bio-concretion by Tobias Grumstrup Lund Øhrstrøm

bio-concretion Amalgamating ancient seagrass typologies with computational architectural design

STUDENT Tobias Grumstrup Lund Ă&#x2DC;hrstrĂ¸m, IAAC Tutor Marcos Cruz, Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL Master thesis at Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia 2015

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Seagrass possesses the special characteristic that it hardens over time. This process creates the seagrass roofs shapeless surface character. This kind of process is known, in the science of geology as the process of concretion.

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bio-concretion Amalgamating ancient seagrass typologies with computational architectural design

MAA02 Master thesis at Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia 2015 Thesis presented to obtain the qualification of Master Degree from the Institut of Advanced Architecture of Catalunya Barcelona, Spain. 30th september 2015 STUDENT Tutor

Tobias Grumstrup Lund Øhrstrøm, IAAC Marcos Cruz, Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL

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Summary This thesis is dealing with how buildings can be a host for the nature by using seagrass as roof material. The goal is global usage, helping to decrease the emissions of greenhouse gasses worldwide by hosting a productive vegetation. The goal is reached by combining ancient thatching technique learned from Læsø (Denmark) with modern digital fabrication. Seagrass has been used as thatching material at the small island of Læsø in Denmark for 300 years. However, the tradition has not yet been integrated in a contemporary context., By adapting morphogenesis from the nature, seagrass holds a new identity and design language The complexity from the Voronoi and phyllotaxis pattern helps to give the new language a geometrical logic. Through computational design, this thesis shows how the geometries can be composed to environment depending shapes and systems. The solar radiation on the surfaces is the main input for the final outcome of the independent design of a cell system over a surface.

- Optimized drain path by using Grasshopper to simulate the fastest path for drain

The system created a platform where it was possible to predict and design the growth of vegetation on the roofs. The system was concluded in an exhibition at IAAC where 3 prototypes were made. As an application for the system, a new terminal for the small harbour of Bogø (Denmark) was designed. The proposal was a mix between the traditional Danish pitched roof and a new landscape more linked to the nature and the new language of seagrass. A new logic for perforating the roof and generating daylight for the building was designed.

Investigating how to construct and use seagrass in an architectural context, the thesis describes how tests were made in material and through computational models, helping to reach a new design language. The material testing was based on five methods of dealing with the fiber:- Compressing, Weaving, Interlocking, Binding and Gluing. A catalogue of the material test has been conducted and sorted in different behaviors that would be present in the design of a new roof system. The catalogue was made in order to design a new roof system by using: - The different densities learned from the bark - The distribution of hair in the fur of the Sea Otter. - The structural composition from the Star Coral. - Optimized fiber directions in each cell of the roof by the local solar radiation and slope angle.

Keywords: Seagrass, concretion, computational, thatching, bio-mimetic, fur, drain, bark, coral

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BUILDINGS as a host for the nature

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Abstract Buildings are responsible for the biggest global emissions of greenhouse gases1. One of the reasons why this is the case is that the building sector is based on static dead materials, accumulating greenhouse gases rather than absorbing them as the living nature can. This thesis deals with how the present architecture can fully host for the nature, using organic materials resulting in a living architecture. The research is based on the organic material seagrass which has been used as a traditional roof material at the small island, Læsø, in Denmark for over 300 years. The ancient seagrass roofs are based on manual work and have no noticeable connection to our contemporary digital age. The project will use computational design tools together with logics from bio-mimicry in order to introduce an innovative and sustainable way of constructing living roofs with seagrass. The idea is to host the nature rather than merely exploiting it. Seagrass serves several functions for the existing roofs. It works as insulation, weather protection and as a fertilizer for growing plants. The result is a heavy massive roof holding its own living ecology. This ancient construction method has four main disadvantages I will take into consideration: Aesthetic. Harsh and subjective “ugly” looking appearance. •I will study how seagrass can be used in a different manner to get a more appealing appearance in a contemporary context. This part will be based on computational form finding but will also look into morphogenesis, geometrical patterns and physical prototyping as tools of finding appropriate shapes and forms. Theory from scientific papers and theory in bio-materials will ground the proposals which are suitable for the properties of the material.

Material usage and limited inclinations. A big quantity of seagrass is used in order to make the roof water proof, and the existing roofs only work with an inclination between 30-45 degrees. •Research and theory based on bio-mimicry and environmental analysis will provide a system to make a more efficient section of a new roof typology for seagrass which also can be functional in different inclinations. Unintended ecology. The small ecology of plants grown on the roofs are not controlled or optimized. • For a seagrass roof to be an even more appealing sustainable alternative to traditional structures, the ability to grow vegetation in the material needs to be more present in the design. Inhabitable spaces. The roof structure is 100% closed. The consequence is that no daylight enters and that the attic therefore only serves as an inhabitable space. • I will aim to change the function of the roof-system to be a habitable space. These are the main challenges and drivers but also work as my main strategies for designing an alternative to conventional static building materials: Grace, Concretion, Ecology and Habitat

1 https://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/unfccc/sbsta40/AR5WGIII_Roy_140606.pdf climate change 2014 - page 4

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INDEX Summary....... ��7 Abstract....... ��9

INTRODUCTION.......... �� 15

CONCRETION ........... �� 57

2.1 Seagrass as roof material at Læsø �� 24 2.2 Building techniques ��26 2.3 Seagrass material properties �� 28 2.4 Existing roof ecologies ��30 2.5 Testing ecologies ��30 2.6 Ongoing research and projects with seagrass �� 32 2.7 Reference building typologies �� 34 2.8 Seagrass ecology in Europe �� 36 2.9 Typologies - Mediterranean sea �� 38 2.10 Choosing site for application �� 42

4.1 Approaching seagrass - optimizing �� 58 4.2 Glueing ��63 Types of binders ��64 Combination of materials �� 66 Testing level of details �� 68 Testing geometries ��70 4.3 Interlocking/compressing ��77 Testing geometries from corals �� 78 Contracting and compression �� 82 4.4 Weaving ��87 Preparing the fibers for weaving �� 88 Testing weaving patterns �� 90 Weaving in the palm tree �� 92 Weaving in patterns ��94 Weaving and compressing �� 96 4.5 Conclusion on tests ��98

1.0 Introduction �� 16 1.1 Methods and materials ��20

3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5

3.6 Computational design logics �� 54

SEAGRASS... �� 23

GRACE.......... �� 45 Hairstyles and design language �� 46 Hairstyles 1960s ��46 Hairstyles 1980s and 1990s �� 48 Hairstyles 2000s ��50 Morphogenisis ��52

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5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4

ECOLOGY ................... ��101 Bio-mimicry ��102 Bark........ ��104 Lichen... ��108 Coral.... ��116 Optimizing drain paths ��122

Animation - Surface without obstacles ��124 Animation - Surface with obstacles ��125 5.5 Fur........... ��126 The fur of the sea otter ��128 The fur of the seagrass ��128 Section - sea otter ��130 Section - from Sea otter to Seagrass fur ��131 Animation of a new seagrass fur ��132 5.6 Conclusion on ecology ��134 Conclusion on ecology in section ��135 5.7 Process of design ��136 5.8 Conclusion on system design ��146 Prototype elements ��148 Prototype over 10 years ��149 section of a module - WOOD ��150 section of a module - MOLTED ��151 5.9 Fabrication of prototype ��152 5.10 Final exhibition ��156 5.11 The afterlife for the prototype ��162

Final design of the roof ��178 6.6 Functions and plan ��180 Illustrations of final proposal - east ��182 Illustrations of final proposal - south east ��185

DISCUSSION.................. ��187

7.1 Discussion ��188

CONCLUSION............. ��191

8.1 Conclusion ��193

9 REFERENCE. �� 195 9.1 Bibliography ��196 9.2 Reference pictures ��198 9.3 Credits and signature ��201

6 HABITAT......... ��165 6.1 Site......... ��166 6.2 The harbor of Bogø �� 168 6.3 Typology and construction ��170 6.4 Process of softness and perforation ��172 6.5 Layers of concretion in roof ��174 1st design of the roof ��176

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thanks to my supervisor and tutor Marcos Cruz for joining me on this adventure of approaching the seagrass. Thanks to Alessio S. Verdolino, Irina Shaklova, Natalie Alima, Mohammad Yassin and Chung-Kai Hsieh for sharing the experience dealing with biomaterials with the supervision of Marcos Cruz. Thanks to Pi Fabrin for the many conversations about our different experimentations with seagrass. And finally thanks to my amazing wife Maria for her support during the whole master.

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INTRODUCTION

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1.0 Introduction I have always had a big interest in the link between nature and architecture. In all of my project so far, the nature has been a driver for my design approach. The landscape of my native Denmark has changed drastically from a landscape characterized by a big diversity of small farms, animals and crops into super farms and continued lands of the same type of crops and no animals visible. I grew up in a small village surrounded by an oak forest near Copenhagen in Denmark. I experienced the difference and the impact between nature and the city. Slowly but steadily the city has expanded into the woods and left scars in the forest. Some parts of the forest I cannot even recognize anymore. The expansion of the city has not taken into account how to repair the forest again or how to live in it without destroying it. I find this very disappointing but it also encourages me to work for a better dialogue between nature and architecture. In the 20th century major technical inventions such as planes, space travels and the internet have been integrated into our lives. Most of the inventions were made without taking into account the usage of none renewable materials and the global carbon budget. The 21th century has showed us the limits of our relative small planet. We now know for sure that the world is changing, and we soon will ran out of the many natural resources which most of our technology is based on. So we find ourselves in a crisis, lacking natural resources that we are dependant on while exploiting the nature that provides them. The link between architecture and nature is universal. Mankind has always been interested in this subject. However, many contemporary

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buildings are to a large extant distant related to the nature rather than working actively and closely with the nature. We are standing in front of a global problem that we need to tackle. The logic of this thesis is based on the understanding that the problem could be solved by letting the nature in instead of cutting it off. We have been relying our design approach on common ways to construct and think our architecture although our tools and knowledge have changed drastic during the two industrial revolutions. A building is still constructed by static materials. The materials are separated from their natural growing behaviour, and when a building is constructed, it is just waiting to be torn down and being replaced by a new and smarter one. We see that happening a lot in suburban areas worldwide where new condos and skyscapers are built all the time and farmland trusts and other activitists have to fight in order to keep some land green1. We have developed a use-and-throw-away-culture. We do not expect our buildings to perform better during time as in the nature. Digital computational architectural design has mainly been focused on static and non-organic materials. There seems to be a small amount of research working with organic materials. The main architecture of today has no life, does not produce oxygen and it is a one-way transfer of energy from the nature to the man-made environment. To change this unsustainable way of energy usage, some architects aim to find a better dialogue between nature and architecture. I would like to be one of them and therefore my research seeks to recreate a 1

One example could be Toronto, CA, where Ontario Farmland Trust fights in order to save some green land in the area http://ontariofarmlandtrust.ca/about/

(lost) dialogue between nature and architecture. Hence, my challenge is how it is possible to let the contemporary static architecture turn into a living organism which can be a host for the nature. A living architecture that will respond. “The most effective way to ‘heal’ a stressed ecology may be to construct living buildings.” Rachel Armstrong 2012 2

