as Jaron Lanier described himself: "We have to create a culture around technology that is so beautiful, so meaningful, so deep, so endlessly creative, so filled with infinite potential that it draws us away from committing mass suicide”. There was the intention of creating a fantasy, a 'waking-state intentional dreaming’, aside from the conversation platform, called post-symbolic communication, because of its universal language as spoken before. It is also important to point out as Pierre Levy describes: that virtuality doesn’t oppose reality, in fact it is a part of it; it does oppose physicality. But however that ground is breaking, if for instance, a script or algorithm digitally
Photo 6, 7 Sendai Mediateque — https://www.smt.jp/en/#
10 fabricates, it then bring virtuality to materiality, and what was once as an immaterial idea to production, it is now possible to say that the boundaries between virtuality and physicality are compromised. 4 CHAPTER II- Natural Systems If buildings have always been made from local nature, they have also always looked to it— feeding on its wider warmth and nutrients, and orienting to its vectors— even its astral ones. ALEX HAW Natural systems consist of in-depth analysis of complex natural elements, wether animals, plants or phenomena. Architecture has been inspired by nature for very long but with the advances of biomimicry it isn’t mere inspiration but a learning process from logical natural solutions that were developed throughout years of evolution adapting to its habitat. While learning from nature, can bring smart solutions it also promotes a more environmental friendly design, which is an important concern, as stated by Michael Pawlyn (2011): There are, I believe, three major changes that we need to bring about if the grand project of humanity is to endure: achieving radical increases in resource efficiency, shifting from a fossil-fuel economy to a solar economy and transforming from a linear, wasteful and polluting way of using resources to a completely closed-loop model in which all resources are stewarded in cycles and nothing is lost as waste.
It is possible to extract a number of logics and design, not only from the element itself but from how it adapted throughout time, reproduction and mutation. The so called ‘adaptive design’ started on the 60’s and hasn’t evolved much, as stated by Manuel Kretzer (Alive, 2014): …the ’60s is readily referred to as the genuine beginning of “adaptive architecture,” and some might argue that not much has happened since then. Contemporary architectural design is still overly founded in a functionalist belief in rigidity, solidity, and longevity, and ruled by norms and guidelines assuming a standardized people performing standard actions and exhibiting standard interests.
Much before however, is nature inspiration to architects, not only from the Art Nouveau, Frank Lloyd Wright, but more literally on Buckminster Fuller design, as also stated by the latter: …He thought that if humans were part of nature, all of humans’ creations must consequently be natural as well. In that sense he was closely looking at the environment and was trying to understand some of its principles in order to use them as design guidelines. From these observations he developed lightweight, dynamic, and flexible shelter systems, but also concepts for so– called biospheres, autonomous ecosystems, and microclimates, which were eventually supposed to span over whole cities to control and reduce energy consumption ( Fuller 1960 ).
But the most common extraction from nature is the aspects of genetic design, morphology and evolutionary design. the production of a series of iterations, and choosing the most ‘fit' to further research or adaptation in order to fit a set of parameters defined by the designer. Manuel Kretzer (Alive, 2014): …Yet it is the biological act of reproduction that, for me, epitomizes architecture’s kinship with life. Not only is the architectural blueprint almost synonymous with the genetic capacity for perfect reproduction (along with random mutation); not only has the history of “evolutionary architecture” found a rich legacy in generative, algorithmic code; but architecture’s older history of insisting on culture beyond utility, architecture beyond shelter— and the primacy of people and pleasure— underline humanity’s evolution of the reproductive act to encompass ingenious possibilities beyond biological duplication.
It is based on Charles Darwin theory with slight modifications, although following some of its
11 structure. It is a parallel between ‘survival' in nature and ‘adaptability’ of architecture, as stated by Stevens L.; Nelson R. (2015): Evolution in design has similar parallel with natural evolution. Charles Darwin outlined four basic principles of biological evolution in the context of what he termed “natural selection”, or nature’s method of editing. The principles can be summarized as variation, inheritance, abundance, and differential survival. Variation recognizes that all organisms exhibit unique and individual variation in appearance, performance, and behavior. Inheritance recognizes that traits are passed along from parent to offspring and traits can be affected by environmental conditions. Abundance recognizes that most organisms produce more offspring than local resources can support as each generation experiences substantial mortality due to competition for resources. Differential survival recognizes that individual organisms possessing traits more suited to their local ecological systems will survive and reproduce more than those organisms less suited to local ecology.
4.1 – Emergence As used in the sciences, the term refers to the ‘emergence’ of forms and behaviour from the complex systems of the natural world. A substantial body of knowledge falls under this term, occurring in the overlapping domains of developmental biology, physical chemistry and mathematics. Hensel, M., Menges, A., Weinstock, M. 2004.
As stated above, emergence is a ‘mix’ between mathematics, biology and other sciences, from which it is possible to have a holistic understanding of the whole material behaviour, from its natural circumstances, chemical reactions to its dynamics. Hensel, M., Menges, A., Weinstock, M. 2004 states: "Emergence is both an explanation of how natural systems have evolved and maintained themselves, and a set of models and processes for the creation of artificial systems that are designed to produce forms and complex behaviour, and perhaps even real intelligence.” Although it seems as common sense, that nature chooses the most fit through reproduction, it is not yet proven, quite in fact, anomalies aren’t uncommon, and the brith of premature or the illconditioned is more often — although not as ‘desirable’, been quite in fact the evolutionary limited to what science has discovered, as yet it can only be understood as ‘birth by chance’. So it is understandable that natural systems are continuously evolving, and been so more ‘adequate' to their environment, time and space. Complementing what was stated, Georg Glaeser (2011): Nature is a pragmatic mechanism and accepts many supposedly imperfect solutions, which emerge by means of selection or random chance, insofar as they improve an organisms reproductive success. If they are advantageous or more optimal, new forms are always ready to be accepted. This holds equally true for the development of life as for the emergence of shapes and patterns.
Diagram 1 - Genetic Crossing Diagram - Own Work, 2012. Marco Antonio Zoch Souza
4.2 -Homeostasis Homeostasis, the tendency for living organisms to maintain steady conditions, is one of the features that most closely link the buildings we create with biology. (Michael Pawlyn, 2011)
12 Aside the evolutionary principle and its numerous ‘iterations’, another and maybe more practical approach of extracting natural systems is Homeostasis, it basically consist of a series of mechanisms to regulate temperature and water resources within plants, or animals. Some species of animals are capable to adapt their body temperature to the surrounding area, others action in favor of keeping steady conditions. This is possible through different arrangements, and can be seen even in plants that move slightly, as complements George Jeronimidis (2014): …Movements that are reversible in plants are produced by pressure changes within special cells. These parenchyma cells are flexible in bending but stiff in tension; when a cell takes in water, the pressure exerted on its walls increases, and the cell increases in size due to the elasticity of its walls. If the pressure of neighboring cells increases at the same time, the tension results in deformations of the whole tissue, which causes movement of part of the plant. The Arrangement of cells of different sizes and orientations constrains the movement in the direction that is needed. When the osmotic pressure within the cells slowly decreases, the movement is reversed. A common example of this mechanism is daily lifting and lowering of leaves in a day/night cycle.
It has been previously studied in architecture on a more metaphorical basis in the past as stated by Alex Haw on ‘Alive’ (2014): 1970s architecture claimed a Metabolist movement, though it used biology (as does so much architecture) metaphorically; but the building– management systems of contemporary architecture inch ever closer to a genuinely performative, functional metabolism, where the occupied building can change and adapt like a living organism. Buildings increasingly seek automated homeostasis , regulating their internal environments like life forms regulate theirs.
As a valid example, ‘Hygroscopicity’,( hygroskin - meteoro sensitive pavilion) from the ICD/ITKE Universität Stuttgart, research from Oliver David Krieg ; Achim Menges, is an interesting example, as stated on ‘Alive’ (2014): Nature has evolved a great variety of dynamic systems interacting with climatic influences. For architecture, one particularly interesting way is the moisture– driven movement that can be observed in spruce cones. Unlike other plant movements that are produced by active cell– pressure changes, this movement takes place through a passive response to humidity changes.
It is translated however, on unattractive architecture result, resembling irregular patterns and clusters that may cause ‘trypophobia’, so it is important for the designer not to assemble natural systems directly, but to use the mechanisms and tools in favor of the majority. Although of doubtful taste, it is a smart system, that behave on its own, by its own characteristics as stated by the author: …Therefore, it does not require any sensory system or motor function. The movement is independent from any metabolic function and hence it does not consume any energy. Here, the responsive capacity is intrinsic to the material’s hygroscopic behavior and its own anisotropic characteristics. Anisotropy denotes the directional dependence of a material’s characteristics. Hygroscopicity refers to a substance’s ability to take in moisture from the atmosphere when dry and yield moisture to the atmosphere when wet, thereby maintaining a moisture content in equilibrium with the surrounding relative humidity.
Photo 8, 9, 10 - Hygroskin Meteorosensitive Pavilion - http://www.achimmenges.net/?p=5612
13 5 CHAPTER III- Virtuality and its Global Impact Look around: There is another city within your city, but you can not see it. Borders are lighter than air; there are citizens invisible to you - you yourself are invisible to certain people. China Miéville (2009). Society clearly isn't achieving a new perception of morality in the virtual era, in fact, prefer to close their eyes and pretend whichever was already planned to them. Now that the boundaries are so fragile with the cyberspace, cynicism became something clear and the role of the biggest ‘players’ can be well spot. Boundaries are not physical, they are ideological, and society consistently enforce them. As in Miéville’s book (2009), we consistently learn and apply to 'not-see' the ones who are not apart from our group. While virtuality enthusiasts picture a bright canvas, Jaron Lanier, considered the founding father of the field of virtual reality admit that internet needs a remake on his Ted Talk (2018). It all start on the early stages of digital culture, where while facing the possible darkness of virtuality with the attempts of generating instead something creative and beautiful. There was this belief that technology could bring the most positive side of creativity, alternative of creativity as an alternative to death as a fact, so there was this interest in picturing a positive scenario as Jaron Lanier (2018) described himself: We have to create a culture around technology that is so beautiful, so meaningful, so deep, so endlessly creative, so filled with infinite potential that it draws us away from committing mass suicide. There was the intention of creating a fantasy, a 'waking-state intentional dreaming’, aside from the conversation platform, called post-symbolic communication, because of its universal language as spoken before. He states that on the book “The Human use of Human Beings” written on the ‘50s by Norbert Wiener, where he describes the negative possibility that the computer system would collect data from people providing feedback to people in power, in order to standardized people based on there interactivity with the computer. He already predicted a global computer system where everyone would have a device on themselves constantly giving feedback on what they did, leading to behavior modification that would cause mass insanity, and lack of ability to face its problems. Leading us back to Orwell’s 1984, and the control of the mass by matching Huxley’s Brave New World, control through futility and fantasies, generating a naive population through behavior modification, that would be easily controlled to someone’s personal agenda. The internet rises with the intention of a public domain, freedom of not only interactivity and speech but freedom of information. But ‘How do you celebrate entrepreneurship when everything is free?’ (Jaron Lanier, 2018), Advertising. What came out as simple non targeted
14 advertising early developed on constantly evolving algorithms that target specific groups, this groups clearly defined by what they ‘consume' on the internet (in the sense of consuming, searching information), leading to behavior modification. When someone is faced with social network there is this need of belonging to a group that is intimately related with the early stages of our childhood. For such, people will do whatever they can afford to fit in, that's where targeted advertising can easily control the mass. It basically works this way: the information given to you is controlled so you might receive punishments and rewards constantly, wether it is the likes or dislikes according to what you expose on the internet. According with Jaron Lanier this is achieved through the use of Persuasive Design, it harness little parts of your brain responsible for forming habits and addictions, an example is the ‘…’ on conversations, it keeps you waiting (punishment) on the conversation for the answer (reward). The waiting generates a stress response, and the reward a dopamine release, so leaving its user on a state of nirvana as in Huxley’s Brave New World (1994): “Take a holiday from reality whenever you like, and come back without so much as a headache or a mythology", this cycle build anticipation making you crave to come back, through the fear of missing what is happening in the World, after the constant use of the internet, been deprived of it may develop the same feeling as claustrophobia, of been secluded in a place where your freedom isn’t guaranteed.
