Sunday, September 28, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Tactical Landscaping
Lucasarts is coming out with a new game call Fracture where you are able to change the landscape while playing.
I don't have sound so i have no idea what they are saying but the video is kinda interesting just for the interactive terrain aspect.
http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/15184
I don't have sound so i have no idea what they are saying but the video is kinda interesting just for the interactive terrain aspect.
http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/15184
Guerrilla Gardening
http://www.guerrillagardening.org/
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/magazine/08guerrilla-t.html?scp=1&sq=guerilla%20gardening&st=cse
In Tokyo where they don't have the soil to grow in the guerrillas use pots.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/magazine/08guerrilla-t.html?scp=1&sq=guerilla%20gardening&st=cse
In Tokyo where they don't have the soil to grow in the guerrillas use pots.
Corrippa, Switzerland
While in Switzerland we visited this city which is completely made of the local stone. Walls, streets, roofs, etc.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Reaction: Landscapes of the Second Nature
This text spoke about a number of projects that laid out a landscape terrain as a generator of form for the future occupation of the site. The designs were not just landscape reclamation projects but a way of integrating reclamation with reoccupation. The Cospuden project, by ARU is mentioned and speaks to the revitalization of a mining landscape that has been stripped bare. The "scars" of the sites history are becoming flooded over time and the firm is designing it in such a way that the land scape informs the way the city develops.
"A landscape-scale architectural infrastructure that will provide a spatial framework for buildings in the future."
Another interesting project by ARU (Architectural Research Unit) is the Paju Book City. This city in korea is specifically designated to the publishing enterprise. The design seeks to meld the artifitial with the natural history of the Han River and create a urban wetland. The structure of the city consists of 4 long urban peices that follow the landscapes current condition. The idea of this project seems to have surpassed the implimentation of the ideas on to the landscape.
"Landscapes of the Second Nature"
Michael Spens
Architectural Design
2008
"A landscape-scale architectural infrastructure that will provide a spatial framework for buildings in the future."
Another interesting project by ARU (Architectural Research Unit) is the Paju Book City. This city in korea is specifically designated to the publishing enterprise. The design seeks to meld the artifitial with the natural history of the Han River and create a urban wetland. The structure of the city consists of 4 long urban peices that follow the landscapes current condition. The idea of this project seems to have surpassed the implimentation of the ideas on to the landscape.
"Landscapes of the Second Nature"
Michael Spens
Architectural Design
2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Reaction: Biomimicry versus Humanism
In "Biomimicry versus Humanism", the author takes a negative and foreboding stance against Biomimicry. The author, Joe Kaplinsky, is a science writer. Joe is arguing for Humanism and an embracing of the potential of human design instead of as he puts it in another article, "lazy design" which pulls directly from biological ideas.
The author brings up a number of interesting points:
1. Architects are being positioned through the use of CAD to generate form, and become strangers to the performance and practicalities of the construction of said form.
2. Biological studies have opened up possibilities in structural design.
3. Biomimicry devalues human design and idolises natural process, which may not be the best way of approaching a design problem.
4: Evolution within humanity is culturally based in the inovations of technology and science, compared to that of relativly rapid ecological evolution with in nature.
5: Human artifacts are made, living things are grown.
6: Enviromentally sensitive building does not mean nessesarly mean antisocial or autarchic but could mean low-maintenance. We assume that natural designs are better because we are using nature as the norm. Even in nature there are variations in what the norm is.
7: In the past most biological references had been anthropomophic.
Currently the biological references within architecture seem to be leaning away from anthropomophic representation to biomorphic representation. Biomorphic is anything that seems to suggest forms within living organisms, not just human beings. Kapinsky's ideas about humanism seem to be outdated. He even makes reference to the ideals of the enlightenment. Humanism is not a bad way of thinkin, and in some respects we are still humanistically adopting biomimicry. Biomimicry has more possibilities for further exploration if it were combined with other methods of design. Biomimicry is not lazy design as long as it is used correctly. Biomophic design serves very little purpose in the long run other than to place 'organic' form in situations that do not usually call for it. But instead if we take the leasons of nature and adapt them further we can see that there may be some virtue to the way things work in nature.
Form adopted from nature without reason is inadequate.
"Biomimicry versus Humanism"
Joe Kaplinsky
Architectural Design
2008
The author brings up a number of interesting points:
1. Architects are being positioned through the use of CAD to generate form, and become strangers to the performance and practicalities of the construction of said form.
