Bookmark this category

This would have been a great eco-tech capstone.

thefickler writes “The Pacific Ocean trash dump is twice the size of Texas, or the size of Spain combined with France. The Pacific Vortex as it is sometimes called, is made up of four million tons of Plastic. Now there’s a proposal to turn this dump into ‘Recycled Island’. The Netherlands Architecture Fund has provided the grant money for the project, and the WHIM architecture firm is conducting the research and design of Recycled Island. One of the three major aims of the project is to clean up the floating trash by recycling it on site. Two, the project would create new land for sustainable habitation complete with its own food sources and energy sources. Lastly, Recycled Island is to be a sea worthy island. While at the moment the project is still more or less a pipe dream, it’s great that someone is trying to work out what to do with one of humanity’s most bizarre environmental slip ups.”

http://news.slashdot.org/story/10/07/15/0033244/Pacific-Trash-Vortex-To-Become-Habitable-Island?from=rss via Byline

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

This would have been a great eco-tech capstone.

thefickler writes “The Pacific Ocean trash dump is twice the size of Texas, or the size of Spain combined with France. The Pacific Vortex as it is sometimes called, is made up of four million tons of Plastic. Now there’s a proposal to turn this dump into ‘Recycled Island’. The Netherlands Architecture Fund has provided the grant money for the project, and the WHIM architecture firm is conducting the research and design of Recycled Island. One of the three major aims of the project is to clean up the floating trash by recycling it on site. Two, the project would create new land for sustainable habitation complete with its own food sources and energy sources. Lastly, Recycled Island is to be a sea worthy island. While at the moment the project is still more or less a pipe dream, it’s great that someone is trying to work out what to do with one of humanity’s most bizarre environmental slip ups.”

http://news.slashdot.org/story/10/07/15/0033244/Pacific-Trash-Vortex-To-Become-Habitable-Island?from=rss via Byline

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

I’m a big fan of the John Cage | Fluxus Happening | guerilla urban architecture mashup Frozen Grand Central. I’m also a fan of public transportation. So you can imagine my delight when I stepped off the metro at UCLA’s Westwood & La Conte and stumbled upon this:
Continue reading »

Biomimicry meets architecture. Could be a great leap forward in sustainability, but could also give a whole new meaning to the concept of a “sick” building.

http://www.buildingcentre.co.uk/events/event_diary_details.asp?id=510

Unconventional Computing & Architecture

Friday 26 February, 9.00am – 6.00pm

This one-day conference explores new materials for architectural practice in the 21st century. International architects and scientists will explore the decision-making properties of matter and how this may be applied to create increasingly life-like buildings.

Organised by The Bartlett´s Advanced Virtual and Technological Architecture Research (AVATAR) group, (((A-OK name for 2010))) the conference aims to bring together architects and scientists who are working with new technologies that are capable of self-assembly and organization.

Such technologies may form the basis for architecture generated by unconventional computing techniques which range from the actions of protocells, (entirely synthetic DNA-less agents), slime moulds (simple organisms with very complex behaviours), crystalline computing (using the organizing properties of molecules) and algae (that can be engineered to respond to environments in new ways).

“Increasingly life-like buildings.” Uhm… what if they’re predatory?–Bruce Sterling

http://www.wired.com/beyond_the_beyond/2010/02/unconventional-computing-and-architecture/

Biomimicry meets architecture. Could be a great leap forward in sustainability, but could also give a whole new meaning to the concept of a “sick” building.

http://www.buildingcentre.co.uk/events/event_diary_details.asp?id=510

Unconventional Computing & Architecture

Friday 26 February, 9.00am – 6.00pm

This one-day conference explores new materials for architectural practice in the 21st century. International architects and scientists will explore the decision-making properties of matter and how this may be applied to create increasingly life-like buildings.

Organised by The Bartlett´s Advanced Virtual and Technological Architecture Research (AVATAR) group, (((A-OK name for 2010))) the conference aims to bring together architects and scientists who are working with new technologies that are capable of self-assembly and organization.

Such technologies may form the basis for architecture generated by unconventional computing techniques which range from the actions of protocells, (entirely synthetic DNA-less agents), slime moulds (simple organisms with very complex behaviours), crystalline computing (using the organizing properties of molecules) and algae (that can be engineered to respond to environments in new ways).

“Increasingly life-like buildings.” Uhm… what if they’re predatory?–Bruce Sterling

http://www.wired.com/beyond_the_beyond/2010/02/unconventional-computing-and-architecture/

Ward Shelley is an artist who creates architectural constraints (“Stability”, “Flatland”) that confine performers to negotiate together a shared space. It’s a great example of how you can investigate new forms of social interaction with pulleys and rebar instead of computers and Web sites.

They’re reminiscent of MTAA’s 1-Year Performance Project (hosted by U- Me)–or better yet, life in a submarine.

http://www.wardshelley.com/

© 2011 UMaine NMDNet Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha