S T R A N G E N A T U R E S a project by
DOT NET
S T R A N G E N A T U R E S DOT NET a project by
AA DESIGN RESEARCH LAB PROTO-DESIGN 2011
Adrian Aguirre • Hyoun Hee Na • Justin Kelly • Carlos Sarmiento Mexico
Korea
Ireland
USA
Tutor: Theodore Spyropoulos Technical tutors: Shajay Bhooshan, Mustafa El Sayed
Copyright Š 2011 The Architectural Association School of Architecture London, UK
PREFACE This books is a first attempt to publish a developing body of research at the AA’s Design Research Lab. We are thankful for our tutors, Theodore Spyropoulos, Shajay Bhooshan, and Mustafa El Sayed who provide much guidance and have helped form our ideas. Sincere gratitude goes out to Dr. Thomas J. Goreau, President of the Global Coral Reef Alliance,for advising us, and taking interest in our work. Finally, we would also like to thank Elaina DeMeyere, Andrea Escobar, and Stefano Paiocchi for their for their unconditional support. And thanks to all the tutors, students, colleagues, and friends who have discussed the work with us throughout this year. Adrian Aguirre • Hyoun Hee Na • Justin Kelly • Carlos Sarmiento
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE Situated within the ocean, our project proposes an alliance between natural and technological systems. By introducing technological interference into nature’s evolutionary process our scenario seeks to address the urgent importance of oceanographic research as an underexplored area of science. The sea hosts a variety of materials and elements, both welcoming and intrusive, natural and synthetic. Among these, are the series of vortexes which circulate plastic fragments throughout the world’s currents. Various substances are abundant on the seabed and within the ocean’s water itself, ranging from minerals to a diversity of metals. This project begins with the design of a robotic fabrication process, a reactive system based on swarm organizations where on-site resources are collected, mixed, and deposited in select locations in order to create spaces for non-human inhabitation, and eventually the formation of symbiotic land masses, which can be occupied by people. We are interested in how our project can negotiate the opposing natural and synthetic components of the ocean, in order to create an architecture capable of being a contributing member of a broader biosystem. Coral can grow on our structures, encouraging natural life forms, and provide a new underwater infrastructure. As part of this unnatural process, new methods of biorock technology® are introduced to amplify the growth of coral and trigger a resurgence of marine life. We intend to choose a site where the local environment has already been compromised to some degree, and carry out a generative process where oceanographic robotics can be used to create a symbiotic land mass, a synthetic producer of nature which establishes a newfound relationship between the artificial and the natural and between people and the ocean.
B I O G E O C H E M I S T R Y OF T H E O C E A N Geological activity within the ocean has been linked to the emergence of the most primitive organisms on earth. When chemicals and minerals erupt from the earth’s crust they are feasted upon by microbacteria, which then contribute to a food chain. As a result there is an overabundance of biodiversity in these areas. This still occurs today in hydrothermal vents and underwater volcanoes. Organisms which have learned to thrive at the onset of these environments build enclosures from their immediate surroundings. We are interested in how these creatures create their habitats from the abundant minerals found in the ocean, thru chemosynthetic processes.
ATOLLS Darwin explained the creation of atolls as a geological activity within the ocean. From high volcanic island, to barrier reef island, to atoll, the changes represented a sequence of gradual subsidence of what started as an oceanic volcano. The changing landscapes of atolls, scattered over a large part of the tropical seas of the world, provide a pristine natural refuge for tropical ecologies.
CORAL REEFS The living remains of the oceans geological activities are coral reefs. A WRI report states that 75% of all coral on earth are currently threatened and most could be gone by 2050. The rainforests of the ocean are presently threatened by a host of problems, from climate changes to cyanide fishing. Climate change in particular leads to an increase in ocean acidity, which stresses coral. When coral are under duress, they expel the zooxanthellae inside them, in a process called bleaching. If they remain bleached for enough time they eventually die. Reefs cater to 70% of ocean life and are sometimes managed by local ocean communities as a haven for food and tourism. Since they play a key role in marine biodiversity, one of our objectives has been to find innovative methods for sustaining the growth of coral despite inferences.