Construction of a new seagrass roof at Læsø, Denmark

The specific research started with the fascination of the material, seagrass (eelgrass), which has been used as roof material in the small island Læsø in Denmark for over 300 year. Læsø was lacking typical building material to construct their houses with because of the harsh weather condition on the island. So they had to look into alternative solutions. The sea had always been the main element and influence to the citizens of the island, situated in the middle of the sea of Kattegat, so it was likely for them to observe what the sea could provide them with. They tried with seagrass. Seagrass is a waste product from the sea which can be collected on the beach and dried to be used as a building material. The seagrass were laid directly on the roof beams, and the roofs were gradually getting more sealed over the years, given the houses a shelter from the weather conditions. Over time the roof started to merge with the nature while plants and organism started living on the surface of the seagrass, without damaging the roof. The houses became hosts for the nature. The seagrass served several functions for the houses: insulation, roof clad2 Essay written by Rachel Armstrong for NextNature.net 2010 http://www.nextnature.net/2010/06/self%E2%80%93repairing-architecture/

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ding and membrane. It also worked as a fertilizer and “soil” for growing plants. The result was a heavy massive roof with its own unintended living ecology. Many of the houses are still intact on the island, and this proves that the usage of seagrass as roof material has longterm properties. All the houses have more or less the same type of typology of construction. The get the roof sealed and water proof, the section of the roof is sometimes up to 1,5 meter in depth which means a lot of seagrass is used to construct it, and all the roof inclinations are limited between 35-45 degrees. Nowadays, this material usage and limitations will not be suitable and this need to be optimized to work in a contemporary context. P-wall - Matsys Design

The roofs made by seagrass has a kind of “bad taste” and lack of sophistication as well which means that many will not describe them as beautiful in a traditional sense. However, I think they have great and interesting potential.. Seagrass roof can titillate us and tempt us to use terms like organism, and I think it calls on a discussion of the importance of beauty in architecture and the origin of natural forms and shapes in nature, which I am tempted to call the origin of beauty or grace. Therefore, I will look into the concept of the morphogenesis theory based on Alan Turings “ The Chemical basis of Morphogenesis” and D´Arcy Wentworth Thompson´s “On growth and form”, which are some of the most important founders of the theory behind understanding the order of geometries and therefore grace in the nature. By studying the properties of the material, its process and aging process, it shows that seagrass possesses the special characteristic that it

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Sportplaza Mercator by venhoevenCS

hardens over time - and that it is this hardening process which, in particular, creates the seagrass roof shapeless surface character. This kind of process is known, in the science of geology, as the process of concretion formed from mineral precipitations found in sedimentary rocks and soil. 3 This mechanism gives the material of seagrass another very specific and rare dimension than other standard building materials: Time. To amalgamate the ancient technique of constructing the roofs of seagrass with a more contemporary design language calls for a new transition. The typical seagrass roof is based on manual labour and the new typology will be based on digital fabrication which is the paradigm at our time. I will therefore use digital computation as the main driver to explore new ways of using seagrass and challenge the shape, creating a competitive and contemporary approach to using the material in architecture. The link between the two ways of constructing is the material and the behaviour of the organic matter and understanding natural processes. The research will be based on form finding in computational modelling and small scale prototyping. I believe that this part of the thesis will be crucial for the future of the material because of the way in which the material can be understood and lifted into a new time age through my method. I will therefore aim to have the process of the form finding with the seagrass as a centrepiece and the final outcome of the thesis to be exhibited.

invented it first”4 . This directs the research to try to understand other natural systems found in the nature which can help to optimize the new language into a new sufficient system of roofs with sea grass. “Human subtlety...will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple or more direct than does nature, because in her inventions nothing is lacking, and nothing is superfluous.” Leonardi Da Vinci5 In recent years bio-mimicry has gained strength through researchers such as Janine Benyus and later for example translated into architecture by Michael Pawlin. The research from the two of them will serve to help me how to understand and interpret the life of seagrass from the nature into a system of building with seagrass. In detail I will look in to the phenomenon of furs at animal amphibia species (animal living in water and on land). One of the characteristics of these types of furs is that the water is easily drained away and leaves the inner skin dry and warm. The insulation is not based on blubbers, as marine species normally are, but 100% the fur. This behaviour is what I am looking for in order to optimize the existing system of the seagrass roofs. While the intention is to have a better controlled ecology in the seagrass mass, the nature will obvious be the point of inspiration. Nevertheless, the link to useful computational tools such as solar radiation studies will be crucial and will link the computation design to the local environments.

In our present time biology has often been a key to create new systems with materials introducing bio-mimicry. Inventions like Velcro, tanks and airplanes is all studies based on natural phenomenon - “the nature 3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concretion

Popular Science - Robert E. Martin - Magasin 1935

The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (Richter, 1888)

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1.1 Methods and materials As my research is based on one material, it is natural for me to have a deductive scientific methodology as a base for my research. However, the importance of suitable parameters will be crucial for the research to be successful.

to translate typologies into behaviours, which can be used in the new system of seagrass roofs. Following is the requirements in the typology: a) b) c) d)

From my abstract I have determined four main parameters where I want to improve the existing roofs of sea grass into a new typology: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Aesthetics Material usage and inclination Inhabitable spaces Unintended ecology

Structural Insulating Ventilating Draining

The outcome is a specific design language and catalogue for seagrass. The catalogue is made out of tests of 3D-printed pieces and prototyping with seagrass.

These factors are formed into the terminologies: Grace, Concretion, Habitat and Ecology. Not all of the parameters can be deductive measured but will based on a more subjective basis.

Within the tests of casting, it has been necessary to test different types of binders. I have been focusing on organic binders such as Hide glue, Agar and Catein glue. The glues are tested with an equal amount of compressed seagrass casted in a molt to test the properties of strength. The binders have been tested in the weaving system as well.

Examples on tests performed Typology in construction with seagrass

System

In order to test the material in new shapes and forms, I have set up 5 techniques which are based on the material properties and digital fabrication; compression, interlocking, weaving, binding and casting.

I have combined the best suitable techniques into a system where each technique suits different purposes as mentioned above. The system draws on the learning from the bio-mimicry of the furs and the ecology of the bark.

Compressing

Interlocking

Weaving

Binding

Glueing

In different computational test, using Rhinoceros 5.0 and Grasshopper, I have tested several natural shapes and geometries learned by the morphogenesis and inspired by natural systems. The tests are firstly exploring the opportunities that come with the fibrous material. Secondly, how

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In order to test how the material reacts to the geometries, I have been prototyping each technique to see how it performs. The physical tests have then been exposed to the environment conditions. Meanwhile, all the tests have been done, research on morphogenisis, bio-mimicry, bio-materials and computational design has been made. The theory should either backup the tests or change them in a new direction.

RESEARCH PROBLEM The buildings are responsible for the biggest global emissions of greenhouse gasses, partially because the industry is based on static dead materials, which are not linked to their natural environments

RESEARCH QUESTION How can ancient sea grass typologies from Læsø based by manual work be amalgamated into a contemporary digital sustainable context?

HYPOTHESIS Using computational design tools together with logic from bio-mimicry can introduce a new sustaiable way to construct a host for the nature with sea grass

THEORY & DATACOLLECTIONS Morphogenisis Bio-mimicry Bio materials Computational design

EXPERIMENTS Formfinding Prototyping Material test

Grace Concretion Habitat Ecology

VERIFICATIONS & CONCLUSIONS

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SEAGRASS

2.1 Seagrass as roof material at Læsø As the only place in the world, the small island Læsø (located in the sea of Kattegat in Denmark) has used seagrass as thatching material instead of the traditionally used straw1. Up until 1930 the technique has been used as the basic way to construct a roof on the island. Discovering a decease in the seagrass which destroyed the fibers of the material, the locals almost stopped the tradition between the 1930s and the 1980s Therefore, only 50 houses are left with seagrass at Læsø. The roofs are now protected by UNESCO heritage, and a big rescure program is set up to repair and maintain the seagrass roofs. The tradition of building roofs with seagrass started in the early Middle ages (approx. 1650) caused by the lack of growing grains. The composition of the ground was not suitable to grow the seeds. The citizens of Læsø had to find an alternative to the thatched traditional straw roofs and took the seagrass from the shores and brought it to the farms, where they dried the material before thatching. By using a different material than straw to thatch the roofs, they were forced to find new ways of constructing. The roofs reminds us of the lifestyle of a tough time and a strong community where all citizens were taking part in the construction. At least 50 people were needed for the job to prepare the seagrass which was a long process. The women were the main engines in the first phase of preparing the fibers. The work was admired at the island, and it was a sign of honour to be invited to join the work. Only two people were paid during the process; the rest were volunteers. An association (www. tangtag.dk) in Denmark has collected all these stories behind the construction, and they show that working with seagrass actually changed the society into a parallel community in Denmark. 1 http://www.tangtag.dk/

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Museumsgaard, Læsø

Vegatation at roof

2.2 Building techniques The construction of the old seagrass farms started at the beach. The sea brought a big amount of seagrass into the shores in the autumn. The seagrass was collected from the beach and driven in big quantities to the farm. The seagrass was laid out on a field of grass to dry for at least half a year. When the seagrass was dry during the spring, the women would start the special technique of twisting the seagrass. The twisting of the fibers created a loose (gumlinger) and a tight end (vaskere). The tight end (vaskere) was weaved and attached to the wooden beams of the traditional roof structure by the thatching specialist. The loose end (gumlinger) fell down towards the direction of the slope angle. They would start at the bottom of the roof and end at the top. When all the seagrass were attached to the beams, they would fill up gaps on the roof and walk on the roof to make it more compact. The ridge of the roof would be applied with grass in order to keep the fibers in place. After six months the work would start again. The loose seagrass had, during the months, slided towards the ground. New gaps in the roof were being filled and the slided seagrass was cut. Openings were being cut for windows and doors. In the end the total depth of the seagrass reached up to 1.5 m. During the next years, the seagrass would keep on sliding down a bit at the roof. This behavior created the unique look of an volcanic landscape. And it gave the roof the characteristic of changing over time as well. The roof could remain as long as the wooden structure could retain the weight. So in fact, the seagrass roof could last longer than the house1. As my thesis shows, this traditional way of building seagrass roofs on Læsø has inspired my work. 1

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Bing, Lars Hess; ’ Beskrivelser over Læsø’’, 1802, page 241 - 266

Harvesting seagrass at BogĂ¸

Preparing seagrass for thatching

27 Stages of thatching

2.3 Seagrass material properties It is important to my research to consider the properties of the material. The properties of the materials make sure that the roof maintain. As the seagrass comes from the salty sea, it impregnates the material so it does not rotten even if it is ventilated. Through archeological investigation, scientists have found remains of the seagrass material long after the rest of the organic material has been decomposed1 . So it is no wonder that while some of the houses at Læsø have collapsed, the seagrass roofs are still intact. Seagrass has very good insulating properties as well. During the Middle Ages, the seagrass was used as insulating material outside Denmark as well - for example on the island of Corsica. They used the seagrass to stuff their madrasses, pillows and to insulate their walls2. So the insulating properties have been known for a long time, but outside Denmark it has never been used as primary building material such as on Læsø. The hygrothermal properties and performance of seagrass has been investigated at the Technical University of Denmark. The thermal conductivity was measured to be 0,045 W/mK in unprocessed seagrass which can be compared to the same properties as wool, with the same density. However, the tests also showed that the high concentration of salt might open new concerns: “Through the experiments, it is found that regular seagrass is a material with some parameters appropriate for thermal insulation. However, the high hygroscopicity for the regular seagrass, especially at high relative humidity, is of some concern due to the risk of rot in both the material as well as the wood in the construction. This might indicate that the regular sea grass should be further processed before it is used in constructions to avoid corrosion, due to the high salt content or other severe damage on the constructions...” 3 In the experiment they used unprocessed seagrass. Normally, the sea-

Nielsen, Jens; Uddrag af ’ Årets Gang 2004’’, , 2004, page. 75-81.

