thesis

Living SpacesUsing Biomimicry to Redefine Architecture

Alexander Cole Russo

Presented to the Faculty of the Department of ArchitectureWentworth Institute of Technology

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

Master of Architecture

April 2015

Approved by the Committee:

Primary Advisor: ________________________________________ Martha Foss

Interim Director, Graduate Studies: ________________________________________ Elizabeth Ghiseline

“We must draw our standards from the natural world. We must honor with the humility of the wise the bonds of that natural world and the mystery which lies beyond them, admitting that there is something in the order of being which evidently exceeds all our competence.”

- Vaclav Havel, Former president of Czech Republic

Table of contents:

Thesis 5Abstract 7

The Problem/ Solution 8“Signs of Life”12Precedents 14

Design Process 22The Site 24Program 28

Ecology Cycle 32Program Description 34

Conclusion 52Citations 54

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Thesis Considering the rate in which urban centers will increase in size due to the expanding population, architecture will need to become better integrated in the urban habitats of the future. By utilizing biomimicry, the study of adapting natural processes and forms for human needs, buildings can transform from empty shells constructed in a vacuum into living spaces. These spaces can be designed to become integrated into their habitats and provide for the community as a whole.

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Abstract

With the increase in movement towards cities and urban areas, there will come an increase in waste production and pollution. This increase can lead to disastrous effects such as the rise in the temperature of the planet, which can cause changes in everything from growing cycles of plants to coastal flooding. This will have serious effects, since populations have increased drastically in coastal areas of the United States over the past forty years. However nature, and more specifically biology, contains strategies for responding to this dilemma. Biomimicry presents us with the ability to show our ingenuity by utilizing the very tools that nature uses to shape the environment. Although one might consider architecture as a symbol of man’s control of the elements, in reality we are not actually dominating nature but hiding from it in our self made cocoons. Through biomimicry we can find our answers to sustainable environments while responding to the changing demographics of the city. By classifying architecture as man-made living organisms, architects can take inspiration from the “Signs of Life”: Homeostasis, Organization, Metabolism, Adaptation, Growth, and Response to Stimuli; to guide program and design into a developed organism. Buildings become more responsive to their environments, like animals evolving to reflect their own habitats. They can change with the seasons and become integral to their urban ecosystems. The ability for an ecosystem to prosper requires a cyclical balance between organisms, if something is taken, something must be returned. In order for urban areas to thrive as ecosystems, buildings must give back.

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The Problem

With the increase in migration to urban centers around the world, resources will be in higher demand. A dramatic increase in production of waste and pollution can affect supplies of fresh water and damage natural ecosystems. Architecture will become more influential due to the increased need for buildings and the expansion of cities. According to a study done in 2012 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the United States produced around 6,526 metric tons of CO2 equivalent. This is equal to about 15 trillion pounds of greenhouse gases emitted in the year 2012. The largest sector of greenhouse gas production came from electricity (32%) with 70% of electricity production coming from the burning of fossil fuels. Electricity production was followed by Transportation (28%), Industry (20%), Commercial and Residential (10%) and Agriculture (10%). This makes the United States the second largest producer of greenhouse gases in the world. On a global level the increase in emissions from burning fossil fuels has increased 16 times from 1900-2008. A 2013 study conducted by the United States Energy Administration projects that the increase in energy consumption of the world will increase from 523.9 quadrillion Btu’s in 2010 to 819.6 quadrillion Btu’s in 2040, an increase of 1.5 percent each year. This dramatic increase will stress the already aging infrastructure in many counties into burning more and more fossil fuels, and thus furthering the effects of global warming. The largest increase in energy consumption will come from Non-Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Asian countries, with an increase of 2.54 percent per year by 2040. Not only will energy production increase, but

so will air and noise pollution and the need for waste filtration. The rise in consumption will come from the dramatic growth in the world’s population. A projection in 2013 from the United States Census Bureau predicts that the world population will increase to 9.383 billion people by 2050. As modern cities stand today they are already struggling to keep pace with the need for resources. The greatest need will come from Asian countries due to their higher projections of expansion. From the expansion of these urban areas, the world will need a better form of architecture that does more than use resources but gives back to the environment. The benefit of buildings adding to the system means that they can take stress off of the urban infrastructure and prevent it from becoming over taxed. One current solution is the production of energy through solar panels. Buildings can also be utilized to grow fresh produce, as a way to decrease the stresses of outside food sources to urban areas. This would not only provide healthier food but also decrease emission produced by food transportation.