OCEAN PLASTICS Our dependence on plastic is having an indirect consequence on oceanic systems. Within the major oceans of the world, are a series of spiraling vortexes of plastic bits. Some have compared the collection in the Pacific, to the size of Texas, but it is in fact an amorphous, fragmented, and dynamic collection of synthetic material, which is not immediately visible from the surface. Since its origins in chemistry, plastics have played a central material role in our daily lives. The material is typically used for such a limited amount of time, only to take decades or even centuries to decompose. Plastic debris dominates many coastlines, and sadly enough our dependence on plastic is not leaving any time soon.
OCEAN METALS Unknown to many, certain portions of the Pacific seabed are being leased from the International Seabed Authority to nations interested in harvesting its metals. The fields of various metals range from being in complete isolation to existing alongside marine habitats, sometimes underground. Because of its dependence on foreign suppliers for metals Germany is scanning the 75,000 square kilometers of metallic ocean floor it has leased hoping to start mining it by 2021. Considering the ecological consequences of land mining, one could only imagine the disastrous results from ocean mining. Soil run-off and the demolition of ecological systems among them. The technology to extract metals is still lagging, and minimally intrusive methods have yet to be explored. Despite steady rates of recycling, growing populations will need access to virgin material sooner or later. India, Russia, China and South Korea have also leased seabed areas and are in the process of developing cheaper methods for collecting the metals.
EXAMPLES OF THE UNNATURAL Part of our research is about trying to develop a progressive argument different from conventional environmental rhetoric which is about resource conservation and reducing human impact upon the environment. Instead we are interested in augmentation, and ways to synthetically enhance ocean biodiversity. We try to avoid a romanticist notion of nature, and are deeply interested in adopting a somewhat controversial view of an ecology without nature. When the perception of nature is not held so dearly, it is interesting to notice the adaptability of ocean ecologies. We have never seen nature, but only our notions of nature. Nature is over; there is no sanctity left to defend; all that breathes is breathing unnatural air. - Bruce Sterling Nature is not natural and can never be naturalized . - Graham Harman
OCEAN DUMPING A somewhat controversial subject, ocean dumping is routinely dismissed by environmentalists. But under the right material conditions, artifacts which are placed in the sea can actually benefit oceanic ecosystems, providing spaces for the growth and occupation of marine life. One of the most successful examples is the Yongala, a sunken Australian ship overpopulated with a variety of corals and fish. Because of its metal frame, organisms are easily able to grow on its surfaces, and establish a food chain. Because of this, the Yongala is a designated wildlife refuge. Unsuccessful and catastrophic examples are the piles of rubber tires off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which were meant to be populated with sea life as part of an artificial reef project. However, nothing in the ocean is able to populate on rubber, and oftentimes the tires will wash ashore during tropical storms.
BIOROCK
T E C H N O L O G Y速
We have partnered with Dr. Thomas Goreau, President of Global Coral Reef Alliance for advisement on the biorock process. The technology is a process of aggregation, and the process for creating biorock is similar to how tube worms and coral grow. To create their structures, these marine organisms use electric currents and minerals that are abundant in the ocean. In a comparable manner, Biorock is created by passing a low-voltage current through a metal frame. Eventually the metal is coated with a calcium carbonate deposition that is stronger than concrete and can self-heal. This material is an ideal substrate on which to attach coral and amplify its growth. It is virtually identical, to what coral grows on.
http://www.globalcoral.org http://www.wolfhilbertz.com
OCEANOGRAPHIC ROBOTICS We have looked at various oceanographic organizations and the role of robotics within research expeditions. Recent developments in ecological monitoring hold much promise for robotics, and they are expected to have a greater presence within oceanographic studies due to the various uses they can be customized for.
PRECEDENTS The oceans natural systems are a source of admiration. We became interested in the work of Wolf Hilbertz, for its symbiotic intentions, and direct interaction with scientific inquiry. In contrast, conventional human relationships to the ocean are for the sake of leisure and recreation, adding no benefit, even to pristine environments. Keeping in mind the various artificial forces within the ocean, we hope to negotiate these relationship in creative ways.
COLLECTIVE
ROBOTICS
Our research into robotics currently deals with design studies for a unit body and the collective behavior of several units. The robots can perform data scanning, material collection and material deposition. We’ve adopted a methodology for addressing the design and behavior of these robots. We begin with the most basic ideas and then proceed to design them thru digital simulation or arduino setups. Our end goal is to have some form of a working prototype.
