Keywords: biodiversity, taxonomy, errors, urban strategies, ecology
Abstract
Anthropocene has instilled an urgency in mankind to evaluate errors in architecture and more specifically in the fabrication of design. Tis has become very common in contemporary design with the use of green walls and roofs, which have proven unsustainable. Previous approaches to Anthropocene architecture have lacked a holistic approach to their design, thus leading to many errors. When designing for the natural environments, we must also design for all other biotic and abiotic factors for the best ecological balance. Tis way we can also ensure consistent exposure as well as access to nature.
Since then, we have been able to acknowledge efective contributions as well as misuses which have resulted in disadvantageous outcomes. Many bio-design approaches have consequently exasperated the Anthropocene as they continue to use a top-down approach rather than a bottom-up approach. Tis introduces nature as an aferthought instead of creating an amalgamated relationship between the architecture and natural systems.
Te purpose of this thesis is to investigate patterns and behaviours of plant and microorganism growth under varying environmental conditions. Tis will be achieved with the aid of both computational tools such as data analysis and machine learning, which will detect and calculate green architecture within an urban context. Building on previous bio receptive design approaches developed in RC7, our agenda looks beyond the material condition. Instead, it looks to defne more efective ways to plan building strategies that will optimise building mass and form for maximal growth of nature. Tis is done by conducting such experiments on a range of algorithmic designs outcomes. Tese designs will then be assembled in response to investigating the efects and infuences of the surrounding environment. Tis may include thermal radiation, sorptivity, surface condition and sun light exposure. Tese factors are all signifcant when designing for a building as it will allow us to understand which fabrication systems will work best according to the environmental conditions, orientation, and climate. By beginning with the understanding of primal
and generative fabrication systems and how these are infuenced by their environmental components, we can frst identify appropriate materials and integrate these into the building structure for successful and sustainable bio-growth. By designing buildings to support microbial lifeforms and ft within the built methodology, this system encourages a bottom-up approach and promotes resilience.
Earlier works of Frank Llyod Wright are illustrated by Claypool as "an organism that is in harmony with its environment from its morphology to its function"1. As a design principle, our models aim to promote an ecological network for plant development. Architecture taxonomies are classifed by their 'morphological' and 'functional' characterizations and are used symbiotically to inform both proposed and existing structures. With the aid of computational tools, I intend to develop a comprehensive taxonomy system which informs the morphology of an infrastructure which hosts and nurtures all biological life. Tis is done through assigning diferent plant taxonomies to unique algorithm models according to their environmental condition, fabrication and social programming. Tis will beneft the design of our site model and form a 'functional classifcation system'2 in response to the diverse programmes (residential, commercial and social) housed in our precedent building. In addition, I will assess abiotic factors holistically as a means of cultivating synergy between the environment and the architecture.
1 Claypool, M., 2019. Te Digital in Architecture: Ten, Now and in the Future | SPACE10. [online] SPACE10. Available at: <https:// space10.com/project/digital-in-architecture/> [Accessed 27 December 2021].
2 Steadman, P., 2008. Te Evolution of Designs. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, pp.59-60. Stevens, P. S. Systematic Biology, Volume 22, Issue 4, December 1973, Pages 405–408, https://doi. org/10.2307/2412948 [Accessed 23 November 2021].
Preface
Te word environment can refer to diferent ‘social’ and ‘natural’ conditions. In our project we are using both to analyse the efects within an architectural context. Te social environment is being analysed to critique the mishaps of a Marxist society. In this way we begin to understand that if humans, cities, transport infrastructure, and a division of labour are all elements within a ‘market-assemblage’, adding a further component such as the coronaviral particle will radically alter this assemblage’s capacities3. Our Project ‘Biospatial Assemblages’ addresses how the built environment is implicit in creating inequalities in health due to its engrained position within a capitalist assemblage. Te coronavirus pandemic identifes inequalities in infection and death rate through behavioural science. In doing so, governments have missed the efects caused by social sciences. Less attention has been paid to the social, economic and political factors that have enabled the coronavirus to produce a pandemic contagion. Te built environment is fundamentally implicit in creating these inequalities.
Tis is evidenced by the emergence of contemporary illnesses in urban environments including chronic immune diseases related to lack of exposure to nature - and by the inequalities in infections and deaths from the recent covid pandemic. Te gig economy is a major group who has sufered as a consequence of this. With the increased demand of gig services throughout the pandemic, workers have become exploited to unfair and precarious working conditions leaving them at higher risk of infection.
Te platform aims to politicise unequal access to healthy environments and facilities. It shifs the reduction of risk from purely behavioural factors (distancing, masks, work from home) to include social conditions. Te platform is developed according to a hypothetical scenario. It explores the potential of greening transport networks as a strategy for providing more equal access to nature.
Terefore, our proposal resides in and around tube transport hubs, as these areas commonly lack natural diversity, yet generate a lot of foot trafc 3 Fox, N., 2022. Nick Fox.
daily. Tis platform suggests a new, powerful tool for addressing regional guidelines and reinforcing green policies.
Nevertheless, my thesis will be taking a closer look at the natural environmental implications of our project throughout my thesis. Our project aims to design an infrastructure which corrects the shortcomings commonly found in contemporary ‘green architecture’. A prominent example of this is Deborah Saunt's green wall at the “paradise park”4 building, along with other 'green washing' vanity projects. In spite of the exorbitant nature of these projects, the methods used fail to consider any design solution for evolutionary development. Cogdell supports that “green buildings with plants covering them do not interest generative architects”5 . In such instances, the contemporary movement of 'green washing' has proven this to be true. Tis is a result of many designs which still consider nature to be a separate entity from the built environment.
Te concept of natural environment can be classifed into two categories. One being 'natural phenomena' such as vegetation, microorganisms, and soil, which do not require human intervention. Te others are 'physical phenomena' such as wind, radiation, CO2 and oxygen levels. As a result of combining these two groups, our taxonomy proposes a classifcation system which is two fold: Firstly, natural phenomena (such as vegetation and micro organisms) are embedded into the fabrication system and form classes based upon which micro organisms are sustained under the infuence of the physical phenomena that exist in the particular region. Secondly, social programming is assigned to each taxonomy group based on compatibility with the microeconomic development of the architecture. Steadman hypothesized that such buildings could be categorized through their ‘morphological’ and ‘functional’ characteristics and used to inform existing structures to become
4 Daily Mail Reporter, 2009. Council slammed for spending £100,000 on ‘living wall’ of plants - which dried out and died. Daily Mail, [online] Available at: <https://www. dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1208116/Councilslammed-spending-100-000-living-wall- plants--dried-died.html>
[Accessed 29 November 2021].
