Spatial Experiments (Hany elhassany -joana costa)

Tamnougalt, Morocco

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Spatial Experiments I David Andreen | Anna Goidea

Booklet

JOANA COSTA | HANY EL HASSANY

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Tamnougalt is a small village located in Atlas Mountains in the South of Morocco.

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Fig.1 - Site Plan (Scale 1:500) The place we chose is in the new part of town and is surrounded by buildings with different characteristics. We can find buildings with ground coat and a typical construction of Morocco. At the same time we found walls and buildings in unpainted concrete. Another striking aspect of this land is the presence of a well.

Fig.2 - Localization Plant

Fig.3 - Filled and Empty Plan

Tamnougalt was strategically positioned on the Spice Route to Marrakech, making it a vibrant trading centre. It is not clear exactly when Tamnougalt was built, but it was the capital of the Mezguita oasis at the time when Taleb El Hassan was made caid (local governor) in the 18th century by the Alaouite sultan.

This picture represents all the buildings and construction and empty sites.

Tamnougalt is located in Atlas Mountains in Morocco and it is characterized by the presence of the valley of Draa River and its oasis. Historically, this place is known due to the fact that it was important for exportation routes.

Most of the old town is now abandoned, with the community being established in the north, where is the new town. Is in the new town that we decided to implement our building. There is a significant difference between the new and old towns. In the old part we can find narrow and maze streets dominated by an irregular plant, whereas in the new part we can see a more regular plant, but not always orthogonal. The buildings and public spaces are also quite different.

During the stay in Tamnougalt we studied the existing connections between town and the surroundings. We conclude that there were a few ways of connection to move around. Basically 2 main roads, several secondary streets and paths.

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Also we notice that in the area there is a frequent use of courtyard houses, which proves to be appropriated due to the fact that they effectively respond better to local climatic conditions and cultural needs of the population. This particularly fact is of great importance to us, and we used this principle in our project.

Fig.4 - Courtyard

Fig.5 - Roads

Most homeowners features inner courtyards that serve for lighting and ventilation of the interior of the houses. The choice of the type of courtyard house proves to be appropriate because it effectively responds to local climatic conditions (pre-desert climate) and cultural needs of the population. The benefits that seek building houses "introverted", as the Moroccan that develop around a courtyard, are mainly temperature control and improved ventilation, as well as the protection of privacy. The courtyard in the Arab-Muslim house plays the main climate regulator role, carrying air and light into the house, showing also be the center of domestic activities and the heart of the house, around which are developed every room.

There are two main roads: one connecting Tamnougalt to Afra that divides the new and the old town. The other one other connects the square in the old part of the village to Adgaz. Basically we can identify three different ways of traveling in Tamnougalt: by using the main roads, the secondary streets or the paths.

Fig.6 - Tamnougalt Perspective

Fig.7 - Tamnougalt Perspective

Built with stone, mud brick and rammed earth, the village rises up overlooking the date palm gardens below. Palms gardens flourish along the Draa valley that stretches for 150 kms, to the very edge of the desert.

The built in Tamnougalt has few windows and openings facing the street, only entrance doors. Punctually we find small perforations that become merely decorative elements.

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Syntesis

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The breath of the building is the feature we want to implement in our project because to understand a well-ventilated structure is necessary to achieve a sustainable level of energy efficiency. For this feature we based our technique in the Venturi effect.

The Venturi effect occurs when a system, the fluid in constant motion in a uniform product is compressed momentarily to find a narrowing zone decreasing its pressure and thus increasing its speed to cross the narrowed area where there is "also" a low pressure and if at this point to introduce a third product or a probe will find a suction of the fluid contained in this connection.

However, we understand that the materialization of this effect is not sufficient to achieve its objective and given that its implementation has such a visual impact on the project, the complementary opportunity arose this building function with a ecocooling system.

In this ecocolling system the change in pressure that occurs when air enters the wider part of the outside of the façade window and comes out through the end cools the air.

