Building skin investigation…

Key question:

How does one rationalize voids at key locations that link one tower to the next?

Building Network Scheme 

ABSTRACT –

Socioeconomic disjuncture manifests itself architecturally along community edges within the urban fabric. These edges signal cultural differences and misunderstandings within a community and demarcate a place to begin reconciliation between the culture of poverty and the dominant culture of middle class America. Responsive architecture begins to attenuate these differences by cultivating common shared culture, generating a sense of ownership, and fostering a sense of belonging.

 

Here the idea of responsive architecture centers on the concept of user interface (UI). UIs should demonstrate multiplicity. UI reactions should vary in degree, magnitude and type based on user interaction. Responsive architecture is neither organism nor machine; it should therefore exist in liminality. Furthermore, responsive architecture should encourage discourse, not necessarily offer solutions. As a result, responsive architecture with user interfaces encourages users of all socioeconomic levels to inflect change on their environment and in doing so„ fosters a sense of belonging and ownership. Implementing responsive architecture as a cultural catalyst abates socioeconomic differences by creating a dialogic, synergistic relationship between architecture and user groups.

IR Proximity Sensor with feedback loop to Shape Memory Alloy

Infrared Proximity Sensor UI…

Here the Villi Respond to the proximity of a person (sphere)

I went about choosing the site for this project by looking at the pros and cons of several different siting strategies.

 

Nodal

 

Nodal siting strategy involved the selection of two sites along H Street, concentrating Urban Farm activities within these two large nodes and connecting nodes using Villi. This site proposal would require people from both cultures to meet at these nodes to use the program. However, this selection strategy did not have a high enough level of intentionality and did not address enough of the metrics.

Axial  

 

For the axial siting strategy I chose to reuse existing alleys as garden plots. This strategy was based on readings of ethnographies performed by author Brett Williams. In her studies she discusses the importance of alleys in the DC community. Although this arrangement seemed to allow for the reclamation of an old tradition, it neither addresses the need for creation of a safer environment, nor does it address poverty through the distribution of food resources. The villi would then run north south between neighborhoods in an attempt to establish connectivity.

Network

 

Network siting strategy involved the selection of abandoned houses in both neighborhoods as farm sites. The result is a distribution of food resources that gradates inversely to the wealth distribution. This strategy addresses the poverty and danger metrics simultaneously. Villi are used in the same manner in this strategy, tying the neighborhoods together. The main architectural piece is placed on the edge i.e. H Street, as it is the main commercial street of the site.

Experimentation with Arduino Board. This use of Arduino allows humans to interface physically, through electronic sensors. This first set up uses a potentiometer as the UI. Phase two will be to set up a smarter UI such as infrared.