The focus of the design studio is on both Ecodistricts in addition to biomimetic design. What follows are the beginnings of a bibliography to guide my research and design. This evolving bibliography will be stored and updated in the bibliography page.
Ecodistrict Design
Ecodistricts Overview. Portland Sustainability Institute, Apr. 2012. Web. Oct. 2012.
An overview of the process of forming an Ecodistrict in addition to discussing the current pilot projects.
Making Ecodistricts. Portland Sustainability Institute, Sept. 2010. Web. Oct. 2012
A detailed guide to the process of “making” an Ecodistrict. This document really showed how the basis of an Ecodistrict is in common goals and agreements within a district with physical improvements only following after these foundations are layed.
Foster Green Information
“Our Work.” Foster-Lents Integration Partnership. Portland Development Commision, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://www.pdc.us/our-work/urban-renewal-areas/lents/current-projects/flip.aspx>.
The information hub for FLIP. FLIP is a joint partnership between all the various organizations doing work on and around the Foster corridor between SE 52nd St. and SE 122nd st. The Foster Green Ecodistrict is one of the organizations in this partnership.
Pilot Report: Foster Green Ecodistrict Development. Portland Sustainability Institute, June 2011. Web. Oct. 2012.
This report describes the organizations involved in the Lents Ecodistrict project and the proposed improvements in the district. It gives an update on the progress of those various imporvements.
Biomimicry
Benyius, Janine M. Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. New York: Harper Perennial, 2002. Print.
The subject of this book is to show how observations of natural phenomena and creatures is informing design.
Forbes, Peter. “Chpt. 9: The Push and Pull Building System.” The Gecko’s Foot: Bio-inspiration : Engineering New Materials from Nature. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2006. N. pag. Print.
This chapter in Forbes’ book examines the influence that observations of the natural world have had on structures. These range from bridge designs mimicking the shape of a dinosaur’s skeleton to comparing concrete shell structures to an egg shell. These examinations could inspire my own designs; finding the appropriate model to inform a design would be the largest challenge.
Both these images are from The Gecko’s Foot. It seems apparent now but i never thought of a dinosaurs skeleton, or other biological “structures” as being a moment diagram in the same way the Eiffle Tower is essentially a moment diagram.