M. Arch & Thesis Portfolio by Carl Stanbro

CARL STANBRO

M. ARCH PORTFOLIO

Pages 4-7

Second Nature - Situated Technologies Research Studio

Pages 8-13 Architecture of Phase Change - Thesis

Pages 14-15

Conditional Form - Technical Methods

Pages 16-19 Patterns in Nature - Technical Methods

Second Nature

Project: The Water Tile

Situated Technologies Graduate Research Studio

The context for this research studio is situated in the Netherlands, a country with a long history of shaping the natural environment for human habitation. Issues of flooding and water management within the country became a key area of investigation. One aspect that has a huge impact on floods and overloading drainage systems is rooftop runoff. This project proposes a smart roof tiling system that works on a local level, and when aggregated over a whole city, can have a greater regional significance. The geometry of the tile consists of a fixed bottom piece and a top piece allowed to rotate to a horizontal position. The actuator for rotation is expanding hydrogel, a smart material which can hold 200 times is own volume in water. Rain water runoff is held in the hydrogel as well on the top piece which then evaporates back into the atmosphere over time.

KAMPEN, Netherlands

The city of Kampen was chosen as the site because of the local flood barrier system it uses to create an unbroken wall along the length of the adjacent river. The local technique is an opposite response to large regional barriers and used as the concept in The Water Tile design

Large flood barriers. Each the size of the Eiffel Tower

Water Square holds water allowing the city sewer system has time to drain

Roofs unaffected by flood waters

Hydrogel grows 216 times its original size.

95.54% Water

1.5” X 1.5” X 1.5”

Powder Hyrdrogel

.25” X .25” X .25”

Powder

Granules

Cubes

Controlled growth with stiffeners

Stiffeners

Fabric - Contracted

Fabric - Expanded

Containers

Thesis

Project: TheArchitectureofPhaseChange:ExperimentswithSuperabosrbentHydrogel

This work developed out of The Water Tile project as a further investigation of superabsorbent hydrogel to discover its potentials in architecture. Because of the unique properties that hydrogel exhibits in the phase change cycle of water, there are a multitude of different performance characteristics that need to be explored and understood. A set of experiments was developed to show these potentials approached from four different categories: physical movement, visual porosity, collection and reuse of water, and visual illuminancy. Although distinct in outcomes, the rigs built to conduct the experiments within each category all followed a common style of construction, scale and architectural form. For the final thesis proposal, I developed a theoretical space consisting of two infinitely extended planes connected by four different micro-climate columns each using what was learned in the experimental process to have a direct impact on the surrounding space

Hydrogel Plastic Bolts

Hydrogel Fabric

Sheet Hydrogel

Hydrogel Bandage Evaporation Absorption

Hydrogel (Powder)

Erodium Seed Study

These bi-laminate seeds have the property of curling and uncurling with changes is moisture. This provides the seeds with movement along the ground as well as a self-burial mechanism. Range of motion, distance traveled, and physical geometry were studied by subjecting the seeds to moisture and recording buy use of time-lapse. Ultimately the shape change that occurs from the bi-laminancy is what proved to be the most interesting. Contrary to the hydrogels, this system has a fixed end shape without the use of a container or stiffener.

Bi-laminate Curl

Geometric Module Study

Seed coiled and uncoiled

Seed range of motion

Visual Porosity

Growth Pattern

Physical Movement

2-1/4 tsp. Hydrogel Total

350 Grams Added

Total Distance Traveled: 3/4 inches

Total Time: 12min.

Conditional Form

Project: CoolingTower,CableNetHybridStudy

Situated Technologies Technical Methods

Inspired by the work of the Institute for Lightweight Structures, the cable net and pulled fabric surface research was combined to form a hybrid system. Programmatically, this is to be understood as a prototype for a full-scale pavilion structure. The research was conducted both physically, through study models, and digitally, using kangaroo and grasshopper. Through an iterative process of physical modeling, the final model uses standard methods to form parabolas as well as internal springs to arrive at the pseudo parabolic form. The location where the springs attach to the fabric, a straight cut is made which turns into a lens shape from the stretching of the fabric. This opens the internal space to lighting as well as allows for cross ventilation.

Cooling Tower

Hybrid System Prototype

Surface Detail

Interior Looking Up Lighting Study

Patterns In Nature

Project: FrostStudy

Material Cultures Technical Methods

This project was an in-depth study of frost formation on glass, exploring how the pattern forms, and what are the controlling parameters. This was done in both drawing and modeling side by side in an iterative process. Investigation started at the microscopic level where it was discovered the ‘branches’ off the pattern were due to the hexagonal nature of the hydrogen bonds. At a larger scale, an imperfection must be present in the glass which becomes the nucleation site for the branches of the frost. A 2-dimensional pattern was established of aggregated hexagons which was then turned into a 3-dimensional pattern by slightly bending the connecting surface between hexagons. The resulting prototype was varying 3D printed hexagons, creating an undulating unit aggregation envisioned at a larger architectural scale. This pattern could have applications in facades or ceiling structures.