It seems uncanny, but the principle is simple. Blow on your hand with your mouth wide open. The air feels hot, doesn’t it? Now, blow on your hand with your lips pursed. It feels like a cool breeze. This Eco-Cooler doesn’t require any electricity to function and take advantage of the design of the window.

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First Concept

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Magnetic Fields Analysis: This type of analyze was chosen in order to obtain the final desired form for the building. For this simulation points of attraction and repulsion were defined taking into account the entrances and the courtyards.

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Analsys: Magnetic Fields

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Wind Analsys

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Shape | Concept: This set of images are a representation of the form in several stages, starting by using Grasshopper analysis (image 8.1 - magnetic fields) and Rhino Vaults (images 8.1 to 8.6) to obtain the final shape.

8.6

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Concept Shape

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Fig.9 - From the Concept to Reality This scheme shows the layout and orientation for the “Venturi Holes” done using Grasshopper, as a result of several analysis made regarding wind and pressure distribution on the structure.

We decided to apply our concept on two different scales.

• On (Macro) Urban Scale Due the strategic place of the site (meeting point for the place) being on main road, presence of a old water well so we choose the confluence to be our theme and we decided to use grasshopper magnetic field lines as a grid to organize our project elements to build a final vaultlike form using “Rhino Vault” taking into consideration the places of courtyards (repulsion force on the grid).

• On (Micro) Prototype From applying several analysis on the vault (wind, solar radiation, structural) we suggested (to make use of the wind motion to decrease the interior temperature.

Brick placement We have three layers of bricks: 1. 1st layer: at the base of the vault to support structure (Solid brick) 2. 2nd layer: at the area of highest wind pressure (Common brick) 3. 3rd layer: area the top where is highest solar radiation (Brick with hydrogel)

Fig.11 - Wind Analysis The figure shows the wind flow distribution on the roof of the building. It was obtained by using Autodesk Flow Design application.

Fig.12 - Pressure Analysis This images are a representation for the pressure distribution on the structure, used to decide the positioning of the “Venturi Holes”. From left to right, images show the pressure distribution on the top, middle and bottom levels of the structure.

Fig.13 - Grasshopper Code Grasshopper code – step-by-step - to materialize the concept.

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From the Concept to Grasshopper

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Fig.17 - Ground Level Plan (Scale 1:200)

By following our main concept, the objective was to design the prototype in such a way that it could look like the chameleon cells and at same time to give the idea of the expansion and retraction of its cells. These images are intended to show our concept in terms of the analogy between the design of the holes with the use of hydrogel as a material that can expand and retract, with the function of the chameleon cells.

For instance, like the expansion of the chameleon cells occur with temperature changes, the hydrogel will also expand with water presence.

Also, with some technical advantages, the holes are changing its sizes from the interior to exterior of the building.

So after presenting our concept we will now see the unit component that were developed following two main principals: • The first one is the Venturi principle that is related with the designing shape of the holes; • The Second one, is related with the use of hydrogel in order to produce some temperature regulation in the building;

Fig.18 - Middle Level Plan (Scale 1:200)

Fig.19 - Roof Plan (Scale 1:200)

Combining this two principles we intend to achieve an effective way of reducing the building’s temperature.

The layout choosed of the unit components on the roof was based on several analyses made of the incidence of the wind and pressure variations and also by the common sense, concerning that the best performance for the hydrogel could be achieved if it is exposed to the highest solar radiation possible.

It is also simple to understand that with the rising of the temperature affecting each unit this will have an effect of increasing the potential evaporation of the water contained in the hydrogel; Explaining a little about the design of the holes it is important to understand the technical advantages of the Venturi Principle that we applied to our prototype. The Venturi effect is the phenomenon that occurs when a fluid (in this case the air) that is flowing through a pipe is forced through a narrow section, resulting in a pressure decrease and a velocity increase, in our case, increasing flow entering the building.