Illustration 1 - Persuasive Design - Source: http://emrysforge.com/product/web-push-notifications-lite-wordpress/
The alerts, visual or audible on the apps is an example of how persuasive design may keep you connected, the necessity of refreshing them although the apps already refresh by themselves is the constant human search for affection. Ramsay Company, Dopamine Labs and others, claim that there is already an algorithm to produce this craving for dopamine, and sending notifications with the correct timing through push notifications they have an increase of 60% on patients going for surgery, according to a BBC interview. Jaron Lanier (2018) states that behaviorism works with two possible stimuli, negative and positive. Been the positive the most hard to develop, and the negative stimuli the easiest; it’s much easier to lose trust than to build trust.
15 In order to remake the internet he believes that it would be necessary to make it a paid platform for those who can, on social media and search pages, so this would allow the information not to be controlled and come on a natural way. But by trying to search for a solution he excludes the most important thing of it, that is the free aspect it has.
Illustration 2 - Push Icons - Source: http://devchilango.com/notificaciones-push-ionic-one-signal-firebase-100/
5.1– Worldwide Theft Tradition 'History is written by the winners' George Orwell To understand how society has become so connected with the cyberspace, it is necessary first to analyze how it has gradually progressed through the means of power committed by colonization, imperialism and globalization to the point of being intrinsically interconnected. It is an irrevocable fact that Europe played a pioneering role, although the USA later gained space, it still suffers cultural resistance from Eurasia. According to John Darwin (2007), this process that can be called wether the unification or the exploration, rise after Tamerlane's death. Its progress is associated with the need for European expansion and domination. The concept, however, of the globalized world is inspired by the thinking of Adam Smith in the nineteenth century, traces the idea of free exchange on a global scale in its most utopian value possible, as it did not analyze the need for control and greed where wars that in this model would not be possible, are in practice one of the most effective domain tools to control the market - until the arrival of cyberspace. But this bourgeois model would not survive the judicious analysis of Karl Marx, where this global model of excessively industrialized capitalism would eventually necessitate the production and commercialization of large-scale products. Inequality was directly related to this type of model, not only on a national scale but also within a global panorama, where products are produced in a complex international network, this inequality would gain international extension, making one market the dominant one of the other. Evidently this type of control would lead to revolt of the
16 proletariat and in the illusion of Karl Marx, would take the power. The need for expansion of the European market is so great that it became necessary to re-colonize Asia, destroying the artisanal market present in it to implement free trade. Free exchange was only an excuse to stop the industrial growth of other countries and force them to produce cheap raw goods, be it material or human. Marx was right to say that European needs would produce a world economy. according to the vision of Marx and Lenin capitalism depends on economic imperialism and sooner or later this might generate a World revolt. According to John Darwin (2007), the effect was the polarization of the World, where European and American domination is increasing and as a result they become richer while the world is again colonized and subdued to that dependence that capitalism generates with a vast spread of world poverty . Chomsky (2003) also highlights the difference between countries colonized by the West: In fact, if you look at the countries that have developed in the world, there’s a little simple fact which should be obvious to anyone on five minutes’ observation, but which you never find anyone saying in the United States: the countries that have developed economically are those which were not colonized by the West; every country that was colonized by the West is a total wreck. I mean, Japan was the one country that managed to resist European colonization, and it's the one part of the traditional Third World that developed.
With this it is possible to understand the scenario in which globalization arises and with the pace of changes in the World only tends to increase. John Darwin (2007) describes the current state of globalization in 6 points: The emergence of the World Market; the strong interaction between States whose interest is of global scale; The International Media with subtle commercial and cultural language, even in the news; the enormous flow of emigration through the World, whether by force Whales and Borders - Drawings of Dogs - Facebook Page
or by free will; the resurgence of World control through a single ‘hyper-power', with incomparable economic and military power; The change in the global economic balance, in view of the increased production resulting from the emergence of China and India in industrial production. On a practical matter, the multinational are what sustain Europe and to some extent the USA. Multinationals are nowadays cancer, if taken the European market to analysis, you will see there are almost 800 millions citizens on a land pretty much the size of Brazil (in a much worse weather), who are entirely dependent on its inside 'deals', this countries alone, wouldn't survive the rough international market with their luxury high cost local products. They depend on the extensive work of media to produce a brand value to their products (generally produced or made of material resources from other countries). The global economy works to serve the selected western countries. Freedom of borders would be a collapse of economy, because borders only exist for the underdeveloped World labour. Borders are virtual in their nature. They have more significance than the actual act of delimitation territory and this is why they exist on the most civilized countries, as in the metaphorical analysis of China Mieville’s book:' The city and the city’ (2009), there is a city
17
Illustration 3 - Sea Borders http://www.drawingsofdogs.co.uk
inside your city that is not accessible or visible within its citizens. This explains why the simple act of allowing immigration doesn’t solve society most structural issues. As Hannah Arendt (1951) describes, the refugee lose the identity and have difficulties been accepted in the community: "The ideals of homo faber, the fabricator of the world , which are permanence, stability, and durability, have been sacrificed to abundance, the ideal of the animal laborans." They take advantage on the stateless and use them as guinea pigs transforming them on something of less value than actual animals have, a group of people to be severely explored while ignoring the humanitarian value as a whole. This social rejection, although not something recent in human history, was evident on Hitler’s and Stalin's totalitarianism.
They proved through anti
semitism, imperialism and totalitarianism, that the political systems implemented in society are no longer valid to safeguard human dignity, a new political system that would envision humanity as a total not defined by territory, ideology or any human condition. The use of terror and horror to sustain an ideology are a form of social control, they use techniques such as depriving people of sharing their thoughts, challenging society and its goals, as one can see in George Orwell's work (1949), with social control and manipulation of the masses through an adulterated history, thus transforming them into machines of atrophied thought and of superfluous value. Its goals become small and through a culture sown since the birth of each individual, as in Brave New World de Huxley, makes things lose their real significance and try to explore the weakest character of the human being, it's lack and the need to be accepted and well regarded in Society. 5.2 - Colonization, Globalization, Virtualization With the increase of social interactions, growing ever more on virtual platforms, the interest on controlling information of major corporations and totalitarian countries rise expressively. As
18 known from the past from works like 1984, from George Orwell (1949), where the State control every step of the citizens and denying what has been said is a crime of idea, same thing happens on social media, moral principles are questioned and society thinks to be controlling society through its values, but are generally led by smart virtual platforms to believe in information that may not even be real.
If in George Orwell’s work (1949): “Who controls the past controls the future. Who
controls the present controls the past.", written on the cold war, it is possible to control the future of society with the use of history manipulation, in the internet society is extensively manipulated with news and social media. They use common sense to control the naive, and to make them even Illustration 3 - Sea Borders http://www.drawingsofdogs.co.uk
more naive, being treated as infants with simple skills of dialogue, so the capability of expressing oneself is diminished. As an example that happened recently, Thailand’s Prime Minister left an audience leaving a cardboard cutout in order to ‘answer the questions’ in his place (Washington Post, 2018). This type of debauch is a possible strategy to change the focus on what is really happening to focus on an infantile behavior instead. This helped not only citizens of Thailand but viewers from other countries to ignore the situation in the south of Thailand and the severe lease majesty laws that were ground to numerous of sentences to jail for insulting the outdated monarchy. The immediate result of the population during the audience was to take pictures with the cardboard; manipulation to the use of virtuality appliances is more effective than we expect. The act of taking a selfie with someone, place or important situation is a way the majority tend to interact as grounds for fulfilling the emotional deprivation feeling that social media may pass and lack on the actual experience of been fully present. Although we have seen that there is only a fine line between how imperial systems, whether old or new behave, there is a new technique used to manipulate humanity this days, the threat of terrorism. Chomsky (2015) defines that there is two ways to see terrorism; the first one being the typical assumption of violence and harassment caused to the population. On a today’s panorama
Illustration 4 - Globalized World, Source: pixabay.com
19 that would consider the majority of the countries as terrorist themselves, for such the latter way to see terrorism is ‘the doctrinal definition’, it also describe as an injury to the population but with a passive condition, so terrorism would only be what we receive from external agents; and not what we apply to them. The major source of terrorism in the world are the western powers, as stated on the previous chapter, so it is meaningless to say that there are efforts on stopping terrorism as that would mean to stop producing it in the first place. Chomsky (2013) gives the example of the drone welfare, as it might seem like an easy solution to eliminate suspects, but the community feeling of hate and desire of revenge for this particular situation might grow even bigger, consequently producing more terrorism. And the terrorism attempts happening on the western countries is a similar atrocity to what they have done for centuries - If we can ever compare the atomic bomb atrocity with any terrorist attack in the World. With virtuality the information spread quicker, and to lead the population on accepting atrocities against each other may turn easier. But with the amount of knowledge it is a well known fact that society has turned to be a center of cynicism. They know exactly where, how, in which conditions, their daily products are produced, extracted and sold, so understanding that the first world countries take benefits on war and exploration aren’t more an issue. They know that there countries may not pollute or be involved in corruption in the first World but behave like barbarians in the so called third World. The real issue nowadays is that while they show a different social mask to the World, they may think and behave differently. Which is something well known by corporations and countries controlling or spying the cyberspace.
