photo day

The SUMO is finished- here's the group and some pictures taking outside in the courtyard. See the MegaBlog for a more detailed description.

t-shirts!!

T-shirts are available- Email jhazel@clemson.edu for more information!

mega maptation

In regards to global warming, I think it would be an interesting to investigate not only the rise in sea levels but also the causes of the harmful effects, the levels of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions on a global scale. For example, one source includes tables with the breakdown of the percentage of carbon monoxide that comes from cars, the projected emissions from each continent, and the level in which it is a problem in cities around the globe just to name a few. A series of layers could be generate to relate the two to one another. In addition, the location of megalithic structures could be incorporated as an element of the past and how former civilizations built around the rise of the sea.

Megalithic monuments in Western Europe
Draft of emission map to include calculated concentrations of spheres above a given area [Original Illustration]
Rising Sea Level Map of Barcelona showing the original coastline in red and the resultant coastline after a 2 meter rise [Original Illustration]

studio update

As far as the mapping project, there are numerous directions that I can go with global warming: location of fossil fuel sources, concentrated areas of air pollution, ground transportation densities to include traffic. How would a megastructure or the creation of new land or water be affected by the location of pollutants? For the step I am going to continue to investigate these ideas, look into megalithic structures, and work with some previous mappings of rising sea levels.

The sumo is looking close to completion at last! Shirts are ordered- bring on the patent process! We've gotten quite a few comments on its design.

global pollution

Global pollution is that which is emitted locally but yet has global effects, such as rising sea levels, climate change, and a significant impact on the coastal environment and communitities. The question stands of who is to blame for such effects? The majority of the problems experienced are due to the greenhouse effect and the release of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide in the air. Over 25% of CO2 emissions come from transportation and over 25% come from domestic energy use. The primary causes are the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas or through deforestation, which includes wild fires and the aftermath of El Nino.

With resources such as NASA's Visible Earth, countless number of satellites images can be used to analyze the harmful effects and target their points of origins as well as the regions. Some examples of some images are included below. Other studies on their website include:
- A NASA tera satellite was used to track global pollution in a study performed several years ago.
- An animation shows Global Carbon Monoxide and Global Sea Surfact Temperature

connection to megalithic era

I came across once internet source that linked megalithic structures to the rising ocean levels. Upon further research of the connection between the two, I was thinking it might be an interesting to investigate the locations of the megalithic structures in conjunction with mappings related to global warming. Since the report was posted by a private party, I would need to check into further referencing his findings.

Where is the land going?

Pollution is not only destroying the earth, but reducing the amount of land in which to destroy. The effects of global warming are causing a significant increase in the ocean levels and a rise in land erosion on the coastlines. Due to an increase of carbon in the air, higher temperatures are causing a melting of glaciers and thermal expansion of the sea water, both contributing to the increase in sea levels. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) monitors such potential impacts of climate change. Over the last 100 years, the sea level has risen by 10 to 25 centimeters and will continue to rise 1 meter each century if no action is taking. In a country such as Bangladesh, the increase would displace more than 13 million people alone, one and a third times the people in New York City. The rate at which the seas are rising continues to increase.

If the sea level were to rise over 4 meters, almost every coastal city in the world would be severely affected, especially in the regions of Vietnam, Bangladesh, China, India, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, and Egypt to name a few around the world. Several regions are already experiencing the damaging effects. One million people per year have been displaced in Bangladesh because of the loss of land along river; that's almost equivalent to displacing the city of Atlanta twice. In the case of Tuvalu, a nation that producing less carbon pollution than a small town in America, the people are close to facing a critical refugee problem. With their land totaling 10 square miles, the highest point on the mainland is 4.6 meters with an average elevation of one meter. Similar scenarios include Delaware Bay, Chesapeake Bay, the state of Florida, Cape Hatteras, and Venice.

The country of TuvaluFlood maps have now been generated to predict and forecast the global effects of rising ocean levels. The images below show the flooding after a 4 meter increase in the ocean levels.