2. Biological studies have opened up possibilities in structural design.
3. Biomimicry devalues human design and idolises natural process, which may not be the best way of approaching a design problem.
4: Evolution within humanity is culturally based in the inovations of technology and science, compared to that of relativly rapid ecological evolution with in nature.
5: Human artifacts are made, living things are grown.
6: Enviromentally sensitive building does not mean nessesarly mean antisocial or autarchic but could mean low-maintenance. We assume that natural designs are better because we are using nature as the norm. Even in nature there are variations in what the norm is.
7: In the past most biological references had been anthropomophic.
Currently the biological references within architecture seem to be leaning away from anthropomophic representation to biomorphic representation. Biomorphic is anything that seems to suggest forms within living organisms, not just human beings. Kapinsky's ideas about humanism seem to be outdated. He even makes reference to the ideals of the enlightenment. Humanism is not a bad way of thinkin, and in some respects we are still humanistically adopting biomimicry. Biomimicry has more possibilities for further exploration if it were combined with other methods of design. Biomimicry is not lazy design as long as it is used correctly. Biomophic design serves very little purpose in the long run other than to place 'organic' form in situations that do not usually call for it. But instead if we take the leasons of nature and adapt them further we can see that there may be some virtue to the way things work in nature.
Form adopted from nature without reason is inadequate.
"Biomimicry versus Humanism"
Joe Kaplinsky
Architectural Design
2008
Reation: The Third Landscape
Reaction: The Third Landscape
What is the Third Landscape?
The Third Landscape is the left over space. The space not used but the result of expansion and growth. The Third Landscape sort of resembles Drosscape. Drosscape is:
1: a natural component of every dynamically evolving city.
2: accumulated in the wake of the socio and spatio-economic processes of deindustrialization, post fordism, and technological innovation.
3: interstitial. It includes and results in the integration of waste landscapes left over from any from or type of development.
The entire planet could be thought of as Third Landscape, as Gilles suggests. These spaces are the abandon or transitional. The Third Landscape breeds diversity. I read the reading once and realized that there never is a clear explanation as to how this is actually done. You are just told that is does it. I will have to read it again and try to glean this information from the article.
Gilles mentions that the human occupants of the earth do not change as quickly as the other organism, or ecologies. This relates directly back to what was mentioned in my reaction to the Biotech Future reading. Human rate of adapting is extremely slow do to a dependence on technology (clothing, computers, cars, etc). Biotechnology could level this out and provide a way for humans to change at almost the same rate as ecosystems and plant matter or bacteria change. This also would bring humans closer to nature by integrating them into it.
What is the Third Landscape?
The Third Landscape is the left over space. The space not used but the result of expansion and growth. The Third Landscape sort of resembles Drosscape. Drosscape is:
1: a natural component of every dynamically evolving city.
2: accumulated in the wake of the socio and spatio-economic processes of deindustrialization, post fordism, and technological innovation.
3: interstitial. It includes and results in the integration of waste landscapes left over from any from or type of development.
The entire planet could be thought of as Third Landscape, as Gilles suggests. These spaces are the abandon or transitional. The Third Landscape breeds diversity. I read the reading once and realized that there never is a clear explanation as to how this is actually done. You are just told that is does it. I will have to read it again and try to glean this information from the article.
Gilles mentions that the human occupants of the earth do not change as quickly as the other organism, or ecologies. This relates directly back to what was mentioned in my reaction to the Biotech Future reading. Human rate of adapting is extremely slow do to a dependence on technology (clothing, computers, cars, etc). Biotechnology could level this out and provide a way for humans to change at almost the same rate as ecosystems and plant matter or bacteria change. This also would bring humans closer to nature by integrating them into it.
Reaction: Our Biotech Future
Reaction: Our Biotech Future
The issue of control is briefly mentioned but not really explored beyond saying that someone else needs to figure it out. The reality of the computer tech revolution is that the material being built was controlled in use and production. Bio mass does not have controls when left unchecked. So by saying that we need to treat it as a decentralized entity in which everyone has the option to play and create, much like the computer revolution which I would imagine not everyone is an expert at computers but we all have a basic understanding of how one works and how to manipulate it internally or superficially through software. This would most likely carry over to biological construction.
