First GC Snapshots!

For the first step, I simplified my spongy facade to some deformable cylinder-like shapes – which are supposed to act like pores of my sponge. However the aim of the design is to have a chaotic BSpline curves as pores. As general idea they are holes reacting to different levels of RH and the aim of their reaction is absorbing the condensate water.

List of transactions figure:
Various reactions views:
step#1

step#2

step#3

GC ............................................. Computerization

As I mentioned before I want to design a porous polyhedral lattice inspired by sponge structure in order to absorb condensation water made on the facade. I am going to design a 3d-facade with various size openings (pores) extruded and scaled through the facade in order to have a chaotic porous lattice, hence for modeling I want to use GC.
For the first step, I want to sketch a simple plane included modular circle pores with adjustable radius to react to the indoor RH amount. For this aim RH range was assumed as a control point in modeling to control the pores size in order to increase contact surface with indoor air, so more absorption becomes possible.
On the other hand, in this case daylight control can be the second application of this design by a control system in the facade which can make a decision to adjust the system with RH or daylight in critical conditions.

Translating diagram

Basic structure.........................Form and function

Cell types:

A sponge's body is hollow and is held in shape by the mesohyl, a jelly-like substance made mainly of collagen and reinforced by a dense network of fibers also made of collagen. The inner surface is covered with choanocytes, cells with cylindrical or conical collars surrounding one flagellum per choanocyte. The wave-like motion of the whip-like flagella drives water through the sponge's body. All sponges have ostia, channels leading to the interior through the mesohyl, and in most sponges these are controlled by tube-like porocytes that form closable inlet valves. Pinacocytes, plate-like cells, form a single-layered skin over all other parts of the mesohyl that are not covered by choanocytes, and the external pinacocytes also digest food particles that are too large to enter the ostia, while those at the base of the animal are responsible for anchoring it.

Asconoid.............................. Syconoid ...........................Leuconoid
Pinacocytes................ Choanocytes Mesohyl.................. Water flow

Porifera body structures

Water-current system:

Most sponges work rather like chimneys: they take in water at the bottom and eject it from the osculum ("little mouth") at the top. Since ambient currents are faster at the top, the suction effect that they produce does some of the work for free.
Sponges can control the water flow by various combination of wholly or partially closing the osculum and ostia (the intake pores) and varying the beat of the flagella, and may shut it down if there is a lot of sand or silt in the water.
Although the layers of pinacocytes and choanocytes resemble the epithelia of more complex animals, they are not bound tightly by cell-to-cell connections or a basal lamina (thin fibrous sheet underneath). The flexibility of these layers and re-modeling of the mesohyl by lophocytes allow the animals to adjust their shapes throughout their lives to take maximum advantage of local water currents.
Asconoid
The simplest body structure in sponges is a tube or vase shape known as "asconoid", but this severely limits the size of the animal. If it is simply scaled up, the ratio of its volume to surface area increases, because surface increases as the square of length or width while volume increases proportionally to the cube.
Syconoid
Some sponges overcome this limitation by adopting the "syconoid" structure, in which the body wall is pleated. The inner pockets of the pleats are lined with choanocytes, which connect to the outer pockets of the pleats by ostia. This increase in the number of choanocytes and hence in pumping capacity enables syconoid sponges to grow up to up to a few centimeters in diameter.
Leuconid
The "leuconid" pattern boosts pumping capacity further by filling the interior almost completely with mesohyl that contains a network of chambers lined with choanocytes and connected to each other and to the water intakes and outlet by tubes. Leuconid sponges grow to over 1 metre in diameter, and the fact that growth in any direction increases the number of choanocyte chambers enables them to take a wider range of forms, for example "encrusting" sponges whose shapes follow those of the surfaces to which they attach.

Sponges

Overview:

Sponges (poriferans) are very simple animals that live permanently attached to a location in the water - they are sessile as adults. There are from 5,000 to 10,000 known species of sponges. Most sponges live in salt water - only about 150 species live in fresh water. Sponges evolved over 500 million years ago.
The body of this primitive animal has thousands of pores which let water flow through it continually. Sponges obtain nourishment and oxygen from this flowing water. The flowing water also carries out waste products.

Anatomy:

The body of a sponge has two outer layers separated by an acellular (having no cells) gel layer called the mesohyl (also called the mesenchyme). In the gel layer are either spicules (supportive
needles made of calcium carbonate) or spongin fibers (a flexible skeletal material made from protein). Sponges have neither tissues nor organs. Different sponges form different shapes, including tubes, fans, cups, cones, blobs, barrels, and crusts. These invertebrates range in size from a few millimeters to 2 meters tall.

General features:

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia (animals)
Phylum: Porifera (sponges)
Classes: Calcarea (calcerous sponges -having spicules), Demospongiae (horn sponges, like the bath sponge), Scleropongiae (coralline or tropical reef sponges), and Hexactinellida (glass sponges).

Sponge facade-original idea

SPONGES rely on maintaining a constant water flow through their bodies to obtain food and oxygen and to remove wastes, and the shapes of their bodies are adapted to maximize the efficiency of the water flow.

