BI MIMETIC applications in architecture and built environment
illustrated through a biomimetic high-rise as a prototype
ASHISH J. KHEMCHANDANI APPROVAL CERTIFICATE
Thesis report semester 10 D.C. Patel school of Architecture, APIED Vallabh Vidhyanagar, Gujarat
This is to certify that the thesis titled ‘BIOMIMETIC APPLICATIONS IN ARCHITECTURE AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT ILLUSTRATED THROUGH A BIOMIMETIC HIGHRISE AS A PROTOTYPE’ done by Ashish J. Khemchandani, Roll no 07SA109 is hereby approved as a credible work on the approved subject, carried out and presented in a manner sufficiently satisfactory to warrant its acceptance as a prerequisite to the degree for which it has been submitted.
It is to be understood that by this approval the undersigned do not necessarily endorse or approve any statement made, opinion expressed or conclusion drawn therein, but approves the study only for the purpose it has been submitted and satisfies herself as to the requirements laid down by the Thesis Committee.
External Guide: Prof. Himanshu D. Chhaya Signature and Date:
External Examiner: Signature and Date:
Internal Examiner: Prof. Preety Shah Signature and Date:
Chairman, Thesis Committee: Prof. Salil Bhatt Signature and Date: Acknowledgements
An expression of gratitude by extending a sincere thanks to:
Prof. H.D. Chhaya, my guide.
My father, Mr. Jayanti T. Khemchandani for his sustained interest in the topic, helping me find the right information and introducing me to the right people. My mother Mrs. Anita Khemchandani for her support through out the semester and life.
Prof. Preety Shah, my internal guide through the semester; Dr. Shishir Raval for the early discussion and direction; Prof. Rashmi Dave for the guidance through out the thesis; Mr. Sakthivel Ramaswani for his monograph on Biomimicry; Prof. Shashikant Kumar for early discussions; Dr. Eugene Tsui for sharing information about his works; botanist Dr. Harsha Shah for sharing her information about indigenous species of plants and her views on sustainable landscaping.
My younger brother Arkin Khemchandani for reading and reviewing the entire monograph to check for corrections.
The friends at APIED for creating a stimulating and fun-to-be-in environment during the years I spent at the institute. In particular I feel obliged to mention the following people: My senior and close friend Vishnu Venugopalan for his early discussion; friend and junior Ashita Muralidharan without whom the report would‘ve been full of spelling and grammatical errors; friend and colleague Manoj Patel for sharing his knowledge on climate responsiveness; chums and room-mates Vinit Prajapati, Ronak Sheth and Saumil Patel; juniors Drashti Sarang and Aanchal Agarwal for their help while making models in the initial part of the semester Dharmik Joshi for his help with softwares early this semster.
Finally and most importantly, all the authors the works of whom have made this study possible; particularly Dr. Janine Benyus, Sakthivel Ramaswami, Javier Senosiain and Petra Gruber for their books and thesis, extracts from which will be found at several instances in this thesis.
i Preface
The word has caught on, for a term that was coined as recently as the 1950s, Biomimetics was popularized only in the 90s and since then more and more professionals from various fields are realizing its benefits in the long run and its immense potential. Having said that, a quantifiable research has already been done and progress has been made in the field in a relatively short time and the study is merely a – what one might say – ‗briefing up‘ to its current state.
The study is an introduction to a very vast subject which may only in the recent past have been consciously termed as an independent field although the fact remains that biomimetics has been an age old practice in various aspects of human life since commencement of civilization.
Biomimetics since its defined inception in the mid 20th century has been associated with various fields including but not limited to industrial design, various engineering disciplines (such as automobiles, avionics, etc.), material technology and architecture. This study primarily aims at understanding biomimetics and its applications as a whole and the presence of its various aspects in architecture, built environment and allied fields in particular.
Further more, an important objective of the study is to explore the various possibilities held by biomimetics in architecture, understanding the difference between the conventional approaches to architecture and the ‗biomimetic‘ approach, and how and to what extent can architecture possibly benefit from the new (read biomimetic) approach.
The design program – ‗Biomimetic High-rise‘ attempts to address certain current designing and building methodologies with climatically and ecologically ideal additions or alternatives as a design solution by implementing the study of biomimetics in the design to the extent possible. It should be noted that only a small but significant part of the study is reflected in the final design constrained by a defined site with factual site conditions on a real location.
Ashish J. Khemchandani June 2012 APIED, SPU
ii Contents
Acknowledgements i
Preface ii
I Understanding Biomimetics
1. The terminology 05 2. Why choose Biomimetics? 08 2.1 The case of architecture 09 3. Conventional top-down approach vs. bottom up approach 12
II Applications in Architecture and Allied fields
4. An overview of Biomimetic applications in various fields 16 5. Math and Geometry in nature 5.1 Symmetry in nature 22 5.2 The Golden proportion in nature and architecture 23 5.3 Fractals in nature 28 6. Organic architecture and Bio-morphism 6.1 Organic architecture 32 6.2 Biomorphism 36 7. Various nature-inspired technologies and their probable applications 7.1 Form and Structure based 39 7.2 Function and Detail based 51 8. Existing examples of biomimetics in architecture 64 9. Biomimetics in Landscaping and Town-Planning 7.1 Biomimetics in Town-Planning 80 7.2 Biomimetics in Landscaping 83
III Biomimetic High-rise – A Prototype
11. Existing examples of bio-climatic high-rises 87 12. Bio-mimetic high-rise in a Hot and Dry climate 99
Conclusion iv
Bibliography vi
iii Understanding Biomimetics 1. THE TERMINOLOGY
Biomimetics or Biomimicry, from the Greek words βίος (bios), meaning life, and μιμητικός (mimeticos or mimesis), meaning to imitate or ‗having an aptitude for mimicry‘.
Biomimetics as per the Webster‘s dictionary means – ‗The study of the formation, structure or function of biologically produced substances and materials (as enzymes or silk) and biological mechanisms and processes (as protein synthesis or photosynthesis) especially for the purpose of synthesizing similar products by artificial mechanisms which mimic natural ones.‘
Other similar terminologies include Bionics, Bio-inspiration or Biognosis. Bionics was coined to mean ‗the science of systems which have some function copied from nature‘. Bionics entered the Webster dictionary in 1960 as ‗a science concerned with the application of data about the functioning of biological systems to the solution of engineering problems‘.
1. Nature as a model – Biomimetics is a new science that studies nature‘s models and then imitates or takes inspiration from these designs and processes to solve human problems, e.g. a solar cell inspired by a leaf.
2. Nature as measure – Biomimetics uses an ecological standard to judge the ‗rightness‘ of our innovations. After 3.8 billion years of evolution, nature has learned: What works. What is appropriate. What lasts.
3. Nature as mentor – Biomimetics is a new way of viewing and valuing nature. It introduces an era based on what we can extract from the natural world, but on what we can learn from in.
05 The above is an extract from Biomimicry – Innovation Inspired by Nature by Janine M. Benyus who discusses her insights about how natural technologies and phenomena have evolved over the millennia to get closer to perfection then humans can ever consider to be, something that can be taken into account to take inspiration from while coming up with the next human innovation.
Benyus in her book divines a canon of nature‘s laws, strategies and principles: o Nature runs on sunlight o Nature uses only the energy it needs o Nature fits form to function o Nature recycles everything o Nature rewards co-operation o Nature banks on diversity o Nature demands local expertise o Nature curbs excesses from within o Nature taps the power of limits
In a biomimetic world, we would manufacture the way animals and plants do, using sun and simple compounds to produce totally biodegradable fibres, ceramics, plastics, and chemicals. Our farms, modelled on prairies, would be self-fertilizing and pest-resistant. To find a new drug or crops, we would consult animals and insects that have used plants for millions of years to keep themselves healthy and nourished, Even computing would take its cue from nature, with software that ―evolves" solutions, and hardware that uses the lock- and-key paradigm to compute by touch.
In each case, nature would provide the models: solar cells copied from leaves, steely fillers woven spider-style, shatterproof ceramics drawn from mother-of-pearl, cancer cures compliments of chimpanzees, perennial grains inspired by tallgrass, computers that signal like cells, and a closed-loop economy that takes its lessons from redwoods, coral reefs, and oak-hickory forests.
As recently as the 1800s, Hispanic settlers of the San Luis Valley of Colorado learned about proper insulation from a burrowing mammal called the Columbian ground squirrel.
06 The biomimetic process
Reference List: New to the mountain climate, the 1. Biomimicry: Innovation settlers didn‘t know how hick to make Inspired by Nature (book) their adobe walls to buffer winter and -Janine M. Benyus summer temperatures. To this day, 2. Biomimicry: An analysis of contemporary biomimetic adobe walls in the valley are built as approaches (thesis) -Sakthivel Ramaswami thick as the average depth of the squirrel‘s bedroom chambers. 3. Biophilic Design (book) -Stephen Kellert, Judith Heerwagen, Martin L. Mador To better understand Biomimetics, 4. Webster’s English Dictionary perhaps the best known example 5. http://www.reading.ac.uk/bi Early Hispanic settlers of the San omimetics/about.htm would be that of the Velcro, a (webpage) Luis Valley in Colorado measured company producing hook-and-loop the depth of the squirrel's 6. Biomimetics in Architecture fasteners. burrow chambers to determine (book) how thick to make their adobe -Petra Gruber walls.
Velcro Hooks Velcro Loops
The hook-and-loop fastener was invented in 1941 by Swiss engineer, Georges de Mestral who lived in Commugny, Switzerland. The idea came to him when he took a close look at the burrs (seeds) of burdock. He examined them under a microscope, and noted their hundreds of "hooks" that caught on anything with a loop, such as clothing, animal fur, or hair. He saw the possibility of binding two materials reversibly in a simple fashion if he could figure out how to duplicate the hooks and loops. This inspiration from nature or the copying of nature's mechanisms is viewed by some as a key example. The surface of a burr (fruit). The design of Velcro imitated this natural mechanism for seed dispersion.
07 2. WHY CHOOSE BIOMIMETICS?
―Art takes nature as its model‖ –Aristotle
―All art is but imitation of nature‖ –Seneca
Humans have always looked to nature for inspiration to solve problems. The widely accepted idea of ‗sustainability‘ in architecture and design is only a short-term solution considering that the current ideas of sustainability help reduce the use of conventional energy sources but do not eliminate their use altogether.
Many designers have looked at nature for inspiration and have come up with innovative ideas. Even before designers, indigenous cultures have mimicked nature in the process of coexisting with nature. They understood life's processes and lived in harmony with nature. Today in our civilized societies with culture defining our life we are unable to maintain this harmony and balance. We being the youngest species have greatly differed from the evolutionary pattern and have failed to adapt to natural processes like other life forms around us. On the contrary, we have tried to alter and adapt the environment to suit our comfort and preference.
It is apparent that this way of life would not only endanger ecological systems but might end up challenging human existence. We are suddenly awakened by this crisis and are finding it difficult to revert back. There is a dire need to radically change the design of our life systems to hope for a better future and existence.
"The world will not evolve past its current state of crisis by using the same thinking that created the same situation― –Albert Einstein
When we burn oil, gasoline, and coal, we release great quantities of carbon that was locked up and compressed during the Cretaceous Period.
08 The giant ferns and dinosaurs of those days decomposed in oxygen- starved conditions and never had a chance to complete their decay cycle. Now we‘re finishing the job with a bonfire, consuming in a year what took one hundred thousand years of organic growth to form. Like a huge bellows, our bonfire breathes in oxygen and exhales an unearthly quantity of C02, a greenhouse gas.
A flux this extreme in a closed system like our biosphere poses the same danger you would face if you burned the furniture inside your house with the windows closed. For the last one hundred years, we‘ve been doing just that—burning the heirlooms made from ancient sunlight, ignoring the fact that contemporary sunlight was streaming in every window. Instead of feeding dead plants to our fires all these years, perhaps we should have been studying the living ones, carefully copying their magic.
A stone chisel fashioned after a beaver‘s tooth or a snowshoe shaped like the hind foot of a hare are early examples of an apprenticeship that continues to this day.
