Self Organization

Image Source: www.twine.com/.../complexity-710641.jpeg

Cellular biological materials have intricate interior structure, self-organized in hierarchies to produce modularity, redundancy and differentiation. For example foam geometries of cellular materials offer open and ductile structural system that are strong and permeable, making them an attractive paradigm for the developments in material science and for new structural system in architecture and engineering.
Source: www. mrsec.uchicago.edu/Comp_in_Sci/schedule_old.shtml

In recent years new strategies for design and new techniques for making materials and large construction have emerged based on biological models of the processes by which natural material forms are produced.



Fig left: Typical functional building mass-
representing ‘60-’70 style
Fig right: Now architect in the world is trying to incorporate at least some
green building principles into each new building design
because this is what the world demands.
Image Source:www.bdonline.co.uk/Pictures/468xAny



Fig Left : A scanning electron micrograph of normal human cancellous
(spongy) bone.
Source: www.scienceclarified.com/.../uesc_09_img0522.jpg
Fig Right: Soap Bubble , like cell membranes, is made of long molecules.
One end of the molecule mixes easily with water (a property
known as "hydrophilic"), the other end doesn't (a property
known as "hydrophobic").
Source: www.exploratorium.edu/.../hex-bubbles-sm.jpg



Fig : electron microscope image, showing normal bone architecture
Source: www.scielo.br/img/fbpe/sa/v56n3/n3a30f1.gif

What is a Solid Foam?

Solid foams are cellular materials, i.e. materials which are made up from a framework of solid material surrounding gas-filled voids (bubbles). Solid foams can be 100 times lighter than the equivalent solid material.

Natural solid foams include wood, bone and sea sponges. The bee's honeycomb is a two-dimensional cellular structure:

Recent developments in metal foams, especially aluminium, have produced a new class of lightweight materials,
which are excellent energy absorbers. This property is useful in reducing the impact of a car crash.



Fig Left:The surfactants incorporated in the foam structure
stabilize it by increasing its flexibility, and inhibiting the
bulk liquid drainage
Source: www.d-foam.com/Foam.html
Fig Right:Image of trabecular bone structure in human vertebrae
Source: www.aamacdowell@lbl.gov


Image Source: www.palaeo-electronica.org/2006_1/sponge/fig4.htm

Figure 4.1-4.26. 1. Gaudryina accelerata Natland. Trapped specimen. Shipek grab TUL99A015, sponge fraction. 2-3. Gaudryina accelerata. Loose specimen. 2. side view. 3. oblique view showing aperture. Surface of IKU sample TUL99A07 ("forams"), sponge fraction. 4-5. Gaudryina subglabrata Cushman and McCulloch. Trapped and impaled specimen. 4. oblique view showing apertural end. 5. side view. Shipek grab TUL99A018 sponge. 6. Gaudryina subglabrata. General view of loose specimen. Shipek grab TUL99A018, <1 mm. 7. Karreriella bradyi (Cushman). Side view, loose specimen. Slurp gun sample SLRP4775, <1 mm. 8. Karreriella bradyi. General view of specimen removed from meshwork showing scars due to the presence of spicules. Triggerweight core TUL99A010, 85-88 cm depth, >1 mm. 9-10. Karreriella bradyi. Trapped and impaled specimen. 9. side view (aperture at bottom). 10. oblique view showing aperture just above a spicule. Shipek grab TUL99A016 sponge fraction. 11. Karreriella bradyi. Trapped specimen. Aperture is hidden behind the vertical spicule at the front. Shipek grab TUL99A017 sponge fraction. 12-13. Martinottiella pallida (Cushman). 12. side view of loose specimen. 13. close-up of aperture. Slurp gun sample SLRP4772 <1 mm. 14-15. Martinottiella pallida, impaled on sponge spicules. 14. apertural (or foraminal) view. 15. side view. The two dark circles on the sides of the specimen of Figure 4.15 are the broken ends of spicules crossing the test. Shipek grab TUL99A018, sponge fraction. 16-17. Placopsilina sp., growing attached to sponge meshwork. 16. side view; the aperture is at the right end and faces to the right. 17. close-up of aperture. Triggerweight core TUL02A20, sample 0-3 cm, >1 mm. 18. Telammina fragilis Gooday and Haynes. Five chambers attached to sponge meshwork. Shipek grab TUL99A015, sponge fraction. 19. Telammina fragilis. Four chambers with stolon-like connections between chambers. Triggerweight core TUL99A010, 85-88 cm depth, >1 mm. 20-21. Telammina fragilis. Five chambers on sponge meshwork. 20. general view. 21. close-up of broken stolon between the last 2 chambers of Figure 4.20. Triggerweight core TUL99A010, 85-88 cm depth, >1 mm. 22. Indeterminate arenaceous ball. Foraminifer? Isolated chamber of T. fragilis? Slurp gun sample SLRP4771, sponge fraction. 23. Indeterminate arenaceous ball. Foraminifer? Slurp gun sample SLRP4771, <1 mm. 24. ?Tolypammina sp. (possibly Tolypammina schaudinni Rhumbler) attached to meshwork (behind) and on a trochamminid (below). Shipek grab TUL99A017, sponge fraction. 25. ?Tolypammina sp. (possibly T. schaudinni) attached to meshwork. Shipek grab TUL99A015, sponge fraction. 26. ?Tolypammina sp. (possibly T. schaudinni) attached on meshwork. Shipek grab TUL99A017, sponge fraction.

