Bioengineered Brick Wins 2010 Metropolis Next Generation Design Prize

An American architecture professor, Ginger Krieg Dosier, 32, Assistant Professor of Architecture at American University of Sharjah (AUS) in Abu Dhabi, has won this year’s prestigious Metropolis Next Generation Design Prize for “Biomanufactured Brick.” The 2010 Next Generation Prize Challenge was “ONE DESIGN FIX FOR THE FUTURE” - a small fix to change the world. The Next Generation judges decided that Professor Dosier’s well-documented and -tested plan to replace clay-fired brick with a brick made with bacteria and sand, met the challenge perfectly.

“The ordinary brick - you would think that there is nothing more basic than baking a block of clay in an oven,” said Horace Havemeyer, Publisher of Metropolis. “Ginger Dosier’s idea is the perfect example of how making a change in an almost unexamined part of our daily lives can have an enormous impact on the environment.”

1-2-3 brick-making with Dosier’s competition-winning concept: pour the bacteria solution together with the cementing solution over the sand inside the formwork, let it saturate and harden (currently about one week) - voilà: we have an ecobrick!

There are over 1.3 trillion bricks manufactured each year worldwide, and over 10% are made by hand in coal-fired ovens. On average, the baking process emits 1.4 pounds of carbon per brick - more than the world’s entire aviation fleet. In countries like India and China, outdated coal-fired brick kilns consume more energy, emit more carbon, and produce great quantities of particulate air pollution. Dosier’s process replaces baking with simple mixing, and because it is low-tech (apart from the production of the bacterial activate), can be done onsite in localities without modern infrastructure. The process uses no heat at all:mixing sand and non-pathogenic bacteria (sporosar) and putting the mixture into molds. The bacteria induce calcite precipitation in the sand and yield bricks with sandstone-like properties. If biomanufactured bricks replaced each new brick on the planet, it would save nearly 800 million tons of CO2 annually.

One of Dosier’s many ecobrick experiments in the lab

Professor Dosier, was trained as an architect (at Auburn University, Rural Studio, and Cranbrook Academy) and teaches architecture.  But she studied microbiology, geology, and materials science in her spare time, most recently when she was teaching architecture at North Carolina State University. The results - which have been tested with Lego-sized bricks in research at AUS - impress architects and geologists alike. Grant Ferris, professor of geology at the University of Toronto, says that in all the scientific studies of microbial mineral precipitation, there has been little or no work on the “fabrication of construction or design materials,” which is what makes the Next Generation winner’s work “so compelling.”

Source: Bustler

Shipping Container Art Studio in New York

Wow! We knew that shipping containers could be used to build beautiful buildings, but this art studio by MB Architecture in Amagansett, New York is truly gorgeous. The artist had a limited budget of $60,000 to work with and wanted something close to home that was both functional as a working space, but would also be inviting and reflective. The exterior is kept very simply as the shipping container, but painted gray for a sophisticated look and a way to blend the container into the wooded environment. Inside, bright white walls act as a blank canvas for new artwork and ample daylighting streams in through the large windows on either end.

The foundation for the studio is built into the earth with 9′ walls and acts as the lower level and work space for the studio. Two 40′ (9′6″) high cube shipping containers were then set on top of the foundation to create a two-story double wide structure. About 75% of the floors of the containers were cut away to create the tall ceilings with lots of natural light flooding in from the high windows.

Next to the painting area on the lower floor is a large storage area and directly above on the top floor is another work area. The container wide staircase acts as a transitional and gallery space for artwork. Each of the two containers cost about $2,500 delivered. An amazing example of how beautiful shipping container architecture can be.

+ Maziar Behrooz Architecture

Via Le Journal du Design and Arch Daily

photo credits: Dalton Portella, Francine Fleischer and Maziar Behrooz

LIFEWALL: Modular Vertical Garden Panels Clean the Air

Creating vertical gardens just got a whole lot easier thanks to these modular garden tiles by Spanish firm Ceracasa. Their Lifewall product, which we just saw over at Jetson Green, is a modular tile that can support a number of different plants and is drip irrigated for water efficiency. Since it’s modular, the designer has the ability to place these in whatever pattern they want, which could create some really fascinating designs. Lifewall tiles also interface with another Ceracasa product called Bionictile, which is able to suck pollution out of the air.