The scary thing about biotechnology when you decentralize it is the lack of control over what you create. Weeds are a pain to kill because they have evolved rapid reproduction methods that allow for spreading quickly in most ecological conditions. What would stop something that is already designed to grow rapidly (instance-ish gratification a must) from evolving into a weed like status. Rapid growth, the ability to grow in most conditions and toughness towards chemicals could easily be adopted by the new design creations.
All of this though, is understood from the view point of a society not willing to change with this new technology. A biotech revolution would change the way we live, think, work and play. If we were less resistant to this change there is a possibility that the new condition of life on earth could be improved from our current condition. It would be different and thus the concept of quality of life may not be applicable but this too is hard to predict. The risk though may be worth the reward. I say we move ahead slowly taking into account the risks involved.
The issue of control is briefly mentioned but not really explored beyond saying that someone else needs to figure it out. The reality of the computer tech revolution is that the material being built was controlled in use and production. Bio mass does not have controls when left unchecked. So by saying that we need to treat it as a decentralized entity in which everyone has the option to play and create, much like the computer revolution which I would imagine not everyone is an expert at computers but we all have a basic understanding of how one works and how to manipulate it internally or superficially through software. This would most likely carry over to biological construction.
The scary thing about biotechnology when you decentralize it is the lack of control over what you create. Weeds are a pain to kill because they have evolved rapid reproduction methods that allow for spreading quickly in most ecological conditions. What would stop something that is already designed to grow rapidly (instance-ish gratification a must) from evolving into a weed like status. Rapid growth, the ability to grow in most conditions and toughness towards chemicals could easily be adopted by the new design creations.
All of this though, is understood from the view point of a society not willing to change with this new technology. A biotech revolution would change the way we live, think, work and play. If we were less resistant to this change there is a possibility that the new condition of life on earth could be improved from our current condition. It would be different and thus the concept of quality of life may not be applicable but this too is hard to predict. The risk though may be worth the reward. I say we move ahead slowly taking into account the risks involved.
Kelleys Island Nature
http://www.kelleysislandnature.com/
This site has lots of information on the ecology of Kelleys Island. The island has a large number of bird species and a relatively small number of mammal species. While the bird species number over 240, there are only 6 species of mammal documented on the island. This would be expected though as the island is rather small and wouldn't be able to support an ecosystem that includes large mammals. Weasels, skunks, dogs, wolves, foxes, other small rodents and the occational deer occupy the island. The island is also home to the endanger Lake Erie Water Snake.
This site has lots of information on the ecology of Kelleys Island. The island has a large number of bird species and a relatively small number of mammal species. While the bird species number over 240, there are only 6 species of mammal documented on the island. This would be expected though as the island is rather small and wouldn't be able to support an ecosystem that includes large mammals. Weasels, skunks, dogs, wolves, foxes, other small rodents and the occational deer occupy the island. The island is also home to the endanger Lake Erie Water Snake.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Rule #1
The excavated rock should be equivalent to the rock used to build.
This rules determines the amount of sq. feet needed to be removed and used vs the stone required to move towards the winery.
Thus the depth of the building and height of it would be affected by the quantity of stone required for construction. The more stone needed the deeper the building will sink in to the site.
This rules determines the amount of sq. feet needed to be removed and used vs the stone required to move towards the winery.
Thus the depth of the building and height of it would be affected by the quantity of stone required for construction. The more stone needed the deeper the building will sink in to the site.
Monday, September 15, 2008
More Mutations.....or Why Genetic Mutations Can Be Disastrous
In responding to this weekend's readings there are many different aspects of this topic to approach. The first having to do with domestication of biotechnology. Although Dyson seems to support this bright future of biotech for all, this could essentially lead to the destruction of mankind. Allowing people to have free reign over the evolution and creation of new mutations of plants and animals, like a science fiction novel we could technically produce something that would wipe out the human race. He comes from the approach of humans as gods; homo-sapiens dominating and reorganizing the biosphere. Although in many ways we have done just that: destroying and depleting natural resources, creating faux landscapes, and the introduction of manmade materials and chemicals into the environment all contribute to this mentality of reorganizing the biosphere. At the same time, what Dyson proposes is the future of biotechnology seems to take this to an extreme. While I admire his optimistic views on how it can benefit and reshape the world in a positive way, I think the negatives can completely overwhelm the pluses. Just look at what could happen with a genetic mutation that combines the SisemiM group...
