Industry Contribution
The thesis involves researching organic design strategies, creating a honeybee habitat in the Orkney climate, and applying 'Pomona' brief theory formulated for the Apiary Centre Project. It explores structural challenges like climatic resolution, human interference, and end-of-life disposal. By leveraging emerging technology, the thesis aims to address construction issues to the industry and the environment.
Background
Designing with regard to nature inspires new installations investigating biomimicry - studying how functions are delivered in biological forms and translating these into design solutions. How does organic design contribute to a wider purpose within the industry? I believe looking at nature's 3.8 Billion years of evolutionary refinement will solve complex architectural problems. I have designed a protective form housing a bee colony taking an ecological stance via the use of biodegradable materials and passive techniques to address embodied carbon, waste and emissions.
From the Apiary Centre's source, a swarming process will begin from the host hives and slowly spread across the Orkney Landscape. This will be an exponential process as the colony numbers grow.
The Seillean Totem project will house the colonies against the unhospitable weather as they migrate to new areas.
A 22' tall tower to allow a bee colony to exist and interact within.
Elevator B
Rokko Observatory
Living Seawall
A 'half skin' dome of interlocking pipes, providing partial weather protection and produces a pattern of ice in winter.
3D printed concrete corals to encourage to save the world's oceans from plastic pollution.
Inspiration
The use of a milk protein (Casein) to generate structures has proven to result in impressive structural qualities. The substance is very hard, resists applied loads, odourless, and allows a small level of light through, providing a glow. Organic structures embody more efficient and adaptable material properties compared with human-made ones and leave no environmental marks.
Heating this substance down in the same dynamic as regular 3D print practices proved possible with industrial equipment. 3D printing with Casein proved to be less laborious than producing by hand and is a quick process. The form was designed to be mass-produced and required no additional structure or wasted material to achieve the form.
The material will run parallel with the life span of the average beehive within the Orkney climate then decay (biodegrade) and return back to the land, leaving 0% waste... The use of this substance is sustainable from start to finish. With the amount of cow/sheep farms on Orkney, waste from these farms (2.5% per farm for 13 farms and from the trade sector, the project can be sustainably sourced and produced when appropriate seasonally.
Using Casein
Seaweed Bricks - Mixing nature and construction
Seaweed Forms - Creating art with new mediums and material
Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke - a 1997 Japanese film which delves into human nature and environmental consequences. Cursed prince Ashitaka clashes between humans and forest gods.
Design Oriented to Bees
Organic Design Simulations
Elaborated Organic Design Simulations
Designing with regard to biomimicry allowed me to experiment with different computer-aided design processes.
Using AI technology to generate forms via carefully worded descriptions prompted inspiration for texture, patterns, general appearance and proportion.
The structure was to take the form of a tower-like pod that is repeated across the landscape. This would kickstart the design process to then be manipulated via the integration of natural order.
Process work