Lifewall was developed by the architect Emilio Llobat of Maqla Architects, Azahar Energy and Ceracasa, and it is now being marketed globally. Each tile is one square meter in size and can accommodate a number of different plant varieties. The Lifewall tile works in conjunction with the Bionictile, which is a porcelain tile that uses the sun’s UV rays to break down nitrous oxide in the air, improving the local air quality.

When used together the two products create a symbiotic relationship, where the Lifewall has plant matter that soaks up CO2, and the Bionictile converts NOx to fertilizer which is used by the plants. Tests show that Bionictile ceramics are able to decompose 25.09 micrograms of NOx per m2 per hour, and if 200 buildings were coated by ceramic BIONICTILE, an equivalent volume of 2,638 million cubic meters of air per year would be decontaminated. In other words, more than 400,000 people could breathe air free of harmful NOx from vehicles and industries in one year.

+ Ceracasa

Via Jetson Green

Amoeba-Inspired Network Design: Physarum polycephalum

Science/AAAS

For anyone interested in going into engineering, I can offer a warning: prepare to get your butt handed to you repeatedly
by nature. Many of the processes at the forefront of engineering
technology are just trying to play catch-up with what nature has done an
innumerable number of times. Photosynthesis, genetic replication, the creation of joints, even the simple act of
flight—nature has done it before, with greater ease, and often cheaper or more efficiently.
A paper in the current issue of Science discusses
the ability of a single-celled creature to create a robust network while
foraging for food—one that mimicked the Tokyo rail system in
complexity. Creating a good network is a balancing act; you need to span a large number of
nodes with a minimal number of edges (keeping cost low), while being
able to function when an edge is lost (fault
tolerant). Problems of this type are a shining example of the
adage "fast, cheap, or good: pick any two."
Many organisms grow in the form
of a connected network, and they have
the benefit of innumerable generations of natural selection behind
them. Selective pressures have
forced the organism to find a happy balance among connectedness, fault
tolerance, and cost/efficiency. The authors of the Science article use
the slime mold Physarum
polycephalum as their biological network generator, and it served as a muse for the creation of an adaptive network model.

Physarum
is a single-celled amoeboid organism that spends its time searching for
physically distributed sources of food. When starting on a fresh
substrate, it spreads in all directions to maximize the area it is
capable of searching. Behind the outer perimeter of its search area, it
forms a tubular network that connects cells to any food sources that it has
discovered. Over the course of a few hours, the network it forms connects the food sources in a manner that optimizes the
network's properties.
As part of their experimentation with the slime, the
researchers placed 36 food sources on a substrate in a manner that
mimicked the geographical layout of cities around Tokyo. (Physarum is apparently fond of oat flakes.) They then
introduced the slime mold
to the foraging grounds and compared the network that it formed with
the actual Tokyo rail network in place around the city. 
Initially, the Physarum began to
spread out over the entire available area but, over time, it
concentrated its network on the tubes that connected the food sources. The
resulting network topology "bore similarity to the real rail network."
To see if the organism could be coaxed into an even closer match, the
researchers used light—which is known to inhibit the growth
of physarum—to
simulate mountains, lakes, or similar impasses that the actual rail
network must contend with.
While looking like the real network is nice, it's not exactly an objective measure. To attempt to quantify the similarity, the
researchers examined a handful of metrics used for describing topological networks. The cost of the network (total length),
efficiency (average minimum distance between nodes), and robustness
(degree of fault tolerance) were examined relative to the minimum spanning tree
(MST) for each network. The MST represents the smallest possible
network that connects all the food source (or city rail station) positions.
When compared to the length of the MST, the Tokyo rail system was 1.8 times larger, while the Physarum network
was 1.75±0.30 times larger. The average minimum distance between
cities (food sources) was 0.85 and 0.85±0.04, respectively. These two measurements illustrate the fact that Physarum-based networks have a lower "cost" but provide a relatively equal distance
between nodes.
One place where engineers did a bit better: the amoeba's networks were not as robust as the actual rail network. For the rails, four percent of the possible faults could lead to the
isolation of a node, whereas a fault in the Physarum network
has a 14±4 percent chance of leading to an isolated food source. That just won't do for Tokyo, given the frequency of monster attacks there.

Using these observations of network formation, the
researchers attempted to develop a model that was
capable of describing the network's formation. Using a simple fluid
flow model for the arms, along with sink/source terms to represent the food
sources, they were able to reproduce the Physarum network with the help of a pair of free
parameters. The authors conclude that planners might consider using the model during the preliminary
planning stages of other self-organized networks, such as remote
sensors arrays or mobile, ad-hoc networks.