Photo 11 - Drone, Source: pixabay.com
5.3 - Cyberspace Cyberspace then arrives in a complex panorama where despite the multiple possibilities of expanding positively it could only result in yet another new instrument of manipulation and control on a global scale, but now with much more intensity and expertise. The virtual world is not opposed to the real, it is an integral part of reality despite the absence of materiality, which makes it real, however in its value of meaning, as we can analyze through the literary work of Pierre Levy (Que C’est le Virtuel, 1996 and Cyberculture, 2001). It is seen then that to say that the virtual is
20 responsible for a new mentality is incorrect, but the platform of cyberspace is something that allows the means of domination of the masses to expand and to know with more skill and sneaky the public that intends to dominate. While they know more, they manage to control and direct the masses according to their interests, thus making society as a whole into a larger consumer. The great question of the internet, which is one of the structures of cyberspace, is the excess information that needs to be organized, it is in this volume that both fake news, hate speech and techniques can be found to take advantage of the less informed as well the democratization of knowledge and the universalization of information as well as the planet ends up becoming a group within the platform, and that is precisely why it is easier to control and manipulate the majority. At the moment when cyberspace gains planetary value it also gains a new yet moral and principled one that comes through social networks. At the same time that the media uses the virtual to trivialize everyday atrocities, it also uses to create selective outrage and play against each other. At first cyberspace seems gratuitous, but in practice the internet's currency of exchange is information. Information that serves to know, control and take greater advantage of its users, because profit is the essence of globalization and virtual is an effective instrument of colonization. Philip Rosedale, creator of computer ‘game' Second Life present a peculiar point on virtual space on his TED Talk (2008). He demonstrate that the idea of space travel is not only related with fascination produced by the media (to control society liberty of choice), it is also intimate related with the developing of a new identity on an unknown scenario full of possibilities presented by the fact that we don’t know what we will find there, same thing can be seen in the Virtual World. “We as Humans crave the idea of creating a new identity and going into a place where anything is possible. And I think virtual Worlds, and where we’re going with more and more computing technology, represents essentially the likely, really tactically possible version of space exploration.” Philip Rosedale (2008)
Illustration 5 Second Life - Source: https://www.moregameslike.com/second-life/
Second Life, is a computer game that simulates the World we live in, it tries to recreate it and put things together in order to allow its users to build things. It brings the possibility of creating things on a social environment. In a physical reality, Second Life is about 20000 CPUs interconnected that run the virtual space and there are 250.000 users daily, but the virtual space itself, if measured through proportion would be 10 times the size of San Francisco. The advantage
21 of virtual reality compared to the 90’s online chat rooms in terms of social interaction is, that it uses an universal language. Words can’t describe items perfectly as they are, so the virtual reality goes further then the hypertext to the more symbolic use of images, so connecting more and more people. The exchange or consume of information, the internet’s currency, have now no language boarders, so interaction grows which is a positive aspect. Virtual Worlds allow us to reinvent ourselves and probably anything could happen in this World of possible and impossible possibilities. While a new planet might bring a series of new unknown possibilities, variety on the virtual World comes through the amount of content, allowing users to have more possibilities, and that sense of freedom one’s crave. In sum, the necessity of the virtual world is the same as the space travel, other then just a collective dream, it is the need to recreate itself — to probably be rejected on another way by whichever society one might face. The fragile idea of restarting again “as you began this exploration” forgets that we already started it with a predestined path to take, as in Huxley’s Brave New World (1994), where babies already know there future. The only possibility here is of wearing a mask and pretending to be who you were not assigned to be, so there’s is no real necessity of space travel or virtual worlds, they might be able to leave there users on this euphoric illusory state of pleasure while in reality are controlling them through futility and bestiality, after all, who would want to experience a screen other than real life? Is a virtual world likely to be a utopia, would be one way I'd say it. The answer is no, and I think the reason why is because the Web itself as a good example is profoundly bottoms-up. That idea of infinite possibility, that magic of anything can happen, only happens in an environment where you really know that there's a fundamental freedom at the level of the individual actor, at the level of the Lego blocks, if you will, that make up the virtual world. Philip Rosedale (2008) Although it is easy to point the reasons of why humans crave moving away from physicality to virtuality, the influence of the opposite isn’t as common. Chris Milk (2017), a virtual reality film maker believes that virtuality can ‘create the ultimate empathy machine’, theme of his ted talk. His idea is based on a primary principal that we, with our moral conducts are a product of the World we are surrounded to, and if we aren’t able to relate ourselves with a situation on the other side of the planet, then we might not have the same empathy. So what he does is essentially, bringing virtual reality to reality, in order to touch people so to produce change. We do know that the movie industry has helped somehow to share experiences, wether negative or positive through its users, but as Chris Milk (2017) states ‘they are these windows into these other worlds’. But a frame window isn’t enough, virtual reality is evolving such that you actually feel like you are in the other side of the World. 3d Cameras and binaural microphones systems allow the film to be shoot on every direction, fundamentally 360 degrees. A very interesting film of his is called “Clouds Over Sidra”, made with this virtual systems, sponsored by the UN, it is filmed on a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan, and tells the story of Sidra a 12 year old girl. This film was shown on the World Economic Forum in Davos to a group of economical leaders, forcing them to experience a very different life condition
22 Photo 12 - Clouds over Sidra - Author: Chris Milk - Source: youtube.com
then what they have, at least visually. Virtual reality transport its users to different worlds, wether they are ‘real' or not. So virtual reality is also capable of connecting humans to humans generating more empathy. So that leads me back to virtual reality. Let's talk about virtual reality. Unfortunately, talking about virtual reality is like dancing about architecture, it's a very experiential medium, You feel your way inside of it. It's a machine, but inside of it, it feels like real life, it feels like truth, And you feel present in the world that you're inside and you feel present with the people that you're inside of it with.Chris Milk (2017)
5.4 - Virtuality and Morality As Humanity goes further in the 21st century a common sense of banality increases in a social level, as in Huxley’s book ‘Brave new World’ (1994), where large quantities of sexual partners would turn someone more social. In the cyberspace it is possible to see an increasing number on search for pornography which may transform sex on a routine rather than an event, it lacks its natural essence. But in a global scale where people need to work ever more it would be silly to say this has nothing to do with the necessity of breaking the family structure apart, as even architecture has shown to reduce living areas. An individual worker is more apt than one that is attached to a family, and as it lacks spontaneity, may not cause accidents and can easily adequate in a strict system of control and prohibitions. The more the social media enforces a fake society hidden on a mask of happiness, where everyone is controlled and manipulated, whose fuel is the human necessity of being accepted in its community, eliminates the capacity of thought from its individuals. Our values are related with the culture we are inserted. When this values start taking place in virtual platforms, controlling what is been seeing, thought and human actions and interactions in a global scale becomes tangible.
Illustration 6 - IN-SHADOW A Modern Odyssey - Animated Short Film - Author: Lubomir Arsov - Source: youtube.com
Cyberspace approximate people, including their knowledge and beliefs, it is therefore a medium of communication that is directly related with information - the internet’s currency. In the book 'Black Code’ written by Ronald Deibert (2012), it is concluded that there is nothing free in the cyberspace, every information published in social media, typed, sent as an e-mail, kept as a note, searched or visualized, as well as the tracking traces that we leave from our highly connected gadgets (phones,
23 tables and notebooks) and the metadata produced (which is the information the machinery produces by itself), are used to produce a profile that allows to control what is being seeing, thought and behavior. Decisions on consumption goods and directly targeted propaganda, invasion of privacy and behavior control are intimately related. Deibert (2013) estimates that the market with the biggest expansion nowadays is the cyber espionage, it is possible to find websites with more than 57 cookies in just one click. But this information isn’t only used by the corporations, as it is stored in headquarters of big companies such as Google in the USA, they have to oblige to their rules, so the government is allowed to see what is in there, and what is there is far bigger than their country, it is global. That created ground for Wikileaks. An example of the possible dangers happened when Russian hackers started targeting oil and gas companies (NY Times, 2014). This industrial espionage may lead to seizing control of industrial automated systems from a wide distance. It ranged over 1000 organizations in more than 84 countries, discovered on 2012 by researchers at CrowdStrike, who believe that the group of hackers behind the attack were been sponsored by the Russian government. Likewise the USA and Israel were using Stuxnet, a computer worm in 2009 to control Iranian nuclear facilities, leading to destruction of fifth of Iranian’s uranium supply. What is peculiar about the cyberspace, Ronald Delbert (2013) stated in his book that although some countries may be a allowed to spy on others they may not be allowed to prevent cybercrime, as laws in every country are fixed to their territory, then virtual borders are exposed to a crash of morality as they are not valid in the cyberspace, leading to think of how morality wasn’t very present in the capitalist system - the exploited were just left out of the borders. As an example Deibert writes (2013): Few of us realize that data stored by Google, even data located on machines in foreign jurisdictions, are subject to the U.S. Patriot Act because Google is headquartered in the United States and the Act compels it to turn over data when asked to do so, no matter where it is stored.
So the cyberspace is a heavily controlled outlaw space, it is the perfect place to investigate what is behind the scenes, and access the most intimate desires and wishes of individuals. Therefore it is rather easy to standardize humans and lead them to a consensus based on the fact that they want to be accepted in a larger group (in accordance to Huxley’s Brave New World, 1994). If we take a look on the teenagers of the cyberspace, a rather new situation, according with Danah Boyd (2015) there is very little trust from their parents along the use of internet, they are indirectly believing that their children will behave the same way they do or did when they were the same age as theirs - rather actively or only inside their brains, what an hypocrisy. But online there is a feeling of mystery, and it is hard to control what individual are doing(unless you control the
24 cyberspace or hacks), and the grounds for Foucault’s ‘heterotopia’ are set, society doesn’t like to see its breeds turning into matures fully capable of spontaneity. The cyberspace, is firstly, a place where people gather with like minded people and acquire knowledge of personal interest, regardless of any use that can come from it. Positive or negative. And as this is complicated, it is common to see different behaviors from same individuals along the internet. From an strategical perspective of power and dominance, Chomsky (2003), describes the strategy of distraction, that is now with individuals all the time, the mobile phone force to keep in track of the virtual world, ignoring even what you see in reality. They create a problem to offer a solution leading people to believe that being watched is being safe and they use infant approach to communicate and emotional aspects more than though ideas - leading individuals to indirectly behave like such and reduce their critic sense, while unconsciously take advantage on natural fears to implement their ideas. Fear has always being the biggest strategy.
Photo 13 - Smartphone Zombies - Source: commons.wikimedia.org
6 CHAPTER IV- Sustainability and Global Ecology It is important nowadays to design with global awareness, whether it is regarding globalization, social injustice and sustainability. With the dangers of global warming affecting directly the construction field, it is necessary to rethink material choices, carbon footprint and environmental impact. Globalization play a big role regarding the ongoing crisis, it exports and advances worldwide social inequality as well as exploitation of other nations natural resources for futile reasons, as Peter Newell (2016) points out: In addition to feeding environmentally destructive growth and consumption, globalization is seen to breed injustice in a number of ways. It exacerbates the inequality within and between countries. It reinforces the domination of the global rich and the marginalization of women, indigenous peoples, and the poor. It assists corporate exploitation of the developing world (especially labor and natural resources). It weakens local community autonomy and imposes new forms of domination that are Western and patriarchal (local customs, norms, and knowledge are lost, replaced by new forms unsuited to these new locations). Globalization is also seen to destroy local livelihoods, leaving large numbers of people disconnected from the environment in both rich and poor countries. This globalization is viewed by many social greens as a continuation of earlier waves of domination and control. (Added emphasis).
25 Therefore, the field of architecture is in position to direct design approaches that not only are environmental friendly but are local and promote social justice, as it influences choices based on current trends like ‘smart materials’, the extensive use of international resources and other trends, generally regarding technology. To illustrate, Claudia Pasquero and Marco Poletto (on ‘Alive’, 2014) speak from a perspective that might impose a dangerous reality, as in an interconnected World the top priority for Architects should be to even World equality instead of reaching standards of technology whose cost and environmental impact (as it uses a series of diverse sources) are pretty high. As stated on this argument: Even an unexplored sand dune in the middle of the largest desert on earth is contaminated by atmospheric particles containing traces of civilization, as well as being regularly observed and scanned by high– definition satellite sensors, where the act of measuring in itself constitutes an alteration of the measured or observed system. Both the nature of the observed and that of the observing system are transformed through this relationship. Within this conceptual framework, common definitions such as “ecological urbanism” and “sustainable architecture” may as a consequence be reframed to encompass all those technological systems as well as material and immaterial infrastructures that define contemporary urbanity. By refusing to accept the illusory and anachronistic picturesque image of the green city or architecture camouflaged in nature, we open the possibility to radicalize the idea of an adaptive, evolving bio– city where it is impossible to distinguish the biological from the biotechnological, the natural from the synthetic. (Added emphasis).
First architecture cannot ever oppose nature as it is made of nature by humans which are also part of nature. Second, illusory is to radicalize an idea. To not acknowledge Global Ecology issues (banalizing it), is where this perspective fail and seem of egoistical perspective. World Bank sums up (The globalization and Environment Reader, 2016): Constant references to ‘humanity’s common resources’, for example, neatly obscured the fact that the vast majority of people have no access to those resources, which they neither own nor control, and which are selfishly exploited for the narrow ends of a few. (In Brazil, for example, multinational companies own more land than all the peasants put together. In Britain, just nine per cent of the population owns 84 per cent of the land.) Likewise, the flows of resources from humanity’s supposedly ‘common resource base’ are grossly unequal. In the last 50 years, the US has single-handedly consumed more fossil fuels and minerals than the rest of humanity has consumed in all recorded history. The US beef industry alone consumes as much food as the populations of India and China combined, an orgy of consumption that is possible only by starving other people.
Therefore materials used have to be chosen with serious criteria on a Global Ecological perspective. 6.1 - Extreme Tropical Weather From what was stated previously sustainable solutions studied on this paper, will demonstrate the relationship of cost effectiveness, reduced impact, efficiency and relationship to the cultural and cultural environment, focusing specifically on tropical weather. According to the Köppen climate classification, tropical climates are non-arid climates where temperatures throughout the year have average temperature of 18°C or higher (generally much higher). Another important characteristic is that temperate is relative constant been generally warmer than average. Although four seasons do exist on nature, they are not visible, what can be seen is the wet season and the dry season. Due to the Earth’s axis inclination, south hemisphere is generally warmer than the north, and tropical weather is generally present closer to the equator (although there are exceptions), reaching parts of the north hemisphere and on the majority of times
26 in the south hemisphere (limiting almost on the tropic of Capricorn). There are three classifications of tropical weather on the Kรถppen classification: AF- Tropical Rainforest, AM-Tropical Monsoon and AW-Tropical Wet and dry. Variations occur based on biome (including desertification), altitude and proximity to the ocean. Urban densification is also playing a role on classification so some cities for example, like Manaus, that was supposed to be of tropical rainforest climate are classified as monsoon climate because of its high industry activity and urbanization.