Source: http://palaeo-electronica.org/2006_1/sponge

Oram leaves- Deep looking in Nature . . .

Image Source: www.manager-magazin.de/img/0,1020,299655,00.jpg
page 291,297

- Its srtuctural stiffness
- Anti water absorbent physics
Self Academic Research Project- Strcutural Parametrics
Studio Xtos, by Hasan Ahmed, Dia_WS_2008-09.





Molecular Structuralization

The process, known as ‘free living radical polymerization,’ can produce honeycomb structure at a molecular level, although the controlled formation of the honeycomb morphology at larger scale Is still in research.


Fig Left: Soap bubble
Fig Right: Structural formation_ Metal foam
Source: www.azom.com/images/

Water Cube, Beijing China


New expressions- Water Cube, Beijing China
he change in technology and technique not only allows for a change but in addition these techniques might allow engineers, architects and designer to program their structures to the needs of site and inhabitant in an much better way within reasonable planning efforts and probably gain for more identity giving ndividualised buildings.

Instead of combining solid materials to elements of higher complexity, the computer controlled manufacturing will reduce the complexity of the building process and ight end up in buildings, which achieve today’s demands in terms of insulation, water and sound resistance, as well as comfort in a better way. This provides the chance to ain new construction methods which achieve sustainability; are sparing in the use of materials and energy and enable new architectural expressions.


Fig : The Olympic Swimming Pool at Beijing resembles a
foam structure. The non-standard construction was developed
within a parametric model, based on evolutionary strategies.
Source: www.rtejournal.de/.../1109/dippArticle-11.jpg

So, the building became an boxy grid that's broken down into precise, irregularly shaped "chunks." What to do now? What to cover it with? Well, they decided to go with a space-age material (literally) that has made an appearance in a few buildings already. (The most famous of those now is Herzog and de Meuron's Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. The brilliance in Munich is that this stadium is shared by two teams and can be lit blue or red, depending on which team is hosting a game.)
The design is just brilliant and obscure. The inspiration? A bunch of bubbles. Yes, a bunch of bubbles. Apparently, bubbles have a couple of ways they naturally arrange themselves, and each provides great stability. The team started running with it. How to make these bubbles? Will it be as stable as expected? Well, bring on the computers. There was some analysis to be done.

Source: www.hawtaction.com/2008/08/olympic-building.