Blending Mutations
Exploration of small mutations/variations in blending paths based on rules set by another partner. This can help us learn and develop further ideas on new rules as well as positioning within the site based on these rules.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Getting To Know Limestone
After delving into the properties of limestone, it was interesting to find out that its formation corresponds directly with our initial thought posts on site/building biomimicry (ie. poriferans, coral growth). Apparently most limestone is formed with the help of living organisms. Many marine organisms extract calcium carbonate from seawater to make shells or bones. Mussels, clams, oysters, and corals do this. So too do microscopic organisms such as foraminifera. When the organisms die their shells and bones settle to the seafloor and accumulate there. Wave action may break the shells and bones into smaller fragments, forming a carbonate sand or mud. Over millions of years, these sediments of shells, sand, and mud may harden into limestone. Coquina is a type of limestone containing large fragments of shell and coral. Chalk is a type of limestone formed of shells of microscopic animals.
We had also discussed the idea of creating situations/structures that can morph and mutate within the site. Along these same lines, limestone can go through a similar transformation. When limestone undergoes metamorphism, it turns into marble. If the limestone contains other materials such as sand and clay, the calcite will react with them to produce minerals such as tremolite, epidote, diopside, and grossular garnet.
Growing Bacteria in Petri Dishes
Getting Started....
What you need:
1.Petri dishes containing agar medium and nutrients
2.Bacteria from hands, sink, desk, etc
3.Wax pencil for labeling dishes
4.Masking tape for sealing the dishes
5.Bleach for disposing of the bacteria
What to do:
1.Prepared petri dishes should be refrigerated until used and always stored upside down (i.e media in upper dish, cover on bottom). This keeps condensation which forms in the lid from dropping onto and disrupting the bacteria growing surface.
2.When ready to use, let dishes come to room temperature before taking samples (about one hour).
3.Without tearing the agar surface, inoculate the dish by gently pressing fingers, finger nails, coin, etc onto agar surface. (Direct contact of lips or tongue is NOT a good idea.)
4.Replace cover on dish, tape closed, and label each dish so you know the source of the bacteria. Store upside down.
5.Let grow in undisturbed warm location, ideally in an environment around 100° F (37° C) - not in sunlight or on a heating register.
6.You should see growth within a couple of days. The dishes will start to smell which means the bacteria are growing.
7.Make observations and keep records of what you see growing in each dish. Can you make any conclusions about what objects had the most bacteria?
8.Before disposing of dishes in the trash the bacteria should be destroyed. Pour a small amount of household bleach over the colonies while holding dish over sink.
In this type of experiment, bacteria is transferred directly to the prepared petri dish via direct contact. You can test the effectiveness of different soaps by treating different petri dishes with "dirty" hands before washing and "clean" hands after washing. Or, you can press a variety of common objects like coins, combs, etc. on different plates and compare the bacteria growth that results. We will be doing this and looking at was of mutating the grow of said bacteria. Another more appropriate manner of collecting initial bacteria would be to use sterile swabs to collect the specimens.
Steps for this procedure where provided by this website:
http://secure.sciencecompany.com/Bacteria-Growing-Experiments-in-Petri-Dishes-W54C659.aspx
What you need:
1.Petri dishes containing agar medium and nutrients
2.Bacteria from hands, sink, desk, etc
3.Wax pencil for labeling dishes
4.Masking tape for sealing the dishes
5.Bleach for disposing of the bacteria
What to do:
1.Prepared petri dishes should be refrigerated until used and always stored upside down (i.e media in upper dish, cover on bottom). This keeps condensation which forms in the lid from dropping onto and disrupting the bacteria growing surface.
2.When ready to use, let dishes come to room temperature before taking samples (about one hour).
3.Without tearing the agar surface, inoculate the dish by gently pressing fingers, finger nails, coin, etc onto agar surface. (Direct contact of lips or tongue is NOT a good idea.)
4.Replace cover on dish, tape closed, and label each dish so you know the source of the bacteria. Store upside down.
5.Let grow in undisturbed warm location, ideally in an environment around 100° F (37° C) - not in sunlight or on a heating register.
6.You should see growth within a couple of days. The dishes will start to smell which means the bacteria are growing.
7.Make observations and keep records of what you see growing in each dish. Can you make any conclusions about what objects had the most bacteria?
