Biolux Edinburgh / Academic Portfolio

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MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENT FOR BIOLUMINESCENCE // ADAM MCFALL

UNIT BRIEF A DA M M CFA LL M A ( H o n s ) Archite ct ure M u n i c i p a l De par t me nt for B i ol u m i n e sce nce U n i t 3 : A p pe ar ance s and Esse n c e s / Andy Stoane + A n a B on et Miro 2015

C OV ER I MAG E Ex t r a c t of t he DNA se q u e n c e for chlorophyl l

Drawi ng fu r t her on th eatr ical di scou rse, it is G ottfr ied Semp er’s 19 t h Centur y wr i t i ngs on t heat r ica l ity wh ich sp eci fical ly i nform ou r tectonic i nvest igat ion, al lowi ng us to focus on t he t ectonic presen ce of archi t ect u re as a dialogue between Ap p earan ces an d Essen ces.

Semp er’s tectonic qu est ion i s essent ia l ly c on cer ned wi t h what to con ceal an d wh at to revea l. When i s st r ucture or s kel eton con cea l ed by ‘d ressing’ ,

by Ap p earan ce, an d wh en is i t reveal ed i n a n expression of more el ement a l, or Essential, ‘honesty ’? T he qu est ion appears

to br idge two opposing poles of tectonic thought spaced a hun dred years apar t : moder nism, with its will to express par t- to- whole composition thinks of Appearan ce an d Essen ce as th e same th ing ( revealing ever yth ing) wh ile th e digital age, with its preoccupation with sur face, disconnects for mal composition from str ucture an d considers th em as separate entities ( con cealing ever yth ing) .

How th ese opposites h ave pl ayed out in th e city can be un derstood v ia th eir ef fect on th e public realm. Moder nism of fers us a homology of public an d pr ivate spaces in wh ich arch itecture is

f ully embedded, wh ile th e digital age, in th e words of th e th eor ist G evork Har toonian, gives us an urban l an dscape of “tr un cated perspectives comparable to those of v ideo games” - essentially a l an dscape in wh ich arch itecture is objectif ied.

CONT EN T S

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01

BEGINNINGS

M EC H A NI S M {sequ en c e}

P RE FACE

02 25

M EC H A NI S M {i n st r u m ent }

03 31

M EC H A NI S M {sp ac e}

OBS E RVATIONS I

SCA LE

LASER

FUN CTI O N S

OBS E RVATIONS II

N U CLEO BASES

G EN E G UN

LI FT

04

05

P ROG RAM NAVIG ATIN G TH ROUG H S CALE

M EC H A NI S M {pro g ram }

49

M EC H A NI S M {mu n ic i p al }

P LA N S D ECO D ED

SI TI N G

D ETA I L

STR ATEGY

63

39

B E G I N NI N G S PR E FAC E

As I b egan th i n ki n g ab ou t h ow to pres en t a pro j ect w h i c h reco n ci les a n u mber of va s tly di fferen t s cales an d addre s s e s s o m e p o i g n an t, yet di s pa r a te s u bj ects , I th o u gh t c a re f u lly abo u t th e g raph i c fo rm . D e s i gn deci s i o n s s u ch as th e u n i f i e d co lo u r s ch em e an d ‘ ru le r s ’ on th e ch ap ter p ages are de vi c e s i mplemen ted to co m mu n i c a te th e es s en ce o f th e pro j ect. I f ou n d mys elf des i gn i n g th e p or tf oli o aro u n d th e co n ten ts , o b s e r vi n g i ts u n i qu e s et o f co n s tra i n ts a n d o p po rtu n i ti es .

I dr a f te d a n ex pl a n a ti on of my proj e c t i n w r i ti n g, I s a w th a t I h a d a pproa c h e d th e de s i gn of my bu i ldi n g i n a ve r y s i mi l a r w a y a s to th e f or ma ti on of th e por tf oli o doc u me n t.

Th e progr a m a n d a rc h i te c tu re of th e s c h e me a re di re c tly ma ppe d on to e a c h oth e r . I t i s a bu i ldi n g c ompos e d of w h a t i s i n s i de , a n d w h a t w i ll go on i n s i de . I n a s e n s e , th e por tf oli o a n d th e progr a m a re th e s a me : both l a rge ly re a c ti ve , bu t w i th a n u mbe r of s ma ll de ta i ls w h i c h ma ke i t ex pe r i e n ti a l, r a th e r th a n pu re ly ge n e r i c .

I co ll ated i mages an d ga th e re d to geth er m y d etai l d raw i n gs to M y u n de r s ta n di n g of Te c ton i c s i n s ert i n to th e relevan t c h a pte r s h a s c h a n ge d ove r th e c ou r s e of wh en I n o ti ced s o m ethi n g: a s the l ast four months or so - as I drew

00

04

th e i n s tr u me n ts u s e d i n th e l a b, I ga i n e d a n u n de r s ta n di n g th a t te c ton i c s br i dge s a ll s c a le s : n ot on ly e n c ompa s s i n g th e s ma lle s t pa r ts of th e bu i ldi n g f a br i c , bu t a ls o w h a t th e bu i ldi n g c on ta i n s , h ow pe ople w i ll a ppropr i a te f u r n i tu re a n d w or k s pa c e e tc .