Source: www.grandbuild.ashui.com/tag/etfe

This material is called ETFE, a translucent plastic. It lets in more light and solar heat than glass, which heats the building and cuts energy costs by 30%. Thirty percent! The bubble-grid is wrapped in the ETFE (as you can see above.) On the outside, though? It wasn't a simple wrapping. Because each of the "bubbles" was a unique shape, each ETFE covering had to be cut precisely, sewn into a pillow and inflated.
Once they are set up, they can be lit by LEDs (light emitting diodes) that allow the bubbles to be colored whatever color God wants them to be. Each of those pillows has a hose hooked into the back of it that maintains the pillow's pressure. Each pillow, in fact, has sensors it uses to measure the pressure and turn on that hose if necessary.
Www.grandbuild.ashui.com/tag/etfe

Other Examples :

The attractiveness of this method will even rise, when composite materials can be produced within a 3D-Print process. For instance a material composed of an inner light and aeriferous and thus insulating material and outer solid substrate, giving form and water tightness, would be self-evident. The total prescience of the structure and their properties allows furthermore for adoption and calculation at a local level due to the usage of high developed IT-techniques.



Fig. : Structures from Nature, as the porous but yet stable
bone, or the fractal structure of shark skin may serve as
blueprint for the formation of the interior and exterior of
printed walls
Source: www.rtejournal.de/.../1109/dippArticle-6.jpg

The Center for IT and Architecture at the Royal Academy of Fine arts School of Architecture deals to a great extend with this idea of programmable materials. This idea is initially implemented in textile fabrics, which can be produced in myriads of different structures, colours and shape. Furthermore they have been bespoken for all times – being the forerunner for individualised customizing. Today’s interactive textiles can be produced which not only emit energy or light within the fabrics layer. By combining textiles with shape memory materials textiles can even be accentuated, which will permit a broad range of new applications. Structures produced with RP-Technology might have a similar destiny in the future, as the technology offers control down to the smallest parts of the structure.

Minimizing the complexity

In some cases case, when the scaling of 3d-Printingtechnology succeeds. Research done at the University of Southern California shows the potential application of large scale 3d-PrintingTechnology to produce structures the size of a house.


Fig. 5: Sliver – interactive Textile,
which is enabled to get in contact with
its surrounding due to its ability to emit
lightsignals made by Mette Ramsgrad
Thomesn (head of CITA)
Source: www.rtejournal.de/.../1109/dippArticle-5.jpg

This scaling of 3D-Print technology will ease the building process – whenever different layers of a structure had to be mounted manually before, a 3D-Printing technology permits not only the processing of formerly unbuildable shapes in large scale, but also inhabits costly faults, which occur inevitably within the manual assembly of composite materials on the building site.

Stabilight Bridge project


Fig : Stabilight Bridge project – John William –
University of Bath Great Britain

Such a parametric design process gives the building industry a powerful tool to handle the complexity to a far better extend. Within a parametric process, the geometry of the building is fully or in part processed by a program, which is dependent on parameters. This might be a higher level hierarchy of a superstructure, necessities of construction, results from simulation tools or aesthetic considerations. All of those parameters have in common that a multitude of changes within a system of relating geometries and properties can be achieved by a slight change of e.g. one external parameter. Furthermore structure itself can be generated and optimised by self-learning systems, which in some cases lead to unpredicted results, as seen in the so called Stabilight-Bridge –project, wherein the form of a new bridge made was solely calculated by optimised force distribution.

Source: www.rtejournal.de/.../1109/dippArticle-9.jpg

Jellyfish House


Fig. Jellyfish House - Iwamoto Scott architects–
Tiling of the structure processed with parametric software
Image Source: www.rtejournal.de/.../1109/dippArticle-8.jpg

Individualised concepts in architecture often lead to complex form. In order to to gain full control of the process of their making, not solely the right technology but especially the appropriate Tools and techniques have to be invented. Only mature CAD Systems are able to control the amount of complex geometry and dependencies which is for instance necessary to build a curved glass facade. A shift from a modular but 2D- Drawing approach, still common to architectural practice, towards the parametric generation of 3D-Data describing the individual parts to be built, is necessary.

