Another Scale of Nature Protocells Synthetic Metabolic Material Design as a Generatior to Redefine...

Protocell Architecture is a new frontier of archi-tectural epistemology that has the potential to displace current and past architectural paradigms with material computation of synthetic cellular life. The fundamental problem in the way our buildings are designed and constructed at the present time is that they form a barrier, dominate and have detrimental effects on the environment. Current sustainable design is not solving the environmental issues because buildings still remain inert even with additional bolt on sustainable technologies, such as green walls and green roofs. By contrast, inspired by the sensibilities and dynamics of natural systems, Protocell Architecture will engage directly with the surrounding environment and go beyond the aspiration for neutrality within metropolitan fabrics. Protocells do not yet exist as a tool to be applied in architectural practise, however this paper presents its future direction by defining synthetic metabolic material design and analysing how Protocells are part of the next generation of architecture. This paper looks at two pilot studies, Patrick Blancs’ Le Mur Végétal and Philip Beesleys’ Hylozoism. These studies highlight the issues with current sustainable design and the advantages of the protocells for use in future architecture. The analysis indicates that further practice and development in this area will assist in realising more ecological architectural design, which redefines the resilience of Nature.

Another Scale of NatureProtocells Synthetic Metabolic Material Design as a Generatior to Redefine the Resilience of Nature

Sophie Nicola Samuels Manchester School of Architecture08009800 7224000

001 Preissner, P. (2011). Back to the Future. Protocell Architecture. 210 (2), 106-111

‘It only takes a few moments to be taken in by the utterly fantastic possibilities protocells offer the world’1

Paul Preissner

1 Preissner, P. (2011). Back to the Future. Protocell Architecture. 210 (2), 106-111

A dissertation submitted to theManchester School of Architecture

for the degree of Bachelor of ArchitectureApril 2013

Sophie Nicola Samuels

DECLARATIONThis study was completed as part of the Bachelor of Architecture degree at the

Manchester School of Architecture. This work is my own. Where the work of others is implemented or drawn upon, it is attributed to the relevant source.

Signed _____________________________________Sophie Nicola Samuels

Another Scale of Nature | Contents

CONTENTSfor Another Scale of Nature

Acknowledgements

Abstract

001 INTRODUCTIONNotes on Another Scale of Nature 008 | 009

001.1 | Background

001.2 | Thesis Content and Structure

001.3 | Problem Analogy : Biological Process

001.4 | Working Definitions of Synthetic Metabolic Materials

002 | 003

004 | 005

008 | 009

010 | 011

014 | 015

002 MATERIALITY AND METHODOLOGYLiterature Review 024 | 025

002.1 | Addressing the Complex Agenda of Today’s Urban Crisis

002.2 | Reimaging Architecture : The Material Properties and Architectural Possibilities in Simple Organisms

026 | 027

030 | 031

002.3 | Methodology

034 | 035

016 | 017

003 CAPITALIST NATUREThe Ambiguity of Sustainable Trends Addressing the Complex Agenda of Today’s Urban Crisis 036 | 037

003.1 | Background 038 | 039

sophie nicola samuels

CONTENTSfor Another Scale of Nature

003.2 | Current Sustainable Strategies

003.3 | Anti-Humanism

0.003.4 | Swarm Urbanism

040 | 041

044 | ---

044 | 045

003.5 | Case Study 001 Athenaeum Hotel Mayfair London

0.003.6 | [Re_interpreting] Sustainable Design and the Future Direction

046 | 047

052 | 053

004 CONTINUUMMathematical Models of Nature 060 | 061

005.1 | The Protocell : Contextual Material [The Past and The Future]

005.2 | The Protocell : Inorganic Evolution and Life

005.3 | Unconventional Computation : Soft Machines

0.005.4 | Protocells as Architectural Agents : Another Scale of Nature

072 | 073

074 | 075

076 | 077

078 | 079

005.5 | Protocells as Architectural Pharmaceuticals : Venice

005.6 | Case Study 002. Living Architecture Today

080 | 081

082 | 083

005 THE QUEST FOR UNITS OF SYNTHETIC LIFE Mathematical Models of Nature 070 | 071

005.7 | Artificial Evolution : Challenges 088 | 089

Limitations and Findings

Recommendation for Extended Research

094 | ---

--- | 095

006 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Mathematical Models of Nature 090 | 091

Bibliography

Appendix

--- | 102

--- | 106

List of Figures --- | 130

WORD COUNT 13266

Another Scale of Nature | Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

I would like to share an extended thank to everyone who gave me guidance and advise throughout my thesis paper.

Firstly, I would like thank to my supervisor, Vikram Kaushal Lecturer at Manchester School of Architecture for offering his encouragement, throughout my thesis paper.

I would also like thank to Dr. Nick Dunn and Richard Brook my Atelier Tutors.

I would like to thank the following acedemics who have given me the opportunity of meeting with them, as follows, Professor Neil Spiller, Dr. Rachel Armstrong and Professor Matthew Gandy.

I would also like to thank architect and Professor at the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois Chicago, Paul Preissner, who I was in communication with whilst completing my thesis paper.

Another Scale of Nature | Abstract

004 | 005

AbstractProtocell Architecture is a new frontier of architectural epistemology that has the potential to displace current and past architectural paradigms with material computation of synthetic cellular life. The fundamental problem in the way our buildings are designed and constructed at the present time is that they form a barrier, dominate and have detrimental effects on the environment. Current sustainable design is not solving the environmental issues because buildings still remain inert even with additional bolt on sustainable technologies, such as green walls and green roofs. By contrast, inspired by the sensibilities and dynamics of natural systems, Protocell Architecture will engage directly with the surrounding environment and go beyond the aspiration for neutrality within metropolitan fabrics. Protocells do not yet exist as a tool to be applied in architectural practise, however this paper presents its future direction by defining synthetic metabolic material design and analysing how Protocells are part of the next generation of architecture. This paper looks at two pilot studies, Patrick Blancs’ Le Mur Végétal and Philip Beesleys’ Hylozoism. These studies highlight the issues with current sustainable design and the advantages of the protocells for use in future architecture. The analysis indicates that further practice and development in this area will assist in realising more ecological architectural design, which redefines the resilience of Nature.

006 | 007

CHAPTER ONE

Notes on Another Scale of Nature

Introduction

*Top-down A design technique that starts with the highest level of an idea and works its way down to the lowest level of detail

002 Metabolic System - Metabolism is the chemical process which turns one substance into another and which occurs within a living organism in order to maintain life.

003 Spiller, N. (2011). A Manifesto for Protocell Architecture: Against Biological Formalism. Protocell Ar-chitecture. 81 (2), 24 (‘Architecture is dead, long live architecture,’)

NOTES ON ANOTHER SCALE OF NATURE

INTRODUCTION

001 Notes on Another Scale of Architecture001.1 Background

The problem with current approaches towards architectural design philosophies and technologies‘What does a brick want to be?’2

Louis Kahn’s philosophical perception towards architecture proposes that buildings are ‘living organic entities,’ rather than inanimate constructions of form. This notion is derived through the belief that natural light gives life to architecture through its material. The elixir of the built form is natural light embracing materiality post construction. This is the antithesis of synthetic metabolic-material design. Manufacturing, blueprint and construction addressed in the architecture philosophized by Kahn, the type of architectural production which is also embedded in contemporary design with the additional blanketing of green and eco nomenclatures is the continuation of the Victorian top-down* technologies. In top-down architectures, systems within the built form are in isolation from one another and the immediate surroundings and possess only one flow of energy from the natural environment to the built form. Thus, the absence of a metabolic system* renders the building inert, a barrier against the natural environment and effectively ‘dead,’ 3 answering only to indexes and percentages proposed by building regulations and rating systems.

·2 Metabolic System - Metabolism is the chemical process which turns one substance into another and which occurs within a living organism in order to maintain life.

· Subnature – a term coined by David Gissen. If the supernatural is above earth then subnature must be below – it is the forms of unwanted nature which increase alongside the increase in urban swarming. The subnatures in the Case of the Manchester Peppered Moth are those of dankness, smoke, gas, exhaust and dust.

3 Spiller, N. (2011). A Manifesto for Protocell Architecture: Against Biological Formal-ism. Protocell Architecture. 81 (2), 24 (‘Architecture is dead, long live architecture,’)

‘To modify nature, is our nature’Jason Hopkins

CHAPTER

001ONE

Another Scale of Nature | C.001 Notes on Another Scale of Nature

Figure 001 Protocells : how architecture can be grown and cultivated using liv-ing technology. Tassel, D (2012) - Avail-able at: < http://vimeo.com/23909650> Accessed 13th March 2013

008 | 009

Towards mathematical models of Nature’s processes as an approach to architectural design philosophies and technologies

Protocell architecture creates an alternative epistemological platform, which marries humanism and environmentalism. Synthetic metabolic mate-rial design challenges human ingenuity to understand and apply synthetic cellular life forms to architecture. Protocell Architecture applies biological processes found in Nature to create material computing units through the programming of artificial cellular life in order to create environmental antidotes.


001.2 Thesis Content and StructureAims and ObjectivesWithin the context of architecture this paper seeks to explore the importance of developing synthetic metabolic-material design. The aim of the paper is to define and clarify the understanding of Protocell Architecture and its current position. Thus the objective is to highlight why it is critical to develop Protocell Architecture in order to replace current trends and methods of architectural design and construction, which will create a remedy for today’s collapse of Nature and the misconception of current sustainable designs.

Content StructureThe paper is organized into six sections including the introduction. The in-troduction visualises the content and structure of this paper, (figure 3) and includes analogies and working definitions to introduce the new terminology and concepts of protocells.

Section two sets out the theory of research and how the current ecological crisis requires a new tool and strategy to go beyond current sustainable design protocols and technologies. Synthetic Metabolic Material design is in infancy and has the potential to contribute to solving the ecological crisis and used for urban repair. Specialists in protocell architecture and urban ecological politics were interviewed to explain and develop terminologies and theory..

Section three focuses on the current urban condition and sustainability in contemporary design. This section critically addresses the misconcep-tion of present sustainable designs narrowing the focus on Patrick Blancs ‘Living Walls’ in particular the installation on the façade of The Anthenaeum Hotel, Mayfair. This chapter includes the interview with Urban Geographist Professor Matthew Gandy, who explained the urban ecological politics in regard to current sustainable design, and also the Case Study carried out on Blanc’s wall for the Anthenaeum Hotel, Mayfair.

Section four is the historic continuum for the paradigm of mathematical models of Nature, which have been applied to architecture. The diagram and research illustrate the progression towards the emergence of protocell Architecture.

Section five defines Protocell Architecture and explores the future benefits and potential appliances of synthetic metabolic materials. The pioneers of Protocell architecture Dr.Rachel Armstrong and Professor Neil Spiller were interviewed to explain the epistomolgy and technology of Protocell Architecture. Chapter 4 includes the second Case Study; Philip Beesley’s primitive Protocell Architecture at the Venice Bienalle, which gives hope for a future of responsive and regenerative architecture immersed in the urban fabric.

The final section, section six, concludes and summerises ‘Another Scale of Nature’ and also includes limitations and how to expand the research of Protocell Architecture.

Figure 02 : Protocells Engagingwith urban infrastructure

Figures 002 Authors Own, 2013, Lantana Project 4.1, Concept Drawings of Proto-cell emmeshed within the decaying urban infrastructure

010 | 011

Concept Drawings of Protocells emmeshed within Urban Fabric

Figure 002 : Protocells Engaging


Figure 003. Authors Own, 2013, Diagram of Content and Structure of ‘Another Scale of Nature’

Proposal Synthetic Metabolic Material Design

To Redefine the Resilience of Nature

Ecological Crisis +

Ambiguity of Sustainable

Trends

002. Materiality Methodology

Photography : Manufactured Landscapes

Analysis of theproblem of current sustainable design

SCENARIO

Another Scale of NatureProtocells Synthetic

Metabolic Material Design

as a Generatior to Redefine

the Resilience

of Nature

001. Introduction

001.1 Background

001.2 Structure

001.3 Analogy

001.4 Definition

Abstract : Research Question

Analysis of Primitive forms and proposals for Protocell Architecture

012 | 013

003. Capitalist Nature and The Ambiguity of Current Sustainable Trends

Second Law of Thermodynamics

Urban Ecological Politics

Case Study : Patrick Blanc’s Mur VégétalAthenaeum Hotel, Mayfair

004. Trajectory Mathematical Model of Nature in Architectural Design

005. Protocells : The Quest for Units of Syn-thetic Life

Contemporary SustainableStrategies and Data

006. Summery and Conclusions

Case Study : Philip Beesley’s Hylozoic Ground, Venice Bienalle

As Architectural Agents for Urban Repair and Redefine the Resilience of Nature

Synthetic Cellular LifeMaterial Computing Units

Science Research : Dr.Rachel Armstrong & Dr.Martin Hanczyc

Architecture Research : Prof.Neil Spiller, Prof.Paul Preissner

Figure 004. Diagram of Content and Structure of ‘Another Scale of Nature’


*smog - a term coined to refer to the grey clouds of smoke and fog

004 Rispin, P, Personal Communication, 2011

001.3 Problem Analogy : Biological Process

The Manchester Peppered Moth {biston betularia}‘Nature is a brilliant engineer’ Neri Oxman

Given the significant potential of Nature’s behaviours it is critical to discover ways to apply Nature’s intelligence and efficiency to the built form and its relationship with the environment. The research in the field of the morphological behavioural patterns of the Manchester Peppered Moth highlights an example of Nature’s challenges and persistant solutions to the fluctuations in the complex ecology.

The research of Phil Rispin, the curator of entomology at the Manchester Museum, provides insight into the intelligent performative behaviours of the Manchester Peppered Moth. Rispin explains that the moth’s wings possess multiple functions, not only are the wings apparatus to fly, and also morphological camoflage, which enables the moth to survive in different environmental conditions. The two morph forms of the moth occur in parrallel to the changes in the quantity of subnatures* which contaminate the air quality and alter the environmental conditions.

Morph forms of the natural wing prosthetics are;Morph typica {Biston betularia}Wing Properties: white with a dark speckled pattern. This form fluorishes when the quantity of subnatures is low and the air quality is ‘clean.’ The cleaner environment promotes light coloured lichen species and tree bark enabling the pale wings to blend into the surrounding environment to reduce its visability to predatorsMorph Carbonaria {Biston betularia} Wing Properties: black like charcoal. This form flourishes alongside subnatures created from the debris of the urban environment’4

The morphs are known as melanism which is the presence of dark and light coloured forms of the same species. The colour changes were first noted during the industrial revolution with the swarm construction and use of mills and housing to fuel the growing cotton industry and influx of work-ers. The impure air in the urban territories created smog* hovered over the mill tops causing lichen and tree bark to darken due to the absorbtion of contaminated rain water and because dark particles of matter blanket-ed the previously light colored lichen. The Morph Carbonaria flourished because of its ability to be camoflaged in the dark fauna. In the seventies when the air quality began to improve, and the fauna went back to being to reappear and flourish, the light winged moths returned.

4 *smog - a term coined to refer to the grey clouds of smoke and fog

Rispin, P, Personal Communication, 2011

014 | 015

Figure 004. Authors Own, 2013, Symbi-osis : Manchester Peppered Moth and the Environment

005 Spiller, N. (2011). It’s a Brand New Morning. Protocell Architecture. 210 (2), 14-25

Observing the collection of morph forms of this moth species emphasisesNature’s dexerity. In contrast architecture at the present time is not able to respond to envirnomental fluctuations. Neill Spiller has identified this fact. ‘Architecture is dead, long live architecture.’5 Spiller’s statement has two layers. Primarily, the literal and scientific meaning whereby compared to Naure, architecture is dead for it does not posses living processes such as metabolism. The second layer highlights Spillers view that current archi-tecture is something of the past and now it is the time for the birth of a new form of architecture, that of living architecture, which enables reactions between the built form and the flux of the complex ecology. Using the Manchester Peppered Moth as an example; architecture needs to strive to-wards having a reactive and symbiotic relationship with its surroundings in order to redefine the resilense of Nature, Protocell Architecture typiefies these dynamics.

5 Spiller, N. (2011). It’s a Brand New Morning. Protocell Architecture. 210 (2), 14-25

Morph typica {Biston betularia}F.white bodied peppered moth

Morph carbonaria {Biston betularia}F.white bodied peppered moth

Air Pollutants

Sym

biot

ic

Rela

tions

hip

Moth & Environment

+

-Figure 004. Symbiosis : Manchester

Peppered Moth and the Environment

Figure 005. Armstrong, R. (2011). Living Architecture. Available: http://www.australiandesignreview.com/fea-tures/15151-interview-rachel-armstrong. Last accessed 5th April 2013.

Figure 006. bioweb. (2011). Elodea Leaf Cells. Available: http://www2.sluh.org/bioweb/microscopy/cells/elodea.html. Last accessed 5th April 2013.

006 Armstrong, R, Hanczyc, M, Spiller, N, (2010), The Architecture and Unconventional Computing Conference Brings Innovative Architects Together with Scintists working with New Technol-ogies that are capable of self-assembly and Higher-Order Organization. Archi-tecture & Unconventional Computing Conference. 4

007 Armstrong, R (2009), Living Buildings: Plectic Systems Architecture, Tectonic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research.7, (2) 86

001.4 Working Definitions of Synthetic Metabolic Materials The ProtocellProtocells create the possibility of architecture embedded with the bio-logical processes of metabolism found in Nature. Metabolism harnesses a two-way flow of energy and substances from the built form to the en-vironment and vice-versa. The exchange has the potential to create the protocells’ regenerative capabilities, becoming both the natural and the built environments’ pharmaceutical; healing the atmosphere, ecosystems and present decomposing architectural structures. These reactions form the potential of a genuinely sustainable architecture that heals and blurs the boundaries between the artificial and Nature. Protocells are not clearly characterised due to of their complexity and uniqueness. Arguably howev-er they encompass synthetic biology, chemistry, unconventional computa-tion, and are living and genuinely sustainable.

Synthetic Biology Protocells are synthetic cellular life forms produced out of oils, water and other simple compounds.Unlike other cellular life forms Protocells are unique because they have been produced under laboratory conditions, rather than being found spon-taneously in the enigmatic world of Nature. Protocells are; ‘a new class of materials whose properties are familiar to the world of synthetic biology, namely programmatically and self organization.’6 Protocells are biological because they perform the chemical reaction of metabolism7, which is a fundamental process that takes place in all living forms.

Metabolic Processes within a Plant Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are metabolic reactions, which take place within the cells of plant life. Both of these mutually dependent processes involve the exchange of substances and yield energy.

Photosynthesis:Photosynthesis is the metabolic reaction whereby solar radiation (energy) catalyzes the two atmospheric substances of carbon dioxide and water for the production of organic molecules, glucose and oxygen. Formula: 6CO2 + 6H2O (+light energy) C6H12O6 + 6O2

Cellular RespirationCellular respiration is the process of the mitochondria in living plant cells harnessing a reaction between the products of photosynthesis; oxygen and glucose, to produce the substance of adenosine triosulphate (ATP), which enables the cells to operate and grow.Formula: C6 H12O6 + 6O2 6CO2 + H2O (+energy)

6 Armstrong, R, Hanczyc, M, Spiller, N, (2010), The Architecture and Unconventional Computing Conference Brings Innovative Architects Together with Scintists working with New Technologies that are capable of self-assembly and Higher-Order Organization. Architecture & Unconventional Computing Conference. 4


Figure 005. Protocells making crystals due to environmental changes

Figure 006. Leaf Cells : location of plant metabolism


016 | 017

Figure 007. Authors Own, 2013Photo-synthesis,

Figure 008. Authors Own, 2013 Plant Metabolism,

008 Armstrong, R. (2011). How Protocells Can Make ‘Stuff’ Much More Interesting. Protocell Architecture. 210 (2), 272-73

CO2

H2O

O2

C2H12O6

Figure 007. Photosynthesis

O2

CO2

H2O

C6H12O6

Figure 008. Plant Metabolism

The two processes of phtosynthesis and cellular respiration are inextri-cably connected; the products produced during photosynthesis enable the reaction of cellular respiration, which grows and strengthens the plant organs for photosynthesis to take place. This mutual biological process is similar to the logic of protocell technology whereby the built form engag-es symbiotically with the surrounding environment through the exchange of energy and substances. However protocells are not truly biological, despite their metabolic system they have not been produced through DNA structures which is ‘the information system that typifies biology.’8 Unlike the natural biological systems we know of today that evolve through time, ac-cording to Darwinian evolution, Protocells are crafted in a bespoke manner with deliberate and specific programming and will evolve in their environ-ment post laboratory conditioning.

