DS10 Y5 Interim Portfolio 2023 University of Westminster Elizabeta Diakantonis

Hey, Mid-Journey. Create a tiny eco-parametric office by the canal

ecopod

Elizabeta Diakantonis

Brief 01 / MArch II / DS10

Introduction 1-4

Price of Energy Increase

Business Plan

Canal and River Trust Systems and Components

MidJourney 5-10

Introduction

Experimenting with MidJourney Prompts

From Object to Form

Using Fluent Language

1 Prompt 40 Variations

Module Analysis 11-15

Double Curved Panels

Studying Double Curved Surface

Replicating Structure

Figuring Out the Process

Iteration 01

Material Research 16-19

Off-Grid Systems - Canal Boats

Where Does Cork Come From?

Insulation standards

Module Realisation 20-30

Interior Layout Parameters

Modelling Layout 4

Pre-Fabrication Method

Scarf Joint Model

Building with off-the-shelf Timber

Co2 Storage and Waste

Designing The Stilt Base

Using The Connections

Construction of Ecopod

Solar Heating Plan

Brief 02 31-35

Brief 2 Possibilities

Location of Derelict Sites

History of Limehouse Cut

Derelict Sites

Appendix 36-41

Price of Energy Increase

We need passive, well insulated buildings

• The UK is exposed to the energy crisis –partly due to its dependence on gas for heating and electricity generation and poorly-insulated buildings

• Switching to low carbon heat is likely in many instances to require changes to appliances and insulation within our homes and offices.

86% OF HOMES IN THE UK USE A GAS CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEM

54% OF HOMES USING GAS WOULD BE IMPRACTICAL FOR HEAT PUMPS

• They include homes built with solid brick walls, uninsulated and/or space constrained such as flats and mid-terrace buildings, as well as high rise buildings.

A small eco-office pod that can be purchased. This structure is fully off-grid, sustainably heated and cooled using heat pumps which extract water from the canal.

Imagine Airbnb and WeWork combined. You get to own or rent an existing private pod as a space to work in. Ecopods are located near canals as their primary source of energy production uses the canal water. It also comes with a good view.

Capture carbon while you work.

Off-the-grid. Completely cut off the main power grid Sustainably heated. Ecopods use canal water and sun for energy Private workspace. Our ecopod’s are available for 1-2 people Choose your days. Book the days you need to work Move-in ready. Comes with intergrated cork furniture

ecopod

User goes to the website and orders their ideal ecopod

An ecopod is assembled at their nearest available canal

Using the Canal for Energy Canal and River Trust

Across England and Wales the 2,000 miles of canals and rivers flow through cities, past homes, alongside offices and out into countryside.

Canal & River Trust work involves not only looking after our waterways, particularly in the face of climate change, but promoting them for the wellbeing of people.

For this reason, CRT is partnering with Ecopod to provide sustainable workspaces which not only help the planet by sequestering carbon through timber use, but also enhance wellbeing whilst working. The ecopod is therefore specifically designed to be placed near a canal.

Cork provides a super insulative space so that the heat is not wasted

Timber sequesters carbon from the atmosphere

Additional solar tubes use the sun radiation to provide heat

The compressor uses heat exchange to blow warm air into the pod

Water from the canal is extracted into the tubes and enters the compressor

Wide window facade provides glorious view into nature whilst you work.

Ecopods located along CRT canals

CRT board directors, who take collective decisions on policy and strategy

Water and Air Heat Pump Systems and components

Water source heat pumps are often more efficient than ground and air source devices. This is because heat transfers better in water, while water temperatures are generally more stable throughout the year (between 7 and 12 degrees on average), which is higher than the average air and ground temperature in winter.

Air source heat pumps are no larger than a washing machine and can be located anywhere where there’s enough decent flow of fresh air.

Introduction to MidJourney

Using A.I. as a tool

To explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and architecture, I’ll be using tools such as Midjourney to generate A.I. powered architectural prototypes. These prototypes will be expanded into parametric models using Grasshopper3D, allowing me to create novel and inhabited spaces that integrate living elements such as plants, trees, and soils. Our focus is on using A.I. in the design process and linking it to specific industrial manufacturing techniques such as CNC.