5 Cogdell, C., 2019. Toward a Living Architecture. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, pp.159-182.
symbiotic6
A key objective of this project is to create a meta-visualization of predicted biological growth in our infrastructure. It is critical to have appropriate environmental conditions in order for various microorganisms (e.g. mosses, fungi, algae) or even plants to thrive. Tis is of particular signifcance for our project since we aim to design bio-diverse spaces. Te environmental contributions (such as radiation and sunlight exposure) will be highlighted according to orientation and altitude levels, to visualize a predicted design outcome resulting from the intervention of bio colonisation. By doing so, we are able to distinguish which plants will be in shaded zones versus those in areas with the most exposure to sun and heat.
Observing the changes in these factors over time will enable us to demonstrate the synchronization of growth for the fnal design outcome. By doing so, we gain ownership of the biological design outcome afer natural intervention. Based on this information, we can further divide our infrastructure (which is currently a mass) into units and assign public and private ownership. In this way, we can encourage a bottom-up approach when designing buildings, and give priority to sustainability, rather than just integrating nature as an aferthought. Plants will grow on the exterior mass and will also be integrated into interior areas, ensuring a sense of contact with nature for all users, public and private.
6 Steadman, P., 2008. Te Evolution of Designs. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, pp.59-60. Stevens, P. S. Systematic Biology, Volume 22, Issue 4, December 1973, Pages 405–408, https://doi. org/10.2307/2412948 [Accessed 23 November 2021]
1.0 Introduction
Michael Pawlyn once made the argument that “In some parts of the industry, there is a surprising antagonism towards incorporating biological life in architecture”1 Tis has become increasingly evident in contemporary practices as there is a demand for ‘clean’ and ‘sterile’ spaces.
However, considering the rise in chronical illnesses (especially in cities), there has never been more need for the exposure of biodiversity. Many utopian designs have tried to fnd new ways of introducing nature to buildings. Tat being said, these attempts are usually unsuccessful as they act as a mimesis to architecture of the romantic era. Tese proposals ofen stem from artistic movements and idealistic visions. As a result, they cannot form a cohesive relationship between nature and our buildings since they are viewed as separate entities.
In my thesis, I will be assessing preliminary taxonomies of architecture. Tis will be conducted through a series of experiments which explore new ways of designing urban strategies through the use of machine learning analysis. I will also be evaluating common ‘errors’ in architecture and questioning if these could in fact beneft our designs.
1 Pawlyn, M., 2016. ‘Soft and hairy’ architecture: why designs should embrace nature. Financial Times, [online] Available at: <https://www.ft.com/content/f7e67236-8b14-11e6-8cb7-e7ada1d123b1> [Accessed 25 November 2021].
2.0 Taxonomy of Social, Cultral and Environmental Ecology
2.1
Environmental
Te mass will be subdivided according to environmental factors such as orientation, sunlight exposure, wind direction etc. in relation to efects on microorganism and plant growth. Te diferent programmes of our mass will include vegetation patches, wild plants, leisure green spaces, as well as public and private communal green spaces. All these diferent programmes of greenery will require varying environmental factors for sustainable growth (i.e. some may need warm and dry conditions whereas others will require cold and damp conditions for best growth outcomes).
Tese analogies will be determined through computational experiments on sun path analysis, solar radiation experiments along with others such as wind. Additionally, these same factors could be experimented with using predicted future data statistics which will help us form healthy designs to combat against the fast environmental alteration being caused as a result of climate change.
2.2 Social
Te overall mass is subdivided further into diferent programmes, one of which being social. Tis will include the pod units for gig works. Within these spaces, there will be welfare facilities provided as well as extra spaces such a vegetation and food growing areas. Tese spaces should be away from roads and other pollutant areas to avoid this pollution contaminating the vegetation. Urban agriculture in areas near contamination sources, such as busy roads or polluted grounds, is problematic because contamination such as heavy metals will also be in the food7. Tus, the top foor can be allocated to gig worker pods and vegetation patches. Tis ensures private spaces for this programme and safe growth for vegetation.
7 Rai, P., Lee, S., Zhang, M., Tsang, Y. and Kim, K., 2019. Heavy metals in food crops: Health risks, fate, mechanisms, and management. [online] Science Direct. Available at: <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412018327971> [Accessed 6 May 2022].
However, these vegetation patches will need good soil for healthy and sustainable growth. Whilst the top foor of a building ofers the most exposure to sunlight, it lacks in ground soil. Here we could consider using plant addition. “’Plant Addition’ is a technique where young plants are arranged above and adjacent to each other and connected so that they merge into a network-like plant structure”8 . Tis technique will help the nutrients travel from ground level to other higher levels throughout the mass structure. “As this network of plants develops, the roots embedded in the ground grow more vigorously than those placed in containers because the ground provides more root space, which plants can exploit for additional resources”9.
2.3 Cultural
Existing local businesses such as cafes and restaurant’s which become integrated into our design and form a part of the cultural relationship between the intervention of new design and the existing environment.
When designing our mass, we must take into consideration the existing environment we are intervening into and form a harmony with the culture of those spaces. Tese spaces will also introduce other environmental factors such as foot trafc, noise pollution and light exposure.
8 Ludwig, F. and Schonle, D., 2016. Platanenkubus Nagold / Ludwig.Schoenle. [online] ArchDaily. Available at: <https://www.archdaily.com/800294/platanenkubus-nagold-ludwichoenle> [Accessed 20 December 2021].
9 Ibid.
3.0 Preservation vs. Intervention of Nature in Urban Strategies
According to literature, the current most prevalent solution to greening our cities is to build more parks and gardens. By criticizing this theory, we are addressing environmental resilience since access doesn't equate to exposure. Our agenda concerns intervention in the urban context. Comparatively, some may argue that there is a heightened need for preservation of agricultural lands on the outskirts of the city. As a result of the increase in commercialisation within the city, agricultural land is being exploited for the use of industrial spaces.
Additionally, studies show that with the rapid increase in population, there is a higher demand for residential and commercial buildings. As a result, rural areas and agricultural lands on which nature once thrived are being encroached upon. People are losing access to biodiverse nature as this phenomenon expands from urban into rural areas.
However, with the increase in population, there also comes a high demand for living in the city. We begin to comprehend the value of implementing a green network throughout metropolitan areas as Michael Batty illustrates the increasingly attractive growth dynamics of a city. As such, our agenda emphasizes the importance of creating a biodiverse network throughout cities as an alternative to segregated allocation of natural and sterile land. Consequently, city design should adhere to Darwin’s message that “it is small changes intelligently identifed in the city fabric, rather than massive, monumental plans, that lead to more successful, liveable and certainly sustainable environments”10. Trough implementing a greening strategy into the fabrication of our proposed infrastructures, we are ensuring a system that is suitable in both an urban and rural context and can be adapted to suit its environmental conditions and requirements.