Unconventional Computation: Chemical:8

·

Armstrong, R. (2011). How Protocells Can Make ‘Stuff’ Much More Interesting. Protocell Architecture. 210 (2), 272-73


Figure 009Environmental Patterning by protocell action. After a proto-cell was added to the aqueous environment. Hancyzcs’ images illustrate a time series of photos using microscopy at 10, 30, 60 and 90 seconds. The prod-ucts of the chemical reaction first formed at 0 seconds and moved into the aqueous envi-ronement due to the motion of the protocell

0.1mm

0.0mm

0.2mm

0.6mm0.5mm

0.4mm

0.3mm

Figure 009. Hanczyc, M . (2011). The line between life and not-life. Available: http://www.ted.com/talks/martin_hanczyc_the_line_between_life_and_not_life.html. Last accessed 29th March 2013.

018 | 019

0.1mm

0.0mm

0.2mm

0.6mm0.5mm

0.4mm

0.3mm

09 Badau, M. (2009). Living Technol-ogy Today and Tomorrow. Tectonic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research. 7 (2), 200-206


011 Armstrong, R, Hanczyc, M, Spiller, N, (2010), The Architecture and Unconventional Computing Conference Brings Innovative Architects Together with Scintists working with New Technol-ogies that are capable of self-assembly and Higher-Order Organization. Archi-tecture & Unconventional Computing Conference. 4

Chemical:Protocells are complex chemical systems that have the ability of self-assembling and self-reproducing. The chemical properties of Protocells are; ‘001 spatial localization of components002 utilization of energy and raw materials from the environment by metabolism003 control of the metabolism by chemical information that can be replicated and can mutate.’9

Unconventional Computation:Protocells are defined as being material computing units. Protocells are capable of determining decisions by processing information using programmed instructions based upon their spatial context of ‘their internal and external conditions.’10 Unconventional computing is the science and technology of materials, which have specific properties for solving particular kinds of problems. Material computers can act unpredictably; which therefore enables them to solve unpredictable situations. These are necessary properties needed to deal with the constant fluctuations and random scenarios taking place in our environments. Such systems differ from digital computing systems because they ‘possess mass, operate within a finite time frame, require physical inputs to generate physical outputs.’11 Protocells are currently being tested to define their instructions to create different taxonomies of protocells for different purposes. For example protocells have the potential to be programmed to different scenarios in the environment such as atmospheric qualities, luminosity, and rainwater quantity.

9 Badau, M. (2009). Living Technology Today and Tomorrow. Tectonic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research. 7 (2), 200-206


11 Armstrong, R, Hanczyc, M, Spiller, N, (2010), The Architecture and Unconventional Computing Conference Brings Innovative Architects Together with Scintists working with New Technologies that are capable of self-assembly and Higher-Order Organization. Architecture & Unconventional Computing Conference. 4


Living:Protocells are the simple chemical model of a living cell produced artificial-ly in Wet Laboratories.* ‘The phrase ‘‘artificial life’’ … refers to any attempt to synthesize the essential features of living systems.’ 12 The protocell differs from natural living cells because they are far less complex than the creations made by Nature. Natural living cells possess 1,000,000 different types of molecules whereas Protocells only possess 10 different types.13 This is why protocells possess behaviours associated with life but are ‘not necessarily alive.’14 Protocells possesses two of the three main characteris-tics of living systems. The first characteristic protocells possess is a body. The body is formed by oil and water, which do not mix but instead form oil droplets. The second characteristic protocells possess is metabolism. ‘Life forms require building blocks which take energy and substances into the system to allow life to maintain itself.’15 The third characteristic that protocells do not possess is Inheritable information acquired through DNA. Protocells do not possess DNA16 but are still able to self-assemble, self-replicate, move and ‘ autonomously act in their own interests’17 depen-dent on their environments.

12 Bedau, M. (2009) Living Technology Today and Tomorrow Tectonic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research. 7 (2), 200-206

13 Hanczyc, M . (2011). The line between life and not-life. Available: http://www.ted.com/talks/martin_hanczyc_the_line_between_life_and_not_life.html. Last accessed 29th March 2013.

14 Szostak, JW, Bartel, DP, Luisi, PL. (2001) Synthesising Life Nature 409

15 Hanczyc, M . (2011). The line between life and not-life. Available: http://www.ted.com/talks/martin_hanczyc_the_line_between_life_and_not_life.html. Last accessed 29th March 2013. Szostak, JW, Bartel, DP, Luisi, PL. (2001) Synthesising Life Nature 409

16 McKane, A. 5th January 2013, Personal Communications

17 Bedau, M. (2009) Living Technology Today and Tomorrow Tectonic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research. 7 (2), 200-206

Figure 010. Authors Own, 2013 Scale of Life

* Wet-lab : spatial typology, defined as laboratories where chemicals, drugs, or other material or biological matter are tested and analysed requiring water, direct ventilation and specialised piped utilities

012 Bedau, M. (2009) Living Technol-ogy Today and Tomorrow Tectonic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research. 7 (2), 200-206

013 Hanczyc, M . (2011). The line be-tween life and not-life. Available: http://www.ted.com/talks/martin_hanczyc_the_line_between_life_and_not_life.html. Last accessed 29th March 2013.

014 Szostak, JW, Bartel, DP, Luisi, PL. (2001) Synthesising Life Nature 409

015 Hanczyc, M . (2011). The line be-tween life and not-life. Available: http://www.ted.com/talks/martin_hanczyc_the_line_between_life_and_not_life.html. Last accessed 29th March 2013.

016 McKane, A. 5th January 2013, Personal Communications

017 Bedau, M. (2009) Living Technol-ogy Today and Tomorrow Tectonic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research. 7 (2), 200-206

+

=

Living

Protocell

Inert

1 000 000 molecules

10 molecules

0 moleculesScal

e of

Life

Figure 010, Scale of Life

020 | 021

Figure 011. Authors Own, 2013 Characteristics of Life,

+

A Bo

dy

Met

abol

ism

DN

A

Cha

ract

eris

tics

of L

ife

Nat

ural

Life

Prot

ocel

l

Figure 011


Figure 012. Authors Own, 2013Symbiosis between Built and Natural Environments,

Figure 013 Diagram : Symbiotic Relationship between building blocks of Coral and Algae, Zooxanthellae. Pho-tographs : Scott, R. (2011). Symbiotic Algae. Available: http://coralreef.noaa.gov/aboutcorals/coral101/symbiotical-gae/. Last accessed 4th April 2013.

018 Armstrong,R. (2010). Self-Re-pairing Architecture. Available: http://www.nextnature.net/2010/06/self–re-pairing-architecture/. Last accessed 6th March 2013

Figure 012 : Symbiosis between Built and

Natural Environments

Genuinely Sustainable‘I believe that the only possible way for us to construct genuinely sustainable homes and cities is by placing them in a constant conversa-tion with their surroundings. In order to do this, we need to find the right language.’18 Protocells are the ‘language’ referred to in the above quote because protocell metabolisms have the ability to connect architecture to Nature through the constant exchange of substances. This means that architecture will be able to regenerate, restore and heal the stressed ecology and the present built fabric. This process fails to exist in current sustainable design, where such technologies are produced in a top-down unenergetically sensible way and bolt-on to the built form. Therefore the actual built form still remains inert, and its new ‘gling’* is neither efficient nor remedial.

18 Armstrong,R. (2010). Self-Repairing Architecture. Available: http://www.nextnature.net/2010/06/self–repairing-architecture/. Last accessed 6th March 2013

022 | 023

Prot

ecte

d En

viro

nmen

t + C

ompo

unds

for p

hoto

synt

hesi

s

Oxygen + H

elps to remove w

aste + provide carbohydrates

Figure 013 Example of Genuinely

Sustainable and Symbiotic reltionship

between coral environment and algae.

Symbiotic Relationship between building

blocks of Coral and Algae, Zooxanthellae.

Coral Provides Algae with : - protected

environment and compounds required for

photosynthesis (metabollic waste prod-

ucts of the coral)

Algae Provide Coral wirg : - organic prod-

ucts of photosynthesis (carbohydrates)

to be used as the building blocks of the

Cslcium Carbonate coral skeletons

Symbiotic Byproduct = zooxanthellae pro-

duce pigments as a result of the condition

of the coral and environment, which gives

corals their arrays of colour.

Another Scale of Nature |

024 | 025

CHAPTER TW0

Literature Review

Materiality and Methodolgies

Another Scale of Nature | C.002 Materiality and Methodologies : Literature Review

019 Spiller, N. 16th January 2013, Personal Communications

LITERATURE REVIEW

MATERIALITY AND METHODOLOGIES

002 Materiality and MethodologiesLiterature Review

This paper seeks to investigate, identify and define the progressive terrain of synthetic metabolic material-design in architectural practice. The Litera-ture Review aims to address and analyse the methodologies and material-ity, which is applied in ‘Another Scale of Nature.’ The research carried out for the paper involves understanding and covering a broad spectrum of discplines, including; current and emerging architectural epistomologies and technologies, fields of synthetic biology and chemistry, urban politics, the ecological thought and the natural environment. The Literature Review highlights the significant materiality, Personal Communications and Metho-doolgies for analysing the two case studies; Patrick Blanc’s Mur Végetal at Atheneaum Hotel Mayfair and Philip Beesley’s primitive architecture at the Venice Bienalle 2010.

The process of the Literature flows in the order of the paper’s sections; 1.Addressing the current condition of the urban environment and architec-tural design methods2. The enquiry into the next generation of Architecture, as stated by Spiller, ‘The Protocell is a technology that is native to the 21st century and is likely to define it.’19

1 Spiller, N. 16th January 2013, Personal Communications

‘Cities cannot be truly sustainable unless they are ‘living’ and connected to Nature’ Rachel Armstrong

CHAPTER

002TWO

026 | 027

Figure 014. Watse + Environmental Destruction :Photography by Burtynsky, E. (2012). Works. Available: http://www.edward-burtynsky.com. Last accessed 5th April 2013.

020 Burtynsky, E. (2012). Works. Available: http://www.edwardburtynsky.com. Last accessed 5th April 2013.

002.1 Addressing the Complex Agenda of Today’s Urban Crisis Striving for sustainability and neutrality is an important political agenda in the contemporary world as an attempt to resolve the environmental urgen-cy. The materiality for ‘Addressing the Complex Agenda of Today’s urban Crisis’ provides insight and background material for the issues surround-ing our current environmental crisis and urban politics.

PhotographyEdward Burtynsky is one of Canada’s most respected photographers, his work captures the current global paradox between urban growth, human consumption, our dependence on Nature and the destruction we are hav-ing on Nature. Burtynsky states; ‘my work is a metaphor to the dilemma of our modern existence… We are drawn by desire - a chance at good living, yet we are consciously or unconsciously aware that the world is suffering for our success.’20 Analysing Burtynsky’s photography states within an instant the current ecological crisis. Alongside the visual work literature covering the current urban condition and ecological crisis are analysed.

Figure 014: Waste +

Environmental Destruction

Figures 015 and 016, Authors Own, 2013 Patrick Blanc Athenaeum Hotel

021 Gandy, M. 4th January 2013, Personal Communications

022 Gandy, M. (2010). The Ecological Facades of Patrick Blanc. AD TERRITO-RY ARCHITECTURE BEYOND ENVI-RONMENT. 205 (1), 28-33.

023 Gandy, M. 4th January 2013, Personal Communications

Urban Political Ecology Professor Matthew Gandy, is an expert on urban geography and the urban political ecology describes theories to help further understand current urban politics, specifically in regard to his questioning on ‘the efficiency of greening the city.’21 Gandy’s most relevant literature, ‘The Ecological Facades of Patrick Blanc,’ strengthened the understanding on urban greening the city as having the potential of being of a capitalist strategy and a misconception of the benefits of urban ecology. Gandy’s questions, ‘in what sense, can the work of Blanc be regarded as ecological? ... These walls are not intended as elaborate reconstructions of nature for educa-tional purposes, but present a commercially driven synthesis of aesthetic and morphological elements removed from their original context.’22 Gan-dy’s article raises the problem with the current misconception of sustain-able design. Blanc’s work is not alone in being misinterpreted as being an ecological ideology in the architectural practice, Gandy further de-scribes; ‘such designs fail to respond to ecological politics’ and are more a contribution to the intentional expansion of the Capitalism.’ 23


Figures 015 and 016. Patrick

Blanc at the Athenaeum

Figure 017. Grandin, K. (2008). Next Nature. Available: http://archis.org/publications/volume-18-after-zero/. Last accessed 2nd April 2013.

Figure 018 Contemporary Character of Consumption; illustrating Fernández,-Model of dynamic systems.Beyond Zero. Volume #18 : After Zero. 18 (1), 6-13.

024 Oosterman, A. (2012). About Ar-chis. Available: http://archis.org/about/. Last accessed 1st April 2013.

025 Ibid.

026 Oosterman, A. (2008). Beyond Zero. Volume #18 : After Zero. 18 (1), 6-13.

027 Clausius and Thomson : concept of Second law of thermodynamics. The statement of Second Law of Thermody-namics is,” When two isolated sys-tems in separate but nearby regions of space, each inthermodynamic equilib-rium in itself (but not necessarily in equi-librium with each other at first) are at some time allowed to interact, breaking the isolation that separates the two sys-tems, allowing them to exchange matter or energy, they will eventually reach a mutual thermodynamic equilibrium. The sum of the entropies of the initial, isolated systems is less than or equal to the entropy of the final combination of exchanging systems. In the process of reaching a new thermodynamic equilibrium, total entropy has increased, or at least has not decreased.” ( J. Karl Johnson, 2009, P- 67).

028 Fernández, J. (2008). Beyond Zero. Volume #18 : After Zero. 18 (1), 6-13.

028 | 029

Figure 017. Contemporary Character of Consumption : Consumption drives the cycles by defining improvement in the quality of life (QoL). The greater QoL, increases extraction of resources, which in turn promotes a greater desire for an increase in QoL. The cycle = endlessly self - reinforcing dynamic (material extraction and consumption continue to increase infinitely by the continual desire for material wealth.

Desire for improved QoL

Resources

QoL

+

+

+

R

Figure 018 Next Nature

Architecture and the Sustainable ConsensusVolume#18:After Zero is a journal by Archis, which has been an ‘exper-imental think tank’24 for the last 75 years, investigating the realities of architecture, researching the themes and issues that ‘could and should be addressed by architects and architecture … Archis has always asked the ultimate question to the raison d’être of architecture as a medium of cul-ture: Why?’ 25 Volume#18:After Zero questions the motives and the effects or lack of effects of sustainable design in urban territories, stating from the offset, ‘the sustainability consensus is dangerous…Carbon neutrality and zero emissions are like magic formulas, cover-ups for complicated ethical questions about the inequalities in our societies.’26 Article, ‘Beyond Zero’ by John E. Fernandez, professor at MIT Architecture, focuses his research on new materials and identifying the consumption profile and resource requirements of current architecture materials, construction and technol-ogies. Beyond Zero contributed to understanding the status of our world today. Analysing Fernandez’s theory on the clash between sustainable economic growth (capitalist consumerist expansion) and the second law of thermodynamics27, clarifies the equilibrium which needs to be achieved in order to sustain the natural environment at neutrality, (carbon zero) which implies that the resources that we consume at the moment need to be re-placed or fed back into the environment. Fernandez states, ‘Zero emission future strongly suggests that we have already adopted this second set of dynamics relationship.’28 Figures collected from global organisations, and in Fernandez article prove that this is not the case.


Figure 019 Beesley, P. (2013). Protocell Cloud. Available: http://www.philipbees-leyarchitect.com/sculptures/1216_Pro-tocell_Cloud/index.php. Last accessed 4th April 2013.

Figure 020. Ibid

029 Gandy, M 4th January 2013, Per-sonal Communications


031 Goodsite, M, Armstrong, R, Niel-sen, OJ. (2009). The nautilus – evolving architecture and city landscapes for future sustainable development. Tech-noetic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research. 7 (2), 105-115.

0.002.2 Reimaging Architecture : The Material Properties and Architectural Possibilities in Simple OrganismsThe material for ‘Reimagining Architecture : The Material Properties and Architectural Possibilities in Simple Organisms,’ is an exploration into an emerging materiality that has the potential to remedy the the issues ex-plored regarding contemporary urban condition and the unclear definition and failure of the current sustainable solutions in attempting to regenerate the natural environment by meeting neutrality. The Protocell, synthetic metabolic material, is the materiality in infancy that this paper addresses. Scientist Dr.Rachel Armstrong and Architect and Visionary, Professor Neil Spiller are the pioneers of Protocell Architecture. Their research is docu-mented in AD Protocell Architecture and The journal of Technoetic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research Volume 7 No.2, which focuses upon the juncture between art, technology and the mind. Armstrong and Spillers’ research and literature is the basis of this paper and personal communica-tions with Armstrong and Spiller answer queries on Protocell Architecture and strengthen the analysis and research of synthetic metabolic material design which is to be the future of architectural discourse and technology.

Developing the analysis on Fernandezs’ theory on the failure of reaching equilibrium between the humans’ use of resources (which is contingent to the growing urban expansion) and Nature, there is a need for the built form to have a beneficial impact on the natural environment and have the ability to restore Nature. The issue with Ferdandezs’ model of the second Law of Thermodynamics is that we need to aspire to go beyond neutrality because we are currently in an ‘ecological crisis.’29 This is made evident by Ferdanezs’ model, which proves that we are currently not in equilibrium with the natural environment, therefore we are taking more from the natural environment than we can actually afford to do so, if we are to redefine the resilience of Nature. Ferdanez states; ‘Contemporary annual demands now exceed the earth’s regenerative capacity by 25%percent, if not more.’30 Armstrong and Spiller believe that the only way to redefine the resilience of Nature is to construct carbon negative architectures, which will heal Nature by feeding into the dynamics loop more energy and resources than buildings use and emit via toxins. Armstrong and Spiller’s research into Protocell architecture is to create, ‘architecture that interfaces and exchanges energy directly with the surrounding environment through its material qualities…’31

Figure 020 Protocell Cloud

Figure 019 Protocell Vessels

Figure 021 Second Law of Thermo-dynamics - Equilibrium Loop between Consumption and Natural Resources illustrating Fernández,Model of dynam-ic systems.Beyond Zero. Volume #18 : After Zero. 18 (1), 6-13.

Figure 022 Authors Own, 2013, Second Law of Thermodynamics - Equilibrium Loop between Consumption and Natu-ral Resources.

Desire for improved QoL

Resources

QoL

+

+

+

R

Global Climate Warming

Environmental awareness

Rate of Extraction

NaturalCapital

ResourceRecycling

030 | 031

Figure 022Sustainable Con-sumptionUsing the dynamics system to illustate that if material consumption is to be at an equilibrium with natural resources, material con-sumption would feedback into the loop energy and resources to restore what has been taken from Nature. Therefore material consump-tion would not only be for the desire for material consumption but also for the desire for environmental welfare. However; this system is currently unstable as we are taking more from the environment than giving back.

+

+

+

R

+

Figure 022

Figure 021

032 Spiller, N. 16th January 2013 Per-sonal Communications


034 Mckane, A, 3rd January 2013, Personal Communications

Protocells : Architect Pioneer Spiller describes Protocell Architecture as being ‘a philosophical shift and an emerging technology.’32 Spiller believes that the imperative to under-standing Protocell Architecture, is to not only understand the technology of this programmed artificial cellular life but to understand the novel episte-mological platform, which engages with both humanism and environmen-talism. Protocell Architecture is about challenging human creativity and ingenuity which succeeds the current challenges of meeting regulations and rating systems brought about by contemporary sustainable design, creating an architecture for humanity, and yet Protocell Architecture is also about creating an architecture for the environment by construction archi-tectures that have material properties that can be environmental pharma-ceuticals.

Reading and analyzing Spillers collection of poetry, writings and drawings for his project, which began is the 90’s, ‘Communicating Vessels,’ high-lights Protocell Architecture to be the realization of his work. ‘Communicat-ing Vessels,’ explores architecture that actively exchanges information by sharing energy and resources between the built and natural environments.

Protocells : Scientist Pioneer Armstrong’s literature in the journal of ‘Technoetic Arts,’ reinforce the definition of Protocell Architecture and answer why synthetic metabolic materials are relevant in the current construction and architectural realm. The most significant papers are; ‘The Nautilus Evolving Architecture and City Landscapes for Future Sustainable Development’, ‘Protocells as Smart Agents for Architectural Design’ and ‘Living Buildings: Plectic Systems Architecture.’ These papers reinforce the definition of synthetic metabolic material-design and why this emerging materiality is relevant in the cur-rent construction and architectural realm. The latter discusses the current issues in architectural design and explains how, and indeed why Protocell Architecture, ‘…. enables architects to engage with new materials, design processes and tools to generate symbiotic designs that are able to com-bine simple and inert materials with a new generation of self-organizing, complex, environmentally responsive, metabolic materials that do not rely on traditional computing methods or human intervention to generate their responsiveness.’33 The nature of Protocell Architecture answers Gandy and Fernandez’s disputes on the present dilemmas regarding the debate on the detrimental impact humans have on the natural environment and how current sustainable protocols are inefficient, unclear and failing to have a beneficial or substantial effect on the natural environment.