Barcelona

















Genoa


















The effects of a 4 meter rise in the current ocean levels would significantly affect most coastal cities and would generate a need to consider such effects in current designs. How would a design be affected by an assumed future displacement of surrounding land or water?

update from the woodshop

New material for interior padding couresy of Mandi and Melissa- more details to come from them...
The polycarbonate hollow panel made it from Columbia!
Completed masonite rib!
Sanding down the masonite ribs

Had a little trouble with the CNC router and masonite resulting in the burned edges and time delays but got it fixed this morning :)

fun with foam

Too much fun with the CNC router- check out Melissa's blog for process photos. We're currently 2 sheets away from being finished with the foam ribs- masonite next. Jason and Katy are in route to Columbia. I'm in love with this new material!

sumo secretary

After today I think I just need to take over the name of the sumo secretary. I spent this morning and this afternoon (and as a continuation from friday) talking to the manufacturer and distributors of polycarbonate hollow panels. It was especially amusing today to play them up against one another and even receive a concerned phone call directly from the manufacturer due to concern about the different distributors. I was able to figure out the most efficient and economic option as to how to locate just one panel of the material. It seems uncommon to just need one panel and be willing to pick up the product yourself.

BUDGET UPDATE
$468 - Foam, Masonite, and Gorilla Glue from Lowes on Sunday, September 17th
$20 - Estimated for additional hardware needed for hinge

Its exciting to see the final structure in production mode!

manmade landscapes in Dubai

Following the megablog posting on the possibilities of manmade canals and the displacement of water, a similar study was done on manmade landscapes and the displacement of land. If water can't extend into the land, extend the land into the water. Can the displacement of land begin to have the same effect as well as directly correlate to the displacement of water?

Located on the Persian Gulf coast, the city of Dubai, part of the United Arab Emigrates, is an area of vast wealth and prosperity. It is home to one of the hottest construction markets, and to some of the most known upcoming architectural projects, including SOM's design for the world's tallest tower. The lifestyle of success experienced by many in this region brings about the desire for utopia type communities. In a similar plan design as the Ocean City by Kikutake, the developer Nakheel Development has proposed a masterplan composed of fourteen developments to expand private and commercial mixed use development, increase the region's coastline, and ultimately integrate the sea with the desert.

The illustration below shows the Nakheel Development Masterplan.

Some of the major developments in the plan include:
1. The Arabian canal, an 80 km long manmade canal
2. Palm Jumeriah, contains the Trump tower and a $1.2 billion dollar hotel
3. Palm Deira, the largest mandmade island in the world
4. The World, a development of 300 islands in the shape of the continents randing from $10-$45 million per island


These two images illustrate the Palm Deira and Palm Jumeriah concepts.These projects are on the Mega scale in terms of cost and size. In the Palm Jumeriah project alone, 94 million cubic meters of sand was used, equivalent to a third of the amount of earth used for the 6700 km span of the Great Wall of China. First originating from the idea to increase beachfront, the land reclamation project and the development of the reclaimed land has doubled the shoreline of Dubai by creating 520 km of new shoreline. The amount of new shoreline is almost the same distance as the North Carolina and South Carolina coast.

The idea of land reclamation project on a large scale is becoming a reality. Other large scale reclamation projects include Holland, Florida, and Osaka, Japan. If money is not an issue, land reclamation could greatly enhance many coastal cities in the United States allowing for growing populations and demand for waterfront property. The wealth and standard of living in the United States is reaching towards this direction. In comparison, the properties on Palm Jumeriah are 4100 sq ft houses that sell for about $1 million. Think of the possibilities with new forms or few limitations on the forms generated by land reclamation. How could this process become a significant part of urban design? Is it currently economical in places other than the Arab world?