10 Batty, M., 2009. A Digital Breeder for Designing Cities. Architectural Design, 79(4), pp.46-49.
When designing for commercialisation, there is defnitely a confict, as evidence has shown that this is the main reason why our cities are not green. Yet, the argument could also be made that through the intervention of urban spaces, we are currently supporting more spaces for the exact same programs that are causing the problem. However, in designing these novel ‘Biospatial Assemblage’ units, we begin to form a comprehensive taxonomy of infrastructure. Tis taxonomy guarantees regular access and exposure to biodiversity for all users.
Further, these units are designed through a system which can detect and diagnose environments lacking biodiversity and seeks new solutions for sustainable green growth. Tese could act as substitutes for existing commercial spaces in rural areas outside of the city and work within the rural context as additional biodiversity.
Moreover, another reason for intervention in cities is that as Batty asserts, there is a great need for people to settle in cities11. According to space makers ai, approximately 90% of future global population growth will occur in cities, resulting in a universal housing crisis in these metropolises for an additional 2 billion people12. Proposed developments to increase housing have resulted in encroachment on private property, which has infuenced colloquialisms such as NIMBY (not in my back yard). Tese developments ensure the reduction of green land in the residential areas, which means they will experience increasingly less green access and exposure. An alternative response to the housing crisis has been to build high-rise buildings, which also produces the same efect since
11 Batty, M., 2009. A Digital Breeder for Designing Cities. Architectural Design, 79(4), pp.46-49.
12 Spacemakerai.com. n/a. About Us | Spacemaker. [online] Available at: <https://www.spacemakerai.com/about/about> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
microorganisms cannot survive in the environmental conditions of those altitudes. Terefore, this also results in an increase of sterile environments and a decrease in biodiverse exposure.
Te platforms use’s machine learning as a diagnostic tool. It introduces a process which inherently guarantees any infrastructure to have natural diversity imbedded into the built fabrication system. Tis will ensure an increase in green exposure to a wider population as most will spend 95% of their day indoors, not being exposed to microbial diversity. Our proposal resides in and around tube transport hubs, as these areas commonly lack natural diversity, yet generate a lot of foot trafc daily. Te platform proposes a new powerful tool to addresses region guidelines and re-enforce green policies. Tese tools will diagnose urban environments and fnd new ways of meeting green growth in densely populated cities.
4.0 Computational assessment of environmental factors in urban context
4.1 12 Hour Sun Path Analysis
Trough the 12-hour sunlight analysis, we are able to identify which areas of the mass receive maximum exposure to sunlight throughout the day. Te results indicate that the most exposure takes places 11am till 1pm. Te sun is directly above the mass at these times, causing less shadows and maximum direct sunlight. However, the early morning (6am till 9 am) and evening (4pm till 6pm) the sun sits on the east (morning) and west (evening), casting a shadow over the entire mass.
Trough these studies we can identify that the areas of the mass which occur shaded have no to little sunlight exposure which will be best for microorganism such as fungi13 Tose areas of the mass which are most exposed to sunlight would be allocated to other foliage. In this way we can create a functional classifcation system which ensures that plants and microorganisms which needs sunlight for sustainable growth are placed accordingly. Tis analysis has been taken mid-year for an average outcome; however, results may change according to seasonal climate.
On that account, we decided to utilise computational tools to form seasonal sun paths as a way of detecting the direct sun exposure on our mass according to summer, winter and spring sun. In this way we were able to delete the substrates of from the surface and volume, thus, further defning the mass.
13 Mohammad`Babu, N., 2018. Environmental Factors that afecting Plant Growth.pdf. [online] Academia.edu. Available at: <https://www.academia.edu/38142288/Environmental_Factors_that_ afecting_Plant_Growth_pdf> [Accessed 24 March 2022].
5.0 Microorganism in cities
Te Biospatial Assemblage units are generated in response to data driven parameters. Tis allows the computational design tool to generate various outcomes in response to the environmental data of a given site. Tese parameters are based on the surrounding urban environment and existing natural conditions. From our chosen test site for these design experiments (Southwark station), the computational tool was able to generate 30 unique algorithmic design outcomes. All units adopt a unique design language taking inspiration from traditional Indian stepwells. As steep steps and sloped angles facilitate water retention, these stepwell languages are ideal for bio-design agendas. By extension, these conditions promote plant and microbial growth. Fluid design also afords designers the ability to evaluate their outcome and add or subtract slopes where necessary. Tis is a very efcient way to maintain conceptual integrity while meeting environmental standards and performance goals.
Tere are assemblages of microbes in the interior of buildings that are largely derived from humans, like those on the skin. In addition, they are also carried by air, soil, and water. According to an article discussing 'urban microbes', "Interactions with these microbes can potentially lead to acquisition of pathogenic and benefcial microbes alike"14. Tis research further supports our agenda in forming a symbiotic environment in our architecture. Pathogens are an essential part of our ecosystem and learning to create an amalgamated relationship with such microbes in our built environment could contribute to healthy habitats. Tis matter has become increasingly urgent in our Anthropocene epoch as excluding all forms of non-human bio-life in the development of contemporary architecture has led scientists to debate the concerns of our climate's ecosystems. Microbial communities thrive on the exteriors of buildings, which are in direct contact with the air
14 Barron, M., 2021. How Urban Microbiomes Contribute to the Ecology of City Life | ASM.org. [online] ASM.org. Available at: <https://asm.org/Articles/2021/August/How-Urban-Microbiomes-Contribute-to-the-Ecology-of> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
and other abiotic factors. Te article makes the argument that sulfde oxidizing bacteria deposited on a building surface can produce acids that degrade metals, while certain fungi can wheedle into stone and produce metabolites that damage both physically and biologically. In the article ‘Bio-receptive design: a novel approach to bio digital materiality’, Cruz and Beckett also argue the protentional negative connotations associated with bio colonisation. Tey state that “Colonisation in a negative sense can be associated with biodeterioration and biofouling, whereby the originally ‘clean’ surface of the materials become blemished and stained, making buildings look dirty and unkempt”15 Tat being said, microbes can act as protective mechanisms in preventing degradation and destruction. Tese arguments bring to light the signifcance of ownership in design. Negroponte emphasises this point of ownership between "two intelligent systems - man and the machine"16. In this same way, we could argue that the designer should implement environmental intelligence and machine intelligence to gain ownership of their evolutionary design outcomes.
