Readings
Buildings that use EFTE
Eden Project, Cornwall, United Kingdom
Beijing National Stadium, Beijing, China
National Space Centre, Leicester, United Kingdom
06 Presentation Feedback
It was suggested that the services go beyond the infrastructure to its surroundings i.e. feeding fish. We were also prompted to start investigating materials; using EFTE was suggested.
06 Presentation
The first panel focuses on the issues of poverty; natural disasters, accessibility and affordability, food mileage and waste. We are ultimately asking, "how can mobile architecture go beyond its agenda to sustain food production, facilitate education and bring people out of poverty?"
The second panel explores the integration of architecture into systems and supporting infrastructure.
Our final panel addresses the functions and services that are to be provided by the mobile architecture.
06 Sahara Forest Project
Exploration Architecture hints at ways of producing large amounts of renewable energy, food and water.
The Sahara Forest Project
The Sahara Forest Project combines two proven technologies in a new way to create multiple benefits: producing large amounts of renewable energy, food and water as well as reversing desertification. A major element of the proposal is the Seawater Greenhouse - a brilliant invention that creates a cool growing environment in hot parts of the world and is a net producer of distilled water from seawater. The second technology, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) involves concentrating the sun's heat to create steam that drives conventional turbines, producing zero carbon electricity twice as efficiently as photovoltaics. The two technologies have very promising synergies that make the economic case even more attractive
The Sahara Forest Project
The Sahara Forest Project combines two proven technologies in a new way to create multiple benefits: producing large amounts of renewable energy, food and water as well as reversing desertification. A major element of the proposal is the Seawater Greenhouse - a brilliant invention that creates a cool growing environment in hot parts of the world and is a net producer of distilled water from seawater. The second technology, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) involves concentrating the sun's heat to create steam that drives conventional turbines, producing zero carbon electricity twice as efficiently as photovoltaics. The two technologies have very promising synergies that make the economic case even more attractive
06 Exploration Architecture
Exploration Architecture - Eden Project
I came across this project by Exploration Architecture that uses EFTE as the skin of the greenhouse. This ensures that temperatures are maintained throughout the year.
The Eden Project uses EFTE - a high performance polymer that is assembled in a triple layer 'pillows' that are then inflated for structural rigidity. They were made much larger than glass and were 1% of the weight (a factor 100 saving in embodied energy). This substantially reduced the amount of steel required and allowed more sunlight into the building.
It is an extremely lightweight enclosure that is self-heating for most of the year. The weight of the superstructure is less than the weight of the air it contains.
I came across this project by Exploration Architecture that uses EFTE as the skin of the greenhouse. This ensures that temperatures are maintained throughout the year.
The Eden Project uses EFTE - a high performance polymer that is assembled in a triple layer 'pillows' that are then inflated for structural rigidity. They were made much larger than glass and were 1% of the weight (a factor 100 saving in embodied energy). This substantially reduced the amount of steel required and allowed more sunlight into the building.
It is an extremely lightweight enclosure that is self-heating for most of the year. The weight of the superstructure is less than the weight of the air it contains.
06 Process Images
We have prepared a collage to illustrate the infrastructure and services that will support the proposed mobile architecture. This will be used as the main image on panel 2.
[Refer back to 05 Infrastructure, services and 05 World Ports]
The final collage illustrates the functions that will be provided by the mobile architecture. We left it as a generic shape so as to not suggest a definite form. This will be the core image on panel 3.
06 Process Images
Our objective for the first panel was to communicate firstly, selected issues of poverty and food shortage and secondly, how mobile architecture could contribute to improve the situation.
How can we make food more accessible and affordable? One option would be to bring the food closer to cities.
What if mobile architecture could provide a new system of managing waste? How could this be integrated into the architecture? How can the waste from one become nutrients for others i.e. compost, food for fish.
In 50 years time, dealing with natural disasters may become part of our daily activities. How can mobile architecture work with natural disasters? This is important in order to sustain the production of agriculture.
To achieve goals of eradicating poverty, under-developed communities and countries will need to be self-sufficient. How can mobile architecture teach them about effective means of farming?
05 Infrastructure, services
The World Food Programme already has in place a system of responding to emergencies and offering long-term solutions.