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The Solution

What Is Biomimicry?

FromLeonardoDaVincitryingtocreateflyingmachinesfrombirds,toGeorgeDeMestralfindinginspirationforVelcroinburdockburrs,peoplehavealwayslookedtowardnaturefordesign solutions. As a term, Biomimicry can be described as the formation,structureandfunctionofbiologicalprocessesandelementswiththedirectpurposeofreplicatingandutilizingthosepurposesforthebettermentofman.Thismulti-disciplinaryfieldofstudyinfluencesmanyindustriesfromthedevelopmentofnewmaterialstothepracticesofsustainabilityandconstruction.Biomimicrywasfirstcoinedinthesixties,graduallybecomingmoreintegratedintothematerialsciences.RecentpublicrecognitionofthefieldhasincreasedduetotheworkofJenineBenyus,JulianVincentandStevenVogel;withinterestinarchitecturalapplicationspearheadedbyMichaelPawlyn. Onemodernbiomimeticapplicationinvolvestheeffectofhighspeedtrainstravelingfromtheopenairtotunnels.Thisshiftinairconditionsproducesachangeinairdensities,whichresultedintheproductionofasonicboomwheneveratrainwouldenteratunnel.TosolvethisproblemengineerslookedtoatypeofbirdcalledtheKingfisher.Thisspeciesofbirdevolvedwithalargeelongatedbeak,whichallowsforthebirdtodivequicklyintothewatertocatchfishwithoutcreatingasplash.Thisallowsthekingfishertomaintainsightofitspreywhilesimultaneouslynotstartlingthefishbythesplash.Thisbiomimeticinfluencebroughtaboutanelongationinthenoseofthetrainsandnullifiedthecreationofsonicbooms.

Theinspirationofbiomimeticstructurescouldalsobeutilizedtosolveissuesfacedbybuildingsandcities.Anotherexampleisthedesignofa3Dprintedchairutilizingonematerialtocreatedifferentdensitiesforstructureandsupport.Thedesignwasinspiredtheformationofplantcellsusedtoprovideboththestructureforstemandtheflexiblesurfaceofleaves.Thisconceptoflayeringcouldbebroughtintoeitherrethinkingtheusesofexistingconstructionmaterialsorinspiretheproductionofnewandinnovativebuildingelements.

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“Signs of Life” InBiologythe“SignsofLife”areaclassificationsystemusedtodefinelivingorganisms.Eachrepresentsavitalaspectoflifethatissharedbyeverylivingcreature.Itcanbearguedthatbuildingsalreadyutilizesomeoftheseprocesses.Forexample,Homeostasis,theactofmaintaininganinnertemperatureandprocessesisoneofthemainreasonswhyweenjoybuildings.Metabolismistheutilizationofenergytomaintainhomeostasis.Moderndaybuildingsusemetabolicsystemstokeepbuildingshabitable.Organizationinvolvesahierarchyofbuildingblocksusedtocreatelarger,morecomplicatedsystems.Thisisthebasisofbuildingconstruction,whichexistsasanaggregateofsmallcomponentsthatformthesystemsthatmakeupabuilding.Sincebuildingshavealreadyincorporatedthese“signs”,thereislittlereasonwhytheycannotbecomeallinclusive. Theutilizationofbiomimicrywouldallowustoroundoutourstructuresandgivethemtheabilitytobecometruelivingorganisms.BuildingscouldhavethecapacitytoadapttocontainandreleaseheattobetterchangewiththeseasonsthusloweringtheenergyneedstorunHVACsystems.Floorplanscouldrespondtoparticularstimulisuchasrearrangingforlargegatheringfunctionsorprivatemeetings,expandingorcontractingwiththedesiredprograming.Thiscouldreduceneedsformaintaininglargespaces,whichareunderutilized.One-daybuildingsmaybeabletogrowinpre-designedformsofmodularexpansionsoreventuallydeveloptorepairthemselvesfromthecasualtiesofaging.Resourcesandtimecouldbesavedfromconstantrepairorreductioninoptimized

conditions.Theconceptofapplyingthe“SignsofLife”toarchitectureholdmanyopportunitiesforthefutureofbuildingstrategiesandthewaytheyarearticulatedandapplied.