Professor Alan McKane from Manchester School of Physics and Astrono-my, defines the scientific meaning of Protocells; ‘Protocells are purely chemical, there is no biology involved, such cells are explored by scien-tists to find the simplest thing which is living as an exploration to find the start of life’34 McKane and Armstrong differ in their belief of what the


Figure 023 Armstrong, R. (2011). Self–Repairing Architecture. Available: http://www.nextnature.net/2010/06/self–re-pairing-architecture/. Last accessed 1st April 2013.

035 Hanczyc, M, . (2011). The line between life and not-life. Available: http://www.ted.com/speakers/mar-tin_hanczyc.html. Last accessed 6th February 2013

Protocell is, Armstrong defines Protocells as forms of synthetic biology, whereas McKane believes the cells to be chemical. However the two scientists agree on the activity of the protocell. Diagrams produced with McKane illustrate these activities and form the initial understanding of how protocells work. The diagrams help to clarify the scientific literature de-scribing Protocells. McKane’s work has involved contact with Professor Martin Hanczyc over the last year, whose literature is also invaluable to this paper. Hanczyc’s writings and talks on TED35 have heightened the understanding of the science of Protocells.

Figure 023 : Protocells Engaging

032 | 033

Another Scale of Nature | C.002 Materiality and Methodologies : Methodology

002.3 Methodology : Patrick Blanc Mur Végétal, Athenaeum Hotel, MayfairThe literature highlights the ways in which urban growth and current archi-tecture is having a detrimental effect on Nature. Current rating and regula-tion systems has meant that sustainable design is now elevated as a main concern in the architectural agenda however despite the targets which are required to be met and the increase in sustainable bolt-on technolo-gies, current sustainable design is failing to solve the environmental crisis, sustainable strategies are rendered inefficient and employed for alternative reasons, such as for the benefit of commercial projects. Le Mur Végétal at the Athenaeum Hotel in Mayfair designed by architectural botanist, Pat-rick Blanc is a case study approach to analyse the problem with current sustainable design. 1. Analysis of Blanc’s Living Wall in the location of Mayfair2. Analyse the incentive of Athenaeums’ Mur Végétal, using planning documents, the project architects’ analysis and the hotels’ opinion. 3. Analyse the construction using technical drawings and analyzing how Mur Végétal functions through its hydroponics system and personal communications with Athenaeums’ Maintenance Manager.

This analysis aspires to give further evidence and depth to the analysed literature.

Philip Beesley Hylozoic Ground, Venice Bienalle 2010 and Protocell Mesh, London 2013

Philip Beesley is the first architect to practically incorporate and drive the design using protocell technology. The case studies use the literature and research to anlalyse the responsive nature and capabilities of protocell technology. The case studies provide scope to further the development of protocell technology to apply to architecture.

Discussions with Armstrong, who collaborates with Beesley heightens the understanding of how the process of prepairing the protocells for Hylozoic Ground was undertaken. The interest in this subject began after visiting Hylozoic Ground at the Venice Biennale Architecture Festival in 2010. Sketches and notes taken were a trigger, which prompted further explora-tion. At this stage the understanding of this genre was extremely limited.

The Protocell Mesh by Beesley at London’s Building Centre, 2013, serves as a continuum of the initial sighting and understanding of the concept of Protocell technology, viewed in Venice 2010.

034 | 035

Figure 024. Primative Protocell Archi-tecture, Hylozoic Ground, Beesley, P. (2010). Introduction. Available: http://www.hylozoicground.com/Venice/team/index.html. Last accessed 1st April 2013.

036 | 037

CHAPTER THREE

The Ambiguity of Sustainable Trends Addressing the Complex Agenda of Today’s Urban Crisis

Capitalist Nature

Another Scale of Nature | C.003 Capitalist Nature

036 Ruy, D. (2012). Returning to (Strange) Objects. Not Nature. 1 (1), 38-39

037 Glaser, G. (2012). The Road to Rio. Available: http://www.un-ngls.org/rioplus20/newsletter/issue4/article6.html. Last accessed 10th April 2013

038 Gissen, D. “APE” in Design Ecol-ogies Essays on the Nature of Design (Princeton Architectural Press), 2010: 10.

039 Andrasek, A and Cadilhe, J. (2012). Synthetic Ecology: Recomputing Nature. Not Nature. 1 (1), 43

.

003 The Ambiguity of Sustainable Trends Addressing the Complex Agenda of Today’s Urban CrisisCapitalist Nature

Today’s world agenda is concerned with the current environmental condi-tion, which is faced with the imminent calamity of environmental destruc-tion and global warming. Architectural practice has been forced to abide by ‘sustainable’ design strategies using bolt – on technologies as a means of minimising or solving the issue of environmental problems. ‘Sustainable politics have become forceful and monolithic in recent years, resulting in new codes and protocols for material practices.’36 The question to be ad-dressed is what exactly is being sustained in sustainable practice? Critics of sustainable design claim that a general definition of sustainability is the forming of equilibrium between the built environment and Nature. Gisbert Glaser, the senior adviser to the International Council for Science, states ‘Sustainable development is a moving target. It represents the continuous effort to balance and integrate the three pillars of social wellbeing, eco-nomic prosperity and environmental protection for the benefit of present and future generations.’37 Glaser’s view is consistent with David Gissens’ belief that is to ‘understand buildings as producers of Nature.’38 Gissen means that the built artifice will become part of Nature, ‘participating in and manipulating existing conditions to improve all the processes already present, raising the ecosystem’s complexity.’39 This shift is the beginning of the emergence of synthetic metabolic material design, whereby the built artifice is able to respond to the enigmatic and unstable characterstics of Nature, which it is currently unable to do in its current inert state.

003.1. Fuzziness and Grey GooAnn Markusen’s definition of the term ‘fuzzy’ refers to, ‘A … concept that

THE AMBIGUITY OF SUSTAINABLE TRENDS ADDRESSING THE COMPLEX AGENDA OF TODAY’S URBAN CRSIS

CAPITALIST NATURE

‘Architects compete like peacocks for the most colorful tails and justify these shapes with more tales. Often conceits include references to biology (grass, flowers, wings and shells) or through parametric software make allusions to baroque folds, quilted curtains and liquid flows. All this is merely the lipstick that grace’s the gorilla’s lips. Buildings are mostly dumb, inert blobs of material that act as ecological obstacles.’ Neil Spiller

CHAPTER

003THREE

Figure BHV Homme Paris Blanc, P. (2007). BHV HOMME, PARIS. Available: http://www.verticalgarden-patrickblanc.com/realisations/paris/bhv-homme-paris. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

*Neutrality = Carbon Zero

040 Markusen, A (2003). Fuzzy Concepts, scanty evidence, policy distance: The case for rigour and policy relevance in critical regional studies 37 (6/7) 701-717

041 Morton, T. (2012). Architecture without Nature. Not Nature. 1 (1), 20-23.

042 Ibid

043 Ibid

044 Grundy, M (2006). Sustainabilty : Planning’s Saving Grace or Road to Perdition? Journal of Planning Educa-tion and Research 26 (208) 211

posits an entity, phenomenon, or process that possesses two or more alternative meanings and thus cannot be identified or applied reliably by different readers or scholars. In literature framed by fuzzy concepts, re-searchers may believe they are addressing the same phenomena but may actually be targeting quite different ones.’40 The term sustainability is of a fuzzy nature with multiple meanings, ‘it is a concept that everyone purports to understand intuitively but somehow finds very difficult to operationalize into concrete terms. Regardless, no planning or policy document can omit the concept these days, because sustainable development is declared as the ultimate planning goal although it is not usually specified what it means exactly and how it is to be achieved.’41

The common understanding of sustainability is the managing and regula-tion of flows. However as Timothy Morton questions, ‘What exactly are we sustaining when we talk about sustainability? … An intrinsically out of con-trol system that sucks in grey goo at one end and pushes out grey value at the other’42 The paradox of sustainability is Capitalism. In order to continue to exist, Capital must keep on producing itself through the use of raw ma-terials, it is based on the philosophy of transforming ‘stuff’ into money, the ‘grey goo’ philosophy as termed by Morton. ‘It’s no wonder that Capitalism has turned the earth into a dangerous desert.’43 If Capital is to continue to exist it will exhaust all practices put forward by sustainable design, but even when adopting such protocols, these are not efficient enough to bal-ance the effect to Nature and the environment caused by Capital.

Grundy addresses how the fuzziness of sustainable design creates a tool for large businesses to continue their outward sprawl. ‘The definition of sustainability can be and often has been deployed selectively by plan-ners or politicians as a materialization of dominant institutional ideologies supportive of growth and capital accumulation…with limited regard to the environment… the discourse of sustainable development often is deployed simply to further the interests of the entrepreneurial supportive state.’44

An example of sustainable Capitalism is Patrick Blanc’s Living Wall instal-lations, which are applied to buildings in niche fashionable districts that have Capitalist programming and motivation. One of the most elite men’s fashion stores in Paris; BHV Homme, has a Patrick Blanc feature draped over the front façade; appearing as an accessory of what is perceived as the haute couture of sustainable design. Blanc’s walls typify, .… Green

Architecture had suffered from a serious imagery. The forms, materials and green technologies bolted onto the building form resulted in an addi-tive architecture that was not integrated with the green design intentions and performance of the building..’45 Blanc claims to design ‘ecoconsious architecture,’46 however his Vertical Gardens are not responsive to the

038 | 039


surroundings, but rather in isolation. ‘It’s creating its own specific climate...thus enabling small ferns and mosses to appear and seeds to germi-nate.’47 Blancs’ walls can be assembled anywhere; the amount of natural light, water nutrients and context is irrelevant. The Living Wall has been assembled as an interior ‘decoration’48 for the Girbaud store in Paris and as ‘wallpaper’49 inside private homes. The apparent fuzziness is that it is assumed that because these buildings have green bling the building be-comes sustainable and environmentally friendly. However this gling*does not reduce the amount of waste leaving the building, the amount of energy being used within the building or relate to its context but rather requires more energy and constant maintenance, therefore rendering Blancs’ Living Wall unenergetic and creates the illusion of a building which is beneficial to the environment.

To remedy this misunderstanding of the meaning of sustainability there is a need for a genuinely sustainable solution, which means creating archi-tecture that goes beyond current sustainable paradigms and the aim for neutrality.* Pioneers of Protocell Architecture believe that they have found the remedy to create architecture that is regenerative to the built and natural environments and which is not a deception shrouded in cosmetic technologies.

003.2. Current Sustainable Strategies Current strategies to redefine the resilience of Nature attempt to reduce the use of resources, energy and waste by providing new technologies. Current sustainable strategies are proving to be expensive and failing to be efficient or having a significant impact.

Current Expensive Technologies The UK and other wealthy countries can afford climate policies, however this has no major impact on resolving the problem if large countries such as India and China are not committed or able to afford sustainable tech-nologies. For example a single domestic roof – mounted 1kW wind turbine costs £2,000 or a 2.5 kW pole-mounted system costs £15,000. Com-mercial 6kW pole-mounted system costs around £323,000 and on top of these initial costs there are maintenance costs every couple of years.50 An individual solar panel costs between £1,500 and £3,000 however in order to have any effect an array of these panels need to be mounted onto the roof. Like wind turbines, solar panels need annual maintenance checks, which is an additional cost.51

Gling’ = “green” and “bling,” = collo-quialism that is derived from hip-hop culture to refer to flashy or elaborate accessories that are worn for their high aesthetic impact rather than their practical value.

neutrality = carbon zero

Figure 025 Leo, O. (2007). Living Wall. Available: http://www.hyperexperience.com/?p=384. Last accessed 4th April 2013.

Figure 026.Wind Farm in Eagleshem Glasgow, Authors Own, 2o13

045 Yeang, K, Spector, A (2011). Green Design from Theory to Practice. London: Black Dog Publishing. 5.

046 Blanc, P. (2006). Vertical Gar-den: The art of organic architecture. Available: http://pingmag.jp/2006/12/08/vertical-garden-the-art-of-organic-archi-tecture/. Last accessed 12th Febuary 2013

047 Ibid

047 Ibid

048 Ibid

050 Figures : Energy Saving Trusts. (2013). Wind Turbines. Available: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Generat-ing-energy/Choosing-a-renewable-tech-nology/Wind-turbines. Last accessed 1st April 2013.

051 Figures : The ecoexperts. (2013). How Much Do Solar Panels Cost in the UK?. Available: http://www.theecoex-perts.co.uk/how-much-do-solar-panels-cost-uk. Last accessed 1st April 2013.

Figure 025 Protocells Engaging

040 | 041

If there had been no changes

1950 1970 1990 2010 2030

136.6%The Aim

50

200

100

%

The reality

0

Figure 026 : Wind Farm in Eagleshem, Glasgow Diagram : Global Carbon Emissions


Figure 027Sawer,P. (2008). Promoters overstated the environmental benefit of wind farms. Available: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/windpower/3867232/Promoters-overstated-the-environmen-tal-benefit-of-wind-farms.html. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

052 Figures : Lomborg, B. (31.03.13). The Joy of Global Warming. The Sunday Times. 1 (4), 1-2.

053 ibid

054 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report: Summary for Policy-makers (2007)

055 European Environmental Agency, Greenhouse gas emission trends and projections in Europe 2008, EEA Report No 5/2008; A.J. Dolman, R. Valentini and A. Freibauer, ‘The Continental- Scale Greenhouse Gas Balance of Europe’, Ecological Studies, vol. 203 (2008). GCP: See www.globalcarbon-project.org


057 Mazria, E. (2010). The 2030 Challenge. Available: http://architec-ture2030.org/2030_challenge/the_2030_challenge. Last accessed 12th March 2013.

Current Inefficient TechnologiesCurrently sustainable technologies are high cost with minimal benefit. To-date there is more than 6,000 wind turbines scattered on and off shore in the UK. In the most recent estimate in 2010, The International Energy Agency(IEA) shows 0.7% of the world received energy from wind and 0.1% from solar. These figures give evidence that at the current rate 2.4% of energy will be resourced by the wind and only 1% by solar by 2035.52

Current Excessive use of Carbon Emissions• Figures from the IEA highlight that in 2010, 81 % of energy came from

fossil fuels and in 2035, 79 % of energy will be resourced from the same source.53

• ‘The IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES, 2000) projects an increase of global GHG emissions (CO2) by 25 to 90% between 2000 and 2030…, with fossil fuels maintaining their dominant position in the global energy mix to 2030 and beyond.’54

• Latest reports of the Global Carbon Project (GCP) show GHG emis-sions have not been reduced, but are increasing by 70%. Reductions are evident specifically in Europe; where there has been a reduction of 7.7 % between 1990 and 2006,55 however this has not had a great impact because the rate of emissions have increased by approximate-ly four times faster than the rate of the previous decade.

• Contemporary annual demands exceed the earth’s regenerative ca-pacity by 25%percent, if not more. Energy resources are heading into an era of limits, resource depletion and increasing market pressures.56

• Architecture 2030 states half (48%) of all fossil fuel energy consump-tion and green house emissions are the result of the building sector.57

Current Protocols : Kyoto ProtocolThe Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement, which was founded

000 | 0052

Figure 027. OffShore Windturbines

042 | 043

058 Figures : Lomborg, B. (31.03.13). The Joy of Global Warming. The Sunday Times. 1 (4), 1-2.

059 Andrasek, A and Cadilhe, J. (2012). Synthetic Ecology: Recomputing Nature. Not Nature. 1 (1), 43.

060 Morton, T. (2012). Architecture without Nature. Not Nature. 1 (1), 20-23.

061 Lovelock, J (2006). The Revenge of GAIA: Why the Earth Is Fighting Back - and How We Can still Save Humanity. London: Penguin Books. 14

in Kyoto Japan 11th December 1997 and is a strategy, which aims sets international emission reduction targets. The Kyoto Protocol set a target of 36.6% for the rise in global emissions since 1990. In fact this has been increased to 45.4%. Lomburg’s 58 research shows that without Kyoto regu-lations, which employ technologies and regulations on how to save energy, the increase in emissions would have been 45.9%, which is only half a per-centage point of a difference. Therefore in the last sixteen years climate discussions and practiced solutions have had almost no effect.

Current Regulations and Rating Systems : BREEAMBREEAM defines regulations and rating systems for the concept of sus-tainable design to minimise the impact of their designs on the environ-ment. The objectives of BREEAM must be incorporated and met in current architectural design and construction to ensure that new buildings have a guideline and goals to strive towards as an attempt to relieve the impact that buildings are having on the environment.

Objectives of BREEAM• Buildings with low environmental impact• Ensure best environmental practice is incorporated in building plan-

ning, design, construction and operation• Provide innovative, cost effective solutions that minimise the environ-

mental impact of buildings• Reflect the social and economic benefits of meeting the environmental

objectives covered.

The problem with BREEAM is that at the present time architecture and Nature is not a mutually benefiting system. BREEAM fails to address archi-tecture that is ‘participating in and manipulating existing conditions to im-prove all the processes already present, raising the ecosystem’s complex-ity.’59 At the present time architecture is inert, inefficient and detrimental to the environment albeit the effect is minimised to a degree by following BREEAM’s outlines. Although BREEAM’s aspirations are important in order that architectural practice becomes more aware of the environment, it is not solving the fundamental crisis of redefining Nature and ‘the mountain ranges of inertia, which are piling higher every year.’60

The strategies for sustainable design require to be assessed with more rig-or. For example, the trends of adding greenery to the built environment is not necessarily as pure as it appears to the public. Lovelock calls this ‘the superficiality of ‘greenwashing,’61 As Armstrong explains, ‘current archi-tectural trends to incorporate established biological systems into an urban context such as green walls and roofs require constant energy, water, artifi-cial fertilisers, maintenance, and a high upfront cost to create the illusion of a mature and self sustaining ecosystem. Once installed, these systems

are resource intensive and require daily upkeep form external sources, which effectively outweighs any environmental benefit they offer.’62 Despite


the appearance of enhancing Nature, which suggests Nature is redefining Herself, these artificial implants bolted onto the built fabric are deceiving and are more detrimental to energy sensibilities than they are beneficial.

003.3. Anti-HumanismThe architectural practice has become subsumed by sustainable prac-tice. Sustainable strategies are sought after to ensure buildings meet the required indices and ratings and this is turning mainstream architectural design into narrowly defined parameters using statistics, graphs and bolt on technologies to dictate the architectural product. ‘Sustainable politics have become forceful and monolithic in recent years, resulting in new codes and protocols for all material practices. It has become an inescap-able reality that architecture now has to grapple with.’63

Manifesto: Towards a New Humanism in Architecture analyses the reduc-tive nature of architecture today, and claims how there is no discourse from ‘the droning mantra of sustainability … architecture has never been more vacuous, pliant, parochial and insular... architects have now become too comfortable with their new approval rating and aim to maintain that cosy position at all costs. The almost total lack of creative tension within archi-tecture further fuels its impotence and loss of direction. Today, there seems only to exist the ‘radical’ architecture of deference: … that rarely chal-lenge the brief’64 There is a necessity for architects, not just the elite few, to create architectures that are more meaningful than purely sustainable and aspire to go beyond sustainability’s current trends. Spiller agrees that today ‘architecture is either concerned with the environment or concerned with humanism, they are both separate entities, when they ought to be simultaneous.’65 Protocell Architecture goes beyond current limitations of sustainable certification and challenges architects to design and under-stand a new architectural epistemology where there is no precedent for artificial life forms or living architecture.