DS10 is committed to finding novel solutions to sustainability issues in all their forms. We value digital exploration on the boundary between structure and ornament, as well as thorough material testing. Our focus is on creating realistic and efficient buildings that contribute to a more sustainable society.

MidJourney is a program that uses artificial intelligence to generate images through text prompts and parameters. This innovative approach allows for the creation of visual representations of written ideas, providing a unique and dynamic way to explore and communicate concepts.

It uses a machine learning algorithm trained on a huge amount of image data to produce unique images.

MidJourney currently is accepting signups on its website and is sending out invitations through email. Once you get an invitation email you will communicate with the program through Discord, sending your prompts to their bot which will then deliver you your image.

Chat box where the prompts are typed

Outcome of the prompts. This is where you can choose to upscale a version of your image

The Discord App where the Midjourney Bot Channel is located

Midjourney interface:

Experimenting with MidJourney

Generating images using keywords

Experimentations composing visual images through a series of words using MidJourney. Starting with initial interest of geometry to then adding one word at a time has slowly generated architectural forms which look aestheticly pleasing and of interest.

01

Colorful “bubbles” could be formed from translucent or transparent material as accents or as harvesting pods. Bright colors work well with white.

02

Beginnings of light structure formation with fabric like “umbrella” and look aesthetically pleasing.

Prompt: bezier curve

Prompt:

bezier curve, Gaudi, architecture, tracing paper, tissue, natural fibres Upscaled (max)

02

Prompt: bezier curve, Gaudi

Type + +

Prompt: bezier curve, gaudi, architecture

Biocomposites

Prompt: bezier curve, gaudi, architecture, bio composite, biopolymers

Clay

Prompt: bezier curve, gaudi, architecture, clay

Wood

Prompt: bezier curve, gaudi, architecture, planks, timber, wooden planks, lumber, wooden

Paper

Prompt: bezier curve, gaudi, architecture, tracing paper, tissue

Fibres

Prompts

Descriptions, Lighting and Weight

Trying to inform the image in order to produce more context. Also adding another layer into the prompt to try increase the quality of the image using lighting and more descriptive keywords.

Weight

(::n)

Adding more descriptive words

01 Upscaled (max) image using the highest number weight on the word harvsting structure. MidJourney takes words very literally. Traces of the word harcesting could be seen by the boats, and flower like strcuture.

Description

Prompt: bezier curve, gaudi, architecture, tracing paper, tissue, natural fibres, biophilic design, parametric

Purpose

Prompt: ... tissue, natural fibres, biophilic design, parametric, sustainable architecture

Style 01

Prompt:

... biophilic design, parametric, sustainable architecture, Jean Prouve

01 Upscaled (Beta) Softened render, details are much more prominent or diffused.

Style 02

Prompt: ... biophilic design, parametric, sustainable architecture, Zaha Hadid

02 Upscaled (Max) High detail and high contrast with a lot of texture.

03 Beta Upscale Redo Texture scale seems off and “brush” size seems to be much bigger in scale.

More details

Prompt:

... Jean Prouve, Zaha Hadid, symmetrical, hyper detailed, national geographic

Lighting

Prompt:

... symmetrical, hyper detailed, national geographic, photo realistic, fine lighting

From Object to Form

Producing “realistic” images

Adding realism to the images creates endless opportunities. The most useful prompt I found was “first person GoPro image” and “ultra wide angle”. This sets the scene in a first persons perspective creating a greater visual association to real life scenery. Ultra wide angle zooms the image and generates more perspective of the surroundings.

The aspect ratio matters when trying to generate a specific object. A wider aspect ratio tends to create more landscape images. A portrait aspect ratio usually centres the object adding more sky and ground to the foreground.

Detail and render type

Prompt: unreal engine, hyper realistic, microscopic, building facade, fabrication

Translucency

Prompt: ... plants, organic form, eco parametric, frei Otto lightweight structure, translucent

Outside of the taxonomy

Prompt: ... building facade, facade structure, beautiful, interesting, sci-fi , out of this world

Perspective and camera

Prompt: ultra-wide angle unrealengine , first person GoPro image, at golden hour lighting

Experimenting with aspect ratios to see if the results vary and I would get more information in the image.

