The 14TH ColonyDesign Portfolio

Laura Noble_Unit 4Stage 5 MArch_2013

2

Introduction

Narrative 3

Mapping 4

Site Map 6

Drawings

Plans 8

Sections 12

Elevations 14

Perspective

Exterior 17

Interior 21

Details

Bee Wall 24

Experience Space 25

Collecting Data 26

Ants

Overview 27

Vessel

Overview 28

3

Narrative:

A biologist, fascinated by his colonies of ants, wasps and bees began watching and learning from their every move, noticing

patterns in the way their activity in the nest began to change according to the weather.

Folklore once said that ‘if hornets build low, winter storms and snow, if hornets building high, winter mild and dry.’ Similarly,

ants tend to have a sixth sense when it comes to weather closing their nest hold before the rain comes or staying above

ground before an earthquake.

The world is fascinated by prediction, for hundreds of thousands of years people have always tried to estimate a natural

disaster and for ants, rain typically is a natural disaster. If you think about the size of an ant to a droplet of rain and imagine

the human equivalent, no wonder they have evolved to detect early signs.

The 14th Colony is a hybrid test centre where ants and bees activities are monitored to predict the weather. The simple

defined structure incorporates the activity of the insects as well as becoming part of the nest structure, giving the opportunity

for the colonies to evolve and adapt.

Component 3_Transfer:

The Ribs - Seconday transfer structure, Using the central

pin any ground movements are passed through the ribs

creating early earthquake detection by the colonies within

the structure.

Component 4_Balance:

The Circulation - Linking human and insect worlds to transfer

the behaviour detected to the biologist.

Component 5_Stage:

The Platform - Horizontal element that introduces people to

the bee colonies.

Component 2_Pressure:

The Cage- The membrane surrounding the carcass

protecting the colonies from the environments harsh

elements.

Component 1_Awareness:

The Pin - Primary structure that connects the geology to

the weather. The slight movement in the earth is quick

transferred to the colonies living within the Carcass even if it

is undetectable to humans.

4

Dartford Marshes Site Location

Bee Farms

Beekeepers

Rooftop Beekeeper

London Catchment

South East Beekeepers

World Honey Producers

1:10,000 Site Plan

World Honey Producers

South East England Bee Farms

Dartford Marshes:

The previous land uses of the Dartford Marshes and surrounding areas was mainly used for the

grazing of animals. There is a list of the tenants dating from 31st March 1416 called ‘The Dartford

Marsh Roll.’ The records show that the tenants included notables such as the prior of St Johns, prior

of Rochester and the prioress of Dartford.As well as open grassland the marsh also inhabits some

ancient trees, which are believed to be over 300 years old. They consisted mainly of willows and

they were planted as a shelter to protect the animals. The site has also been part of archeological

investigation due to a range of ancient structures found dating from medieval period right through

to World War Two. Currently the some of the marsh is used for grazing other areas are of too poor

quality to graze on. A clay pigeon shooting range and a motocross track are other features of the

land as well as the flood defence.

5

Contours

Wind Map

Site Grids

Historical Context Geology

Landscaping

1:5000 Site Section

6

Marsh Marigold

1000m

60m

2000m

Marsh Forgetmenot

Meadow Sweet

Marsh Thistle

Bulbous RushMilk Parsley

Ragged Robin

Ivy

Reed Canary GrassWater Source

Water Source

Water Source

-8.9

-10.8

-8.3

-10.8

-11.2

-5.13.7

6.1

18.6

-8.5

-7.8

-7.7

-7.2

-8.2

-9.0

-5.0

-5.5

3.5

7.7

7.6

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.6

1.6

2.4

3.7

4.0

16mph

15mph

21mph

21mph

18mph

32mph

38mph

38mph

38mph

10mph

4.6

5.2

3.33.0 2.7

3.6

2.4

2.4

-7.7

-13.5

-9.8

-10.3

-8.8

-10.8

Littlebrook Industrial Estate

River Thames

Darent Industrial Park

Abandoned Fireworks Factory

Motorcross Track

Empty Grazing Fields

Laylines

Derelict Grassland

Trees

Landing Spots

Wind Direction

Site Analysis Mapping1:10,000

7

Site Plan1:500

The Carcass:

The ‘Carcass’ is the structure which houses the bee colonies. It is supported by a series of extruded aluminium fragments

which are then welded together on site. The structure is clad to take advantages of the surrounding environment, using

maximum solar gains and preventing the strong harsh breeze from affecting the nest by creating a breathing membrane mesh

created from a perforated latex skin. The skin is controlled centrally by sensors with in the Carcass that determine how many

perforations should be open at what size.

