Grassland Cloud Studio Booklet Spring 2018

UBUNTU NATION

“I am because you are” - The bond of sharing connects all humankind

City Facts & Statistics:

Introduction

Location: Eastern Equatoria, South Sudan

The grassland biome is found on every continent, besides Antarctica, often at the juncture between the rainforest and desert regions. Each continent has a different name for its local grassland region - from the Plains of North America to the Steppes of Europe (see Figure 3.2.1) - and each one is populated accordingly with various plant and animal species according to the local micro climate.

Population: 36,100,000 people Population Density: 43,375 people / km2 Approximate Average Building Height: 500 meters Approx. Height of Tallest Buildings: 650 meters

Grassland topography is characteristically monotonous, with little variation in elevation or plant cover. Some areas see the development of interesting rock structures that are developed through earth action. The surrounding earth is eroded by wind or rainfall, but localized masses of granite and other impervious rocks resist this erosion and rise above the rest of the land to create formations known as inselbergs, as seen in Figure 3.1.1 The weather also sees little variation. In a tropical grassland such as the one selected for our city, there are only two seasons - dry season and rainy season. The rainy season runs from April to November roughly, and the dry season for the remaining months. Humidity can be stifling in the middle of the rainy season. On average, temperatures do not fluctuate very much across the year, with an average annual temperature between 21º and 34ºC.

Ubuntu Nation

“Ubuntu Nation is an

organically developed community and lifestyle. It is the city of the future. ”

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The word Ubuntu comes from a South African saying that translates to “I am because you are”. This is part of a humanitarian philosophy shared in many regions of Africa that humankind remains connected through sharing, interaction, and a level of co-dependency.

As will be seen in this presentation, our city is built upon this sharing philosophy. Current global trends suggest that a shared economy is the way that the world is going.

Private lives are being expanded and opened up to the world through social media and new socio-economic constructs, namely in transportation and accommodation.

Ubuntu Nation is an organically developed community and lifestyle. It is the community of the future.

Arlene Hayes Tra Nguyen

Figure 3.1.1. Image of Inselbergs in Eastern Equatoria © XXX

Figure 3.1.2. Urban Image of Building Clusters Aligning with Inspiration Image Above. © Tra Nguyen

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Climate Terrain Analysis & City Location After conducting a study of grasslands across the globe, and their projected climate change and population increases over the next 50-70 years (as seen in Figures 3.2.1 - 3.2.2) it was clear that, with current trends, the populations of African cities are expected to grow exponentially, and faster than any other continent, in the not-so-far future.

Many of the cities carded for such dramatic growth lie on or near the coast, putting them at risk for natural disasters related to sea rise and storm surges. For this reason, we sought a more inland location for our city that is near enough and has enough land area to plausibly evacuate overflow residents from the five at-risk cities.

Figure 3.2.1. World Map Showing Global Distribution of the Grassland Biome and Forecasted Population Increases

Figure 3.2.2. World Map Depicting Population Projections Across Each Continent

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With deeper investigation, we found some strengths and weaknesses within the climate of the African land mass, and used this information to help locate a specific, viable site for our new city.

As seen in the images below, there is access to quite a few useful resources here. Propensity for natural disaster is low across the continent, with the biggest threat coming from widespread droughts and the encroaching Sahara desert from the North.

Figure 3.2.3. Annual Ranges within the Climate

Natural Disasters

Wind Power

0.877 - 1 m/s

4.5 - 5 m/s

1 - 1.5 m/s

5 - 5.5 m/s

1.5 - 2 m/s

2 - 2.5 m/s

2.5 - 3 m/s

3 - 3.5 m/s

3.5 - 4 m/s

4 - 4.5 m/s

5.5 - 6 m/s

6 - 6.5 m/s

6.5 - 7 m/s

7 - 7.5 m/s

7.5 - 8 m/s

8 - 8.5 m/s

Volcanoes location

Crisis Food Insecurity

Solar Energy

Water Resources

Very high in major basins

< 1900 kWh/m2

2000 kWh/m2

2100 kWh/m2

2200 kWh/m2

2300 kWh/m2

2400 kWh/m2

Stress Food Insecurity

High in major basins

Medium in major basins

Low in major basins

Very low in major basins

Very low in major aquaifers

High in area with complex structure

Very high in major aquaifers

Very high in area with complex geological structure

Medium in area with complex structure

Figure 3.2.4. Resources and Challenges Across the African Climate. Š

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Site Analysis: Challenges & Opportunities

Desertification

The Sahara Desert naturally spans almost the entire Northern band of the African continent. Desertification is what happens when, due to a number of climatic and geographic factors, previously grassy areas begin to dry out and turn into desert land.

Eastern Equatoria, an eastern state of Africa, has some of the most fertile land on the entire land mass. However, due to under-utilization and extended droughts in the region, this area is quickly becoming desertified (see Figure 3.3.2).

To attempt to combat this problem, we have located our city on the western edge of currently drying lands (see Figures 3.3.3. and 3.3.4.).

The presence of many dried river beds flowing through our site and nearby fresh water bodies provides hope that these systems can be maximized to benefit the new city.

The flow patterns created from each tributary of the river, as seen in Figure 3.3.1. also gave inspiration for our city’s organizational structure, explored on the next page.

Figure 3.3.1. Conditions of the Albert Nile River Bed and Natural Surrounding Land Patterns. © Google Maps 2017

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Figures 3.3.2. - 3.3.4. Images of the Impeding Desertification and its Relation to Our City Site. © Google Maps 2017

Design Concepts: Sustainability Drivers The structure of our city mimics the branching of the river beds, flowing eastward from the main tributary. The network pattern is naturally built along the Albert Nile, which serves as the main method of transportation from North to South. A series of transit stations get the resident traveler to a point where they can then travel east through the city to a more specific location. This start to the city organization also lends itself to an ease of future expansion, moving further east to address a greater portion of desertified land, or turning to the west bank of the river.