Te c ton i c s i s a te mpor a l q u a li ty : i t i s re le va n t th rou gh ou t th e li f e -c yc le of a bu i ldi n g a n d i s i n f lu e n c e d by more th a n pu re ly th e a rc h i te c tu re .

BEG I NNI NGS ● O BS E RVATIO N S I

“The old ticket hall was quiet, save the muffled noise of the concourse and the low drone of the intermittent announcements, but it was abuzz with connections, ‘invisible tethers’ between certain people in the room, a complex network of relationships which cannot be tapped into without surveying everyone in the room. As the day progresses and people churn through the space, the shape of the network changes.”

“Curious, the dance we participate in when we are faced with the sight of a destitute soul: the unfortunate and without fixed domain, they inhabit the fissures of our urban fabric. If you stop a while and focus on how they are looked upon, it is clear that we often seek comfort in performance to escape our feelings of discomfort.”

Extract from ‘Invisible Tethers in the Public Realm’ observation at Waverley Station

Extract from ‘Field of Guilt and Force of Discomfort’ observation.

INVISIBLE TETHERS IN THE PUBLIC REALM / Observation at Waverley Station / Plan for model

FIELD OF GUILT AND FORCE OF DISCOMFORT / Observation of pedestrian paths around the homeless

BE G I NN I NG S OB S E R VAT IO NS I Ex t r a c ts from t he init ial exe rci s e of ob se r ving t he cit y .

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BEGI N N I N G S â—? O BS E R VAT I O N S I

Models from the initial investigation. The model below illustrates the silent and invisible tethers which exist in any public setting - these forces are created by fragments of information we share. Models constructed with reference to the Old Ticket Hall.

INVISIBLE TETHERS IN THE PUBLIC REALM / Exploratory model

00

06

Within any open space we could be part of a group that we would, under normal circumstances, not be aware of.

EDI N

10.01.15 / SCOTLAND / H RG BU

/

MAPPING IMPRESSIONS / As a primer I focused on the idea of digital ‘impressions’, light touches which signal a connection between the physical and digital realm.

BEG I NNI NGS ● O BS E RVATIO N S I

MENTIONED IN TWEET 100115/130411

/

/

/ /

/

/

INTERVAL DETAILS

24 HOUR PERIOD / 100115 - 110115

195 KM

IMPRESSION NO. 100 100115/121037

/

198.4kb

/

DATA GENERATED AVE / 43.72KB

1371

IMPRESSIONS

/ /

N

/ /

CARD DECLINED 100115/093456

/

LE / ENGLAND

ORIGIN

T CAS EW

/

/

TICKET GATE ACTIVATED 100115/093456

/

NEWCASTLE CENTRAL

100115-24H PLAYBILL / INVISIBLE TETHERS

07

00

BEGI N N I N G S ● O BS E R VAT I O N S I

program / MAPPING IMPRESSIONS / This temporal map attempts to conflate a number of time scales, from the very long (a lifetime), to the very small (packet of data being sent to a network). The ambition was to track the life of a person through the digital ‘impressions’ they make in the city.

/

/

BIRTH

LIFETIME / 876,581 X LONGER 100y

/

INTERVAL BEGINS / DAY A - 00:00

/

STANDARD INTERVAL / 8.64x107 X LONGER 24h

/

00

08

PLAYBILL / INVISIBLE TETHERS

IMPRESSION 20ms

PACKET SENT

/

PACKET RECEIVED

INTERVAL BEGINS / DAY B - 00:00

DEATH

BEGI NNI NGS ● O BS E RVATIO N S II

BE G I NN I NG S OB S E R VAT IO NS II M a p p i ng t he digit al cit y .

Th e i n i ti al exe rc i s e w a s pu re ly h ypo th eti cal - tr a c k i n g a j ou r n ey fro m N ewcas tle to Edi n bu rgh o n a parti cu l a r da te w i th i n th e co n fi n es o f a s pe c i f i c s c e n a r i o was n o t an a de q u a te me a n s o f tes ti n g th e i de a of th e ‘ i mpres s i o n ’ .

of th e di gi ta l a n d ph y s i c a l.

W h e re w a s i t th a t th ey me t?

Ex pa n di n g on ‘i mpre s s i on s ’, w h a t loc a ti on s ge n e r a te th e mos t i mpre s s i on s ? W h y i s th i s th e c a s e ? Th e s e q u e s ti on s , a n d th e i de a of a loc a ti on w i th i n th e c i ty i n w h i c h w h a t w e u n de r s ta n d a s ou r ‘di gi ta l i n f r a s tr u c tu re ’ a n d In m appi n g t h e di gi ta l c i ty I ph y s i c a l i n f r a s tr u c tu re c ome b ecame i n teres te d i n th e n ex u s e s toge th e r . Th e i n i ti a l ma p, on a

w i de u r ba n s c a le , j u x ta p o ses di gi ta lly s i gn i f i c a n t loc a t i o n s s u c h a s mobi le ph on e ma st s a n d te le ph on e exc h a n ge s a ga i n st a j ou r n ey th rou gh th e c i ty re c o rd ed by tw o me a n s : a re a l p er so n w a lk i n g th rou gh th e c i ty i n rea l ti me , a n d th e G P S proj e c t i o n o f th e s a me w a lk .