As far as hydrogel concerned this material is a polymer that will expand when in contact with the water. Then, due to the rising of temperature, the water in the hydrogel will slowly evaporate and with the air flow through the holes of the roof it is expected to achieve a reduction in interior’s temperature of the building. For this purpose, a special design of the holes following the venture principal is critical for the success.

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Building Plans

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Fig.14 - Section C-D

Fig.15 - Section A-B

Fig.16 - Section E-F

Pipes Arrangements: It shows the pipes arrangement needed to feed the cavities of the hydrogel with water. The Grasshopper was used to define feeding points (water) and points to be fed (hydrogel).

Fig.20 - Detail Detail showing the “Venturi Holes� and their different orientations taking into account their positioning and the hydrogel cavities.

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Sections and Detail

Concept

This project seeks to develop a critical look at the Moroccan architecture, from the perspective of understanding and recognition of their instruments and projective techniques, with the purpose of integrating the best project in the existing building. At the same time intended to develop a component that aims to improve the comfort of the building and its energy efficiency by copy of some features of the chameleon. The breathing of the building is a feature that we implemented because to understand a well-ventilated structure is necessary to achieve a sustainable level of energy efficiency.

Function

The facade has different characteristics; the first one has to do with the design of their holes. The holes will taper following the Venturi Principle. The Venturi effect is the phenomenon that occurs when a fluid (in this case the air) that is flowing through a pipe is forced through a narrow section, resulting in a pressure decrease and a velocity increase, in our case, increasing flow entering the building. In addition, we present the Ecocooler project that is based on the same principle, and that allows for a greater sense of freshness due to forced air circulation.The second feature of the facade is the ability for a reduction of about 5 degrees Celcius in the temperature in the building. This achievement will be possible using the same principle implemented on other projects already in field based on hydroceramic.

What we will expect to be done is to create on the interior of each hole a small cavity where a ball of hydrogel is implanted. Each cavity will be irrigated with water from a pipeline arrangement. The hydrogel is a polymer that will expand when in contact with water, and can reach 3 times the initial volume. Then the water in the hydrogel will evaporate very slowly (during the day) and with air circulation inside the facade is expected to achieve a reduction of about five degrees Celsius in the temperature. Thus, by combining this polymer with a proper design of the holes we will aim to obtain a temperature decrease in the building.

Final Unit

Basically the unit component that we developed follows two main principals: the Venturi Principle, that is related with the design of the holes, and the temperature regulation in building that is related with the hydrogel. Combining this two principles we pretend to achieve a reduction of the building’s temperature.

The decision we made to apply the unit components on the roof was based in two crucial aspects that we had in account, Those aspects are: the first one is related with the fact that we think that we will achieve the best performance for the hydrogel, when it is exposed to the highest solar radiation. It is simple to understand that with the rising of the temperature in each unit this will have an effect of increasing the potential evaporation of the water contained in the hydrogel; the second aspect is related with the air flows, that are expected to be different with eight, and due to the fact that in the lower level we expect to have less wind then on the top of the building. So, the “Venturi holes” would be placed mainly in areas where is expected to have more wind.

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Prototype

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Tools The designed molds are aimed to produce units efficiently. A frame and two compression supports were developed.

The frame is used to contain the clay, while the other two molds are used to shape the holes and the Hydrogel cavities. The designed mechanism is capable of producing several units, ensuring greater efficiency at a lower cost.

Fabrication Process of the Ceramic Unit The serial production of the units is mainly a manual process with a reduced machinery intervention, that is adapted to the socio-economic context of Morocco. This image shows the construction of a unit implying operations like compressing, modeling and baking the clay in the oven.

Assembling the Bricks Concerning the assembly of the units, the principle of simplicity was taken into account. The construction process starts by forming the outer walls of the building followed by the construction of a temporary roof structure. On the next stage, a set of temporary frames should be placed in order to later support, all the units. This process must take into account the correct positioning of the frames in order to fit each unit correctly. Finally, using the installed frame, all the units should be placed and fixed together using a special mortar.

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Fabrication Strategy

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Confluence Studio: Tamnougalt

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