World Atlas of seagrass page 56

Conclusion fro “Hygrothermal Properties and Performance of Sea Grass Insulation”

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grass has been lying on a field of grass where the rain will wash the surface of salt away, without destroying the impregnated. So the seagrass has to be processed, and a proper ventilation is required for the structure in order not to harm the wooden structure or the seagrass. The seagrass is more fireprotected than fx straw. That is why in many thatched straw houses you are now using seagrass to insulate the chimneys. This decreases the chance of catching fire. Over time the nature is taking over the material. The environmental impact is changing the appearance of the seagrass from brown to a more silver-white color. They appearance tend you to use a reference as an organic lightweight concrete. The change in the material is caused by the environmental impact. This advantage of the material is the most rare and interesting part; the material hardens over time. As the material reacts with the environment, it gets more compact and can get over many hard shell surfaces. If you go to the beach and see seagrass, you can probably find the phenomenon. If you look in the bottom of the pilled seagrass, you will see that it is more compact and hard. This kind of process is known, in the science of geology, as the process of concretion4 formed from mineral precipitations found in sedimentary rocks and soil. So this is the natural process of bio-concretion with seagrass. It is important to state that seagrass is not an algae but a plant. Seagrass is a angiosperm/flowering plant. This gives the material ability to work as a fertilizer. In many greenhouses seagrass has been used to help the growth of for examples potatoes. So the roofs of the seagrass farms at Læsø are all occupied with plants, as the seagrass works as a “soil” for the plants without decomposing. 4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concretion

Material Thermal conductivity

[W/mK]

At density [kg/m3]

Organic

Expanded styrofoam 0,030 30 No Rockwool 0,038 45 No Polystyrene 0,038 15 No Wool 0,040 49 Yes Seagrass 0,046 53 Yes Cork 0,055 160 Yes Sawdust 0,080 300 Yes Dried wood 0,110 500 Yes Soil 0,650 1250 Yes

Beds of seagrass

2.4 Existing roof ecologies

2.5 Testing ecologies

All the existing seagrass farms at Læsø are occupied with plants. The nature has found its own way to the roofs. A group of old biologist went to Læsø to map all the plants. The registration shows as a big variety of species on the roofs which means that there is a big potential in using the seagrass roofs as a new strategy for working with for example green facades or roofs.

To test the properties of planting seeds in the seagrass, I have made several tests. I have tried with plants from the registration at Læsø as well as with some local seeds from the Mediterranean area. The tests showed that it is not all plants that can easily grow in the seagrass. This probably has to do with the salt in the seagrass as my seagrass (found in Catalonia - later explained) is not processed, so that only the plants which normally can survive in salty environments would survive or even start to grow.

However, the registration also showed that not all plants are good for the roofs. Some of the plants’ roots are to aggressive and are creating openings in the roof1 . Also, some of the plants decompose inside of the roof when they die. This means that some of the roofs with these specific plants need maintenance. It is necessary to remove the plants to prevent water leaks. Hence, a new roof system should ideally secure that the roots of certain plants will not destroy the entire sealed roof structure, by for examples dividing the roof into layers.

01A

Mynth

Species registred at Læsø: Læge-Kokleare Eng-Brandbæger Korn-Valmue Bidende Stenurt Kornblomst Almindelig Syre Finbladet Vejsennep Rød Svingel Kruset Skræppe Strand-Malurt Almindelig Gåsemad Blød Hejre Kvikgræs Lugtløs Kamille Blød Storkenæb Ager-Svinemælk Almindelig Hønsetarm Ranunkel Tag-Snotand 1

Cochlearia officinalis ssp. officinalis Senecio jacobaea Papaver rhoeas Sedum acre Centaurea cyanus Rumex acetosa Barberforstand Descurainia sophia Festuca rubra ssp. rubra Rumex crispus var. crispus Artemisia maritima Arabidopsis thaliana Bromus hordeaceus Elytrigia sp. Tripleurospermum perforatum Geranium molle Sonchus arvensis Cerastium fontanum Ranunculus sp. Tortula ruralis

http://www.naturnord.dk/2014_Laesoe.pdf page 21

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SEAGRASS

03A

Sonchus arvensis SEAGRASS

Lathyrus SEAGRASS

03B

Sonchus arvensis SEAGRASS + FISHGLUE

LOOSE

COLOR

DENSE 31

2.6 Ongoing research and projects with seagrass Since the seagrass roofs got the status of UNESCO heritage, there has been an increased awareness when it comes to working with seagrass. Not only to preserve the existing roofs but also try to use the material in a new manner. In 2011 Realdania Byg (Danish private building founding) preserved a protected seagrass cottage, and at the same time they wanted to build an interpretation of the old technique with seagrass. The Danish studio, Vandkunsten, won the competition to design the new house: “On a vacant neighbouring site, Realdania Byg is building a brand-new holiday cottage carefully situated in the landscape and with a design which respects its older neighbour. It will use seaweed in several new ways and will present new aesthetics using seaweed. The idea of the new cottage is to help build deeper knowledge about seaweed - not as much as a roof covering, but in more areas such as insulation. With a foundation of knowledge about seaweed as a natural, non-toxic, non-itching, non-smelling, locally-sourced, CO2-neutral building material, with comparable insulation properties as mineral wool, hope is that these seaweed roofs can inspire solutions for the sustainability issues which the world is currently facing. Furthermore, a correctly laid seaweed roof can last for up to a hundred years, and thus, seaweed thatch could soon become an interesting prospect in a time when the focus is on climate and the environment. For this reason, the initial interest in the seaweed roof project is to learn more about the traditional thatching techniques, such as the twisting of the foundation bundles and rolls or the piling and stamping of the loose seaweed - just as it was done many hundreds of years ago and has recently been done again at Kaline’s House. “ Realdania byg 20121 Although the proposal talked about seagrass in a contemporary language, it did not use the material in any new way or fully use the capacity of the material. The seagrass is at the facades and roof bound together as an external insulation but not a moisture stopper as the existing roofs. That way Vandkunsten only used one of the properties of 1 http://www.realdaniabyg.dk/projekter/tanghuse-paa-laesoe-det-moderne-tanghus/summa ry-in-english

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the material, the insulation. This encourages me to try to push the material into a direction where all the properties of the material become a part of the design. There has not been any project so far, dealing with seagras, which has linked our new tools and environmental design skills.

Tanghus by Vandkunsten, 2012

2.7 Reference building typologies The tradition of using seagrass as roof material started from the tradition of thatching with straw which was the common way to design a roof at the time. The thatching with straw is a way more developed technique than using seagrass, and it is used all over the world, from inside the jungle to contemporary buildings in the Netherlands and Denmark. The thatched roof is a good reference to see how much it is possible to push the material, although the behavior of straws is quite different from that of seagrass. I will in the later design proposal use the thatched roof as a reference for how to push the seagrass roof.

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Flemish Barn Bolberg by Arend Groenewegen Architect 2009

2.8 Seagrass ecology in Europe Seagrass is very valuable for the coastal ecosystem. The seagrass can be found all over the world except the Antarctica. But in many areas the beds of seagrass have been totally destroyed caused by the global human expansion especially near the coasts. Seagrass is a marine plant which grows in the 1-4 m depth water. There are more than 60 species which range from 2 cm to 400 cm in length. Seagrass is ecological linked to coral reefs and mangroves. Compared to the seaweed (an algae), the seagrass is a much more fragile species. The plant needs the photosynthesis in order to grow - meaning it needs clear seawater. When the sea is getting polluted, the seagrass beds die. The seagrass beds are therefore considered an indicator of a healthy sea in the eyes of many marine biologists. 1 The seagrass used for roofs is, however, not of any harm for the ecology of the seas. The material used is the seagrass, which is lying on the shores of the beaches. So it is a sort of waste from the sea. In the northern part of Europe the seagrass is quite present. Many seagrass beds have been suffering, though, because of the use of trolling as a fishing method, seagrass deceases and general pollution. Forrunately however, most of the seagrass is still intact in narrow seas and sea inlets. The main species is the Eelgrass which also has been used for thatching the roofs at Læsø. The eelgrass (most common zostera marina) is approx. one cm wide and can be up to one meter long. In the warm sea the plant dies during the summer and comes back during the autumn and winter. In the northern part of Europe it is an annual plant. 1

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The world atlas of Seagrasses, page 17

Denmatk

Catalonia

2.9 Typologies - Mediterranean sea In the sea of the Mediterranean the fishing and the pollution have been destroying the seagrass beds much more compared to the seas in the northern part of Europe, and many seagrass species are threatened by extinction. Locally in Catalonia, the common Eelgrass does not exist. Instead there can be found the seagrass, Posidonia Oceanica. This type of seagrass is a bit shorter when it comes to the length of the fibers, and it is not as strong structurally as the eelgrass. To be able to test the seagrass, I have been travelling around Catalonia. The best spot to find seagrass was in the Natural park of Delta Ebre in the southern part of Catalonia. Compared to the seagrass found in Denmark, the quality and quantity were comparable. The seagrass I was able to find at Posidonia Oceanica was all relative short in the length, reaching from 5 cm to 20 cm. The seagrass used for the houses at Læsø reached at least from 40 cm to 60 cm. Also, the seagrass of Catalonia was fragile and easy to break. This could be caused by that the seagrass has been lying on the shores of the beach for a long time between the sand. The best way to catch good quality of seagrass is to take it directly after the waves and the wind has been pulling it into the beaches. Then it is fresh and can be dried in a more controlled environment. This means that my tests with the seagrass are sort of a “worst case scenario”, according to the quality. The fibers are more fragile and short, than they could be in Denmark or at a better place in Spain. If I was able to go to Delta Ebre during the autumn, I would be able to find a better quality and maybe a greater quantity of seagrass.

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Map of travel to Delta Ebre

L´Ampolla

Punta del Fangar

Posidonia oceanica Neptune grass //10 m - 25 m

The main seagrass species on the Catalan coast is Posidonia oceanica. This seagrass belt used to extend from 10 to approximately 25 m depth, although significant regressions have been detected and in many areas the deep limit is now between 17 and 20 m.

Cymodocea nodosa Little Neptune grass 2m-4m Cymodocea nodosa has greatly expanded in the southern part of the bay of Delta de l´Ebre, covering now about 2.5 km’ which represents, for this southern area, an increase of approximately 15 percent a year.