SCAFFOLD TECTONICS In our research we found out that coral grows best on convex geometries, because it provides the most amount of room to spread out and grow. Mound geometries are best suited to negotiate current flow and sun exposure. While the patterning of these mounds may change from a vein-like network to a spotting of mound clusters, the performance of the geometry remains the same. We decided to work with Maya hair dynamics in order to capitalize on the path optimization properties it can enable within a network of lines. The lines could represent a trajectory for the robotic units to deploy material. At a local level, we set up a line network in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. After traveling thru point clouds, the lines achieve a stability thru Maya dynamics, due to their proximity. The proximity enables more biorock growth and therefore more coral. Additionally, in section we have a convex form, which is preferred for coral growth.
1. area subdivision
4. clockwise and counterclockwise lines
2. anchor points
5. primary structure line population
3. point clouds
5. main strcuture
We are starting to work with liquid deposition, and with some newfound technical insight, we are planning to work with a variety of onsite ocean resources like metals and plastics, while maintaining the electrical conductivity required to grow biorock Essentially, we are trying to develop a method of underwater printing, where material can go from liquid to solid instantaneously, due to change in temperature, similar to the effect of pouring melted wax into water. We have done a few tests with liquid metals and plastics deposited into water. The buoyancy of plastic might also allow for the creation of floating reefs, something which we might pick up more interest in. We are also designing and articulating how nozzles can deposit material and then integrate this into the broader digitally-based system of the robotic unit. This free-form material deposition process represents a departure from the usual mesh/frame typology common to most biorock structures. We hope to achieve a level of design optimization thru a digital fabrication process. Since there is a hazard in electrically melting metal and plastic underwater. We asked ourselves if there was a way to simulate this process outside of water. So we have hacked into a CNC machine and are creating structures using hot ice. Our underwater liquid deposition system, behaves very similar to hot ice on dry land, We plan to continue with this method alongside working with metals and plastics. More images of this process can be seen on the Tumblr site. As an end note, we are very excited to be sharing these ideas with the rest of you, and hope that you enjoy our work.
separation cohesion
max velocity projected coreography scaffold deployment
proximity sensors radius 180 degrees distance 10 cm - 80 cm
min velocity
board and circuits internal bouyancy system squirting system alignment printing device
metalic wire clockwise - counterclockwise setup detail - 3 elements
coral and biorock representation detail - 3 elements
above water spaces human occupation
BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Hilbertz, Wolf. “Marine architecture: an alternative” in Architectural Science Review, vol. 19, no. 4, Dec1976., pg. 84-86. 2. Hilbertz, Wolf. “Toward Cybertecture” Progressive Architecture May1970. pg. 98-103. 3. Hilbertz, Wolf. “Marine architecture” in Architettura Cronache e Storia vol. 22, no. 10 (256), Feb. 1977, pg. 592-597. 4. Global Coral Reef Alliance: http://www.globalcoral.org 5. Wolf Hilbertz: http://www.wolfhilbertz.com 6. Biorock technology: http://www.biorock.net 7. Morton, Timothy. Ecology without Nature: Rethinking Environmental Aesthetics, Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, England Harvard University Press, 2007 8. Khan, Omar. “An architectural chemistry” in Architectural Design vol. 81 issue 2.. John Wiley & Sons. 2011. pg. 50-59 9. Delanda, Manuel, “Non-organic Life, Incorporations; Zone:6, pg. 129-166 Jonathon Crary & Sanford Kwinter, New York:urzone inc., 1992 10. Reprap.org 11. Breuer, Rayna, “Nations race to harvest metals from the ocean floor “ in Deutsche Welle, July 29,2011 http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15265097,00.html 12. Kucken, Michael; Rinkevich, Baruch;Shaish, Lee; Deutsch, Andreas. “Nutritional resourcesaspositionalinformationformorphogenesisinthe stony coral Stylophora pistillata” in Journal of Theoretical Biology no. 275, Jan 26, 2011., pg.70-77 13. Young, Liam “Unnatural History” in Fulcrum the AA’s weekly sheet, topic: The myth of Sustainability, Issue 14, May 25,2011 14. Toxic: garbage Island. Moretti, Eddy, 2008 http://www.vbs.tv/en-gb/watch/toxic