2.1 The case of Architecture:
Architects and master-builders have been using nature as a source of inspiration long before the terms bioinspiration or biomimetics were introduced. The eras in which architects transferred the variety of natural shape and form directly into their work alternated with those of strict geometrical order. After a period of technological functionalism and subsequent post-modern architecture, today‘s aesthetic understanding is focused once more towards movement and flowing spaces which reflect forms found more or less directly in nature.
Which new findings can this young scientific discipline biomimetics offer architecture? New options can only result from an in-depth analysis and comparison of architecture and nature, both from a broader and deeper perspective as well as on a functional and methodological level. Not only architects show a deep interest in this discussion, also biologists are actively pursuing their interest in architectural design.
Architectural design and biological evolution are nondeterministic
09 processes. In biological evolution and architectural design, evaluation criteria and development targets are created and are part of a process subject to constant change and adaptation. In this respect, biology and architecture differ from most engineering sciences, which usually concentrate on the optimization of clearly defined individual functions with fixed boundary conditions and target functions. In architecture, a quantifiable optimum is, at its best, only possible with some technical or economical parameters (e.g. optimization of energy or material consumption), but it does not allow for an integrated assessment of important features such as aesthetic, spatial, urban or social qualities, which are vital for successful and sustainable architecture.
During the course of evolution, biological organisms adapted their character through selection and interaction to meet constantly changing environmental conditions by developing multifunctional solutions. The result is a compromise satisfying partially conflicting requirements. In this context, it is worth mentioning that living beings carry an ‗evolutionary burden‘ because evolutionary innovations always build on inherited structures (the ‗bauplan‘) and their respective functions.
The ‗bauplan‘ and the fact that living beings have to ‗function‘ successfully during all phases of evolution confine the potential of natural selection as an optimizing agent. A comparable situation can be found in architecture, where a building plan based on static constraints confines the degree of freedom of further architectural embodiment. Therefore, similar to architectural design, evolutionary adaption in nature is limited by ‗architectural‘ constraints predetermined in the ‗bauplan‘ of the biological organism.
The requirements modern buildings have to fulfil today are very complex, often contradictory, and during their life cycle need to be adapted for utilization, economical and ecological reasons. In the last decades, emerging ecological demands have been a driving force in the development of highly evolved building technologies including material development and automation.
Nonetheless, these technologies are still handled as isolated components which are integrated into otherwise traditional building concepts. Holistic approaches for new structural, functional and ecologically efficient buildings may be expected from a more interdisciplinary approach. A very Important aspect will be an effective exchange of research between the disciplines, not only on
10 the level of scientific knowledge but also on a methodological level. Reference List: Biology is in this respect of particular interest for architects and civil engineers, since it delivers not only isolated phenomena but also new 1. Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature technical and methodological strategies. (book) -Janine M. Benyus
2. Biophilic Design (book) In addition to the initially drawn parallels, fundamental differences -Stephen Kellert, Judith Heerwagen and Martin L. between architecture and biology can also be identified. Taking these Mador differences into consideration can lead to a change in perspective and 3. Design and Construction principles in Nature and to an expansion of possibilities for architects and engineers. Architecture (paper) -Jan Knippers and Thomas Speck
4. Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion (paper) -Gould and Lewontin
11 3. CONVENTIONAL TOP-DOWN APPROACH VS. BOTTOM-UP APPROACH
The idea of mimicking nature has existed ever since man moved out of the architecture of nature, where he lived in caves and trees to escape harsh natural conditions. He started building shelters when he started moving from place to place in search of food and water. To adapt to the forces of nature, instigated man to make his first shelter which could act as his second skin. Since the natural conditions forced man to spend most of his time indoors he learnt to create Non-pedigreed architecture, interior spaces which allowed him to perform his day to day activities.
It‘s only recently that we‘ve turned a blind eye to nature‘s tutelage. we used to apprentice with nature as naturally as we breathed, and that our ability to learn from our biological elders was one of the ways we ratcheted ourselves to higher evolutionary planes. It makes good evolutionary sense for us to be drawn to other life-forms, not just for their company and their role in provisioning us, but also for their advice.
12 a historical view at the evolution of structural space frames:
• Cantilevered type construction • 7th century A.D. • Material – stone • very short spans Horse-shoe/ Keyhole arch
• Thrust type compressive construction • 14th century A.D. • Material – stone/ brick masonry • relatively longer spans Roman arch • 19th, 20th century A.D. • Material – Hollow steel • Significantly long spans
• 20th, 21st centuries • Very long spans. • Suspended through cables under tension Suspended arch Advancement in engineering and materials technology
Spider-web
Light-weight, metacarpal bone of vulture wing Geodesic dome
tortoise shell
13 As seen apparently, the evolution of structural space frames led to the eventual invention of the geodesic dome having a structure Reference List: similar to the metacarpal wing-bone of a vulture, and a form similar 1. Bio-Architecture to the shell of a tortoise. This is some thing that may be called (book) -Javier Senosiain ‗incidental bio-inspiration‘ where in a closer look at the geodesic
2. Design and Construction dome and the vulture wing reveals the structural similarities, a principles in Nature and Architecture bottom-up approach (as seen in the example below) by closely (paper) studying natural technologies before designing or engineering might -Jan Knippers and Thomas Speck lead to faster technological and design progress.
(above and right) Thermal-flywheel effect and the Bernoulli‘s principle applied to the prairie dog tunnel for ventilation, a system directly implemented in the Organic houses, Mexico (bottom)
Thermal flywheel effect
(above) a section showing an example of ventilation through Bernoulli‘s principle in architecture
14 Applications in Architecture and Allied fields 4. AN OVERVIEW OF BIOMIMETIC APPLICATIONS IN VARIOUS FIELDS
One of the early examples of biomimetics was the study of birds to enable human flight. Although never successful in creating a "flying machine", Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) was a keen observer of the anatomy and flight of birds, and made numerous notes and sketches on his observations as well as sketches of various "flying machines". The Wright Brothers, who finally did succeed in creating and flying the first airplane in 1903, also derived inspiration for their airplane from observations of pigeons in flight.
Researchers studied the termite's ability to maintain virtually constant temperature and humidity in their termite mounds in Africa despite outside temperatures that vary from 1.5 °C to 40 °C (35 °F to 104 °F). Researchers initially scanned a termite mound and created 3-D images of the mound structure, which revealed construction that can influence human building design. The Eastgate Centre, a mid-rise office complex in Harare, Zimbabwe, stays cool without air conditioning and uses only 10% of the energy of a conventional building its size.
UltraCane, by Sound Foresight ltd. based on the sonar of bats
Modelling echolocation in bats in darkness has led to a cane for the visually impaired. Research at the University of Leeds, in the United Kingdom, led to the UltraCane, a product formerly manufactured, marketed and sold by Sound Foresight Ltd.
Janine Benyus refers in her books to spiders that create web silk as strong as the Kevlar used in bulletproof vests. Engineers could use
16 such a material—if it had a long enough rate of decay—for parachute lines, suspension bridge cables, artificial ligaments for medicine, and many other purposes.
Other research has proposed adhesive glue from mussels, solar cells made like leaves, fabric that emulates shark skin, harvesting water from fog like a beetle, and more. Nature‘s 100 Best is a compilation of the top hundred different innovations of animals, plants, and other organisms that have been researched and studied by the Biomimicry Institute.
(a) Flying machines and bat wings (b) Skate and Horton twin-fighter bomber (c) Shark and F-101A jet (d) Killer whale and jumbo jet
A display technology based on the reflective properties of certain morpho butterflies was commercialized by Qualcomm in 2007. The technology uses Interferometric Modulation to reflect light so only the desired color is visible to the eye in each individual pixel of the display.
Biomimicry may also provide design methodologies and techniques to optimize engineering products and systems. An example is the re- derivation of Murray's law, which in conventional form determined the optimum diameter of blood vessels, to provide simple
17 equations for the pipe or tube diameter which gives a minimum mass engineering system.
A novel engineering application of biomimetics is in the field of structural engineering. Recently, researchers from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) have been incorporating biomimetic characteristics in an adaptive deployable tensegrity bridge. The bridge can carry out self-diagnosis and self-repair.
18 The aerodynamic shapes of certain birds and other animals have long since been mimicked by designers and engineers in automobiles and aircrafts for improved speed and efficiency in the machines.
(top) The aerodynamics of a bird‘s wing (far right) A swallow in flight (right) Highly aerodynamic stealth aircraft based on the birds of prey
Perhaps the best known aerodynamically shaped species in birds would be the king-fisher, hawk, swift or other birds of prey after which the designs of modern day aircrafts and concept automobiles are based.
(a) (b)
(a) The Dymaxion car designed in 1933 by Fuller; (b) prototype designed by General Motors for the twenty-first century; (c) effects of wind: Dymaxion and conventional automobile.
(c)
19 (below) An aerodynamic speed racing motorbike concept
(above) The model of frog motorcycle by Luigi Colani
The exterior design was modelled after the yellow boxfish (Ostracion cubicus), a tropical fish that lives in coral reefs. Mercedes-Benz decided to model the Bionic after this fish due to the low coefficient of drag of its body shape and the rigidity of its exoskeleton; this influenced the car's unusual looks. Other parts of the design include the fact that the rear wheels are partially fitted with plastic and that it's considered as a lightweight vehicle. Mercedes-Benz reported a drag coefficient of 0.19; for comparison, the production vehicle with the lowest ever Cd value was the GM EV1, at 0.195. While the Bionic had a much larger internal volume than the EV1, the Bionics' larger frontal area made the EV1 more aerodynamic overall, as drag is a product of the area and the drag coefficient.
The Mercedes-Benz Bionic concept car modelled after the yellow boxfish, a later example of biomimetic application in the field of automobiles
Locomotion principles are particularly interesting for technical translation. Johann Gimplinger designed an amphibic vehicle based
20 on the role model of trypanosomes in 2007. Reference List:
1. Bio-Architecture (book) -Javier Senosiain (left) Amphibic vehicle by Johann
2. www.ultracane.com/ Gimplinger, 2007.
(webpage)
3. www2.mercedes-benz.co.uk
(webpage)
4. Integrated review of stealth technology and its role in airpower (paper) -Rao, G.A. and Mahulikar
5. Biomimetics in Architecture (book) -Petra Gruber (left) Movement of the exterior chain.
The unicellular organism of trypanosome moves itself forwards with wavelike movements. A transportation system is designed, which translates this movement to a technical vehicle. Radial elements move up and down, mimicking the wavelike pattern and an exterior connection chain keeps the elements together. The system is covered with a flexible surface membrane for movement in water. Traditional mechanical solutions are used for this transfer of locomotion.
21 5. MATH AND GEOMETRY IN NATURE
Geometry is a visual method to understand relationships of forms and space and their properties. In order to understand the geometry and mathematics of nature, there is a pre-requisite to create architypal forms, these architypal forms and abstract principles help in decoding processes at work in nature.
the growth of new leaves from the stem of a plant which occurs in sequences that describe a spiral. The amount of turning from one leaf to the next is a fraction of a complete rotation around the stem. The fraction is always one of the Fibonacci fractions. Nature spaces leaves in this manner to avoid higher level leaves shading the lower ones from the nourishing rays of the sun. In the figure shown there are five complete turns, with eight spaces between the leaves 1 to 9 , so that the ratio of the spiral is 5:8
Geometry is a human construct which is derived from observing nature's generative process and evolution. Therefore geometry in itself is a concept which interprets nature
Greek geometers abstracted the essence of point, a line, a plane, etc. from the actually drawn figure and saw the architypes of the geometrical elements, and the basic laws which they satisfy.
5.1 Symmetry in Nature and Architecture:
Symmetry from Greek symmetros – (syn + metros)
It means the property of being symmetrical; especially correspondence in size, shape and relative position of
22 parts on opposite sides of a dividing line or median plane or about a center or axis.
O C O
(a) (b)
(c) (above) examples of symmetry in nature ; (a) the molecular structure of the carbon dioxide atom (b) dandelion (a fruit) showing spherical symmetry (c) right and left hands
(c)
(a) (b)
(above) examples of symmetry in architecture; (a) ingalls rink, Erro Saarinen (b) Lyon airport railway station, Santiago Calatrava (c) Pantheon, Rome
5.2 The Golden Proportion in Nature and Architecture:
In mathematics and the arts, two quantities are in the golden ratio (φ) if the ratio of the sum of the quantities to the larger quantity is equal to the ratio of the larger quantity to the smaller one. The figure on the right illustrates the geometric relationship.