Caulerpa prolifera

Other types in the area: Zostera marina & Zostera noltii

EL PRAT, BARCELONA

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DELTA DEL EBRE

2.10 Choosing site for application Although my thesis is based in Spain, I have decided that the application of the project should be a place where the seagrass has the right quality. A place where the beds of seagrass are not threatened. According to the registrations from the Worlds Atlas of Seagrasses, the best place in Europe is actually and maybe not surprisingly considering the tradition of Læsø, Denmark1. Here the beds are increasing in number, and the ability to find good quality of the seagrass is much easier than in the southern part of Europe. The map of the distribution of healthy seagrass beds in Denmark shows that in the narrow seas, there is a concentration of seagrass. In and around the islands of Lolland, Falster and Fyn, the best quality is found. At the small island of Bogø, there is already a farmer who is harvesting the seagrass from the shores every autumn. He then sends it to Læsø (in the northern part of Denmark), where they are using the seagrass to preserve the existing buildings with seagrass. But at the Island of Bogø, they are not using the seagrass. So my contribution to the tradition of using seagrass in Denmark is to bring a new way of using the seagrass to where it grows and is been harvested. 1

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The world atlas of Seagrasses, page 39

Læsø

Bogø

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GRACE

3.1 Hairstyles and design language The seagrass roofs have a kind of “bad taste” and lack of sophistication, which means that many will not describe them as beautiful in a traditional sense. But they can do something which in my opinion is more interesting. Seagrass roofs can titillate us and tempt us to use terms like organism. To better understand the typology in the design language, I have compared the existing seagrass roof with hair. I am not to judge beauty, but I am proposing the concept of hairstyles as a metaphor here in order to form a design language about seagrass. I am also introducing the concept of grace in order to discuss the aesthetics of seagrass: “A characteristic or quality pleasing for its charm or refinement” 1 I prefer the definition of grace above because it is including the concept of refinements, and is maybe not as subjective as the concept behind beauty. The refinements are looking into the details behind the beauty and are giving the style some depth. 1 http://www.thefreedictionary.com/grace

3.2 Hairstyles 1960s “The 1960s also introduced The Beatles, who started a more widespread longer hair trend. The social revolution of the 1960s led to a renaissance of unchecked hair growth, and long hair, especially on men, was worn as a political or countercultural symbol or protest and as a symbol of masculinity.” 1 People like Brian Jones (the Rolling Stones) was wearing this kind of haircut during the sixties. His hairstyle was clearly based on a centralised line, and the hair “falling” from this – just as the seagrass roofs are based on the horizontal roof beams, and the fibres are falling down towards the ground. The hairstyle is based on washed hair, which is not more treated, and then fall into place. 1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_hair#cite_note-cosmetology-16

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Brian Jones

Tina Turner

Fårehus, Læsø

Museumsgården, Læsø

Deep purple

Renovating roof, Læsø

Existing language - seagrass 47

3.3 Hairstyles 1980s and 1990s The thatched roofs with straw have a much broader design language. This might be because the tradition is much more wellknown and tested. But it might also be because the fibers are more stiff and easier to group and cut in sharp angles. In the 1980s there where an introduction of a broader selection of hair products. This gave the hairstyles a better chance to become more independent of the gravity. The hair should look more clean and sharp. As well as coloring the hair was more common. The hairstyles were testing the normal and the gravity using these products. The haircut was essential for the hairstyle and needed to be well maintained. So a visit at the hairdresser was needed more than once per year more than in the 1960s (if ever needed). In the “hairstyles of thatched roofs” there lies a great amount of experimentations and refinements. The different compositions is not made, only to make a functional roof/hairstyle, but also giving new aspects of dealing with meeting between openings as doors and windows and introducing the twig. Instead of relying on one massive mass being the roof, the thatched straw roofs were using the direction and cut of the fibers to drain the roofs in a much more sufficient and sophisticated way compared to the seagrass roofs. For me, this is some of the refinements (and details) which lead to grace.

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Annie Lennox

Arend Groenewegen Barn Office

Thatched roof, Neatherland

Taken visitor center, Neatherland

Thatched cuts, the Lighthouse

Reference language - thatched straw 49

3.4 Hairstyles 2000s The new ecology of seagrass posses a new design language. Learned from the tradition of thatching with straw, an optimization is key to create the new language. Grace is not necessarily the end goal, but it is more a generator to explore the opportunities with the seagrass. To me, grace is found everywhere in the nature. The nature has its own complex system to evolve and regenerate itself. Studying different systems from the nature will be my tool in order to to reach the grace in a new design language for seagrass. The system will give the appearance of the complexity and at the same time some kind of an order. My references for the new language is for example the hairstyle of Björk. Using different systems of weaving, binding and creating different heights, pores and densities, Björk experiments with her hair. Combining this hairstyle with computational design tools and systems from the nature could create a new system and design language.

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A Wireless Permanent-Waving Machine designed by Icall in 1934

Bjรถrk design approaches

New language - seagrass 51

3.5 Morphogenisis A starting point for the new language would be learning from the nature which I am tempted to call the origin of beauty or grace. The morphogenesis of forms in the nature has for many been the starting point of design. Reading important papers from D´Arcy Wentworth Thomson´s (Thomson) “On Growth and form” and Alan Turings “ The Chemical basis of Morphogenesis” has resolved some of the mysteries regarding the evolution of forms and shapes from the nature into mathematics and geometries: “The harmony of the world is made manifest in Form and Number, and the heart and soul and all the poetry of Natural Philosophy are embodied in the concept of mathematical beauty.” 1 Through computational design exercises, I will use two basic types of logics learned from the morphogenesis from nature: Phyllotaxis The most common example of the arrangement of the nature is the mathematics of the phyllotaxis, the arrangement of plants around a centre axis. Thomson analyzed the pattern of the sunflower,and saw that the plant was using logics, and that there was no mysteries behind the arrangement: “When the bricklayer builds a factory chimney, he lays his bricks in a certain steady, orderly way, with no thought of the spiral patterns to which this orderly sequence inevitably leads, and which spiral patterns are by no means “subjective”.2 Thomson saw that much of the nature is based on the logarithmic spiral. The spiral that conducted from the sunflower is based on the mathematics of the Fibonacci sequence of ratios 1/2, 2/3, 3/5, 5/8...The logarith-

D´Arcy Wentworth Thompson´s “On growth and form”

D´Arcy Wentworth Thompson´s “On growth and form” page 641

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mic spiral is rotated around the centred axis to create the pattern of the sunflower. Voronoi Voronoi is a pattern based on a plane which is divided into regions based on the different distances to points in a specific subset of the plane. The points are called seeds and are determined in front, and each seed has a corresponding region with all points nearer to that seed than other. These regions are called the Voronoi cells found in for example the structure of a leaf. The concept of the Voronoi was already used by the French mathematician and philosopher René Descartes in 1644, but later in 1908 it was assembled in a concluded pattern by the Ukrainian mathematician Georgy Fedosievych Voronyi3. The pattern can for example be found at the leaves of a tree, making the cells gather and distribute water. As the pattern of the Voronoi has so many variables, the pattern is much harder to predict, than for example the strictly centralized mathematical based phyllotaxis. Each time one seed/point in the pattern is being moved, the whole structure size, proportion and number of edges change caused by the new relations. This makes the pattern quite complex to use, if you want to have the complete control over the design. In many design projects this pattern has though been used as a fast form finding tool, thus the ability to create something complex with a simple input of points. It is my belief, thought, that if you determine a logic for the input of points/seeds, the pattern is a good way to optimize the cell distribution. 3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voronoi_diagram

53 Phyllotaxis

Voronoi pattern on a leaf

3.6 Computational design logics Architectural computational design is generated through parametric based logics, rather than the traditional modeling procedure of drawings. The order of materialization is as well different from a traditional design approach. “One striking aspect of natural morphogenesis is that formation and materialisation processes are always inherently and inseparably related. In stark contrast to these integral development processes of material form, architecture as a material practice is mainly based on design approaches that are characterised by a hierarchical relationship that prioritises the definition and generation of form over its subsequent materialisation.” Achim Menges 2012 1 With the CAD-systems, it is possible to use the properties of the material as a parameter and a design tool. As learned in the morphogenesis in nature, the computational design is relying on that the design is based on a specific input and a set of defined algorithms. The input can be generated manually or directly impact the environment surrounding the design. In my approach to the computational design, I will use the environment as the primary input to optimize and generate structures. This is done because the understanding of the material has to be done by testing, and since the amount of data for the material is not sufficient at this point. 1

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ACHIM MENGES, “COMPUTATIONAL MORPHOGENESIS,” page 1

Parametric example on manipulating surface according fx wind

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CONCRETION

4.1 Approaching seagrass - optimizing To optimize the existing strategies of using the fibers of seagrass, new approaches to the technique have to be explored. This chapter is dealing with how to compact the fibers in order to make a more efficient section of a new system of roofs made out of seagrass. By studying the properties of the material, its process and aging process, we learn that seagrass possesses the special characteristic that it hardens over time - and that it is this hardening process which, in particular, gives the seagrass roofs a shapeless surface character. This kind of process is known, in the science of geology, as the process of concretion formed from mineral precipitations found in sedimentary rocks and soil. This mechanism gives the material of seagrass another very specific and rare dimension than other standard building materials - time. So already in the property of the material, it turns into a more compact state over time. This behaviour could be increased, controlled or forced. The first months of the research have been based on material and digital testing. In order to find a new language and a technique for the seagrass, there has been a parallel track of digital modeling and physical tests. The physical tests show the limits of the material, and the digital tests challenge the material in new ways based on digital fabrication rather than on slow manual labor ( like building traditional houses with seagrass roofs). The tests were made directly with the material of seagrass, 3D-printings and 3D-modelling using Rhino/grasshopper. The research showed that there were five different main ways of dealing with the seagrass: Compressing Interlocking Weaving Binding Glueing The investigations of shapes, geometries and systems to deal with the seagrass fibers, will be based on mainly system and characteristics from

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the nature. Example of systems analyzed are fibers of the palm tree, corals and furs. Many of the approaches will not be purely based on one technique, but will be a combination of multiple techniques. These different ways to control the seagrass have each different characters and benefits. To conclude the investigation a catalogue has been made. This catalogue shows basically how to layer the seagrass into a new system. The catalogue is giving the different new compositions properties in terms of creating a new roof system.

CompressING The first approach is to compress the seagrass. The compressing is based on adding an additional material (or the seagrass in another state) to keep the seagrass in pressure by force, and therefore a more compact section of the seagrass can be made.

INTERLOCKING Interlocking the fibers, so they stay into place between gaps. A complex porous structure creating a interlocking system to grap and hold the seagrass.

WEAVING Coming from the old thatching technique from LĂŚsĂ¸ where they were attaching the twisted seagrass to the beams by weaving the seagrass. New techniques to twist and weave the seagrass should be explored.

BINDING Fencing the seagrass together.

GLUEING Forcing the seagrass together with an additional binder. This technique could result in the ability to molt the material, and eventually mill in the material.