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Homeostasis

Metabolism

Adaptation

Organization

Response to Stimuli

Growth

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The Eden Project: The BiomesCornwall, United Kingdom Grimshaw Architects

The Eden Project uses many forms of mimicry in its construction. The form of the main spheres were inspired from the orientation of soap bubbles on changing surfaces. The helical structure was inspired by the structure of pollen grains as well as the decision to use pressurized membranes as a barrier as opposed to glazing. This was able to drastically cut the cost of construction but also allowed for the panels to be larger in construction and much lighter. 14

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Sea Water Greenhouse, TenerifeSea water Greenhouse for Arid Lands Project

The Sea Water Greenhouse uses simple resources to provide life to a barren area. Seawater is spread across evaporation panels on the sunniest side of the building. The evaporated air is able to move from the warm exterior across the cool interior over the plants towards the back wall where in condenses into clean water. The result not only provides life for within the building buy allows for plant life to grow on the surrounding dry desert soil.

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Hall West GallerySeoul, South Korea UNStudio

The result of the renovation of an existing mall, the concept of the facade came from the idea if a snake shedding its skin. The aluminum and glass panels that cover the surface are able to change color through out the day. The changing seasons and weather creates a unique display of nature interacting with architecture while digital manipulation is utilized at night. The surface can be manipulated for various events from advertising to public functions. 16

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Izola ApartmentsIzola, Slovenia OFIS arhitekti

This project, the winner of a 2006 competition organized by the Slovenian Housing Fund, found its inspiration for public housing from the organization of a beehive. Each apartment is given an exterior balcony to both connect the interior with the landscape outside and allow for individual apartments to capitalize on seasonal air circulation. The screened balconies also provide both natural lighting and privacy. The dynamic color scheme adds to the individualization of each apartment. 17

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Mallee FowlEastern Australia

The Mallee fowl creates a nest in a bed of sand to lay its eggs. The fowl then buries grass and other plant matter under the sand to decompose. The heat emanating from the decomposing plant matter warms the eggs to the appropriate temperature. The temperature of the nest can also be regulated by the amount of sand coving the decomposing matter by the fowl.

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Termite MoundsAfrica, Australia, South America

Thetermitemoundusesfluiddynamicstoregulatetheinteriortemperatureontheirnest.Duetotheroundednatureofthemound,airisdivertedthroughandarounditthenest.Theforceoftheairmovingaroundthemoundresultsinavacuumeffect,whichdrawsoutthehot,staleairinthenest.TheeffectivenessofthisstrategyallowsforthetemperatureofthenesttofluctuatelessthenadegreeFahrenheit.

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Cardboard to CaviarUnited kingdom, Graham Wiles

The Cardboard to caviar project is a closed loop system in which empty cardboard boxes are turned into caviar. The process starts with collecting used boxes from restaurants, the boxes are then shredded and used as horse bedding. The soiled bedding is then sold to worm farms as a source of food. Worms from the farm are then used as food for feeding sturgeon. Eggs are removed from the sturgeon and sold back to the restaurants as caviar. As the program has evolved it has grown to include other forms of food production and job opportunities for the surrounding community.

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Process

The biomimetic design process works in two scales of design and influences. The first is the site as a whole and its relation to the surrounding habitat. Guided by the strengths of relationships found in the natural world, the overall layout and interactions of a site must work as a series of complex relationships between various programs. Nature exists in a system of relationships. The actions of one organism can have vital effects on the surrounding environment. Buildings should try to exist in a similar way, the attempt to create self-contained habitats only leads towards a urban community that is dysfunctional and will eventually fall into decline. The program selected for a biomimetic site should supplement each other, allowing for a continuous cycle of resources. The proper selection of program will stem from an understanding composition. The second scale of design is inspired by the biological signs of life, this works on the level of the individual building design. This level looks at specific examples in natural structures, forms, processes and develops them into built forms and technologies to be incorporated into buildings. The goal of this level is to produce highly sustainable buildings which are responsive to their climate and urban habitat.