23 There are innumerable examples of the golden ratio in nature, but to better understand its relevance in architecture, Some examples of the golden ratio in geometrical shapes, nature and architecture are shown:
Some examples of the Golden ratio found in Geometry
(a)
(b) (c)
(a) A Golden triangle. (c) A Golden rectangle, where n/m=ϕ. For (b) A pentagram, the four colored lengths the ratio of every larger rectangle to the are In the golden ratio to one another immediate smaller rectangle, the ratio remains constant that is ϕ
(above) A logarithmic spiral (above) Approximate and true golden spirals. The green spiral is made from quarter-circles tangent to the interior of each square, while the red spiral is a Golden Spiral, a special type of logarithmic spiral. Overlapping portions appear yellow. The length of the side of one square divided by that of the next smaller square is the golden ratio.
24 Some examples of the Golden ratio found in Nature
(above) A sunflower seed, diagram showing spirals in (above) Golden ratio in the human body the seed head
(above) The human hand and arm. The distance between consecutive joints is in the golden ratio (right) The body proportions of the angel fish befitting the golden ratio
(above) The cutaway of a nautilus shell showing chambers arranged in an approximately logarithmic order
25 Some examples of the Golden ratio found in Architecture
(above) In the geometric analysis of the Parthenon by Tons Brunes, It can be seen that the architecture of the Parthenon is governed by the relationship between side and diagonal in a series of squares. The ratio of each larger square to the smaller square is the golden mean.
(above) Spiral staircase at Bell tower, Atlantida (left) Ralph Jester house by FLW
26 Some examples of the Golden ratio found in Architecture
(right) Bruce Goff was inspired in the delineation of the logarithmic spiral for the Bavinger house. (below) Plans of the Bavinger house. Notice how the spiral follows in plan as well as elevation to follow the Golden mean.
(above) Sports palace in Tokyo, Kenzo Tange
(above) The geometric development for the plans of an apartment building, FLW
27 5.3 Fractals in Nature: from Latin fractus - broken, uneven (past participle of frangere to break). Fractals are any of various extremely irregular curves or shapes for which any suitably chosen part is similar in shape to a given larger or smaller part when magnified or reduced to the same size
A fractal is an object or quantity that displays self-similarity, in a somewhat technical sense, on all scales. The object need not exhibit exactly the same structure at all scales, but the same "type" of structures must appear on all scales.
Illustrated above are the fractals known as the Gosper island, Koch snowflake, box fractal, Sierpiński sieve, and Mandelbrot set.
As mathematical equations, fractals are usually nowhere differentiable, which means that they cannot be measured in traditional ways. An infinite fractal curve can be perceived of as winding through space differently from an ordinary line, still being a 1-dimensional line yet having a fractal dimension indicating it also resembles a surface.
Fractal patterns with various degrees of self-similarity have been rendered or studied in images, structures and sounds and found in nature, technology, and art.
28 Some examples of Fractals found in Nature
(a) Romanesco Brocolli (b) Frost Patterns (c) A magnified Snowflake (refer to the koch snowflake on the previous page
FRACTAL FERN: One very simple way to understand fractals and the meaning of ‗iteration‘ is to examine a simple recursive operation that produces a fractal fern through a ‗chaos game‘ of generating random numbers and then placing them on a grid.
After a few dozen repetitions or iterations the shape we would recognize as a Perfect Fern appears from the abstract world of math. How and Why can this be?
The answer to why is that it Simply IS - and it's quite surprising too! Answering how is that nature always follows the simplest & most efficient path. Fractals are maps of the simplest paths sliding up the scale of dimensions (from 2-D to 3-D and so on).
(above) The growth pattern of fractals in a fern (barnsley’s fern) (above right) the fern (right) fractal growth pattern in clouds Theoretically Fractals are infinitesimally subdivisible, such that each part contains no less detail than the whole.
29 Some examples of Fractals found in Architecture
(a) cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris showing self similar forms. (b) Detail of the central stained glass window.
(right, far right) self-similarity and fractals in Indian temple architecture
(left) Fractal of the cube, three- dimensional analogon to the Koch curve (right) Kazimir Malevich, Architecton
(above) Simmons Hall, Massachusetts Institute of technology (MIT), Steven Holl (right) Simmons Hall, Close-up (below) Simmons Hall, elevation displaying the basic square pattern
30 Reference List:
1. Bio-Architecture (book) -Javier Senosiain
2. Biomimicry: An analysis of contemporary biomimetic approaches (thesis) -Sakthivel Ramaswami
3. http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Fra ctal.html (webpage)
4. Geometry and Order of Nature; A Mathematical study to understand the relationship of Nature and Architecture (thesis) -Kamdar Hemraj
5. Multifractal characterization Lab Architecture Studio, Ronald Bates und Peter Davidson: Melbourne Federation of urban residential land price in space and time Square (blog) -Shougeng Hou, Quiming Cheng, Le Wang, Shuyun Xie (right) The façade makes use of the Pinwheel tiling, an 6. aperiodic tiling proposed by http://www.miqel.com/fractals_ma th_patterns/visual-math-natural- John Conway and Charles fractals.html Radin. (webpage) (below) Pinwheel fractal. Being 7. Fractal Architecture (book) obtained from substitutions, the -James Harris pinwheel tiling can also be seen as a fractal. 8. Architectural Fractals (paper) -Daniel Lordick
9. The DaVinci Code (novel) -Dan Brown
(far below) (a) Cantor set (preserves area) (c) Cantor dust in two dimensions (b) Castle fractal, based on the two- dimensional Cantor dust
In mathematics, the Cantor set is a set of points lying on a single line segment that has a number of remarkable and deep properties.
31 6. ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE AND BIO-MORPHISM
6.1 Organic Architecture:
"So here I stand before you preaching organic architecture: declaring organic architecture to be the modern ideal and the teaching so much needed if we are to see the whole of life, and to now serve the whole of life, holding no traditions essential to the great TRADITION. Nor cherishing any preconceived form fixing upon us either past, present or future, but instead exalting the simple laws of common sense or of super-sense if you prefer determining form by way of the nature of materials...― -Frank Lloyd Wright
The above is an inference of organic architecture by FLW who coined the term in the first place, organic architecture is also translated into the all inclusive nature of Wright‘s designing process. Materials, motifs, and basic ordering principles continue to repeat themselves throughout the building as a whole. The idea of organic architecture refers not only to the buildings' literal relationship to the natural surroundings, but how the buildings' design is carefully thought about as if it were a unified organism. Geometries throughout Wright‘s buildings build a central mood and theme. Essentially organic architecture is also the literal design of every element of a building: From the windows, to the floors, to the individual chairs intended to fill the space. Everything relates to one another, reflecting the symbiotic ordering systems of nature.
Geman-American architect Walter Curt Behrendt has classified two contrasting categories of art either as 'formative art' or as its opposite, fine art'. As such, formative is contained in organic Architecture and latter in inorganic Architecture. The following is a list of the qualifying terms that are to be found scattered throughout Behrendt's book.
32 Organic Architecture Inorganic Architecture
1. 'Formative art' 1. 'Fine art'. 2. Product of intuitive sensations. 2. Product of thought. 3. Work of intuitive imagination. 3. Work of constructive imagination. 4. 4. In close contact with nature. 4. 4. Contemptuous of nature. 5. The search for the particular. 5. The search for the universal. 6. Delighting in multiformat. 6. Aspiring towards rule, system, law.
7. Realism. 7. Idealism. 8. Naturalism. 8. Stylism. 9. Irregular forms (mediaeval). 9. Regular forms (classic). 10. The structure like an organism 10. The structure like a mechanism in that grows in accord with the law which all the elements are disposed of its own individual existence, in accord with an absolute order, in with its own specific order in accord with the immutable law of a harmony with its own functions priorisystem. and with its environment, like a
plant or any other living organism. 11. Static forms. 11. Dynamic forms. 12. Forms based on geometry and 12. Forms based on freedom from stereometry. geometry. 13. The search for perfect proportion, 13. Product of common sense (native for the golden section and for architecture), of 'reasonable absolute beauty. beauty'. 14. Composition. 14. Anti-composition. 15. Product of education. 15. Product of contact with reality.
A design may be called organic when there is an harmonious organization of the parts within the whole, according to structure, material, and purpose. Within this definition there can be no vain ornamentation or superfluity, in visual refinement, and in rational elegance of things intended for use.
33 Architect and planner David Pearson proposed a list of rules towards the design of organic architecture. These rules are known as the Gaia Charter for organic architecture and design. It reads:
"Let the design: • be inspired by nature and be sustainable, healthy, conserving, and diverse. • unfold, like an organism, from the seed within. • exist in the "continuous present" and "begin again and again". • follow the flows and be flexible and adaptable. • satisfy social, physical, and spiritual needs. • "grow out of the site" and be unique. • celebrate the spirit of youth, play and surprise. • express the rhythm of music and the power of dance.―
(below) Inspiration of structural form: Johnson building tower – A giant central stack from it, having clear light and space all around each floor
34
(above, far left) Mushroom shaped columns in the Johnson Wax building interior (above left) the structure of a mushroom (left) water lily petals
(above) The ceiling of the Johnson Wax building; supported by mushroom shaped columns and generated from lilies of a pond, natural light flushes through the ceiling throughout the day at the same time the capitals shade the office cubicles
35 6.2 Biomorphism:
From greek (Bios), life and (morph), form or shape
In the simplest terms, Biomorphic Architecture is an architectural representation of an organism, from Biomorphic which means a nonrepresentational form or pattern that resembles a living organism in shape or appearance.
Literal translation - the approach involves copying nature's form and appearance literally. The scale of the mimicked natural form might greatly vary from the original inspiration.
Some examples include the two series of concept houses designed by Michael Sorkin. The hypothetical 'Animal houses' which are individually named Dog, Frog, Aardvark and Sheep have high windows and pilotis suggesting the head and legs while the other elements of the composition suggest the bulk or the motion of the animal.
(right) Bavinger house by Bruce Goff based on the nautilus shell (refer page 27 of the thesis) (far right) Conceptual Organic house by Michael Sorkin
In the Fish Dance Restaurant in Kobe, Japan, Frank Gehry literally translates the form of a fish into a sculpture with its fins rippling, its scaled tail slightly curved, as if swimming in air, displaying the dynamic attributes. The snake is coiled up to form the main restaurant space. Though literally translated, the fish and snake forms have been enlarged in scale.
(right) Fish Dance restaurant exterior, Frank O. Gehry (far right) Conceptual perspective sketch of the same by Gehry
36 The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao by Frank O. Gehry is a contemporary example of Biomorphic architecture where the attributes of a fish and a snake are directly mimicked into the physical attributes of the building‘s physical scale.
37 Reference List:
1. Organic Architecture (thesis) -Manish Banker
2. Towards Organic Architecture (book) -Bruno Zevi
3. Biomorphic Architecture (book) -Gunther Feuerstein
4. http://www.moma.org (webpage)
5. Biomimicry: An analysis of contemporary biomimetic approaches (thesis) -Sakthivel Ramaswami
(above) Detail of the honey-comb, each bottom is fashioned from three flakes of wax, it is shaped like a concave triangular pyramid
(above, right) Habitat puerto rico, Moshe Safdie, a conceptual housing colony inspired by the honey comb
38 7. VARIOUS NATURE INSPIRED TECHNOLOGIES AND THEIR PROBABLE APPLICATIONS
Although the field of biomimetics is relatively new and developing (the word was coined as recently as 1950 and only entered the webster‘s dictionary in 1974), it was popularized only when a very closely related term ‗Biomimicry‘, which essentially meant the same appeared in 1982 and popularized by scientist and author Janine Benyus through her book – ‗Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature‘.
Since its popularity and appeal has grown in the academic and commercial sector, numerous corporations have been trying to mimic nature and come up with new innovative technologies in the recent years.