PHYSICAL SAMPLES

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DIGITAL SAMPLES

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4.2 Glueing

Types of binders In order to molt the seagrass or to it prepare it for been milled, an exploration with different binders has to be made. I have focused 100% on organic binders, aiming not to destroy the properties of seagrass as a fertilizer and bio-material. Agar Agar is obtained by algaes in the sea. When the agar is boiled, it releases its cells walls which are keeping the algaes together. It would be convenient to use the agar because it comes from the same “family” as the seagrass in the sea. But after testing the mix with the seagrass, among other struggles, the molted seagrass did not have structural strength. Hide Glue Fish glue or animal glue is made out of remains of animal connecting tissues. For many years the glue has been used for woodwork, especially in crafting furniture. The glue can be reused if it is heated up to 60 degrees. The tests with the glue were very promising from the beginning. The ratio between water and glue could easily control how strong the final molted seagrass would become. A ratio of 50/50 of water and glue made a very strong result. Furthermore, it was possible to make flexible mixes by only having a ratio of 10/90 of water and glue. The glue has a very long working time, so it is easy to compress the seagrass properly in order to make a compressed section of the material. Adding 0,5 % aluminum sulfate would make the glue water resistant. The ability to reuse the glue as well as the whole molted part ( if you heat it up) also gives the binder a new interesting aspect: The whole system could, in fact, be reused in a new context..

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Galantine Galantine worked kind of similar to the hide glue. The only difference was the appearance. The galantine created a thin white color in the mix which was not easy to get rid of. Also, the galantine glue was much more expensive than the hide glue. Casein The binder is based on milk and is very easy to make by yourself. Adding vinaigrette and baking soda creates the binder. In this sense the glue is very accessible. However, the structural properties were not as strong as the hide glue. Conclusion on binder In comparison the tests show that, the hide glue was clearly the best binder because is was so easy to manipulate into the right behavior. The only disadvantage is that the binder only can resist 60 degrees heat impact, which could be a problem on a facade or similar.

TYPES OF BINDERS TESTED Origin Temperature at Working time Hardening time Structural strong waterresistant glueing time with seagrass

heatresistant

Agar

40c

Seaweed

1 min

1 day

YES

Hideglue

Fish/animals

15 min

4 days

YES

60c

by adding 1/2-1% aluminum sulfate

Galatine

Animal

1 min

2 days

YES

40c

Casein

Milk

1 hour

5 days

75c

MASS seagrass with fish glue binder

Combination of materials The test with the different binders also showed that it was possible to create a stiff mass out of the seagrass. But it also made it clear that the mas, was not that structural strong in the end. It was possible to break the molted pieces quite easy. So that showed that it would be necessary to add an additional material to seagrass, if you want to achieve structural properties. By adding for example sawdust to the mix with the seagrass, it was possible to strengthen the structure. This opens the opportunity to work different kind of gradient mix in the seagrass; where you need more structural behavior, you add a material.

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MASS 100% seagrass

GRADIENT 50% seagrass 50% sawdust

MIX 50% seagrass 50% sawdust

Testing level of details I have been focusing on the molting of the seagrass. This choice is made because the milling of the material would destroy the fibers connecting in the seagrass and probably would be more suitable for a more dense material. One method, for further research, would be to break the fibers of the seagrass up and molt them in a more dense composition. I started the tests with molting the seagrass with small molt made out of clay. The molts revealed how detailed the material can be, when it is molted. Molting the seagrass revealed a slow process. The hide glue and the seagrass need air to dry. The molts are sealing the glue and seagrass, and are leaving the bottom part of molts wet. It there for takes up to 2 weeks for the molts to dry, compared to 1-2 days without a molt.

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Testing geometries The testing of molting seagrass gives a new ability for the seagrass to be explored in more complex shapes and systems. The material can now come from a porous state into a hard state.. This also opens the ability to work with much more porous and open structures. From the beginning the distribution of the barnacles has made me work with this growing system over surfaces. A small animal lives inside a shell on for example hard rocks. Even though the animal is working independently, the animals are grouped together in amazing patterns. Each animal has its own size, but it is merged together with the others. The barnacles introduce a local and a global system: The global system being the global pattern and the local each animal. A new seagrass system could be based on the same logic: Each cell has it own orientation and behavior, but together the cells are creating as system which only works when they are together.

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Barnacles

Fibonachi

Voronoi

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Deacy

Decay in fibers Decay in openings

Barnacles decay

Subtraction Decay

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4.3 Interlocking/compressing

Testing geometries from corals The corals have a complex structure. Some of the corals (for examples the meandrina meandrites) have open structures where external walls of the material of the coral are exposed to the water to increase the amount of surface for the coral. The composition of branching could help a new system of interlocking the seagrass between walls of a harder material. The walls determine a new path for the drain in the material for water.

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meandrina meandrites

Low density High density

Interlocking Weaving

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Low density

High density

Branching

Contracting and compression If the walls of the corals could be controlled, the system could be changed from a merely interlocking system into a compressing system as well. The simulation shown on the right, is showing how cells can expand and contract, to gradually follow the properties of the seagrass, which over time will compress and harden. In this manner, the system could follow the contraction of the material and adapt to it.

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Bending wood ribs Expanding/contracting wooden ribs Compressing seagrass

Thin wooden bending structure

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Filled with seagrass

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4.4 Weaving

Preparing the fibers for weaving In order to weave the seagrass, the material has to be processed before it is possible to handle it. The old method was to twist the seagrass in huge rolls. The seagrass were still loose on the ends, though. This resulted in sliding of the material towards the ground over time. If the seagrass were twisted throughout all the weaving, the material would be more compact and might keep the shape and not slide out of shape. Testing different ways to prepare the seagrass for weaving, I have tried to twist the fibers throughout all the length. To hold the fibers into place, I have used different binders. In order to compare the results, I have tested dry seagrass and seagrass mixed with water as well. Binders tested: Catein Agar Hide Galantine The result showed that all the tests with the binders turned hard and inflexible - and therefore impossible to weave without breaking the fibers. But by controlling the amount of liquid and binder, it was possible by using the hide glue, to keep the twisted seagrass flexible to be able to weave it. The final ratio of glue and water was a 10/90 relationship.

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FLEXIBLE SAMPLES

01A

Dry twist

01B

Wet twist

01C

Light mix with binder

NON-FLEXIBLE SAMPLES 02A

Rolled Molted with glue

02B

Rolled Molted with glue

Rolled and twisted Heated with glue

Testing weaving patterns The newly discovered method of preparing the fibers was then tested in different patterns. The test was made to reveal the scale of the weaving. The weaving was made as small as possible. The patterns showed that the weaving quite easily merged together, if the weaving was too close to each other. It also showed that the length of the fibers, where crucial to have a strong weaving string. The seagrass conducted from Delta Ebre were all quite short and therefore not very suitable for weaving. Had it been possible to get the Eelgrass from Denmark, it would probably have been much easier to have a better results.

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Weaving in the palm tree The palm tree Daemonorops atra has an inspiring way of distributing its loose fibers at the trunk. The inner trunk is heavy and massive, while the exposed trunk has a combination of extruded beams in light fiber palm fibers. In between the extruded nosels, there is a weaved nest of fibers. The combination of using the same material in a loose behavior and in a more solid state, could be a way to handle the seagrass. The extruded beams help the trunk to achieve a specific sharp geometry.

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Weaving in patterns An exploration in 3D-modelling has been made with the concept learned from the palm tree. The geometry is based on the Voronoi pattern. Each cell has its own height and are extruded towards the middle of the cell into a smaller cell. In between all the cells, there are loose fibers. The relationships and sizes between loose fibers and eventually hard molted fibers could determine where you want to have the behavior and opportunity to grow plants.

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Bones 01

Weaving sticks

Weaved seagra

Bones 95 2 Palm tree

Weaving and compressing If you look at the 3D-structure of the extruded Voronoi pattern, there could be two sides. One side is the exterior where the fibers are exposed for the environment; and another side is where the seagrass is compacted into the cells as insulation.

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Weaving

Weaving and compression

Compression

4.5 Conclusion on tests All the tests, both physical and digital, were showing different kind of behaviors. They all have disadvantage and benefits to be used in a system for a new seagrass system. To sum up the different tests, I have made a catalogue which are categorizing and giving each test a grade according to wanted utilities for the new system: ECOLOGY The ability to have a controlled growth of vegetation in the test. This includes the ability to keep loose seagrass trapped and exposed to different orientation to have a diversity of growth. CONCRETION How the tests are dealing with a more compact state of the material, thus a more optimized usage of the material. DIGITAL FABRICATION The ability for the tests to be constructed with digital fabrication methods. STRUCTURAL If the systems are using the seagrass as a structural component. INSULATION If the tests can be used as an insulating component in a new roof system. DRAINING If the tests can be used to optimize and control the drainage of the roof. VENTILATION If the tests is dealing with porous and possible ventilated structures.

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+ ECOLOGY

+ CONCRETION

+ DIGITAL FAB.

+ STRUCTURAL

INSULATION

+ DRAINING

VENTILATION

CompressING

INTERLOCKING

WEAVING

BINDING

GLUEING 99

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ECOLOGY

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5.1 Bio-mimicry In our present time biology (and nature) has often been a key to create new systems with materials introducing bio-mimicry. Inventions like Velcro, tanks and airplanes are all studies based on natural phenomenon - “the nature invented it first”. This directs the research to try to understand other natural systems found in the nature which can help to optimize the new language into a new sufficient system of roofs with seagrass. The bio-mimicry gained its strength the last years through researchers such as Janine Benyus and later for example translated into architecture with Michael Pawlin. In the following chapter I will for look into the phenomenon of furs at animal amphibia species (animal living in water and on land) as an useful example for my project. The characteristic of these types of furs is that the water is easily drained away and leaving the inner skin dry and warm. Also, the insulation is not based on blubbers, as marine species normally are, but 100% the fur. This behavior could be what I am looking for in order to optimize the existing system of the seagrass roofs. The intention is to have a better controlled ecology in the seagrass mass, the nature will obviously be the point of inspiration. But here the link to useful computational tools such as solar radiation studies will link the computation design to the local environments. Furthermore, I will look into the ecologies and logics behind: Bark Lichen Fur Coral

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BARK

bio diversity

Sun Porous

shadow

Dense Shadow Moisture

moisture

sun

Structure

FUR

drain efficiency

CORAL

drain control

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5.2 Bark “Bark is the term loosely applied to the outermost covering of tree stems A major source of complexity is that bark, more specifically defined as the complex of tissues located outside the vascular cambium, generally includes both live and dead cells produced by two cambia. Thus, treating bark as a single entity can obscure important aspects of its biochemistry, physiology, ecology, and evolutionary biology. Among its many ecological roles, bark covers and protects the vascular cambium of most trees. Inner bark is produced by the vascular cambium, but the protective function of bark as a whole is augmented by cell divisions in the cork cambium (hereafter the phellogen). The vascular cambium, besides providing for girth increments in woody plants, also contributes to increased plant longevity by replacing conductive tissues lost by death or cavitation. Vascular and supportive tissues have apparently evolved repeatedly and represent major advances in the evolution of terrestrial plants (Cichan 1990)” Romero 2012 1 The outer bark is creating an environment for vegetations to grow inside moisturized gaps and cracks in the skin. The ecology of plants is specially controlled by the orientation of the tree; on the north side of the trunk, for example moss is growing strong, thus the shadow and the high levels of moisture. Similarly, on the surface of bark lichen are present. The high diversity of vegetation on the bark is what could be translated into a new system, controlling the ecology of the new seagrass roofs. Working with different densities, orientations and moisture levels in this way could be a tool to control the vegetation. To predict the ecology the sun’s total radiation on the surface is used to design the patterns. The pattern of the barnacles will in this example be used. The height of the barnacles will be a parameter to increase the shadows and moisture levels in the cracks of the new bark. 1

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Edited Romero C (2012) http://www.ecology.info/bark-ecology.htm

Pattern

Hard Dry Sun

Soft Moisture Shadow Vegatation

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CONCEPTUAL SECTION

Vegatation Sun Porous

Seagrass

Dense Shadow Moisture

Seaweed Sawdust Fish glue

Sawdust Fish glue 106

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Structure

Radiation

Vegatation Shade

CONCEPTUAL PLAN

Moisture

Vegatation sun

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5.3 Lichen Lichens are created in a combination of partners of fungals and algal. The filament of the fungal grows and surround the cells of the algal. The filaments provide the physical bulk and shape for the lichen. Lichens can grow in the most stable and well-lit surfaces (soil, rock and bark). Lichens may sometimes absorb the mineral nutrients from the substrates they are living on, but are most commonly self-sufficient through the photosynthesis in the cells of the algal. The relationship between the fungus and the algal could be used as an example for a new section of a seagrass system: The fungus is creating the protected environment for the algal to create oxygen through photosynthesis. The CO2 could be provided from the building, and a new production and cycle of oxygen could be made. The next pages show an example of a proposal to a new way of designing a system made by molted seagrass and loose seagrass.