Source: www.rtejournal.de/.../1109/dippArticle

Structure Optimisation_Cancellous Bone Tissues: High Strength to Weight ratio


Fig. Microscopic structure bones

An interesting example of lightweight, redundant and highly-differentiated structures in nature, which drive the biomimetic research in order to derive morphological and performance properties that will inform the design process of our project, is found in bone tissues, especially bird skulls tissues.
Skulls in general are extraordinary impact-resistant structures and extremely light at the same time as they protect the most important organs of an animal body and this performance and physical property can be applied in structure or architecture design. ‘Lightweight’ can be defined by the ratio of the active or life load is carried over its dead load, being the longer the better; in other words, the more loads a structure can carry with least structural inherent weight, the better. Most of the bone tissues, especially in larger song bird skulls, are build up from non-directional spongiosa cells, which mean they are configured by pneumatized cells that allow air voids between solid material areas reducing the overall weight of the structure without affecting its strength. The resultant configuration of the system is a highly strong and highly lightweight material system where the main structural performance relies on different cell components that are integrated into a major pneumatized system and it is not focalized just on the outer layer. In fact, the bone tissues of song bird skulls are formed by very thin external lamellas that enclose a sponge cancellous tissue.
In the case of small song bird’s skulls such as Carrion Crows and Magpies, the configuration is based on elongated differentiated cells in a single or two-story air-package area. This morphological configuration provides an acoustic function distributing air at the inner layer but also determines a light and strong structure. The regional cells then are distributed in a manner that can provide a multi-function performance.In regards to material properties, bone’s tensile strain (0.011 N/m2) and compression strain (0.015 N/m2) is quite similar to a wide range of synthetic resins as it is shown on the Resin’s structural performance chapter, relating the material investigation to Biomimetic research in terms of generating achieving a similar structural capacity of bones both in a material level and a morphological level at the same time.

Source: www.andres.harris.cl/.../2007/10/bonetissues.jpg





Sources: Www.andres.harris.cl/.../2007/10/bonetissues.jpg
Www.andres.harris.cl/?page_id=32

Manufacturing Diversity

Manufacturing Diversity

Recent Development of digital fabrication and computer aided manufacturing (CAM) in the building sector have a profound impact on Architecture as a material practice. The new advance process of using steel, timber and membrane fabrication and the whole construction process need precise manufacturing and investigation. Some world leading manufacturing companies for example- CoverTex, Finnforest Merk, Octatube Space Structure, Seel and Sky span.

Architecture as a material practice as well as it is designing our life- changed rapidly last few decades through the increasing number of geometrically complex design using totally a different way of manufacturing and installation process. The material become much more diverse and uniq than in days of mass production and standardization of building element/ building system. The most important innovation behind this new system is the computer aided manufacturing which using Computer Aided Design(CAD) data as a input and mass precise physical units- are too complex to make manual process. So this Critical evolution shifts the whole paradigm from mass production to production of different building element ans system. Initially the manual process called Control Numerical (CN) was used for metal working application developed by US army.

This divers range and emergent digital manufacturing process by the world leading companies
drive us to draw the outline of advanced manufacturing and fabrication for the future tectonic
possibilities in architecture design. For example - Octatube space structure they are using computer aided composite sandwich manufacturing and Explosive panel forming technology.
For building example- such technics has used in Municipal Florida Pavilion in Hoofddrop. Explosive forming technique is used to create 3D metallic panels of different size ,shapes,
curvature and depth. Actually in this process the sheet metals are forced to melt into dies through the detonation of explosive under water and the vacuum creates the cavity and shape uniformly.

This Digitally driven membrane engineering and Fabrication, CNC penalization, Integrated steel
and glass facade construction , robotic timber manufacture process all these are the existing and
emerging manufacture technics of digital production still has a huge possibilities of undiscovered
potential of new innumerable new means.

