Fall 2020 Special Topics in Architecture (Digital Systems) 3/6 (Waddell & Angola)

B R E A T H E B R E AT H E

awwareness

measurements

selfies

ARCH 680.07: DIGITAL SYSTEMS VIJUL SHAH (30101072)

The Big Idea- Countering Environmental pollution Breathe in… breathe out… Is there anything other than the cold, crisp winter air in Calgary making you cough a little? According to a study from the University of Calgary, if you live south of the Bow River, you’re breathing in the worst air in the city. The study of seasonal air pollution showed air quality varies significantly throughout the city for reasons researchers can’t really put a finger on. Calgary was no stranger to air quality advisories this past summer, as smoke from wildfires burning in B.C. and elsewhere drifted into the city.

Calgary City goals: 80 per cent reduction in city-wide emissions below 2005 levels by 2050 Different times of year can have an impact on the amount of air pollution in the city, but it can also have an impact on which areas of the city see high levels of pollutants. In the summertime, the city’s northeast sees a higher concentration of bad air, according to the research.

But it’s the south part of the city that sees some of the highest pollution levels in the winter.

Ongoing research processes

Color changing plants: There may come a day when certain plants in your workplace suddenly turn white, at which point everyone will run screaming from the building – those co-workers will have been right to do so, as the white plants indicated that a toxic gas was present. Before that scenario can take place, a little more work still needs to be done, and Colorado State University (CSU) biologist Dr. June Medford is doing it. Using a computer-designed detection trait, she is creating plants that stop producing chlorophyll when they detect pollutants or explosives in the air.

ETFE facades: Until recently, the architecture world largely viewed plastic polymers as inferior building materials, handy for wipe-clean kitchen surfaces, but not practical in full-scale building applications. But with technological innovations driving material capabilities forward, polymers are now being taken seriously as a legitimate part of the architect’s pallet. One of the most widely-used of these materials is a fluorine-based plastic known as ETFE (Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene). Brought into the public consciousness, architects are now realizing the film’s capabilities to express a new aesthetic and replace costlier transparent and translucent materials.

Artificial Sunlight: In many ways, society was transformed by the advent of the light bulb. Suddenly, people could now stay up late, work, study or enjoy each other’s company without being at the mercy of the sun. A side effect, however, is that our bodies natural wake/sleep patterns have been considerably altered and artificial light is nothing like the real deal — the sun’s life-nurturing rays which are known to have a significant impact on our health and mood. In an effort to help people who spend long hours in poorly lit offices or live in areas with little sunlight (Beijing, anyone?), a team of Italian engineers has developed a remarkable LED-based lighting system which mimics natural sunlight.

What is BREATHE? BREATHE is an urban installation working on the principlas of ‘emission measurement’. The design aims to spread awareness regarding the environmental effects our cities have and how the air quality is deteriorating with time. Usings the simple concepts of Motor and Lighting responses, which can be easily comprehended by anyone, the installation would speak to the city about ‘pollution’.

“It starts with th intake of outdoor air by specialized machines located below ground. This air is then tested and sensed for pollutants and the data is recorded. Based on the amplitude of this data, certain responses are triggered in the installation, setting an awareness generating action in motion. Firstly, the genetically modified planting on the walls of the shell react, becoming greyer as the pollution increases. After the pollution data is transferred to the equipments of the shell, the ETFE membrane facade of the shell reacts! It becomes more and more opaque as the pollution increases. This can be achieved through the induction of water vapor inside these ETFE pillows. A third response in the form of lighting is also activiated, which dims the intensities of Solar-temperature lighting inside the shell, incident towards the plantations. All these effects act in unison, to showcase a clear and dynamic response towards nature. “

Color changing plantation

Vapor filled ETFE Membrane

Isometric Section- BREATHE Shell

Solar temperature light

Color changing plantation

Solar temperature light

Color changing plantation

ETFE pillows facade

12.0mt

Plan @ 0.5mt from G.L

Plan @ 1.8mt from G.L

Plan @ 4.0mt from G.L

Plan @ 6.0mt from G.L

Color-changing plantation

Solar temperature lights

ETFE pillows facade

Solar temperature lights Sensors and actuators

How does it work?

INPUT

RESPONSE

Pollution detected: MAX

View at the prominent public space- Olympic plaza

Pollution detected: MIN

View at the prominent public space- Olympic plaza

Possible sites for intervention

Peace Bridge park

Century gardens

Replicability

Map of Downtown, Calgary- possible locations of the installation

THANK YOU