Some such technologies are shown:
7.1 Form and Structure based:
Cable networks inspired by spider webs:
Spiders produce elastic, resistant webs with a minimum amount of material and at phenomenal speed. These viscous-elastic structures absorb impact and resist the struggles of insects without breaking, providing prototypes for new structures. The static principles used in building a web are the same as those used in 8000 BC by nomadic tribes making tents from animal skins to protect themselves from the wind.
detail of a spider‘s web
39 The study of the spider webs gave rise to the ‗cable-networks‘, structures suspended completely under tension through tensile cables
(above) An example of cable network, the Olympic Stadium in Munich, Frei Otto, 1972
Network of cables, Canadian Pavilion, Osaka, (above) Double curvature or ‗saddle‘ 1970
(right) Cow palace, USA, Matthew Nowicki, 1952 based on the double curvature or saddle
Pneumatic structures based on air pressure found in bubbles and some other natural phenomena:
In nature a great many forms are made up of micro-spheres (pneumatic structures). The microsphere behaves like a soap bubble in water, with a consistently flexible and resistant layer around a watery or gaseous content. Every animal or plant cell is a pneumatic structure made up of membranes and contents - the protoplasm.
40 One of the fundamental properties of liquids is surface tension, the strength of which gives shape to typical soap bubbles. When the bubble presents minimal surface, its shape results from a minimal amount of material. Besides being resistant, these light, flexible structures attain great plasticity.
(above) 120* angles created between soap (above) Inflated throat of a bubbles tree frog
In toads that inflate their throat, the air behaves as an element of compression acting inside the membrane in tension. The use of air as a structural material is therefore, not new. In everyday life there are pneumatic structures in which air inside a resistant, protective shell- like covering supports a heavy weight. Such is the case of vehicle lyres, air mattresses, inflatable toys, sails inflated by wind, balloons, balls, and so on.
It is no accident that the forms of pneumatic constructions developed by humans resemble natural shapes. Some of the techniques of abstract mathematics have slowly been lost as time has elapsed. Nevertheless, the result is still getting closer to the shapes found in organic life. Over the past three decades, air has become recognised as an important component of many structures.
Fuji pavilion, Yutaka Muramata, 1970 United States pavilion, Osaka, David Geigner, 1970
41 TWA terminal at Kennedy Airport, Eero Saarinen, 1958-1961
Horizontal section of the roof at TWA compared to the Dictyonema (a type of lichen)
The institute of light weight structures in Stuttgart is probably the best example to understand both Pneumatic as well as cable- structures.
Le Corbusier's theorizing provides a connection with Frei Otto's techniques of form-finding which do in fact, utilize the action of "Universal natural law.―
by analysing the structure of The Institute of Light Weight Structures in Stuttgart which is derived from soap bubble experiments and observation of spider webs, one can understand his approach to light weight construction. The Institute of Light Weight Structures was an experimental structure built for the pavilion at the Expo 67 in Montreal and was later re-erected as a permanent research institute.
(a) exterior showing tensile cables (b) Aerial view (c) interior showing cable net roof (a) (b)
42 The basic form of this structure built with mesh membrane is derived from soap bubble experiments. The distribution of stresses, joinery and anchoring details are derived from spider and insect webs.
The roof is a pretensioned steel cable network where the forces from the surface are transferred to the opening (eye) and to peripheral cables fixed to the anchors around the edge. The ceiling consists of wooden laths with an insulation layer of glass wool and the roof windows are preformed acrylic glass held by structural frames. The periphery is closed by an inclined glass wall.
The 'Eye' (opening in the roof) is a result of his soap film studies. He had experimented ways of pushing the membrane up (by umbrella apparatus) and pulling the membrane down (by a parachute like rig) to create surfaces and forms which a self formed soap bubble shape does not allow. The eye (tensile loop) is a singular membrane which could pull down and push up the membrane and also support it which was innovated by Frei Otto.
In a plane soap film the uniform surface tension will draw a loop of thread to a circle. If the loop is then raised from a point on its edge above the plane of the film, the surface is spatially deformed into an anticlastic curvature and the loop acquires an equal radius arc curvature in space. The loop shape and stress distribution are identical regardless of whether the film plane was deformed upward or downward.
43 The German pavilion has a series of such loops both upward and downward which form a continuous surface, whereas the Institute of Light Weight Structures has only one upward loop which forms the sky light and the ventilation tower.
Solveig Kieser and Julia Oberndorfinger designed the Pneumatic Crystal in 2006. Crystal growth was investigated and transferred to a pneumatic structure which changes its form according to pressure and external influences. The deformation is analogous to imperfections of crystals in nature, but in contrast to nature, in this project it is dynamic.
Detailed secion of the Pneumatic Crystal, Solveig Kieser and Julia Oberndorfinger, 2006.
44 Extreme positions of the Pneumatic Crystal.
Curvature derived from natural surfaces such as eggs, skull, ribcage, etcetera:
Shells of all materials support enormous pressures, due to their shape. The classic example is the egg. which has a very thin shell but because of its continuous, double, curved shape, resists tremendous uniform pressures. Eggs are formed within the bird‘s body as spheres (pneumatic structures). The shell does not harden until the bird begins to push it out when the spherical shape is modified to an oval shape. Inside the egg the yolk maintains its initial spherical shape as the shell and the albumin of the egg white protects it. Birds can then sit on their eggs without the fear of breaking them because stress is evenly distributed throughout the shell.
Structural principles of the shell are the same in architecture as they are in nature - a curved, three-dimensional shape of rigid material and minimal thickness under the law of maximum efficiency and minimal material. Some spectacular large roofs built using this method are resistant, due exclusively to their shape.
Examples showing an increase in rigidity through the use of curved forms. (a) sheet of paper (b) leaf of tree
45 If you hold a sheet of paper by one edge, it cannot support its weight. If you curve one of its ends upwards with the other hand, the paper will become rigid and will act like a sloping corbel. It will be able not only to support its own weight, but to hold a pen as well. It becomes rigid bit curving one side upwards, not by adding extra material to it. This principle of rigidity through curvature is efficiently applied to projecting roofs of reinforced concrete 10 metres or more with a thickness of no more than a few centimetres.
Domes represent yet another kind of shell. To understand stresses that are transmitted in a dome, apply pressure to the upper part of an eggshell. The compression stresses become tension as they reach the edges and crack. This difficulty is solved when constructing a dome by using a ring (under tension) reinforced with steel, or a tie beam that reduces the stress . Generally speaking, these domes of double curvature can resist twice as much, or more, than barrel vaults with curvature in only a single direction.
(a)
(b)
(a) Illustration of the difference a ring under tension makes to the resistance of an eggshell (dome), (b) Chapel in Lomas de Cuernavaca, Guillermo Rosell and Manuel Larrosa. Examples showing the arched false work, reinforcement and layer of 4-centimetre thick concrete which covers the ‗crests.‘ Structural design, Felix Candela, 1959.
46 At present, with the use of more efficient materials, it is possible to reduce the thickness of structures for roofs and overcome clearings as shown in the table above, which explains differences in the quantity of material used to build the old domes constructed with masonry as compared with today's domes which have the natural shape of an egg.
Another variety of shell shapes is the hyperbolic paraboloid designed by Felix Candela in Mexico during the 1950s and 1960s, which covers churches, gas stations and warehouses, among other things. The relative simplicity of design and construction is due to the use of straight elements (ruled surfaces) to form a double inverse curvature. The construction of a saddle is a classic example.
(above, right) The Manantialis restaurant, Mexico, D.F. Joaquin and Fernando Alvarez Ordonez
47 Radiolaria are microscopic planktonic or sedentary protozoan organisms. they are mostly marine but some are freshwater. A radiolarian has a generally spherical shape and is composed of skeletal silicon, strontium or chitin, complexly patterned and immersed within the overall cell content of protoplasm. Its skeletal network resembles the separation of the different bubbles, and superficial energy around the periphery sometimes leads to a hexagonal appearance, and sometimes to perforation through the skeleton by protoplasmic processes which trap passing food.
Radiolaria has a similar structure to that of geodesics. A radiolarian is generally spherical in shape and is composed of complexly patterned skeletal silicon. Its skeletal network resembles the separation of the different bubbles and superficial energy around the periphery, sometimes leads to a hexagonal appearance. Buckminster believed structures of radiolarian and diatoms have the most efficient network of constructive stress which is constituted by the combination of a sphere with hexagonal triangles. Buckminister Fuller developed various domical structures following the geodesic property.
(a) Structure of the Radiolaria (b) Vultures light weight metacarpal wing bone
(left) Geodesic dome, United States pavilion in Montreal
48 Oyster shell, vultures metacarpal wing, human thigh bone (self-repairing materials):
Almost all long bones need to be flexible at both ends and rigid in the middle. Stresses are distributed through the use of internal fibres that range in consistency from soft to hard.
This allows some animals, such as cats, to perform amazing movements during which the muscles and tendons are tensed and the bones are compressed. A structure that is too rigid will break more easily than one that is flexible or elastic.
(left) Longitudinal cross-section of a thigh bone. The distribution of the fibres at both ends gives the bone its required flexibility.
+ =
(above) The example shows the use of the structural principles of mushroom for the design of the interior pillars of the administrative offices of Johnson Wax.
Natural materials develop under load, and the intricate interior structure of biological materials is an evolutionary response. At the level of the individual, there is also an adaptive response as, for example, bone tissue gets denser in response to repeated loads, in athletic activities such as weightlifting. Bone is a cellular solid, a porous material that has an appearance of mineralized foam, and its interior is a network of very small and intricately connected structures. When a bone becomes less dense, due to age or prolonged inactivity, it is the very small connective material that vanishes, so that the spaces or cells within the bone become larger making it weaker. Such evolutionary processes, responsive to the external conditions occur in natural materials due to self-organization at the molecular level. This can also be observed in the 'mother of pearl‗ shells which self-assemble layer by layer, to respond to the external forces.
49 The self-organization aspect of natural systems is replicated in architecture and design through self-organizing building systems. Self-organizing building systems are composed of sensors on their building envelope which obtain information from the environment and process it through a feedback system the skin modulates according to external conditions to work efficiently with the environment. Such self-organizing systems are realized through manufactured materials and control systems.
(a) Spongy bone tissue, Scanning electron micrograph of cancellous (spongy) bone tissue. Bone can be either cortical(compact solid) or cancellous tissue forming the interior. The cellular structure is highly differentiated forming an irregular network of trabeculae or rod-shaped fibrous tissue. Open spaces within the tissue are filled with bone marrow.
(b) Oysters (or mother-of-pearl) have a strong layer of armour called nacre. The substance is made up of tiny crystals pieced together like the bricks and mortar of a brick wall, as seen in this micrograph. Synthetic materials are developed from microplates of ceramic such as alumina joined by metal mortar which have a layered structure like that of natural mother-of-pearl. They are used in producing shatterproof glass and protective armours.
50 7.2 Function and Detail based:
Self-cleaning Lotus effect :
This is one of the best-known means of designing surfaces with nano materials. The name ―Lotus-Effect" is evocative, conjuring up associations of beads of water droplets, and therefore the effect is often confused with ―Easy-to-clean‖ surfaces or with photocatalysis, which is also self-cleaning.
(a) The Lotus plant with its (b) The surface is covered with 5-10 micrometre-high natural self-cleaning qualities knobbles, here enlarged, which themselves are covered with a lends its name to the "Lotus- nanostructure and have waxy tips. Effect ". (c) A microscopic view of a water droplet resting on a superhydrophic and visibly knobbly surface.
Self-cleaning surfaces were investigated back in the 1970s by the botanist Wilhelm Barthlott, who researched at the University of Heidelberg. He examined a self-cleaning effect that can be observed not only in oriental Lotus leaves but also in the European Nasturtium, the American Cabbage or South African Myrtle Spurge. Common to them all is that they exhibit a microscopically rough water-repellent (hydrophobic) surface, which is covered with tiny knobbles or spikes so that there is little contact surface for water to settle on. Due to this microstructure, surfaces that are already hydro-phobic are even less wettable. The effect of the rough surface is strengthened still further by a combination of wax (which is also hydrophobic) on the tips of the knobbles on the Lotus leaves and self-healing mechanisms, which results in a perfect, super-hydrophobic self- cleaning surface. Water forms tiny beads and rolls off the leaf, taking with it any deposited dirt. If leaves should be damaged they heal on their own.
The Lotus-Effect is most well suited for surfaces that are regularly exposed to sufficient quantities of water, e.g. rainwater, and where
51 this can run off. Small quantities of water often lead to water droplet ―runways‖ forming or drying stains, which may leave a surface looking dirtier rather than cleaner. Without the presence of water, the use of such surfaces makes little sense.