Aspect Ratio (--ar 9:16)

Prompt: ... hyper realistic, microscopic, building facade, facade structure --ar 9:16

Aspect Ratio (--ar 16:9)

Prompt: ... hyper realistic, microscopic, building facade, facade structure --ar 16:9

Using Fluent Language From keywords to sentences

The two Mid-Journey images I am interested in replicating. The first image has a unique structure with slated timber frames and triangular panels. The second image has an interesting way of configuring double curved triangular window panels.

The images at first glance look structurally feasible but some areas are obvious to pixel distortion.

Using the same keywords as before, I typed complete sentences as opposed to just words followed by commas. With a much clearer command such as “pavillion” it generated more specific objects. In addition to that, I have left styling words such as “golder hour lighting” to be a keyword.

Adding specifc rendering styles such as “unreal engine” and “CGsociety” produced more realistic results.

Prompt:

A tiny parametric pavilion made from translucent material and wood and plant harvesting systems on the facade, symmetrical design, sitting on waterscape surrounded by trees and plants, biophilic design, urban design, modular, sustainable architecture, zaha hadid and jean prouve style, Maya, rhino parametric modelling, bezier curve, elegant, national geographic, animal planet, lightweight, natural fibres, hyper detailed, beautiful, interesting, golden hour lighting, CGsociety, micro detail, unrealengine , first person GoPro image, --ar 4:16 --testp --upbeta

Module Analysis

MidJourney images as starting points

80

01. Reference images for investigating points of interest

02. Testing the extent of curves

03. Testing radii of panels 04. Investigating staggered panels

20

Double Curved Panels

Experimenting with assembly

This pattern is made from 2 modules rotated and repeated. The first line of pattern is intersecting with the second line, third and so on. Creating a flow of shell like pattern.

Example of double curved glass panel

Studying Double Curved Surface

Sydney Opera House as a case study

Jørn Utzon’s competition entry in 1957 contained schematic designs, clearly explaining the concept for the building but not how it would be built. The challenge of constructing the concrete shells that form the roof would confound the building’s engineers for years. It was Utzon who eventually struck upon a ‘spherical solution’ to craft the shells from the surface of an imaginary sphere. This spherical solution elevated the architecture beyond a mere style – in this case that of shells – into a more permanent idea, one inherent in the universal geometry of the sphere.

Non-developable surfaces are variously referred to as having “doubly curved” or “non-zero Gaussian curvature”. They cannot be unfolded or “developed” accurately without knowing something about the characteristics of the material.

Vertical rotation at 3.65°

Shell 1 Shell 2 Shell 3

Shell 4

Divide Shells Into 8 Parts

Mirror Shell , Top View

Sydney Opera House Roof “Shells”

Base Circles Shell Slices Join Curves Project on Sphere

Replicating Structure

Using MJ image to replicate vertical frames

The perspective of the image makes it challenging to 3D model the structure. There isnt’t any evidence of what is happening behind the structure either so the areas behind are up to me to create.

MidJourney image

Frame 1

Frame 2

Frame 3

Frames with panels

Mirrored frames Connect

Tween Curves Extrude

Figuring Out the Process

Tweening closed curves vs open

Dividing it into two modules decreases the space of the pod

Tweening just open curves doesn’t allow flexibility creating a base which comes to one point

Tweening the two closed curves creates deformities in between

The poles are too thin to be tweened therefore another method needs to be used

Frame 1 Frame 2 Frame 3

Frame 1 Frame 2 Frame 3

Tween open curve and mirror

Tween closed curve

1:50 scale model testing whether the strcuture will stand with the stilts.

Middle section Back section

Front section

Tweening sections

Off-Grid Systems - Canal Boats

Case Study of compact & conscious living

Narrowboats are used for holidays, weekend breaks, touring, or as permanent or part-time residences.

With all the extra space, wide beam boats offer a comfortable home for those who wish to live onboard and prefer not to cruise as much.

Triple glazed for maximum insulating and soundproofing

Solar panels produce 6kW (widebeam) 3kW (narrowboat) Separett waterless no flush loo

Eco Boiler stove/ pellet boiler. Burning eco logs made from compressed wood waste.