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Lichen and fungies

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Cortex

FUNGUS

Protection Moisture

Photosynthesis

ALGAE

photobiont

Loosely packed hyphae

Anchoring hyphae rhizines

Symbiosis in Lichen

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Joint holding molt EXTERIOR

Wooden structure Glass, opening, shaft Shaft Molted seagrass Weaved seagrass Moisture channels Membrane / ventilation

Photosynthesis

Protection Moisture

Growth

CO2

Molted seagrass

INTERIOR 111

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STRUCTURE

COMPRESSING WITH INFLATION

WEAVED FIBERS

MOLTED SEAGRASS

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OPENINGS WATERSYSTEM

LIVING ELEMENT

Opening

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5.4 Coral Some of the families of the corals are working in the same way of the barnacles earlier described. The difference is that corals in the sea also have the process of photosynthesis. “Although some corals can catch small fish and plankton, using stinging cells on their tentacles, most corals obtain the majority of their energy and nutrients from photosynthetic unicellular dinoflagellates in the genus Symbiodinium that live within their tissues. These are commonly known as zooxanthellae and the corals that contain them are zooxanthellate corals. Such corals require sunlight and grow in clear, shallow water, typically at depths shallower than 60 metres (200 ft). Corals are major contributors to the physical structure of the coral reefs that develop in tropical and subtropical waters, such as the enormous Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland, Australia.” 1 Star Coral I find the structure of the star coral interesting because the distribution of the polyps are similar to the barnacles, but are introducing a new element - the ribs. The ribs in the Star Coral are changeable elements from day to night. During the day, the polyps are closed but during the night, it opens up and changes the color. I have been using the pattern of the Star Coral as a structural example for a new method of controlling the water drainage over a surface. This is creating new local logics for arranging cells within a global pattern. 1

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral

The pattern of Star corals

Pattern

Ribs

Openings

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Digital interpretation

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3D-printed interpretation

Thin ribs Gaps

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Digital interpretation and variations

Straight ribs

Circular ribs

Attractor ribs

Attractor curved ribs

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Optimizing drain paths The solar radiation over a surface has been used to optimize the drain path and structure. Towards south, each cell has a closed cycle of drain, to keep the moisture, or else the sun will dry out the cells to fast, for the vegetation to benefit for the moisture. Towards north , the drain path is leading the water towards the ground to have a faster drain, thus there is no sunlight to dry the cells. In this sense, the different orientations has a quite similar moisture drying time.

Ribs determined by radiation and moisture flow 122

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Water undrained Water drained

Ribs determined by radiation and moisture flow 123

Animation - Surface without obstacles As a tool to understand the path of the water flows, I have been using Grasshopper and Sonic to simulate the water over a surface. This helps me to find the fastest drain path for

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Animation - Surface with obstacles

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5.5 Fur “The presence of hair is one of the characteristics that distinguishes mammals from other vertebrates. Hair consists of keratinized epidermal cells, formed in hair follicles located in the dermal layer of the skin. Adaptations to an aquatic or amphibious lifestyle are apparent in marine mammal skin and hair.” Ling 1974 1 The phenomenon of fur on animal amphibia species (animal living in water and on land) is very inspiring when you are talking about optimizing the distribution of fibers. The characteristic of these types of furs is that the water is easily drained away and leaving the inner skin dry and warm. The insulation is not based on blubbers, as marine species normally are, but 100% the fur. This behavior is what I am looking for to optimize the existing system of the seagrass roofs. The fur introduces new terms such as guard hair and underfur: “The integument of pinnipeds, sea otters, and polar bears generally has two layers of hair. The outer protective layer consists of long, coarse guard hairs and the inner layer is composed of softer intermediate hairs or underfur. Polar bear, sea otter, and otarid guard hairs are medullated (having a sheath), whereas phocid and walrus hairs ( Odobenus rosmarus ) are not. The hairs typically grow in groups or clumps, with a single guard hair emerging cranial to one or more underfur hairs. Each hair grows from a separate follicle, but the underfur follicles feed into the guard hair canal so that all hairs in a particular clump emerge from a single opening in the skin.” Yochem and Stewart 2009 2 An already used example on how to use the fur as a reference to design a new system is the fur of the polar bear. The fur of the polar bear seams white, and that has always been a big question for the biologists because normally, the white color would reflect the solar rays away from the fur. But actually, the fibers of the white fur are transparent and lead the solar directly to the innerfur of the polar bear. The inner skin is black and then absorbs the heat from the sun.

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Ling, 1974 ; Williams et al. , 1992 ; Pabst et al. , 1999 ; Reeves et al. , 2002

Hair and fur, 2009, PAMELA K. YOCHEM AND BRENT S. STEWART, page 529

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“Based on the solar function of polar bear fur and skin, new collector systems are in development, which are flexible and mobile. The developed transparent heat insulation material consists of a spacer textile based on translucent polymer fibres coated with transparent silicone rubber. Based on the solar function of polar bear fur and skin, new collector systems are in development, which are flexible and mobile. The developed transparent heat insulation material consists of a spacer textile based on translucent polymer fibres coated with transparent silicone rubber.” Thomas Stegmaier 2009 3 3

Bionics in textiles: flexible and translucent thermal insulations for solar thermal applications BY THOMAS STEGMAIER*, MICHAEL LINKE AND HEINRICH PLANCK Institut fu¨r Textil- und Verfahrenstechnik (ITV ) Denkendorf,, Germany

Sea Otter

Beaver

Polar bear

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The fur of the sea otter

The fur of the seagrass

The fur of the sea otter has a very rare characteristic too; it can keep the animal dry while been in the water for up to 30 min. This is because of the distribution of hair.

A new fur is made by the concept of having guard hairs and an underfur. The guard hairs are cells of a local distribution of water drainage according to the location on the surface (solar radiation analysis). The underfur uses the concretion of the seagrass and creates a much denser “fur”, to drain the water away. The geometry of the undefur is determined by simulations of the water flows on the specific surface learned from the corals. Under the underfur a ventilation layer is added to keep the underside of the layer healthy and dry,

The whole body of the sea otter, with the exception of its nose and pads of its paws, is covered in dense fur. This is made out of two layers; a short underfur and a guard layer. The underfur is the densest of all mammals, with a density of 1 million hairs pr. square cm. In comparison, the humans only have 100,000 hairs all over the head. Unlike other marine mammals, the sea otter does not have any blubbers for insulation. They are only using their thick, water-resistant fur to keep them warm in the freezing icy waters. Guard hair A top layer of long, waterproof guard hairs are keeping the underfur layer quite dry by draining the cold water. The pelage is typically brown in color with tones of gray. The guard hair are long up to 2,6 cm. Underfur The underfur is made out of a much denser fur. The hairs are shorter - from 4,6 - 15,8 mm. For each guard hair there is grouped hair, connected to it - up to 400 times more hairs fibers. The underfur is so dense that it traps air bubbles and works as an insulating layer and as the final drain for the water because the fur is so dense that water cannot penetrate it. Therefore the underfur is working as the global drain for the sea otter.

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Although the sea otter is not using blubbers for insulation, the new proposed section has blubbers as the insulation layer. The blubbers are 100% dry and are the visible layer in the ceiling. The blubbers are following the shape of the cells ,creating “pillows” hanging from the ceiling.

Sea Otter in the water

Sea Otter dry after been in the water

Sea Otter fur closeup

Sea Otter underfur hair

Under fur 4.6 to 15.8 mm length

Guard hair 8.2 to 26.9 mm length One guard hair may have from 12 to 108 underhairs bundled with it

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Section - sea otter

Guard hair

Under hair

LOW DENSITY

LOCAL DRAIN - directionated hair

HIGH DENSITY GLOBAL DRAIN - High density hair Ventilation

Otter fur section - DRY

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Otter fur section - WET

Section - from Sea otter to Seagrass fur

SOUTH

NORTH

LOCAL DIRECTION

SOUTH

NORTH

LOCAL DIRECTION

GLOBAL DIRECTION GLOBAL DIRECTION

DRAIN with concretion Ventilation

Ventilation

STATIC STATIC

OTTER FUR

SEAGRASS FUR

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Animation of a new seagrass fur A new conceptual fur is proposed, to optimize the roof structure according to drainage and insulation. The animation shows the evolution of the design and the different inputs. The different input is controlling the geometry made in Grasshopper. The inputs are:

1 2 3 4 5

Determined surface Solar radiation on surface Solar radiation on extruded cell Slope angle Opening sizes

Script made in grasshopper

4 3 1

2 5

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5.6 Conclusion on ecology Together with the investigating from the chapter of concreting, it is now possible to assemble a system for a new seagrass roof typology. All the different testing in this chapter has dealt with different aspect of the properties of a roof system. The new roof system will be a combination of the tests. The new typology is based on:

BARK Working with different kind of densities in the material in order to be able to control the growth of vegetation. CORAL The structure of drainage learned from the corals Having a local and a global distribution of drainage according to solar radiation. Working with independent cells, which are optimized to their location on a surface. FUR The concept of having loose guards and a dense underfur. Using a layer of loose blubbers for insulation

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Wet

Conclusion on ecology in section 01

Ecology Distribution

Compact Structure

Concretion

Porous

Ventilation

DRY

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5.7 Process of design In order to determine how each layer of the new structure is interacting with another, a process of different design proposals has been made. All taking the total solar radiation and slope angle into account for creating the layers.

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BENDABLE GUARDHAIR #1 This proposal is showing that the guard hair can be bended by the weight of the water. The underfur layer is distributing extra water towrds the edges of the shape. The blubber is based on a light truss system.

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pods

Compact

Loose

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BENDABLE GUARDHAIR #2 This proposal is showing that the guard hair can be bended by the weight of the water. The sizes of the guard hair are determined by the location. The underfur layer is distributing extra water towrds the edges of the shape. The blubber is based on extruded pillows hanging from the ceiling.