(a) The micro-structure of the surface of a facade coated with a nanotechnology-engineered Lotus- Effect colour coating emulates that of its natural namesake.
(b) Water channels formed by water droplets running off a building facade.
The visualisation illustrates how the basic principle of the Lotus-Effect works: the knobbly structure combined with reduced surface contact and low surface adhesion makes water form droplets that run off, washing away dirt deposits.
(left) Water droplets running off a superhydrophobic surface of a leaf wash away dirt deposits, as can be seen in this image of the cultivated oriental Colocasia esculenta plant. The fine knobbly structure of the leaf's surface is also clearly visible.
52 The botanist Wilhelm Barthlott from the Nees Institute at the University of Bonn, Germany has been the owner of the patent and trademark for the ―Lotus-Effect‖ since 1997 and in April 2006, together with the ITV German Institute for Textile and Fibre Research Denkendorf, developed a certification scheme for self-cleaning textiles based on the natural phenomenon.
(a) Water droplets on a polyester textile.
(b) This textile is more than 80% covered with a nanoporous coating. Even when viewed under the microscope, a polyester textile treated with Mincor TX TT appears no different to conventional textiles. (c) The diagrams show clearly the difference between conventional surfaces and the Lotus- Effect.
An example of commercial use of the lotus effect; Ara Pacis Museum, Rome, Richard Meier uses lotusan, self-cleaning paint
53 Termite mound – Indoor thermal quality regulation:
The termite is the acknowledged master architect of the animal world. No other insect or animal approaches the termite in the size and solidity of its building structure. The building material of the termite mound is usually local soil mixed with saliva which makes it very hard and impervious. The termite mound consists of thick walls that seal in moisture and keep heat out. The Australian and African varieties of termite towers are designed for cooling.
Cross-section of a Termite mound showing primary areas: 1. Openings that expel the rising hot air. 2. Oxygen diffuses to the inside through the chimneys. 3. Warm air rises via a central air duct. 4. Underground tunnels. 5. Cellar, which forms the living quarters. The cool air eventually settles down here. 6. Underground water supply for drinking and cooling the nest.
A system of channels and ducts circulates air through the mound. These passageways run through areas of the mound that have walls that are porous or have tiny
54 ventilation holes. The pores act as conduits for fresh air ventilation and stale air exhaust. At the lower level core of the termite mound are the living and the working quarters which are the coolest and the most insulated zone.
Entrance and exit from a termite tower are provided by a series of underground tunnels. As shown in the figure, the tunnels lead outward and branch into a network of passages that open to the outside. In some colonies, termites grow tiny mushrooms and other varieties of fungus in the inner zone. Termite droppings provide nourishment for the growing fungus. Termites live on cellulose, the substance that makes the frame work of vegetation and fungi.
In hot-dry climates, some species dig for more than 1 25 feet to find underground water. Underground wells supply the termite mound with water and a source for cooling the interior. The hot air rises via a large central air duct and moves up through the long porous chimneys. The carbon dioxide in the air diffuses to the outside, while oxygen diffuses into the chimneys. The oxygenated air eventually loses its heat to the cooler outside air and cools sinking down into the cellar. In this manner they maintain a constant internal temperature of 30°to 32° C which is their optimum survival temperature though the external temperature may vary from 2° to 40° C.
55 Temperature regulation: Phase change materials (PCMs):
Passive temperature regulation, reduced heating and cooling demand.
Regulating the temperature of buildings consumes vast quantities of energy for both heating and cooling, in the process producing C02 emissions. With the help of biomimetics and nanotechnology, the energy consumption can be significantly reduced. Latent heat storage, also known as phase change material (PCM), can be used as an effective means of regulating indoor room temperatures. The good thermal retention of PCM can be used both in new and existing buildings as a passive means of evening out temperature fluctuations and reducing peak temperatures. It can be used both for heating as well as cooling (e.g. to protect against overheating).
A good example that illustrates the high thermal capacity of latent heat stores is an ice cube that begins to change to its liquid state at 0°C. The liquid state also begins at 0°C but the energy required for this change of state is equivalent to that required to heat liquid water from 0°C to 80°C. This ‗hidden‘ thermal buffer, or the latent thermal storage, is correspondingly large, and this principle can be used for the insulation of buildings using PCM.
a) Close-up of a phase change material embedded in glazing. b) Crystallisation of a salt phase change material. c) Wax droplets with an acrylic glass sheathing that is practically indestructible, even by sawing or drilling. (a) (d) d) An image of an opened microcapsule embedded in a concrete carrier matrix, taken using scanning electron microscopy. e) An image of minute paraffin-filled (b) capsules in their solid state, taken using light microscopy. They exhibit an exceptionally high thermal capacity and during a phase change turn to liquid.
(c) (e)
56 PCMs are invariably made from paraffin and salt hydrates. Minute paraffin globules with a diameter of between 2 and 20 nm are enclosed in a sealed plastic sheathing. These can be integrated into typical building materials, whereby around 3 million such capsules fit in a single square centimetre.
As PCM is able to take up energy (heat) without the medium itself getting warm, it can absorb extremes in temperature, allowing indoor areas to remain cooler for longer, with the heat being retained in the PCM and used to liquefy the paraffin. As the temperature rises, melting the waxy contents of the microcapsule, the paraffin changes from solid to liquid. The same principle also functions in the other direction: rooms that are cooling down stay warm for longer, while the molten paraffin gradually hardens, before losing warmth.
The temperature level of the materials remains constant. The amount of energy that is taken up or released is considerable so that even a comparatively small mass has a large thermal retention capacity, with which temperatures inside buildings can be regulated. During a phase change, the warmth is retained latently for as long as is required to change from one physical state to another. During this process, the PCM absorbs a particular amount of heat, the specific latent heat, equivalent to the amount of energy required to melt the paraffin. Instead of rising, the temperature of the PCM remains constant. The process functions according to the same principle in the opposite direction - during a phase change PCMs are able to store warmth as well as cold (known as the ‗free-cooling principle‘).
Energy is therefore stored latently when the material changes from one physical state to another, whether from
57 solid to liquid or from liquid to gaseous. The latent warmth or cold, which effectively fulfils a buffer function, can be used for temperature regulation.
Depending upon the PCM used, to regulate a 5°C increase in temperature only 1 mm of phase change material is required in comparison to 10-40 mm of concrete. The PCM has a far greater thermal capacity: a concrete wall warms up much more quickly whilst the temperature of a PCM remains unchanged.
Layer composition of a decorative PCM gypsum plaster applied to a masonry substrate.
Although only 15 mm thick, this plasterboard panel contains 3 kg of micro-encapsulated latent heat storage material per square metre.
58 Photosynthesis inspired Dye-Sensitized solar cells:
After first testing them in the panels of spaceships, we now use photovoltaics (PVs) to pump water, light homes, run laptops, charge batteries, and supplement the electric grid. PVs can cover a rooftop or make digital numbers dance in the tiniest of calculators, but they won't do actual chemistry (making storable fuel from light) the way plants do. And although they're smaller and more affordable than when they first came out. photovoltaics are still nowhere near as compact, efficient, or incredibly cheap as the organic modules assembled by plants.
(below) flexible dye-sensitized solar cell rolled into a thin strip
The principles of photosynthesis have been mimicked in dye- sensitized solar cells. these low- cost cells, made from benign materials, can be fashioned into windows, roof tiles, and façade panels.
Roll-to-roll manufacturing processes are used to make
59 photosynthesis-mimicking solar cells that are flexible and sensitive to low and even indoor light levels.
Advantages:
DSSCs are currently the most efficient third-generation (2005 Basic Research Solar Energy Utilization 16) solar technology available. Other thin-film technologies are typically between 5% and 13%, and traditional low-cost commercial silicon panels operate between 12% and 15%.
DSSCs work even in low-light conditions. DSSCs are therefore able to work under cloudy skies and non-direct sunlight, whereas traditional designs would suffer a "cutout" at some lower limit of illumination, when charge carrier mobility is low and recombination becomes a major issue. The cutoff is so low they are even being proposed for indoor use, collecting energy for small devices from the lights in the house.
A practical advantage, one DSSCs share with most thin-film technologies, is that the cell's mechanical robustness indirectly leads to higher efficiencies in higher temperatures. In any semiconductor, increasing temperature will promote some electrons into the conduction band "mechanically". The fragility of traditional silicon cells requires them to be protected from the elements, typically by encasing them in a glass box similar to a greenhouse, with a metal backing for strength. Such systems suffer noticeable decreases in efficiency as the cells heat up internally. DSSCs are normally built with only a thin layer of conductive plastic on the front layer, allowing them to radiate away heat much easier, and therefore operate at lower internal temperatures.
Disadvantage:
The major disadvantage to the DSSC design is the use of the liquid electrolyte, which has temperature stability problems. At low temperatures the electrolyte can freeze, ending power production and potentially leading to physical damage. Higher temperatures cause the liquid to expand, making sealing the panels a serious problem.
60 SMIT Solar Ivy:
Photovoltaic 'leaves' generate wind and solar power
A product under development by SMIT (Sustainably Minded Interactive Technology); SMIT has created a product called Solar Ivy. Mimicking the look and function of ivy, this mimic has wind and solar power generating photovoltaic leaves that can be attached to building facades.
Solar panels take up a lot of space. Solar Ivy is designed to be placed on building facades, taking advantage of vertical spaces.
The Solar Ivy system has a modular design allowing for many types of customization, including leaf color, spacing, orientation, and photovoltaic type. Solar Ivy is also adaptable to different building types and climates. An energy monitoring system is incorporated into the product, allowing fine-tuning and control of the technology by users. SMIT aims to use recycled materials when possible, and to create products whose component parts can be re-purposed or recycled in the future. Each 4 foot by 7 foot strip of the GROW system generates 85 Watts of solar power, producing renewable energy while also helping provide shade for buildings that can potentially reduce HVAC costs for the consumer.
As many ground plants vie for coveted food sources, ivy has found a niche that allows it to get enough sunlight and nutrients without having to compete with its fellow ground plants. By growing vertically using another structure for support, ivy receives direct sunlight without having to compete with other plants. SMIT is working to take advantage of this very unique niche as well with the Solar Ivy system.
61 FLOWE wind farm design:
FLOWE wind farm is an under-development product inspired by the bull-trout developed by the Caltech field Laboratory as an alternative way of energy production from the wind.
(above) The circled portion shows the bull-trout, the highlighted portion indicates the vortex left behind by the fish
As fish swim, they shed tiny vortices. In large schools of fish, individuals transfer energy to each other with these vortices, lowering the energetic costs of swimming. Researcher John Dabiri has taken inspiration from this strategy and applied similar principles to the spatial design of wind farms. By placing vertical-axis turbines (different from the traditional horizontal-axis, propeller-style turbines) close together in a strategic array, energy is gathered by each turbine, while simultaneously directing wind to nearby turbines.
The largest issue facing wind farms is the space required for propeller-style turbines to function properly. The vertical-axis turbines used by researchers demand less space to operate and are placed in close proximity as a necessary part of the spatial design, significantly decreasing the acreage necessary for the gathering of wind power.
Dabiri estimates that once optimal positioning is determined, it may be possible to produce 10 times the amount of wind energy currently generated by a common horizontal turbine wind farm.
62 Capillary Faucets: Reference List:
1. http://www.asknature.org (website) Pulling water uphill using capillary similar to how water gets into a
2. Biomimicry: An analysis of coconut. contemporary biomimetic approaches (thesis) -Sakthivel Ramaswami
3. Bio-Architecture (book) -Javier Senosiain
4. Structure and Form in Modern Architecture (book) -Curt Siegel
5. Nano materials in Architecture, Interior architecture and Design (book) -Julian Reisenberger, Capillary faucets (by Andrew Bransford Brown), is a technology still in 6. Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature conceptual stage. Similar to the roots of a tree, capillary tubes carry (book) water up a few centimeters. They then create droplets by -Janine Benyus recombining those tubes so the meniscus' touch. This is derived 7. Biomimetic approach to architecture – Learning from reverse-engineering how water gets into a coconut. from Termites (thesis) -Twinkle Pancholi
8. Biophilic Design Stair-stepping these "capillary faucets" up the side of a building and (book) -Stephen Kellert, Judith letting the water flow down will provide electricity needs for a house Heerwagen, Martin L. Mador or building. 9. Biomimetics in Architecture (book) -Petra Gruber eSkin:
Adaptive, sensory building skins
Being developed by PennDesign, eSkin is a technology under development where in A multidisciplinary team will study multiscalar architectures of human cells and translate these findings into algorithms for generating patterned, adaptive materials. These materials will also be interlaced with sensors and feedback mechanisms. The ultimate goal is to generate a building skin that can adapt to its environmental conditions in order to become more energy efficient, not to mention more effective for occupants.