Te urban microbiome is a collection of microbes associated with the soil, atmosphere, water, and surfaces of the city, although each abiotic factor has its own unique microbial profle. City-wide microbial ecosystems are shaped by interactions among microbial communities within their biogeochemical components. Te microbiological assemblages of urban landscapes are also infuenced by sources other than those discussed here, such as animals and humans.
In the article 'Systematic Biology', Stevens addresses the distinct diferences between architects and biologists when approaching a design solution. He notes that biologists design according to the evolution of urban microbes, whereas architects design within the boundaries of social programming. We can howev-
15 Cruz, M. and Beckett, R., 2016. Bioreceptive design: a novel approach to biodigital materiality. Architectural Research Quarterly, 20(1), pp.51-64.
16 Negroponte, N., 1969. Toward a Teory of Architecture Machines. Journal of Architectural Education, 23(2), pp.9-12.
er see that our environments are made up equally of human and non-human components, therefore this should be refected in our designs. Te Bauhaus Manifesto of 1919 further perpetuates this ideology, stating “Let us strive for, conceive, and build the new buildings of the future that will unite all disciplines”17. Tere is a critical need to be infuenced by multiple disciplines – architects and biologist – in order to improve our architecture.
Around the world, urban microbiomes difer signifcantly in composition. In every city, there are unique environmental factors such as the amount of biodiverse green, landscape spaces, urban fabric, wastewater composition. Geographical features and climate also play a key role in determining what microbes survive in an urban landscape. It is because of this thar no two cities will house the same group of microbiomes.
6.0 Taxonomy of architecture in response to urban microbes
Our current design focuses on the Southwark station test site; however, we are designing a strategy which will be applied to a variety of transport networks across London and across other cities. With this in mind, we aim to develop an architecture based taxonomy system which will ensure a successful assemblage for multiple sites. Tese will range across a number of diferent climates. Diferent climates ensure a diverse group of microorganisms, thus showing that no two cities will house the same microbiome. Terefore, it is crucial to ensure that the architectural taxonomy system is composed of several units. Each unit caters to a specifc group of microorganisms with the specifc intelligence necessary to support growth. From this we will be able to assemble a bespoke model of our infrastructure that fts many diferent cities in many diferent ecological conditions.
Our architectural taxonomy will consist of individual units which will then be assembled to form the overall infrastructure. Tis will mean that there will be diferent types of units housing each programme. As an example, our test site infrastructure will take the form of three components - gig worker spaces, commercial spaces, and transport hubs. When forming any Biospatial Assemblage infrastructure, this taxonomy based system will be implemented.
Additionally, a machine learning tool may be developed to further analyse future sites and their climate conditions, including oxygen levels, heat, temperature and humidity, to name a few. Te machine will determine the most suitable selection of units to assemble for that particular given site. Our taxonomy system will also take into account the microorganisms present in a space due to its climate and adopt a materiality that is tailored to comply with these conditions. Tis can be done by calculating the max-
imum exposure of sunlight that plants and microorganisms will receive. Tis system exists both on a macro and micro scale.
Our classifcation of the interior spaces may also be further refned afer determining which units are needed to match the microbial profle of a given climate condition. For instance, forming a taxonomy system for residential spaces will allow us to calculate percentages of green exposure for each resident in a one, two or three+ bedroom apartment. In addition, each apartment will occupy a diferent number of residences, so the calculation and exposure to biodiversity will difer accordingly. Together, this creates a functional classifcation system for the building's overall structure. It takes into account both the interior and exterior social programming, the functionalities, as well as access and exposure to diferent types of nature.
7.0 Diagnosing Urban Pathologies
Our agenda focuses on an ML used to understand the ecological complexities of a given site. Akin to how medical felds are using ML to identify pathologies from images, we are using machine learning and image recognition to ‘diagnose’ urban pathologies. Tese urban pathologies are defned by examples of ‘modernist mentalities’ that seek to separate the human from nature. Tis occurs in cities with built environments that have little to no exposure to nature. Te development of a platform serves as a tool for architects and stakeholders to understand the biological potentials of a site. Te platform is embedded with environmental information so that design decisions always provide a defned percentage of nature in to the building. Tis ‘nature’ will include a mix of microorganism growth, diverse green planting, food growing areas and green leisure space.
As a way of diagnosing our buildings, we begin the frst stage of our experiment by using semantic segmentation to highlight ground truth data for three semantic classes divided by colour/RGB values: black, dark grey and light grey. Tese colours are then coded to represent the amount of sunlight exposure each area receives (black being no sun exposure, dark grey being little sun exposure and light grey being the most sun exposure). Trough identifying these into three classes, we begin to generate an understanding of the surface conditions. In turn, we will be able to predict which biological niche each unit is suitable for. Tis allows us to target areas which support these biological niches, providing microbes with successful and sustainable growth throughout the mass.
It is simply not enough to design greenery on a surface area without considering its dependence on the surrounding ecosystem and other natural environmental factors. Depending on the category of microbes, the cells require diferent levels of water, sunlight, heat, and other external factors. For instance,
eukaryotes (such as algae and fungi) require sunlight for growth, thus should be south facing on the architectural structure. Others, such as moss, proves more successful on north facing facades as this provides the necessary shade needed for its survival. Tis is evidenced in the experiment illustrated in the 'Bio-receptive design' article. Using 180-degree documentation of the tree barks, the diferent ecological niches occurring around one surface is demonstrated. In their paper, Cruz and Beckett explain that the purpose of this experiment is to demonstrate the possibility of using bio repeatable materials for "complex applications, which are both nature-inspired and nature-integrated, that is, bio colonised and with nature embedded in architectural fabric"18. Tere is a clear distinction given that this experiment is not understood as a biomimetic technique, but rather as a device to inform generative architecture.
An article published by Mollie Claypool evaluates the works of architect Louis Sullivan's designs focusing on functionality. She believes this movement to be derived from "the work of Darwin alongside Tompson’s more structuralist thinking inspired architects to harness aspects of nature and its behaviour in their designs"19. In response to this theory, our experiments begin by exploring the biological functions through machine learning. Te frst stage of our experiment uses semantic segmentation to calculate a general mask for a wider surface area. Tis is to identify how the sunlight falls on the structure and thus informing environmental conditions and biological niches. Afer assessing all units under the semantic segmentation mask, the machine learning tool will calculate a percentage of each colour across
18 Cruz, M. and Beckett, R., 2016. Bioreceptive design: a novel approach to biodigital materiality. Architectural Research Quarterly, 20(1), pp.51-64.
19 Claypool, M., 2019. Te Digital in Architecture: Ten, Now and in the Future | SPACE10. [online] SPACE10. Available at: <https:// space10.com/project/digital-in-architecture/> [Accessed 27 December 2021].
the mass. We can then begin to classify the units into groups, that of which hold the most percentage of black, dark grey and light grey. Te models in fgure no.6 are a representation of the three classifcation groups amongst the feld.