Inside the Carcass is home to several colonies of bees that begin their life in the scaffolding structure to protect the initial

colony development. The sensitivity of the nest is recorded by its weight measured by the tension wire that hold the scaffolding.

Data collected from the insects activity and local tidal readings are used to help predict any adverse weather effects.

A bridge links the Bees habitat with that of the biologists that run the site and the visiting public. There is an opportunity for the

public to see inside the Carcass and view the developing hives.

8

1. Environmentally controlled hive2. Hive colony scaffolding

3. Vents from plant room below4. Public viewing platform

5. Public walkway6. Entrance to ‘Experience Space’

7. Heat Zone8. Wind Zone

9. Vibration Zone10. Entrance walkway

11. Shop12. Beewall

13. Private staircase and lift to labs14. Public toilets

15. Kitchen16. Serving kitchen

17. Seating18. Exterior seating and viewing platform

Hive ScaffoldingSee Technical PortfolioThe Hive scaffolding is where the queen bees are located to begin the colony.

Public walkway to the environmentally controlled hive chamberwhere they can view the growing colonies

Public viewing platform allows the publicto interact with the bees and see how they react to the temperature control inside the hive.They can also observe the breathing skin on the exterior of the structure.

The 'Bee Wall,' is a framework for the bees to create a hive.The bees enter the framework from exterior pipes, and create

their nest around the space. The public can view the graduallyforming nest. Once the space gets too small for the bees they

will swarm to a new location allowing the scaffolding to be removedand the honeycomb to be view closer.

The exhibition space identifies the main effects the weather has on bees and also alows the public to experience the rapid change in temperature or wind speed for a short period of time

'Heat & Humidity Room'Reaching temperatures of 39oC and 100% humidity the space expresses the optimum temperature of the bee hive in order to product new brood.

'Wind Speed Room'If you think of how quick leaves can blow in the wind, it is similar for a bee. The 'Wind Room' funnels south westerly winds from the sites large open landscape to create a wind tunnel effect. The public can stand in the spaces to experience a blast of wind as a bee might.

'Wing Vibration Room'A honeybees wings beat at a rate of 230 beats per second, and 13800 bpm. The Earth has a natural pulse of 7.83Hz anda bees wings has a frequency of 190Hz. The vibration room hasplatforms around the site that vibrate at a various frequencies, similarto a gym power plate so the public can experience the bees movement.

1

2

3

45

6

78

9

10

1112

13

1415 16

17

18

Private staircase down to plant roomSee Technical Portfolio for more details

Private walkway for plant room access

AAAA

800

800

800x800 concrete columns to support structure above

Extruded muntz casing for visitor centre space supported bya lightweight steel frame - left exposed to weather over time

Open air cedar decking system for viewing the rich andflourished landscaping and seating space during the warmer

months

Bi-folding opening doors to give the feeling of the landscaping entering the building.

Store room

BB

BB

Exposed concrete wall

Hollow formwork seating - Easterly facing tubes for bees to accesspotential nesting sites within formwork

Handrail

Docking station for Mobile Vessel

Monorail system to join existing tramline

Ground Floor Carcass & Visitors’ Centre Plan1:200

9

1. Environmentally controlled hive2. Hive colony scaffolding

3. Exchange zone for visitors to the Carcass4. Viewing platform - Bee suit protection zone

5. Walkway to the Carcass6. Store

7. Research and write up lab8. Main chemical Lab

9. Staff room & library resources10. Lift and Staircase from lower floor

First Floor Carcass & Visitors’ Centre Plan1:200

Exchange point for scientist to enter the hive

Main structural backbone of the hive

Smaller extruded aluminium ribs that are supported off the main bone. The ribs hollow to allow for the mechanicalreceptors for tje breathing skin technology to pass through

The hive contains temperature and humidity sensorts around the space to maintain certain temperatures within the hive.

Hive ScaffoldingSee Technical ReportThe Hive scaffolding is where the queen bees are located to begin the colony.