09

00

urban scale analysis scale 1:3000

ROSE STREET EXCHANGE / EXHANGE ID: ESROS

DOMESTIC PROPERTIES SERVED: 5,709

COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES SERVED: 1,869

2

2

3

2

2

3

2 FOUNTAINBRIDGE EXCHANGE / EXHANGE ID: ESFOU

DOMESTIC PROPERTIES SERVED: 12,447

COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES SERVED: 1,010

00

N

10

BEGI NNI NGS â—? O BS E RVATIO N S II

MAPPING THE DIGITAL CITY / URBAN SCALE ANALYSIS

I sought to identify where digital and physical infrastructure overlapped in the city and to what extent digital infrastructure is celebrated in the city, if at all.

Original Scale 1:3000 / A1

MOBILE BASE POINT Digital/Physical Infrastructure

TELEPHONE EXCHANGE Digital/Physical Infrastructure

SYNCHRONISED Highly Connected Regions

CONNECTED Connected Regions

OFFLINE Disconnected Regions

These towers are high in number and often hidden from view. They provide a physical access point for wireless signals.

These buildings are large and few in number. They provide a physical access point for wired telephony and internet.

Regions which generate high volumes of information.

Shops/Places of Business, tourist attractions, transport interchanges etc.

Regions which generate some information. Institutions, offices etc.

Regions which generate little information. Private residences, industrial areas etc.

BUS ROUTES Physical Infrastructure

PEDESTRIAN ROUTE Physical Infrastructure

GPS TRACK Digital Infrastructure

11

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FOCUS ZONE

IMPRESSION POINTS

tran s p or t

/

bus stop cluster

/

/

edinburgh castle

p a ssi ve c a p t u re view of landmark

/ /

l and m ar k

tran sp or t high capacity car park

p a ssi ve c a p t u re event nexus

/

so c i a l i n f ra s tru c t u re

/

ticketed location

/ /

tran s p ort

view of landmark

trans p or t bus stop cluster

bus stop cluster

/

00

p ass i ve c apt u re

trans ac t i on multitude of businesses

N

12

BEGI NNI NGS â—? O BS E RVATIO N S II

MAPPING THE DIGITAL CITY / URBAN SCALE ANALYSIS

At a finer grain of investigation I broadened my scope and began identifying other possible digital and physical infrastructures which are dormant in the city. Do tourists taking pictures of a landmark constitute a portal to a digital network?

/

/

/

LANDMARK Physical Infrastructure

TICKETED ZONES Physical Infrastructure

PASSIVE CAPTURE Connection Point

These locations attract a lot of data from tourists and on social media, as well as being ticketed locations.

Bus stops and other transport interchanges generate data as they are constantly tracked and part of a wider network. Venues such as concert halls generate similar data.

These zones are sources of data from passing tourists taking in clear view of Landmarks and public open spaces where people congregate.

ROAD Physical Infrastructure

RAIL Physical Infrastructure

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BEGI N N I N G S ● O BS E R VAT I O N S I I

UNITED KINGDOM

DIGITAL REAL M

R i ch ly i n terconnected network of i nformation - links are created ins tantaneou s ly an d trans cend traditional bou ndaries of national bord er s, demographics and cl as s .

ACCESS P OINTS

P h ysi cal means of acces s ing t h e d i gital realm (or part of i t ) , of ten throu gh a third party such a s a mobile dev ice or f i xed ter minal. Thes e phys ical en ablers are the mediu m by wh i ch we acces s all s hared digital res ou rces .

P HYSICAL REAL M

MAPPING INFRASTRUCTURES / DIGITAL + PHYSICAL REALMS

Expanding on the mapping I was intrigued by the ‘Map of the Internet’ project. It illustrated the internet as a complex, yet amorphous network of orbs which were attracted to each other based on shared connections and similar attributes.

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14

Th e ph ys ical world in which we i n habit as ex pres s ed by i t s r aw materiality. Inclu des ever ything we can s ee and touch . A sens ory l ands cape of s ights and s ou nds .

BEGI NNI NGS ● O BS E RVATIO N S II

ARCHITECTURE OF TAGS / CONCEPTUAL STUDY

Inspired by Richard Coyne’s The Tuning of Place, I began to synthesise the idea of ‘tags’ in architecture and their relation to the digital and physical realms. Could an architecture be imagined via the use of tags?

e ag

d

e ifi

u ng

la

od /c

l

eo /g

n

tio

a oc

p

am

t es

im

/t

m

or /f

/ physical object

/ tag interpreter

/ could this be a formal architectural intervention?

/ could this be the position of an architectural design methodology?

/ physical tag

g

tin

at

/ metadata

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BEGI N N I N G S ● PR O GR A M

STRUCTURE OF PROCESSES / PROGRAM STUDY The programmatic structure of a DNA printing lab and cultivation centre, formed by analysing the current production standards.

B E G I N NI N G S PR OG R AM

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16

The quest ion I asked m ys e lf earlier in t his inves tig atio n was ‘ where do digit al an d physical inf rast ruct ures m e e t?’

- t hese are t wo worlds w h ic h are richly connect ed, ye t d o not share a signif icant p h ys ic al access point represen te d by archit ect ure. H owever, it c o u ld be considered t hat t he d ig ital and t he physical do not in te r ac t on an archit ect ural leve l, b u t it is feasible f or t he digit al to ac t as an int er f ace t o t he n atu r al world.

s e q u e n c e p r in tin g w as , u n til au to b io lu m in e s c e n t p lan ts are n o t to o lo n g ag o , an in c re d ib ly c u ltivate d an d d is tr ib u te d f o r e xp e n s ive an d s lo w p ro c e s s . p e r s o n al an d c ivic u s e .