003.4. Swarm Urbanism Capitalism is the catalyst for Urban swarmming. ‘Capital must extend without end in order to exist.’66 The economic system progresses through growing expansion to profit in economic, financial and territotial domains. The intensification and complex agenda of urban growth performs mor-phological patterns similar to those found in Nature’s swarm behavior. The system is composed of an individual element that merges with other individual elements to create large complex systems. ‘As dense human settlements, cities can be regarded as manifestations of emergent behav-ior – not unlike that of a colony of ants or a flock of birds.’67 Unlike ants or flocks of birds, the built fabric does not have a symbiotic relationship with the natural environment. For example; the single worker bee is beneficial to the Natural environment; during the process of collecting pollen for his hive, he also distributes pollen particles into his surroundings. This pro-

062 Armstrong, R. (2011). How Protocells can make ‘stuff’ much more interesting. AD Protocell Architecture. 81 (2), 68-77

063 Ruy,D. (2012). Returning to (Strange) Objects. Not Nature. 1 (1), 38-39.

064 Donald, A, Sharro, K, Williams, A, Williams, R. (2011). MANTOWNHU-MAN MANIFESTO: TOWARDS A NEW HUMANISM IN ARCHITECTURE. In: Danchev, A 100 Artists’ Manifestos: From the Futurists to the Stuckists. London: Penguin Books. 1-13

065 Spiller, N. (16th January 2013) Personal Communications

066 Kovel, J (2007). The Enemy of Nature; The End of Capitalism or the End of the World. Canada: Fernwood Publishing. 77

067 Leach, N. (2009). Swarm Urban-ism. AD Digital Cities. 79 (4), 56-63

068 Armstrong, R. (2010). Self Re-pairing Architecture. Available: http://www.nextnature.net/2010/06/self–re-pairing-architecture/#more-8816. Last accessed 25th March 2013.

069 Mazria, E. (2011). Problem : The Building Sector. Available: http://architecture2030.org/the_problem/build-ings_problem_why. Last accessed 10th March 2013

070 Marx, K & Engels, F. (1848). Mani-festo of the Communist Party. Available: http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/download/pdf/Manifesto.pdf. Last accessed 12th January 2013

071 Gissen, D. “APE” in Design Ecol-ogies Essays on the Nature of Design (Princeton Architectural Press), 2010: 10

duces more flowers and enhances ecosystems. The growth of more fauna constitutes to cleaner air through photosynthesis and respiration. This is participating with the natural environment in a positive way. The individual in the swarm is efficient therefore in mass the swarm becomes an intense mesh of efficiency.

Unlike the bee or other natural species, the individual built form is inef-ficient because it ‘uses Victorian technologies. This involves blueprints, industrial manufacturing and construction using teams of workers. All this effort results in an inert object, which means there is a one–way transfer of energy from our environment into our homes and cities.’68 The growing urban realm is continuing to take energy from the Natural environment. Rather than contributing back to the environment in a positive way, it is increasingly detrimental and engulfing. Data from Edward Mazria’s work for ‘America 2030’ shows that ‘Buildings Consume More Energy Than Any Other Sector. The Building Sector consumes nearly half, 48.7% of all ener-gy produced in the United States and 75.7% of all the electricity produced is used just to operate buildings.’69 Therefore ‘the giant force field’70 of Capital needs a mechanism, which enables the sprawl to be beneficial to the environment. In this context David Gissen claims, ‘understand build-ings as producers of Nature’71 whereby the built artifice becomes part of Nature. Conceptualizing the sprawling capitalist urban swarm as a forest of trees. Trees are giant structures in the Natural environment that clean the air, increase microhabitats and biodiversity and the natural environ-ment supplies the trees with nutrients, minerals, water and sunlight. The denser a forest of trees, increases the benefits created by an individual tree. The inevitable capitalist swarm needs to employ Nature’s processes into the giant artificial structures it imposes on land so that the more pow-erful and greater the expansion of Capital, the livelier the environment will become.

044 | 045

Another Scale of Nature | Case Study 001 : Athenaeum Hotel Mayfair

CASE STUDY 001 ATHENAEUM HOTEL MAYFAIR LONDON Patrick Blanc

‘a fairytale dream of a wall, erupting with trailing tendrils and flowers eight storeys high… like a living tapestry.’ Athenaeum Hotel

046 | 047

Figure 028-

Atheneum Facade Detail


Figure 29

048 | 049

Figure 027 Authors Own, 2013 Athenaeum Facade,


*Quek is Frasers Property managing director, for the tallest vertical garden at a residential development in Sydney’s inner west.’

072 Blanc, P (2011). The Vertical Gar-den from Nature to the City. New York: Norton & Company Inc. 7.

073 Ibid

074 Armstrong, R (2009), Living Buildings: Plectic Systems Architecture, Tectonic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research.7, (2) 79 - 94

075 Armstrong, R. (2011). HOW PROTOCELLS CAN MAKE ‘STUFF’ MUCH MORE INTERESTING. Protocell Architecture. 81 (2), 68-77.

076 Battenbough, G. (2009). Patrick Blanc’s tallest green wall takes root in Sydney. Available: http://www.architec-tureanddesign.com.au/news/buildings/patrick-blanc-s-tallest-green-wall-takes-root-in-s. Last accessed 6th March 2013.

003.5 Case Study Athenaeum Hotel Mayfair LondonPatrick Blanc

Patrick Blanc presents himself as a ‘scientific architectural botanist,’72 and ‘the inventor of the Vertical Wall.’73 Blancs’ projects cloak building façades and streets with thousands of tropical plant species to create urban rainfor-ests.

‘The current approach towards combating the unsustainable nature of urban development is to incorporate vegetation into the architectural design.’74 The benefit of lacing urban environments with greenery is that microhabitats will be introduced to contribute to enhancing urban ecology. Blanc states, ‘in any city, all over the world, a naked wall can be turned into a Vertical Garden and thus be a valuable shelter for biodiversity. It’s also a way to add nature to the daily life of city inhabitants.’ Despite Blancs’ belief that his Mur Végétals becomes a part of the urban environment, the plants, which he introduces into the metropolis require artificial fertilisers, ‘energy – intensive support systems’,75 constant energy, water and maintenance. Therefore his installations are not truly integrated into the urban fabric nor are they genuinely sustainable but rather the illusion of a self-sustaining ecosystem.

When fauna photosynthesises it emits purified oxygen into the atmo-sphere. Introducing plant life onto a façade will emit clean air into the very immediate surrounding environment. Dr Stanley Quek* says ‘Not only are Patrick’s vertical garden installations captivating, but also by putting these sustainable pieces in cities we are able to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and have them act as a natural air purification system.’ 76 Quek is a manager of one of the largest property developments in Aus-tralia. His quote is a perfect example of how capitalism manipulates what is perceived as sustainable design to promote large-scale developments and claim them to be of benefice to the natural environment. However the energy required and waste produced during the construction process, in addition to the energy that the building uses during occupancy, means that Patrick Blancs’ Green Wall although it has minimal benefit in purifying the atmosphere this will not neutralise or give back to the environment the energy that has been taken away and the pollutants produced during construction and during the buildings lifespan.


Figure 030 and 031 Athenaeum Facade,Authors Own, 2013

077 Kinver, M. (2012). Green streets can cut pollution, says study. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-en-vironment-18873391. Last accessed 30th March 2013.


079 Armstrong, R. (2011). HOW PROTOCELLS CAN MAKE ‘STUFF’ MUCH MORE INTERESTING. Protocell Architecture. 81 (2), 68-77.

080 Time Out London. (2012). Mayfair area guide. Available: http://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/may-fair-area-guide. Last accessed 29th March 2013.

081 Athenaeum Hotel. (2013). our magical vertical garden.... Available: http://www.athenaeumhotel.com/about-us/living-wall/. Last accessed 30th March 2013.

082 Purcell Architects UK. (2013). ATHENAEUM HOTEL Transformation of a landmark luxury five star hotel into a prestigious . Available: http://www.pur-celluk.com/our-projects/athenaeum-ho-tel. Last accessed 30th March 2013.

083 Blanc, P. (2006). Interview with Patrick Blanc:Vertical Garden: The art of organic architecture. Available: http://pingmag.jp/2006/12/08/vertical-gar-den-the-art-of-organic-architecture/. Last accessed 29th March 2013.

Scientists suggest that green walls can clean 30 %77 of the pollutants in a city. This would require green walls climbing over most of the vertical surfaces on each street for this percentage to be brought into effect at the urban scale. Blanc’s walls are primarily embellished on high profile build-ings because of their high initial cost, maintenance cost and their status as being works of art. Blancs’ work is the epitome of gling* a term coined to describe the high fashion of contemporary sustainable ideologies. Blancs’ green skins are a ‘superficial approach’78 to creating genuinely sustainable architecture that has the ability to redefines the resilience of Nature. Arm-strong states, ‘Once installed, these systems are resource-intensive and require daily upkeep from external sources, which effectively outweighs any environmental benefit they offer.’79

Athenaeum Hotel, Mayfair, LondonAthenaeum Hotel is an 8-story art deco building, which is located in May-fair amongst the most expensive property in London. 80 This elite area in London owns Blanc’s tallest Green Wall in Europe, which climbs up the 8 stories of Athenaeum Hotel. Athenaeum possesses a signature piece of Haute Couture green design, Patrick Blancs’ Mur Végétal, which the hotel describes as ‘a fairytale dream of a wall, erupting with trailing tendrils and flowers eight storeys high… like a living tapestry.’81

Recipe for Athenaeums’ Mur Végétal: ‘Design for growing plants without soil on a vertical surface’82

• Primary Structure – 8 storey high frame, using metal rods– support structure for plants and upkeep

• Artficial water resistant fabric to protect Athenaeums’ brick elevation - fixed onto metal frame using rust-proof staples

• Artificial irrigation cloth, made from recycled clothing to ‘create kan-garoo pouches for the root balls’83, fixed within the frame on top of the protective fabric

• Hydroponic and Irrigation system – simple polyurethane tube with 2mm holes every 10 cm to enable water to be distributed evenly over the irrigation cloth.

• Over 260 species (* over 12,000 individual plants) of exotic and native plants are enveloped on the corner of the Athenaeum Hotels’ vertical surface.

• 3 liters of water per day per metre squared

The team for installing the Vertical Garden, included Blanc and one assis-tant, Jean-Luc Gouallec. Prior to the wall being installed, Athenaeum Hotel had to contact Blanc through his website, were he selectively choses potential clients, heightening the novelty of owning one of Blancs’Mur Végétals. The cost of the wall for the Athenaeum was £140 per metre, which works out to be around £60,000. The fee for Patrick Blanc is excluded from this.

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084 083 Blanc, P. (2006). Interview with Patrick Blanc:Vertical Garden: The art of organic architecture. Available: http://pingmag.jp/2006/12/08/verti-cal-garden-the-art-of-organic-architec-ture/. Last accessed 29th March 2013.

085 Gandy, M. 4th January 2013. Per-sonal Communications

086 Allard, P. (2008). APPLICANTS COVERING LETTER. Available: http://idoxpa.westminster.gov.uk/online-applications/files/CCD-B74A14DD7082153100067D8C99C72/pdf/08_07883_FULL-APPLICANTS_COVERING_LETTER-1538613.pdf. Last accessed 30th March 2013.

087 Purcell Architects UK. (2013). ATHENAEUM HOTEL Transformation of a landmark luxury five star hotel into a prestigious . Available: http://www.pur-celluk.com/our-projects/athenaeum-ho-tel. Last accessed 30th March 2013.

088 Spiller, N. (2011). It’s a Brand New Morning. Protocell ARCHITECTURE. 81 (2), 17.

089 Gandy, M. (210). The Ecological Facades of Patrick Blanc. TERRITORY ARCHITECTURE BEYOND ENVIRON-MENT. 80 (3), 28-33.

Strategies of Athenaeums’ Mur Végétal The plants have been rigorously chosen and arranged on Athenaeum’s Mur Végétal to ensure that each plant has optimal growth. Blanc claims, ‘My scientific approach is essential for designing the whole system and for selecting the plant species suitable for each peculiar location.’84 Blanc specialises in creating soil free vertical gardens using a hydroponics system, which infuses the irrigation cloth with water based mineral solu-tion to maintain the plants growth and health. An environmental aim of the wall is to create a connection between Green Park and the urban fabric in Mayfair.

Discourse of Athenaeums’ Mur VégétalGandy believes that Blancs’ wall is an ‘urban political ecology metaphor rather than scientific approach.’85

Evidence for this is a statement in the Planning Document for Blancs’ proposal, which says, ‘The proposal is now being implemented as part of the wider upgrading and refurbishment of the Athenaeum Hotel.’86 Blancs’ wall on Athenaeum Hotel is fundamentally an accessory to cover up the ‘tired and dated façade…to enhance the hotel’s character and prestige.’’87 The Athenaeum Hotel employs ‘gling’ to improve the image of the their business. Owning one of Blanc’s wall is a status symbol in the sustainable design culture, because of its amiable aesthetics and the luxury of having clean air in the immediate surroundings of the vertical surface it hybridises onto. This is the epitome of Spillers’ quote describing current sustainable design as being ‘the lipstick that grace’s the gorilla’s lips’88 Lipstick is often worn as a statement, to be glamorous, and to improve appearance Le Mur Végétal, albeit aesthetically intriguing it is ultimately a glamorous cover up for the weak art deco façade. Gandy states, ‘In what sense can the work of Blanc be regarded as ecological, or part of a broader shift in architectural sensibilities? His projects represent not so much a metaphorical illusion between art and science play no useful ecological role’89 This is true because Blancs’ work does not directly involve what is already there, but merely uses bolt on fauna as a concealer.

Blanc’s wall is located in the prestigious area of Mayfair, which is a meta-phor to the fact that his expensive urban jungles are mainly accessible to affluent citizens. It is unlikely that Blancs’ work could be sustained throughout the cityscape and can be described instead as extravagant artwork using the ideologies of sustainable green design.


Figures 032 Authors Own 2013

090 Lomborg, B. (31.03.13). The Joy of Global Warming. The Sunday Times. 1 (4), 1-2.

091 Ibid

092 Ibid

003.6 [Re_interpreting] Sustainable Design and the Future DirectionPatrick Blancs’ Mur Végétal can be appreciated as being a beautiful and elaborate feature, which brings otherwise unaccessible Nature, found in the tropics into an urban environment. Patrick Blancs’ Mur Végétal should not be misinterpreted as being a sustainable architectural intervention because it does not solve or replace the energy taken from the natural environment, which is required for the construction and occupancy of the building. Mur Végétal is not sustainable in terms of being economically available to all of society due to the high initial cost and maintenance of the feature. Mur Végétal requires a lot of energy and water in order for the hydroponic system to fertilise the plant life. This is at the expense of the environment, which only benefit is a small amount where the oxygen is purified only in the surroundings. Only the elite few people will benefit who are stood directly beneath the wall. Mur Végétal is that it does provide a small micro habitat which previously would not have existed. It also col-lects subnatures, dust and matter, in its cloth, which takes the pollutants in the immediate surroundings out of the air.

Using Fernandezs’ model of the second law of thermodynamics, it is evident that Blancs’ wall does not achieve equilibrium with the natural environment and uses more energy and substances taken from the natural environment than it returns. Blanc’s wall can be percieved as being more detrimental than beneficial to the environment and fails to have any sign-ficant impact on decreasing Athenaeum Hotels’ use and waste of energy and release of toxins. Mur Végétal is a green cloak over the urban fabric, however we should not mistake this feature as being a remedy to redefine the resilience of Nature or as being a genuinely sustainable architectural strategy.

The data collected by the Instistute of Energy Agency highlights the necessity for more innovation and the creation of a new revolutionary tool set to heal the environmental crisis. Over the past 2 decades, since the Kyoto Protocol and the climate debate there has been virtually no impact on remedying the crisis, despite investing in expensive technologies and regulations put into practice. The poor percentages address that there is a need for there to be greater impact than the current strategies available where only points of a percentage are the result of expensive technologies bolted onto our buildings and landscapes. Bjorn Lomborg, environmental expert and economist states; ‘We must accept that the current, old fash-ioned, approach has failed.’90 By realising our failure to date, today there is a necessity for there to be a ‘smart climate policy,’91 which does not try to solve the solution now, but rather spends time on focusing on ‘something significant that will be sustainable and cut the large amount of Carbon dioxide and solve environmental issues in the long run... This is the differ-ence between doing something that feels good and focusing on some-thing that will do good.’ 92

052 | 053

Figure 032 : Urban Jungle

FIgure 033 Authors Own, 2013 Athenaeum Hotel MayfairPlan and Front Elevation


Athenaeum

Green ParkMayfair

x

x

054 | 055

xx


Figures 034 (all) Authors Own, 2013, Details of Athenaeum Hotel Vertical Garden : Bolt - on Technology

Fauna

Non-Woven Non Flammable Fabric

Corrosion/Shock Re-sistant PP Shock

Growth Medium

Frame Scheme

3D Frame Detail

Wall Panel Assembley

056 | 057

300mm

300mm

300mm

300mm

88mm 106mm

88mm

106mm

88mm

106mm

Wall Panel Detail


Waterproofing By Others

Side Cover Mount with Welded Nut

Fauna

Waterproofing By Others

Frame Stainless Steel Vertical Channel

Frame Stainless Steel Horizontal Bar

Dripline in Irrigation Cavity

Frame Stainless Steel Horizontal Bar

Anchor Stainless Steel Wedge Anchor

Waterproofing

Corner Cover

Concrete Plan SectionBolt-on TechnologyAthenaeum Facade

Figures 35, 36 Authors Own, 2013

058 | 059

060 | 061

CHAPTER FOUR

Continuum

Mathematical Models of Nature

Another Scale of Nature | C.004 Continuum of Mathematical Processes found in Nature and applied to architecture

.

CONTINUUM

MATHEMATICAL MODELS OF NATURE

‘Borrow Nature’s processes to create something that is new’Michael Hansmeyer

CHAPTER

004FOUR

CYB

ERN

ETIC

S 19

69

BLO

B AR

CH

ITEC

TUR

E

ALG

OR

ITH

M /

PAR

AMET

RIC

S

GORDAN PASK

GREG LYNN

Figure 037 Authors Own, 2013Continuum

062 | 063

CO

MPU

TATI

ON

/ R

ESPO

NSI

VE

PROTOCELL ARCHITECTURE

ACHIM MENGES

NERI OXMANMARK BURRY

MAGNUS LARSSON

MIR

CO

OR

GAN

ISM

S

MITCHELL JOACHIM

MICHAEL HANSMEYER

FRANCOIS ROCHE

ARANDA LASCH

FOA

The continuum highlights specific genres of architecture and architects, who have used mathematical models of Nature to inform their design; the mathematical models are defined as applying the processes and princi-ples found in Nature, to create architecture; rather than mimicking Nature’s forms and figurations. The contiuum highlights the progress of using mathematical models of Nature; and the lead up to the creation of Protocell Architecture; another scale of nature, artificial life.

Gordan Pask Artificial Intelligence {machine and man}

Digital ComputationAlgorithms / Digital Programming

Massless Single Solutions

Immortal

Matierial ComputationProgramming Mass and Volume

Reverable computations through process of ‘equilibrium

Mortal : can be recycled through death and decay


Figure 038. (2013). Cybernetic Seren-dipity. Available: http://cyberneticseren-dipity.net/post/7247063562/exhibition-view-ica-london-1968-gordon-pask. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Figure 039 Lynn, G. (2013). TRANS-FORMATION OF KLEIBURG HOUSING BLOCK. Available: http://glform.com/buildings/transformation-of-the-kleiburg-block. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Figure 040 Lynn, G. (2013). Divide. Available: http://glform.com/environ-ments/divide-film. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Figure 041 Aranda Lasch. (2004). Ben-jamin Aranda & Chris Lasch. Available: http://scriptedbypurpose.wordpress.com/participants/arandalasch/. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Figure 042 Thomas, R. (2011). Respon-sive Acoustic Surfacing Cluster - Smart Geometry 2011. Available: http://smarchitecture.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/responsive-acoustic-surfacing-cluster.html. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

093 Pask, G. (1969). The Architectural Relevance of Cybernetics. Architectural Design. 496

094 Aranda, B, Lasch, C (2006). Pam-phlet Architecture 27, TOOLING. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. 7.

Gordan Pask 1950s-80sThe work and epistemologies poised by cybernetician Gordan Pask, provide a conceptual framework for the creation of artificial intelligence to inform building systems for ‘performance’, ‘interaction’ and ‘environment.’ In 1969, Pask stated ‘Various computer-assisted (or even computer-direct-ed) design procedures will be developed into useful instruments.’93 Pask formed the notion of the coexistence of an environment shared by ma-chine and human, blurring the boundaries between these two interfaces to create efficiency. In 1958 Pask created an analogue system using chem-ical computers and electrochemistry to emulate the process of biological neural networks. The research informed how the chemical computers could evolve certain behaviors depending on the environment and their programming; the results achieved from growing artificial electron threads using electrochemistry, was that these charged metal tendrils would react the fluctuations in their environment. Pask focused on creating adaptive systems using the artificial intelligence, computing systems, which mimics Nature’s way of sensitivity and response to maximize efficiency.

Greg Lynn 1990s - presentGreg Lynn is a pioneer of using the medium of digital computation to apply the mathematics of calculus, which is found in Nature to challenge the boundaries of architectural design. Lynn’s computational work and use of Nature’s mathematical processes produces biomorphic, irregular and dynamic forms. By using digital computation, Lynn is able to create repet-itive structures, which possess slight modifications. In terms of calculus, the shape remains the same however but each shape is unique, and by applying this to design.