Source: 
Science 22 January 2010: Vol. 327. no. 5964, pp. 419 - 420 DOI: 10.1126/science.1185570

Earth architecture handmade school bangladesh

METI school in rudrapur dinajpur, bangladesh

hand-built in four months by architects, local craftsmen, pupils, parents and teachers,
this primary school in rudrapur, a village in north west bangladesh, uses traditional
methods and materials of construction but adapts them in new ways. the architects,
anna aeringer from austria and eike roswag from germany, made every effort to engage
the skills of local craftsmen, helping them refine processes and learn new techniques
that they could then use to improve the general standard of rural housing.



sunlight and ventilation can be regulated through the use of shutters.



in rudrapur, the traditional local materials are bamboo for constructions and earth for
walls and foundations, straw for the roofs and jute rope for lashing constructions.



earthbound materials such as loam and straw are combined with lighter elements like
bamboo sticks and nylon lashing to create a environmentally sustainable foundation.



thick walls assure a comfortable climate on the ground floor of the building.


1st floor: open space


a view into the classroom

the philosophy of METI (modern education and training institute) is learning with joy.
the teachers help the children to develop their own potential and use it in a creative
and responsible way. the building reflects these ideas through its materials, techniques
and architectural design.


a view into the classroom


a view into the classroom


moulded ‘cavespaces’ – an area to retreat into for contemplation/concentrated work



the design solution used in this rural town may not be replicable in other parts of the islamic
world as local conditions vary. however, new design solutions can emerge from an in-depth
knowledge of the local context and new ways of building. this provides a fresh and hopeful
model for sustainable building globally. the final result of this heroic volunteer effort is a building
that creates beautiful, meaningful and humane collective spaces for learning which enrich
the lives of the children it serves.



the construction method used is a historical earth building technique similar to cob-walling
which is ideal for ‘self building’. the wet earth is mixed with straw and applied to the wall
in layers. each layer is approximately 50-70 cm high, and after a couple of days drying,
it is trimmed on the sides with a sharp spade to obtain a regular flat wall surface.
after a second drying period, a further layer can be added. the earth in this region is well-suited
for such construction and the stability of the mixture was improved by adding rice, straw and jute.

earth construction: the most important technical improvement in comparison to traditional
buildings is the introduction of a damp proof course and a brick foundation. the traditional
building technique (which uses very wet earth) has been replaced by the 'weller' technique
that is quite similar to the traditional one.


'if you give someone a fish you can feed him for a day.
if you show him how to fish he can feed himself for his whole life.' - lao zhu



the school building was built by experts and volunteers from germany and austria along
with craftsmen, teachers, parents and students from bangladesh over the period of
september to december 2005.



the aim of the project is to improve existing building techniques, to contribute to
sustainability by utilising local materials and labour and to strengthen regional identity.



the joints are secured with a steel pin fixed with a nylon lashing



the ceiling consists of three layers of bamboo poles arranged perpendicularly to one
another with bamboo boarding and an earth filling as the surface of the floor.
the same construction in a modified form can be used for general residential buildings.


section


the second step was planning and construction of private housing

society in bangladesh is changing. although it is still strongly rooted in agriculture, people
are getting more educated - privacy and individuality are gaining more importance.
a house is no long just a shelter to store things or to sleep in at night. it has evolved to
becoming more defined as a home.

METI school in rudrapur dinajpur, bangladesh
built area: 325 m2
cost: $ 22,835

commission: january 2004
design: march 2004 - august 2005
construction: september 2005 - cecember 2005
occupancy: december 2005

client: dipshikha/ METI non-formal education, training and research society for village development

design and concept: anna heringer
technical, detailed planning and realisation: anna heringer and eike roswag

anna heringer (b. 1977) studied architecture at linz university of the arts, austria.
since 2004 she has held a lecture there, and is project manager at BASE - habitat/architektur
konzepte, linz university of the arts. in 2006 she began her doctoral studies at munich
technical university, on strategies for sustainable building in northern bangladesh.
she is vice chairwoman of shanti, a german-bangladeshi partnership founded in 1983,
with the aim of arranging exchange programs such as the transfer of professional volunteers.

eike roswag (b. 1969) completed his architectural studies at berlin technical university in
2000, after which he took on freelance architectural work and consultancies. in 2003, he joined
ZRS architects and engineers to plan and build a variety of projects using earth as a building
material. in 2006, he joined the staff of berlin technical university and founded
roswag & jankowski architects partnership.

founded in 1978, dipshikha - informal education, training and research society for village
development is a bangladeshi development organization set up to encourage the independence
of communities in rural bangladesh through sustainable development.

the METI school won the aga khan award for architecture 2007

Furnish Green

Picking up some threads of a recent post about some inventive site furnishings, as well as the ongoing obsession with Vegetated Architecture brings another melding of the two. A range of vegetated furniture that ranges from the purely decorative to the downright functional. First, a quick shot from Michael Cannell's blog at Dwell - with some unique seating spotted at the Milan Furniture Fair.


