Non Linear Systems at UPenn

Non-Linear Systems is a great resources for all design that is not linear aka emergent or generative. Roland Snooks and Jenny Sabin are highly involved in this research institute at UPenn run by Cecil Balmond.

NonLin/Lin Pavillion by Marc Fornes

French architect Marc Fornes, a pioneer and visionary of computational design based in Brooklyn, has designed and installed nonLin/Lin at the Frac Centre in Orleans France. Its an impressive pavilion design that, unlike many of the computationally driven constructions we’ve seen, attempts to resolve a one-to-one representation of a true architectural gesture that could potentially be replicated indefinitely. Definitely worth checking out.

Skylar Tibbits – TED Talk on Robotic Construction

Skylar Tibbits talks at TED about the future of self replicating and naturally inspired robotic construction. Interesting insight into a rapidly developing field. Make sure to check out his work, great stuff. Below we’ve embedded some videos from his vimeo page.

Listener – Behavioral Architectures

Image by Mette Ramsgard Thomsen of CITA

CITA is an innovative research environment part of the Royal Danish Academy of Architecture that explores the emergent intersections between architecture and digital technologies. Identifying core research questions into how space and technology can be probed, CITA seeks to investigate how the current forming of a digital culture impacts on architectural thinking and practice. The program’s projects are broken down into four disciplines: digital formation, building information modeling, interface ecologies, and behavioral architectures.

Thermaespheres – Proposal for Public Thermal Bath in Athens, Greece

Aerial - Image by Future Cities Lab

Future Cities Lab is an experimental design and research office based in San Francisco, California and Athens, Greece. Design principals Jason Kelly Johnson (creator of Grasshopper’s plug-in Firefly) and Nataly Gattegno have collaborated on a range of award-winning projects that focus on the intersection of design with advanced fabrication technologies, robotics, responsive building systems and public space.

Philips Glowing Bacteria Bio Light – The Light Source of the Future

Dutch electronics powerhouse Philips released last December details about their innovative research in renewable and naturally inspired lighting. BioLight is a look into utilizing glowing bacteria to eventually light our homes without the use of electricity. The same way certain fireflies and insect species glow at night, certain bacteria carry the same genes and Philips has figured out a way to concentrate that light at impressive levels.

Design and Nature Conference 2012 in Spain

An excellent conference oppurtunity has come to our attention in Spain: 6th International Conference on Relating Design in Nature with Science and Engineering. It is scheduled for 11 – 13 June 2012 in A Coruña Spain. Anyone intersted can visit their website here.

Flight Assembeled Architecture – Gramazio & Kohler and Raffaello D’Andrea

You heard and saw correctly. Flight assembled architecture is a video showing small scale flying robotic agents assemble a wall over time by lifting bricks one by one and placing them in correct orientation due to pre programmed logic. It was part of an exhibit and installation covered by various outlets including but not limited to DeZeen, and Arch Daily. Imagine a swarm of robots attacking a site over a day and leaving a fully functional building behind much like an insect hive or birds nest. The project is an experiment by Swiss architects Gramazio & Kohler and Raffaello D’Andrea. Very exciting.

Janine Benyus TED Speech on Biomimicry

Janine Benyus, inspiring update on biomimicry at TED. She mentions the Harare Building we already posted about earlier.

Flectofin by the University of Stuttgart’s Institute of Building Structure and Structural Design

Inspired by the valvular pollination mechanism in the Strelitzia reginae flower (commonly known as the Bird-Of-Paradise) the flectofin is a hinge less louver system that is capable of shifting its fin 90 degrees by inducing bending stresses in the spine caused by displacement of a support or change of temperature in the lamina. The product was developed by Simon Schleicher and the good folks at the University of Stuttgart’s Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE). In the natural world pollinating sun birds will land on the plant’s adnate petals causing temporary deformation and the release of pollen. When the weight of the bird is displaced the petals revert back to their original position closing the pollen perch.

 

The use of hinge less mechanical systems reduces the amount of maintenance commonly associated with interactive facade systems. Though the Strelitzia reginae was the focal point of this project there are many other species of plants that are worthy models for kinematic study. More information on products inspired by biomimetic design can be found at the University of Stuttgart’s homepage or on Simon Schleicher’s blog which features a video of the 3D printed prototype at work. This project and others like it exemplify the importance of biodiversity in the natural world and its continued inspiration to help solve everyday design problems. Great work.