R e c e n t ad van c e s m e an th at DN A is m o re ac c e s s ib le , c h e ap e r, an d h as th e c ap ac ity to p ro c e s s m illio n s o f s e q u e n c e s at o n c e .

Th e o p p o r tu n itie s f o r lo n g c h ain DN A s e q u e n c e p r in tin g are e n d le s s , h o w eve r to f r am e th e s c o p e f o r th is arc h ite c tu r al in te r ve n tio n , I w is h to d r aw f ro m th e w o r k o f a te am o f s c ie n tis ts lo o kin g to c re ate g lo w in g p lan ts by s p lic in g an ac tive b io lu m in e s c e n t DN A s e q u e n c e Technology has advanc e d to f ro m an in s e c t in to a m u s tard a point where we are ab le to p lan t. I h o p e to e s tab lis h a physically ‘print ’ life : DN A b as e in Ed in b u rg h in w h ic h

B EGI NNI NGS ● PRO G RAM

PR I N TI N G

S P L IC ING

C ULT IVAT ION

D IS T R I BUTI ON

STAGE 1/4

STAGE 2/4

STAGE 3/4

STAGE 4/4

At this stage the DNA sequences are identified and printed using a laser.

A anhydrous powder is produced which is then transported to the cellular lab where it is hydrated and put into an empty cell.

After the DNA sequences have been put into the empty cells, they are then spliced with regular plants in order to for the DNA to mix with the plant’s existing DNA. This splicing process is very delicate.

After the DNA is successfully spliced, the plants need to be cultivated. For stable, seed producing plants to be created, a number of generations of plant need to be grown.

Cultivation will start as a delicate process and then after a few generations the process becomes more general.

This is the stage in which there is full transparency of the process to the public. Once the plants are mature and stable seeds can be collected, the plants are prepared for sale and distribution around the city.

RESOURCES RESOURCES • • • •

DNA Laser printing array Computers and sterilised workstations Packaging area Material store for A, T, C and G agents.

• Specialised lab equipment: microscopes, autoclave room, centrifuge etc.

• BCL-1 (Biological Containment Level 1) facility.

• Refrigerators and temperature controlled areas.

RESOURCES • A number of cultivation spaces from incubators and hydroponics to general greenhouse/ outdoor space.

RESOURCES • Access from street level • Public facing area / visitors centre • Visual connection to the other zones.

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BEGI N N I N G S ● PR O GR A M

CONDITIONING / PROGRAM

It became apparent from the four categories of programmatic element that these families of spaces would require different levels of exposure and enclosure.

P R I N TI N G

S PL IC ING

C ULT IVAT ION

D IS TR I BUTI ON

LEVEL OF CONDITIONING:

LEVEL OF CONDITIONING:

LEVEL OF CONDITIONING:

LEVEL OF CONDITIONING:

New Species

MEDIUM

VERY HIGH

HIGH

LOW

Mature Species / General Cultivation LOW

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B EGI NNI NGS ● PRO G RAM

LAB CONDITION

FULLY CONDITIONED

VISUAL CONNECTION

PUBLIC ACCESS

NOT CONDITIONED

CONDITIONING / PROGRAM

Three levels of contact were set between public and private spaces. Those which are ‘fully conditioned’ do not maintain visual access to the outside world.

They are sealed, specially conditioned spaces.

Spaces with a visual connection are seen but not physically accessible. Finally, public access spaces are free and open to the public at all times.

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BEGI N N I N G S â—? N AV I GAT I N G T HR O U GH SCAL E

B E G I N NI N G S NAV I G AT IN G THROUGH S CA LE

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The program, by it s ver y n atu re as a biological lab o r ato r y, bridges a number of scale s w h ic h st ar t s at a molecular leve l. Th e por t f olio has been st ruc tu re d in such a way as t o group t o g e th e r element s of t he scheme in te r m s of magnit ude, f rom t he s m alle s t,

in d ivid u al s tr an d s o f DN A to th e s c ale . A n u m b e r o f te c h n iq u e s m u n ic ip al s c ale o f an e n tire c ity. h ave b e e n e m p loye d th ro u g h o u t th e p o r tf o lio w h ic h re fe r to th e Th e n e xt fe w p ag e s illu s tr ate th e leve ls o f s c ale . d if fe re n c e b e tw e e n th e larg e s t an d s m alle s t s c ale s , o f fe r in g vis u al an d n u m e r ic al m e an s o f c o m p re h e n d in g th e d if fe re n c e in

BEGINNINGS ● NAV IG ATIN G TH RO U G H S CAL E

THE THICKNESS OF THE LINE DRAWN

BY AN EXTRA-FINE LINER:

0.05mm

AND

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE EARTH AND THE SUN

149,600,000,000,000mm

0.05

GENERIC / XF

THE RATIO BETWEEN THE LENGTH OF THE MUNICIPAL RADIUS AND THE DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO DNA ELEMENTS IS THE SAME AS THE RATIO BETWEEN:

DIAGRAM NOT TO SCALE

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BEGI N N I N G S â—? N AV I GAT I N G T HR O U GH SCAL E

CONFLATING SCALES / The structure of the portfolio will follow these five scales, from the smallest to the largest.