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The site

Site name: Clippership Wharf Location: East Boston, Boston MA Size : 13 Acres History Clippership wharf was originally created in the early 1800’s through the deposition of fill along the East Boston harbor. From the 1850’s to the 1970’s the site was used by the National Warehouse and Dock Company as a maritime warehouse due to its ideal location between the harbor and the local freight train rail lines. Due to the growing shallowness of the waters and discontinued use on the train lines in the 1970’s, the company stopped using the clippership wharf location. Until the mid 1990’s the site held a variety of warehouse functions and industrial processes. Today the site is vacant with only foundations left of the buildings. As it currently stands, the majority of the site consists of open ground and cracked pavement. Granite block sea walls along the southern extent of the site are in dire need of repair and the existing dock structure is crumbling. The ground level of the site is relatively flat ranging from 14’-16’ from the Boston base. The fill is comprised of various sediment types including sand, gravel, brick and concrete building rubble with no evidence of toxic chemicals or sediments. Several attempts have been made to establish mixed use developments on the site, however they have failed due to loss of financial support.

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Site composition

In order to function as an effective urban habitat, the clippership wharf site must work as a living whole. In the interconnected environments of nature, successful habitats depend upon the strongest influences present on the site (ie. sun, animals, water, etc.) At Clippership wharf, the site is composed of three key influences; the city, the land, and the sea. The City. Adjacent to the clippership wharf site, Maverick square serves as a city center for the southern half of east Boston. As the first stop on the blue line for East Boston, this area is filled with many shops, restaurants and areas for entertainment. The Lewis Mall extends south from Maverick Square along the eastern boundary of the site. This connection has the potential to serve as a strong foot path connecting the city environment of Maverick Square along the clippership wharf site to the East Boston Harbor front.

The Land. Currently the drop off like condition between the harbor and the land has led to a strong disconnect between the two environments. The industrial past of the site and surrounding area has furthered this barrier between the harbor and the city. Over time the filling of the harbor’s edge has erased many ecosystems natural to the Boston Harbor. Unfortunately not only has wild life disappeared but the coast of east Boston Harbor has become an unpleasant barrier between the marine and land environments. In order to remedy this disconnect and establish a suitable environment for development, the Clippership wharf needs to be redesigned as a living edge condition.

The Water. Acting as one of the first prominent ports to the original thirteen colonies, the Boston Harbor has a long history in the Boston community. Historically the residents of east Boston have a strong heritage in ship building, trade and fishing. Over time these industries promoted further expansion into the harbor, creating long term side effects. Due to runoff from the streets and building, the waters are filed with harmful bacteria which prevents the occurrence of delicate sea life to return.

Due to the history of industrial use and the subsequent decomposition , the site currently exists in a state of disconnection of these elements of water, city and land. In order for the site to function as a living organism, and incorporate biomimetic ideas of sustainable environments, strong connections between these three components must be made. Based upon the three systems, program of the proposed development has been selected to facilitate connections in the site environment. As discussed in detail later three forms of program, office building, oyster hatchery and marsh/farm land were chosen as representatives of the three systems. Secondary program was selected to facilitate and connect the three programmatic pillars. This results in the development of a ferry dock, restaurant/ market, greenhouse and composting center.

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Program choice

For the proposed Clippership Wharf development, major programmatic decisions were made in selected to represent and integrate the three major elements of land, water and city. OfficeBuilding WithintheClippershipwharfsiteofficebuildingservesasadirectconnectionofcitylife.Intendedtohouseburgeoningstartupcompanies,theofficebuildingservesasaplaceofbeginningsandgrowthforfutureentrepreneurs.Connectedwiththemarket/restaurant,theofficeservesasthepublicfrontofthesitethroughemploymentanddemonstrationofbiomimeticbuildingpractices.

