Week 5: ORDINARY - MAGNUS LARSSON AND ALEX KAISER

Question

How can solidification of sand dunes and parametric architecture build vertical cities?

Microbial Lithification of Sand Dunes

Vertical Cities

Parametric Architecture

Sand Dune

Sand is a loose and granular material grains that comes from rock.

Sand dunes are mounds of windblown sand; forms a hill or ridge of sand which vary in sizes.The shape of individual dunes are equally variable. Shapes relates to the direction and strength of the wind forming it; as well as the amount of sand available. 

                                 

 Types of Dunes formed

They are formed over many years when windblown sand is trapped by beach grass or other stationary objects; known as sand catcher,

Without any stationary objects; wind caused the change of form and location of dunes as dunes are not permanent structures.

Issue: Desertification

The mystery of the missing hill! When sand particles on the hill being knocked by wind; causing them to collapse, particles collide; causing sheet flows. Therefore, in major dust storm, dunes may move tens of meters through such sheet flows; causing the dunes to move forward.

• Static stone become moving sand

• Pushing people away from their home

• Huge dune trying to swallow objects around

• Forced migration

Turning Dunes into Architecture

Anti-desertification method is used to prevent dunes disappear or moving about destroying habitats and causing damage to the eco-system. The cultivation of vegetation and the construction of walls are methods for desertification; but, being more ambitious and taking advantages of the existing environment thus improving land usage, Magnus Larsoon turn an unused sand dunes into a habitable, developed agriculture and live stock city. He proposed to transform loose sand into solidification sandstone to achieve water conservation, soil management, forestry, wildlife protection and poverty alleviation into that innovative idea to create transformation  and architectonic spaces that allow people to live literally in the dunes.

Solidification Dunes

What is solidification dunes? Solidification dunes means a process of cementation of sand; achieving through harnessing microbial activity by inducing carbonate precipitation (MICO) to solidify the problem sands. By turning the dunes into sandstone, this would be done by thousand of years on a normal geological process; but with flooding it with bacterium, it forms a kind of natural cement within 24 hours. The solidification of the sand is organised into an array of specific spatial structures to create capacity for dwellings. The structure is being used as a fence, supporting the sand storm thus the structure itself would generate a temperature difference between interior and exterior of the solidification dunes surface. The increase of spatial quality can be done downwards into the ground instead of constructing vertically due to climate issues as it is located at a desert area along with having a permaculture network. This will then improve water harvesting and improve habitable spaces below to achieve its thermal comfort.

Balloons as Space

The Bacterium would get into the dunes either by injecting it (on a massive scale) or by giant balloons filled with it – these would be place in the way of the moving dunes, which would wash over the balloons, which in turn would be popped allowing the bacteria to get into the sand. The whole thing would be a complement with the intended permaculture network on the specific spaces on the ground level. 

Structure

Comparing the internal structure of sand dunes to Gothic cathedrals; the grain of sand piled high form microscopic chains and networks in such a way that they carry most of the pressure from the weight of the material abound them. This is the architecture of sand:

This chains seem to behave like the soaring arches of Gothic cathedrals, which serve to transmit the weight of the roof, perhaps a great dome, outward to the walls, which bear the load.

Contemporary Metropolitan

Using bio cementation as a strategy - made from material such as rammed earth - when properly constructed can outlast timber-frame construction - need 10 or 20 times less energy to build than concrete or brick; known as contemporary.

Edward Glaeser argues that: 'Cities cannot build out but built up instead based on capitalist doctrines of hyper-density.' But to live in a skyscraper - smaller contained interior spaces are matched by exterior spaces that offer framed views of the street or landscape below with vertical volumes acting as supporting storage capacities, the raised and fluid grid allow for chance meeting in the sky; that is the metropolis.

Building Dune City Vertically DOWNWARDS?

Final outcome: A habitable anti-desertification structure made from the desert itself, a sand-stopping device made out of sand; dunes turned into a city.

WEEK 4: THE PIONEERING TECH-ASSISTED BUILDINGS FOR MVRDV

The title for the assignment is to write an article about "The Pioneering Tech-Assisted Buildings of MVRDV." 

Instructions are: Write an 800-999 word article with the title mentioned. Introduce your research question early in the article and include suggestions on what one can deduce as useful design principles toward the establishment of a design strategy for technology in architecture. Make reference to engineering, construction, materials, and detailing when discussing technology as you relate it to the experiential and theoretical aspects of architecture. 

MVRDV’s projects are shaped by explorations of the statistical spatial data, relating to contexts and constraints. They also engages with the concept of sustainability across a wide range of scales and approaches which links to technology that assist the building design and brings enormous potential research, experimentation and testing from large scale and small scales of projects.

MARKHTAL ROTTERDAM

Based on the research question ‘how MRDV uses spatial planning that will affect the usage of building technology; increase the building performance towards the end user?’

SPACES > FUNCTION > BUILDING MATERIALS > BUILDING TECHNOLOGY > BUILDING PERFORMANCE

With that, a case study from the Markhtal Rotterdam will be analysed to look into the design principles toward the establishment of design strategy for technology in architecture. Markhtal Rotterdam is a mixed-use development that houses a huge market floor under an arch of apartments. The market hall is located at a historic location; having its unique arch shape with colourful interior and the height turns Markthal into a unique spectacle.