8.Before disposing of dishes in the trash the bacteria should be destroyed. Pour a small amount of household bleach over the colonies while holding dish over sink.
In this type of experiment, bacteria is transferred directly to the prepared petri dish via direct contact. You can test the effectiveness of different soaps by treating different petri dishes with "dirty" hands before washing and "clean" hands after washing. Or, you can press a variety of common objects like coins, combs, etc. on different plates and compare the bacteria growth that results. We will be doing this and looking at was of mutating the grow of said bacteria. Another more appropriate manner of collecting initial bacteria would be to use sterile swabs to collect the specimens.
Steps for this procedure where provided by this website:
http://secure.sciencecompany.com/Bacteria-Growing-Experiments-in-Petri-Dishes-W54C659.aspx
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Interaction with Current Site
We have noticed some of the existing factory buildings near the dock. Similar to how coral requires some sort of existing structure (rocks) in its incipient stage, it would be interesting to use these old structures as a starting point for our own "coral". The strategy involves maintaining the exterior form but gutting or incorporating the interior of these structures for our biolab or monastery. We have found some interesting examples:
Merkx + Girod
http://www.dezeen.com/2007/12/04/a-shop-in-a-church-by-merkx-girod-architecten/
Hotel Installation by Arnes Quinze
http://www.dezeen.com/2008/07/06/rebirth-by-arne-quinze/
Studio by Work Architecture Company
http://www.dezeen.com/2008/08/04/dvf-studio-by-work-ac/
Merkx + Girod
http://www.dezeen.com/2007/12/04/a-shop-in-a-church-by-merkx-girod-architecten/
Hotel Installation by Arnes Quinze
http://www.dezeen.com/2008/07/06/rebirth-by-arne-quinze/
Studio by Work Architecture Company
http://www.dezeen.com/2008/08/04/dvf-studio-by-work-ac/
Monday, September 8, 2008
Poriferans...
...or sponges as they are commonly known.
Carnivorous Sponges
http://www.accessexcellence.org/WN/SUA04/carniverous_sponge.php
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article1801133.ece
Glass Sponges
This is a close up of one kind of glass sponge.
Here are a couple sites that talk about sponges. They are pretty simple but the have the information that one might need, as well as images.
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/porifera/poriferamm.html
http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/faculty/sally_leys/uploads/personal/Glass%20sponge%20ecology.htm
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artjun06/rh-florida.html
Carnivorous Sponges
http://www.accessexcellence.org/WN/SUA04/carniverous_sponge.php
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article1801133.ece
Glass Sponges
This is a close up of one kind of glass sponge.
Here are a couple sites that talk about sponges. They are pretty simple but the have the information that one might need, as well as images.
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/porifera/poriferamm.html
http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/faculty/sally_leys/uploads/personal/Glass%20sponge%20ecology.htm
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artjun06/rh-florida.html
From 8,000 Feet
Six site strategy explorations using microscopic bio images as well as natural landscapes. Focus on growth processes, bark expansion/compression, the shedding/regeneration of skin, fish scale flexibility, natural hole growths and crystalization, and finally the dynamic between permanent/temporary structures in nature.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Mimesis/sisemiM
Mimesis - n. the imitative representation of nature and human behavior in art and literature
Shedding Skins/Reusing Waste
Everything sheds. Look around at nature and you will see some process of shedding the old to allow for the regeneration of the new. Trees shed their leaves in the fall, dogs shed their fur, lizards, spiders and snakes shed their skins, birds shed feathers, and so on. But where do we ever see a shedding process within architecture? Constantly we see this process of shedding in the natural world where the old is reused in the environment. Fungi and bacteria break down and reuse the hair and skin cells that are shed. Trees recycle the energy from the leaves that are lost in the fall as they decompose. Uneaten fruit that some trees produce can be reabsorbed into the soil to help renourish the tree as well as provide the potential for propagation through seeds.
How can a building not only regenerate and renew its "skin" on a basis as well as provide nourishment for its surrounding habitat? What kind of materials can we apply to buildings that will not only help the general upkeep but also benefit the landscape that encompases the structure. Self-sustainable buildings are in a way beginning to approach a similar idea as the tree, but I think the next step is to not only have self-sustainable buildings, but buildings that have a direct and positive interaction with the landscape they inhabit.
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