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pods

Compact

sealed

open

Loose

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FLEXIBLE RIBS This proposal is showing that the guard hair can be globally bended by the forces of the water and environment. The underfur layer is distributing extra water towrds the edges of the shape. The blubber is based on extruded pillows hanging from the ceiling.

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Main drain

Local

Pillows

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LOCAL CORALS This proposal is showing that the guard hair has a local distribution of guardhairs. learned from the coral. Each rib is bended according to the solar radiation. The underfur layer is distributing extra water towrds fastest path towards the ground. The blubber is based on extruded pillows hanging

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Local drain

Overall drain

Pillows

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5.8 Conclusion on system design Finally, the proposal Local Corals has been the most promising design according to the setup of wanted behaviors. The conclusion on the final design of the system is shown in the animation to the right. The logic is as follows:

Guard Hair - learned from the star coral

Giving surface Divided into independent cells Number of cells determined by program Height of cell determined by radiation Each cell separated into guards hairs With a given bend according to the radiation With a given center according to slope angle

Underfur - learned from the sea otter

Ribs determined by the fastest drain path to the ground

Blubber

Created by pillows made out of fabric Stuffed with loose seagrass as insulation

The decision on which system is most efficient is at the moment quite subjective. The only way to test how the system works is to test it in a prototype. Therefore, the conclusion of the system can only be made after the production of the prototype.

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pillow - textile

blubber seagrass

underfur structure

underfur - concrettion

high density Guard hair

High/low density guard hair

Prototype elements LAYERS water flow

low density

high density

1800 mm

water flow

FIBER DIRECTIONS

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1200 mm

Prototype over 10 years

0.5 year

1 year

10 years

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section of a module - WOOD

fiber orientation

concretion Glass 500 mm

weaved seagrass

ventilation

150 mm 6 month exposure

ventilation

0 mm pillow seagrass

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section of a module - MOLTED

fiber orientation Glass 500 mm

ventilation molted seagras

concretion

150 mm 6 month exposure

ventilation

0 mm

pillow seagrass

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5.9 Fabrication of prototype I assigned at least 1,5 month of the thesis to do the fabrication of the prototype. In the end, it showed that more time could be spend as fabricating the prototype was not an linear path, but included several tests in materials and fabrication methods. In order to create a certain size for the final prototype, I decided to split one prototype up into two pieces so that the guard hair was shown in one prototype, the underfur in another. This way it was possible to read the different layers. However, I also wanted to create one full prototype having all the layers combined.

UNDERFUR Molted seagrass with edges of stoneplaster/ seagrass Loose seagrass

As I was molting the seagrass with the wet binder, the seagrass turned really compact, and it was possible to use a lot of seagrass which were perfect for the concreting. I quickly realized, however, that I did not have sufficient seagrass to create everything out of seagrass, even though I took another trip to Delta Ebre for more seagrass. To be able to achieve the 3 prototypes, I had to add another material to the molts. I invented a mix with seagrass and plaster in the prototype, showing the underfur layer and for the full prototype. During the change of material, testing had to be done to see how the seagrass were behaving with the plaster. I tested two different kinds of plasters: normal molting plaster and stone plaster. The stone plaster together with seagrass created a beautiful surface almost like marble, but it became quite heavy. The traditional plaster almost absorbed the seagrass and did not change properties when adding the seagrass.

GUARD HAIR Plexi window with PV-panels

Details made out of stoneplaster/ seagrass Loose seagrass Light wooden frame

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01Milling

02 Finished molts

03 Fill molts with glue and seagrass

04 take molted pieces out

05 Lasercutted structure

06 Add textile blubbers

07 Add undefur

08 Add guard hair

09 glue together

10 Add windows

Finished

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5.10 Final exhibition

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5.11 The afterlife for the prototype After the final exhibition the prototypes have been placed on the roof garden at IAAC to see how the degradation goes and possibly to grow a green garden in the prototype. After six month the prototype will be analyzed in strength, degrading and ability to drain water.

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6 HABITAT

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6.1 Site The local resource of suitable seagrass is important to find out, where the system can be applied, so the material should not be transported from far away, which not would be sustainable. Working with local materials, I believe, is a most, when you are working with bio-materials. In Spain seagrass has been regulated by law, and all usage of the material is illegal caused by the decreasing amount of the material, so Denmark was chosen to be the place to apply the system in a new habitat. Læsø

In the northern part of Europe the seagrass is much more present and is increasing in growth. That is a sign of a healthy sea. Therefore it is obvious to bring the tradition of seagrass back to Denmark but now with a new language. The small island of Bogø was chosen because of the location in a narrow sea where the seagrass is very healthy at the moment. Furthermore, it was an obvious choice because the island is the place where the seagrass is getting harvested for the preservation of the houses at Læsø (because the quality and amount of seagrass around Læsø not are sufficient).

Existing Transport of seagrass

A farmer at Bogø is now leading the harvesting of the seagrass, as he has all his fields close to the beaches. Bogø has one main town, Bogø By. But the real center of attraction is the small harbor which is connecting the island with the other island and as well the water as an element. In this sense, it could be a beautiful story to apply the new language on a site that already is a connection between town (knowledge) and water (nature), making a new connection of knowledge (from Barcelona) and nature (seagrass from Bogø).

Bogø

New transport of contemporary language and technique

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Barcelona

Brid ge

ge id Br

Bogø

Bogø harbour

Bogø By

Bogø harbour

Bridg

Ferr y

Possible Farming seagrass

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6.2 The harbor of Bogø The harbor of Bogø is a very traditional harbor for a small island in Denmark. It has a small community of fishermen, a sailing club and main facilities for the harbor such as:

Boat community

• • • • • • • • •

Toilets and bathing facilities Playground Grill area Beach Café Shopping facilities Washing machine, dryer Tank station for boats Crane

Boat bridge

All the buildings at the harbor are made by wood, except the terminal that is built in a 1940´s style. The building has been expanded several times and does not relate to the rest of the communities way of constructing at the moment. A new proposal will be made for a new terminal for the local ferry. The language of the new terminal should be a mix of traditional Danish contemporary harbor wood architecture and a more complex and organic language learned from the nature. The building should have a greater relationship to the sea and could grow from the sea and into a new landscape.

Terminal and office

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1 N Terminal and office

Ferr y

Boat community 4

Boat bridge

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6.3 Typology and construction The traditional Danish house is based on a pitched roof with a slope angle between 35 and 60 degrees. There has been many examples of transforming the traditional houses into a contemporary context, but most of them has not been challenging the geometries of the roofs; either the houses have kept the slope angles or made them as a flat roof. The new typology for the terminal is based on the traditional pitched roof but is morphed into a landscape, by slowly deformation the angles of the roof. This is creating areas with a slope angle down to 15 degrees to challenge the new technique of creating seagrass roofs. The new roof will be a landscape partly self-supporting and supported by vertical orientated wooden planks. This brings the new terminal into the boat community, as well as applying something completely new to the harbor.

Modern fisherhouse, Henning Larsen Architects

The building technique is a combination of traditional wood crafting, farming the seagrass, and new digital fabrication.

Traditional thatched house

The process of the construction is as follows:

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1. The main structure of the building is made on site 2. Molting the underfur 3. Placing the underfur on the main structure 4. Filling the underfur with wet seagrass directly from the sea 5. Drying time for seagrass 6. Adding the guard hair layer

1 traditional house

2 differency in height

4 opening for wind

5 creating ports

3 cantilevering

c an

nw en

tra

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6.4 Process of softness and perforation The creation of the final design for the terminal has gone through several processes. Combining the landscape with the simple environment in the harbor, has been tricky because it is introducing a whole new language. The relationship to water has been crucial in order to let the more organic landscape be reliable. The new landscape is an extension of the water (seagrass), representing a certain movement which also is related to function as the terminal. The logics behind the perforation of the roof, to let daylight in, also led to two different proposals. In the first proposal the perforation is based on the functions of the terminal - where there is an open space for people, holding more daylight. The second is a combination. Here the perforation is also based on where the building is connected to supports. The roof is getting more dense close to the supports where there is a greater height or cantilevering, the pores of the roof are getting bigger.

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Testing soft expressions in the ceiling

Testing overall geometry of the roof

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6.5 Layers of concretion in roof The earlier design distribution of layers has been used for the new roof system as follows: GUARD LAYER: Guided layer of loose seagrass and molted seagrass. Drain path according to slope angle and solar radiation. UNDERFUR: High density of molted seagrass. Drain path according to the fastest way to the gutter.. BLUBBER: Insulation pillows serves as the visible sealing. Furthermore, by controlling the geometry of the roof it is possible to allow the roof to have different areas with conditions linked to the orientation. The wind in the harbor is coming most likely from southeast and southwest. The wind can help flat areas to dry faster. So towards those directions the roof is getting more flat, enabling the roof to dry faster.

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GUARD LAYER Guided layer of loose seagrass and molted seagrass. Drain path according to slope angle and solar radiation.

UNDERFUR LAYER High density of molted seagrass. Drain path according to the fastest way to the gutter.

BLUBBER LAYER Insulation pillows serves as the visible sealing.

sola r radiati

wind

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1st design of the roof straight - fast flow curved - slow flow dry dry/wet wet

solar radiation

wind

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1 GUARD LAYER

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Grass field

Natural stones

Wooden boat bridge

Wooden bridge

new terminal

Steel frame

Ferry port

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Final design of the roof

wind

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Grass field

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Wooden bridge

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6.6 Functions and plan The new terminal buildings main function is to serve as an office to the harbor and the ferry. This requires an office which is allocated in the center of the building. The office is connected to a hallway which is dividing the building in two pieces and allowing guests to access the bridge on the other side of the terminal. Facing the water and the open area in the building, is a new café and a waiting area. The roof is cantilevering over the existing bridge of wood and is creating a shelter for the guests who are waiting for the ferry outside. Back in the new terminal, a space for boats are made for surviving the hard winters in Denmark. It functions as a woodshop during the summer. The facade follows the functions: Where the functions are more public, the building opens up and it is more closed in the end of terminal where the storage of boats are allocated.

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Grass field

Boat sto Wood rage shop Natural stones

Office Open

CafĂŠ Waitin g Wooden boat bridge

hallwa

area

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Illustrations of final proposal - east 182

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Illustrations of final proposal - south east 185

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7.1 Discussion I believe in working with organic bio-material is the new paradigm for architectural research of our time. Also, I believe in passive systems more than active system as means to change the present unsustainable way of construction and designing architecture. This project has proposed a new passive way in order to optimize an existing tradition of using seagrass. This thesis has dealt with a, so far, quite untouched area of research, combining computational logic with seagrass in a contemporary context. In this sense, the research has only scratched at the surface of the possible opportunities and angles with seagrass. Further research on the use of seagrass The research has been based on small material tests not giving the opportunity of testing important things such as the structural strength of the construction. A future research project could investigate how structural the different binders would be in pure stress and compression. In the beginning of the research, the milling of the seagrass was intended. During the period of testing, it seemed like the milling would destroy the distribution of fibers in the material. However, the milling did not get tested, which would be interesting to try. The milling could be used to design a mass with different densities and by the milling expose different layers of the mass. Through that process, different behaviors would probably reveal throughout the surface. Further research and testing on the designed drain paths could also be done with the prototypes and would be of a great value for the project. Working with a bio-material takes time. It is crucial to see how the material will react on a longer term. This was not possible inside the timeframe of this thesis. Although the prototype has been placed on the roof of IAAC, the result will unfortunately not be part of the thesis. This thesis has been focusing on seagrass and been inspired by the tradition of seagrass roofs on Læsø. The system could easily be trans-

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lated into seaweed which also has been tested during the research. The seaweed tested was a bit more difficult to bind together with glues, however. After two weeks the samples were breaking at the most fragile places. Further research on binders should be made to conclude if seaweed would work as efficiently as the seagrass as a building material.

