To me, the mark of a great designer is the ability to construct with current technologies, but in innovative ways.
For example,
To meet smoke evacuation standards on the Mercedes-Benz Museum, Unstudio put a series of jets in the central atrium that produce a wind vortex to clear all the smoke out of the building during a fire in a few minutes.
Another interesting design driven mechanical system are the foam-jets used in the yokohama terminal. I cant find any images on the net right now, but ill scan some in later. In order to adhere to the aesthetic of the design thesis, FOA desired to keep the folded ceilings of the terminal free of any piping or blemishes. due to their thin structural nature, an integrated sprinkler system could not be supported. Their solution? Foam spraying guns that pop out of the incline of the floor (away from foot traffic) and spray a 160 degree area 15 meters in radius with a fire retarding solution.
I believe that the wind vortex works by a combination of venturi effect and the natural tendency for hot air to rise. So the vortex pulls air from the adjacent floors and helps/forces it out the roof.
Ventilation of smoke almost ALWAYS feeds the fire, but is necessary for evacuation and firefighting, so it is always closely coordinated with fire attack.
My guess about how they avoid fanning the flames is that by the nature of a vortex, the air is moving from the outer walls inward and exiting through the roof.... perhaps this way they can avoid further ignition? interesting question.
although, it also important to note that there are safety issues involved with firedoors as well, particularly back draft.
phillipmo
that clip is amazing, its a little cyclone, beautiful.
In a fire most people die of the toxic fumes and not of the flames I was told, so makes sense to me.
they may die from fumes rather than flames because the flames crawl slowly without supplemental oxygen.
i'm still curious to know how they limited oxygen from coming in past certain areas near the fire while allowing it to flow freely through windows/doors/etc that weren't adjacent to the fire itself.
smart systems that respond to variable temperatures across the building's thermo-profile? run on backup generators with dedicated power?
self closing windows/doors near the fire with self-opening ones away from it?
Dec 20, 07 8:57 pm ·
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Innovation in the Mundane
To me, the mark of a great designer is the ability to construct with current technologies, but in innovative ways.
For example,
To meet smoke evacuation standards on the Mercedes-Benz Museum, Unstudio put a series of jets in the central atrium that produce a wind vortex to clear all the smoke out of the building during a fire in a few minutes.
Another interesting design driven mechanical system are the foam-jets used in the yokohama terminal. I cant find any images on the net right now, but ill scan some in later. In order to adhere to the aesthetic of the design thesis, FOA desired to keep the folded ceilings of the terminal free of any piping or blemishes. due to their thin structural nature, an integrated sprinkler system could not be supported. Their solution? Foam spraying guns that pop out of the incline of the floor (away from foot traffic) and spray a 160 degree area 15 meters in radius with a fire retarding solution.
correct me if i'm wrong, but wouldn't a wind vortex just fan the flames?
isn't that the main tenet of fire stairs with no windows and self-closing doors and what-not?
what was their solution for transitioning the smoke out of the building without increasing the oxygen brought to the fire?
I believe that the wind vortex works by a combination of venturi effect and the natural tendency for hot air to rise. So the vortex pulls air from the adjacent floors and helps/forces it out the roof.
Ventilation of smoke almost ALWAYS feeds the fire, but is necessary for evacuation and firefighting, so it is always closely coordinated with fire attack.
My guess about how they avoid fanning the flames is that by the nature of a vortex, the air is moving from the outer walls inward and exiting through the roof.... perhaps this way they can avoid further ignition? interesting question.
although, it also important to note that there are safety issues involved with firedoors as well, particularly back draft.
dontcha know, all the oxygen is instantaneously sucked out, the occupants have mere seconds to get out.
Either way i liked the idea...
phillipmo
that clip is amazing, its a little cyclone, beautiful.
In a fire most people die of the toxic fumes and not of the flames I was told, so makes sense to me.
they may die from fumes rather than flames because the flames crawl slowly without supplemental oxygen.
i'm still curious to know how they limited oxygen from coming in past certain areas near the fire while allowing it to flow freely through windows/doors/etc that weren't adjacent to the fire itself.
smart systems that respond to variable temperatures across the building's thermo-profile? run on backup generators with dedicated power?
self closing windows/doors near the fire with self-opening ones away from it?
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