Assignment 2 - Establishing a link between Material Based Modelling and Cradle to Cradle design

For Assignment 2 I am interested in establishing a link between Material Based Modelling which considers material properties to generate form and Cradle to Cradle design which proposes effective design which has an awareness for the ecological systems that it coexists with. The point of intersection between these two concepts can be considered as important to both: material based modelling proposes to create design forms that are determined by material capability and cradle to cradle design can influence this design form by introducing external environmental considerations (i.e. solar access, ventilation as well as weather factors and heat retention) to allow for a designed building which, "like trees, produce more energy than they consume". Cradle to cradle design can also importantly influence material based modelling by making "design for reuse" an important consideration and factor for the design (i.e. a number of de-constructable predefined structural elements that are designed to effectively fit together to create a greater form- like the tiles on the Sydney Opera House).

The result would be buildings in which the supporting structure (i.e. reinforced concrete columns) are not separated from the façade strategy and the connection with the outside world. Within this structural façade considerations of solar access and effective ventilation as well as design for reuse/deconstruction are pushed to generate an architecture which uses material capabilities to not only create structural form but also one which is concious of external environmental considerations.

Sources

1. Neri Oxman, “Material-based Design Computation an Inquiry into Digital Simulation of Physical Material Properties as Design Generators”, International Journal of Architectural Computing, 5, no 4 (2008): 27.
2. Neri Oxman, “Get Real Towards Performance-Driven Computational Geometry”, International Journal of Architectural Computing, 5, no 4 (2008): 663.
3. Neri Oxman, “On Design Form”, Pop tech, https://vimeo.com/7806194 (accessed on 10/04/2012)
4. Neri Oxman, “Structuring Materiality: Design Fabrication of Heterogeneous Materials”, Architectural Design, 80, no 4 (2010): 78-85.
5. Ludwig Glaeser, The Work of Frei Otto (New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1972).
6. Daniel Piker, “Architecture, based on physical laws”, Strelka Institute Lecture, https://vimeo.com/29201171 (accessed on 10/04/2012)
7. Rivka Oxman, “New Structuralism: Design, Engineering and Architectural Technologies”, Architectural Design, 80, no 4 (2010): 14-23.
8. Helmut Pottman, “Architectural Geometry as Design Knowledge”, Architectural Design, 80, no 4 (2010): 72-77.
9. John Chilton, “Heinz Isler's Infinite Spectrum: Form-Finding in Design”, Architectural Design, 80, no 4 (2010): 64–71.
10. Michael Braungart, Cradle to Cradle: Re-making the way we make things (London, Vintage Books, 2008).