[SEQUENCE]

[INSTRUMENT]

[SPACE]

[PROGRAM]

[MUNICIPAL]

01

02

03

04

05

SEQUENCE / 01 The sequence scale addresses the core biological processes responsible for bioluminescence.

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INSTRUMENT / 02 The instrument scale addresses the various machines and workstations required to generate the biological processes outlined in the previous chapter.

SPACE / 03 The space scale addresses how the form of a room or lab interacts with the equipment it contains, and how these spaces are appropriated.

PROGRAM / 04 The program scale addresses the building as a complete system; how the parts contained within it are connected, specifically the relationship between public and private.

MUNICIPAL / 05 The municipal scale addresses the programs siting in a wider urban context.

BEGINNINGS â—? NAV IG ATIN G TH RO U G H S CAL E

PROPORTION / 01 Size of the building as a percentage of the size of the municipal radius.

PROPORTION / 02 Size of the DNA printing hall as a percentage of the size of the building.

PROPORTION / 03 Size of the Laser aperture as a percentage of the size of the DNA printing hall.

The length of the building is 0.37% of the length of the municipal radius.

The length of the DNA printing hall is 38.83% of the length of the building.

The width of the laser aperture is 0.00006625% of the length of the building.

PROPORTION / 04 The distance between two DNA elements as a percentage of the size of the width of the laser aperture The distance between two DNA elements is 0.003% of the width of the laser aperture.

THIS CIRCLE WOULD NEED TO BE

THIS CIRCLE WOULD NEED TO BE

1500X

4X

BIGGER FOR THE ANGLE TO BE VISIBLE.

BIGGER FOR THE ANGLE TO BE VISIBLE.

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3.0 AVERAGE BASE-PAIR LENGTH

ME CH A N ISM

3.4 Angstroms {3.4 x 10-10 m}

SEQU ENC ES Illu s trati o n o f a D NA s equ en ce fo r ch lo ro p h y ll.

All s equ en ces are co mpo s ed o f fo u r fu n damen tal p arts - A, T, C an d G .

5.0

4.0

SCAL E S E QUE N CE

R U L E R SCAL E 1,000,000,000 : 1

M EC H A N I SM 0 1 ● S E Q U E N C E

NUCLEOBASES / The core components of life are the four nucleobases; Adenine, Thymine, Guanine and Cytosine. Combinations of these four bases create the DNA structure for every living creature.

A

T

ADENINE

THYMINE

G GUANINE

C CYTOSINE

SEQUENCES / The four bases form very long ‘sequences’, chains composed of the four bases.

Depending on the sequence, these strands are responsible for every biological process.

A C C C T T C C C A C C C T T

C C C C G C A C T C C C C G C

A A C T C C C G G A A C T C C

A T C G T G G C C A T C G T G

G T G C G G G T C G T G C G G

A G G T C G C G C A G G T C G

T T C G T G C C C T T C G T G

BASE PAIRS / Within DNA, sequences are composed of pairs: Adenine and Thymine, and Guanine and Cytosine. Illustration below shows the Adenine -Thymine base pair.

G C T C C C A C T G C T C C C

THYMINE

H

N

26

N

H

O H

CH3

N N

N O ADENINE

01

N

N

MECHA NI S M 01 ● S E QU E N CE

SCALE / The individual nucleobases are the smallest, most fundamental component of organic matter.

ADENINE

HIV [Human Immunodeficiency virus]

CHLOROPLAST

THIS SINGLE VIRUS IS

THIS CHLOROPLAST IS

100X

38X

LARGER THAN THE ADENINE NUCLEOBASE

LARGER THAN THE SINGLE VIRUS

AT THIS SCALE, THE WHOLE CIRCLE WOULD ONLY JUST FIT A PIECE OF PAPER MEASURING OVER:

5000mm x 5000mm

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01

M EC H A N I SM 0 1 ● S E Q U E N C E

BIO PROCESS

BIOLOGICAL PROCESS / CREATING THE GLOWING GENE The implantable glowing gene is created by extracting certain elements from the chloroplast of the host plant, as well as the sequence responsible for glowing from the host plant or animal i.e. a firefly.

These four elements are combined in a vector, a carrier cell, which is then implanted into the DNA of the host plant. The core of this process is creating a DNA sequence which ‘clips’ the relevant parts of the host plants.

PRN

+ TRN(A)

28

+

LUX

TRN(A)

TRN(I)

=

TRN(I)

CHLOROPLAST

GLOWING SOURCE CELL

VECTOR

IMPLANTABLE GLOWING GENE

EXTRACTED FROM HOST PLANT

EXTRACTED FROM FIREFLY DNA

EMPTY CARRIER CELL

TO BE INSERTED INTO HOST PLANT

HIV [Human Immunodeficiency virus] for scale

01

LUX

PRN

MECHA NI S M 01 ● S E QU E N CE

A custom DNA sequence is written which extracts the various parts of the chloroplast, creating ‘clips’ at the end which cause the elements to join together perfectly.