Actually this whole article deals with in depth research into the current possibilities and future
perspectives of fully integrated computer aided design and manufacturing- presenting with some
world leading new companies and the process of Installation , construction and real challenges.

Source: Achime Menges’s article, 2006, Manufacturing diversity AD 76/2,Page 180)


Fig: Explosive formed plate access hole in Fermilab vacuum vessel.


Explosive forming

The technique of shaping metal by means of explosions has been around since the late nineteenth century. It was first used for engraving and punching iron sheets and entailed applying explosives directly to the iron. The thickness of the sheet determined the depth of the relief. In the early twentieth century, explosive forming was used chiefly in the weapons industry. After the Second World War, the technique was used in the space industry for producing complex, double curved components like the top of the Saturn V rocket, but also for fuel filters, corrugated panels and asymmetrical exhaust elements for the very first jet engine planes.

Nowadays explosive forming, also known as High Energy Rate Forming (HERF), is used not only in the aerospace industry but also in the energy and construction sectors. As well as double curve panels, it is especially suitable for embossing flat sheets of metal. Nearly all types of metal – aluminium, steel, stainless steel, nickel and titanium – can be formed using explosive forming techniques.

There are two different methods – direct (contact) and indirect (standoff). In the direct method the explosive charge is applied directly to the sheet of metal. The force of the explosion presses the sheet into a mould and so shapes it. This method, which entails a lot of force and a high risk of production defects, is no longer used.

In the indirect method the explosive charge is transmitted via a liquid medium. The workpiece is placed on a die and a vacuum is created in the cavity between metal and die. The whole is then hoisted into a bath of liquid. The explosive charge is placed above the sheet of metal in the liquid and detonated, forcing the metal into the die at very high speed. Standoff explosive forming usually takes place in a tank of water, but other liquids are also used. The most commonly used explosives are TNT and RDX (Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, an explosive material often used in military weapons today but which was still being prescribed as a medicine in 1890).

Explosive forming uses a single die half which must of course be able to withstand the force of the explosion but otherwise the choice of material depends chiefly on the cost and processing involved. Steel and aluminium are favourites but there are also instances of MDF and concrete being used.

Compared with other metal forming techniques, explosive forming has several advantages. It allows large objects up to ten metres in length to be formed in a single operation, and it can deform sheets of stainless steel up to six centimetres thick. It requires less post-formation tooling which puts less strain on the metal. It can also cope with anodised or coated metal sheets which leads to lower overall costs than other techniques such as vacuum forming and pressing. Explosive forming is especially suited to making prototypes or small production runs, although larger runs can also be produced by deforming several sheets simultaneously.

Source: Http://www.materia.nl/583.0.html?&tx_ttnews[tt_news]

Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)

Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) is the use of computer-based software tools that assist engineers and machinists in manufacturing or prototyping product components. CAM is a programming tool that makes it possible to manufacture physical models using computer-aided design (CAD) programs. CAM creates real life versions of components designed within a software package. CAM was first used in 1971 for car body design and tooling.

Recent developments of digital fabrication and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) in building sector have a profound impact on architecture as a material practice. In last 5 decades- the design and construction methods changed radically beyond regular forms.
Source: Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_Computer-Aided_Manufacturing



Fig: Advanced Processed applied in steel, Timber and membrane febrication and construction

CAM- Computer aided manufacturing

Herzog and De Meuron's Allianz Arena


Fig: CAM Panel assembling
1st Image Courtsy: www.admin.technion.ac.il
2nd Image Curtsy: www.sponsoring.allianz.com/nopi_downloads/photos/


Image Curtsy: www.sponsoring.allianz.com/nopi_downloads/photos/



Fig : Construction of allianz arena’, munich (germany), 2004 (finished 2005)
Architect: herzog and de meuron
Image courtesy: www.designboom.com/contemporary/stadium.html


Construction Phases



Image Curtsy: www.sponsoring.allianz.com/nopi_downloads/photos/



Munich's world cup stadium Allianz Arena is the most modern football stadium in Europe. It has been inaugurated in 2005, one year before the FIFA world cup took place in Germany.