Unit number 30 illustrates a mass in taxonomy group 1 which has been calculated with the highest percentage of black. Tis means it has the most surface area with no sunlight exposure. Tese taxonomy groups would be best suited for moss growth as it provides shaded areas ideal for mosses as they will not dry out. Other units with similar functions will follow in the same taxonomy group.
Unit 24 presents a relatively equal percentage of black and light grey, which proves to have a mixed condition of areas with no sunlight to areas with maximum sunlight. Tis shows that units under this classifcation group are suitable for a hybrid of moss and other bryophytes on the shades side whilst also hosting other rooted plants on the light grey areas receiving maximal sunlight exposure.
Unit 14 is best suited for a landscape surface as it has the highest percentage of maximal sunlight exposure, therefore, aiding the growth of biodiverse root plants and other species.
Tree Bark. 180 degree photo taken in November, February, and April showing variations of cryptogamic cover surfaces on an ash tree at Wakehurst Place, Sussex, UK by Cruz and Beckett
8.0 Microbes contributing to a resilient city
We as humans are flled with microorganisms, and it is essential to understand that these microbes are not against us, but rather are what make us human. In his book ‘I contain multitudes’, Ed Yong emphasises, “Our whole worldview is antibacterial. Tey’re out there. Shoot to kill. Build a wall! Which makes perfect sense for the tiny percentage of microbes that make us sick but misses the vast majority that make us what we are”20. Although Yong argues on the case of the bacteria within us, I believe the power of this statement may be extended to questions of biopolitics. Additionally, this notion may be in relation with the way architecture constructs, distributes and leverages power.
Moreover, it may refer to how the body, its form, and constitution infuence how spaces are shaped by larger political agendas of body politics. Simply put we cannot ignore that which is in us and that which makes us when we are designing for us. We must fnd a way to integrate microorganisms into architectures. It may be helpful to begin by developing an appropriate taxonomy system that identifes the contributions, or more commonly known as 'errors', into the design evolution of our buildings.
9.0 ‘Errors’ in design
Traditionally, the term error is interpreted with negative connotations. Particularly in the world of architecture, we view 'errors' to be a malfunction of design, compromising a building's aesthetic integrity. Michael Pawlyn supports this claim as he declares, “there is a surprising antagonism towards incorporating biological life in architecture”21. Te nature of these errors in our architecture, however, is ofen due to unintended consequences of natural or physical phenomena. A paper from the international de-
20 Yong, E., 2018. I Contain Multitudes. Harpercollins. 21 Pawlyn, M., 2016. ‘Sof and hairy’ architecture: why designs should embrace nature. Financial Times, [online] Available at: <https:// www.f.com/content/f7e67236-8b14- 11e6-8cb7-e7ada1d123b1> [Accessed 25 November 2021].
sign conference highlights “the major part of errors occurs not from an initial erroneous action but from the evolution of the design and of the context”22. Tis is commonly seen with the intervention of plants and microorganism on building facades, such as moss, lichen and algae. Tese bio colonisations are rather diferent to the foliage we deem successful, such of that on the popular contemporary movement of ‘green walls’. Te paper continues to examine ways in which these errors may be avoided and prevented in a design process and concludes that human errors are “linked to the fact that the designer does not directly realize all these implications”23 and due to these circumstances, these errors are guaranteed to occur.
Te question then remains, instead of trying to eliminate these ‘errors’, why not aim to form an amalgamated relationship between these natural interventions and our architectural designs?
For instance, common ‘errors’ in architectural fabrication can be found in the form of erosion, bio colonisation, weathering and decay. All of which is usually the result of ecological interventions. Te common issue presented in contemporary architecture is the desire for a sterile built environment, evoking Reyner Bauham's environmental bubble famously illustrated in 'Te home is not a house'24 . Tis in turn begins to encapsulate the ‘Kleenex culture’25 ideology. Tese ‘errors’ unceasingly prove that such conditions we
22 Safn, S., Pierre, L. and Blavier, A., 2008. Errors in architectural design process: Towards a cognitive model. [online] Available at: <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288122473_Errors_in_architectural_design_process_Towards_a_cognitive_model> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
23 Ibid.
24 Bauham, R., 1965. A house is not a home. [online] 2. Available at: <http://mindcontrol-research.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/4_banham_home_not_house.pdf> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
25 Hawthorne, C., 2012. Rereading Victor Papanek’s “Design for the Real World” - Metropolis. [online] Metropolis. Available at: <https://metropolismag.com/viewpoints/rereading-design-for-the-real-world/> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
aim for are idealistic at best. Moreover, they continue to show us the parallel connection we hold to the natural world and all its elements.
Jane Jacobs pleads that “ Tere is a quality even meaner than outright ugliness or disorder, and this meaner quality is the dishonest mask of pretended order, achieved by ignoring or suppressing the real order that is struggling to exist and to be served”26. I believe this argument to be true in the light of natural biological order occurring on facades as these are being ‘ignored and suppressed’ to make way for living walls which act as a ‘dishonest mask of pretended order’27 Tere is an argument to be had for the signifcant need to embrace the natural order of plant intervention in our architectures, and this is twofold; frstly, plants such as mosses, are
26 Jacob, J., 1961. Te Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: Random House.
27 Ibid.
naturally abundant as bio-receptive species and need very little to no maintenance, unlike the green walls which usually require high maintenance ferritization systems and costly upkeep, deeming them inherently unsustainable. Secondly, the biodiversity of naturally occurring plants such as mosses along with other foliage, provide a range of microbes which assist in the health of our society and environment.
Resilience is typically discussed through the ability of cities to respond to climate change. However, they must also be resilient in relation to health, as evidenced by the pandemic. Healthy environments can play a key role in this resilience. Access to healthy built environments which include exposure to nature, form the basis of healthy immune function which is currently missing in our cities.
10.0 Machine Learning and Heat Maps
Te development of a platform serves as a tool for architects and stakeholders to understand the biological potentials of a site. Te platform is embedded with environmental information so that design decisions always provide a defned percentage of nature into the building. Tis typology of ‘nature’ will include a mix of microorganism growth, diverse green planting, food growing areas and green leisure space. Te platform uses machine learning as a diagnostic tool. It introduces a process which inherently guarantees any infrastructure to have natural diversity imbedded into the built fabrication system.
