development stages.

Following the past couple days, I seem to have strayed from my previous paths of examining Mangrove ecosystems. This was partially due to my indecisiveness of what I actually wanted to achieve and the fact that, although I found Mangrove roots to be extremely interesting, there was no systematic approach to the way they grew and were rather arbitrary. That being said, Mangroves didn't seem to be very conducive to the performance of steel and I decided to explore other plant species.

One plant that I previously did have interest in but didn't really research in-depth was the Venus Fly Trap.

I initially didn't look much into this carnivorous plant because, the well-known concept of catching something and trapping prey seemed like such a very simple and redundant idea.

However; what did interest me the most about the Venus-Fly trap was the fact that the trapping mechanism is actually specialized in a certain way to avoid non-prey stimuli or prey that can easily escape from being too small and may not be beneficial towards the plant to digest. Two of the trigger hairs surrounding the lobe must be touched in succession within 20 seconds of each other or one hair must be touched twice in rapid succession, whereupon the lobes of the trap will snap shut in about 0.1 seconds. In the open, untripped state, the lobes of the plant are convex, but in the closed state, the lobes are concave due to the rapid flipping motion when closing the trap.

This then inspired an idea for a canopy that would act as a shading device during sunny days and could possibly collect rainwater. My initial idea was that this canopy could also have a water fountain, and when a certain amount of rainwater would be collected, the canopy would enclose and filter the water allowing it to be used for drinking water below and what not. This didn't seem to be a very successful idea as it would only be useful for when it rained (about only 10-15 days a month) and a certain volume also couldn't be controlled.
So the idea progressed into a structure that would still be a shading device during sunny days and transform into shelter/protection from the rain through a flipping mechanism in panels that would (when closed) be a protected canopy. The idea of sensitivity from the rain still has to be further developed but...

Here are some sketches ...still in the works










I feel more confident that I am finally moving in some sort of direction
..as I should be because, it's ...eeks... almost the 3rd week of 2nd semester! (technically the 4th)

I have yet to watch the TED video Vince just posted on plant behaviour, but I have a feeling that I will no doubt gain some interesting insight from it.

More to come... time to sleep ..it is now 2:45am...(did anyone else notice the time posting for this blog is completely wrong?)

Design Development

After researching the likes of both Omar Khan and Achim Menges in attempt to merge the two concepts I was looking at before-pine cones and their ability to change in response to the environment and the natural structure of insect wings-I found that I was beginning to look at biomimicry as merely a representation of shape and structure rather than taking performance and natural response into consideration. In saying that, I have reverted back to my original concept of the pine cone which has the ability to passively respond to the environment-a more accurate interpretation in terms of biomimicy!

Taking from the natural performance of the pine cone responding to humidity, I am beginning to look at how individual components of a structure can rotate or change their position (passively) in response to the weather -increasing or decreasing permeability.
As of right now my design is looking toward somehow collecting rainwater /the weight of rainwater acting as a means of initiating the change in form.

Death Star

First lights made from lasers and then...

Core Sunlight Systems

A few students were interested in finding out a bit more about the core sunlight system that was discussed in studio.  The inventor of the system, Lorne Whitehead, has been working on the project for quite a while now and his research work may be found on his UBC website. 

Take note that this may prove to be a useful precedent as you proceed into the development of the projects later on in the term that pertain to building envelope, performance, and biomimetic innovation.'

Plant Behaviour

I thought that it would be relevant to take a look at the behaviour of plants through the eyes of noted professor Stefano Mancuso. As a renowned researcher on plants, he gave a TED talk a while back which showcased several vegetation responses ranging from the various tropisms to communication and to even "play".

iterations and different ideas

VS


Green house temperatures are regulated by conventional means such as forced air heating, radiators and radiant floor heating. Heat Balance in plants or animals is dependent on size and openings.I've been exploring two different approaches by changing the interior volume and no of openings. first i explored 3d Voronoi structures that morph and open based on the seasons. then i explored the mechanics of bone, ligaments and tendons mimicking the movement of my hand and the way it creates a space that changes in volume and openings.

Progress Report 3

Starting to work out some of the details for the central spine of the design.
The detail seen in image 1 is more rigid and as such, is less likely to twist due to moment. The detail in image 2 however is likely to be closer to the final design. This is due to the fact that the twisting of the steel cables will produce angles that will have to be dealt with by moving the anchor* rings in multiple directions.

* - I name these "anchor" rings since they anchor the spine to the steel cables. The resultant bridge is self supporting by virtue of the bunching and twisting of the cables, just as muscle tissue and plant cells are.


Image 1

Image 2