Allianz Arena Munich This futuristic looking stadium is the home of two German Soccer League teams: the famous FC Bayern Munich and the TSV 1860, also called Löwen (engl.: Lions).

The facade consists of inflated panels, that can be lighted from inside and shine in three different colors: white if there's no match, red for FC Bayern Munich and blue for the Lions TSV 1860. Colors can be mixed for special events and make a great spectacle at night.

Source: www.inside-munich.com/allianz-arena-munich.html

Some World Leading Manufacturing Companies

CoverTEX



1st Image: Exibition Stand "Bionics" for Siemens, Dresden, Germany
2nd Image: BMW Clean Energy, EXPO in Hanover, Germany
During the international EXPO 2000, BMW exhibited a model of the
technical progress of hydrogen technology.

Source: http://www.covertex.de

Finnforest Merk



Wood is the only renewable construction material. It is aesthetic, elegant and has endless structural possibilities. Those features, coupled with Finnforest's extensive experience, unite to form the most impressive constructions made of wood.
When building with wood or any other material, a diverse product range and comprehensive know-how from planning to realisation are needed. Finnforest has products for simple buildings as well as the most complex public projects.

Source: http://www.finnforest.co.uk

Expo Dach- by Finnforest



Location: Hannover, Germany
Building year: 2000
Architect: Herzog + Partner
Structural designer:
Constructor:Customer:
Deutsche Messe AG.
Source: http://www.finnforest.co.uk

Woodcoaster- by Finnforest



Location: New Jersey, USa
Building year: 2005
Architect: Structural designer: Constructor: Intamin Transportation Ltd.
Customer: Finnforest materials used: Kerto tracks

Engineer: Stengel GmbH, Munich
Source: http://www.finnforest.co.uk

Skyspan

The Skyspan Group offers the benefits of the largest membrane manufacturing and fabrication capabilities in the world plus the technical expertise arising from our long history of successful completion of prestige projects around the world.

Waldstadion Frankfurt, Germany



Size : 9,500 sqm PVC-PES retractable
22,500 sqm PTFE-Glass

Material : PVC-Polyester fabric
PTFE-Fibreglass fabric

Client : Stadion GmbH Frankfurt, Germany Contractor
Max Bögl GmbH & Co. KG, Neumarkt, Germany

Architects : gmp, Berlin, Germany
gmp, Frankfurt, Germany

Engineer: Schlaich Bergermann & Partner, Stuttgart, Germany

Membrane Consultant: Kurt Koch, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland

Membrane Engineering: Skyspan (Europe) GmbH, Rimsting, Germany
IF Ingenieurgemeinschaft Flaechentragwerke,
Reichenau, Germany

Cables: Pfeifer Seil & Hebetechnik GmbH,
Memmingen, Germany

Source: http://www.skyspan-umbrellas.com.au/

Architectural Membranes Database:

We welcome you to the exciting world of Architectural Membrane Architecture - the building material for the new millennium. We invite you to let your creative talents run free.

Architectural membranes - these fascinating building materials appeal to the everyone’s visual and aesthetic senses - building upon the purest natural forms in design and construction.

Seeming to float weightlessly, these versatile architectural materials can be used to create vast spans, light-flooded places, unique lighting effects, yet they are weather resistant, immensely strong, durable, technically advanced and most of all, cost effective.

The endless creative possibilities of membranes give architects and designers a wonderful opportunity to communicate their vision. The unique possibility to make free flowing shapes; to integrate with other materials; to contrast transparency and opacity - to challenge the senses.