SPONGE is a gravity fed system, absorbed condensation-water from indoor air moves down the facade of the building via a series of ‘pores‘.

Second application: In background it is possible to make it safe for human consumption, the filtered water is collected and stored in an internal reservoir for disinfection.

Modifying and Clarifying the research proposal

PS: I modified the previous proposal different parts and made it more clear as well.

As you have seen in the proposal, finally, I decided to design a skin system for the facade that can breathe and ventilate through its membrane by inspiring the biological skin.
For the next step, I want to do some sketching for the system that I am going to design and model it with digital tool (ex. GC, but I am not sure about it).
Michela, for this purpose, what is your tool suggestion? Parametric tool or not?

As I told you I want to design a modular facade and embed my skin system design in it to have a uniform breathable facade. In my opinion, probably I will need parametric design for module shapes and their connection to form a facade. In this case, I can easily change and improve it during my design work.

Final research proposal

Hypotheses:

"Translating biological skin as a multi-layered / multifunctional membrane into the facade in order to design a smart facade." In other words, "Designing a system by being inspired by biological models."

Research Q:
"How can I design a breathable facade regarding the air ventilation, in order to make a suitable indoor space? "
"How can I design a skin system for a facade to make it breathable in order to have a good ventilation?"

Qs:

• What is the basic rule of its function and how translate it to the facade?
• Which type of skin am I going to choose as a basic subject?
• How can I test the translation process in order to achieve a physical aspect?
• How will I design the system: by using smart materials or mechanism?
• Which type of digital tool can I use to prove the results?

Methodology:

1. Simultaneously research on biological skins and architectural elements
   
2. Choose one of the possibilities
3. Analyze its function and try to find a way to translate it to facade in order to design a system( being aware of the basic principle of the biological skin)
   
4. Model the schematic biological design with digital tools (ex. GC)
5. Test the model and process function regarding to make physical benefits(ex. Ecotech?)
   
6. Find a tool (GC) to model the facade and manipulate it during the process
   
7. Test the model for physical aspects(Ecotech?)
8. Repeat from the 5th step while considering the biological concept
   
9. Evaluate and modify the results

- I checked the link. Its really useful, thanks.
- Regarding my discussion with Greg Keeffe in a few weeks ago, I sent an email to him to ask about different possibilities for translating nature to facade
- I talked to Andy van den Dobbelsteen and he gave me some literature and data in this case

Research and draft...

Since for the first step I should have reasonable knowledge about biological skin, last week I spent most of my time on reading a number of books and papers in this case and made some notes as follows:

macro:
1- Natural systems function without waste

2- .............................................within an integrated web of relationships and interdependence
3- ............................ are efficient
4- ............................ are hierarchical organizations
5- ............................ are closed loops, therefore there is an iterative feedback mechanism and the process is dynamic
6- Integration of material capabilities with structural and functional requirements
7- All living organism are interconnected and inter related from superficial to deeper, and so on... .
micro:
1- Natural skins are composed of epidermis (outer skin) and dermis (inner skin),
2- All living organism are composed of hereditary unit,DNA.

Therefore in order to design 'the facade as an integrated system-biological synergy", I need to further draw on information already gathered by ecologists and biologists.
In the forthcoming days I'm going to do more research and find a way of "How translate nature to architecture?", "How translate skin to facade?", "How translate biological aspects to physical aspects?"

February 9 - Presentation

Yesterday was the presentation of the research proposals.
I got some good and various comments and feedback from instructors in order to progress my research process. Some suggested to focus on just one topic and go more in-depth, while the other tutor's recommendation was add more functions to the main topic!
In the next step, I am going to research on "biological skins" and " five mentioned categories of live things" to find a new aspect and solution.

Here is the ink to my presentation:
http://blackboard.tudelft.nl/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2fwebapps%2fblackboard%2fexecute%2flauncher%3ftype%3dCourse%26id%3d_23854_1%26url%3d

Specifying

First of all thanks Andre for the link...
In order to clarify my topic, as I mentioned before I want to have a multi - layered (multi- functional) facade in terms of "Live Facade".
Live facade is a big challenge, as a result I limited myself in some aspects as follows:
I want to know,

1-How the facade can response to daylight by changing its opacity?
2-How the facade can breathe?

Topic of Interest

So the days after the meeting I started searching for interesting subjects to research. There were two subject that couldn´t let me go: Biomimetic and Sustainable Architecture.

In living things the skin is the most complex of all elements. It separates inside from outside, and thus is again dynamic. Most skins are multilayered and none are exclusive. Exchange is the key here; skins allow different climatic elements and energy forms to enter or be excluded at any time. So a body might choose to lose heat when hot, or conserve it when cold, by changing the configuration of the skin. The human skin for example has seven layers, none of which is impermeable to water, yet we do not leak!

Finally I found my interesting topic as the" Smart and Adaptable Skin","Multi - layered dynamic skin".

Welcome

This blog is made for Standup Architecture course and is going to be a diary of the evolution of my Idea Process.
It will be updated soon...