Map 1 - Atlas Tropical Zone - source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/
In Brazil there are 6 types of biomes, Amazonia, Caatinga, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, Pampas and Pantanal, which define different aspects of environmental comfort. On a simplified manner, Roberto Lamberts define then 6 regions that coincide weather wise, been Tropical (cerrado), Equatorial (Amazonia), Semi-Arid (Caatinga), Subtropical (Lower and most inland part of the Atlantic forest and the Pampas), Tropical Atlantic (coastal area of the Atlantic forest) and Altitude Tropical (where the height and constant air mass collision significantly change the weather). Although there is a decent amount of land where sun shading would only be necessary during summer, most of the country has a necessity of ventilation and sun shading all over the year.
Map 2, 3 - Biome and Kรถppen Classification Brazil source: http://www.ebc.com.br/infantil/voce-sabia/2014/08/voce-sabe-quais-sao-os-biomas-brasileiros and http:// www.ecoclimax.com/2016/04/climate-classification-for-brazil.html
27 6.2 - Bioclimatic Design When it comes to extreme climate, whether tropical or equatorial, the variability of temperatures is reduced with a higher incidence of heat throughout the year, varying in region as regards altitude, humidity and proximity to the sea. With this in mind, several bioclimatic solutions to enhance ventilation and reduce the incidence of the sun in the architecture are employed and are the result of constant research. One of the most important examples of the Brazilian modernist architecture that respond to climate on warm territories (and also in its global scale) is the Gustavo Capanema Palace in Rio de Janeiro, a project of the renowned architect Lúcio Costa (urban planner who conceived the master plan of Brasília) been registered just three years after its inauguration as a historical patrimony. Lúcio Costa, a strong precursor of Le Corbusier, conceived the design of the iconic building using the five elements: pilotis, free plan, garden terrace, free facade and horizontal windows. It possesses brise-soleil in forms of movable horizontal blades placed in the north facade (facade of greater solar incidence in the southern hemisphere). Although initially this concepts were designed by Le Corbusier, never before in history had it been built on such a large scale as in this project.
Photo 14, 15 and Illustration 7- Gustavo Capanema source: http://www.multirio.rj.gov.br/index.php/leia/reportagens-artigos/
Although the most common solutions, eaves, awnings and brise-soleil are the most commonly used, they are not the only form of solar containment, being Brazil pioneer in the creation of the cobogó, a hollow element inspired by the Mashrabiya that allows through mesh to filter the sunlight efficiently (depending on the model) as an alternative example.
Photo 12, 13 - Mashrabiya and Photo 14 - Cobogó - Source: http://danslessouliersdoceane.hautetfort.com/ jhsupermercadodaconstrucao.com.br
28 Cobogó was born in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, as a result of the efforts of three engineers: Amadeu Oliveira Coimbra (Portuguese, Brazilian naturalized), Ernest August Boeckmann (German, Brazilian naturalized), and Antônio de Góes living in the city of Recife, COBO-GÓ in turn corresponds to the initials of the surname of these three engineers. Originally produced in concrete, they can easily be found in the most diverse materials such as ceramics, porcelain, acrylics, resin and others, and unfortunately, with the new tendency to bring greater 'Brazilianness' to the project, they are becoming futile and eventually used in areas where its real function of filtering the sun is of no use or often being manufactured with design unable to reduce insolation, even partially. The most traditional ones remain the least expensive, which can cost 1,75 Brazilian reais (35 pence in the current quotation), and the most modern ones such as the Rizoma signed by the architect Guto Requena (which perhaps only has aesthetic value since it is incapable of effectively filtering sunlight) costs 110 Reais each block (22.36 pounds in current quotation). The inspiration came from the Mashrabiya, an Arab element made of wooden trusses installed in both balconies and windows, whose function is not only aesthetic but also to camouflage the people who inhabit from external eyes while also bringing light and ventilation. However its function has never been to reduce the solar incidence (It would however still reduce it, although partially), since it does not have enough thickness for such, which differentiates it clearly from Cobogó. If humans were more hospitable, we’d also need less architecture to keep us from ourselves. ALEX HAW Although conceived in the 1930s, it only gained real prominence with the founding of Brasilia (which in turn was the first modern city to be registered by UNESCO worldwide, and its registration began at the time of the project), where the use of cobogó as a bioclimatic solution, especially in residential buildings (superblocks), which bring character to the city. As an example we can cite the South superblock 308 (model superblock), being the first to be conceived (inaugurated in 1962), urban project of Lúcio Costa and Landscape of Burle Marx. The buildings,
Photo 15, 16 - 308 Asa Sul 14 - Source: http://www.brasilianatrilha.com.br/2016/03/quadra-modelo-sqs-308.html
29 however, were designed by the architects Marcelo Campello and Sérgio Rocha, who followed the rules of the city as well as the Brazilian modernist language in vogue in the period. A total of 11 blocks, all with pilotis, 6 floors (where the maximum height allows, considering the landscape), covered garage and 60% of total green area in the super block (Brasilia legislation).The buildings are composed of a blind wall of cobogós and the other side in large glass windows allowing cross ventilation in the apartments.
Even though it is an easy solution that does not require much calculation and technique compared to others (such as brise-soleil), some details should be emphasized: solar orientation, for ventilation of environments there must be a difference in pressure between openings and although remotely similar, cobogó never replaces masonry bricks because it does not withstand high compression loads, requiring a height calculation for more than 3 meters height (possibly a discrete structure such as aluminum profiles can structure the façade). Nowadays the cobogó stands out with artists like Erwin Hauer and with the possibilities of approaching the Brazilian architecture of the parametric design. For study purposes, two contemporary projects will be presented. The first is the Cobogó House designed by the MK27 office, which uses a form of a diverse cobogó, a sculpture by
Photo 17, 18, 19, 20 - Cobogo House - MK27 - Source: http://studiomk27.com.br/p/casa-cobogo/
Erwin Hauer, which refers to geometric shapes similar to the interlacing of voids in sphere packing in 4 edges. According to the descriptive memo of the office available on its own website, the project
30 completed in 2011, built on four levels, filters the light so as to produce a 'spatialized' lace of shadows and sun-rays, multiplying throughout the environment. of light itself a construction. Another important example, though not a project but rather an element of design, brings out natural systems as well as parametric design. The cobogรณ "rhizoma" of the architect Gustavo Requena produced by Manufatti and being sold to the value of 111 reais each block, began to be idealized and soon marketed in the first half of this year (2018). It seeks to unite and value the artisanal process through digital methods. Although an intelligent thought and still having been extracted from a natural element, unfortunately the project has only aesthetic value, since it can not protect from the sun effectively. It is based on a rhizome that grows evenly and horizontally. According to the magazine USE, "The new collection, composed of two models, also makes the symbiosis between the virtual and the manual in order to create possibilities of joining both parts and expand the options of layouts and forms for product composition in the environment. "Guto Requena adds: The objects created represent a way of investigating the creative process in design that uses the possibilities offered by new digital technologies and the use of concepts derived from Cyberculture, "adds the designer.
Photo 21, 22, 23 and Illustration 8 - Rhizoma - Guto Requena - Source: http://www.revistause.com.br/guto-requenalanca-linha-exclusiva-de-cobogos-em-parceria-com-manufatti/
In another attempt to re-establish a re-reading between Mashrabiya, we can see Jean Nouvel's work for the Monde Arabe exhibition building in Paris. What is approaching an alive architecture, where a huge metallic panel composed of a series of automated pieces that open and close according to sunlight, unfortunately does not work as expected (as seen during the visit in July 2018), including
31 the fact which adds energy cost to an element that a priori would not require dynamics, making its movement somewhat arbitrary. As stated by Franca Trubiano (2013): …including the early albeit technically unsuccessful all glass sun control façade designed by Jean Nouvel for the Institut du Monde Arabe, in 1987 on the left bank of the City of Paris. The highly articulated jewel-like Masharabiya pattern of all-metal devices sandwiched between panels of glass was conceived to open and close in response to changing levels of illumination. As beautiful as the façade was to look it, it was incapable of operating as designed.
Photo 24, 25 - Institut du Monde Arab , Facade - Jean Nouvel - Photography Marco Antonio Zoch Souza
A closer look at the element was possible at the Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine museum in Paris, where it is possible to see its automation in operation, however the lack of depth of the
Photo 26, 27 - Cité de l’ Architecture Museum - Jean Nouvel - System - Photography Marco Antonio Zoch Souza
element is a clear sign that its operation would be somewhat ineffective. Although aesthetically pleasing, cobogós and their inspiration, Mashrabiya, are not the only uniform way of demonstrating porous facades capable of enriching the aesthetics of the project as well as filtering the sun and promoting ventilation of the spaces. A good example of this is seen in the serpentine pavilion of 2018, designed by the Mexican architect Frida Escobedo, visited in August for field research. The façades are composed of concrete tiles superimposed by small elements and structured with metallic profile in a discreet way, joining the immateriality of the project with the reflections of the roof and the mirror of water that in turn brings moisture by effect of vaporization (another passive solution, generally used in dry areas).
32 The system takes advantage of the ripple of the tiles to channel the air while producing a cost effective and easy to assemble and source solution.
Photo 26, 27, 28, 29 - Serpentine Pavilion 2018 - Frida Escobedo - Photography Marco Antonio Zoch Souza
Another very important bioclimatic solution to be taken into consideration in designing with air pressure differentiation is the chimney effect, which basically works as follows: an air escape on the ceiling, which allows the warm air to exit the project ( since the hot air tends to rise and the cold air descends), promoting renovation of the air. An example of the bioclimatic architecture in extreme climates in Brazil of lesser repercussion is the architect Severiano Mario Porto, whose change of residence to the Amazon brought the need to adapt to the local climate. The need for the removal of
Photo 30,31,32,33,34 - Suframa - Severiano Mario Porto - source https://www.archdaily.com.br/br/762300/classicosda-arquitetura-sede-da-suframa-severiano-porto
33 hot air has become an important premise, so it is notable in a number of his projects the presence of the chimney effect, an example is the headquarters of the superintendence of the Manaus Franca Zone (SUFRAMA) project designed in a modular way, where a series of polycarbonate domes with air space is placed at the top of ruled spans. Based on the principle of guaranteeing the possibility of increasing the constructed area according to the need and to allow the flexibility of arrangement of the spaces, the constructive system chosen for the set were structural modules of 15m x 15m, independent of each other, in apparent concrete. The roof is a loose dome, leaning only on the pillars. Starting from the initial intention of having little use of a/c, concrete modules were designed in the shape of a hollow pyramid trunk that function as exhausters for removing hot air. Project 29 - Mediatic designed by Cloud 9, in Barcelona inaugurated on 2010, is another example of bioclimatic architecture visited during the master degree field trip in January 2018. It consist of a hybrid office building that is conceptualized as hub for exchanging ideas and communicating across platforms and expertise, according to HENSEL, U. M, ; TURKO P. J (2014). The ETFE Cushions responsive facade respond to solar irradiation on distinct ways, with occasional openings allowing ventilation. They are composed of layers of screen printed dot pattern. actuators are linked with sensors on the envelope, with the reduction of air inside the cushions the distances approximate creating greater or lesser shading. Parte of the ETFE Cushions are filled with colored nitrogen gas, which act as a reflector when the solar gains are high. So the envelope has a dual value of solar shading and climate barrier. Sadly the ventilation doesn’t work as expected and the use of air conditioning is strong inside the building, dynamic sun shading solutions seem to generally fail on what passive solutions excel, cost and maintenance.