Introducing the materials

PTFE-Fibreglass fabric
Top range fabric, for permanent structures only, high reflectance, maintenance free, self-cleaning, highest fire resistance, limited colour possibilities, light transmission up to 20 %, life expectancy over 25 years

PVC-Polyester fabric
Economic product line for temporary, permanent and retractable structures, easy-to-clean surface properties, self-extinguishing, various colours, light transmission up to 15%, life expectancy 15 to 20 years

ETFE membrane
High grade films for air-supported roof or facade modules, double or multi-layer system for insulation, self-cleaning, lowest fire load, self-extinguishing, hail-resistant, clear or white, limited colour possibilities, light transmission up to 90 %, life expectancy over 20 years

Translucent PVC-membrane
Translucent membrane for light ceilings, easy-to-clean surface properties, self-extinguishing, light transmission 70 %, life expectancy 10 to 15 years

Uncoated fabric
Highest class woven membrane, for permanent and especially retractable shading structures, optimum folding capability, non-waterproof, non-flammable, extreme UV-resistant, high reflectance, limited colour possibilities, light transmission up to 35 %, life expectancy of over 20 years

Mesh fabric
Open weave nets made of compounds, materials or stainless steel for windbreaks, shading, acoustic liners, interior design colours, flame rate and life expectancy depending on material

Source: http://www.skyspan-umbrellas.com.

Self-Organisation and Material Constructions

Modularity, redundancy and differentiation can be found profoundly in cellular biological materials.

Geometrical, open, close, strong and ductile, these structural systems offer a paragon to be worked out in material science and structural systems in architecture as material practice.

In our era new strategies and approaches have emerged for design through new techniques and technologies based on biological models.

The Characteristics of Self-Organisation from molecular and cellular level up to global levels of the structure

Nanotubes

S. Lee, Yoon 'SELF-ASSEMBLY AND NANOTECHNOLOGY', 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

S. Lee, Yoon 'SELF-ASSEMBLY AND NANOTECHNOLOGY', 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

General Self-assembly schemes for the formation of Nanostructured materials

S. Lee, Yoon 'SELF-ASSEMBLY AND NANOTECHNOLOGY', 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Example of self-organised materials - Carbon Nanotubes

Shimizu TRY 2004 Mega-City Pyramid, Japan

Image Courtesy - Http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/engineering/pyramidcity/interactive/interactive.html

The Shimizu TRY 2004 Mega-City Pyramid is a proposed project for construction of a massive pyramid over Tokyo Bay in Japan. The structure would house 750,000 people.
The design relies on the future availability of super-strong lightweight materials based on carbon nanotubes.

The pyramid structure would be composed of 55 smaller pyramids stacked five high.

Megatrusses :
Built of Carbon nano-tubing, these supporting struts
could be coated with photovoltic film to harvest sunlight
for electricity. The self sustaining city could also get
electricity by harnessing ocean currents, and even
from fuel cells powered by algae.

Skyscrapers :
These 30- story high building would be supported
from above as well as below, connected to the city
pyramidal exterior with light weight carbon nano-tubing.
The idea originated during1980s design competition
to address urban crowding.

Robots:
The finciul architectural plans would call for some
of the city to be built by robots, which would
assemble the struts and trusses.

Images and text: tp://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/engineering/pyramidcity/interactive/interactive.html

Polymers

FLEXIBLE POLYPROPYLENE HONEYCOMB PANELS


ROWNELL, Blaine 'Transmaterial' - ©2006 Princeton Architectural Press


PadLab makes Flexicomb by fusing thousands of closely packed polypropylene tubes on one end to form a flexible honeycomb. The production of Flexicomb begins with a set of tightly compressed cylinders. When the ends of the closely packed tubes are heated, they fuse into a matrix of hexagons.

ROWNELL, Blaine 'Transmaterial' - ©2006 Princeton Architectural Press


Kevlar is perhaps the best-known manufactured organic fibre, because of its unique combination of material properties, it is now widely used in many industrial applications. However, it has yet to be used widely in architectural construction.