Oyster Hatchery TheoysterhatcheryactsareturntothehistoricconnectionbetweenBostonandtheharbor.InadditiontorestoringtheecosystemoftheBostonharbortheoystersserveasalocallysourcedfooditemforrestaurants.

Marsh/farm As part of the restoration of the Clippership wharfsite,thecurrentplanproposesconvertingover75%ofthesiteintoasaltwatermarsh,correspondingtotheoncenaturalfluidboundarybetweentheharborandtheland.Themarshservesasafilterprotectingagainsttheharmfulpollutingeffectsrunoffaswellasactingasanabsorptivebarrierbetweenthecity and tidal forces. The farm located on the northern edge of themarshprovideslocallysourcedproducetorestaurantsandhomesincenteredaroundMaverickSquare.

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OFFICE

OYSTERS

MARSH

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Program choice

Secondary Program

Market/restaurant The market and restaurant acts as the central public interface with the Clippership Wharf site. These services will Sell food grown locally on the site as well as serve as a central sales point for other regional farms. Besides a single grocery store located north of Maverick Square, there are few sources of fresh produce within walking distance of the neighborhood surrounding the site. Currently reliant on many small convenience stores, the general populace south and east of Maverick Square are in need of access to healthier foods. In addition the restaurant serves a stage for presenting the locally sourced food as well serves as a place for the workers in the office building to venture during the lunch hour.

Composting center Adjoined with the market and restaurant, the composting center converts plant waste from the farm into compost for the farm. This compost serves as fertilizer for the greenhouse as well as produces methane to be burned as net zero electric.

Salt Water Greenhouse The greenhouse not only provides a multi seasonal space for the growing of more dynamic foods for the market and restaurant, but also produces clean water for cleansing the oysters before sale.

Ferry terminal The ferry terminal serves as an on site connection between downtown Boston and Maverick Square. It provides an alternative method of travel to buses or use of the subway.

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RESTAURANT/ MARKET/

GREEN HOUSE

FERRY

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Clippership Wharf ecology cycle.

Ecology: a branch of science concerned with the inter relationships of organisms and their environments.

The visualization of an ecology cycle connecting the programing of the site helps aids in representing the interconnected nature of the land, the water and the city. Developing complex relationships across the site allows for the wharf to function as a living ecosystem, aiding in the success of the urban habitat of Maverick Square.

Starting counter clock wise from the marsh: 1.Themarshservesasafilterfortherunofffromthe site and surrounding area, protecting of the oysters from harmful bacteria. 2. The oysters are sold in the restaurant/ market to the community 3. The remaining shells from the consumption of the oysters are collected and used as fertilizer for the farms. The shellsserveasaslowreleasecalciumsupplywhichdeacidifiesthesoil for the plants and aids in balancing the soils pH levels. 4. Food from the farm is sold at the market/ restaurant. 5. The plant waste from harvest is collected and placed in large composting vats to be reused on the farm and greenhouse

6. Simultaneously, composting naturally produces methane as a byproduct from the breakdown of the plant matter by bacteria. This is collected and stored.

7. The methane is burned as a net zero natural gas producinggreenenergyfortheofficeandotherbuildingsonsite. 8.Theofficesutilizethemarshasameansoffilteringprocessedwastewaterbeforeitisreleasedintotheharbor.

From the center, 9. Withing the farm framework, the greenhouse produces various kinds of produce that need of a more tropical climate. The food from the greenhouse is used the restaurant and sold at the market.

10. In addition to growing produce, the greenhouse also converts sea water into clean water by a process of evaporation. 11. The cleaned water is then used in cleaning the oysters before they are sold for consumption.