Rain harvesting falling on the roof is collected through a drainage system

Water tank infront of boat fills from hose Hotspotting from phones

Thick insulation on walls and floor to retain heat and keep cool in summer

When

Electricity Waste Water Heating Internet

Fridge and counter

full, the removable bins are stored and can be recycled as compost within six months

Cork Material research Where Does Cork Come From? Material research

Expanded cork is a 100% natural product commonly used for insulation. Its made from cork that is too resinous to be used for wine corks.

The abundance of naturally occurring resins that are to be found in the cork bark made to use expanded cork are used to bind granules under pressure without using any additional adhesives.

Agglomerated cork is made by grinding up of off-cuts of natural cork bark to form granules and then gluing the granules back together with a synthetic bonding agent (polyurethane) to form blocks.

Process of production of cork

Microscopic

100,000 ton

49.6%

Expanded cork

Bark is removed from cork oak tree

Expanded cork

Strips are punched out to make natural cork stoppers

WATERPROOF

FIRE RESISTANT

GOOD INSULATOR

ABRASION RESISTANT

LIGHT

ELASTIC

COMPRESSIBLE

STORES CO2

Cork granules are sorted by size and density

Agglomerated

image of cork

Insulation Standards Using cork for insulation

In a typical Passive House, the U values of the walls, floors, and roofs are required to fall between 0.1 to 0.15 W/m2K.

A U-value is a sum of the thermal resistances of the layers that make up an entire building element.

W/m2K is the unit in which the U-Value is measured. W/m2K stands for Watts-per- metersquare-kelvin. The lower this value, the better a product is at insulating a building.

The thermal conductivity of cork is 0.036-0.38 W/mk and its density is 7.0 to 7.5 pounds per cubic foot (112.13 kilograms per cubic meter).

Cork can handle temperature ranges of -180 to +120 degrees celcius. This makes it well-suited to insulate homes in every climate.

Standard insulative cork size

R Value = Heat Resistance

How much an object prevents heat from going through.

U Value = Heat Conduction

How fast heat transfers from hotter end to the colder end.

Interior Layout Parameters Plan diagram configurations

I begand to place the rooms depending on the sun direction. Living spaces such as the working area and relaxing/ reading space are south/ south-west facing to get the most sun. Kitchen space is east-south facing to catch the morning sun. The W/C is placed to the north.

Whilst arranging the layout my aim is to fit the tiny home office within the red site boundary, with the allowance of few centimeters as some part of it will be in contact with the canal for the heat pump.

I used canal boat interior layout as a guide for rough estimate of minimum area dimensions. See canal boat analysis on page 17.

1. Minimum dimensions for the accommodations

2. Started to identify the site constrains. The width of the site is quite short, so I have space to work length wise.

of different layouts

3. Using the accommodation dimensions defined, I began arranging the spaces with people, stairs and basic furniture for dimensions.

Layout 1. Steps are poking out want them linear and contained.

Layout 2. Linear design like a canal boat. A bit too linear?

Layout 3. Awkward angles between desk and sofa.

Layout 4. Good views to the canal. All spaces have access to sunlight.

Matrix

Modelling Layout 4 Assembly of sections

During the process of modelling I found out I could give few centimeters more breathing space in terms of width. The next phase is to design the base structure and heat pump system.

Total number of frames: 22

Length: 5.5m

Width: 3m

Height: 5.8m

Rounded edges 200°

Extrusion: 45mm

115mm

Surface offset: 130mm

Layout 4 diagram

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Tweened frames Gap:

6 frames

Interior cork extrusion

Section 2

Section 3

Pre-Fabrication Method

Off-The Shelf timber and CNC connection

A stop splayed scarf joint is used to create longer timbers. Splitting the frame into sections is a more sustainable way to CNC the pod as its using less template material. It also makes the pieces more compact for transportation and easy to assemble on site.

Exploded axonometric of a corner stop-splayed scarf joint with glue laminated timber

How to draw a top-splayed scarf joint

47mm 100mm

Scarf Joint Model CNC plywood and sawn timber

The CNC mill drill has a 6mm radius. This means that the inner corners are not perfectly sharp like I drew them on CAD. For this reason I decided to CNC all connections so they fit perfectly but the size turned out to be bigger due to offseting the CNC operation. This led me to hand cut the timber piece and use the corner as is.