Tis stage of our experiment uses machine learning heat maps as a holistic analysis of the urban context. Results have evidenced that “GCN block improved the classifcation accuracy of pixels closer to the centre of the object, indicating the improvement caused due to capturing long-range context”28. In this way of capturing long range context, we are taking into consideration the mass within its urban context, so we are able to observe the evolution of the mass in response to these environmental variables over time.
cance of biodiverse exposure, we treat them as separate entities. We create boundaries between the two, allocating outdoor space for plants and indoor space for sterile clean spaces. However, this has proven to be an unsustainable way of organising programmes. A 2018 indoor air quality report by the environmental protection agency recounted that people spend 90% of their time indoors29. As a result of this, even if a person has access to greenery, it does not mean they are being exposed for long enough in their daily routine. Consequently, rather than designing using completely bio compatible materials or opposingly sterile materials, we should aim to create a combination of these conditions and environments.
Te programming of our infrastructure looks at new ways of allocating these various bio diverse areas across the circulation path as a regulated and thoughtful response to the social interactions of people occupying and utilising these spaces. In his book ‘Rebel Cities’, David Harvey raises the question that “what kind of city we want cannot be divorced from that of what kind of social ties, relationship to nature, lifestyles, technologies and aesthetic values we desire”30.
environment since we “cannot divorce ourselves from what kind of social ties and aesthetic values we desire”32. We may argue that incorporating a duality of these fabrications into existing architecture fabrics yields the most sensible design outcomes, suitable for people’s lifestyles and programming requirements.
11.0 Human and non-human intervention
A series of photographs taken by Stefan Baumann illustrate the invasion of plant life in abandoned buildings. Tese photos are clear demonstrations of the natural evolution of buildings without human intervention. It is understandable that this level of foliage is unrealistic within the context of social programmes housed in cities. Nonetheless, it is no more absurd than designing a starkly contrasting sterile environment. Although we understand the signif-
28 Chandra Naidu Matcha, A., 2021. A 2021 guide to Semantic Segmentation. [online] Nanonets AI & Machine Learning Blog. Available at: <https://nanonets.com/blog/semantic-image-segmentation-2020/> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
Mitchell Joachim raises some interesting theories in his proposal for the ‘Fat Tree Hab’. His proposal raises the intriguing concepts of a fully functional house, sustained entirely by multi-biomaterials in conjunction with environmental intelligence. Tese living materials include “clay and straw infll, vine surface lattice, and soy-based bioplastic for windows, among others”31. Tis is certainly a noteworthy theory, but some may fnd it inapplicable to a metropolis
29 US EPA. 2021. Indoor Air Quality | US EPA. [online] Available at: <https://www.epa.gov/report-environment/indoor-air-quality> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
12.0 Identifying patterns in urban fabrics
Our tool is using ML to understand the ecological complexities of a given site. Akin to how medical felds are using ML to identify pathologies from images, we are using machine learning and image recognition to ‘diagnose’ urban pathologies. Tese urban pathologies are defned by examples of ‘modernist mentalities’ that seek to separate the human from nature. Tis occurs in cities with built environments that have little to no exposure to nature. Te development of a platform serves as a tool for architects and stakeholders to understand the biological potentials of a site. Te platform is embedded with environmental information so that design decisions always provide a defned percentage of nature into the building. Tis ‘nature’ will include a mix of microorganism growth, diverse green planting, food growing areas and green leisure space.
Te building design is submitted to a fully convolutional network which will then use a heat map to classify the diferent spaces / surfaces onto where sunlight would hit most and least. From this we can generate a new taxonomy which allows an understanding for how much greenery vs sterile spaces there will be. Following on from this, designers will have the opportunity to modify their buildings shape and dents according to their programming. Trough this system, designers can also allocate appropriate materials according to the predicted evolution of that space or surface area.
A suggestion given in regard to materiality was to form a duality throughout the mass. Tis includes duality of a fexible material to act as a transformable aspect for the parts of the programme which are dynamic. For instance, these could refer to the commercial space, as they may change in accordance with relevance over time. Tis could also take into consideration abiotic factors such as weathering and erosion. Whereas the part of the programme which is about natural systems or perhaps doesn’t evolve
on a yearly basis, stays more static or more solidifed in its materiality. Tese areas may include wild plant patches and transport hubs (such as underground station entrance).
If we were to suggest that these built spaces are made using materials which are sensitive to weathering, the spaces could be rebuilt every number of years into new functions which are most suitable to the current climate condition and social implementations. Trough this system, designers are able to manage common ‘errors’ which have proven inevitable in building evolution. Tese are such conditions as moss infestation on building facades, erosion, decay etc.). In this system of designing, the machine learning tool identifes areas in a pink, green, blue heat map code. Tese areas each signal surfaces with predicted suitability for diferent programmes across the mass unit as there is a need for duality of social and environmental areas.
the ‘MINI Living’ urban cabins underway blurred boundaries in metropolis areas. Te architect elaborated on the design intention behind these cabins, stating “Each featured revolving panels and hatches, which would be opened or closed depending on the occupant’s desire for privacy”34. Te modularity of these designs also allow for reinventions of social programmes, provoking blurred spatial identities.
Te blue areas represent north facing facades reserving necessary bio niches for hosting Bryophyte species such as mosses. Tese conditions of low sunlight exposure give way to moist habitats and dry Towards-an-Urban-Domesticity-Contemporary-Architecture-and-the-Blurring-Boundaries-between-the-House-and-the-City.
13.0 Synthesising conditions and environments
Pink highlights identify spaces which are shaded areas, however, receive some sunlight. Shaded areas can include sterile environments imperative in a building, such as glass windows, balconies and openings to core areas. In addition to allowing sunlight to penetrate into the building, the notch inserts establish a convergence between public and private boundaries. A consistent exposure and connection to biodiverse vegetation is also indicated by this boundary. Tese spaces raise the question of the role played by social boundaries in an urban setting. An article suggests that, in response to technological advancements, “the only place in the house where people can interact with the outside world, the public realm, is slowly disappearing”33. Conversely, projects such as 33 https://www.researchgate.net/profle/Marco-Enia/ publication/342659380_Towards_an_Urban_Domesticity_Contemporary_Architecture_and_the_Blurring_Boundaries_between_the_House_and_the_City/links/611e7f911e95fe241ae2e47d/
34 https://www.dezeen.com/2018/12/19/mini-living-urbancabin-micro-home-round-up-london-new-york-los-angeles-beijingmovie/
conditions.
Green areas receive the most sunlight, predicting ecological conditions best suited to biodiverse greenery. In response to this, these spaces will be assigned public programming as they will be ft for leisure green spaces, vegetation paths and food growing lots. Tese areas are designed to mimic the traditional Indian stepwell language and therefore have sloped angles and notches, ideally suited to the interest in bio design architecture. Te architectural fabrication is designed to retain water, which in turn supports the growth of plants and biological species.