Buildings are traditionally static structures; at best they have a limited ability to sense their surrounding environmental conditions and adapt to them. This research thrust aims at fundamentally changing that limitation.
63 8. EXISTING EXAMPLES OF BIOMIMETICS IN ARCHITECTURE
While no building today can claim to be completely bio-inspired, a few incorporate features that were inspired by actual organisms. The Eiffel Tower was inspired by the human femur bone, which is expert at handling off-center stresses. The ceiling of the Crystal Palace in London, an engineering marvel of its time, was inspired by the ribbing of the Amazon water lily.
Bio-inspired architects need not depend on ideas from just one organism. Instead, they can create a chimera, using ideas from plants to gather sunlight, from mammals to insulate, from fish to streamline, and from microbes to purify. Green building expos already feature several bio-inspired product lines, including leaf-inspired solar cells, mussel-inspired plywood, lotus- inspired building paint that cleans itself with rainwater, butter-fly-inspired colorants, and soil- inspired waste treatment systems. More are making their way to commercialization each year.
(right) The lower curve of the Eiffel Tower is based on the human femur or thigh bone, where it curves to join the hip. Both femur and tower base must accommodate off-center stresses.
From a distance, you might not even notice the difference between a biomimetic and conventional building. Come closer, and you will see the signs of a biomimetic quest, in forms and structures that echo nature‘s wisdom. The building surface may be pleated like a barrel cactus, giving it a self-shading quality. Or the entire building might curve gracefully to allow wind to smoothly flow along its surface, in imitation of a dolphin or whale shape. The roof line mimicking a rain forest leaf might swoop into a series of 'drip tips' for efficient water harvest. These forms will be more evident in years to come as we learn more about how organisms use shape to minimize turbulent flow, to
64 direct wind or current where they want it (and away from where they don‘t), and to yield to rather than fight extreme pressure. A light pole may mimic the lemon shaped cross section of a daffodil in order to spill the wind. Or a steel column may be filled with a lightweight, porous matrix fashioned after some of nature‘s strongest cylinders hedgehog spines and porcupine quills.
One such example of Biomimetic architecture is the Eastgate Center.
Eastgate Center, Harare (Function and Details): -Mick Pearce
Eastgate, an office build in Harare, Zimbabwe, uses ventilation principles from a self-regulating termite mound to cool without air conditioning.
East-gate building in Harare, by Mick Pearce is a large mixed development in the central business district with 26000m2 of lettable office accommodation and 5600m2 retail space and covered car parking, and is the largest commercial building in Zimbabwe. Harare experiences a tropical high - altitude climate, warm, dry and clear sky conditions for 8 months in a year and increasing heat and humidity in the other four. The 1% annual design temperatures range from 29°C for cooling to 8° C for heating. Warm sunny days followed by cool nights are the norm with typical warm season daily maximum and minimum temperatures of 29/19, 26/21 and 22/1 7°C. These are ideal conditions for natural ventilation combined with night cooling.
The thermal environmental control is achieved through the design of appropriate airflow systems and thermal mass for the transfer and storage of heat similar to that of a termite mound. The atrium space provides fresh air intake to all of the building's ventilation systems. The atrium is covered with a glass canopy and open louvers on both the ends and hence wind and stack pressures can operate freely in this space.
65 duct
The thermal performance graph shows the temperature recorded over a 10 day period, including a long and a short weekend as well as several days of standard occupancy. The cooling performance in the building is best when there is high diurnal temperature swing and when the night temperature drops below 20°C. The peak temperature in the offices and in the interfloor spaces tend to lag by 1 and 3 hours respectively while under average conditions the inside peak temperature is approximately 3°C less than that of the outside. The internal heat gain increases the inside temperature by around 1.5°C each day. The graph shows a fairly constant internal temperature over the weekends with a considerable diurnal change of the external temperature. Hence, the East-Gate building achieves an efficient thermal regulatory system by mimicking the termite mound system. R The Building uses Thermal mass storing stack effects and diurnal temperature swings outside to keep its interior uniformly cool. Cool night air is harvested and stored in the concrete structure in sub-floor voids (which act as heat exchangers) of the building for dispersal the following day to cool the building passively. By releasing this into the offices on the following day, four degrees of cooling is achieved with a diurnal shift of twelve degrees.
Each office floor is subdivided into 16 bays. The main supply air fans are housed in the corresponding set of 16 plant rooms at the mezzanine level immediately below the seven floors of office they serve. The fans suck the fresh air from the atrium, blow it upstairs through the hollow spaces under the floors and from there into each office through baseboard vents. The hollow spaces under the floors are connected via vertical ducts (two per bay, 32 in all) in the core of each bay. The supply air from the ducts enters the hollow floor slab via window grilles and is extracted through circular exhaust ports at the inner end of each section of the vaulted ceiling. These vertical ducts in turn lead to the chimneys visible on the roof.
The rising warm air in the vertical ducts is drawn out through 48 round brick funnels in the roof. The vertical ducts of each bay are connected to a pair of chimneys through a simple offset arrangement that enables the rainwater to be drained away rather than fall directly down the stacks.
During cool summer nights, big fans send air through the building seven times an hour to chill the hollow floors. By day, smaller fans blow two changes of air an hour through the building. As a result, the air is fresher than that of an air conditioner which recycles only 30% of the air that passes through it.
66 Detailed section through a typical office shows how the cold air at night is blown through voids under the floor. It extracts cool air from the precast concrete teethed floor (heat exchanger) and flushes out the used hot air from the offices through circular exhaust ports placed on top, which is in turn sucked out by the vertical ducts. The vertical ducts of each bay are linked through a system of horizontal ducts which run along the periphery of the office spaces at the top.
67 Reyes House, California (Structure and Form): -Eugene Tsui
The structure is the first instance of creating a "living" architecture or what we call an Evolutionary Architecture at TDR. That is, using nature as a basis for design and producing buildings that contain working and moving parts as significant features that respond to environmental, technological and programmatic requirements. With the introduction of buildings that move, architecture is better able to respond to the changing requirements that are put upon it--like a living organism.
(right) Interior of solarium. The inclined steel pipe, painted gold, houses the paired ratchet cranks for opening the skylight "wings," and supports the pulley system. Notice the etched floor design.
(below) Solarium structure of the house in open position to deflect breeze and draw cool air into the house.
(rbelow ight) A stainless steel cap protects the pulley mechanism from water. Five flood-lights attached to the inclined ‗stem‘ light the entire area.
(below) View of the ceiling skylights and the movable wings
69 (above) Floor plan showing the entire renovation of the existing house. The bubble-like central motif is a design scored into the concrete floor during forming. The design creates an air movement system by the use of manually operable opening and closing fiberglass ‗wings‘.
(right) Southwest view showing winged elements in closed position during winter months
All walls, floors and ceilings were designed to be continuous--to convey a sense of unity and repose and to let the spaces seem expansive. With this curvilinear quality of unity the eye is carried around the space; there are no visual planes and corners to cut and butt up against one another. All is a harmonious play of soft light. Ornament becomes an integral feature of the structure. The continuous curves of the shelves, suspended on thin steel cables, are well suited to children for there are no sharp angles to fall on or bump into. Tables and walls gracefully accommodate the natural flow of circulation. Floors are radiantly heated by recycled hot water running near the surface of the concrete slab.
70 All rooms are comfortable and evenly heated. The natural colors of deep red, natural wood and white gives the whole a countenance of quiet dignity.
All heating and cooling is passive. Even small details such as the steel cable tension wires holding the shelves and tables were designed to address earthquake forces quickly by allowing the shelves to "float" and flex during shaking. Using these steel cables provided a tremendous cost savings.
(above) Multiple exposure photograph of opening and closing wing positions
71 St. Mary’s Axe (Swiss RE Headquarters), London, UK (Details): -Norman Foster
Euplectella, commonly called a Venus's flower basket, is a cylindrical sponge made of a natural glass called biosilica that generally grows to about six inches in length with a strong exoskeleton. Tufts of glass fibres about the thickness of a human hair grow at the base of the sponge. The sponge uses multiple layers of glass held together by an organic glue to cover this natural "optical fibre," making it extremely resistant to cracking and breaking. The fibres that comprise the sponge's skeleton are arranged in a lattice, or open criscross pattern, reinforced by fibres that run diagonally in both directions inside alternate squares in the lattice.
When the diameter of the sponge's skeleton increases beyond a certain point the outer structure is reinforced by ridges in a spiral pattern which counteract an effect known as "ovalization." Stabilizing its skeleton with external ridges, the sponge makes itself difficult to crush compared with regular cylindrical structures. These sponges are formed perfectly with exactly the right amount of material needed to optimize the design.
(a) Exoskeleton of 'Euplectella' sea sponge with the opening at the top (osculum). (b) Detail of the helically wound lattice structure in Euplectella. (c) Structural configuration showing tubular helical struts with triangular faceted glass cladding.
72 The building's form resembles various sea sponges, small marine creatures that affix themselves to the seabed, among them glass sponges (Euplectella), anemones and Foraminifera (the word means hole bearing or perforated) have calcareous or siliceous elongated exoskeletons. As the animal grows, it builds up a tracery of geometric regularity. These delicate frames are sufficient to support and protect the enclosed soft body of the organism in the gravity-neutral deep- sea environment.
The structure of this gherkin-shaped building is made up of an external diagonal grid of steel beams stiffened by horizontal hoops. The curved, tapering structure is realized through the use of a diagonal steel structure called a diagrid, made from intersecting tubular steel sections which give vertical support to the floors, rendering them column-free. The diagonal matrix has light wells/ventilation shafts that spiral up the building and break up each floor's circular plan into smaller areas. The floor plans are shaped like flowers, with a circular perimeter indented by 6 triangular light courts. The indentations remain a constant size at each level, while the space between them diminishes. At ground level, the tapering profile leads to a reduced footprint and greater public space.
73 Lunar Exploration Architecture (Hypothetical Concept):
The study "Lunar Exploration Architecture - Deployable Structures for a Lunar Base" was performed within the Alcatel Alenia Space "Lunar Exploration Architecture" study for the European Space Agency in spring 2006 by an interdisciplinary team at the Vienna University of Technology.
The purpose of the study was to investigate bionic concepts applicable to deployable structures and to interpret the findings for possible implementation of the concepts. The study aimed at finding innovative solutions for possible deployments. Translating folding/unfolding principles from nature, candidate geometries were developed and researched using models, drawings and visualisations. The use of materials, joints between structural elements and construction details were investigated for these conceptual approaches.
Lunex - Mission Scenario Step 1 – First Outpost using Ladybird II.
Reference scenarios were used to identify the technical and environmental conditions, which then served as design drivers. Mechanical issues and the investigation of deployment processes narrowed the selection down to six chosen concepts. Their applicability was evaluated at a conceptual stage in relation to the timescale of the mission.
Out of a wide range of role models from nature and a vague mission scenario from ESA a set of differing deployable structures, each with an application scenario, was designed.
74 the approach to the concept was taken from both sides - role model and application – top-down and bottom-up at the same time.