Aranda LaschArchitecture practice, Aranda Lasch use computation to write scripts inspired by biological processes, as a ‘tooling device,’94 to inform architec-tural design. Their algorithm recipe for Tiling is inspired by the repetition and modularity of cells and bubbles found in Nature to explore and solve spatial definitions in regards to architecture.

Mark BurryMark Burry is undergoing the construction of the Sagrada Familila in Bar-celona, which has been left uncompleted by Architect Antonio Gaudi after his death in 1926. An integral part of Burry’s work involves scripting and computer programming in order to define the intricate natural forms, which Gaudi intended for. Burry uses computation to enhance these opportuni-ties and challenge what architecture can do and be.

064 | 065

Figure 038: Gordan Pask The Colloquy of Mobiles1968

Figures 039 040 Greg Lynn Tansformation of Kleiburg Housing Block and Divide

Figures 041 Aranda Lasch Tooling

Figures 042 Mark Burry Sagrada Familila


Figure 043 Menges, A. (2013). HY-GROSCOPE – METEOROSENSITIVE MORPHOLOGY. Available: http://www.achimmenges.net/?p=5083. Last ac-cessed 6th April 2013.

Figures 044 Handlbauer, K. (2002). Yokohama Ferry Terminal in Yokoha-ma, Japan by Foreign Office Archi-tects. Available: http://archidose.org/wp/2002/07/08/yokohama-ferry-termi-nal/. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Figures 045 Hansmeyer, M. (2013). Columns. Available: http://www.michael-hansmeyer.com/projects/col-umns.html?screenSize=1&color=1#11. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Figures 045 Roche, F. (2011). R&Sie(n). Available: http://scriptedbypurpose.wordpress.com/participants/rsie-fran-cois-roche/. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

095 Hansmeyer, M. (2013). Intro-duction. Available: http://www.mi-chael-hansmeyer.com/profile/about.html?screenSize=1&color=1. Last accessed 7th April 2013.

096 Roche, F. (2009). R&Sie (n). C3 Sense of Place. 300 (1), 43-133.

097 Menges, A. (2012). Material Resourcefulness: Activating Material Information in Computational Design. Material Computation. 216 (02), 35-59.

FOA(FOA) Foreign Office Architects claim ‘more than ever before, the natural and the artifice are literally merging into each other.’95 Their design pro-cess involves generating new synthetic landscapes, which morph into form through rigorous understandings of the context of the site and the use of computation. FOA’s design philosophy is to create architecture that is phylogenic; phylogeny is a hypothesis for the way in which characters are distributed in Nature.

Michael HansmeyerMichael Hansmeyer’s designs are the creation of a non-referenced typol-ogy of architecture, which uses computation and applies the principals of the processes of morphogenesis, the splitting of natural cells to script an algorithm. Using the programmed script, Hansmeyer can create diverse and complex geometries to generate the architectural form; Hansmeyer focuses on the designing of structural columns using morphogenesis. Hansmeyer states; ‘the procedures can devise truly surprising topogra-phies and topologies that go far beyond what one could have traditionally conceived.’

Francois RocheFrancois Roche investigates the creation of ‘new territories,’ in architectural design. Roche develops computational experiments, by designing algo-rithms based on mutating the processes found in Nature. His work aims to ‘transform Nature into a dynamic element of the design.’96

Achim MengesAchim Menges creates performative architecture, which is ecologically embedded. Menges applies ‘the combination of material inherent behavior and computational morphogenesis’97 Computation is applied to explore and code an algorithm in relation to the material properties of the architec-ture and the environmental intensities to test how the material will respond to its surroundings. Menges’ project ‘HYGROSCOPE – METEOROSENSI-TIVE MORPHOLOGY’ is climate responsive uses the principals of Nature, which is the ablity of Nature being able to respond to its environment for maximum efficiency.

066 | 067

Figure 043 Achim Menges

Figures 044 FOA, Yokohama Ferry Terminal in Yokoha-ma

Figures 045 Michael Hansmeyer, Columns

Figures 046 R&Sie (n)

Figures 043 Achim Menges HYGROSCOPE – METEOROSENSITIVE MORPHOLOGY


Figure 047 Oxman, N. (2011). Proj-ects. Available: http://web.media.mit.edu/~neri/site/index.html. Last accessed 7th April 2013.

Figures 048 Oxman, N. (2011). Proj-ects. Available: http://web.media.mit.edu/~neri/site/index.html. Last accessed 7th April 2013.

Figures 049 Joachim, M. (2012). Terre-form. Available: http://www.archinode.com/Arch2.html. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Larson, M. 050 (2013). DUNE (AA THESIS 07-08). Available: http://www.magnuslarsson.com/architecture/dune.asp. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

098 Oxman, N. (2011). Nature is a brilliant engineer. Available: http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/nature-is-a-brilliant-engineer-1.366511. Last accessed 6th April.

Neri OxmanNeri Oxman explores the properties of material to inform the form of her designs. Using digital design and fabrication technologies Oxman tests how architecture can become apart of the environment. Oxman believes Nature to be ‘a brilliant engineer’98 and the efficiency of the properties in natural systems is what Oxman strives to achieve in her architecture.

Mitchell JoachimMitchell Joachim is amongst the first architectural practices to have a sci-ence laboratory as part of the process of designing architecture. Joachim believes in the potential to grow architecture, rather than building archi-tecture. The process would involve pleaching, grafting trees together, and using digital technology to create a scaffolding for this process. Joachim’s proposal will create organic architecture, which can take in carbon and purify the atmosphere.

Magnus LarssonArchitect, Magnus Larsson is proposing the creation of architecture, which is the solidification of sand using a particular microorganism, the Bacillus Pasteurii, which can bind the grains of sand. Larsson’s proposal is to;• design solid sand dunes to • aid the prevention of shifting sands, by creating a barrier to stop ava-

lanches provide a physical support structure for trees • create habitable spaces within the solidified sand dunes, which can

provide shade and harvest condensation Magnus’ proposal will solve political, social and environmental problems in regard to desertification by the use of microorganisms.

Protocell ArchitectureProtocell Architecture proposes to use artificial cellular life to create syn-thetic metabolic material, which harnesses a direct relationship with the environment and building fabric and can be used for urban repair and redefining the resilience of Nature. Protocell Architecture becomes part of Nature through material computation and having the ability to metabolise with the surrounding environment

068 | 069

Figure 047 Neri Oxman, Material Ecoology

Figures 048 Neri Oxman, Material Ecoology

Figures 049 Mitchell Joachim, Growing Architecture

Figures 050 Magnus Larsson, Solidifying SandBacillus Pasteurii

070 | 071

CHAPTER FIVE

Reimagining Architecture : The Material Properties and Architectural Possibilities in Simple Organisms

The Quest for Units of Synthetic Life

Another Scale of Nature | C.005 The Quest For Units of Synthetic Life

005 The Quest For Units of Synthetic Life Reimagining Archi-tecture : The Material Properties and Architectural Possibilities in Simple Organisms

Protocell Architecture is at the beginning of an evolutionary pathway where architecture becomes part of Nature, connected to and dependent on the environmental conditions of its surroundings. Protocell architecture engages directly with the surrounding environment by harnessing a two-way flow of energy from the built form to the environment and vice-versa. The reaction, known as metabolism, possesses regenerative capabilities, becoming both the Natural and the built environments’ pharmaceutical, which heals the atmosphere, ecosystems and decomposing architectural structures.

REIMAGINING ARCHITECTURE : THE MATERIAL PROPERTIES AND ARCHITECTURAL POSSIBILITIES IN SIMPLE ORGANISMS

THE QUEST FOR UNITS OF SYNTHETIC LIFE

It is fascinating that the drive for morphogenically adaptable structures, from the millimetre, to the tens of metres, is coming not from what is sci-entifically and technologically possible, but from the push and evolution in architectural design demanding a fundamentally more responsive, intimate, tactile and intelligent class of materials. – Lee Cronin

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Figure 051, Authours Own, 2010

099 Gudgeon, A. 23rd December 2012. Personal Communications

100 Spiller, N. (2011). A Manifesto for Protocell Architecture: Against Biolog-ical Formalism. Protocell Architecture. 81 (2), 24-25.

101 Armstrong, R. (2010). Reflexive Architecture Machines. Available: http://www.interactivearchitecture.org/page/6. Last accessed 25th March 2013.

005.1 The Protocell : Contextual Material [The Past and The Future] Protocells are studied in two distinct ways.1.As the practice of understanding how and where life beganWhen the earth was cool enough, various chemicals and energy-types formed simple molecules like amino acids and primitive RNA, until self-rep-lication occurred, which is the essential property of life. These forms slowly evolved the ability to make coats, then cell-walls, cells and later DNA.2. Protocells are the focus of man’s efforts to create life from simple chem-icalsBy providing the same chemicals that were present on early earth, plus adding heat or electric flashes, we are getting closer to the creation of making life from non-living things.99

Synthetic metabolic material design is a vision of architecture that will apply Protocells to the materiality, structure and architectural details to exhibit life like qualities in the built form with the aspiration of creating a genre of living architecture. Directly applying synthetic biology and math-ematical processes found in Nature to architecture will create soft* and reflexive architecture machines. This architecture will be self organizing and capable of reacting and morphing in direct response to the envi-ronment. Spiller’s ten-year project ‘Communicating Vessels’ investigates the exchange of information between architecture and its environment in a surrealist landscape challenging our current static architectures. The emergence of Protocell Architecture is the realization of Spiller’s surrealist environment; he states ‘we will construct exquisite corpses, not dead but alive and useful.’100 Protocell Architecture will be independent to human or computed control. Protocell Architecture will challenge the inert behaviour of conventional building materials and architecture will become responsive and influenced by the the surrounding environmental qualities of ‘heat, moisture, air chemistry and gravity.’101

Figure 051 Hylozoic Ground, Venice Bienalle,


102 Spiller, N. (2011). A Manifesto for Protocell Architecture: Against Biolog-ical Formalism. Protocell Architecture. 81 (2), 24-25.

103 Ikegami, Takashi (2008), ‘Artificial Life is Dead’, keynote address at the Artificial Life XI Conference,Winchester, August.


105 Ibid

106 Ibid

005.2 The Protocell : Inorganic Evolution and LifeProtocells are artificial cells that exhibit qualities of life, existing ‘in a realm between the living and the inert.’ 102 Artificial life scientist, Takashi Ikegami regards the ephemeral answers to ‘What is life?’ as being central to the understanding of living systems, however he warns that ‘whilst pursing the study of living processes researchers should not be bound by modeling living systems or subordinated to the laws and conventions of traditional biology since such limitations could ultimately prove counterproductive.’103 Central to the understanding of living systems is Protocell Architecture, which enables us to ‘work with and enhance the unavoidable inconsisten-cy that is the essence of life itself.’ 104 The living properties of Protocells include metabolism, self-assembly, self-organization, spontaneous repair, growth, division, purposeful action, adaptive complexity, evolution and creative intelligence. These living properties will promote an architecture that will be genuinely sustainable and energetically sensible, forming lively environments and carbon negative built forms that go beyond accepting that neutrality obtained by inert structures is the most effective protocol in the construction of artificial forms.

Living architecture displaces current and past epistemologies of architec-tural theory and pratice with a new model and methodology of architec-tural discourse known as Plectic Systems Architecture. Plectic Systems Architecture is driven by Protocells forming synthetic metabolic materials for the ‘discipline and sustainable practice of the built environment.’105 Murray Gell-Mann coined the term ‘Plectics’ as a way of connecting simple and complex systems and describing the properties of complex adaptive systems. This terminology is the very definition of Protocell Architecture; protocells are simple chemical life forms, made primarily from oil and water with additional compounds dependent on the purpose of each protocell typology, these cellular forms are then able to process living qualities and react to the complex agendas of their environments in spontaneous ways. Armstrong states; ‘Plectic Architecture is an architectural theory described in the context of the post-digital world, where “postdigital” does not mean lacking any digital component, but rather means a synthesis between the virtual, the actual, the biological, the cyborgian, the augmented, and the mixed.’106 Plectic Systems Architecture is the endeavor of Living Architec-ture.

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Figures 052 Armstrong, R. (2011). Living Chemistry & A “Natural History” of Protocells. Available: http://www.biofaction.com/synth-ethic/?p=61. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Figure 053. Generation of Synthetic Life, Authors Own, 2013

programming for cellular growth

design/self-assembly

self-replicating evolvingself-maintained

botto

m-u

p

Figure 053. Generation of Synthetic Life : building the protocell. Three potential typologies of the protocell are :001. Self-maintaining (non-replicating)002. Replicating (non-evolving)003. Evolving

Figures 052 , Images of Proto-



108 Drew,E, Foundations for Engineer-ing Biology, Nature 438,no767:449–53

109 Stacey, M. (2013). Proto-materi-als: Material Practices in Architecture at Molecular and Cellular Scales. Pro-totyping Architecture: The Conference Papers. 1 (1), 211-223

110 Armstrong, R, Hancyzc, M, Spill-er, N (2010). Architecture & Unconven-tional Computing Conference. London: The Building Centre. 20-24.

005.3 Unconventional Computation : Soft MachinesUnconventional computation is the dynamic process, which applies molecules to inform calculations to make decisions based on the material computer’s environment. Unconventional computation refers to material computation where the process has the same logic as conventional digital computation. Unconventional computation differs to conventional com-putation because it is ‘composed of mass and requires physical inputs to generate material outputs.’107 Synthetic Biologist Drew Endy explains; ‘biological systems are likened to electronic and computation components. Within this model, proteins and genes are equivalent to physical transis-tors, biochemical reactions are the equivalent of logic gates, metabolic pathways are the equivalent of hardware modules (e.g. processors), cells are the equivalent of computers and tissue and cell cultures are the equiv-alent of networks.108 Protocells can be regarded as computing units under the genre of material computation because they have the ability to make decisions and respond to their environments in complex ways, which can alter their appearance, form and function. Bones and shells are an example of material computation taking place in the natural world today. This process is formally known as biomineralisa-tion, which is the process of living organisms producing minerals to stiffen existing tissues as a reaction to the immediate surroundings. In archi-tecture both limestone and marble are materials that are the product of calcium carbonate biomineralisation.

Scientific tests, which continue to be undertaken by Martin Hanczyc demonstrate that protocells have the ability to form activities. There is also evidence from the tests that protocells have the potential of being ‘self healing’ materials,’109 which are able to restore current decomposing archi-tectural structures in response to the external and immediate environment. Hanczyc is currently analysing the way in which life-like activities emerge from the protocells’ simple chemical system and ways in which protocells can be programmed to a certain extent for ongoing research to find ways of applying these artificial cellular life forms to architecture. Hancyzcs’ work indicates that protocells are able to navigate around complex en-vironments depending on their programming. Hancyzc states, ‘with regard specifically to motion we have been able to create protocells that follow gradients of acidity (pH), molecular concentrations (food), as well as protocells that move into or away from light.’110 Protocells’ behavior is dependent on their external environment and their internal state, which is the result of the way in which they have been programmed in laboratories through the use of different chemicals and under different environments during their production. Hanczyc claims, ‘by demonstrating a programma-ble response to such chemical signals, a diverse chemical language may-be developed that can be used to direct not only single protocell behavior but group behavior as well.’ Cells are measured in microns;(1 micron = 0.001 millimeters = 0.000001 meters) This scale is far too minute for architectural language. Hanczycs experiments of protocells being sociable

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cells that are able to work in groups, gives further hope and addresses the potential of these cells being able to be scaled up by group activity for use in architecture.

Figures 054 Protocells : how archi-tecture can be grown and cultivated using living technology. Tassel, D (2012) - Available at: < http://vimeo.com/23909650> Accessed 13th March

Figure 054 Protocells : how archi-tecture cn can be grown and

cultivated using living technology


005.4 Protocells as Architectural Agents : Another Scale of NatureSynthetic Metabolic Material Design aspires to reduce the conven-tional bricks, columns and nails of architectural building units from millimeters to the same dimensions as the units used in biology to produce inorganic cellular materials. Buildings of the future could be cellular structures forming ‘inorganic material skeletons’109 made up of synthetic metabolic materials that possess a nervous system allowing the entire built form to self repair, regenerate, explore and adapt to the environmental changes and surroundings.

Armstrong and Hanczyc’s research illustrates that protocells perform complex behaviors by sensing and modifying their environments. The ar-chitectural features of the Protocell’s activity involves the ‘shedding of skin, (similar to the biomineralisation of calcium carbonate) altering the chem-istry of an environment through their ‘waste’ products, the precipitation of solids, population based interactions, light sensitivity and responsiveness to vibration.’112 These functions inspire the possibility for Protocell Architec-ture to become inherently sustainable by being able to share and create resources with the surroundings. Hancyzc’s research identifies that one protocell becomes part of the environment of the neighboring protocell which means that a large group of protocells can exhibit further complex behavior and that these systems can carry out computational processes and local decisions without interference. This implies that Protocell Archi-tecture can become a rigorous network processing and distributing a vast amount of material information metamorphosing and synchronizing the built and the natural milieus.

Protocell Architecture is biologically programmed and can apply biological principles to solve and strengthen negative properties in the environment. Synthetic metabolic material design has the ability to become a water filter and collection system if water is in shortage. Similarly these cells have the potential of becoming a solar energy system and an environmental antiseptic. Armstrong predicts, ‘Over the next 40 years, ‘living’ buildings that extract carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere -- could fill our cities.”113 Alongside being able to purify the impurities in the environment, the mate-rial computation properties in protocells will sensor unforeseeable environ-mental and climate changes and ‘serve as a first line of defense’ 114 which surmounts the predictions given by conventional computers. The release of these cellular materials into the construction industry will shift the way in which architects practice and design. Architectural studios will become like science laboratories or indeed areas of the studio will be science labs, used for creating prototypes testing the material properties of synthetic metabolic materials. The future architect will work in close collaboration with scientists. The architects who conducted the paper and event Proto-materials: Material Practices in Architecture at Molecular and Cellular Scales in February 2013 state, ‘a shift in design thinking will need

111 Cronin, L. Defining New Architec-tural Design Principles With ‘Living’ Inor-ganic Materials. Protocell Architecture. 210 (2), 35-43

112 Armstrong, R. (2010). Self Re-pairing Architecture. Available: http://www.nextnature.net/2010/06/self–re-pairing-architecture/#more-8816. Last accessed 25th March 2013.

113 Armstrong, R. (2011). ‘Living’ buildings could inhale city carbon emissions. Available: http://www.astu-dioarchitecture.com/downloads/Blog-PDFs/111014_living-buildings-cnn.pdf. Last accessed 20th March 2013

114 Armstrong, R. (2010). Self–Re-pairing Architecture. Available: http://www.nextnature.net/2010/06/self–re-pairing-architecture/#more-8816. Last accessed 23rd March 2013

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Figures 055 Beesley, P. (2013). Aurora. Available: http://www.philipbeesleyar-chitect.com/sculptures/1216_Proto-cell_Cloud/index.php. Last accessed 7th April 2013.

115 Dade-Robertson M, Zhang M, Figueroa C, Hernan L, Beattie J, Lyon A, Ryden M, Welford M (2013). Proto-ma-terials: Material Practices in Architecture at Molecular and Cellular Scales. Pro-totyping Architecture: The Conference Papers. 1 (1), 211-223

116 Webster, G. (2011). ‘Living’ buildings could inhale city carbon emissions. Available: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/14/tech/innovation/living-buildings-carbon. Last accessed 27th March 2013.

117 Webster, G. (2011). ‘Living’ buildings could inhale city carbon emissions. Available: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/14/tech/innovation/living-buildings-carbon. Last accessed 27th March 2013

to take place as lab and studio practices are merged to create new sorts of prototypes to experiment with new biological materials and forms.115 Architects will begin to rethink design principles as architecture increases in flexibility, softness and self-organization.

In 2014 Armstrong predicts the release of Protocell Paint, ‘There’s a tra-ditional paint manufacturer in the UK that is looking into Protocell Paint, but we’re all under non-disclosure agreements… and a major Australian property developer has already placed a future order for it.’116 Protocells are not yet robust enough to create structures and facades, however their early practice can be applied in a paint mix, which can then be applied to building facades and start purifying the atmospheric pollutants using synthetic metabolic materials. London architect Richard Hyams is, ‘cur-rently experimenting with the process of bioluminescence, the idea is that carbon is absorbed by a building to create light. Can you imagine a whole city lit by the walls of its own buildings?’117 At the moment Protocell Archi-tecture must begin and be tested with smaller scale proposals like lumi-naire and paint in order to develop it into more substantial features of the architectural construction.

