From earliest age, people know how to make shelter for them.
Initially man use naturally available material like stones, tree trunk and
animal bone for making a dwelling which provides protection against severe
weather and wild animal. Later on, they used clay blocks and bricks as a
foundation whereas stems/straws for upper structure. The recognition of
concrete as a building material is about thousand of year ago. In Nineteenth
century a French industrialist Coignet built first iron-reinforcement concrete
structure. On the other hand, Home Insurance building erected in Illinois,
Chicagoin in 1985, was supposed to be first steel frame building with masonry
cladding for lateral stability.
After a brief review, let’s come back to the modern age.
Cost, material and energy efficient, environment friendly and self energy
sufficient structures, closed-to-nature and fulfilling one’s imagination is the
call of modern age construction. This is the age of Dynamic Architecture and Structures.
The buildings of modern age are going to have a fourth dimension that
is time.
We experience continuous moving space, moving planets and stars, our
own activities, mood swings, why not we should adapt it in our buildings. More
appropriately in Dr. David Fisher (Italian Architect) words:
“I call these buildings DESIGNED BY TIME, SHAPED BY LIFE”.
1. DYNAMIC TOWER
Italian
architect David Fisher proposed the architectural design of Dynamic Tower or Rotating
Tower or Da Vinci Tower. The 420 meter high building consisting of 80 floors is
going to serve as a residential apartment with swimming pools, gardens and car
lifting facilities. It featured revolving floors, providing the building with constantly
changing shape along with a changing view for the residents. Each floor of the building will rotate independently at 360O
along a main core or shaft by mean of power generating wind turbines. Construction
strategy is to fabricate each module at workshop and then assemble these
pre-fabricated units at site, which lead to fastest construction with lesser
workmanship. It is planned to build a concrete central core to provide lateral
stability to the highrise, with modules made up of steel, aluminum and fiber carbon.
Each ready to use module (completed with electrical and plumbing facilities)
will be hooked to the main core with a sequence of one module each week. The
massive single concrete core will increase building lateral stability against
earthquake and wind, whereas module will offer ease in maintenance and
customization of individual unit. Construction of Rotating tower is still on
hold, Architect Fisher claimed that the building would be able to identify and
adjust according to climate and temperature changes both internally (room
temperature) and externally (outer building surface). Wind and solar power will
be used to generate electricity. Wind turbine will be fitted to each floor to
meet the electricity requirement of the building as well as surplus energy. This
building can be considered as first Green Building project. (Note: Do not
confuse Rotating/ Dynamic Tower with Cayan/ Infinity Tower. Cayan Tower is
306.4 meter high 73 storied building with a twist of 90o. Its
construction is completed in 2013).
Views of Dynamic Tower with schematic plan and
elevations
2. MORPHOTEL:
Latest,
In December 2015, architect and engineer Gianluca Santosuosso gives a new
concept of “tourizen” which will
eliminate difference between “citizen” and “tourist”. Theme of project is to
build a lavish floating hotel which is constantly moving around the world,
following ocean current. It is not only a medium of travel between two destinations
but to enjoy a segment trip of this luxurious floating paradise and discover
the space in between. Morphotel is designed as “vertebral spine” which has the ability to keep changing its shape
according to the weather condition and site morphology. It is intended to
produce energy through the movement of spine using the concept of Pelamis Wave
Energy Converter. (The Pelamis
Wave Energy Converter is a
technology that uses the motion of ocean
surface waves to create electricity. The movement of connected sections
of converter generates electricity) One kilometer long moving spines will provide the residents
of hotel ever changing views from their rooms. This structure will serve as a
connected city harbor providing the facilities of theatre, commercial areas,
restaurants and fitness center. During its long ocean crossing, it will act as floating
harbor generating an artificial bay providing shelter to boat and ships. Along
with the central capsule, helipad is connected with a passage for emergency
conditions. At the end of spine, independent boats are also there, that can
leave the main structure and sail nearby. Solar panel will be used to meet further
energy requirement. A part of self produced energy will be used to filter and
store the collected rainwater and to desalinate sea water. Vegetable farms on
central spine will contribute food requirement of the residents. Each module
will be made up of waterproofed metal frame consisting of orthogonal and
diagonal sections. Structural connections will be controlled electronically to
allow movement.
Different
views of Morphotel showing orthogonal helipad and vertebral spines.
Pelamic Wave Energy Converter
floating in a harbour, side and top views.
3. NAUTILUS
HOUSE:
Designed
of Nautilus House give the feeling of aquatic organism, “mollusk”. Mexican architect
Javier Senosiain designed a unique shell shaped house for a young Mexican
couple who want to have a non-conventional, creative and close-to-nature house
for themselves. Nautilus house differs from traditional house with no sharp
edges. Structure is surrounded by beautiful combination of natural curves from
structure to furniture, facade to plumbing and lighting, with colors of marine
life and rainbows. Logarithmic Spirals of Sea shell transmits a pleasant
impression on mind with ever changing feelings. A frame of steel-enforced
chicken wire with concrete will be used in the construction of such delicate
curves. This technique is called as ferro-cement construction. Stained glass
windows at roof enrich the house with gleaming light of nature. According to
architect, the Nautilus house is earth-quake proof structure, required lesser
cost and workmanship. Architect Senosiain of Arquitectura
Organica called this house a wonderful example of “Bio Architecture”. Throughout
the structure, there is no parallel wall, which gives the sensation of floating
in a fluid. Senosiain explains, “This
home’s social life flows inside the Nautilus without
any division, a harmonic area in three dimensions where you can notice the
continuous dynamic of the fourth dimension when moving in spiral over the
stairs with a feeling of floating over the vegetation.”
Written by,
Engr. Zainab Ekram