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OYSTERS

RESTURANT/ MARKET

FARM

COMPOST

OFFICES

MARSH GREENHOUSE

FILTERED WATER

2.SOLD3. SHELLS USED AS

FERTILIZER

FOOD

5. PLANT WASTE

METHANE7. CREATES

ENERGY

8. FILTER WASTE WATER

4./9. PRODUCES

SOLD

10. EVAPORATES SEA WATER

11. CLEANS

1. REMOVES BACTERIA

6. PRODUCES

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Program description

Oyster hatchery

The oyster hatchery is split into two key components, the reused pilings from the existing dock on the west and south sides of the site and the processing building located on the west side of the wharf. While the majority of the existing dock will be removed, an outer edge of pilings will remain to act as a breeding ground for the oysters. The hatchery will suspend oysters in Japanese lantern style nets between the existing pilings, allowing for the harbor water to flow through the oysters. Each net is capable of producing about two hundred oysters each season. In spacing the nets five feet apart along the 570 foot harbor edge, 115 nets can be placed in the site . This in turn would lead to the production of roughly 23,000 oysters each season. As each oyster can filter almost 50 gallons of water a day, the oyster farm will be able to filter approximately 1.15 million gallons of harbor water daily. The proposed on site oyster processing building will be a 1500 square foot structure specializing in maintaining the growth, production and distribution of the harvested oysters. Before oysters are deemed ready to sell, they must filter clean water for several days to reach appropriate pH levels and elimination of harmful substances. The fresh water is supplied by the adjoining salt water greenhouse.

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Program description

Salt water Greenhouse

The proposed 2600 square foot salt water greenhouse will serve as an overlapping program between the land and the water at the Clippership Wharf site. This structure will simultaneously facilitate the production of produce for the market and the filtering of clean water for the hatchery. The salt water conversion system of the greenhouse works buy pumping sea water through evaporation screens along the southern side of the building. The heat from the sun evaporates the water from the screens, allowing the interior of the greenhouse to become a humid growing environment. The humid water vapor then travels toward the back of the greenhouse where it is converted into liquid water on condenser coils. These condenser coils will be powered entirely from the seawater temperature differences. Sea water is pumped over the top of the greenhouse, where it is heated by the sun before being sent through another evaporator creating hotter, more saturated air. The rear condenser coils are fed by cold sea water pumped from the harbor. This allows for the hot air to travel towards the cooler rear of the greenhouse and condense into clean liquid water, which is then sent to the oyster processing facility.

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High tide

Low tide

Har

bor

wat

er

Evap

orat

ion

pane

ls

Mist

Heated water

Condenser

Har

bor

wat

er

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Program description

Salt Water Marsh

The marsh will creates a softer edge between the land and the water while filtering harmful runoff from the street and buildings. In addition the marsh will act as a barrier to prevent flooding due to potential storm surge. The marsh is divided into three different parts; the low marsh, high marsh, and boarder marsh. The low marsh is closest to the harbor waters and is subject to daily tidal fluctuations. The main plant species of the low marsh region is Smooth Cord grass (Spartina alterniflura). Smooth cord grass works at the edge of salt marshes, building up sediment and providing refuge for aquatic creatures such as mussels. The second region, the high marsh is primarily characterized by monthly flooding. Plants such as salt meadow cord grass (Spartina patens), seashore salt grass (Distichlis spicata), salt marsh rush (Juncus gerardii) are planted in the high marsh area. These different flowering grasses help filter pollutants out of the marsh while providing shelter for many types of birds and mollusks native to marshes. The final region is the marsh border, which serves as a home to many animals and provides a barrier between arable land and marsh land. The main plant species in the border area are high tide bush (Iva frutescens), the common reed (Phragmites australis), slough grass (Spartina pectinata) and switch grass (Panicum virgatum). To promote a city connection to the marsh a boardwalk is brought through the high marsh.

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Low Marsh

High Marsh

Border Marsh

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Program description

Farm land

The proposed farm site will be located on the northern portion of the marsh, between the greenhouse, restaurant, and market. Overall farm space covers 10,725 square feet of the site. Using a formula from Rutgers University New Jersey Agricultural Experimental Station, each square foot of farm can produce a half a pound of food products each season. Therefore in total, the farm can produce roughly 5362 pounds of food each growing season. In addition to the half pound of food produces, each square foot of the site yields a quarter pound of organic plant waste. In total, the farm would produce roughly 2680 pounds of plant waste each season to be converted into compost.