The proposal is of a significantly large scale in comparison to other cities, such as Charleston, South Carolina in the United States, and Barcelona, Spain. The illustrations below show the insertion of one of the palm islands to the existing cities.

sheet layouts

These are four layouts for the ribs on 4'x8' sheets. The first two are two different options for slicing the ribs in half to fit 2 whole ribs on each sheet. The third sheet is the outside rib cut in half, and the last sheet is the rib for the door. It is critical to maximize the use of our materials to decrease cost.

constructability

In regards to the construction of the communication, I have calculated a current budget estimate and layouts to best utilize our materials on the CNC router. I will address the budget first. The design is currently based on an approximately 30" wide structure composed of masonite ribs and foam. The masonite ribs would be 1 sheet thick or 1/4" and 3 sheets thick on the exterior ribs. The foam would be layered in increments of 5 between the ribs for a total of 3 3/4" thick. The figures would be slightly different depending on whether foam was inserted inbetween the masonite on the exterior ribs for more support. In additional, costs can be cut in half if joints are created to allow more efficient use of the materials.

Current budget with 3 sheets of masonite on either side and no rib joints:
13 sheets of masonite x $8.99 per sheet = $116.87
35 sheets of foam x $11.34 per sheet = $396.90
Estimate of glue = $50
Clear coating for foam = about $50
Dowel for hinge = $2
Side panels of acrylite acrylic- 2 48" x 48" x 1/4" sheets x $75.60 = $151.20
(best option based on research by Nicole- 1/2" are double the cost of 1/4" sheets)
TOTAL COST for Option 1 = $766.97

Current budget with 3 sheets of masonite on either side and two rib joints to allow two ribs per sheet:
10 sheets of masonite x $8.99 = $89.90
13 sheets of foam x $11.34 per sheet = $147. 42
Estimate of glue = $50
Clear coating for foam = about $50
Dowel for hinge = $2
Side panels of acrylite acrylic- 2 48" x 48" x 1/4" sheets x $75.60 = $151.20
(best option based on research by Nicole- 1/2" are double the cost of 1/4" sheets)
TOTAL COST for Option 2 = $490.52

Assuming we use option 2, $490.52 - $250 from school = $240.52 additional cost

$240.52 / 10 students = about $25 per student left to pay minus additional money from professor

Moving to full scale

Enjoyable studio today...good to finally see our ideas becoming more tangible and see the group as a whole embracing the design. I think we worked well with different tasks and have a good idea of what needs to get done for Friday. I'm interested to see and experiment with the CNC router and to bring our design to reality.

for the common cause

While our technological communication is improving, are we loosing the communication amongst ourselves? I'm still having a few minor issues with the blog postings looking completely different once they publish but overall its fairly easy to post up our ideas and process. I think the addition of our own personal scanner in studio could be helpful in regards to quick sketches although the view from the video camera closely resembles that of the eye.

In regards to the studio project, I think the most difficult challenge to us right now is working together as a group of ten. Its been a tough coming off of several semesters of group projects to always stay motivated despite surrender most of your own ideas. Ultimately decisions have to be made and for each person they would be slightly different. The battle become dealing with these different ideas and choosing with which ones to proceed. The advantage is a greater pool of ideas; the disadvantage is the lack of an ultimate leader and the lack of critical design work to contribute around the table. I'm looking forward to be able to explore and develop individual ideas again, aided by the critiques of others but ultimately taking ownership in the design.

communication from elsewhere

Since I feel like my shoes were switched today, I wanted to comment on the communication with the studio while being away. Since I was not in Clemson this afternoon, I logged in to Skype to be a part of the class chatroom and to be able to interact with the class discussion. I was very sucessful in being able to hear the discussion, people's comments, and be able to communicate via chat when clarification was needed. It is extremely easy to just call in and view what's going on and be able to offer comments and critiques. I had no problem hearing my classmates and only slight difficulties hearing the group. At times the talk seemed rather distant, but once video was used it seemed much more interactive, like I was a part of the class to offer my opinion and understanding in what direction the design was headed. I think overall the communication is going very well. I would agree with several comments today that it has been challenging to work in a group this past week. Its always challenging with multiple strong minds and good ideas are thrown into one mix.