01

Both joinery is cut using CNC. Because I had to leave 3mm allowance the joinery came out too big.

02

Curved joinery is cut using CNC, the other piece is hand cut timber. I removed the key altogether because it was an unecessary part to have in this case.

03

Using the 6mm mill drill I made holes at the midpoint of each piece.

04

Cut pegs a bit bigger length for allowance. Added a tiny bit of wood glue to keep it together and then trimmed the excess.

CNC plywood corner

Sawn timber

3mm radius

Building with off-the shelf Timber Supplier, carbon storage and produce

Choosing a Timber Supplier

Length

(47mm

36 Kg

47x100x6000 (4x2) structural graded C24 treated timber from Builder Depot Carbon Storage

Although all plant matter absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, trees absorb and store some of the carbon in their trunk, potentially storing it for hundreds of years. The wood itself continues to act as a carbon store after the timber is used in construction.

36 Kg co2

For every 4x2 (6m) sawn timber

36 Kg of Co2 is stored That is the same as one lamb leg

Timber Grade C16 & C24:

“C” stands for conifer, a type of tree that the timber comes from. The number refers to the strength grade.

C24 is also kild dried and is more superior in strength, resilience and appearance. It also costs more than C16.

19 1 1 2

x 6m logs

Spruce tree can produce

sawn timber of the standard suppliers size (4x2) is 28.2 m3.

20 Kg

3 Tonnes of Co2 Sequestered Co2 storage and waste

“For your plastic bags to have the same footprint as just one trip from L.A. to Spain, you would have to go to the supermarket every single day for 10 years and return each time with 93 disposable bags. A flight from New York to London has roughly half the impact.”

-- Mike Berners-Lee How Bad Are Bananas?

Formula for carbon storage in wood = 1kg of wood holds about 1.8kg of CO2.

Total off-the shelf pieces: 130

Total CNC pieces: 155

Total pieces: 285

Rough cost of all off-the shelf timber: £780

Rough cost of CNC (p/h £40) : £320 £1,100 for all wood pieces

Total kg: 1,722.6kg 1,722.6kg x 1.8kg Co2 = 3,100.68kg of Co2 is stored in wood

The amount of waste is less, than if the frames are CNC’ed as one single piece.

Designing The Stilt Base Options

Investigating the different ways I can have the base columns. The preferred option is Option 3 my criteria to make my decision is:

1. Structural feasibility

2. Lightness

3. Slimmer aesthetic

I also used MidJourney to generate ideas for the stilt base. This is an image of what I was using as a starter for inspiration.

01

Option 1 seems a bit too dense perhaps theres too much structure which doesnt need it.

02 Option 2 is very similar to the MidJourney structure which means it should be feasable to be stable. Theres also triangulation so the support should be sufficient.

03 Option 3 I think its similar to option 1 but instead of a central column there are 2 on each side which should make it more stable. So far this is my prefered option as the cladding works seamlessly with the base and structure looks stable.

04 Option 4 is the same as option 3 but the columns are facing inward. Makes the pod very rectangular I like the fact that the other options have a slimmer base.

Using The Connections

Forming the base

Using the same joint method as I designed for the corner connection, I designed custom pieces which would be cut using the CNC. This allows the construction to be seamless and recurring through out the architecture of the pod.

MidJourney helped with solving the approach for the staircase by generating ideas which I then carefully chose and designed. The three images below are the main references used for this.

MidJourney Prompt: Staircase made out of vertical wooden slates integrated blended --q 2 --upbeta --v 4

Contruction of Ecopod Limehousecut Canal

Using off-the shelf timber and dividing the frames enables the pieces to fit in a transport vehicle.

The wood pieces can then be slot together on site as they are less heavy than a single fused frame which means it can be man-handled by 1-2 workers.

Solar Heating Solar tube and insulation

Solar tubes harness the sun’s energy by turning the solar radiation into heat. The outer layer of the solar tube is Borosilicate glass which is very low in iron and allows 98% of light energy to pass through. In addition to the water pump, which uses the canal water to heat the pod, I’m using solar tubes as an additional method of heating to be used during sunny days.