Photo 35,36,37 - Mediatic - Cloud 9 - Photography Marco Antonio Zoch Souza
6.3 - High-Low High-Low is a terminology extracted from an AA Visiting Global School workshop held in 2011 in Sao Paulo of the same name whose aim consisted of as described online: ‌this programme is to rehabilitate environments, populations and materials through the use of innovative computational ecological design and digital fabrication processes. With these tactics we will define a new generation of digital design that employs both high-tech and low-tech strategies. Parametric design generation and digital fabrication techniques will be used to computationally redesign low-tech building strategies, mixing high-tech expertise with local labour knowledge. One objective of the workshop is to
34 transform sustainable design strategies so as to bring to ecological design a new aesthetic and social agenda. (added emphasis)
So it basically consist of a healthy approach of digital fabrication where more cost effective and environmental friendly solutions can be produced with high technology. This will be demonstrated with two different projects, CoBLOgó designed by SUBdV in Sao Paulo, for its similarity of environment and resonance with the aim of this dissertation, and Diébédo Francis Kéré School Library project in Gando, Burkina Faso, in order to contrast and emphasize on social justice. Coblogó is an annex of a factory & office, that described by the architects (SUBdV, 2017): "‘high-low’ fusion was employed, where high-tech architectural design strategies imported from abroad were combined with local low-tech construction methodologies to create a ‘tropicalized’ digital aesthetic". It basically consist of concrete blocks juxtaposed on a specific pattern that would filter light (such as in traditional cobogó) and direct wind. One of the architects that worked on this project, Orion Campos (2013) state that “The budget was a big limitation. We chose to use the maximum possible uncoated materials with maximum possible functions." Primarily thought to be assembled with a robot arm (as it wasn’t cost effective it was discarded), the project is positioned accordingly to CNC cuttings of cardboards and an wood shelf cut, that then allowed it to be easily assembled by anyone. Gando’s Primary School is a model for client-village activism and many near-by villages have followed its lead by forming organizations to construct their own schools (Ronald Rael, 2014). Gando School Library, by Francis Kéré, bring low-tech materials into a smart way of designing, clay pots were used on the roof to bring light and air circulation, and the walls are made with clay
Photo 38,39,40,41 Coblogó - Subdv - source: www.archdaily.com/874039/coblogo-subdv / Photo 42,43,44,45 Gando Primary School - Francis Kéré - source: www.archdaily.com/262012/in-progress-school-library-gando-kere-architecture
and the rhythmical façade with eucalyptus, it was constructed by efforts of the local community, with affordable solutions. "High-tech materials almost always seem to dominate the conversation - at least in architectural circles. But using the latest invention in material technology usually does not make a building 'innovative.' More often than not, it just makes it expensive and flashy. "(Andrew Galloway, 2014).
35 7 CHAPTER VI- Digital Fabrication Digital modeling and fabrication is an assemble technique to extract virtual models (wether CAD, BIM or 3D), and bring them to physicality with the use of technology, such as CNC Milling, Laser Cutter, Plasma Cutter, the vast variety of 3d printers, extruders and more recently robotics, to name a few. This systems may work with additive or subtractive manufacturing methods. Additive consist of pouring elements in order to achieve the desired shape while subtractive intend on ‘sculpting' or ‘cutting' a material to a desired shape. 7.1 - Vernacular Digital Fabrication We can define Vernacular Digital Fabrication, as a high-low attempt, whose intention comes also from reducing the cost but to bring traces of the maker into the assembled element, using digits to assemble a 3d model and digits for post-work on assembling a digital model. According to Steven J. ; Nelson R. (2015) authors of ‘digital vernacular’ "…In this sense the digital must be defined as engaging both fingers and numbers, the human hand and electronic tools working together as instruments to gauge and develop the work appropriately." This type of assemble, with both digital and human labour, brings a more human touch, and free the maker of producing something limited to digital design. They also describe the use of tools on their book as: …The tools have a tendency to guide the maker, not the maker guiding the tools. Outcomes often resemble abstract mathematical models more than concrete haptic experiences defined by an individual maker through real material and specific context.
and as well: "Vernacular digital tools must be readily available and accessible. They must be affordable for the common person and simple enough to be built and maintained with minimal skill and expertise. Stevens J. ; Nelson R. 2015.” Thus reducing the amount of mistakes and lack of precision of human labour, but bringing the cost effective value that non digital assemble has (depending on country). Another important aspect of digital vernacular is bringing to the forefront local materials, most digital assemble solutions require standard materials, limiting design possibilities.
Photo 42,43,44 - Digital Vernacular - Source: https://www.materialdriven.com/
36 7.2 - Robotics
…the recent acquisition of robots, to enable the milking process triggered our curiosity. The cow is equipped with a microchip and communicates in real time with the milking robot as well as a computer. The computer monitors the cow’s metabolism and the robot responds to the cow’s desire to be milked. During milking the computer analyzes the composition of the milk, determining the pressure that the robot must exercise on the cow’s mammary gland at any given moment, thus preventing excessive stress on the organs. Also the general health of the cow is monitored, preventing infections and other health– related problems. The cow can visit the robot when it wants and for as long as it feels like. (Claudia Pasquero, Marco Poletto, Alive, 2014)
Although robotics has been a contemporary concern it isn’t as new as expected, it started on the last century, rather rudimentary compared to the advancements seen till this day. It is important to separate robotics from AI, robots don’t necessarily have an ability to formulate decision making such as in AI, and when they do (RSI robots), it is generally based on detected elements to function to particular tasks. So although technology may remove and switch some jobs it might still be far to replace humans completely. One of the primary reasons is because ‘singularity’, an issue in robotic path of actions, hasn’t yet a solution. …However, the thesis of the end of labour through automation — regardless of what kind — has been refuted over and over since the beginning of industrialization. Although it is true that machines have repeatedly forced painful structural changes on society, in the end increase d productivity not only resulted in a higher standard of living but also led to new professions and jobs in other places. Gramazio & Kohler, The Robotic Touch: How Robots Change Architecture
The other is, although robots are very precise, they work on a complex axis that might be more prone to human mistake than other technologies such as CNC Milling, laser cutting or some types of 3d printing. Taking this fact out, it is capable of producing a series of tasks and be assembled with different tools in architecture, such as milling, welding, wire-cutting, extruders, vacuum grip, and claw grips, to name the most common. It is then possible to use different robots for different tasks, and with lower payloads, allow to be more cost effective. This also to extend to the different types of robots, varying from axis, strength, function and they can work with other robots on a single programming. It is possible then to make a cloud of drones programmed to work together on a common task — like on a swarming behavior. It is also important to emphasize the relationship of robots to been a mean of connecting virtuality to physicality. As stated by Gramazio & Kohler: ”The programming of robot-based material processes thus achieves a level of sensory intensification, allowing for novel perceptual experiences. These encounters are both virtual and physical and impart a truly “reflexive” understanding of materiality."
Photo 45,46,47 - Various Robots, different functions - Photography: Marco Antonio Zoch Souza
37 7.3 - Virtualization of humans and labor: Robotics and AI "The eeriness of dolls comes solely from the fact that they are completely modelled on human beings. In fact, they are nothing but human really. They make us face the fear of being reduced to simple mechanisms and matter. In other words, they make us face the fear that fundamentally all humans belong to the void. Science seeking to unlock the secret of life also brought about this fear. The notion that nature can be calculated inevitably leads to the conclusion that humans too can be reduced to basic mechanical parts.” Ghost in The Shell 2: The Innocence.
Humanoid Sophia, designed by Hanson Robotics received citizenship on Saudi Arabia — A country that still has slavery so therefore a country where now a robot has citizenship (although not every human there does). What makes the Humanoids from Hanson Robotics is that they are built with Character and the ability of empathizing with you, claims David Hanson on his TED Talk (2009), 'Robots that
Photo 48- Humanoid Sophia - Hanson Robotics - Source:http://www.dazeddigital.com/science-tech/article/37872/1/ sophia-the-robot-has-become-the-first-humanoid-citizen
show Emotion'. This is achieved with a variety of technologies, such as face recognition, eye contact, facial expressions the assimilating of speech and mood and building relations. He claims that 'character robotics', that are not just designed to achieve sentience in machines but empathy, could be the hope for the future. While they would increase intelligence, maybe even more than humans, they could help humans with constant social issues. This would cause the virtualization of humans, or at least of the human interaction, with a possible ecstasy feeling of dealing with a robot that constantly try to empathize with you, reinforcing Aldous Huxley concept on ‘Brave New World’ 1932. But while David Hanson’s robots are something that would rather make you feel comfortable, Boston Dynamics, a military sponsored company, are rather dreadful. They use RSI technology (Responsive Sensor Interaction), which means they sensor the surrounded area and by what they see (detect), they develop there actions. This could lead to extreme catastrophes if thought on a large scale, as in the episode ‘Metalhead' of the series Black Mirror — which is
38 directly related with the ‘BigDog' a robot designed by Boston Dynamics, that could actually be used in war if connected to an auto-shooting weapon. This is literally the virtualization of the soldier. Marc Raibert, director of Boston Dynamics, states in his TED talk (2017) 'Meet spot, the robot dog that can run, hop and open doors" that his goal is to build robots that are capable of doing what humans and animals can. And for that, three things are key: dynamic mobility, mobile
Photo 49 - BigDog Robot -Boston Dynamics- Source: https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=184
manipulation and mobile perception. All of them are still in need of evolving to get to a human level, the biggest issue still been the dynamic mobility, as robots aren’t capable of performing ‘singularity’, which means they cannot perform tasks that are direct to humans, they need to perform another path to do the same function, such as picking and placing an object, the robot would actually need to perform a complex path instead of going direct to it. Although this is still an ongoing issue, it is necessary to state that robots are already as fast (when not faster) than humans, and when the end of singularity comes, it might represent the end of human labour as we know. In order to make robots more efficient Marc Robert believe on an holistic design, as put on his own words: Im going to give you a little bit of robot religion. A lot of people think that a robot is a machine where there’s a computer that’s telling it what to do, and the computer is listening through its sensors. But that’s really only half of the story. The real story is that the computer is on one side, making suggestions to the robot, and on the other side are the physics of the world…In order to have a successful robot, my religion is that you have to do a holistic design…where all of the parts really intermesh and cooperate with each other.
In the end of his TED talk the interviewer asked him about the dark side of it, such as the military, Marc Robert claimed that not only the military is a big funder but that he doesn’t believe the military is the dark side and that his technology could be used for ‘all kinds of things’.
39 8 CHAPTER VII- Case Study: [MAR]Cobogó [Materialized Architecture - Robotics ]Cobogó "(...) The beaches and hills of Rio play the same role as the monuments in Paris or in New York” Zaha Hadid Rio de Janeiro was founded by the Portuguese in 1565, been the capital of the state of the same name. Located in the concentrated region, Southeast, 22.9 ° south latitude and 43.2 ° longitude west, tropical Atlantic coastal climate only 10 meters above sea level, located in narrow alluvial plains between hills, the Guanabara bay and several islands, was the first city to receive the title of cultural landscape by UNESCO. Along the coast of the metropolis the terrain has considerable alternations, it also has some lagoons and considerable vegetation remnants of the Atlantic forest, belonging to the serra-do-mar biome group, are its hills like pão-de-açúcar (sugar loaf), corcovado and dois irmãos (two brothers) that bring the scenic exuberance of the metropolis (AB'SÁBER, 2007 ). The name Rio de Janeiro (January River), has literal sense, was discovered on January 1 by the Portuguese, who thought the Bay of Guanabara was the mouth of a river. The region of Guanabara Bay was occupied by the Tupinambás (native tribe) long before the arrival of the Portuguese, who discovered the bay in 1502 but occupied it later. It consist now of a huge metropolis with 6,32 million inhabitants inside its boundaries and expanding to 12,280 million inhabitants in its metropolitan area. This density increases the temperature which are already high. Examining the wind chart, generated by the software Analysis Sol-Ar (LABEE/UFSC), that most of its speed is even over most of the directions, been the south the exception where the speed is twice the size of the average. The frequency however, comes mostly from the southeast,
Diagram 2 - Rio de Janeiro Wind Analysis - generated by Sol-Ar - LabEEE
been the other directions (except south) very uncommon. The summer and the spring are the seasons of he year where the winds are more frequent in Rio, been convenient for passive bioclimatic design. A downside is that on both of this seasons the average of precipitation is higher, been inconvenient, for direct opening design. Graph from Dereczynski P. C,[et al]2009. The lack of
40
Diagram 3 - Rain Graph RJ - Dereczynski [et al] source: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rbmet/v24n1/03.pdf
frequency of wind on the other directions make this an important challenge to be taken. As a south hemisphere city however, the sun tends to be inclined towards the north most of the year, hardly oscillating to the south, so although rain might come with the frequent wind, it doesn’t come with sun irradiation, been quite peculiar. As can be seen on the solar chart extracted from Analysis SolAr (LABEEE/UFSC), the sun rises west 5:30am on 22 December, setting at 18:30pm (during summer), and rises at 6:30am setting at 17:30pm on 22 June (during winter).