FIGURE NO. 14
Defning boundaries | Taxonomy of urban landscape architecture by Aya Ahmed
FIGURE NO. 13
Defning boundaries | Taxonomy of architecture for social programming by Aya Ahmed
14.0 Assigning fabrication properties
During the last stage of our experiment, programming is prescribed based on the environmental conditions from our previous taxonomy classes. Tis is necessary in order to achieve morphological and functional synchronization with these conditions. Intersections highlighted in pink reveal concavities in the mass which receive enough sunlight to permeate their interior spaces. Tese spaces could be comprised of sterile as well as bio-receptive materials. Seeing as most of us spend 90% of our time indoors, we could converge the bio-receptive fabrication of exterior walls into the interior, thereby increasing the amount of daily bio diverse exposure we receive. Tese techniques for fabrication may be viewed by some as giving rise to 'errors' such as erosion and weathering. However, any erosion to occur will be adaptive with future programming. Eroded spaces will shif the indoor and outdoor boundaries, paving the way for new spatial identities. As it was delaired by Ernst Haeckel, "Nothing is constant but change! All existence is a perpetual fux of 'being and becoming!' Tat is the broad lesson of the evolution of the world"35.
Te blue areas receiving the least amount of sunlight, create damp and shaded conditions, favourable to moss growth. Tese areas will need to be made of bio-receptive materials such as bio-receptive concrete or brick for example. Tis materiality will also depend on the climate of the chosen site and therefore will have to be a decision made by the designer. Considering that these are fat walls, there is no way to control the pattern or behaviour of moss growth. Cruz and Beckett's36 green panel design conceives interesting ways of creating controlled conditions for such an unpredictable growth pattern. Tis speaks
35 Haeckel, E., 1905. Te wonders of life. New York: New York: Harper & Brothers, p.197.
36 Cruz, M. and Beckett, R., 2016. Bioreceptive design: a novel approach to biodigital materiality. Architectural Research Quarterly, 20(1), pp.51-64.
to the “aesthetic values we desire”37 as previously mentioned by Jane Jacobs. Contrary to this, we must be careful of green panels acting as a superfcial camoufage over the building instead of an integrated green fabrication system as this would not lead to generative architecture. Instead, this would be no diferent from the cosmetic fx of the contemporary green wall movement. Te aim of a generative fabrication system should be as Lydia Kallipoliti descibes, "moves with you, breathes with you. An agency not to be confned”38.
Te machine learning tool predicts that green highlighted areas will yield the best results for vegetation lands. Tis includes all the biodiverse environmental programmes we wish to incorporate throughout the mass, facilitating users such as gig workers and other residents. Tese biodiverse green spaces include wild plants, food growing areas and leisure spaces. As vertical gardens have been proven difcult to maintain, costly, and inherently unsustainable, it would be more appropriate to allocate these areas on fat land surfaces. Te big reason for this is because these plants (unlike mosses) are rooted and need the nutrients from the ground to survive. Trying to keep up this maintenance through artifcial fertilization has proven unsuccessful in the evolution of such buildings and their designs. Tese spaces also receive the most sunlight and therefore provide the ideal environmental conditions for these plants to thrive. Te majority of this land would consist of fertile soils and a duality of bio-receptive materials, which could serve as a continuation of the other building materials used.
FIGURE NO. 15
Assigning fabrication properties | coordinating environmental dynamic and spatial identities by Aya Ahmed
15.0 Conclusion
In her lecture, Lydia Kallipoliti makes a noteworthy statement:
“We are receptors of non-human elements and composed of cells that are mostly non-human. Terefore, understanding how pathogens and other microorganism fow through a space and form local microecology’s and also how microclimates are constructed through spatial jurisdictions of non-human species could have immediate applications in how we design indoor environmental systems”39
With this in mind, the fnal design outcome given for the test site ‘Southwark Station’ has used our preliminary taxonomy of architecture and urban landscapes to form a cohesive, functional building. Trough our system, we have ensured that there is comprehensive understanding of all ecological factors contributing to the evolution of a buildings. Although such interventions were once perceived as ‘errors’, designing to accommodate for all natural phenomena can elevate the productively of an architecture for all human and non-human participants.
Bibliography
Barron, M., 2021. How Urban Microbiomes Contribute to the Ecology of City Life | ASM.org. [online] ASM.org. Available at: <https://asm. org/Articles/2021/August/How-Urban-Microbiomes-Contribute-to-the-Ecology-of> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
Batty, M., 2009. A Digital Breeder for Designing Cities. Architectural Design, 79(4), pp.46-49.
Bauham, R., 1965. A house is not a home. [online] 2. Available at: <http://mindcontrol-research.net/ wp-content/uploads/2016/12/4_banham_home_ not_house.pdf> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
Cerovsek, T. and Martens, B., 2020. THE EVOLUTION OF CAADRIA CONFERENCES A Bibliometric Approach. In: Conference: RE: Anthropocene, Design in the Age of Humans - Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA 2020), Volume 1. [online] Slovenia: University of Ljubljana. Available at: <https://www.researchgate. net/publication/343449937_THE_EVOLUTION_ OF_CAADRIA_CONFERENCES_A_Bibliometric_ Approach> [Accessed 24 March 2022].
Chandra Naidu Matcha, A., 2021. A 2021 guide to Semantic Segmentation. [online] Nanonets AI & Machine Learning Blog. Available at: <https://nanonets. com/blog/semantic-image-segmentation-2020/> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
Claypool, M., 2019. Te Digital in Architecture: Ten, Now and in the Future | SPACE10. [online] SPACE10. Available at: <https://space10.com/project/digital-in-architecture/> [Accessed 27 December 2021].
Cogdell, C., 2019. Toward a Living Architecture. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, pp.159182.
Cruz, M. and Beckett, R., 2016. Bioreceptive design: a novel approach to biodigital materiality. Architectural Research Quarterly, 20(1), pp.51-64.
Daily Mail Reporter, 2009. Council slammed for spending £100,000 on 'living wall' of plants - which dried out and died. Daily Mail, [online] Available at: <https://www. dailymail.co.uk/ news/article-1208116/Council-slammed-spending-100-000-living-wall- plants--dried-died.html>
[Accessed 29 November 2021].
Fox, N., 2022. Nick Fox.
Gropius, W., 1919. Manifesto of the Staatliches Bauhaus. [online] Bauhausmanifesto. com. Available at: <https://bauhausmanifesto.com> [Accessed 2 January 2022].
Hamilton, C., Gemenne, F. and Bonneuil, C., 2015. Te Anthropocene and the Global Environmental Crisis. Florence: Taylor and Francis.