Stairs to upper viewing platforms

Private walkway for staff to access the hive

1

2

34 56

7

8 9

10

Line of roof below

Similarly to the above statement the bees are encouragedto create hives within the window pane of the write up lab and within the formwork of the desks. Being south facing it will create a hot environment in the room. By allowing the bees to create theirhive it will act as a solar shading for the research room as well as a honey glow within the space.

AAAA

BB

BB

10

Second Floor Carcass & Visitors’ Centre Plan1:200

Exchange point for scientist. People entering the hivefrom this space must be wearing bee safety suits.

Line of rib beam above

Hive ScaffoldingSee Technical PortfolioThe Hive scaffolding is where thequeen bees are located to begin the colony.

Line of staircase and platform above

Line of roof below

1

2

4

3

5

6

7

8

9

10

The workshop is large enough to support all buildingson the site. It creates glass blown vessels for the growing

ant colony as well as disecting the abondoned hives intohusk features for the building and for the public to purchase.

AAAA

BB

BB

1. Environmentally controlled hive2. Viewing Platform

3. Stairs to upper platform4. Exchange zone - Bee suit protection zone

5. Walkway to the Carcass6. Secondary lab

7. Workshop8. Bathroom

9. Store10. Lift and Staircase from lower floor

11

Second floor roof belowFirst floor roof below

Private walkway for staff to hive

Exterior of hive

Staircase from lower floors to upper viewing platforms

Extra ventilation release chimney

Bracing beams between the extruded aluminium ribswhich also support the staircase and secondary walkways to hives.

AA

BB

BB

AA

Third Floor Carcass & Visitors’ Centre Plan1:200

12

Section AA Carcass, Labs & Visitors’ Centre1:200

Section BB Labs & Visitors’ Centre1:200

Extruded aluminium ribsthat are supported off themain back bone. The ribs

are hollow to allow for themechanical receptors for

the breathing skintechnology to pass

through

Breathable membrane facadeSee Technical Portfolio

Jet spray to control thehumidity levels in Carcass

Drainage system to collectsurface water run off and be

sanitised to reuse around theCarcass and the visitors centre

Exchange zone between walkway and entrance intoCarcass. Entrance must wear bee suits from this point onwards

Public walkway to main hive viewing platform

Lightweight steel walkway with supporting ring structures. The weight and movements of the walkway are controlled by the transfers of weights between the tensegrity mesh. See Technical Portfolio for more detail.

Muntz metal roof system that weathers over timeto a speckled brassy green colour that blends into

the landscape

Lightweight aluminium mesh stairwell, for privateaccess to the labs and research rooms

Cast concrete framework. A mixture of exposed and renderedfacade. Interior wall finishes are dependant on room use.

Main access point for all staff and visitors. Gravel walkway leads onto wooden decking into the visitors centre.

Cast concrete backbone of the building braced by the walkwayand the aluminium ribs of the Carcass.

Private walkway for the biologists to access the Carcass

800x800 Steel reinforced conrete columns to support the upper floors

Underside of slab to be enclosed with recycled formwork in the first season of the building development to allow for bees to develop a colony and create a nest. Once the bees have abandoned the nest the formwork can be removed and the nest acts as a visual aid to the building.

GROUND FLOORVisitors centre & exhibition space

FIRST FLOORChemical lab, staff space

and research centre

SECOND FLOORSecondary lab and write

up space

SSL +17610mm

SSL +14440mm

SSL +11260mm

SSL +8110mm

13

Section AA Carcass, Labs & Visitors’ Centre1:200

14

Elevation AA Carcass, Labs & Visitors’ Centre1:200

15

Elevation BB Carcass1:200

16

Elevation CC Labs & Visitors’ Centre 1:200

17

Visitors’ Centre Entrance

18

Visitors’ Viewing Platform

19

Viewing Deck from Landscape

20

Beekeeping Tutorials in the Flower Garden

21

Leaving the Visitors’ Centre

22

Vertical Carcass View

23

Bees View

24

The Bee Wall:

One of the attractions to the site allows visitors to see the colony up close and watch them build the hive over time. There

is a scaffolding to provide a secure environment for the bees to create a colony. Once the colony has used up all of the

space within the structure they will create new queen bees and they will swarm to new locations to create their own colonies.

