Newcastle University | Thesis Project | Venice | 2016
The Great Venetian cleanup was my undergraduate thesis project which resulted in the design for a polymer collection and development centre in Venice. The centre intended to clean the Venice lagoon on various scales using technology developed by The Ocean Cleanup Project by Boyan Slat and his team. The centre was designed to engage the public in the collection and recycling process to raise awareness to the issue of plastic waste and the potential polymers have when properly recycled. It looked to reuse the polymers to create architectural components that could again be displayed and experimented on within an open format studio. The look and function of the building would change with time as new technologies developed. Please scroll through the images below to get an understanding of how the project was designed.
POLYMER COLLECTION PROCESS DIAGRAM
PERSPECTIVES AND KEY DRAWINGS
BRIEF AND FORM DIAGRAMS
THE FUTURE OF POLYMERS IN ARCHITECTURE
I designed a series of future scenarios where different architectural ideas were being experimented on within the dynamic workshops space. Hover over the images for a brief description.
Polymers are used to design 3D Printed Pavillions
Polymers are used to create temporary sheet structures for disaster relief
The homelessness crisis continues and tiny polymer homes are experimented with
Polymer Hexagons are used as a new structural method
BACILLUS SUBTILIS - BIOACTIVATED SPORE
The early stages of this project involved spending a week in a lab environment experimenting with a spore that is actuated when the air is humid. We placed these spores on strips of very thin plastic in an alternating pattern meaning when the strips were placed in a dry environment they would constrict shortening the plastic strips creating a small force. By grouping many of these strips together larger forces could be made allowing for kinetic architectural elements to be powered using nothing but the humidity of the air. This research informed the facade panel design massively.
PROJECT VIDEO - PRODUCED/EDITED BY ME
POLYMER FACADE PANEL DESIGN
