Still in the early stages...

After some initial stages of research, I found that I was quite interested in the different characteristics that Coral had to offer. It is regenerative, structural and uses photosynthetic unicellular algae to obtain a majority of their energy.

Following my desk crit on Thursday afternoon, Coral seemed to be too broad and I had to refocus what exactly it was that I was trying to achieve. So I looked into more specific types of coral to see what I could possibly achieve with steel and came across Staghorn Coral.

Staghorn Coral is a type of coral that is highly endangered and consists of a system where the branches grow out in triangular elements. This branching system enables greater compressive strength and could possibly be an inspiration for new bridge designs that utilizes a more minimal amount of steel without compromising it's stability. (Still quite a basic idea...)





Looking into other types of possible ideas I also came across Mangrove Trees which grow in Tropic and Subtropical areas and have remarkable root systems that have the ability to grow in unstable soils. These type of trees can deal with violent storms that hit the coasts and can prevent erosion by stabilizing shorelines with their root systems. Many animals and marine life find shelter in the roots or branches of these trees creating what is essentially a Mangrove ecosystem. Perhaps taking the route of observing systems as a whole might deem more beneficial for inspiration...


I too, am in the same boat as Tricia, not wanting to commit quite just yet as there are far too many possibilities and no restrictions with this project. ( I guess we take that for granted most of the time)

Hopefully, over the time frame of the next couple days I will finally settle upon something I am truly content with as I delve further into my research...