1’ sf Farm Land = .5 lbs of food

10,725 sf x .5 lbs = 5362 lbs of food

1’ sf Farm Land = .25 lbs of plant waste

10,725 sf x .25 lbs = 2680 lbs of plant waste

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Program description

Restaurant and market

The restaurant and market is a two story structure located to the east of the farm and is connected to the second story of the office building. The bottom level will be dedicated to the market, with open space for vendor stalls. The upper restaurant level will serve as a lunch space for the workers of the office and helps facilitate a connection between the city and the land. Seating will be placed above the contained composting center to promote outdoor dining and strong visual connections to the marsh and harbor.

Composting Center The composting center consists of four 5’ x 5’ x 25’ composting vats each capable of containing 625 cubic feet of compost. Each tank is equipped with porous hoses and rotating spindles to allow for air to properly penetrate the compost, increasing bacteria’s ability to break down the plant waste. For each pound of compost, one and a half cubic feet of methane is produced, which is harnessed as a source of fuel for the site. As the farm is able to produce roughly 2680 lbs of plant waste each season, 4,021 cu ft of methane is created. At the rate of six kWh per 35 cu ft, the methane produced from the composting center can produce close to 690 kWh of net zero energy.

1lbs of compost = 1.5 cu ft of methane

2680 lbs x 1.5 = 4,021 cu ft of methane

35 cu ft of methane = 6 kWh

4,021cu ft / 35 cu ft = 114 cu ft/ 6kWh

114 cu ft = 690 kWh

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Program description

Office Building

The office building provides 17,000 square feet of office space, which will be allocated for various sized startup companies. The placement of the building allows for a direct connection to the Lewis Mall connecting to Maverick Square. Transportation to the office is limited to public transit via the subway or the ferry terminal at the southern extent of the site. The form of the building is designed to maximize solar exposure and influence wind patterns. On the southern face of the building, floor plates are thirty feet wide while the floor plates on the northern half are twenty feet wide. This allows for maximum penetration of daylight during business hours. The central atrium contains bridges that facilitate movement within the building and provide connection to the different levels. In addition, the atrium features a large skylight which brightens the center of the building. The staggering of the floor plates on the southern side of the facility allows for the terracing of gardens on every level. This enables every office to have access to an exterior green space regardless of building level. The terraced gardens and green roofs aid in decreasing the amount of sun absorbed by the building in the summer months, providing passive cooling as well as filtering runoff from rain and snow. Communal conference rooms are centered in the main atrium providing professional resources as well as promoting interactions between the different companies.

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Program description

Office Building Form

The overall form of the office building is designed in relation to the seasonal wind patterns on the site. During the winter months, the majority of wind come from northwest of the site. The southern extent of the building serves as a wedge driving the cold wind away from the site towards the harbor. In the summer months, the wind comes mostly from southeast of the site. Inspired by termite mounds, the building sought to utilize built form to promote natural ventilation. In nature, the ventilation of termite mounds works by speeding up the air around the mound, creating a vacuum effect. The vacuum forces fresh air through the center of the mound and removes hot stale air. In the proposed office building, the flat northern side of the building and the curved southern side act in a similar fashion as an airplane wing to create this vacuum effect. As the air traveling along the southern facade of the building moves faster than air on the northern side, the difference in air speeds facilitates the suction of air through the building. Within the building, the large central atrium reduces to a smaller hallway which travels through the building. This change in size creates a Venturi effect on the air in the building. The venturi effect happens when air or liquid is forced through a smaller opening. This change in aperture increases the speed of the air or liquid as it passes through the opening. In conjunction the exterior vacuum system and the interior venturi effect of the main corridor result in a passive ventilation system cooling the building in the summer months.

Winter Winds

Summer Winds

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Winter Winds

Summer Winds

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Program description

Office Building Paneling

The design of the paneling of the northern half of the office building is inspired by scales of marine animals. The overlapping nature of the panels acts as a water tight barrier against the weather while simultaneously creating insulating air pockets. These air pockets increase the insulating characteristics of the exterior facade, keeping the building warm in the winter. This patterning also allows for specific “scales” to be lifted away from the facade and act like “gills”. These “gills” open during the summer, catching winds coming from the southeast. This allows for outside air to ventilate the interim space between the ceiling and the floor plate above. The warmer air is then directed into the central atrium where it is circulated through the building.