Materials in nature respond to the conditions, for instance load. Bone is a cellular solid, a porous material, formed from very small connected structures. And it’s strength and density changes in response of activity, respectively age.

www.manxbonezone.com/so_you_have_osteoporosis.htm

Yahya, Harun - BIOMIMETICS:Technology Imitates Nature, GLOBAL PUBLISHING, 2006

www.andres.harris.cl/?page_id=45

Even today, the Eiffel Tower is accepted as a marvel of engineering, but the event that led to its design took place back to 40 years before its construction. This was a study in Zurich aimed at revealing "the anatomical structure of the thigh bone.”

Yahya, Harun - BIOMIMETICS:Technology Imitates Nature, GLOBAL PUBLISHING, 2006

Self-assembly

The Radiolaria Design Used as a Model in Dome Design

Radiolaria and diatoms, organisms that live in the sea, are virtual catalogs
of ideal solutions to architectural problems. In fact, these tiny creatures have inspired a great many large-scale architectural projects. The U.S. Pavilion at EXPO ’76 in Montreal is just one example. The pavilion’s dome was inspired by the radiolarians.

Image courtesy : Wurm, Jan ‘Glass structures Design and Construction of self-supporting skins’ © 2007 Birkhäuser Verlag AG

‘Grown’ Materials

Layered molecule by molecule, to create distinctive micro-structures in thin films, making new combinations of metal and ceramic that are produced by design rather than ‘nature’.

There is new interest within the material science and industry in the use of ceramics as a structural material. Despite their numerous advantages ceramics lack the tensile strength which problem is being south to be found in biological models.

Examining the internal structures of the shells of a number of sea creatures, scientists noticed the extraordinary properties of abalone shells. Magnified 300,000 times with an electron microscope, the shell resembled a brick wall, with calcium carbonate “bricks” alternating with a protein “mortar.” Despite calcium carbonate’s essentially brittle nature, the shell was extremely strong due to its laminated structure and less brittle than man-made ceramics. Inspired by such models, scientists developed some very hard, resistant ceramic-metal composites.

Image courtesy: Yahya, Harun - BIOMIMETICS:Technology Imitates Nature, GLOBAL PUBLISHING, 2006

Material constructions

Design and construction strategies based on space-filling polyhedra and foam geometries.

Example: The ‘Watercube’ National Swimming Centre, Bejing

Bubbles, Image courtesy, http://www.eikongraphia.com/?p=63

Space in-between bubbles, Image courtesy, http://www.eikongraphia.com/?p=63

How can space be divided into cells of equal size with the least surface area between them? In 1993, Denis Weaire and Robert Phelan used a computer programme to propose a solution whereby three quarters of the cells have 14 sides, while the rest are dodecahedra with 12 sides. Both sets of cells have the same volume and it was this principle that was taken up for the Water Cube © Arup/PTW/CCDI

Image courtesy, INGENIA ISSUE 33 DECEMBER 2007

Biomimetics as an interdisciplinary collaboration makes obsolete the traditional way of thinking about materials as independent from form and structure.

Image courtesy: INGENIA ISSUE 33 DECEMBER 2007

The building's structural design is based on the natural formation of soap bubbles

Image courtesy: INGENIA ISSUE 33 DECEMBER 2007

TUBES AND BUBBLES
In Beijing, the structure forms a true space frame in which all members are framed into the nodes. This might seem inefficient in a country not prone to major earthquakes, but for the seismically active Beijing it provides a
perfect energy-absorbing structure. Arup decided to make the structure from simple circular tubes welded to spherical nodes at each end to simplify fabrication.

Conclusion:

The boundary between the ‘natural’ and ‘manufactured’ is soon going to diminish, where form, material and structure is going to be seen as a whole complex interaction. New materials and the way to use them is transforming architecture as material practice.

Excerpt from:
Michael Weinstock
2006: ‘Self-Organisation and Material Constructions
AD 76/2 = 180, p. 34-41

Summarised by: Banush Shyqeriu