Adaptation of the research The research can easily be translated into other similar fibrous materials. In the beginning of the research, other fibrous algaes were researched. The brown algae is a present threat for many lakes and rivers around the world. The algae is causing the concept of the algae blooms. The algal blooms are destroying the biodiversity in their environments by their enormously aggressive speed in growth. In many areas the algaes

have to be removed to restore the local water ecology. If the algae could be dried and used in a new context, the problem could be turned into a factory of new building materials.

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CONCLUSION

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8.1 Conclusion Through the research, a new system of using seagrass as roof material, could be in global usage, helping to decrease the global emissions of greenhouse gasses by shaping architecture that functions as productive vegetation hosts. The goal of the research is reached which was to combine ancient thatching technique with modern digital fabrication.

Through my research, seagrass as a building material got a new identity and design language, by adapting morphogenesis from the nature. The complexity from the Voronoi and phyllotaxis pattern helped to give the new language a geometrical logic. Through computational design, the geometries were composed to environment depending shapes and systems. The solar radiation on the surfaces was the main input for the final outcome of the independent design of a cell system over a surface.

The system was concluded in an exhibition at IAAC where 3 prototypes were exhibited.

Investigating how to construct and use the seagrass, testing in material and computational models helped to reach a new design language. The material testing was based on five methods of dealing with the fiber:

- Optimized drain path by using Grasshopper to simulate the fastest path for drain

The system created a platform where it was possible to predict and design the growth of vegetation on the roofs.

As an application for the system, a new terminal for the small harbour of Bogø (Denmark) was designed. The proposal was a mix of the traditional Danish pitched roof and a new landscape more linked to the nature and the new language of seagrass. A new logic for perforating the roof and generating daylight for the building was designed. The research was one of the first to deal with computational logic and seagrass in a contemporary context. Therefore this thesis could start a whole new field of research by using fibrous material as seagrass.

Compressing Weaving Interlocking Binding Gluing

The testing ended up in a catalogue which sorted the different tests into different behaviours, being present in the design of a new roof system. The catalogue showed how to design a new roof system by using;

- The different densities learned from the bark - The distribution of hair in the fur of the Sea Otter. - The structural composition from the Star Coral. - Optimized fiber directions in each cell of the roof by the local solar radiation and slope angle.

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9 REFERENCE

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9.1 Bibliography RESEARCH, seagrass

RESEARCH, computation design

TITLE AUTHORS DATE PUBLISHED FORMAT MORE

Biological materials science Marc André Meyers 2008 Book / journal

TITLE AUTHORS DATE PUBLISHED FORMAT MORE

Hygrothermal Properties and Performance of Sea Grass Insulation Marlene Stenberg Hagen Eriksen, Theresa Back Laursen, Carsten Rode, Associate Professor, Kurt Kielsgaard Hansen, Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark; DTU 2011 Online paper DTU

TITLE AUTHORS DATE PUBLISHED FORMAT MORE

Seagrass Ecology Hemminga, M.A. & Duarte C. 2001 Online paper -

TITLE AUTHORS DATE PUBLISHED FORMAT MORE

World Atlas of seagrass Green, E.P & Short, F.T. (eds) 2003 Online paper -

TITLE AUTHORS DATE PUBLISHED FORMAT MORE

Beskrivelser over Læsø Bing, Lars Hess; 1808 Old description -

TITLE Uddrag af ’ Årets Gang 2004’’, Beretning for Kalundborg og Omegns Museum, AUTHORS Nielsen, Jens DATE PUBLISHED 2004 FORMAT Old description -

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TITLE AUTHORS DATE PUBLISHED FORMAT MORE

Material-based Design Computation Neri Oxman MIT - Doctor of phylosophy in Architecture 2010 April 30th PHD -

TITLE AUTHORS DATE PUBLISHED FORMAT MORE

Computational morphogenisis Achim Menges 2012 Online paper

TITLE Computational design thinking AUTHORS Achim Menges Sean Ahlquist DATE PUBLISHED 1st Edition october 2011 FORMAT Paperback MORE ISBN-13: 978-0470665657 TITLE AUTHORS

Form follows performance Achim Menges

DATE PUBLISHED FORMAT MORE

Michael Hensel ARCH+ 2008 Book / journal http://www.achimmenges.net/?p=1648

TITLE AUTHORS DATE PUBLISHED FORMAT MORE

Morpho-Ecologies. Towards heterogeneous space in architectural design Michael Hensel Architectural Association 2008 Book / journal

RESEARCH, Morphogenisis TITLE AUTHORS DATE PUBLISHED FORMAT

The Chemical basis of Morphogenesis Alan Turing Received 9 November 195 1-Revised 15 March 1952 University of Manchester Book

TITLE AUTHORS DATE PUBLISHED FORMAT MORE

On growth and form D´Arcy Wentworth Thompson 1945 - Cambridge Book

TITLE AUTHORS DATE PUBLISHED FORMAT MORE

Hair and fur PAMELA K. YOCHEM BRENT S. STEWART 2009 Book -

TITLE Ling AUTHORS Williams Et Al Pabst Et l Reves Et Al DATE PUBLISHED 2002 FORMAT Paper

Projects RESEARCH, Biomimicry TITLE AUTHORS DATE PUBLISHED FORMAT MORE

Herritage of seagrass roofs 12 May 2014 Project http://www.tangtag.dk/

TITLE AUTHORS DATE PUBLISHED FORMAT MORE

Biomimicry: Innovation inspired by nature Janine Benyus September 17, 2002 Book

TITLE AUTHORS DATE PUBLISHED FORMAT MORE

Biomimicry in architecture Michael Pawlin September 17, 2011 Book ISBN-13: 978-1859463758

TITLE Estado de las praderas de Posidonia oceanica en el litoral catalán (2006- 2007) AUTHORS CRAM DATE PUBLISHED (2006- 2007) FORMAT Project MORE http://cram.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/20.-estado- de-las-praderas-de-posidonia-oceanica-en-el-litoral-cata lan-2006-2007.pdf

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Bionics in textiles: flexible and translucent thermal insulations for solar thermal applications THOMAS STEGMAIER MICHAEL LINKE HEINRICH PLANCK Institut fu¨r Textil- und Verfahrenstechnik (ITV ) Denkendorf,, Germany September 17, 2011 Paper -

TITLE AUTHORS DATE PUBLISHED FORMAT MORE

Tanghus Vandkunsten 2012 Project http://www.vandkunsten.dk/

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9.2 Reference pictures PAGE 17 25 27 47

Pictures from slideshow http://www.tangtag.dk/projekter

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Deep Purple hairstyle http://www.coolchaser.com/graphics/950114

Photographer: Unknown

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Haircut 1 http://www.hairxstatic.com/styles/sbc.php

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P-Wall http://matsysdesign.com/category/projects/p_wall2009/

Haircut 2 http://www.hairfinder.com/hairstyles9/hairhunter1.htm

Credits: Andrew Kudless, Chad Carpenter, Dino Rossi, Dan Robb, Frances Lee, Dorothy Leigh Bell, Janiva Ellis, Ripon DeLeon, Ryan Chandler, Ben Golder, Colleen Paz

Haircut 3 http://www.hairfinder.com/ddfe61ef1322098b673aa6170c24b15

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Credits: Ton Venhoeven, Richèl Lubbers, Danny Esselman, Manfred Wansink, Jos-Willem van Oorschot, Erik de Vries, Thomas Flotmann, Peterine Arts PAGE

Annie Lennox http://www.hdofblog.com/2012/03/07/androgynous-hair-trends/

Sportplaza Mercator by venhoevenCS http://syndebio.com/sportplaza-mercator/ PAGE

Braids http://www.hairfinder.com/6a0120a51fa2a0970c0120a5ccb5ad970b-800wi

Seagrass Beds http://np.cpami.gov.tw/campaign2009/index.php?option=com_mgzen&view=detail&catid=37&id=480&Itemid=67&limitstart=6&tmpl=print&print=1

Braids and perforations http://www.hairfinder.com/b90378d741f39b4044d64f6f7b03f98d

Photograph by Lin Chi-wei PAGE

Björk http://www.vogue.com/12255271/bjork-best-hair-makeup-moments/

Vegatation pictures: http://www.plant-identification.co.uk/ Credit: Carl Farmer

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Vandkunsten - Tanghus http://www.archilovers.com/projects/94293/tanghus-for-realdania. html

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Flemish Barn Bolberg http://architecture.mapolismagazin.com/arend-groenewegen-flemish-barn-bolberg-breda

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Parametric example on manipulating surface acc. fx wind http://invisibleblocks.com/2013/12/17/circle-pictures/sunflower/

Credit: architect Arend Groenewegen

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Barnacles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnacle

Brian Jones hairstyle http://hd-shock.com/content/brian-jones/brian-jones-02.html

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Meandrina meandrites http://porites.geology.uiowa.edu/database/corals/combined/Meandrinameandrites.htm

Tina Turner hairstyle http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tina-turner-mn0000597309

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Phyllotaxis http://invisibleblocks.com/2013/12/17/circle-pictures/sunflower/ Voronoi pattern on a leaf https://www.flickr.com/photos/flight404/538133104

Photo: Helene Høyer Mikkelsen /Realdania Byg PAGE

1934 Wireless Permanent Waving Machine https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Icall_1934_Wireless_Permanent_Waving_Machine.jpg

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Bark http://1ms.net/moss-on-the-bark-87801.html

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Lichen http://lisakimmorley.com/2013/01/27/im-lichen-it/

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Star Coral http://www.chaloklum-diving.com/marine-life-koh-phangan/corals-more-cnidaria/hexacorals-zoantharia/hard-corals-scleractinia/star-coral-faviidae-family/

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Dead fish in lake http://gallery.usgs.gov/sets/Algae Fibrous brown Algae http://www.eauxdevies.ca/english/html/section40/page42/ page421/page4211.html

Sea ottter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_otter Polar Bears https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_bear Guard hair of the sea otter http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/01/06/the-fantastic-fur-of-seaotters/ Beaver https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver Fur section https://alaskafurid.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/caribou/yescaribou_4_cross_sec/ http://www.sealimages.com/info-seal-diving-foraging.html

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Exhibition Taking in July 2015 by Fellippo Poli

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Bogø Harbor http://www.bogoe-sejlklub.dk/

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Henning Larsen Architects, Summerhus http://bobedre.dk/sommerhuse/kattegat-i-sigte Thatched house in Denmark http://dk.worldmapz.com/photo/31197_en.htm

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contact: http://www.filippopoli.com/photography/Home.html

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Algal bloom - man floating https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2q_FzFDMWk

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9.3 Credits and signature

Tobias Grumstrup Lund Øhrstrøm

Tobias Grumstrup Lund Øhrstrøm, IAAC Marcos Cruz, Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL

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