Final Year Project, The Bartlett (UCL), Graduate Diploma in Architecture

The collection of drawings illustrate the anatomy and physiology of a “living” capsule that belongs to one of several colonies, which turn a present day brownfield into their habitat. The site is near Barking Power Station and Dagenham Breach, by River Thames, in East London, UK. ­­­

The subject is a hypothetical building that answers what a green building could become in the future. The concept here is driven by the idea of biomimesis – the capsule photosynthesizes and metabolizes to perform a variety of functions, which implies it is in part or in full genetically engineered. 

Inspired by transpiration in plants, the main vascular bundles tap into nearby sources for drinking, heating and nutrient-rich organic waters at one end and connected to Barking Power Station at the other. Evaporation by heat generated at the power station causes mass flow of waters through these main vessels and their branches due to decrease in hydrostatic pressure. These waters sustain “life” of the capsules and constitute their habitability for human occupants. 

Inspired by today’s R&D in biohydrogen production using green algae, the capsule consists of photochemical apparatus kept under anaerobic condition. This setup facilitates sustained hydrogen and oxygen evolution catalyzed by the enzymes, hydrogenases, in the reaction that harnesses energy from sunlight to split water molecule. While oxygen is consumed in respiration, hydrogen is exported to a fuel cell that furnishes the living space with electricity. Hydrogen is also supplied to surrounding industrial facilities including Barking Power Station to facilitate combustion as alternative to fossil fuels, which in turn improves site’s habitability. 

In nature, there are instances where mutation in one species occurs for the benefit of another. For example, crown gall disease in plants involves manipulation of plant’s DNA by the infecting bacteria, resulting in the growth of tumor that nourishes the bacteria. A parallel is drawn here; capsule’s double-skin facade undergoes constant physical alteration in order to regulate indoor condition based on human occupant’s comfort level by ways of shading, insulating (supplemented by heating in the winter) and natural ventilation.

The situated artifact that interfaces between the capsule and human occupant has taken its form by drawing analogy from the pathway of hormone-induced mutation. It is a chain of reactions initiated by communications among cells resulting in protein synthesis that ultimately determines a particular tissue growth. 

The artistic direction taken in the design of the capsule is one that expresses nature’s systems by, metaphorically speaking, turning an organism ‘inside out’ or stripping a robot to its essential components, as to allow each organ, each conduit and junction box to be visibly identified. Form making of the different components is in part inspired by microscopic images of proteins and enzymes alike, as well as literatures about their appearances and behaviors when mediating a reaction, which is often reduced to a chemical formula.