 

Markthal with its daily fresh food market space, shops and apartments creates coherence and connections in the neighbourhood; but due to statutory reasons in future, market place are not allowed at outdoor areas. 

Therefore, the market is being designed under a roof connecting seamlessly to the entrances of Markthal; allowing public to easily enter and exit the building creating an incentives between outdoor and indoor; at the same time, it can be closed off due to weather conditions. 

Keeping the closure as transparent as possible a cable net façade was chosen which needs very few constructive elements. Having a miracle of engineering together with their advance building technology, the art piece inside is visible from the outside.

Its lush shapes and colours invite the public to enter the building; on the other hand, having the grey natural stone on the exterior, goes together seamlessly with the pavements; to emphasis onto the interior.

The demanded programme – housing, parking and a market hall – asked for an obvious solution: 2 residential tower with an economically constructible market hall in between; opening towards the city. In order to make the construction more efficient where wall and roof to be connected, a curve was chosen; adding spaces at lower floors for extra retail spaces. 

The first basement floor features an expedition court to which the delivery can happen with vans, from this exhibition court freight elevators reach the market hall. In this way inhabitants are not hindered by distribution activities that often occur in the early hours of the morning. The delivery for these stores is organised through an underground tunnel leading to hidden elevators at Binnenrotte square. 

Inhabitants have storage rooms and shared bicycle rooms in the basement; thus able to reach their apartments through the separated entrance leading to elevators and double flight stairs. Due to the curve of the structure, the elevator hall is gradually – floor by floor – changing in size and location. Eg. At the ground floor, the elevator is located at the inner façade; at the top floor towards the outer façade. Each elevator hall services a maximum or four apartments. Markhtal is a building without a back façade where all sides of the building are accessible.

The horse shoe shoped arch of Makhtal consists of housing from the third to the eleventh floor. Half the apartments has windows to the market, these windows are rtiple glazed to avoid sound and smell from the market place. The penthouse have their entrances on the tenth floor and inside stairs and room for an elevator to the eleventh floor; in this way the arch of Markthal could be realised without any elevator bx on the roof.

The building is connected to city heating and a thermal storage system underneath the building which will also heat and cool a number of adjacent buildings in the surrounding area. The various functions in the building can exchange heat and cold. For the hall itself extensive research was conducted to create a comfortable interior climate with an extremely low energy usage. 

The hall is naturally ventilated, underneath glass façade fresh air flows inwards; rising towards the roof and leaves the hall through ventilated shafts in the roof. This is a thermic system which can function without any installations. A central monitoring system is used to exchange heat and cool between the different programmes, in this way lesser installations could be used than normal for these programmes. The combination of housing, shopping centre, parking and market hall makes the installation technology more efficient. Inside the market, an information panel illustrates the energy use and CO2 savings of the building and a smart sanitation system is designed to save water.

The design vision of MVRDV describes Markhtal  as urbanism; the function mix is an integrated design a 24 hour building which is a public and lasting addition to the city of Rotterdam. Markhtal Rotterdam is a complete new concept, the first building of its kind, a hybrid between hall and housing.

Rotterdam experience a world-wide scope with this new urban typology. By using the apartments to create an arch that covers the market; a new public building emerges, which could not have been grand without the housing.

WEEK 3: ABSTRACT MODELS

NOTES ON MODELS THAT CAPTURE QUALITIES

This is a model of a fine abstract art sculpture, not a building. Using an abstract art as an inverse process; expressing the sculpture with materials using the power of line, spatial interaction, colour, texture, balance and competition.

From the peak of the sculpture, it shows a series of symbiosis towards its foot; looking sophisticated yet trying to maintain its simplicity with clean edges.

Various clean edges being stacked upwards; creating a dynamic movement as the edges being pointed in different directions. From the view of the foot of the sculpture, the dynamic movement drives upwards; making the peak of the sculpture spirited and vigorous.

When the light is being shone against the edges of the sculpture, it creates various moods due to the angled shadows. People portray shadow as something sad, having feared and something to ignore of. But in this sculpture, the amalgamation of the light and shadow creates a quality of space with happiness and secure.

Having gone through the process of making the model, a strong core is needed in order to support the strong dynamic forms surrounding it; from the ground towards the peak. Having a limited degree of angle at the surface of the sculpture allows the odd forms to maintain its fluent dynamic forms and also to hold all these odd forms together. Most of these forms are depending much on the main core; being cantilevered out or leaning against the core with odd forms; initiating the technology of a lift core or columns needed in order to support a structure.

WEEK 2: REVISION ON RESEARCH QUESTION

Based on last week’s post on several questions regarding MVRDV’s relation to how technology is used to achieve the built outcomes; it is being sorted out into the table given below to finalize the research question.

Similar Anticipated Data: 

Connectivity of spatial quality

Built Environment Qualities

Spatial Qualities

Building Elements on Façade

Similar Category: 

Spatial Planning

Building Performance

Application of Building Technology

Initial Research Question:

In what way can architectural design (spaces/programs) complement advanced building technology to increase permeability and livability in a city?

Finalized Research Question:

How does MVRDV application of spatial planning affect the usage of building technology thus increase the building performance towards the end user?