OUTPUT

PRN

PRN TRN(A)

+

CUSTOM DNA SEQUENCE

=

PRN

PRN

TRN(A)

TRN(I)

LUX

TRN(I)

REPEAT FOR TRN(A), TRN(I) AND LUX

IMPLANTABLE GLOWING GENE TO BE INSERTED INTO HOST PLANT

29

01

01

30

9.0 10.0

SCAL E IN S TRUME NT

LASER DIAMETER 10.6 Microns {1.06 × 10-5 m}

L ASER EJ ECTOR Las er an d fo cu s s i n g s ys tem u s ed to o p ti cal ly ej ect u s efu l D NA fro m a cartri dge.

11.0

02

ME CH A N ISM

R U L E R SCAL E 10,000 : 1

M EC H A N I SM 0 2 â—? I N S T R UM E N T

EQUIPMENT ID

Lp

DNA LASER PRINTER / The DNA printing process comprises four steps. First, a machine synthesises the desired sequence from the nucleobases.

These are then untangled and mounted onto silicon wafers. The wafers are then validated by a camera which uses four filters to identify the four nucleobases. The validated wafers are then bombarded by lasers, ejecting correct DNA sequences into a collection plate where they can be fused with the host plant.

2

1 5

3

1 2 3 4 5 6

DNA sequence synthesiser Concrete equipment armature Height adjustable PCR hood 4-colour camera Height adjustable task lighting Laser array

SCALE 1 : 50

02

32

6

4

M ECHA NI S M 02 â—? IN S TRU M E N T

01 / DNA SYNTHESISER / The DNA printing process comprises four steps. First, a machine synthesises the desired sequence from the nucleobases.

These are then untangled and mounted onto silicon wafers. The wafers are then validated by a camera which uses four filters to identify the four nucleobases. The validated wafers are then bombarded by lasers, ejecting correct DNA sequences into a collection plate where they can be fused with the host plant.

NUCLEOBASE CANISTER DNA SEQUENCE PLATES

SCALE 1 : 20

SCALE 1 : 5

33

02

M EC H A N I SM 0 2 â—? I N S T R UM E N T

HEIGHT-ADJUSTABLE PILLAR

02 / PCR / The function of the PCR machine is to unravel the sequences generated by the DNA synthesiser.

HEIGHT-ADJUSTABLE PIPETTE HEAD ARMATURE

This machine uses electrodes to mount the sequences, creating small, perforated metal cartridges which can be used to identify and extract functioning sequences.

PIPETTE HEAD

SAMPLE TRAY

FRONT

SCALE 1 : 50

02

34

SCALE 1 : 20

M ECHA NI S M 02 â—? IN S TRU M E N T

HEIGHT-ADJUSTABLE TASK LIGHTING

03 / 4-COLOUR CAMERA / After the sequences are transferred to the silicon wafers, the 4-colour camera is used to validate the sequence. The camera has four filters which are used to identify the four nucleobases. The camera reads the sequence written to the wafer and compares it to the intended sequence.

CAMERA TRACK

FRONT

SAMPLE TRAY

SCALE 1 : 50

SCALE 1 : 5

CAMERA LENS

SCALE 1 : 20

M EC H A N I SM 0 2 â—? I N S T R UM E N T

04 / LASER ARRAY / After the cartridges are validated by the camera they are fixed to a plate and bombarded by a high intensity laser. The laser ejects the correct DNA sequences into a collection plate, ready to be inserted into the host plant.

LASER SOURCE

BEAM AMPLIFIER

SCALE 1 : 20

COLLECTION PLATE

SCALE 1 : 50

M ECHA NI S M 02 ● IN S TRU M E N T

EQUIPMENT ID

Gg

GENE GUN / A gene gun is a device which physically fires DNA coated gold particles at a target cell.

The DNA is then assimilated by the host, becoming part of its own DNA.

FRONT

The DNA fired at the host is produced by the previous machine (ID: Lp)

A

DIGITAL PRESSURE GAUGE

PRESSURE RELEASE CONTROLS

VACUUM GAUGE

TARGET CELL PLATE

VACUUM CONTROLS

MICRO-CARRIER LAUNCH ASSEMBLY SCALE 1 : 5

37

02

M EC H A N I SM 0 2 â—? I N S T R UM E N T

/ GENE GUN / A helium gas pressuriser is used to build up pressure in a chamber sealed by a pressuresensitive cap which ruptures at a certain pressure, creating a blast which creates a spray of micro-carriers, positioned on a plate below the pressure chamber.

1 2 3 4

SECTION A

DNA-coated gold micro-carrier plate Screen Threaded fastening cap Plate tray

DETAIL OF MICRO-CARRIER LAUNCH ASSEMBLY

HELIUM GAS PRESSURISER PRESSURE CHAMBER 3

PRESSURE SENSITIVE RUPTURE CAP (650psi)

