BIOMORPHIC ARCHITECTURE – INSPIRATION OF AMPHIBIAN
SPACES FROM NATURE
Abstract
Various spaces affect the architecture in that place differently. The
spaces may be on land, in water or in air, they tend to give various meanings
to the structures there. Some spaces are found to be both on land and in water,
called amphibian spaces. This paper focuses on the creation of amphibian spaces
in nature and the perception of these spaces by two different architects; Oscar
Niemeyer and the Baca architects to create completely varied structures. The architects
have taken their concept from the beaver’s lodge and designed their structures,
one having taken the form and the other the function.
1. Introduction
Fig1: Lyon-saint Exupery Airport railway
station, by Santiago Calatrava, has the form of a bird.
The biomorphic architecture studies the function of spaces,
their forms and shapes in nature to derive to a more refined and advanced
solutions for spaces as nature is quite ahead of us in designing its
structures. May it be the shell of a crustacean or a termite hill, it has
complex structures that inspire architects to take up that design to
effectively execute the function of a particular space.
The structures in nature have various forms and shapes and
are built in various spaces. These spaces may be on land, underground, in air,
in water or both in water and on land. Such spaces are called amphibian spaces
1.1
Defining
Amphibian Spaces
Amphibian spaces refers to spaces that are both, on land
and in water. They have a flood
mitigation strategy that allows an otherwise-ordinary structure to float on the
surface of rising water rather than succumb to inundation. An amphibian space
or structure retains its connection to the ground by resting firmly on the
earth under usual circumstances, yet it allows a structure to float as high as
necessary when flooding occurs.
Amphibious
construction may also refer to one of several "hybrid" conditions.
Such as where the weight of a structure is partially supported by both land and
water simultaneously. Amphibious design also includes the concepts of land use
planning, site selection, community resilience issues such as the place of
amphibious buildings in multiple-lines-of-defense systems, and policy
considerations.
2. Creation of Amphibious
Architecture in Nature
The beaver is a
primarily nocturnal, large, semiaquatic rodent. They more than justify the title
“builder of nature” through its semi-aquatic home. Long before humans, these
animals were dominating firm solid spaces within different waters – ponds,
channels, lagoons, rivers, streams – creating dwellings well protected from
enemies and cold conditions, and for food storage. These extremely capable
carpenters use only their bodies as tools. Their large, sharp teeth gnaw and
cut, while the front feet are used to push firmly. Their small digits keep
sticks and branches in place, and their hind feet are like fins. The tail can
push down and transport small trees and also act as a rudder when swimming.
Fig2: external
view of a lodge
fig3:
view showing tunneled entrance to lodge
Beaver identify sites to build their community along the
edges of water currants and close to trees. A minimum water level of 0.6 to 0.9
m is required to keep the underwater entrance to beaver lodges from being
blocked by ice during the winter. If
the water is not deep enough to keep beavers safe from predators and their
lodge entrances ice-free, beavers build dams.
Once they’ve found a suitable place, they begin on
infrastructure. They start by redirecting the stream, damming it with wooden
spikes which they’ve already connected to each other to lessen water’s flow
pressure. During the night they gnaw at nearby trees, sculpting the trunks in
the shape of sand clocks (timers) until they break. These trees are then deposited
in channels approximately 35 centimeters deep and 1.25 meters wide, which are
dredged beforehand, so they can float to their destination. Once the tree
trunks arrive, the beavers begin to build the dyke. The trunks are well
anchored in the muddy bottom, forming a fence. The average height of a dam is
about 1.8 m with an average depth of water behind the dam of 1.2 to 1.8 m.
The thickness of the dam is often around 1 m or more. The length depends
on the stream width, but averages about 4.5 m long.
If the current is fast and strong and the volume of water
threatens the structure, the dyke is given a convex contour in the direction of
the greater resistance. On the top part of this wall, the beavers leave small
holes or spillways to avoid disaster during seasons when the water level rises.
The monitoring of the water levels and the maintenance of the dam are the
constant work of three or four generations. Occasionally, a large dam will be
used for up to a 100 years. The largest beaver dam known to exist is in Wood Buffalo National Park in Alberta, Canada and measures 850 m in length.