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Program description

Office Building Passive Facade

The eastern facade acts as a semi-porous membrane depending on the relative temperature of the season. The eastern face consists of a series of panels edged with a flexible material that reacts to different temperatures. Based on the temperature, materials expand and contract at different rates. Utilizing this thermal property, the edge material is composed of a laminated sheet consisting of two materials which expand and contract at different rates. The result of this difference in reaction allows for the material to curl in the warm summer months and straighten in the winter. The curling effect allows for the space between the panels to become porous and allow air to freely enter the atrium. In the winter the edges overlap each other, closing the panels to the elements. 24

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Conclusion

In conclusion, the application of biomimicry led to a design process that incorporated larger principles of sustainability and connectivity. It was possible to investigate complex program interaction that extended beyond the confines of the Clippership Wharf site. The concept of an urban habitat has broadened an understanding of site relationships and their effects of a neighborhood. Ultimately the goal of this thesis would be to use biomimicry to design a net zero habitat, the lessons learned from this thesis prove that through research and invention that concept could become a reality. While the majority of this semester was developing the site program and interactions, more definition could be given toward the specific elements of the building systems. A next step of this thesis would dive further into the specific building technologies further inspired from nature.

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“Humanity needs a vision of an expanding, and unending future. This spiritual craving cannot be satisfied by the colonization of space. ...The true frontier for humanity is life on Earth, its exploration and the transport of knowledge about it into science, art and the practical affairs.”

- E.O. Wilson, author of Biophilia and the Conservation Ethic

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Citations

1) Unites States Department of Environmental Protection, Climate change Impacts and Adapting to Change, March 18, 2014, http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/

2) Ibid

3) Unites States Department of Environmental Protection, Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, August 20 2014, http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/sources.html

4) Ibid

5) Ibid

6) Ibid

7) U.S. Energy Information Administration International Energy Outlook 2013, July 2013, and earlier reports, http://www.ela.gov/oiaf/ieo/ieorefcase.html

8) U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base, http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/ accessed august 2013

9) Michael Pawlyn, Biomimicry in Architecture, (London: RIBA Publishing, 2011) 5.

10) Merrium Webster, Biomimicry, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biomimicry

11) Michael Pawlyn, Biomimicry in Architecture, (London: RIBA Publishing, 2011) 2.

12) Janine Benyus, Biomimicry in Action, Filmed July 2009, http://www.ted.com/talks/janine_benyus_biomimicry_in_action?language=en#t-1035497

13) David Sher, Biomimicry Inspired Soft Seat Makes Comfortable Seating More Natural, August 13, 2014, http://3dprintingindustry.com/2014/08/13/biomimicry-inspired-soft-seat-makes-comfortable-seating-natural/

14) Michael Pawlyn, Biomimicry in Architecture, (London: RIBA Publishing, 2011) 18

15) Michael Pawlyn, Using Natures Genius in Architecture, Filmed Nov, 2010, http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_pawlyn_using_nature_s_genius_in_architecture?language=en#t-6003

16) Alejandro Bahamon and Patricia Perez, Inspired by Nature: Animals: the Building Biology Connection, Translated Parramon Edicious, S.A., 2009 (Barcelona: Parramon Ediciones S. A., 2009) 60

17) Alejandro Bahamon and Patricia Perez, Inspired by Nature: Animals: the Building Biology Connection, Translated Parramon Edicious, S.A., 2009 (Barcelona: Parramon Ediciones S. A., 2009) 128

18) Malleefowl Leipoa ocellata, http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=128

19) Moe, S.R., Mobaek, R. and Narmo, A. N. 2009. Mound building termites contribute to savanna vegetation heterogeneity. Plant Ecology 202: 31-40

20) Cardboard to caviar, http://algalbiomass.weebly.com/graham-wiles-cardboard-to-caviar.html

21) Clippership Wharf Limited Partnership, Clippership Wharf Final EIR, 1986

22) Salt water greenhouse, http://www.seawatergreenhouse.com

23) Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Eperimentatiion station, Sustaining Farming on the Urban Fringe, Volume 7, Issue 1 September 2012

24) Doris Kim Sung, Metal that Breathes, https://www.ted.com/talks/doris_kim_sung_metal_that_breathes?language=en

thesis

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