MICRO-CARRIER LAUNCH ASSEMBLY

MICRO-CARRIER SPRAY

4

TARGET CELLS

SCALE 1 : 2

SCALE 1 : 5

02

38

1

2

ME CH A N ISM

17.0

SCAL E S PACE

11 DARK ROOM P o rtab le dark ro o m created to pres en t th e effect o f a glo wi n g pl an t.

18.0

03

16.0

DNA PRINTING HALL LENGTH 16 Meters {1.6 x 101 m}

R U L E R SCAL E 1 : 10

M EC H A N I SM 0 3 ● S PAC E

GROUND FLOOR / IMPLANTATION AND CULTIVATION Scale 1 : 100

01

03

04

02 EQUIPMENT ID

N

03

Gg

40

MECHA NI S M 03 ● S PACE

Scale 1 : 50

01 DNA SEQUENCING LAB SPLICING

02 GENE-GUN ARRAY SPLICING

FROM DNA PRINTING HALL (1 FLOOR UP) SAMPLE TRAYS

03 DNA SEQUENCER

CULTIVATION CHAMBER (NEW SPECIES) CULTIVATION

04

TO GENE GUN ARRAY

PREPARATION ROOM CULTIVATION

41

03

M EC H A N I SM 0 3 ● S PAC E

FIRST FLOOR / DNA PRINTING AND PLANT CULTIVATION LABS Scale 1 : 100

03

01

04 02 04

EQUIPMENT ID

N

03

Lp

42

MECHA NI S M 03 ● S PACE

EARTH WALL OPENING

SAMPLE TROLLEY

Scale 1 : 50

01 DNA PRINTER PRINTING

AIR LOCK

02

PLATFORM LIFT FOR MOVEMENT OF SAMPLES BETWEEN FLOORS IN A PROTECTED ATMOSPHERE

WORKSTATIONS GENERAL

03 STORAGE / AUTOCLAVE GENERAL

04 PREPARATION ROOM CULTIVATION

PLANT NURSERY ARRAY

43

03

M EC H A N I SM 0 3 ● S PAC E

SECOND FLOOR / PACKAGING AND DISTRIBUTION Scale 1 : 100

01

02

N

03

44

MECHA NI S M 03 ● S PACE

01 SHOP FRONT DISTRIBUTION

02 PRODUCT PREPARATION AREA

PACKAGING ROOM DISTRIBUTION

PACKAGING AREA

Scale 1 : 50

45

03

M EC H A N I SM 0 3 ● S PAC E

SECOND FLOOR / PACKAGING AND DISTRIBUTION Scale 1 : 100

100mm SQUARE SECTION STEEL STRUCTURE

16mm TEMPERED SAFETY GLASS

Scale 1 : 10

PLATFORM LIFT MECHANISM

SAMPLE TROLLEY

03

46

MECHA NI S M 03 â—? S PACE

PLATFORM LIFT / A central lift which connects the three tiers of cultivation space, as well as the roof terrace. Delicate plant matter from the ground floor incubators can be safely transported to the preparation room on the first floor in a protected atmosphere.

TO UPPER FLOORS

47

03

03

48

40.0 41.0

SCAL E P ROG RAM

ROOF TERRACE LENGTH 41.2m {4.12 x 101 m}

PL ANTING C lo s e-u p o f th e S age p l an t, g ro wi n g i n a 1 : 20 s cale m o d el o f a ro o f terrace pl an ter.

42.0

04

ME CH A N ISM

R U L E R SCAL E 1 : 10

M EC H A N I SM 0 4 1 â—? PR SEQ OU GR EN AC ME

MARKET AREA

04 / ROOF TERRACE / GARDEN The roof terrace level comprises a level platform with three types of in-fill panels: planters, flat platforms and rooflights. The planters are used to grow mature species cultivated in the labs below. Rooflights allow the public to peer down into framed views of the private lab spaces. Flat platforms are arranged to create open spaces for gathering and market-space.

Scale 1 : 200

ROOF PLANTER FOR MATURE SPECIES

CA

04 04 50

PRODUCT PREPARATION AREA

ST

LE

TE

/ Garden

ROOFLIGHT

RR

AC

E

N

M ECHA NI S M 04 â—? PRO G RAM

PRIVATE SPACES AND CIRCULATION

03 / SECOND FLOOR / DISPENSE The second floor is largely public facing.

The stair from the roof terrace leads to an open-plan public space with an accessible courtyard, to be used as a marketplace for the sale of plants and seeds. This space leads to the public circulation on the lower levels.

EARTH WALL

Scale 1 : 200

EARTH CORE

SPACE WITH EARTH WALL FACING

PUBLIC SPACE AND CIRCULATION

03

/ Dispense 51

04

M EC H A N I SM 0 4 â—? PR O GR A M

PUBLIC SPACE AND CIRCULATION 02 / FIRST FLOOR / PRINT The first floor is largely private, with the exception of a public route threaded through the private space. The two open plan areas are dedicated to DNA printing and computer workstations. The strip of services on the west face are storage and support spaces.

Scale 1 : 200

EARTH CORE

SPACE WITH EARTH WALL FACING

SERVICE STRIP

PRIVATE SPACE AND CIRCULATION

02 03 52

/ Print

N

M ECHA NI S M 04 ● PRO G RAM

KI

N

G’

S

ST

AB

LE

01 / GROUND FLOOR / MODIFY The ground floor provides public access from King’s Stables Road. The private spaces on this floor are dedicated to implanting the host DNA printed on the second floor, and cultivating new species.

S

RO

AD

Scale 1 : 200

EARTH CORE

PUBLIC SPACE AND CIRCULATION

SPACE WITH EARTH WALL FACING

01

PRIVATE SPACE AND CIRCULATION

/ Modify 53

04

M EC H A N I SM 0 4 â—? PR O GR A M

ROOF TERRACE / Photos of a 1 : 20 model of four squares of the roof terrace planting and walkway system.

A sage and tomato plant bedded into the soil.