FIgures 055 Aurora Protocell Ceiling InstallationPhilip Beesley


Figures 056 Venice’s Water and De-composing Structures, Figures, Authors 2013

118 Dade-Robertson M, Zhang M, Figueroa C, Hernan L, Beattie J, Lyon A, Ryden M, Welford M (2013). Proto-ma-terials: Material Practices in Architecture at Molecular and Cellular Scales. Pro-totyping Architecture: The Conference Papers. 1 (1), 211-223

119 Webster, G. (2011). ‘Living’ buildings could inhale city carbon emissions. Available: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/14/tech/innovation/living-buildings-carbon. Last accessed 27th March 2013.

005.5 Protocells as Architectural Pharmaceuticals : Venice Armstrong and Hancyzcs’ have proposed and are developing a solu-tion using synthetic metabolic materials to sustainably reclaim Venice by preventing the city from submerging on Her foundations. Venice is a city located in the lagoon of the Adriatic Sea. The city of Venice emerged from the marshy waters in the twelfth century and since Her existence, She has been competing with Her surrounding natural elements; continually being flooded and Her built fabric eroding as a result of the reactions taking place between the building materials, the salt from the lagoon, the salty atmosphere and sunlight. The most published strategy to prevent the loss of Venice is to construct large mechanical gates to prevent the tide from entering the Island. This strategy will have detrimental effects on the ma-rine wildlife and is not a long-term solution. Armstrong and Hancyzcs’ proposal is to use programmed protocells to artificially grow a limestone reef on Venice’s soft, eroding foundations. The proposal is inspired by biomineralisation of calcium carbonate into limestone and also the marine life, algae, shellfish and bacteria, which has already begun to create structural microhabitats on Venice’s founda-tions. The characteristic of being reactive to their environments means that Hancycz and Armstrong are able to experiment on programming the protocells to be light sensitive so that the cells would be drawn towards the dark foundations and repel from the light in the canals to prevent the protocells developing a reef in the ‘light-filled canals.’118 When the proto-cells reach the timber foundations the second metabolism will take place between the protocells and the carbon dioxide in the water, to create ‘in-soluble crystalline skins from minerals in the water…and gradually petrify the woodpiles.’119 The second benefit of the protocell reef would be that it would enhance the aquatic biodiversity in the lagoon.

FIgures 56 Venice’s Water and Decomposing

StructuresFigures, Authors Own 2013

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Figure 057 Maggs, S. (2010). So what is a Protocell? . Available: http://www.aramplus.com/2011/02/metabolic-archi-tecture-protocells/. Last accessed 7th April 2013.

Figure 058 Armstrong, R. (2010). an answer to the arciac?. Available: http://inhabitableorganism.blogspot.co.uk. Last accessed 8th April 2013.

FIgure 058 Macroscopic view of protocell technology depositing solid material on wood piles in Venice.

FIgure 058 Underwater view of protocell technology reacting on the wooden piles

Another Scale of Nature | Case Study 002. Living Architecture Today

CASE STUDY 002 LIVING ARCHTECTURE TODAY Philip Beesley

‘a fairytale dream of a wall, erupting with trailing tendrils and flowers eight storeys high… like a living tapestry.’ Athenaeum Hotel

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Figure 059 Armstrong, R. (2011). HOW LIVING TECHNOLOGIES COULD RE-CLAIM VENICE. Available: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/knowledge/themes/vir-tualfutures/rachelarmstrong/synbioven-ice2.jpg. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Protocells

Another Scale of Nature | Figure , Authors Own, 2010 Hylozoic Ground

Another Scale of Nature | Case Study 002 : Living Architecture Today

120 Beesley, P. (2010). Philip Beesley: Hylozoic Ground. Canadian Pavilion at Architecture Biennale Venice 2010 / Interview. Available: http://vernissage.tv/blog/2010/09/10/philip-beesley-hylo-zoic-ground-canadian-pavilion-at-archi-tecture-biennale-venice-2010-interview/. Last accessed 28th March 2013.

121 Ibid

122 Ibid

123 Ibid

0.005.6 Case Study : Living Architecture TodayPhilip BeesleyHylozism is an ancient philosophy that believes life arises out of matter. Hylozism can be used to describe Protocells. Protocells are living matter produced by inorganic chemistry. The work of Architect Philip Beesley, to date, is the only form of architecture, which physically applies Protocells. His series of Protocell Architecture is titled Hylozism. These projects are a form of primitive and surreal architectures that are devoted to being applied to the building scale in the future. Beesley describes his work as ‘a work of the imagination – asking about possibilities – possibilities are about hope.’120

The Canadian Pavilion at the 12th International Architecture Exhibition 2010 hosted Beesleys’ Living Architecture, Hylozoic Ground. Hylozoic Ground is an artificial environment, made up of a suspended lightweight lattice, arrays of mechanical sensors (Arduinos*) and lightweight vessels containing chemical systems of synthetic metabolic material (protocells). The protocells are the product of the reaction between different densities of oil, (olive oil and diethyl phenyl phthalate) and the interaction with iron and copper-based minerals. The protocells then react with water-based minerals filtered from the Venetian Canals to create copper and iron precipitates. This forms energy via positive and negative electromagnet-ic chemical activities, which triggers the reaction of the protocells and carbon dioxide (filtered from the surrounding environment into the vessels) to form secondary pearl-like structures of carbon precipitate and release oxygen back into the external atmosphere.

This chemistry is the form of a primitive life process, metabolism, which allows the artificial structures to connect directly with the immediate natural surroundings through the exchange of substances. Beesley describes these reactions as a ‘constant conversation with the surroundings’121 and defines this to be ‘genuinely sustainable.’ 122 The subtle provocative movements of the digitally fabricated skeletons are caused by sensors attached to programmed ardunios, which are sensitive to the heat from the metabolic reaction and the movement of the public exhibiting this work. Hylozoic Ground emulates a synthetic life form generated by the ability of the artificial to be able to sense and move to its surroundings, but more significantly the mathematical process of Nature, the metabolism, which is taking place in the flasks. Beesley says, ‘Imagine if these architectures are turned vertically, we would have a sensitive and reactive Living façade.’123

In January 2013, The Prototyping Architecture Exhibition in London’s Building Centre exhibited Beesleys’ Protocell Mesh. The Protocells housed in flasks are laced throughout the structure of the aluminum meshwork reef. In this work the protocells again act as increment for carbon fixing, however this time the protocells transfer the atmospheric carbon dioxide

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Figures 060 Authors Own 2010 Hylozoic Ground, Venice,

into solid calcium carbonate. The carbon dioxide is firstly diffused into the first chamber of the flask and reacts with concentrated sodium hydroxide, this liquid then enters the second chamber, which contains the protocells and forms a precipitate. Beesleys work challenges ways in which artificial mathematical models of Nature can heal the environment and does so by creating intriguing architectures and structures. The metabolic processes for carbon fixing go beyond the efficiency and reliability of current sustain-able strategies, however Beesley’s work does not claim or describe itself to be apart of the sustainable design generation, instead his work captures public interest because of the surreal qualities and unexplored terrain of design which Beesley is entering.

Figures 060 Hylozoic Ground, Venice, Authors Own

Another Scale of Nature | Case Study 002 : Living Architecture Today

Figure, Authors Own, 2013, Sketch of Hylozoic Ground,

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124 As the Golem did to its own cre-ator, the Rabbi Lowe - Roche, F. (2011). BIO[re]BO[o]T. C3 R&Sie{n} Sense of Place. 300 (1), 54.

125 Spiller , N (16th January 2013) Personal Communications

126 Ibid

127 Armstrong , R (16th January 2013) Personal Communications

128 Spiller , N (16th January 2013) Personal Communications

129 Preissner, P. (2013). Paul Preiss-ner Architects. Available: http://www.paulpreissner.com/#. Last accessed 28th March 2013.

130 Preissner, P. (2011). Back to the Future. Protocell Architecture. 81 (2), 106-111.

131 Preissner, P. (10th April 2013) Personal Communications

132 Beesley, P. (2010). Philip Beesley: Hylozoic Ground. Canadian Pavilion at Architecture Biennale Venice 2010 / Interview. Available: http://vernissage.tv/blog/2010/09/10/philip-beesley-hylo-zoic-ground-canadian-pavilion-at-archi-tecture-biennale-venice-2010-interview/. Last accessed 28th March 2013.

005.7 Artificial Evolution : Challenges‘Machines are always pretending to do more than what they were pro-grammed to do. It’s their nature. Their behavior alternates phantasms, frustrations and fears inspired by their own ability to break free and threat-en us.’ 124

The protocell is not yet a tool, which is able to be taken from the science laboratories and directly applied to the built form. Protocell technology is in its infancy. However it is the starting point of the new paradigm of artificial life. Unlike other technologies the protocell is the ‘potential technologi-cal and conceptual platform to make things real.’125 This leads onto other fundamental queries, such as what will the political legalization be of these artificial life forms that possess their own intelligence and are monitoring and controlling our built environments? Another challenge is how can these cellular substances be calculated a cost at a building scale, ‘it is the quantity surveyors nightmare.’ 126

For the near future Armstrong believes that protocells will start as ‘small things’127 and be continually tested and explored challenging their poten-tial. Spiller states, ‘this is not a utopia, we do not need to erase what has been before… there is, however, a need to think and design differently’ 128 Architect Paul Preissner, whose practice focuses on exploring new ways to bring shape to projects129, says; ‘we have been waiting for protocell archi-tecture for a while and have already figured out how to deal with its looks (and a number of us architects have decided we like it!), because we have been goofing around in software fortuitously replicating the shape and fashion of this new tiny life in anticipation of its eventual arrival.’130 Preiss-ner believes that some architectural practices have already been employ-ing cellular life paradigms over the last few years as a way of creating new forms and exploring the potential of organisations. Cellular structures have been mimicked through using voronoi and fractals, which are available in CAD software today. The cellular forms are constructed using inert archi-tectural materials, however it appears that architects have been waiting for synthetic metabolic material design, which can be applied to artificial cel-lular forms present in some architectural design today. However Priessner explains that ‘At this stage it’s still such a newly researched science that there just isn’t that much known about it or how to really scale up its prop-erties to anything approaching product design, much less architecture. It’s also slow.’131 Preissner allows himself to become intrigued by Protocell Architecture, however he is aware of the implications of their developing stage. At this stage Protocells are still young, Philip Beesley states; ‘they are hope,’132 for the future of genuinely sustainable, reactive and living architecture.

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Protocells are an emerging technology that presents a novel epistemolo-gy for architectural materiality by bridging together the natural world and the built environment. Studies performed by Armstrong and Hancyzc give evidence that protocells, artificial cellular life formed in laboratories, have the ability to be programmed to behave in certain ways depending on their internal state and external environment. The programmable characteristics are forms of material computation, which means that once embed within the urban environment the cells will be self-sustaining and programmed to be dependent on their surrounding environments. Protocells are socia-ble cells and are able to perform activities in groups, which gives further evidence of the cells being able to increase their scale through multiplying of groups until at a scale suitable for urban territories.

Protocells challenge the way in which we understand the conventions of architecture. Protocells have the potential to be applied to architecture as synthetic metabolic materials and form metabolism with the natural envi-ronment. The exchange of energy and substance between the built form and natural environment will create ‘living’ architecture that is genuinely sustainable, can react to the fluctuations of the environment, be regenera-tive to current architectural forms and redefining the resilience of Nature.

Figures 061 Preissner, P. (2013). Paul Preissner Architects. Available: http://www.paulpreissner.com/#. Last ac-cessed 28th March 2013.

Figures 061 Paul Preissner’s Architecture

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CHAPTER SIX

Another Scale of Nature

Summary and Conclusions

Another Scale of Nature | C.006 Summary and Conclusions

ANOTHER SCALE OF NATURE

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

CHAPTER

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Summary and ConclusionsAnother Scale of Nature‘Another Scale of Nature’ questions contemporary strategies of sustainable design in urban territories. Protocell Architecture goes beyond current sustainable bolt on technologies, such as Patrick Blanc’s Vertical Garden. Protocell technologies raise the possibility of a laced natural and artificial interface, whereby the two separate worlds of the urban environment and Nature become linked. Protocell Architecture integrates synthetic meta-bolic material design into the fabric of the building and encompasses the performative behaviour of Nature’s mathematical processes into the built form, which enables architecture to interact with the surrounding environ-ment, which in turn creates complex dynmic systems that can restore the urban and natural territories.

The concept of redefining Nature has formed the basis of technological, legislative and philosophical architectural polemics for the last sixteen years, at least since the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. The immediate challenge, which we are now pursuing, is the dichotomy between the natural and the built environment. The aim of sustainable design is to minimise the nega-tive effect of architecture, which at the present time saps the energy out of the environment. Research into sustainable discourse highlights current protocols and technologies as inefficient, because they fail to achieve the set aims to minimise the effect of the built environment on the natural environment. Sustainable technologies are also proving to be inaccessible to poorer countries and the general public, due to the high cost of imple-menting and maintaining them.

During construction and in occupancy, buildings take energy from Nature then cease to return this energy in a positive way. The built environment releases subnatures, waste, and toxins into the environment, which has a detrimental effect on the Nature and is resource intense. Contemporary architecture continues to remain inert and in isolation from Nature rather than being reactive and possessing a symbiotic relationship with its

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surroundings.

The case study on Patrick Blancs’ Mur Végétal for Athenaeum Hotel in Mayfair addresses the complexities of contemporary sustainable design. Firstly Blanc’s Mur Végétal is perceived as being a sustainable design, this is primarily because of the fuzzy nature of the definition of sustainability. Therefore the addition of green prosthetics embracing the corner of the front façade is commonly understood to have enhanced the buildings relationship with the natural and surrounding environment. However the research pursued for this case study, highlights that this is not the case. Blanc’s vertical jungle has minimal effect on the surrounding environment, only benefiting the immediate surroundings with a small amount of purified oxygen, produced by the vegetation photosynthesising. Blanc’s installa-tion is expensive to install and maintain, requiring constant water, nutrients and manicuring, and it is inefficient with regard to creating an equilibrium with the environment by feeding back to the environment the energy the building takes from the environment and the toxins the building emits. Athenaeum’s Mur Végétal is not a self-sustaining ecosystem, but rather an aesthetically pleasing, resource intense, expensive and elaborate artwork, which benefits those in close proximity and shows off what is perceived to be the haut couture of sustainable design.

The emerging ontology of Protocell Architecture, seeks to define sustain-able optimalisation. Protocell Architecture forms a synthetic metabolism, which directly bridges the built world to the natural through the exchange of substances and energy as a synergetic approach to forming genuine-ly sustainable architecture. Philip Beesley’s ‘Protocell Mesh’, at London Buildings Centre 2013, is used as a Case Study because the prototype uses protocells to act as an increment for carbon fixing and urban res-toration. The protocells in Beesley’s prototype transfer the atmospheric carbon dioxide into solid calcium carbonate. The first benefit of the reac-tion between protocells and carbon dioxide is that the carbon dioxide is being extracted from the atmosphere. This will reduce the amount of green house gas, which contributes to minimising global warming. The second benefit is that carbon dioxide reacts with the protocells and produces a precipitate that can be used for urban repair.


Figures Armstrong, R. (2012). Architec-ture Fiction: Rachel Armstrong, “Proto-cell Shoe”. Available: http://www.wired.com/beyond_the_beyond/2012/01/architecture-fiction-rachel-amstrong-pro-tocell-shoe/. Last accessed 10th April 2013

132 Sterling, B. (2012). Architecture Fiction: Rachel Armstrong, “Protocell Shoe”. Available: http://www.wired.com/beyond_the_beyond/2012/01/architecture-fiction-rachel-amstrong-pro-tocell-shoe/. Last accessed 2nd April 2013.

133 Priessner, P. Personal Communi-cations, 12th March 2013

Limitations and Significance of FindingsProtocell Architecture is in its infancy. Whilst the research regarding protocell technology, carried out in ‘Another Scale of Nature,indicates the potential benefits, the technology is yet to be applied at an urban scale. Protocell Architecture is not yet an available tool. There is no precedent for Protocell buildings, therefore what Protocell Architecture is going to look like visually and which detail of the building it is going to take the form of is yet to be proven. However we do have the opportunity of analysisng Philip Beesleys’ primitive architecture, which harnesses and makes use of the protocell. Beesleys’ prototypes extract carbon dioxide in the air, and depending on the programming of the protocells, the protocells can emit purified oxygen back into the surroundings. Protocells can also be programmed to create a solid precipitate, which can serve the purpose of repairing decaying buildings. Armstrong has adapted this process in a proposal for healing and preserving the buildings in Venice.

Another example of protocell technology is Armstrong’s Proto-sole.132 The proto-sole harnesses protocells in the sole and heel of the shoe, and is used to react with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to produce a solid layer on the sole of the shoe. The intention of the protosole is to prevent the sole from wearing away.

Background material about sustainable design has been written about philosophically, technically, and politically, therefore there is a large collec-tion of data regarding this subject. Conversely research and literature is relatively scarce in relation to Protocell Architecture. Paul Preissner states; ‘I find it all very interesting but a bit too far down the road, and I tend to be interested in more near future issues i guess’133 It is likely that this view will be shared by other architects where the requirement is to work in the here and now on projects which can be constructed and are financially viable.

Whilst there are relatively few sources of literature which explore the development of Protocell Architecture, personal communication with the pioneers Dr. Rachel Armstrong, and architect, Professor Neil Spiller were invaluable to understanding the potential of a protocell and the benefits of this new genre of Living Architecture. They gave me an insight and appre-ciation of the subject as a new technology where architecture and Nature are symbiotic and where Humanism (making the world a better place for humans,) and Environmentalism (preserving the natural environment,) are embedded philosophies.

Figures Armstrong, R, Protosole

094 | 095

134 FEMA. (2012). Coastal Analysis and Mapping. Available: http://www.region2coastal.com/sandy/abfe. Last accessed 7th April 2013 .

135 Ibid

Recommendation for Extended ResearchProtocells do not exist beyond drawings, renders, ethereal installations, shoe designs and the laboratory. There is a necessity for protocell tech-nology to physically manifest itself within the urban environment. Further research would include the exploration of a synthetic metabolic material design when applied to buildings. The epistemology behind Protocell Architecture is that it goes beyond current bolt on technologies and is integrated into the construction and materials of the building. Extended re-search would explore ways in which to detail and create a protocell build-ing, which can be applied and immersed in our urban territories, exploring what Living Architecture may look like.

Extended research would include ways in which Protocell Architecture could be priced and constructed. Are these protocell details formed off site to be constructed onsite or is Protocell Architecture going to grow around a structure over time, whereby the form of the architecture is deter-mined by the initial structure and the surrounding environmental qualities?

Continuing the extension into this field of architecture would explore how protocells can be applied to third world countries, which current sustain-able designs fail to do, due to high cost. How can protocells solve water draughts and fix shanty towns? Is it possible that protocells can absorb and solidify the dust in the atmosphere, using heat energy in Africa to create habitable homes for areas with high poverty and minimal resourc-es. Can each of these Protocell Homes collect condensation for the family residing rather than one village or many villages sharing one water source?

On the 29th October 2012 Hurricane Sandy hit New York, causing fatali-ties, huge damage to the coastline and costal properties, destroying and damaging urban territories, natural habitats and distrupting the lives of thousands. The Federal Emergency Manager released new flood maps, highlighting that the number of buildings in New York that are in risk has doubled. New guidelines and increments address the necessity to rise buildings by one or two meters in oder to minimise flood damage and increase safety. By following the guidelines building oweners will reduce their annual Flood Insurance Premium from around £6,200 to £275134. This equates to over 35,000135 buildings that are required to be elevated. Can protocell technology be a solution to the crisis in New York? Proponents of Protocell Architecture believe that Protocells have the ability to repair archi-tecture using the principles of biomineralisaton, which will also produce a protective layer on building facades, which might be affected by storms in the future. Is it possible that protocells can be used to protect and raise buildings, similar to Armstrongs proposal to stop Venice sinking.

096 | 097

‘Another Scale of Nature’ explores the future possibilities of using artificial cellular life, a protocell, as a tool to dissolve the dichotomy between the natural and built environment for Another Scale of Nature....