Steps taken included: o Identification of relevant role models from nature o Identification of space application for lunar infrastructure or habitat o Identification of relevant aspects of evaluation o Gradual evaluation and selection of role models o Development of candidate geometries o Evaluation and selection of the candidate geometries, considering technical and engineering aspects, necessary technology and geometry o Development of architectural working models o Mechanical issues and constructive concepts o Design proposals and development of scenario
The role models were divided into two major categories: role models being close to a structure forming a volume (beech leaf, palm leaf, cactus, earwig, insect wing, morning glory, spine system, giant water lily) and role models that can produce additional features concerning material or actuation etc. (bat, stick insect, earthworm, feather, flea, insect proboscis, lobster, locust, muscle, ovary explosion, scorpion, seedpods, snail shell, snail, snake, spider legs) As the more interesting one, the first category was further classified into the following groups: o Fold/deploy: plant leaves (beech leaf, palm leaf, victoria regia), insect wings, flower petals (morning glory), cactus o Bellows and folded boxes o Rolled up structures: proboscis, fern o Spines/backbones: tensegrity systems
Tubular Ladybird II structure, (a) folded state, (b) unfolding and (c) unfolded state 75 The architectural working model "Ladybird II" could be used to construct habitable space providing advanced shielding and as an additional shielding for existing habitats (e.g. radiation shielding, micrometeorite shielding, etc).
(1) (2) (3) Tubular Ladybird III structure, rotational movement of rings is initiated by linear movement.
The folded tube delivers different possibilities for applications: vertically positioned and with regolith filling, it provides radiation shielding; horizontally positioned it could be used as additional workspace for short-term use.
In the study a possible evolution of a lunar long duration mission establishing human presence on the Moon was described in terms of habitation, as can be seen in Mission Scenario Step 1 – First outpost using Ladybird II application to outer shell.
The different uses (such as deployment, habitable modules, interiors, logistic modules, etc) require different structural parameters and characteristics of strength, stiffness, statics and especially dynamics (e.g. vibration response), mass, resilience, resistance to corrosion and other environmental factors, fatigue, thermal properties, reliability, radiation degradation, manufacturability, availability and cost.
The information about possible tasks was combined with the aspects of possible structures that were already identified. A classification followed, according to issues of speed and reversibility.
o Non-reversible deployable structures o Habitat and/or associated facilities are packed to the smallest possible volume for transport. The building purpose includes assembly in habitat and deployment outside. Once landed the structure can be reused at a later stage for additional shelter
76 o Slow reversible deployable structures (process of Reference List: deployment takes several hours or days)
1. Evolutionary Architecitecture (book) -Eugene Tsui Possible applications include temporary structures, shelters, roofs, 2. Biomimicry: An analysis of contemporary biomimetic and extendable pieces. The landed structure or parts of it can be approaches reused and transported to another location or used for expansion of (thesis) -Sakthivel Ramaswami the Lunar Base.
3. Biophilic Design (book) -Stephen Kellert, Judith Heerwagen, Martin L. Mador o Fast reversible deployable structures (Process of
4. Biomimetics in Architecture deployment takes several seconds to hours) (book) -Petra Gruber
The habitat and/or associated facilities can be transported to a different location on the lunar surface. The Lunar Base can be expanded for storage of used structures, etc. Openings, connecting interfaces and moveable parts can be made of fast reversible deployables.
Cactus model, generating tubular space.
Musselshell model, also generating tubular space when unfolding.
Trade-off matrix for evaluation of candidate geometries, best proposals marked in light grey. 77 Cactus I used for additional habitat shielding. Cactus I used for additional habitat shielding.
Ladybird III, the most promising proposal for a habitable space. (above) Ladybird I used as a (above) Combination of different shelter. designs.
o Ladybird I, Ladybird III and Cactus I were used and set in context with ESA's reference missions for Lunar exploration. o Ladybird I could be implemented as a non-pressurised maintenance - repair bay. o Ladybird III could be used to construct habitable space providing advanced shielding and as an additional shielding for existing habitats. o Cactus I can be used as an additional shielding against micrometeorite impacts and radiation protection for an inflatable habitat. o Cactus I can be used to construct a habitat using regolith, a material covering much of the moon's surface. o The structural technologies used for deploying the Lunar base and adjacent infrastructure are derived from an ESA study about a possible evolution of a lunar long-duration mission establishing human presence on the Moon.
79 9. BIOMIMETICS IN LANDSCAPING AND TOWN-PLANNING
9.1 Biomimetics in Town-Planning:
City as Forest
The natural forest is a highly compact, self-regulating, and solar diverse community that has apparent connotations with model urban sustainability. Forest growth would serve as an analogy leading to the development of an animated solar city model entitled Phenotypic Plasti-City. From the outset a level of interpretation was necessary, cities are not forests, nor are buildings trees; it would be the algorithmic solar process of forest community, typology, and surface that had the potential to be bio-mimetically advanced through computer urban modelling.
(a) (b) (c)
Nature perceived, dominated, cultivated, and mimicked. (a) Evolutionary Form by John Frazer (1993). (b) Softscraper, Rotterdam, by Lars Spuybroek, an architecture that transforms its own geometry organically in response to information from the Web. (c) Phenotypic Plasti-City by Martin and Keeffe (2007). A biomimetically derived solar city masterplan inspired a phenomenon that allows a genotype to adjust to varied light conditions.
Forest & City Metabolism
The analogy between the operational patterns of natural ecosystems and those belonging to sustainable development is an obvious but significant one to make. Forest systems increasingly partition energy to maintenance and respiration rather than growth and production as they successionally advance toward a climax community; a phenome-
80 non that Dumreicher et al. (2000) make reference to in their critique of current unsustainable cities. As stabilising mechanisms fail to operate, carrying capacity limits are exceeded once a city reaches climax. This leads to overproduction, a distinguishing and decisive factor that separates current cities from forest systems, and currently threatens the very existence of synthetic and natural communities.
Light Stratified Superorganism
Within each layer of a stratified temperate forest light is a limiting factor. Direct sunlight creates a shade environment, which through natural selection or more specifically, coevolution shade-tolerant species are able to survive. Tolerance, a significant factor in any life strategy, is a form of compromise between species that normally compete for the same resource. This specialization between species ensures that interspecific competition (when two or more species populations adversely affect the growth and survival of each other in an effort to gain a limited resource) is muted as forest species retreat to their own particular habitat or ecological niche.
Growth Methodology
1. Divide site into grid, then subdivisions. 2. Decide on growth order of each subdivision. This can be random or controlled e.g. numbers allocated north to south or south to north. 3. Use solar azimuth and altitude for each hour on Equinox to create Solar Envelope. 4. Identify shade-tolerant layer beneath. 5. Commence a Boolean intersection of forms based on hourly periods of sun and shade. 6. Visualise shade-intolerant niche and a shade-tolerant niche. 7. To grow next subdivision repeat steps 3 to 6.
81 (a) (b)
(c) (d)
Self-perpetuating solar city methodology. Selected slides describing the sequential technique used during the growth of a dual shade-intolerant and shade-tolerant volume i.e. a volume partly overshadowed by both surrounding built context and previously generated solar forms.
82 Biomimetics in Landscaping:
Landscaping That Mimics and Restores Landscape Function
Eco-machines from John Todd Ecological Design, Inc. mimic the patterns of natures water-purifying ecosystems to clean sewage to pure water.
An Eco-Machine, can be a tank based system traditionally housed within a greenhouse or a combination of exterior constructed wetlands with Aquatic Cells inside of a greenhouse . The system often includes an anaerobic pre-treatment component, flow equalization, aerobic tanks as the primary treatment approach followed by a final polishing step, either utilizing Ecological Fluidized Beds or a small constructed wetland.
A robust ecosystem is created in the Eco-Machine between the plants, microbial species and distinct treatment zones. Within the Eco-Machine, all the major groups of life are represented, including microscopic algae, fungi, bacteria, protozoa, and zooplankton, on upward to snails, clams, and fishes. Higher plants, including shrubs and trees, are grown on adjustable industrial strength fiberglass racks suspended within the system. The result is an efficient and refined wastewater treatment system that is capable of achieving high quality water without the need for hazardous chemicals.
The Eco-Machine can be designed to function, and resemble, a baffled ―river‖ through the creation of eddies, counter currents, and contact zones in which a diversity of life will arise.
The Biolytic Process is fuelled by oxygen; the more oxygen that is available the more efficient and rapid the decomposition. That is why, in nature, most decomposition takes place in land-based, oxygen-rich humus.
83 For about a century, engineers have used water-based processes to Reference List: treat wastewater. By studying ecology, nature's consummate engineer, Biolytix discovered that nature has a different solution: in 1. Symbiocity: Self- Perpetuating Solar Niche nature, the most effective treatment doesn‘t happen in water, but in within the First Shock City moist soil ecosystems on rainforest floors and on river banks. This is (paper) -Dr. Craig Lee Martin where organisms convert waste into cleansing humus. The humus
2. Biophilic Design then helps cleanse the wastewater. (book) -Stephen Kellert, Judith Heerwagen, Martin L. Mador
3. http://toddecological.com (website)
4. http://www.biolytix.com (website) YUK! (above) worms decomposing human waste into humus, imitating the natural biolytic process. Pretty gruesome huh?
Using worms and other organisms to break down organic waste is not an innovation - they have been doing so for millions of years. Our innovation is using nature's highly effective biological processes to solve today's challenge posed by wastewater.
84 85 Biomimetic High-rise – A Prototype 10. EXISTING EXAMPLES OF BIO- CLIMATIC HIGH-RISES
Commerzbank, Frankfurt, Germany
-Norman Foster
87 When construction wrapped up on the 53-story Commerzbank Headquarters in 1997 it stood as the tallest building in Europe, but what made it revolutionary, was its combination of form, inventiveness, and technical expertise to create an entirely new building type: the humane and socially responsible skyscraper. Breaking away from the American model of deep-planned, air conditioned structures with a central service core and identical, spatially separated floors; Commerzbank tower is flooded with daylight and naturally ventilated, has a full-height atrium, and four- storey landscaped gardens evenly distributed over the height of the building. Working in conjunction, these architectural elements unlock the internal space of Commerzbank, transforming the entire work environment.
88 Structure:
The structure of Norman Foster‟s Commerzbank Headquarters is essentially a perforated tube in the shape of an equilateral triangle. The structural components work together to form this shape and to resist both gravitational and lateral forces. The three corners of this triangle are made up of 2 H-section columns connected with large steel “link frames” covered with reinforced concrete. These columns carry the load of the building and transfer it into 101 telescoping piles that bear on the porous limestone below. Supporting the winter gardens that are cut out of the tube are eight storey Vierendeel trusses. These trusses, made up of eight horizontal and four vertical members, also form the eight floors between gardens.
Environmental Response:
Considered to be the world‟s first ecological office tower, Commerzbank Headquarters relies heavily on passive strategies to create a pleasant work environment for its occupants. These strategies include a triangular (doughnut) floor plan, „sky‟ gardens, and a full-height atrium that allows for every office in the tower to have operable windows for views, natural ventilation, and daylight. The four-storey „sky‟ gardens (which spiral up the sides of the tower) provide fresh air and allow for passive solar gain, while the central atrium space acts like a natural ventilation chimney for the inward- facing offices. Despite the effectiveness of passive systems in Frankfurt‟s temperate climate zone, Foster recognizes the potential for technical (active) systems to maximize the building‟s efficiency. A computer controlled building management system decides whether passive or active systems are most appropriate for use at a given time and adjusts openings and shading devices accordingly. Commerzbank tower also uses water, instead of air, to condition the building, which saves a tremendous amount of energy over the life of the building. Exterior Office Glazing Panels
The exterior glazing to the office spaces integrates structural, environmental and construction strategies. The extruded aluminium Aerofoil sections are included in the glass panels in order to increase the lateral stability of the panels, allow air ventilation within the double glazed window panel system, and to avoid rainwater penetration within the interior of the panel systems.
During the design of the glazing panels the deflection and thermal movement of the structural frame had to be taken into account. Projecting from the glazing panels the bracing provides a tolerance of up to 20mm of vertical movement (Lambot 168).
Ventilation slots are included allowing air to enter through the bottom sill of the insulated glass and exit at the head. These slots have been designed slightly below the opening casement of the glass in order to avoid rainwater penetration. The fixed exterior glass within the operable window system slows the flow of air avoiding the creation of a draught or the entry of water when the interior portion of the window is opened.
Air Intake Transom
Aerofoil provides structural bracing that increases lateral stability during thermal expansion
Air Exit Transom (a) (c) Water is shed away from the glazing due to the Aerofoil sections a) Water is shed away from Aerofoil provides structural bracing glazing to to Aerofoil that increases sections and the location of lateral stabilty during thermal the operable glazing expansion Air Intake Transom Water is shed b) Ventilation allows air intake away from the glazing due to the at the bottom sill and exits Aerofoil sections at the head of the window Air Exit Transom
c) Structural bracing provides lateral stability
(b)
89 Sky Garden Glazing System:
The glazing system of the sky gardens was designed to be both a structural and environmental response.