To save the Dead Sea

The Dead Sea, one of the world's cultural and ecological treasures, is in danger of near extinction as the water level continues to drop and the evaporation levels exceed the water flow into the sea. As the saltiest body of water in the world at 1,371 feet below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth and draws large quantities of tourists to its enriching waters. The mineral industry alone employs 35,000 people yet is responsible for 25% to 30% of the annual drop in water level.

In the past 19 years, the evaporation has resulted in 3/4 mile recession and could recede an additional kilometer in the next 50 years. The water level has dropped by 80 feet in the last 50 years as the sea has shrunk by more than one third of its original size. Not only is this drastic change affecting the way people interact, but it is destroying valuable wildlife and creating hundreds of sinkholes, threatening to collapse the built civilization. The problem lies in the decrease of water coming from the Jordan River due to water being diverted to drinking water and agriculture. The sea does not lie in danger of completely disappearing due to the salt content in the water but it could drop an additional 434 feet.

The governments of Israel and Jordan have begun to work with Norman Foster on a $3 million project to replenish the Dead Sea by creating a series of canals that would draw water from the Red Sea into the Dead Sea from the Gulf of Aqaba. The efforts are to begin by investigating the feasibility of the project. One question remains concerning the mixture of the two types of water. The distance of such canals would be the same distance as part of the state of Florida. This would be a big undertaking on Foster as he is beginning to take the lead on several large scale projects.













This project shows the mega effects of a new system of canals and the impact of the paths of water integrating into the landscape. The land is being displaced in order to encourage water displacement, a positive and negative concept. In similar case studies, such as the cities of Boston and Venice, the water infiltration within the city has wonderous effects and adds to the character and culture of the development. If the use of manmade water canals are saving natural landmarks facing extinction, what are the possibilities for utilizing manmade water canals? How can water integrate with the landscape? How does it affect and in turn be affected by the displacement of the land?

proposal: structure

With an emphasis on structure, this proposal begins with two identical wooden ribs with PVC pipes for horizontal support and stability. The ribs would be secured 2'-6" apart from one another, enabling easy clearance through a door frame. Technology such as the CNC router would allow for a unique design in the contours of the ribs to be suit the desired body position. The body would be supported by elastic bands, providing both comfort and flexibility of the space occupant. This is shown in the illustration below.

The design also allows for the placement of other elements such as the A/V equipment to include a monitor screen and computer box and an acoustically sound material on the sides of the station to provide a sense of enclosure and to absorb sound. The proposal includes a translucent, flexible material for easy entry and access to the structure as well as ease of transportation. The base of the design includes a set of wheels behind the seat to allow the structure to be rocked back and rolled to other locations. A breakdown of the structure is shown below.

thoughts on structure

Vinnie and I began by brainstorming characteristics of mobility in regards to structure. To what extent will our structure be mobile?

Important considerations:
- weight of the material
- strength of connections
- level of assembly / complexity of structure
- is it dynamic?
- allowance for attachments- internal and external

Based on these ideas, we looked at several case studies that incorporated a variety of materials and forms. In the project by Studio 80 Tea Room the materials were permeable in the sense that the walls were not solid. Upon first glance, it resembles elastic stretched across the frame. Although the project was constructed of bamboo, we explored the possibility of using elastic in this type of construction. As a flexible and opaque material, elastic enables the form to remain lightweight but take on various forms. Study models are shown below.
Based upon the same principles as the elastic material, we also explored the possibility of using fabric within the structure after viewing the project Floating Pavillion by Maki & Associates. The material has the ability to act as a skin when applied to a framework and possesses a similar degree of flexibility as elastic.
We are proposing to meet together with the other groups to discuss the interaction between the five elements.

friday friday friday

The group discussion today was much more effective. It allowed for more interaction and easier communication. The video connection is much more personal and easier to follow. I'm making progress with the blogs as we learn how to use them more effectively. I look forward to exploring the possibilities for our communicative space. We have already thrown out a variety of brainstorming ideas on possible materials based on the weight of the material, the possibilities for connections, and the method of assembly. The act of construction will really promote teamwork and interaction outside of just the computer screen.