Figures xx, yy, zz: Authors OWn, Studio 4.1 Drawings for Lantana

Protocells emmeshed within the polluted urban infrastructure2012 - 2013

xx

098 | 099

yy

0100 | 0101

zz


BOOKSAranda, B, Lasch, C (2006). Tooling Pamphlet Architecture 27. Canada: Princeton Architectural Press.Armstrong, R, Hancyzc, M, Spiller, N (2010). Architecture & Unconvention-al Computing Conference. London: The Building Centre. Beesley, P (2010). Kinetic Architectures & Geotextile Installations. Canada: Riverside Architectural Press. Blanc, P (2011). The Vertical Garden from Nature to the City. 2nd ed. Paris: Norton & Company Inc.Drew,E, Foundations for Engineering Biology, Nature 438,no767:Gissen, D (2009). Subnature: Architecture’s Other Environments. London: Princeton Architectural Press.Kelly, K (1994). Out of Control. New York: Basic Books.Kovel, J (2007). The Enemy of Nature: The End of Capitalism or the End of the World?. Canada: Fernwood Publishing. Lovelock, J (2006). The Revenge of GAIA: Why the Earth Is Fighting Back - and How We Can still Save Humanity. London: Penguin Books. Pask, G. (1969). The Architectural Relevance of Cybernetics. Architectural Design.Sloterdijk,P (2011). Bubbles. 2nd ed. London: Semiotext.

JOURNALSArmstrong, R (2009). Living buildings: plectic systems architecture. Lon-don: Technoetic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research.Armstrong, R, Spiller, N (2009). Protocell Architecture. London: Architectur-al Design.Armstrong,R, Goodsite,M, Nielsen,O (2009). The nautilus – evolving archi-tecture and city landscapes for future sustainable development. London:

BIBLIOGRAPHYANOTHER SCALE OF NATURE

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Technoetic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research.Bedau, M (2009). Living technology today and tomorrow. London: Techno-etic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research.Cruz, M, Pike, S (2008). Neoplasmatic Design. London: Architectural De-sign.Dade-Robertson M, Zhang M, Figueroa C, Hernan L, Beattie J, Lyon A, Ryden M, Welford M (2013). Proto-materials: Material Practices in Archi-tecture at Molecular and Cellular Scales. Prototyping Architecture: The Conference Papers. 1 (1)Fernández, J. (2008). Beyond Zero. Volume #18 : After Zero. 18 (1),Hanczyc, M, Ikegami,T (2009). Protocells as smart agents for architectural design. London: Technoetic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research. -.Ikegami, Takashi (2008), ‘Artificial Life is Dead’, keynote address at the Artificial Life XI Conference,Winchester, August.Menges, A (2012). Material Computation. London: Architectural Design.Oxman, R, Oxman, R (2010). The New Structuralism. London: Architectural Design.Roche, F (2009). C3 R&Sie{n}. China: C3Spiller, N (2009). Surrealist complex systems, parallel biology and the greening of architecture. London: Technoetic Arts: A Journal of Specula-tive Research. -Spiller, N (2009). Plectic architecture: towards a theory of the post-digital in architecture. London: Technoetic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research. Tarp Architectural Manual (2012). Not Nature. USA: Pratt Institute Graduate Architecture and Urban Design.

ONLINE RESOURCESAllard, P. (2008). APPLICANTS COVERING LETTER. Available: http://idoxpa.westminster.gov.uk/online-applications/files/CCD-B74A14DD7082153100067D8C99C72/pdf/08_07883_FULL-APPLICANTS_COVERING_LETTER-1538613.pdf.Armstrong, R, Hanczyc, M, Spiller, N, (2010), The Architecture and Uncon-ventional Computing Conference Brings Innovative Architects Together with Scintists working with New Technologies that are capable of self-as-sembly and Higher-Order Organization. Architecture & Unconventional Computing Conference.Armstrong, R. (2010). Reflexive Architecture Machines. Available: http://www.interactivearchitecture.org/page/6.Armstrong,R. (2010). Self-Repairing Architecture. Available: http://www.nextnature.net/2010/06/self–repairing-architecture/k Blanc:Vertical Garden: The art of organic architecture. Available: http://pingmag.jp/2006/12/08/vertical-garden-the-art-of-organic-architecture/. Armstrong, R. (2010). Self Repairing Architecture. Available: http://www.nextnature.net/2010/06/self–repairing-architecture/#more-8816Armstrong, R. (2011). ‘Living’ buildings could inhale city carbon emis-sions. Available: http://www.astudioarchitecture.com/downloads/Blog-PDFs/111014_living-buildings-cnn.pdf.


Benjamin Aranda & Chris Lasch. Available: http://scriptedbypurpose.word-press.com/participants/arandalasch/.Burtynsky, E. (2012). Works. Available: http://www.edwardburtynsky.com.European Environmental Agency, Greenhouse gas emission trends and projections in Europe 2008, EEA Report No 5/2008; A.J. Dolman, R. Val-entini and A. Freibauer, ‘The Continental- Scale Greenhouse Gas Balance of Europe’, Ecological Studies, vol. 203 (2008). GCP: See www.globalcar-bonproject.orgDonald, A, Sharro, K, Williams, A, Williams, R. (2011). MANTOWNHUMAN MANIFESTO: TOWARDS A NEW HUMANISM IN ARCHITECTURE. In: Danchev, A 100 Artists’ Manifestos: From the Futurists to the Stuckists. London: Penguin Books. FEMA. (2012). Coastal Analysis and Mapping. Available: http://www.region2coastal.com/sandy/abfGissen, D. “APE” in Design Ecologies Essays on the Nature of Design (Princeton Architectural Press), 2010: 10.Gissen, D. “APE” in Design Ecologies Essays on the Nature of Design (Princeton Architectural Press), 2010Glaser, G. (2012). The Road to Rio. Available: http://www.un-ngls.org/rio-plus20/newsletter/issue4/article6.html.Handlbauer, K. (2002). Yokohama Ferry Terminal in Yokohama, Japan by Foreign Office Architects. Available: http://archidose.org/wp/2002/07/08/yokohama-ferry-terminal/.Hansmeyer, M. (2013). Introduction. Available: http://www.michael-hans-meyer.com/profile/about.html?screenSize=1&color=1Handlbauer, K. (2002). Yokohama Ferry Terminal in Yokohama, Japan by Foreign Office Architects. Available: http://archidose.org/wp/2002/07/08/yokohama-ferry-terminal/.Joachim, M. (2012). Terreform. Available: http://www.archinode.com/Arch2.html.Larson, M. (2013). DUNE (AA THESIS 07-08). Available: http://www.mag-nuslarsson.com/architecture/dune.asp. Lomborg, B. (31.03.13). The Joy of Global Warming. The Sunday Times. 1 (4)Leach, N. (2009). Swarm Urbanism. AD Digital Cities. 79 (4),Lynn, G. (2013). TRANSFORMATION OF KLEIBURG HOUSING BLOCK. Available: http://glform.com/buildings/transformation-of-the-kleiburg-block. Last accessed 6th April 2013Kinver, M. (2012). Green streets can cut pollution, says study. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18873391.Kovel, J (2007). The Enemy of Nature; The End of Capitalism or the End of the World. Canada: Fernwood Publishing.Mazria, E. (2011). Problem : The Building Sector. Available: http://architec-ture2030.org/the_problem/buildings_problem_why. Menges, A. (2013). HYGROSCOPE – METEOROSENSITIVE MORPHOLO-

104 | 105

GY. Available: http://www.achimmenges.net/?p=5083. Oosterman, A. (2012). About Archis. Available: http://archis.org/about/. Grundy, M (2006). Sustainabilty : Planning’s Saving Grace or Road to Per-dition? Journal of Planning Education and Research 26 (208) 211Oxman, N. (2011). Projects. Available: http://web.media.mit.edu/~neri/site/index.Purcell Architects UK. (2013). ATHENAEUM HOTEL Transformation of a landmark luxury five star hotel into a prestigious . Available: http://www.purcelluk.com/our-projects/athenaeum-hotelOxman, N. (2011). Nature is a brilliant engineer. Available: http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/nature-is-a-brilliant-engineer-1.366511. Preissner, P. (2013). Paul Preissner Architects. Available: http://www.paul-preissner.com/#Roche, F. (2011). R&Sie(n). Available: http://scriptedbypurpose.wordpress.com/participants/rsie-francois-roche/. Sawer,P. (2008). Promoters overstated the environmental benefit of wind farms. Available: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/windpow-er/3867232/Promoters-overstated-the-environmental-benefit-of-wind-farms.htmlTime Out London. (2012). Mayfair area guide. Available: http://www.time-out.com/london/things-to-do/mayfair-area-guide.homas, R. (2011). Responsive Acoustic Surfacing Cluster - Smart Geome-try 2011. Available: http://smarchitecture.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/respon-sive-acoustic-surfacing-cluster.html. Last accessed 6th April 2013.Stacey, M. (2013). Proto-materials: Material Practices in Architecture at Molecular and Cellular Scales. Prototyping Architecture: The Conference Papers. 1 (1), 211-223Webster, G. (2011). ‘Living’ buildings could inhale city carbon emissions. Available: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/14/tech/innovation/living-build-ings-carbon.VIDEOSArmstrong, R. (2009). Architecture that repairs itself?. Available: http://www.ted.com/talks/rachel_armstrong_architecture_that_repairs_itself.html.Beesley, P. (2010). Philip Beesley: Hylozoic Ground. Canadian Pavilion at Architecture Biennale Venice 2010 / Interview. Available: http://vernissage.tv/blog/2010/09/10/philip-beesley-hylozoic-ground-canadian-pavilion-at-ar-chitecture-biennale-venice-2010-interview/. Hancyzc, M. (2011). The line between life and not-life. Available: http://www.ted.com/talks/martin_hanczyc_the_line_between_life_and_not_life.html.Hansmeyer, M. (2012). Building unimaginable shapes. Available: http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_hansmeyer_building_unimaginable_shapes.htmlhttp://www.ted.com/talks/mitchell_joachim_don_t_build_your_home_grow_it.htmlLarsson,M. (2009). Turning dunes into architecture. Available: http://www.ted.com/talks/magnus_larsson_turning_dunes_into_architecture.html.

APPENDIXANOTHER SCALE OF NATUREPersonal Communications

106 | 107


Professor Neil SpillerReflexive Urbanism in the Forest of Signs

My work spans both theoretical ventures and real architectural practice. It is shaped by my

interest in the work of architect Cedric Price and cyberneticist Gordon Pask and explores

the friction between media and reality. It interrogates the oxymoron inherent in the notion

of ‘virtual reality’ and how this divergent term informs the built environment. Also I find the

re-evaluation of the spatial protocols of Surrealism are absolutely crucial to my explorations of

the city of the future.

“Neil Spiller” <[email protected]> wrote:

Sophie, thanks see you soon, good luck with dissi best n

Neil Spiller

Professor of Architecture and Digital Theory

Dean

School of Architecture, Design and Construction

University of Greenwich

London

**********************************************************************************************************

Email Correspondance

17th January 2013 : 14:18

108 | 109

“Sophie Nicola Samuels” <[email protected]> wrote:

Dear Professor Spiller,

Thank you so much for the time you spent with me yesterday.

Yesterday was invaluable to my dissertation. Also, even in the short amount of time I spent

with you in relation to my architectural education, I feel I learnt a lot, progressed my under-

standings about architecture and have been inspired to develop my theoretical position and

design practice in new ways aspiring to achieve the novel way of thinking about architecture

which you and Dr Armstrong shared with me. It has been a wonderful opportunity to have

met with you and I am really looking forward to developing your advise and reading your next

addition of AD and Visionary Architecture.

Thank you once again,

best,

sophie

From: User <[email protected]> Date: 22 December 2012 17:41:21 GMT To: Neil Spiller

<[email protected]> Subject: Re: Research Paper - Protocell Architecture


Thank you for your reply.

I look forward to hearing from Phillipa; whenever is best for both you and Rachel I will be

more than happy to meet with you.

Kind regards

Sophie

**********************************************************************************************************

Neil Spiller <[email protected]> wrote:

Sophie, Rachel and I would be pleased to meet you to chat about protocells. Phillipa my

pa will liaise, this will obviously be in the new year but can be swift as I suspect it would be

better for you to meet with us sooner rather than later best n

Rachel might be in touch sooner ... Thanks for your interest in our. Work

Sent from my iPhone

**********************************************************************************************************

“User” <[email protected]> wrote:


I am a fifth year architect student at Manchester University. I am currently undertaking a

research paper titled;

‘Synthetic Nature vs. Green Bling; Another scale of Nature

Analysing how biological paradigms have been influencing architects since antiquity and why

we now at the critical moment which has led to the emergence of Nature as the Romantic

metaphor to a synthetic Nature, the creation of Protocells in order to reclaim resilience of the

biosphere after Capitalism’s swarm urbanism.’

Just before I returned to Manchester School of Architecture to complete my Masters, I read

your edition of AD Protocell Architecture - which I found to be very insightful, following on

from this I have been reading more of your theories and writings alongside the journals by

Doctor Rachel Armstrong in Technoetic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research. As an

attempt to develop my knowledge, understanding and to appreciate your work on Protocell

Architecture and what Protocells are, I am writing this research paper based on Protocell Ar-

chitecture. In the new year I have organised to meet with Scientists at Manchester University

who are specialising or who have an interest in Protocells as a way of developing an

17th January 2013 : 13:07

22nd December 2012 : 16:50

21st December 2012 : 17:20

Another Scale of Nature | 108 | 109

21st December 2012 : 17:56

Dr Rachel Armstrong

Rachel Armstrong innovates and designs sustainable solutions for the built and natural

environment using advanced new technologies such as, Synthetic Biology – the rational

engineering of living systems - and smart chemistry.

No worries :-) see you soon :-) rachel

Hi - sorry for the mix up. Hope to see you on the 16th will Professor Spiller at Greenwich. s

Hello :-) i only just got this message :-) i had not got a confirmation that you’d be able to meet

so i assumed we were not :-) i was only in old street for an interview :) rachel

***********************************************************************************************************

Sophie Nicola Samuels Dear Dr. Armstrong, I am a fifth year architect student at Manchester

University. I am currently undertaking a research paper titled; ‘Synthetic Nature vs. Green

Bling: Another scale of Nature Analysing how biological paradigms have been influencing

architects since antiquity and why we now at the critical moment which has led to the emer-

gence of Nature as the Romantic metaphor to a synthetic Nature, the creation of Protocells

in order to reclaim resilience of the biosphere after Capitalism’s swarm urbanism.’ Prior to

returning to Manchester University to complete my Masters in Architecture I read your edition

of AD: Protocell Architecture, which I found to be very insightful and also a turning point in

my understanding of architecture and the area of architecture which really fascinates me. I

decided to write my research paper focusing on Protocell Architecture as a way/attempt of

developing my understanding of the concepts/reasonings driving Protocell Architecture and

also as a way of understanding what a Protocell is. Alongside the paper I will be attempting

to incorporate the Protocells into my design studio work. I have been fortunate to be able to

have arranged to meet with Scientists at Manchester University who are able to give me in-

sight into the science behind Protocells. I have found your work and writings, especially your

collaboration with Philip Beesley and your articles in Technoetic Arts: A Journal of Specula-

tive Arts, to have been intriguing and eye openers. I wondered whether I would be able to

meet with you to discuss Protocell Architecture and where Protocell Architecture is currently

positioned; I have found your work to be of a great influence in my research topic and having

the opportunity to meet with you would be invaluable. Also if there are any opportunities for

Facebook Correspondance

Sms Correspondance

5th January 2013 : 09:41

5th January 2013 : 10:46

5th January 2013 : 18:20

010 | 111

me to become involved with research into Protocell Architecture, now or in the future, I would

welcome this. Kind regards, Sophie sophie samuels +44[0]7947668318

**********************************************************************************************************

Rachel Armstrong Dear Sophie ... are you ever in London?? If not, we could connect by

Skype ... Happy Christmas ... and thanks for getting in touch ... I am reachable on email at:

[email protected] Rachel

24 December 2012

Rachel Armstrong Sophie - I got back to you right?? Just wanting to know when you are in

London or whether Skype might be better - can see that Neil Spiller also responded to you )

Happy Christmas! Rachel

**********************************************************************************************************

Sophie Nicola Samuels Hi Rachel, Sorry I replied to you using the email attached - thank you

for getting back to me. I am coming to London on Friday 4th January - so if you are available

then at a time suitable for you this would be great. I am also available to come down at a date

which is more suitable for you- i do go on a study trip between 7-16 january so either side of

these dates would also be great. Happy Christmas and sorry you did not recieve my original

reply. Best wishes, Sophie

**********************************************************************************************************

Rachel Armstrong Great - thanks - I”ve not come across your email ... but then I’ve not had

online access for a couple of days ... I have an interview with a Radio Station on 4th January

... so it may be possible to meet ... I’ll get my head around the commitments on that day and

get back to you! Happy Christmas! Rachel

**********************************************************************************************************

Sophie Nicola Samuels Thank you - I look forward to hearing from you. Happy Holidays So-

phie

**********************************************************************************************************

Rachel Armstrong Hey - not sure about the 4th - I have an interview somewhere around Old

Street at 4 pm ... I could meet you at 2 pm somewhere at Old Street - close to the station - I

think there is a Cafe Nero close by but I’ll have to check the address .... Here is a link - it’s on

Old Street ... http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/directory/1150/111260.php Meet me there at 2 pm

and we’ll have about an hour to talk - I’ll have to get my head around my interview then ... My

phone number is 0795 4640 759 ... I respond better to texts than phone calls as i can never

really properly head on a mobile phone ... ... but if that works for you, let me know and I’ll put

2 pm 4th January Caffe Nero in my diary .... Looking forward to meeting you!! Rachel

Caffe Nero, 40-56 City Road, London - Cafes, Snack Shops & Tea

Rooms near Old Street Tube Station www.allinlondon.co.ukCaffe Nero, 40-56 City Road,

London - Cafes, Snack Shops & Tea Rooms near Old Street Tube Station - All In London

*******************************************************************************************************

Sophie Nicola Samuels Hi Rachel, 2pm at Cafe Nero Old Street is great. Thank you very

much for fitting me in. Really looking forward to meeting you! My # is 07947668318 incase

something crops up.. sophie and thank you for the directions!!

Seen Dec 27

21st December 2012 : 21:42

24th December 2012 : 13:48

24th December 2012 : 13:53

24th December 2012 : 14:00

24th December 2012 : 14:03

27th December 2012 : 17:48

27th December 2012 : 17:59


Phililipa Wall {Neil Spiller’s P.A}

From: Phillipa Wall <[email protected]>

To: “’[email protected]’” <[email protected]>

Cc: Neil Spiller <[email protected]>, “rachel armstrong ([email protected])”

<[email protected]>

Subject: FW: Research Paper - Protocell Architecture

Dear Sophie, Happy New Year. Diaries are filling up fast already. The earliest date for a

meeting with Professor Spiller and Dr Armstrong is Wednesday 16 January, 2pm here at

Avery Hill Campus, Mansion Site. I have attached directions.

Regards, Phillipa

Phillipa Wall

PA to Dean and Directors

School of Architecture, Design & Construction

University of Greenwich

Avery Hill Campus

Bexley Road

London SE9 2PQ

Direct Line: + 44 (0) 20 8331 9309

Fax: + 44 (0)20 8331 9139

University of Greenwich, a charity & company limited by guarantee, registered in England

(reg no.986729).

Registered Office: Old Royal Naval College,Park Row,Greenwich SE10 9LS

If you wish to make a Freedom of Information request, please contact

[email protected]

***********************************************************************************************************

From: Neil Spiller To: Phillipa Wall Subject: Fwd: Research Paper - Protocell Architecture

See below m Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

8th January 2013 : 11:27

22nd December 2013 : 18:15


112 | 113

Protocell = droplets in science / ‘are a thing’ / there’s a debate

_artificial cell - self assembled / however no DNA

-isn’t technically a cell - no DNA

Protocell is a process // a way of practise

_science strategy

_a way of addressing space

_epistomology of space

_not imagined yet within architecture

_once you can get them to do architectural ‘things’ {light to dark / shed skin / control velocity}

there is potential

= they are an architectural object

how the city changes?

how do you produce them - do they arrive in vats?

- can be used in 3rd world - very cheap to produce / oil + water

taxonomy of protocells which can be used in 3rd World - so there is no Imperialisation that

they can only be applied in wealthier countries

*an alternative platform - shifts in social structure - away of escaping

-shifts in social structures

-these agents start challenging Nature

next nature

power structures / not just a technology - a way of thinking

an entanglement

humanism / environmentalism

how do we start to re address the two? how do we a create a H and E architecture.

*finding a different way of thinking

-what makes it different - it has a potential technological and conceptual platform to make

things real.

protocells are a different system

dont need to erase what has been done before, it is not a utopia

organs within a building

16th January 2013

Interview Correspondance

Dr. Rachel Armstrong

Professor N. Spiller


cyberspace - blurred boundary- world is built on limited materialpolitical legalisationprotocells cannot be calculatedhow do you make this stuff architectural beyond form follows functioncomputingmorphological / unconventional evolution of computation - material / biological

114 | 115


Professor Paul PreissnerPaul Preissner Architects is an idea-based design office founded in 2006. The office achieved

international notoriety through its commitment to novel shapes, materials, and innovative or-

ganizations for building program. Drawing its expertise from architecture, academia, and art

and design, approaching every project with an intellectual discipline and artistic openness

that allows for novel solutions to projects of every size and any budget. PP search for projects

and clients that share our ambitions and obsessions concerning the formalized world regard-

less of scale, location or typology.