Figure 3.4.1. Images or Diagrams Depicting Climate Solutions. © XXX Green Space

Figure 3.4.2. Images or Diagrams Depicting Climate Solutions. © XXX

Figure 3.4.3. Images or Diagrams Depicting Climate Solutions. © XXX

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Building Form: Cluster, Structure & Technology Once settled in a particular region, our study became more localized, exploring the vernacular architecture or organization of the indigenous people of South Sudan. We came across a community structure of a local tribe that exists not far from our selected area. The clustered pattern of their communities, as shown in Figure 3.5.1, is largely structured around public spaces. In the top left image, the dark and dotted spaces are living and working spaces (residences and farms, livestock pens). The other enclosed spaces that weave between those are the public community spaces where life happens. We decided to mimic this structure and carry it up into the vertical rise of our city.

Cluster Arrangement

Local Cluster Scale

Urban Scale

Building Scale

Inter-Building Relationship

Figure 3.5.1. Diagrams Explaining Cluster Development

Livestock

Local form

Figure 3.5.2. Diagram of Building Form Development

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Push out to create shading and allow wind flow

Create atrium for light to come in the building & opening at the facade for green space and wind flow

Urban Form: Topography, Infrastructure & Technology These clusters propagate across the cityscape and are interwoven by branch-like paths that connect one cluster to the next.

Interspersed, open, green spaces provide park and farmland, meant to be used by the entire community as in the native clustered communities.

Figure 3.6.1. Model of a portion of the Urban Form.

Figure 3.6.2. A portion of the city plan.

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Building Systems: Design & Technology Each aspect of the buildings are designed to take greatest advantage of the local conditions. The clusters are positioned to shelter the interior platform spaces from harsh, driving winds during the rainy season, but to encourage the flow of cool breezes between the buildings during the dry season (Figure 3.7.2.). The tallest building also acts as a shade for the smaller ones and the platform, while offering its back to absorb the high levels of radiation it gains from the sun throughout the day.

Given the large floor plates within each building, studies were done to verify just how far daylight would penetrate the floor area to create usable space, as shown in Figure 3.7.3. This study helped position the cores of the building to avoid blocking out useful sunlight, and to create and size the arches within the facade that would feed light into the large central atria.

Figure 3.7.1. Solar Radiation Diagram of a North-Facing Cluster

Figure 3.7.2. Wind Study during the Rainy (blue) and Dry (yellow) Seasons.

Figure 3.7.3. Cluster Formation Diagram.

Regular floor height - 4m

15 storeys ~ 45m solar penetration

Figure 3.7.4. Floor Plate Sunlight Study with Opening Atrium

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25 storeys ~ 65m solar penetration

South Sudanese people live largely off of subsistence farming. Each household or village tends their plot of land or group of livestock and produces enough to sustain their family and neighbors. Our cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal to promote a shared economy strengthens this existing bond between the native communities. Our clusters create large pastures at the base that can be used for grazing livestock. Rotational grazing is a technique used to revitalize dried out land by elminating over-use by cattle. The animals are allowed to graze and fertilize the soil, then trample the land as they move on to new pastures to repeat the process.

To reduce water wastage in an already drying climate, the building facade will be utilized to recycle grey water and redistribute it through the building.

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1

1

Collection of UV-purified grey water from the facade occurs within the outrigger zones

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Purified water is then filtered through phytoremediation by the roots of plants at each sky garden

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The recycled water is retained for distribution in the building core at each outrigger zone

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Clean, potable water is then re-distributed to individual units by gravity

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Figure 3.7.5. Nomadic Farming Culture and Rotational Grazing Pattern

Figure 3.7.6. Grey Water Recycling System

Coated with a photovoltaic module

Copper tone aluminum piping

Figure 3.7.7 Facade Details. Š XXX

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Building Systems: Shaping Community The village is multiplied here within the building.

Community culture is taken off the ground and elevated and expanded within each floor plate.

Figure 3.8.1. Top of the buildings cluster

Figure 3.8.2 Top of the buildings cluster

Figure 3.8.3. Building Clusters Model

Figure 3.8.4. Looking up through the Atrium

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600 m

Agriculture Planting Market 500 m

Commerical/ Institution Office School Museum Hospital 400 m

Residential

300 m

200 m

Agriculture Research Technology

100 m

Local Elevator Express Elevator

Figure 3.8.5 Sectional Program of a Cluster

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Each building is divided vertically into programmatic zones and separated structurally by outriggers (See Figure 3.5.1).

Floor plates are supported by columns from the floors below and each zone of loading is then transferred to the outrigger beams that connect into the large cores and are braced by a 2-storey high belt truss system at each zone.

Figure 3.8.6. Structural Model

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Figure 3.8.7. Structural System Diagram

Residential Plan 0

Office Plan

20m

5m 10m

40m

0

20m

5m 10m

Figure 3.8.8. Typical Residential Plan with Subsistence Farmingendering. © XXX

Figure 3.8.9 Typical Office Plan with Cultural Public SpaceRendering. © XXX

Figure 3.8.10. A Public Market Space Surrounding the Central Atrium.

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40m

0

20m

5m 10m

Figure 3.9.1. Cluster Plan at Platform Level

Figure 3.9.2. Activity on Platform Level Between Buildings

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40m

Figure 3.9.3. Large Scale Section of Building Cluster.

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Figure 3.9.5. Building Facade

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Figure 3.9.6. Sky Lobby Opening

Figure 3.9.7. Looking to the clusters from the ground

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