Diagram 4 - Rio de Janeiro Solar Chart- generated by Sol-Ar - LabEEE
During Mars to September it rises on average at 6am and sets at 18pm, so there isn’t a huge switch along the year, but the azimuth moves from 50 to 0 degrees. Analyzing the solar chart through temperature along the days below (Analysis Sol-Ar / LABEEE - UFSC), show a necessity of protecting the sun from at least 8:30am till 17:30, and after the 21st of June, there is an increase on morning cool temperatures from June to September, and moderate to warm temperatures on the
41 afternoon. In order to make an eclectic passive solution, it is necessary to establish a time frame for sun shading, been a good option to protect exposition from 9am to 16:30pm.
Diagram 5 - Rio de Janeiro Solar Chart Dry with Dry Bulb Tem - generated by Sol-Ar - LabEEE
In contrast, Radiation throughout the year tends to concentrate from 10am to 14pm, where sun shading is a must, according to the graphs below (Analysis Sol-Ar / LABEEE - UFSC).
Diagram 6 - Rio de Janeiro Solar Chart with Radiation - generated by Sol-Ar - LabEEE
Taking from the average hour, high temperatures are most of the time lower then 40 degrees celsius, and cold temperatures higher than 13 degrees celsius, been the mean average 23 degrees with a global radiation of 209.7 Wh/m3. Oscillation from dry bulb temperature to humid bulb temperature been of almost 10 degrees celsius for high temperatures and in contrast very few in the other mean averages (1 to 2 degrees celsius) graphs according to Labeee/UFSC, using 20 years collected data from 1963. Using Givoni Diagrams generated through the software Analysis Bio using csv files with data collected from 1963 for 20 years
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Diagram 7 - Rio de Janeiro Givoni Graph Whole year and seasons - generated by Analysis-Bio - LabEEE
(Labeee/UFSC), it is possible to choose the most adequate bioclimatic solutions, it is separated on zones, been the central blue in the graphs above the comfort zone. As can be
List - Average Hour Data - Rio de Janeiro - source: Labeee / UFSC
seen through the whole year graph, Ventilation comes as the primary solution, and although the graph spans to the yellow zone (air conditioning), it is best to tolerate the increase of heat. Analyzing through the seasons its possible to see that most of this heavy heat condition happens in the summer, so it isn’t a burden as leisure activities during summer might take
43 place (i.e. Carnival, New year and Christmas). Any cold temperature that might happen
Diagram 8 - Rio de Janeiro Frequency Graph Whole year and seasons - generated by Analysis-Bio - LabEEE
during Winter or much less in Autumn, can be solved with thermal inertia, external bricks of 15 centimeters are enough in most cases. Although not stated through the carts, the primary solution is shading throughout the year, but dealing with shading isn’t considered an strategy of cooling or heating, therefore must be used concomitantly with the most appropriate solutions demonstrated. It is possible to identify through the graph below (Analysis Bio/ Labeee/UFSC) the extent of heating on the whole year and each season, and the percent of the incidence. It can be seen that it hardly oscillate on cold weather or extreme high temperatures. According to the report (generated through Analysis Bio - Labeee/UFSC), overall year
Diagrams 9,10,11,12,13,14 - High, Low and Mean Graphs - Rio de Janeiro - source: Labeee / UFSC
pressure is 101.5KPa, 20.9% of the time is in comfort zone weather and 79.1% uncomfortable
44 been 14.9% for cold (generally at the dawn and early morning), and 64.2% for heat (mostly during afternoon). As the best solutions to solve hot weather, ventilation appears with 60.8% while high thermal inertia for cooling as 4.46% and evaporative cooling as 3.59%. Only 2.82% of air conditioning is necessary as a strategy, but been unnecessary with correct ventilation shading and thermal inertia. For cool weather 14.9% can be solved with high thermal inertia and solar heat strategy, been enough to harmonize. Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
Shading
96,20%
98,60%
79,30%
64,90%
Ventilation
78,70%
78,00%
48,80%
38,30%
Vent+T Inertia
0,37%
1,42%
0,27%
181,00%
Evaporative Cool
3,06%
7,15%
2,81%
0,00%
Vent+Inert+Evap
2,87%
6,87%
2,490%
1,27%
T Inertia-Cooling
4,17%
9,35%
0,09%
0,05%
T Inertia-Heating
3,80%
1,37%
19,80%
34,10%
Air Conditioning
2,50%
7,93%
0,41%
0,50%
Comfortable
14,40%
11,50%
30,70%
26,80%
Uncomfortable
85,60%
88,40%
69,30%
73,20%
Shading account necessary as 84.7% of the time. Been autumn the most comfortable season with 30.7% and summer the least with 11.5%. in the comfort zone. 8.1 - Research Therefore, the primary concern on extreme tropical environments its to generate shading while promoting ventilation. As a design strategy a Natural System from endemic plants from Rio de Janeiro will be chosen, and its logic will be extracted, abstracted and rationalized in order to produce such effect. The Aechmea fasciata, a plant from the Bromeliad species, is endemic from Rio de Janeiro, having distributed itself and adapted along other regions, it is the most easily available in countries in Europe, for indoor use only, as it is one of the few that can resist some substantial reduction in temperature (although it wouldn’t survive outdoor on European weather). 70
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TOP VIEW
Photo 50,51 and Illustration 9 - Aechmea Fasciata - Scale - Water-tank - source: Own work.
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Commonly known as Urn Vase plant, native from the Restinga natural area and commonly used as ornament, this bromeliad is part of the majority of bromeliads — been the only types of plants that do not consume water through its roots, leaving them with only an affixation function. They have a special structure the trichome on their leaves that consume water and store it on its aquifers. With the constant variation of rain in every season, this plant adapted through time been designed on a rosette pattern with a central water tank, that does store water and is habitat for living species, such as frogs, spiders and insects, benefiting then from a more enriched water. HABITAT
LEAVES PATTERN
GLOBAL MORPHOLOGY
SMART GEOMETRY
CELL DISPOSITION
WATER TANK
STRUCTURE
Diagram 15 - Research Spectrum - Aechmea Fascia - Source: Own Work
The Research will focus on: 1- The Morphology Of The Water Tank 2 - The disposition of the trichomes and how they direct water drops 3- The leaf cells organization and how water passes through its structure.
MACRO MORPHOLOGY _ LEAVES | ROSETTE OVERALL SHAPE
GENERAL SHAPE SYMMETRY FINDER
INTERMEDIATE _ WATER TANK SPIRAL
WATER TANK DESIGN PATH OPTIMIZATION
MICRO MORPHOLOGY _ TRICHOMES DISTRIBUTION AND CELL DISPOSITION
MICRO MODEL STRUCTURE
Diagram 16 - Research Division - Aechmea Fascia - Source: Own Work
The pattern of the leaves leads to geometrical optimization for water collection, their inside permeable structure and to their trichomes. The project is separated in 3 models: general shape, to understand the plant ,water tank further investigating the water drop collecting system, micro model showing how the trichomes direct water and variate in the overall structure and how the cells inside the leaves create their own path for water consuming. The trichomes in the cellular structure that are
46 able to absorb water and have a distinct porosity will have special focus and final elements will be developed from the natural logic extracted. The same mechanism is used within the tissue of the leaf, where the stomata regulate the respiration of the plant. Stomate open when the air is humid, and close when its dry. The mechanism is differential pressure in an asymmetrical arrangement of cells. The outer and inner walls are much thicker than the lateral walls, and so have greater resistance to deformations. The thinner areas are more easily stretched. The asymmetry of the cells structure and of the wall thicknesses directs the movement caused by the pressure changes. George Jeronimidis 2014. Diagram 17 - Trichome sections - Aechmea Fascia - Source: Own Work
The rosette pattern consist of two Fibonacci number patterns in its topology, it is therefore described as a simple number sequences with no need for geometric calculation. The spiral phyllotaxis here presented is the most common described a divergence angle of 137.5 degrees. it is related with phi, 0,618^2*360=137,5. This whorled pattern rises from the same node moving on divergent directions.
ROSETTTE PATTERN
REPEATING SPIRAL FROM THE SAME NODE
Diagram 18 - Phyllotaxis and symmetry - Aechmea Fascia - Source: Own Work
RESULTING IN A WATER TANK
Its geometry can be described as: 1- Phyllotaxis: leaves whorled from the same node repeating 2- Spiral leaf distribution: rosette pattern 3- Anti-horary juxtaposition of leaves. highly dense node. Comparison between young Aechmea Fasciata’s and mature: Height growth at young age: 53cm | mature: 70cm Amount of Leaves increase of 3. Mature plant has a higher index of falling/heavy leaves. 135 degrees, 72 degrees, rotations can be found from the center of the plant resulting in the spiral, but also standard twisting leaves for optimizing sun capture. 8.2 - Digital & Physical Analysis The shape of the leaf produce a double curvature guiding and repelling water. After digitally recreating the growth can be described as: 1. From hard roots the bulb start to grow. 2. Leaves grow on a spiral anti-horary order, resulting on a central water reservoir. 3. Flower grows from the center node, same as the origin of every leaf.
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Dispatch of an Aechmea’s Fasciata Pup. The resulting measurementes show a regular golden on opposite spiral (parastichies)
Diagram 19 - Re-assemble Aechmea’s Fasciata Pup - Source: Own Work
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18 cm
Apex Ranging from same as base size to 3x base size. Ending Element is a tiny nod of diverse angles and rotations that produce the overall shape of the bromeliad.
DISPATCH | LEAF SIZE - SPREAD _ ANALYSIS
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Digital Production of the Aechmea Fasciata in 3d, using parametric software (grasshopper) with plugin Phyllomachine. It is therefore possible to see the leaf pattern and overall growth.
Diagram 20 - Bromeliad Growth Pattern - Phyllomachine Plugin - Source: Own Work
Final growth is around 60x60 cm. the regularity of the axis may vary according to environment Dispatch of an Aechmea’s Fasciata Pup. The resulting measurements show a regular golden ratio with diverging Fibonacci results when rotating on opposite spiral (parastichies). Digital Production of the Aechmea Fasciata in 3d, using parametric software (grasshopper) with plugin Phyllomachine. It is therefore possible to see the leaf pattern and overall growth.