Structurally, the system consists of a series of vertical bowstring trusses that are connected to the steel of the floor levels with slip joints that allow the structure above to deflect and still provide lateral restraint. The bowstring trusses also integrate the hollow vertical mullions of the glazing grid.
Environmentally, the hollow trusses are filled with water and connected to the building‘s heating system. This transforms them into large radiators for the gardens and ensures that condensation and down drafts do not occur in the atrium during winter months.
(a) Diagram of truss using (b) Diagram of heat loss if radiant heating. trusses aren‘t used as radiators.
Commerzbank Tower utilizes the low solar insolation in the region as a means to effectively daylight the entire building with minimal glare and overheating from direct gain. At the same time, the orientation of the building allows for passive solar heating for the majority of the year, as well as the growth of sky gardens, which spiral up the interior of the structure.
The sky gardens themselves are a direct response to solar orientation with the warmer south facing gardens containing plants and trees
90 which are prevalent in the temperate Mediterranean, the western gardens containing species from North America, and the cooler east facing sky gardens containing plants more native to the Frankfurt region.
Commerzbank tower has no overhanging sun shades to protect the building from the hot summer sun, but rather utilizes shading devices sandwiched between the double-glazed glass curtain wall.
A. Conventional Heating: Conditions occurring in this zone are too cold to rely on passive and active solar heating; high efficiency conventional heating systems are required.
B. Active Solar: Heat needed to achieve comfortable levels in this zone can be effectively supplied by solar collectors or any other active solar system supported by backup high efficiency conventional heating systems.
92
While the majority of modern skyscrapers rely heavily on the use of have resulted in a powerful updraft of air that would have been massive mechanical systems to heat, cool, and circulate air within the undesirable for the building patrons. Consequently, in the final design, the building, Commerzbank Tower utilizes natural ventilation as a primary atrium is segmented by glass decks into four twelve-story spaces, each means for creating year-round thermal comfort. Natural ventilation in consisting of three deliberately positioned sky gardens. In this particular Commerzbank occurs at multiple scales ranging from individual rooms to scheme, fresh air enters the building through windward gardens at the several building stories, all of which vary based on climatic conditions. bottom of every twelve-story segment, and exhausted out of leeward When looking at the building section as a whole, it appears as though the gardens at the top of them. The glass decks are completely sealed off entire central atrium space acts like a giant chimney with air being from the atrium space below, divorcing them from the tower‟s natural exhausted out the top of the building by way of stack effect. While this was ventilation process, which includes both cross-ventillation and a limited Foster‟s original intention when designing the building, the incredible amount of stack effect. scale of the space would C. Passive Solar: Direct gain, indirect gain and hybrid systems, combined with infiltration and heat-loss control, can provide the heat required for comfort. D. Internal Gains: Conditions are close enough to the comfort zone that internal loads (heat provided by electrical and human sources) will provide the heat needed for comfort. E. Comfort: No strategy is necessary, except to prevent further solar heat gain in summer or loss in winter F. Ventilation: Though temperatures and humidity levels are high, comfort may be obtained through the direct evaporation of perspiration, if enough air movement is available. G. Thermal Mass: Radiant cooling and night-flushing of the internal air with cool outside air will store "coolth" for the next day. H. Thermal Mass plus Ventilation: Some passive or active internal ventilation is required to extract heat, in addition to night flushing and radiant cooling. I. Evaporative Cooling. J. Humidification: Moisture must be added to the air for comfort. K. Air Conditioning: Humidity levels are too high to achieve comfort levels without the use of high-efficiency conventional systems.
C. Passive Solar: Large glass facades surrounding the sky gardens and offices allow for direct and indirect solar gain throughout Commensurate for the majority of the year when heating is desired. Shading devices and ventilation systems are utilized to counter overheating.
93 H. Thermal Mass plus Ventilation: Natural ventilation as a means for aiding in thermal comfort in Commensurate is possible for roughly 60% of the year. This is a result, thanks in large part to four twelve-story atrium spaces in which windward and leeward sky gardens take in and exhaust fresh air using cross ventilation and stack effect.
Commerzbank‘s use of the doughnut plan in conjunction with the four-story sky gardens allows for every office in the building to be daylit with an unobstructed view to the outdoors. Full height windows and shallow floor plates ensure that the amount of natural light penetrating into the building is sufficient enough to substitute for artificial lighting through the majority of the workday.
Frankfurt, Germany‘s low solar insolation and diffuse lighting conditions make daylighting an incredibly effective environmental response in that glare and unwanted direct solar gain in the region is minimal.
Daylit sky gardens with views to the outdoors Daylit offices with views to outdoors
94 One of the main reasons as to why Commerzbank Tower is considered to be the first ―ecological skyscraper‖ is that passive strategies are utilized at all scales ranging from window detailing to the full-height atrium. Typically, modern office buildings full of heat- producing machinery have a higher demand for cooling, but Frankfurt winters typically require heating as well.
Foster responds to this dichotomy of needs in the cladding system by utilizing double skin glazing with ventilated cavity spaces, operable casements, and Venetian blinds. Whenever heating is desired, exterior vents are closed to allow heat to build up in the cavity spaces, which protects against cold winds while improving the thermal insulating properties of the windows by as much as 20%. When cooling is required, the cavity vents and operable casements are opened to allow for natural ventilation with cool air entering low and warm air exiting high after circulating through the office.
When in active modes (as determined by the central building management system), Commerzbank offices utilize radiant floor heating to effectively warm objects instead of air, and chilled (water) panel ceilings to cool the space in a more energy efficient manner than the forced-air alternatives.
95 Menara Mesiniaga, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:
-Ken Yeang
The Menara Mesiniaga is the headquarters for IBM in Subang Jaya near Kuala Lumpur. It was first conceived of in 1989 and finally completed in 1992. Ken Yeang designed this building as an example of his bioclimatic skyscraper practices and principles.
Technical Data:
Height - 63 meters Floors (over ground) - 14
Floors (under ground) – 1 Year started - 1989
Year completed – 1992 Gross Floor Area - 6503 m sq
Subang Jaya is near Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. The climate is considered tropical. The year round temperature, heat and humidity are fairly similar throughout the year. The day and night temperature vary little.
Artificial landscape was created to shelter and insulate the lowest three levels from the morning sun. Parking is located below the building and berm.
96 Main Ideas and Concepts for the Menara Mesiniaga:
- Sky gardens that serve as villages - Spiraling vertical landscape - Recessed and shaded windows on the East and West - Curtain wall glazing on the North and South - Single core service on hot side - East - Naturally ventilated and sunlit toilets, stair ways and lift lobbies - Spiral balconies on the exterior walls with full height sliding doors to interior offices 97 The building is 15 stories tall and circular in plan. Yeang designed this building to include three items: 1- a sloping landscape base to connect the land with the verticality of the building; 2- a circular spiraling body with landscaped sky courts that allow visual relief for office workers as well as providing continuity of spaces connecting the land through the building; and 3- the upper floor provides a swimming pool and gym.
The facade is a ―sieve-like‖ filter (instead of a ―sealed skin‖). The louvers and shades relate to the orientation of the building. They allow or reduce solar gain. The deep garden insets allow full height curtain walls on the north and south sides- as a response to the tropical overhead sun path. The core functions are located on the ―hot‖ side, the east.
Sun Shaders (yellow) / Garden Spaces (green)
Sun Shaders Garden Insets 98 11. BIOMIMETIC HIGH-RISE IN A HOT AND DRY CLIMATE
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Conclusion
A much talked about term nowadays, ‗Sustainability‘ as a concept is interpreted in many different ways by different professionals of diverse fields. One such interpretation of sustainability as a defined term could be relative, such as ‗relative‘ sustainability instead of ‗absolute‘ sustainability, like in case of architecture one building for example being ‗relatively‘ more sustainable than another building of similar function. A building that may be considered to be sustainable may consume less resources compared to another building but it would consume some amount of resources nevertheless in maintenance, running or construction causing some ecological impact albeit small whatsoever hence considering ecology as a primary factor, achieving absolute sustainability is not entirely possible.
In one of the initial juries of the semester, a question that arose meant – ―How is what you are working on any different from biomorphic architecture? How is biomimetics any more than simply copying forms and shapes found in nature into your buildings?‖ to which I replied that biomimetics in architecture deals with the functions and details over merely the form of a building, it tries to derive inspiration from the technologies found in nature to find architectural solutions. While that was taken as a justified answer, after this study I now realize that that isn‘t entirely true. Biomorphic architecture is not very different from organic architecture which means that a biomorphic building could also be organic and vice versa. (for details about both, refer pg 32 of the thesis)
The forms derived in nature (as discussed in the initial chapters) are justified to suit a function (for examples see chapter 4 and chapter 7.1 of the thesis) and good biomorphism usually aims to do just that. See the example of the Reyes house by Eugene Tsui (pg 69). So it could be interpreted that biomorphism is closely linked or in fact be categorized with biomimetics.
The array of the technologies featured in the chapter 7 of the thesis is only a small percentage of the technologies that are available or are being developed but the current stage of biomimetics and its application in architecture is primitive at best and though it has made remarkable progress in the short while between its inception as a term until today, it
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has a very long way to go; more awareness and more and more people working on it are required if a ‗biomimetic revolution‘ as Benyus foresees is to be realised.
The degree of biomimetics in a building may also be said to be primitive, from emulating a relevant technology from nature and developing it for use in the built environment to perceiving the built environment as something as an organism to be designed and developed as nature would to live and serve a purpose that is its function is also a long way to go. It is that level of biomimetics that may be required to achieve what one might call ‗absolute sustainability‘ and that until this date is a far from realisation.
This work is no more than an incomplete study of biomimetics, every aspect of the study could be taken into account and explored much further in significant depth and the study is but an introduction to an infinitely vast field.
v Bibliography
1. Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature (book) -Janine M. Benyus 2. Biophilic Design (book) -Stephen Kellert, Judith Heerwagen, Martin L. Mador 3. Bio-Architecture (book) -Javier Senosiain 4. Biomimetics in Architecture (book) -Petra Gruber 5. Fractal Architecture (book) -James Harris 6. Towards Organic Architecture (book) -Bruno Zevi 7. Bio-Morphic Architecture (book) -Gunther Feuerstein 8. Structure and Form in Modern Architecture (book) -Curt Siegel 9. Nano Materials in Architecture, Interior architecture and Design (book) -Julian Reisenberger 10. Evolutionary Architecture (book) -Eugene Tsui 11. Biomimicry: An Analysis of Contemporary Biomimetic Approaches (thesis) -Sakthivel Ramaswami 12. Geometry and Order of Nature – A Mathematical study to understand the relationship of Architecture with Nature (thesis) -Kamdar Hemraj 13. Organic Architecture (thesis) -Manish Banker 14. Biomimetic approach to Architecture – Learning from Termites (thesis) -Twinkle Pancholi 15. Design and Construction principles in Nature and Architecture (paper) -Jan Knippers and Thomas Speck 16. Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion (paper) -Gould and Lewontin 17. Integrated review of Stealth Technology and its role in irpower (paper) -Rao, G.A. and Mahulikar 18. Architectural Fractals (paper) -Daniel Lordick
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19. Symbiocity: Self-Perpetuating Solar Niche within the First Shock City (paper) - Dr. Craig Lee Martin 20. http://www.reading.ac.uk/biomimetics/about.htm (webpage) 21. http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Fractal.html (webpage) 22. http://www.miqel.com/fractals_math_patterns/visual-math-natural- fractals.html (webpage) 23. http://www.ultracane.com/ (website) 24. http://www2.mercedes-benz.co.uk (website) 25. http://www.moma.org (website) 26. http://www.asknature.org (website) 27. http://toddecological.com (website) 28. http://www.biolytix.com (website) 29. http://www.wikipedia.org/ (website) 30. Multifractal characterization of urban residential land price in space and time (blog) -Shougeng Hou, Quiming Cheng, Le Wang, Shuyun Xie 31. Merriam-Webster’s English Dictionary (dictionary) 32. The Da-Vinci Code (novel) -Dan Brown
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