- As soon as the local government has requested for help, food supplies will be organised for delivery. Emergency Assessment teams quantify exactly how much food assistance is needed and consider the best means of delivery.
- WFP will then launch an appeal to international communities for funds and food aid. They rely entirely on voluntary contributions.
- To transport food to crisis zones, WFP uses ships, planes, helicopters, trucks. Sometimes donkeys, yaks etc. are required depending on the accessibility.
- Sometimes, before the aid can reach its destination, logistic experts need to upgrade ports and secure warehouses
- When the food reaches designated distribution sites - camps, feeding centres and emergency shelters - WFP teams up with governments and NGOs to deliver food
- The food is first rationed to the people who need to most - mothers, pregnant women, children and the elderly.
Programmes
- Provision of school meals
- Food for assets - paying workers with food. Projects include building new schools, set up home gardening businesses etc.
- Cash and vouchers - new ways to provide aid
- Purchase for progress - connecting farmers to markets
- Fight against HIV/AIDS
It is ideal for our proposal to be incorporated and supported by this existing system. If possible, the mobile architecture can eliminate some of the processes.
05 Research
The World Food Programme identifies the causes of hunger to be;
Nature
The increase of natural disasters such as flooding, storms and droughts have consequences for food security in developing countries
How can the mobile architecture provide food security against climate change?
War
Short and long-term food crises can be attributed to human conflict
In war, food sometimes becomes a weapon. Soldiers will starve opponents into submission by seizing or destroying food and livestock and systematically wrecking local markets. Fields and water wells are often mined or contaminated, forcing farmers to abandon their land.
Can the mobile architecture resolve internal conflict? Can it provide spaces for refuge?
Poverty Trap
In developing countries, farmers often cannot afford seed to plant the crops that would provide for their families. Craftsmen lack the means to pay for the tools to ply their trade. Others have no land or water or education to lay the foundations for a secure future.
Provision of seedlings will need to be accompanied with some sort of structure that will enable long-term growth and production as climate change may see difficulties in agriculture production.
Over-exploitation of environment
Poor farming practices, deforestation, overcropping and overgrazing are exhausting the Earth's fertility and spreading the roots of hunger.
How can the proposal educate farmers about effective practices?
Below World food hunger map prepared by WFP
Nature
The increase of natural disasters such as flooding, storms and droughts have consequences for food security in developing countries
How can the mobile architecture provide food security against climate change?
War
Short and long-term food crises can be attributed to human conflict
In war, food sometimes becomes a weapon. Soldiers will starve opponents into submission by seizing or destroying food and livestock and systematically wrecking local markets. Fields and water wells are often mined or contaminated, forcing farmers to abandon their land.
Can the mobile architecture resolve internal conflict? Can it provide spaces for refuge?
Poverty Trap
In developing countries, farmers often cannot afford seed to plant the crops that would provide for their families. Craftsmen lack the means to pay for the tools to ply their trade. Others have no land or water or education to lay the foundations for a secure future.
Provision of seedlings will need to be accompanied with some sort of structure that will enable long-term growth and production as climate change may see difficulties in agriculture production.
Over-exploitation of environment
Poor farming practices, deforestation, overcropping and overgrazing are exhausting the Earth's fertility and spreading the roots of hunger.
How can the proposal educate farmers about effective practices?
Below World food hunger map prepared by WFP
05 Type, function and infrastructure
Ideas surrounding the architecture type, function and supporting infrastructure are illustrated below. Based on our research, the group has decided to focus on a floating agriculture city that will function to sustain food production and distribute where needed. For the architecture to contribute beyond its own agenda, it is not enough to just address food shortages. Thus, in addition to its primary role, it will need to consider the effects of climate change, address poverty, conflicts and so forth.
The mobile architecture will also use existing ports as its supporting infrastructure.
05 Presence Development
Jennnifer Siegel hints at a strategy for giving mobile architecture 'presence' in her book, the art of portable architecture.
Mobile architecture, then, "can be defined not merely in terms of movable structures, but rather as a way of intelligently inhabiting a specfic environment at a specific time and place in a way that better reacts to increasingly frequent social shifts" (16)
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