48 WING CELLS
TRICHOME SCALE (CENTRAL CELLS) MECHANICAL HIPODERM SCALE (CENTRAL CELLS)
SCALE’S PEDICLE AQUIFER’S HYPODERMICS (WATER STORAGE)
WING CELLS
TRICHOME’S TRANSVERSAL SECTION
TRICHOME’S FRONT SECTION (TOP VIEW)
MECHANICAL HIPODERM TRICHOME TRICHOME LOCATION VASCULAR TISSUE
TRICHOME’S TRANSVERSAL SECTION
CUTICLE GUARD CELLS
MECHANICAL HIPODERM DETAIL
MECHANICAL HIPODERM LOWER EPIDERMIS GROUND CUTICLE TISSUE (AQUIFERS)
TRICHOME DETAIL
LYPIDS, ORG. ACIDS, CARBS, CHLOROPHYLL, STOMATA, NITROGEN BRACIFORM CELL JOINTS VASCULAR TISSUE SUCCULENCE, TRICHOMES
LEAF DIAGRAM
LEAF FRONT SECTION
Diagram 21 - Details of microscopical size - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
As can be seeing from the diagram, the whorled rosette pattern consist of 2 different spirals that appear in the 6th leaf. Apex Ranging from same as base size to 3 times the base size. Ending Element is a tiny nod of diverse angles and rotations that produce the overall shape of the bromeliad. Regular aechmea fasciata’s leaf | 2. Twisted Natural aechmea fasciata’s leaf (sun opt.) 3. Height of Curvatures in Leaf 4, 6. Layers and transparency on the base of the leaf (thicker on base). 5 Water Tank and 135 degrees spiral. The leaf consist of a structural base, where it generally allocate structure and more trichomes to absorb water, and its apex, gradually thinner than the start of the base. The Section below show the allocation of the storage of water area, the mechanical hipoderm and the positioning of the trichomes, on the trichomes detail, we can see how the shape is deformed. These material systems are essentially working as networks of interacting mini-hydraulic actuators, liquidfilled bags which can become turgid or flaccid and which, owing to their shape and mutual interaction, translate local deformations to global ones and are capable of generating very high stresses. George Jeronimidis 2014.
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1. NATURAL POSITION
2. RAIN DROPS
3. WATER ACCESS TRICHOMES
4. STORED WATER/ CONSUMED
Diagram 22 - Water Path - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
Water path diagram: 1 - Water drops are collected by the leaf. 2 - They are taken to the trichomes. 3 - Wings cells elevate (osmosis & water pressure). 4 - Water access the area around central scale, lifting its thick upper walls and sealing the water. 5 - Wing cells on rest position. 6 - Water pass through the pedicle. 7 - Water is stored in aquifer hypodermic cells.
SCALE (CENTRAL CELLS)
VORONOI CELL
WING CELLS
TRICHOME’S FRONT SECTION (TOP VIEW)
TRICHOME SCALE (CENTRAL CELLS) MECHANICAL HIPODERM SCALE’S PEDICLE AQUIFER’S HYPODERMICS (WATER STORAGE)
TRICHOME’S TRANSVERSAL SECTION WING CELLS
MECHANICAL HIPODERM TRICHOME TRICHOME LOCATION VASCULAR TISSUE
TRICHOME’S TRANSVERSAL SECTION
Trichome’s, cell, and leaf tissue digital model with explicit geometry and structure
Diagram 23 - 3d Section Trichome - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
The water is repelled through a path that arrives in the trichomes. It then is absorbed through osmosis, where it causes the trichome wing cells to move according to the water. This leads
50 water through the pedicle where it then move to aquifers and is stored, going back to its natural position. The Leaf is shaped for water absorption optimization, as the edges of the apex direct and repel water to its path; In the base is where most of the trichomes are, there is an increase on width by twice the size of the apex. When the water arrives in the trichomes, osmosis direct it inside the empty central cells that have an overall porosity, being closed on the upper area and gradually opening on the lower sides. The structure of the cells is composed of braciform joints that resemble a voronoi pattern. After passing through the pedicle the water is finally stored in the aquifer’s hypodermics, where it can finally be absorbed. Study of the possible structures contained and extracted from the plant. Due to its micro measurement it is currently impossible to measure, cells of this size only speculate, how this shapes work and are assembled. First attempt of understanding the geometry as a multilayered element. For rationalizing purposes, and difficulty of assemble, this shape was kept as only a study. The result wouldn’t be as Multilayer Assemble Study cost effective as architectural elements must be.
1.
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1.
2.
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Multilayer Assemble Study Voronoi Cell
Voronoi Cell Edges
Diagram 24 - Multilayered System - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
Structural Study of cell variable domes to better understand structure and porosity. With the 3d section assemble of the element it is possible to understand the structure and how the porosity of the cells might work for transferring water through the plant. Through the 1.
2.
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porosity studies of the cast shadows, we can see how although heavily dense cells may cause a stronger shadow, the multilayered shapes may result on a more complex light path and the thinner optimized packing single layers (circle packing and voronoi diagram), bring the lightest result in overall shape 1.and porosity.2.
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1. Voronoi 3d edges 2. Circle packing edges 3. Voronoi+Triangulation 4. Circle Packing 5. Voronoi Cell 6. Voronoi 3d Volume A. Top View B. Front Elevation C. Perspective
Diagram 25 - Variables Cell Shape - Dome - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
As strategy of design, the concept presented by the plant would work better on a framework, that consist of the juxtaposition of the cells (aggregation) then a single system. To better investigate
Porosity Study Based on Cast Shadow of the ‘Celll’ Structured Domes
Diagram 26 - Light and Shadow Analysis - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
this a series of case studies were developed to comprehend how this can be assembled. Regular Packing Assemble, to extract the structural shape that position the cells in the tissue (variable). Proceed with the extraction of individual negative elements from polygonal spheres and free range aggregation assemble, extraction of elements from Irregular Sphere Packing. Same negative elements geometries were found.
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TRIANGULAR GRID VERTICES ON GRID
GRID APPLIED TO BOX
RATIONALIZATION JOINT ANALYSIS
JOINT RATIONALIZATION AGGREGATION
Box With Spheres
Centroid interconnection
SPHERE PACKING - BOX EXTRACTION
Negative Elements
RESULT
Diverse Formation
Shapes
Diagram 27 - Procedures and Extractions - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
A box is populated with spheres of different shapes that through Kangaroo Physics search for the best packing assemble Sphere Packing Studies result on the same joining negative spaces as in circle packing studies After the irregular sphere packing of a box is developed, sections are cut
A box is populated with spheres of diferent shapes that through Kangaroo Physics search for the best packing assemble
Sphere Packing Studies result on the same joining negative spaces as in circle packing studies
Isometric View of Sphere Packing Sections study
Diagram 28 - Irregular Sphere Packing Analysis - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
from the element to demonstrate that the same patterns of the two dimensional circle packing study is found. How many identical spheres can touch one another while surrounding an identical sphere at their center? Newton conjectured correctly that the maximum was 12, since a 13th sphere would no longer fit, despite there being some space left . Georg Glaeser 2011
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1.a _ Shape Study of circle packing through regular 3 vertices negative element.
Study of circle packing positioning and its resulting shapes
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2.b _ Shape Study of circle packing through regular 4 vertices negative element. Attempt two.
3.a _ Shape Study of circle packing through regular 4 vertices negative element. Attempt one.
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1 - 4 _ Non Standard Joinery of negative elements joinery A - D _ 5 vertices Pattern Study E - H _ 4 Vertices Pattern Study I - L _ 3 Vertices Pattern Study
3.b _ Shape Study of circle packing through regular 4 vertices negative element. Attempt two.
Diagram29 - Circle Packing Studies - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
The Circle Packing study, helps to understand how circular rigid shapes can be assembled together on an optimal pattern. After a variety of studies are done, an analysis show a range of
Tranversal Section
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1. Rectangular Box 2. Spatial Truss Fixed Inside Box And Mirrored 3. Vertices Extracted From Spatial Truss 4. Vertices are turned into same size spheres 5. Boundary Box covers end shape 6. Solid difference results on an intricate shape
Diagram 30 - Regular Sphere Packing Negatives - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
different solutions that may cause more edges. For this study only 3, 4 and 5 edged elements were selected as they may have better architectural applications. The question arises of whether it is possible to add so many circles as to eventually produce a ‘closed manifold with each circle touching exactly three others. Astoundingly this can actually be accomplished. It is merely necessary to keep adding circles until only ‘triangles’ remain (delimited by circular arcs), into which a single circle can be unambiguously inscribed. Georg Glaeser 2011
54 8.3 - Overview Circle Packing studies from 3 to 150 circles of three basic shapes, proportionally scaled. Resulting on negative elements varying from 3 vertices to 8 (rare), from which 3,4,5 are the most common results. A study of free form joinery of the 3,4,5 edged elements is developed in panels that explicit the porosity and geometrical optimization. Studies of
more regular (geometry wise) approach is also analyzed, based weather on
regular circle pack juxtaposition and connection of gap joints from circle packing.
1. Added joints on a circle packing of 30 different circles 2. Circle Aggregation Assemble
Diagram 31 - Circle Edge Aggregation - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
Study of direct connection of circles by their edges, the study show that the geometry would have physical limitations, rigidity of shape-results and weak disposition of elements. 3. Laser cutting the circle elements studies
4. Variable Resulting Shape
1. 4 vertices joint shape variation
2. Second Layer added
3. Third Layer added
2. 3 vertices joint shape variation
2. Second Layer added
3. Third Layer added
3. 5 vertices joint shape variation
2. Second Layer added
3. Third Layer added
Initial 2d Pattern Results
Diagram 32 - Circle Panels Interlaced - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
Assemble, of the free-range assemble of the negative elements joinery in panels then the addiction of the other panels to generate a complex result of different porosities. The result shown to be interesting is weak on complexity although easy to assemble and use in architecture.
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Digital Model of the 3 most common elements aggregation
Initial Joints
Mixed Aggregation of the 3 most common negative boundaries
Diagram 33 - Mixed Negatives Aggregation - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
Study of Assemble of the same shape aggregation of the 2d negative elements study. Although the result may gain variety of possibilities with the increase of edged curves, the assemble
Aggregation of 5-spheres negative boundary
Aggregation of 4-spheres negative boundary
Aggregation of 3-spheres negative boundary
Digital Models of Aggregation of the negative boundaries to analyze shape variability and colision.
Initial Joints
Same Shape Aggregation Study
Diagram 34 - Same Edges Aggregation - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
might reduce connecting stability and all the elements show structural weakness. The aggregation of mixed edged elements, brings a result that promotes major diversity in possibilities, but however still face the structural limitations of the latter regular aggregation.For such reason this study was discarded as a system solution for the project. The chosen result previously was the direct aggregation of voronoi spheres, it uses the polygonal geometry to inter-ligate and densify wherever needed while reducing layering on most compressed areas.
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1. Voronoi Cell
2. Cell Neighbors are Added
3. Cell Aggregation on three possible sides
4. Massive Cell Aggregation
Diagram 35 - Voronoi Spheres Aggregation- Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
Weight Load Diagram Structural Study showing where the layers should be thinner or larger; red would be thinner layers and reduced amount of shapes and blue multi-layered with high density of voronoi spheres.
Load Distribution in a random aggregation study of the system
Diagram 36 - Weightload Analysis - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
Study of the three dimensional negative element in a 4 sided sphere regular packing system. (triangular positioning of sphere centers). After a variety of elements is done, the most apt is chosen and passes through a process of relaxation and rationalization. The result isn’t surprising for its very
57 simple aesthetics and doesn’t show a nice aggregation result, reason why this attempt was previously discarded. But after a close analysis, it might be a valid representation for the central cells of the trichome.
4 Spherer - Negative Boundary Element Studies, Shape rationalization and relaxation
Sides Extraction, rationalization and relaxation studies
Joint to be analyzed
Joint Combinations assembly
Diagram 37 - 3d Joint Negative studies - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
Last attempt of the aggregation studies: Negative Element and Voronoi sphere assembled together. The result seem aleatory, as the overall impact is generated by the voronoi sphere that can
Joint and Cell Aggregation study
Study of overcrowded joints
Diagram 38 - Combined Aggregation 3d - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
be a system alone, this would only increase the cost and complexity and might reduce the structural gains and porosity possibilities that the voronoi sphere system may be able to deliver.
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Diagram 39 - Renderings of Possible Element Joined systems - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
Diagram Possible result of the mixed elements solution, where it is clearly visible that the Voronoi Sphere system can be resolved by itself without the aid of another element.
Diagram 40 - Renderings of Possible Element - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
Although an interesting experiment, it might still be of more use if a more conventional system emerge from it. So in order to develop a new cobogรณ system, a rationalization and reassemble of most interesting elements, previously extracted from the concept of the natural system studied and for instance bring a to a function level, filtering light and fully adaptable to vernacular materials and high-low design. First thing is the assemble of a common simple block to be used, a curvilinear outline would help to flow ventilation and can bring rhythm to the facade if used for such reason. Blocks of 60x60x15 centimeters.