:: image via Dwell
Another interesting furnishing seen a bunch over the past few weeks is from Greenform, and the bench 'Relax' by designer Stephan Stauffacher... which is more art piece than furniture, with a 5" height and grass-stain causing surface... but I strangely want one, filled with some different type of plant...


:: image via gardenhistorygirl

A bit more functional are a couple of examples of GYO furniture, via Inhabitat. First is the TerraGrass Armchair kit featuring a cardboard frame that is filled with soil and planted for a comfy looking overstuffed chair.


:: image via Inhabitat

Another from Inhabitat - with a Lawn Couch DIY kit feature from the magazine Ready-Made (link to this project seems to be gone)...


:: image via Inhabitat

And another from designer Julian Lwin, via Inhabitat: "The recycled cardboard cylinders of the new “Ephemeral BioTube Bench” are embedded with seeds using a cellulose liquid, so that as they are exposed to moisture, rain and light, they biodegrade (to a rich mulch layer) and turn into an instant garden."

:: image via Inhabitat

Taking this to other forms of furnishing, a table with a built-in-trough for some sort of vegetation - we'll call it a living centerpiece. 'Side Table' is by designer Jonas Hauptmann - as seen on The Design Blog seems perfect for a stand of cut-your-own lemongrass, or perhaps a nice area for someone to hide those brussel sprouts.

:: image via Hauptmann Products Inc.

Taking functional furnishings a bit further, GreenU, by Andrew Volpe, a student at the Northern Michigan university envisions a self-contained and self-sufficient shelter, information kiosk, seat, recycling/trash receptacle all in one handy, sustainable, easy to assemble vegetated unit.

:: images via The Design Blog

Maybe the artful inclusion of vegetation into the idea of furnishings can avoid the inevitable wardrobe changes that may be necessary to comfortably occupy urban spaces. While a tad tongue-and-cheek, there is some social commentary associated with Archisuits by Sarah Ross - which meld fashion, function and localism to accomodate the specific seating barriers in Los Angeles.

:: images via Sarah Ross

Space-Age Tech Coming to a Building Near You: Aerogel as Insulation

Photo: Peter Tsou at NASA's JPL, Public domain.

Frozen Smoke in My Walls

Aerogel, also known as Frozen Smoke, is quite an interesting material. It has the lowest bulk density of any known porous solid, it is mostly transparent but feels a bit like Styrofoam to the touch, and it has remarkable thermal insulation properties (NASA has used it on the Mars Rover and space suits). But it's always been too expensive for most large scale uses... And that might be changing.

Photo: Aspen Aerogels

Aspen Aerogels has started selling aerogel blankets for use as insulation in buildings.

"Aspen Aeorgels says that its Spaceloft blankets have two to four times the insulating value per inch compared to fiberglass or foam. It's also relatively easy to work with, allows water vapor to pass through, and is fire resistant--a common demonstration of aerogels is to have a person fire a Bunsen burner below the aerogel while putting a hand on the top side." (source)
The fact that it's just 2 to 4 times better than fiberglass or foam makes me think that they paid a pretty big performance price to bring costs down, since pure aerogel would provider higher thermal insulation, but it's still a pretty big step in the right direction. We're not talking about a few percent improvement. Over time, in a big building, this could represent a lot of heat that would otherwise leak out (or heat that would leak in when the air conditioning is on).
Other companies that are coming out with more affordable aerogel derivatives to be used as building insulation are Cabot and Thermablok.
I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years (or decades at most) very high-quality aerogel was used almost everywhere for insulation. Unless we make something even better, that is.
Trivia: According to Wikipedia, "Aerogel was first created by Samuel Stephens Kistler in 1931, as a result of a bet with Charles Learned over who could replace the liquid in 'jellies' with gas without causing shrinkage."

Via CNET, Reddit

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