***********************************************************************************************************

Sure. But maybe clean the grammar up to this :

At this stage it’s still such a newly researched science that there just isn’t that much known

about it or how to really scale up its properties to anything approaching product design,

much less architecture. It’s also slow.

Send me your finished paper some time.

Pp

- sent from my phone.

***********************************************************************************************************

Hi Professor Preissner,

I am just tying together my paper and wondered whether you would mind me quoting you

from the last email you sent me when I discuss the limitations of Protocell Architecture?

‘At this stage its still such a newly researched science that there isn’t that much known about

it or how to really scale up its properties to anything approaching product design, much less

architecture. and its slow.’131

Thank you again for your advise and opinions.

best,

sophie

***********************************************************************************************************

Paul Preissner <[email protected]> wrote:

great.

best.

Pp

10th April 2013 : 20:30


10th March 2013 : 17:19

9th April 2013 : 22:05

116 | 117

User <[email protected]> wrote:

Dear Professor Preissner,

Thank you for your reply, I really appreciate your advise and your opinion is of great relevance

for my paper.

Also thank you for the emails you have forwarded to me, I will try and contact Neri Oxman

and Martin Hanczyc. I met with Rachel in January when I was just gathering an understand-

ing of these cells, which was really interesting and insightful.

I will let you know how my paper goes.

Thank you once again.

sophie

sophie samuels

+44[0]7947668318

***********************************************************************************************************

Paul Preissner <[email protected]> wrote:

Hi Sophie,

sorry for the delay, I meant to respond sooner and then things happen. anyhow. thanks for

the interest and compliment. its appreciated.

im not sure i can be of all that much help with regards to research on protocells. i didn’t take

my own investigations into the potentials of it much beyond the suggestions of urban repair

and decoration, that you read about in the issue of AD. At this stage its still such a newly

researched science that there isn’t that much known about it or how to really scale up its

properties to anything approaching product design, much less architecture. and its slow.

these are some reasons why I just personally got bored with the architectural implications,

since they were real, but too far in the future for me.

nonetheless, i think you could look at the world of Rachel Armstrong <grayanat@yahoo.

co.nz>, and Martin Hanczyc <[email protected]>, since they are (or were) researching the

science behind these things. and i think people like neri oxman [email protected] would be great

to look at regarding some speculation on applicability for the work.

i find it all very interesting but a bit too far down the road, and I tend to be interested in more

near future issues i guess.

i hope that helps.

let me know how things turn out with your paper.

pp

***********************************************************************************************************

12th March 2013 : 11:29

12th March 2013 : 15:29


On Mar 7, 2013, at 4:39 AM, User <[email protected]> wrote:

Dear Professor Preissner,



Another Scale of Nature

Protocells; synthetic metabolic material design as a generator to redefine the resilience of

Nature

The paper will be addressing the necessary shift towards reactive architecture and materiali-

ty, particularly that of protocell technology.

I came across the work of your practise in AD edition of Protocell Architecture; which I have

continued to research for both my studio work and research paper. I have found your work to

be very inspirational, refreshing and very fascinating.

I wondered whether you have completed any other research papers or projects regarding

Protocell Architecture and if you are able to advise me where I may find this material or if you

are able to send me any information. I also wondered whether how far into the future you can

see the practise of Protocell Architecture within the urban environment scale?

I have found your work to be of a great influence, to date, in my Masters degree and having

the opportunity of your feedback would be invaluable.

Many thanks,

Sophie

sophie samuels

7th March 2013 : 4:39

118 | 119


Professor Matthew Gandy

Sent from my iPhone

“Gandy, Matthew” <[email protected]> wrote:

Dear Sophie,

I’m glad the meeting was useful – good luck with your very interesting project!

The people in Manchester I suggest you contact are Simon Guy and Andy Karvonen – do

mention that we met and that you might be interested in doing further research from the

autumn of 2014.

Best wishes

Matthew

5th January 2013 : 08:54


120 | 121

From: Sophie Nicola Samuels [mailto:[email protected]] Gandy, Matthew Subject: Re:

Interview

Dear Professor Gandy,

It was great to have the opportunity of meeting you this morning. Thank you very much for

your time, insight and advise. I look forward to developing research on surfaces when I return

to manchester and getting in contact with the names you forwarded.

I hope all goes well in Germany.

Thank you again, it really was invaluable to have the opportunity of meeting you.

Best,

sophie SAMUELS

***********************************************************************************************************

Sent from my iPhone


Dear Sophie,

Yes, that would be fine.

Best wishes

Matthew

***********************************************************************************************************

From: Sophie Nicola Samuels [mailto:[email protected]] To: Gandy, Matthew Subject: Re:

Interview


This would be great, thank you but would you be all to meet earlier, 11am at the Spence

Cafe?

Best,

sophie SAMUELS

***********************************************************************************************************

Sent from my iPhone


Dear Sophie,

It would be possible to meet at 12.30 this Friday – can I suggest the Spence Cafe (opposite

the Spence bakery) in Stoke Newington Church Street N16.

I enclose two recent articles that may be of interest.

Matthew

4th January 2013 : 14:08

2nd January 2013 : 08:15

29th December 2012 : 16:50

29th December 2012 : 16:16


07904-156617

From: Sophie Nicola Samuels [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 29 December 2012

14:24 To: Gandy, Matthew Subject: Re: Interview


I hope you had a good christmas.

I am going to be in London on friday morning {4th January} if you are available to meet this

would be great.

Best,

sophie SAMUELS

***********************************************************************************************************

Sent from my iPhone


Dear Sophie,

Yes sure – sounds like an interesting project. I should tell you that I’m going to Germany

next term (leaving 9th January). I’m working mainly from home but would be happy to get a

coffee in N16 sometime if you are in London.

Best wishes

Matthew

---------------------------------

Professor Matthew Gandy

Department of Geography

University College London

26 Bedford Way

London WC1H 0AP

Tel.: 020 7679 5517

Fax.: 020 7679 7565

e-mail: [email protected]

http://www.geog.ucl.ac.uk/~mgandy

Matthew Gandy

http://www.matthewgandy.org

UCL Urban Laboratory

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/urbanlab

MSc Urban Studies

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/urbanstudies

Urban Salon

http://www.theurbansalon.org

29th December 2012 : 14:24

21st December 2012 : 09:34

122 | 123

From: User [mailto:[email protected]] To: Gandy, Matthew Subject: Interview




‘Synthetic Nature vs. Green Bling; Systems Evolution - Another scale of Nature

Analysing how biological paradigms have been influencing architects since antiquity and why

we now at the critical moment which has led to the emergence of Nature as the Romantic

metaphor to a synthetic Nature, the creation of Protocells in order to reclaim resilience of the

biosphere after Capitalism’s swarm urbanism.’

The paper will be underlining what sustainability stands for today and ‘sustainable design,’ in

particular green roofs and vertical gardens, where I intend to visit Patrick Blanc’s installations

in London and the M2 Metro Station in Lausanne, Switzerland by Bernard Tschumi.

I found your piece of writing in AD; ‘The Ecological Facades of Patrick Blanc’ particularly in-

teresting, similarly your paper; ‘Above the treetops: nature, history and the limits to philosoph-

ical naturalism’ was also very insightful and strengthened my interest topic.

I wondered whether I would be able to meet with you to discuss your interest in urban politics

and ecology and whether you have any other material which could be relevant to my topic.

I have found your work to be of a great influence in my research topic and having the oppor-

tunity to meet with you would be invaluable.

Many thanks,

Sophie

sophie samuels

+44[0]7947668318

***********************************************************************************************************

20th December 2012 : 12;13


Professor Alan McKane

Alan McKane <[email protected]> wrote:

Dear Sophie,

I’m glad that I was of some help.

Best Wishes,

Alan

7th January 2013 : 11:12


124 | 125

To: Alan McKaneSubject: Re: Protocells and architecture

Dear Professor McKane,

Sorry I have not emailed you sooner, I just wanted to thank you for spend-ing time discussing my research paper - your help and clarification of protocells and vesicles has been invaluable.

Many thanks,

sophie***********************************************************************************************************

On 21 Dec 2012, at 15:10, Alan McKane <[email protected]> wrote:

Dear Sophie,

OK, see you then.

Happy Christmas

Alan***********************************************************************************************************

From: Sophie Nicola Samuels [[email protected]]To: Alan McKaneSubject: Re: Protocells and architecture


2pm thursday 3rd January is perfect.

Thank you very much for your time and for directions!

Kind regards,

Sophie***********************************************************************************************************

Alan McKane <[email protected]> wrote:Dear Sophie,How about 2pm on Thursday 3rd January?The Schuster Building is on Brunswick Street (last building onthe left if you start from the main University Building on OxfordRoad).Best Wishes,Alan***********************************************************************************************************

7th January 2012 : 00:13

21st December 2012 : 15:03

21st December 2013 : 14:41


From: User [[email protected]]To: Alan McKaneSubject: Re: Protocells and architecture


Thursday 3rd January would be great, thank you. What time would be best for you?

Kind regards,

Sophie***********************************************************************************************************

Alan McKane <[email protected]> wrote:

Dear Sophie,

Would you like to meet in my office [Room 7.15, Schuster Building]on either January 3rd or January 4th?

Best Wishes,

Alan***********************************************************************************************************

From: User [[email protected]]To: Alan McKaneSubject: Re: Protocells and architecture


Thank you very much for your reply;I have a study trip to Basel on the 7th January until 14th so if there if a time suitable for you in early January before or after this, then this would be great.

Kind regards,

Sophie**************************************************************************************Alan McKane <[email protected]> wrote:

Dear Sophie,

Thanks for your email. I’m happy to meet you. What dates/timesdid you have in mind?

Best Wishes,

Alan

21st December 2012 : 13:48

21st December 2012 : 12:17

20th December 2012 : 16:21

20th December 2012 : 15:42

126 | 127

***********************************************************************************************************

From: User [[email protected]]To: Alan McKaneSubject: Protocells and architecture


I am a fifth year architect student at Manchester University. I am currently undertaking a research paper titled;

‘Synthetic Nature vs. Green Bling; Systems Evolution - Another scale of NatureAnalysing how biological paradigms have been influencing architects since antiquity and why we now at the critical moment which has led to the emergence of Nature as the Romantic metaphor to a synthetic Nature, the creation of Protocells in order to reclaim resilience of the biosphere after Capitalism’s swarm urbanism.’

The paper will be analysing Protocells and I found some of your research papers online which analyse Protocells. It would be an invaluable opportu-nity for me to meet with you to discus your interest in complex systems and your research areas; especially to understand and appreciate Protocells in a broader context than architecture and whether you see Protocells being used in/with architecture in the future as a means of moving away from current ‘sustainable deigns’.

Many thanks in advance.

Kind regards,

Sophiesophie samuels+44[0]7947668318

20th December 2012 : 14:15


Professor Joel Kovel

***********************************************************************************************************

On 23 Dec 2012, at 20:21, Joel Kovel <[email protected]> wrote:I appreciate your letter, Sophie, and would appreciate, too, if you can send me a copy of your essay when it’s done.

As for the Zionism matter, here your honesty shows through. We all need to recognize the power of what is “instinctive” within us, that is, overrides reason and moral judgment. It’s just the human condition to have to wrestle with these things; and in doing so, one must see oneself, inform oneself, criticize oneself, and forgive oneself. It’s a challenge, never-ending and vital.

Best wishes--and if you have further questions or comments, feel free to write.

Joel Kovel

20th December 2012 : 15:42


128 | 129

Dear Mr Kovel,

I am a fifth year architect student at Manchester School of Architecture in the UK. I am currently in the process of writing a research paper, titled

Another scale of Nature - Systems Evolution; Synthetic Nature Vs. Green BlingAnalyzing how biological paradigms have been influencing architects since antiquity and why we now at the critical moment which has led to the emergence of Nature as the Romantic metaphor to a synthetic Nature, the creation of Protocells in order to reclaim resilience of the biosphere after Capitalism’s swarm urbanism. I have just finished reading your book; ‘The Enemy of Nature,’ and I just wanted to write to you and tell you how your theories in ‘The Enemy of Nature’ are invaluable to my research paper. I really enjoyed reading your book; I found it very refreshing, engaging and insightful.

I look forward to reading more of your writings in the future. I am particu-larly keen to read your writings on Zionism - as your outset appears to be rather controversial - again I will probably find this very refreshing or at least make me think deeper about the Israel / Zionist / Jewish situation - being born Jewish - although not being brought up around Jewish people; I instinctively support Israel rightly or wrongly - however your writings may open new ways of thinking - or assert my position. - Either way I look forward to reading these pieces.

Best regards,

Sophie

sophie samuels+44[0]7947668318

23rd December 2012 : 11:37


List of Figures

Figure 001 Protocells : how architecture can be grown and cultivated using living technology. Tassel, D (2012) - Available at: < http://vimeo.com/23909650> Accessed 13th March 2013Figure 002. Figure 003. Authors Own, 2013, Diagram of Content and Structure of ‘Another Scale of Na-ture’Figure 004. Authors Own, 2013, Symbiosis : Manchester Peppered Moth and the EnvironmentFigure 005. Armstrong, R. (2011). Living Architecture. Available: http://www.australiandesign-review.com/features/15151-interview-rachel-armstrong. Last accessed 5th April 2013. Figure 006. bioweb. (2011). Elodea Leaf Cells. Available: http://www2.sluh.org/bioweb/mi-croscopy/cells/elodea.html. Last accessed 5th April 2013.Figure 007. Authors Own, 2013Photosynthesis, Figure 008. Authors Own, 2013 Plant Metabolism, Figure 009. Hanczyc, M . (2011). The line between life and not-life. Available: http://www.ted.com/talks/martin_hanczyc_the_line_between_life_and_not_life.html. Last accessed 29th March 2013.

Figure 010. Authors Own, 2013 Scale of LifeFigure 011. Authors Own, 2013 Characteristics of Life,Figure 012. Authors Own, 2013Symbiosis between Built and Natural Environments,

Figure 013 Diagram : Symbiotic Relationship between building blocks of Coral and Algae, Zooxanthellae. Photographs : Scott, R. (2011). Symbiotic Algae. Available: http://coralreef.noaa.gov/aboutcorals/coral101/symbioticalgae/. Last accessed 4th April 2013.

Figure 014. Watse + Environmental Destruction :Photography by Burtynsky, E. (2012). Works. Available: http://www.edwardburtynsky.com. Last accessed 5th April 2013.

Figure 015 Authors Own, 2013 Patrick Blanc Athenaeum Hotel

Figure 016, Authors Own, 2013 Patrick Blanc Athenaeum Hotel

Figure 017. Grandin, K. (2008). Next Nature. Available: http://archis.org/publications/vol-ume-18-after-zero/. Last accessed 2nd April 2013.

Figure 018 Contemporary Character of Consumption; illustrating Fernández,Model of dynamic systems.Beyond Zero. Volume #18 : After Zero. 18 (1), 6-13.

Figure 019 Beesley, P. (2013). Protocell Cloud. Available: http://www.philipbeesleyarchitect.com/sculptures/1216_Protocell_Cloud/index.php. Last accessed 4th April 2013.

Figure 020. Ibid

Figure 021 Second Law of Thermodynamics - Equilibrium Loop between Consumption and Natural Resources illustrating Fernández,Model of dynamic systems.Beyond Zero. Volume #18 : After Zero. 18 (1), 6-13.

Figure 022 Authors Own, 2013, Second Law of Thermodynamics - Equilibrium Loop be-tween Consumption and Natural Resources.

Figure 023 Armstrong, R. (2011). Self–Repairing Architecture. Available: http://www.nextna-ture.net/2010/06/self–repairing-architecture/. Last accessed 1st April 2013.

Figure 024 Primative Protocell Architecture, Hylozoic Ground, Beesley, P. (2010). Introduc-tion. Available: http://www.hylozoicground.com/Venice/team/index.html. Last accessed 1st April 2013.


130 | 131


Figure 026. Authors Own, 2o13 Wind Farm in Eagleshem Glasgow, and Global Carbon Emis-sions

Figure 027 Sawer,P. (2008). Promoters overstated the environmental benefit of wind farms. Available: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/windpower/3867232/Promoters-overstat-ed-the-environmental-benefit-of-wind-farms.html. Last accessed 6th April 2013.


Figure 029 Authors Own, 2013 Athenaeum Facade




FIgure 033 Authors Own, 2013 Athenaeum Hotel Mayfair Plan and Front Elevation

Figures 034 (all) Authors Own, 2013, Details of Athenaeum Hotel Vertical Garden : Bolt - on Technology

Figures 35, Authors Own, 2013 Concrete Plan Section Bolt-on Technology


Figure 037 Authors Own, 2013Continuum

Figure 038. (2013). Cybernetic Serendipity. Available: http://cyberneticserendipity.net/post/7247063562/exhibition-view-ica-london-1968-gordon-pask. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Figure 039 Lynn, G. (2013). TRANSFORMATION OF KLEIBURG HOUSING BLOCK. Available: http://glform.com/buildings/transformation-of-the-kleiburg-block. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Figure 040 Lynn, G. (2013). Divide. Available: http://glform.com/environments/divide-film. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Figure 041 Aranda Lasch. (2004). Benjamin Aranda & Chris Lasch. Available: http://scripted-bypurpose.wordpress.com/participants/arandalasch/. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Figure 042 Thomas, R. (2011). Responsive Acoustic Surfacing Cluster - Smart Geometry 2011. Available: http://smarchitecture.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/responsive-acoustic-surfac-ing-cluster.html. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Figure 043 Menges, A. (2013). HYGROSCOPE – METEOROSENSITIVE MORPHOLOGY. Available: http://www.achimmenges.net/?p=5083. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Figures 044 Handlbauer, K. (2002). Yokohama Ferry Terminal in Yokohama, Japan by Foreign Office Architects. Available: http://archidose.org/wp/2002/07/08/yokohama-ferry-terminal/. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Figures 045 Hansmeyer, M. (2013). Columns. Available: http://www.michael-hansmeyer.com/projects/columns.html?screenSize=1&color=1#11. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Figures 045 Roche, F. (2011). R&Sie(n). Available: http://scriptedbypurpose.wordpress.com/participants/rsie-francois-roche/. Last accessed 6th April 2013.


Figure 047 Oxman, N. (2011). Projects. Available: http://web.media.mit.edu/~neri/site/index.html. Last accessed 7th April 2013.

Figures 048 Oxman, N. (2011). Projects. Available: http://web.media.mit.edu/~neri/site/index.html. Last accessed 7th April 2013.

Figures 049 Joachim, M. (2012). Terreform. Available: http://www.archinode.com/Arch2.html. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Figure 050 Larson, M. (2013). DUNE (AA THESIS 07-08). Available: http://www.magnuslars-son.com/architecture/dune.asp. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Figure 051 Authors Own Hylozoic Ground, Venice Bienalle

Figures 052 Armstrong, R. (2011). Living Chemistry & A “Natural History” of Protocells. Avail-able: http://www.biofaction.com/synth-ethic/?p=61. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Figure 053. Generation of Synthetic Life, Authors Own, 2013

Figures 054 Protocells : how architecture can be grown and cultivated using living technolo-gy. Tassel, D (2012) - Available at: < http://vimeo.com/23909650> Accessed 13th March 2013

Figures 055 Beesley, P. (2013). Aurora. Available: http://www.philipbeesleyarchitect.com/sculptures/1216_Protocell_Cloud/index.php. Last accessed 7th April 2013.

Figures 056 Venice’s Water and Decomposing Structures, Figures, Authors 2013

Figure 057 Maggs, S. (2010). So what is a Protocell? . Available: http://www.aramplus.com/2011/02/metabolic-architecture-protocells/. Last accessed 7th April 2013.

Figure 058 Armstrong, R. (2010). an answer to the arciac?. Available: http://inhabitableorgan-ism.blogspot.co.uk. Last accessed 8th April 2013.

Figure 059 Armstrong, R. (2011). HOW LIVING TECHNOLOGIES COULD RECLAIM VENICE. Available: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/knowledge/themes/virtualfutures/rachelarmstrong/syn-biovenice2.jpg. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Figures 060 Authors Own 2010 Hylozoic Ground, Venice

Figures 061 Figures 061 Preissner, P. (2013). Paul Preissner Architects. Available: http://www.paulpreissner.com/#. Last accessed 28th March 2013.

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