Case Study Assignment 2

due Wednesday 4/22

The purpose is to help you see how architects have successfully used biomimicry in their design process. Ideally you will locate someone who has approached a design problem similar to one that you are addressing. Focus on one to three projects by that person.

How does the designer use forms, processes or systems from nature to advance design ideas? (Does this match the Biomimicry 3.8 model?) When is what tool used and for what purpose? What steps are followed in the process from concept to building?

How does the person
 describe the problem
 analyze relevant site, program and precedent information
 generate concepts
 create and evaluate variations (aesthetics, performance criteria?)
 consider constructability & refine material assemblages
 present the project to clients and builders

Create a 10 minute illustrated presentation and upload it as a PDF to the course folder.

RESOURCES

The CUMINCAD Index available through the UO Library will have many research papers authored by designers exploring these directions.

Emergent Technology group at the AA & some of their alumni:
Neri Oxman at MIT
Achim Menges at Stuttgart
Andrew Kudless at CCA : Matsys
Jason Johnson and Nataly Gattengo at CCA : Future Cities Lab
Marc Swackhamer (UMN) and Blair Satterfield (UBC): Houminn
etc.
Michael Fox (Cal Poly): FoxLin
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To follow up on the floral forms, you might enjoy seeing the spectaular floral forms in computer science professor Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz’s “The Algorithmic Beauty of Plants”, a free downloadable book. http://algorithmicbotany.org/