Hawthorne, C., 2012. Rereading Victor Papanek's "Design for the Real World" - Metropolis. [online] Metropolis. Available at: <https://metropolismag. com/viewpoints/rereading-design-for-the-realworld/> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
Harvey, D., 2019. Rebel cities. London: Verso.
Hobson, B., 2018. MINI Living builds "global village" of Urban Cabin micro homes. [online] Dezeen. Available at: <https://www.dezeen.com/2018/12/19/ mini-living-urban-cabin-micro-home-round-uplondon-new-york-los-angeles-beijing-movie/> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
Holzer, D., Nakapan, W., Globa, A. and Koh, I., 2020. RE: Anthropocene, Proceedings of the 25th International Conference of the Association for Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA). In: RE: Anthropocene, Design in the Age of Humans. [online] Hong Kong: Association for Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA). Available at: <http://papers. cumincad.org/data/works/att/caadria2020_v02.pdf>
[Accessed 24 March 2022].
Jacob, J., 1961. Te Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: Random House.
Kallipoliti, L., 2020. Bubble Problems: An Archeology of Infection and Environmental Control. [online] Strelka Mag. Available at: <https://strelkamag.com/ en/article/bubble-problems-an-archeology-of-infection-and-environmental-control> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
Kulper, A., 2022. Ecology without the Oikos: Banham, Dallegret and the Morphological Context of Environmental Architecture. Field, [online] 4. Available at: <https://feld-journal.org/wp-content/ uploads/2016/07/5-Ecology-without-the-OikosAmy-Kulper.pdf> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
Leatherbarrow, D. and Mostafavi, M., 2001. On Weathering Te Life of Buildings in Time. Cambridge, Mass. <<>>: MIT Press.
Ludwig, F. and Schonle, D., 2016. Platanenkubus Nagold / Ludwig.Schoenle. [online] ArchDaily. Available at: <https://www.archdaily.com/800294/ platanenkubus-nagold-ludwichoenle> [Accessed 20 December 2021].
Lydia Kallipoliti "Lecture Bubble Problems An Archeology of Infection and Environmental Control". 2021. [video] Directed by L. Kallipoliti. Rice Architecture.
Mohammad`Babu, N., 2018. Environmental Factors that afecting Plant Growth.pdf. [online] Academia.edu. Available at: <https://www.academia. edu/38142288/Environmental_Factors_that_afecting_Plant_Growth_pdf> [Accessed 24 March 2022].
Negroponte, N., 1969. Toward a Teory of Architecture Machines. Journal of Architectural Education, 23(2), pp.9-12.
Pawlyn, M., 2016. ‘Soft and hairy’ architecture: why designs should embrace nature. Financial Times, [online] Available at: <https://www.ft.com/content/ f7e67236-8b14-11e6-8cb7-e7ada1d123b1> [Accessed 25 November 2021].
Rai, P., Lee, S., Zhang, M., Tsang, Y. and Kim, K., 2019. Heavy metals in food crops: Health risks, fate, mechanisms, and management. [online] Science Direct. Available at: <https://www.sciencedirect.com/ science/article/pii/S0160412018327971> [Accessed 6 May 2022].
Safn, S., Pierre, L. and Blavier, A., 2008. Errors in architectural design process: Towards a cognitive model. [online] Available at: <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288122473_Errors_in_architectural_design_process_Towards_a_cognitive_model> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
Sheppard, L., n.d. Environmental Infrastructures: From Bubbles to Territories. University of Waterloo, [online] pp.297-300. Available at: <https://www. acsa-arch.org/proceedings/Annual%20Meeting%20 Proceedings/ACSA.AM.101/ACSA.AM.101.42.pdf> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
Spacemakerai.com. n/a. About Us | Spacemaker. [online] Available at: <https://www.spacemakerai.com/ about/about> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
S, S., n.d. ECOSYSTEMS AND BIODIVERSITY. [online] Academia.edu. Available at: <https://www. academia.edu/35059354/ECOSYSTEMS_AND_BIODIVERSITY> [Accessed 24 March 2022].
Steadman, P., 1979. Te evolution of design. Cambridge [etc.]: Cambridge University Press.
Szymańska, R., 2021. Responses of Plants to Environmental Stresses. Basel: MDPI Books.
US EPA. 2021. Indoor Air Quality | US EPA. [online] Available at: <https://www.epa.gov/report-environment/indoor-air-quality> [Accessed 14 July 2022]. Whitney Joachim, M., 2006. Ecotransology Integrated Design for Urban Mobility. Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Yong, E., 2018. I Contain Multitudes. Harpercollins.
Source: Turner, JMW. (1794). Te Chancel and Crossing of Tintern Abbey. [image] Available at: https://www.artofmanliness. com/character/knowledge-of-men/the-basics-of-art-the-romantic-period/ [Accessed 29 June 2022].
Source: Original Image of my
(2022).
Source: Banham, Reyner. (1965). A house is not a home. [image] Available at: https://socks-studio. com/2011/10/31/francois-dallegret-and-reyner-banham-a-home-is-not-a-house-1965/ [Accessed 08 July 2022].
Source: Unknown Source.
Source: Original Image of my experiment. (2022).
Source: Cruz and Beckett. (2016). Bioreceptive design: a novel approach to biodigital materiality. [image] Available at: Architectural Research Quarterly [Accessed 20 December 2021].
Source: Baumann, Stefan. (2018). Industrial forest. [image] Available at: https://inspiringplants.com/stefan-baumann [Accessed 20 June 2022].
Source: Original Image of my experiment. (2022).
Source: MINI Living. (2018). Ubran Cabin in New York. [image] Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2018/12/19/mini-living-urban-cabin-micro-home-round-up-london-newyork-los-angeles-beijing-movie/ [Accessed 20 June 2022].
Figure no. 11 | Biocolinisation on Indian stepwells by Unknown Author
Source: Unknown Source. [image] Available at: https://www.okvoyage.com/post/inde-stepwells-baolis/ [Accessed 02 July 2022]
Figure no. 12| Identifying patterns in urban fabrics by Aya Ahmed
Source: Original image of my experiment. (2022).
Figure no. 13| Defning boundaries | Taxonomy of urban landscape architecture by Aya Ahmed
Source: Original image of my experiment. (2022).
Figure no. 14| Defning boundaries | Taxonomy of urban landscape architecture by Aya Ahmed
Source: Original image of my experiment. (2022).
Figure no. 15| Assigning fabrication properties | coordinating environmental dynamic and spatial identities by Aya Ahmed
Source: Original image of my experiment. (2022).
Figure no. 16| Architectural and biological taxonomy for fnal site model by Aya Ahmed
Source: Original image of my experiment. (2022).