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Diagram 41 - Common Block Outline - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
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Diagram 42 - Measurements and Blocks - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
The central area of the block is populated with previous elements, such as the negative from regular sphere packing and the voronoi spheres aggregation bringing harmony and function.
Diagram 43 - Rendering of both cobogรณ types - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
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Diagram
44- Renderings of both cobogรณ designs - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
61 Another important passive solution studied previously in this research is the chimney effect, the mutation of one of the elements previously used, with tiles, was able to create a topological interesting element where the rain water may flow freely as well as the wind (so cooling the architectural envelope) while a chimney effect would work on each tile, on the empty structure, resulting on a complex 2 holes topological smart solution on a common vernacular element.
4 Spherer - Negative Boundary Element Studies, Shape rationalization and relaxation
Sides Extraction, rationalization and relaxation studies
Joint to be analyzed
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Joint Combinations assembly
Diagram 45- Renderings, drawings diagram and conception of the smart tile- Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
This tile for instance is the integration between the variable that sphere packing technique would be a possible approximation of cell disposition in the bromeliad, with the trichome analysis, thus bringing the core principal of the natural system, the flow and storage of water, that is adapted to architecture in ‘storage of air’ thus promoting ventilation.
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Diagram 46- Renderings of the proposed tiling system - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
The sum of the natural systems with the digital vernacular concept thus bring a proposal that is of plausible cost effective use, that been this three final elements, [mar]cobogó I, [mar]cobogó II and the [T]richome Tile. The design proposed is to be assembled with clay, as its a common material all over the World, and brings the characteristics from where it was extracted, so integrating well with the environment. This elements can be used together in a system for social housing or community projects that require low cost and easy adaptation with the cultural landscape, an example of possible use is small Community Libraries present in some Favelas in Rio de Janeiro.
Community Library
WC Reception
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9.00
Diagram 47- Drawings of a possible architectural application - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
After the analysis of assembles, there was a high difficulty on assembling 3d elements and a higher amount of gaps left: "…the two-dimensional case is much easier to solve, since a circle is surrounded by exactly 6 congruent circles." Georg Glaeser 2011. This might be regarding the fact that shapes in nature are usually flexible, differently then common construction materials. "Although these types of packing problems occur frequently in nature, there various spheres produced by biology are usually flexible, and there is always a good solution to be found by means of pushing and pressing." Georg Glaeser 2011. Different than the common approach, the immaterial architecture (the space where
63 wind and light occupies), is the aim of this elements and so ‘sculpting' elements with the natural system logic extracted in order to achieve performance. "Evolution means change occurs slowly over time because a process of checks and balances are in operation and this takes time to influence changes in individual things, which in turn influence larger systems." (Stevens J. ; Nelson R. 2015).
Diagram 48- Render Diagram of Shadow Cast - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
As can be seen from the render above, the shading system filters a substantial amount of light reason why it is most recommended for the north facade in the south hemisphere (facade with the highest amount of radiation). Also to function, the cobogó requires other facades with wider apertures so to create pressure discharge and flow ventilation. The sphere packing negatives panel, or [mar]cobogó I, on the left, filters less light than the voronoi spheres aggregation panel [mar]cobogó II, so it might allow different compositions according to needs and environment.
Diagram 49- Radiation and Location Surrounding Community - Ladybug - Aechmea Fasciata - Source: Own Work
As can be seen from the Radiation chart, the surrounding buildings contribute slightly for
64 reducing the overall temperature, and a look closer show that the shading protections created on the building reduce the close temperature it receives.
9 - FINAL CONSIDERATIONS The initial intuit of the research was to set a background for an ethical approach, been low cost, effective and assisted through the use of high technology, to produce an element that would bring the paradox between materiality, immateriality and virtuality to the surface. According to the tropical climate condition established, the necessity of shading came up, bringing the possibility of producing elements that are porous in their nature. Throughout this quest the path was to extract from a natural system, adapted through time, logic design that would bringing smart elements that would be able to filter radiation and of low cost and vernacular approach. The case study then, is surrounded by previous researches to better achieve a result. One of the set backs of this research is the timeframe, as 7 weeks isn’t the most appropriate for the possible expansion of the topic. While designing, an important concern arise that one of the primary sins of architecture and probably the most common of all times is making a design tool or strategy as a decision maker, which by far translate on weak architecture. To avoid this, different lines of thought were constantly been used. With the new possibilities of digital fabrication we may not take in consideration the elements that we are using or over-using from nature, and the possible imbalance of the environment, counting also the fact that social injustice, inequality and modern slavery are still primary issues that are part of the shadow of technology, therefore it is important to question what we take for granted. Although final elements were achieved on the end of this research, they are not to be taken as a form of predestination. Predestination is an illusion based on tendency, predilection and predisposition. While materiality and immateriality are co-joined and bring to reality what was once virtual, on a virtual society, it is of peculiar value that everything is connected and seem to be in perfect harmony, from a possible symmetry of chaos. The research itself has the intuit of exercise the leisure for learning, researching and designing. Scientia Potentia Est.
65 10 - BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES Books ARENDT, Hannah. The Origins of Totalitarianism. Schocken books, 1951. BOGNAR, Botond . Material immaterial [electronic resource] : the new work of Kengo Kuma . Princeton Architectural Press. 2009 BROWNELL, Blaine Erickson. Matter in the Floating World : Conversations with Leading Japanese Architects and Designers, Princeton Architectural Press, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/lsbuuk/ detail.action? lsbuuk on 19 August 2018. CHINA, Miéville. City and the City. Macmillan, 2009. CHOMSKY, Noam. Pirates and emperors, old and new: international terrorism in the real world. Haymarket books, 2015. CHOMSKY, Noam. On western terrorism: from Hiroshima to drone warfare. Pluto Press, 2013. CHOMSKY, Noam. Understanding power: the indispensable Chomsky. Vintage, 2003. DANAH, Boyd. It’s complicated: the social lives of networked teens. Yale University Press, 2015. DARWIN, John. After Tamerlane: The Rise and Fall of Global Empires, 1400-2000. 1st ed. London: Penguin Books, 2007. DEIBERT, J. Ronald. Black Code: Surveillance, privacy, and the dark side of the internet GLAESER, Georg - Nature and Numbers: a mathematical photo shooting. Angewandte. 2011. HENSEL, M., Menges, A., Weinstock, M. EMERGENCE in Architecture 2004 Publication - Architectural Design Vol. 74 No. 3 HENSEL, M. ; TURKO, Jeffrey. Ground and envelopes: Reshaping… Routledge. 2014. HILL, Jonathan. Immaterial Architecture. Routledge. 2006 HUXLEY, Aldous. Brave New World. Flamingo,1994 KRETZER, Manuel [et al]. Alive : Advancements in Adaptive Architecture. Walter de Gruyter GmbH, 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/lsbuuk/detail.action?docID=1809980. lsbuuk. LAMBERTS, R.; DUTRA, L.; PEREIRA, F. O. R. Eficiência Energética na Arquitetura. 3a. ed.: Procel, Eletrobrás, Mme, 2013. LÉVY, Pierre. Becoming Virtual. LÉVY, Pierre. Cyberculture. ORWELL, George. 1984. PAWLYN, Michael . Biomimicry in Architecture. Riba publishing. 2011. RAEL, Ronald. Earth Architecture. Princeton Architectural Press. 2009. STEVEN J. ; Nelson R. Digital Vernacular. Routledge. 2015. Music Nightwish, The Greatest Show on Earth, Angel Recording Studios. Cd Single: Endless Forms Most Beautiful, 2015. Research Papers DERECZYNSKI, Claudine [et al]. Precipitation climatology of the city of Rio de Janeiro. http://www.scielo.br/ scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-77862009000100003 . ILO. global Estimates of Modern Slavery: Forced Labour and Forced Marriage. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/ groups/public/@dgreports/@dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_575479.pdf . 2017. FICHER, Sylvia. Superquadra. http://repositorio.unb.br/bitstream/10482/3034/9/ textocompleto_ate_pag150.PDF
TED Talks HANSON, David. Robots that “show emotion’. https://www.ted.com/talks/david_hanson_robots_that_relate_to_you? language=en 2009 LANIER, Jaron. How we need to remake the internet. https://www.ted.com/talks/ jaron_lanier_how_we_need_to_remake_the_internet 2018. MILK, Chris. How virtual reality can create the ultimate empathy machine. https://www.ted.com/talks/ chris_milk_how_virtual_reality_can_create_the_ultimate_empathy_machine 2017 RAIBERT, Marc. Meet Spot, the robot dog that can run, hop and open doors. https://www.ted.com/talks/ marc_raibert_meet_spot_the_robot_dog_that_can_run_hop_and_open_doors?language=en 2017 ROSEDALE, Philip. Life in second Life. https://www.ted.com/talks/the_inspiration_of_second_life 2008. Websites and Articles Annual Design Magazine. A Origem do Cobogó: Cobogó House. https://anualdesign.com.br/blog/5887/a-origem-docobogo/ Accessed on 28 of July 2018.
66 ARCHDAILY. Suframa Severiano Porto. https://www.archdaily.com.br/br/762300/classicos-da-arquitetura-sede-dasuframa-severiano-porto . 2015. Accessed 10 August 2018. ARCHDAILY. Jean Nouvel https://www.archdaily.com/162101/ad-classics-institut-du-monde-arabe-jean-nouvel 2011. Accessed 10 August 2018. Brasília. http://www.brasilianatrilha.com.br/2016/03/quadra-modelo-sqs-308.html 2016. Digital Vernacular. https://www.materialdriven.com/home/2016/10/23/forging-a-partnership-of-the-digital-andvernacular-james-stevens-director-at-makelab Accessed on 22 of August 2018. CORBELLA, O.; CORNER, V. Manual da Arquitetura Bioclimática Tropical para a Redução do Consumo Energético. Rio de Janeiro, 2012. HAUER, Erwin. Erwin Hauer. http://www.erwinhauer.com/index.html MACHADO, Sandra. Palácio Gustavo Capanema. http://www.multirio.rj.gov.br/index.php/leia/reportagensartigos/reportagens/13618-palácio-gustavo-capanema-é-marco-divisório-na-história-da-arquitetura-dopa%C3%ADs 2018. Accessed on 02 of August 2018. MK27. Cobogó House. http://studiomk27.com.br/p/casa-cobogo/ REQUENA, Augusto. Rhizoma. http://www.revistause.com.br/guto-requena-lanca-linha-exclusiva-de-cobogosem-parceria-com-manufatti/ . Accessed on 15 of August 2018. TRUBIANO, Franca. Performance Based Envelopes: A Theory of… https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/ 307671319_Performance_Based_Envelopes_A_Theory_of_Spatialized_Skins_and_the_Emergence_of_the_Inte grated_Design_Professional . 2013. accessed Aug 14 2018. VIEIRA, [et al]., Arquitetura Bioclimatica: Cobogó https://www.imed.edu.br/Uploads/5_SICS_paper_75.pdf . 2013. Accesed on 28 of July 2018. WWF. As mudanças climáticas. http://www.wwf.org.br/natureza_brasileira/reducao_de_impactos2/clima/ mudancas_climaticas2 . Accessed on 25 of July 2018.
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AUTHORSHIP DECLARATION FORM
School of the Built Environment and Architecture London South Bank University
PROGRAMME Master of Science of Digital Architecture and Robotic Construction
SUBMISSION Dissertation Project 2017 / 2018 TITLE (Im)material Porosity: Adaptability on Extreme Tropical Environments through High-Low Robotic Design NUMBER OF WORDS 20,359 STUDENT NAME Marco Antonio Zoch Souza DECLARATION I certify that the contents of this document are entirely my own work and that any quotation or paraphrase from the published or unpublished work of others is duly acknowledged. SIGNATURE
________________________________________________ DATE 31 st August, 2018