There are several locations around the site to where the bees can swarm to man made nests, tree trunks within the natural

vegetation, they can be captured and put into the carcass scaffolding where their growth and behaviour can be montiored.

The perspex cover can be removed from the scaffolding so that visitors can create a tactile memory from being able to interact

more thoroughly with the hive.

800

25

Lastly, the Intermodal Planes Threshold that concentrates on the vibration frequency of a

bees wings. The Earth has a natural frequency of 7.8Hz, however a bees wings vibrate at a

frequency of 190Hz. Within the space are platforms that can be stood on so that the visitor

can see what it might be like resonating at a higher frequency. The frequency of the platforms

would be controlled by dial to allow you to adjust the frequency, for safety reasons the maximum

frequency would be around 50Hz.

Secondly, you walk outside and are hit by a sharp gust of wind which would be at a much lower

temperature than inside the hive. The Landscape Bifurcate Zone breaks up the south westerly

winds filtering through the landscape and a funnels them through a small gap creating a wind

tunnel effect. The experience is to speed up the wind to have an effect similar the that it might

have on a flying bee.

Experience Space:

The following sections are part of the visitors’ centre experience space which allows the

public to interact and experience what life might be like within a bee hive. The first space

you enter is the Microclimatic Zone, the space is dark, with low ceilings and a central

system which feeds out hot moist air into the space - similar to being in a sauna. The

bees optimum temperature is 38oC and 100% humidity for producing new brood in the

hive.

800

Experience Zone Plan & Section 1:100

Microclimate Zone Landscape Bifurcate Zone Intermodal Plans

26

Collecting Data:

For the biologist to be able to monitior the hives within the Carcass they are allowed to develop on a man-made scaffolding

structure. The structure is made from a lightweight aluminium frame and is connected to the main ribs of the Carrcass. The

main support of the scaffolding and the colony is by tensioned wires, which contain stress gauges to monitor the weight of the

nest which can be interpreted into behavioural patterns of that particular colony. Sudden changes in the weight of the hive

can be related to extra forraging for food or swarming to find new locations if the environment within the nest is not adequate.

Similarly around the landscape there are a series of man made structures which hold expanding nest created from a folded

fabric technique that expands as the colony of bees become heavier to allowe for more space. Again the casing is held by

a tensile member that wirelessly sends information on the weight of the hive back to the lab centre. Once the colony has

outgrown the structure they will swarm to new locations sometimes with a new queen bee. The abandoned hive can then be

collected and taken back to the lab for investigation, learning and eventually created into a collectors artifact peice to be bought

in the shop in the visitors’ centre.

27

Ant Archive -

The Ant Archive is a series of excavations with in the landscape which are analysed by the biologists for ant colonies and

their behaviour. Several scars are left around the landscape where unsuitable sites were discovered, these are located

either side of the tramline and can be visited by the public while wondering the landscape.

A permanent excavation remains on the site of the remains of Long Reach Hospital. The site consists of a 3 storey open air

basement with exposed contiguous piling to refrain from collapse. A series of staircases from ground level take you down

into the space where there are viewing platforms, to which you can see the exhibition of cast ants nests which identifies the

creative and intricate architecture that the insect world creates. Similarly you can see inside the world of ants by walking

between platforms and the maze of man made vessels and pipes which holds an entire ant colony. The fissures on top of

the excavation can be access by the public for further interaction with the insectsas well as a free roaming territory for the

insects to inhabit.

There is the possibility for the project to be expanded further and the development of the Ant Archive to expand into the other

footings of Long Reach Hospital.

1. Stairs to Ant Archive exhibition2. Viewing platform3. Ant Archive cast exhibit4. Roaming Fissure5. Manmade Vessels colony 6. Casting structure in progress

1

4

4

2

5

3

5 6

Ant Archive Section

28

Mobile Vessel -

The Mobile Vessel is a single unit which runs along a monorail system that follows the existing path of the tramline which

was previously used to link Joyce Green and Long Reach Hopsital. The vessel is to transport visitors and staff backwards

and forth from the Visitors Centre to the Ant Archive.

The Vessel is constructed from a lightweight aluminium frame and casing to incorporate a link of materials in and around the

site. By opening the tramline I am reviving the historical routes of the dartford marshes, as well as creating a link between

the to buildings.

Mobile Vessel Perspective