04

54

Plants, seeds and branded material

M ECHA NI S M 04 â—? PRO G RAM

ROOFLIGHTS / Detail of the rooflight construction. Concrete rooflights are set into the concrete nest of planters. The rooflights have windows at the top and concealed up-lighters at the base.

1 : 20

1 : 200

Cast in-situ concrete roof frame. 1.5% declivity Max section: 1000mm Min section: 635mm

800mm steel truss with 80mm square section bracing elements.

Steel ceiling ties

Concealed up-lighters

55

04

M EC H A N I SM 0 4 â—? PR O GR A M

ROOF TERRACE / The function of the PCR machine is to unravel the sequences generated by the DNA synthesiser.

This machine uses electrodes to mount the sequences, creating small, perforated metal cartridges which can be used to identify and extract functioning sequences.

ROOFLIGHT DETAIL / PAGE 55

04

A 56

/ LONG SECTION

A

M ECHA NI S M 04 ● PRO G RAM

57

04

M EC H A N I SM 0 4 â—? PR O GR A M

EARTH WALL / The earth wall is the key tectonic component: its build-up expresses the relationship between public background.

On the private side, one can see laterally into the construction and see the various layers. On the private side, all one would be able to see is a continuous dirt strip and the aluminium pressed cover.

04

58

M ECHA NI S M 04 â—? PRO G RAM

PUBLIC ROUTE 2

1

3

4

5

7

6 P R I VAT E C O N D I T I O N E D SPACE

1

20mm Laminated Glass Panes

2

Wooden Fixing

3

6mm, 75mm Thick Pressed Aluminium Plate

4

100mm Cavity with Lose Earth

5

300mm In-situ cast Concrete

6

20mm UV Bonded Laminated Safety Glass

7

30mm Masonry fixing

8

Silicone Gasket

59

04

M EC H A N I SM 0 4 â—? PR O GR A M

PUBLIC Looking into the private labs form the public circulation. Only the earth and the aluminium frame is visible.

EARTH WALL Visualisation of the earth wall

PRIVATE From the inside, looking out into the public circulation, the full wall build-up is visible: concrete, glass, steel pins and earth.

04

60

M ECHA NI S M 04 ● PRO G RAM

EARTH WALL / Rainwater travels down through building, passing through the soil. The Earth wall is deep enough at these points to sustain trees and large plants.

The detail to the right shows how the earth is retained in the central earth well. A steel mesh structure is fixed to load-bearing concrete pillars in order to hold back the earth. A glass frame borders a thin ‘veneer’ of earth to create the illusion of peering deep into the earth core.

150mm EARTH ‘FACING’

DEEP SECTION EARTH

R A I N WAT E R

B

/ SHORT SECTION 61

04

04

62

5.0 6.0

SCAL E MUNICIPAL

11 MU NIC IPAL BOUNDAR Y Marki n g th e p o s i ti o n o f th e faci li ty wi th i n th e wi der m u n i ci pal co n tex t.

7.0

05

ME CH A N ISM

RADIUS OF MUNICIPAL BOUNDARY 6.8 Kilometres {6.8 x 103 m}

R U L E R SCAL E 1 : 10,000

M EC H A N I SM 0 5 ● M U N I C I PA L

05

N

64

MECHA NI S M 05 ● M U N ICIPAL

BIOLOGICAL SPECIALISATION / The site comprises three buildings specialising in the cultivation of biological matter in very close proximity. Varying in scale and intention, this strip of buildings creates a distinct ‘biological district’ within the theatrical route.

To the west, an exotic botanical garden simulates a number of non-native conditions and plays host to a large collection of exotic plants.

To the east, a community maintained apple orchard exists to bring apples and their byproducts to the masses.

M U N I C I PA L ST R AT EGY HAR V E S T / PLANT / R E P L AC E /

HARVEST / The plants are grown within the lab, up to a point where they are mature enough to grow in a non-conditioned environment.

The plants are harvested while they are saplings, to be planted in-situ where required.

PLANT / The plants are sited wherever street lights are located. By roadsides and walkways.

They are planted while they are young to ensure a natural transition into the surrounding environmental context.

REPLACE / As more trees are sited, the reliance on traditional street-lighting will dwindle. The technology will become more and more advance, producing brighter and faster growing plants - comparable to light from street lights.

65

05

M EC H A N I SM 0 5 ● M U N I C I PA L

ELEVATION / Showing layered public/private circulation 1 : 200

SITE OF THE COMMUNITY APPLE ORCHARD

05

66

MECHA NI S M 05 ● M U N ICIPAL

BIOLOGICAL SPECIALISATION / The facade provides an interface for the two street levels: allowing access from Castle Terrace to King’s Stables Road, the building becomes part of the pedestrian route through the city.

Visually, the facade allows access to the two threaded circulation routes: one for the public and one for private.

CI

TY

OF

ED

IN BU

RG

H

Beyond this, the retained earth wall can be seen creating the illusion that building has been dug directly into the ground.

LOCAL DISTRIBUTION, GLOBAL IMPACT / These facilities are intended to serve the local community. The City of Edinburgh is a region which is 6.8km in radius to its farthest point. The facility’s small size and proximity to the area it will be serving ensures careful integration with the environmental context, and the hand-picking of native plant species which will work with, rather than against, the existing ecosystem.

67

05