The next step is to build the lodge itself. This is build
upstream a short distance from the dam, over a small mound which is either
natural or formed by the beavers using the same materials (sticks, branches,
trunks, earth, and mud). The living quarters have one to several underwater
tunnels leading to a chamber which, when finished, will be above water level.
Fig4: sectional details of a
beaver’s lodge
Beavers reach their lodge by swimming underwater and entering
through the tunnels. They are therefore able to protect themselves from
predators such as bears, who cannot get in. This hollow inside has a narrow
chimney providing good ventilation. The floor of the lodge is carpeted with
shavings of dry wood that keep its inhabitants warm. To keep the floor in
optimum condition, the beavers gnaw on wood inside the dwelling itself as often
as necessary.
The outside of the lodge reflects the inside. Generally,
lodges are conical or dome shaped approximately 1.8 meters in diameter by 70
centimeters high on the inside; outside they may be 5 meters in height. Once
the building is finished, water is allowed to enter at calculated levels
filling the desired spaces. Beavers constantly repair breaks, leaks or damage
produced over time.
3. Manmade
Amphibian Spaces
It would be interesting to be able to watch animals build
cities and houses for people. Through careful observation one can learn from
their engineering and architecture. Structures that are based on some of the
principles of beaver construction, sharing similar concepts of function, space,
structure, and form can be created to form a more symbiotic relationship with
the surrounding context.
3.1 The
Cathedral in Brasilia, Oscar Niemeyer
The Cathedral in Brasilia, designed by
architect Oscar Niemeyer, is based on some of the principles of beaver
construction. The cathedral is located in the capital of the Federal Republic of
Brazil. Brasilia, built in a central desert area of a continent and country,
remains the youngest capital of South America and a large open-air exhibition
of the works of Oscar Niemeyer.
Niemeyer saw a compact and clean concept, a volume occurring with
the same purity from any perspective and for times of deep religious
expression.
In the air born outside the structure of the earth is a cry of
faith and hope, then, the gallery is located in semi-darkness to prepare the
faithful to show religious order in the contrast of light and the external
effects; the faithful depart from the world and are projected between the
cathedral and the infinite spaces.
Fig5: overview of the cathedral
fig6: side elevation
Outside, the
cathedral is surrounded by water. Its outer wall, which is concave, acts as a
dam. To enter the building, one must go through a dark, narrow tunnel shaped
like a ramp which emerges into an open, light space; it gives one the
impression off coming out of an enormous cave.
The church
bears much importance in the society, so the design had to have significance
and personality against its surroundings. Oscar Niemeyer was sure to make a
statement with the powerful expression and unique form of the Cathedral of Brasilia.
It is 40 meters high and
holds up to four thousand people. With a circular base about 60 m in diameter, the only visible structure of the cathedral are sixteen concrete columns
with a very peculiar shape. Reaching up towards the sky to represent two hands,
the columns have parabolic sections.
Hand-painted ceramic tiles were then added to cover
the walls of the oval-shaped Baptistery. The Cathedral is completed with its
bell tower, housing four bells that were donated by Spain. More obvious details
of the interior are the stained glass windows, with different
shades of blue, white and brown. These were pieced together to fit between the
steel columns, into 30m high triangles that run 10m across.
Fig7: architect’s sketch
3.1
Buoyant house by Baca Architects
Work has completed on the UK's
"first amphibious house" by Baca Architects, which rises in its
dock-like foundations to avoid flood water. It has an alternative flood mitigation
strategy that allows an otherwise-ordinary structure to float on the surface of
rising floodwater rather than succumb to inundation. An amphibious foundation
retains a home’s connection to the ground by resting firmly on the earth under
usual circumstances, yet it allows a house to float as high as necessary when
flooding occurs. A buoyancy system beneath the house displaces water to provide
flotation as needed, and a vertical guidance system allows the rising and
falling house to return to exactly
the same place upon descent. Amphibious architecture is a flood mitigation
strategy that works in synchrony with a flood prone region’s natural cycles of
flooding, rather than attempting to obstruct them.
Here,
the weight of a structure is partially supported by both land and water
simultaneously, i.e. where gravity loads are shared by a buoyant substructure
and structural elements bearing directly on the solid ground below the water.
Another situation is where a mechanical system such as jacks or hydraulic pumps
is used to elevate the structure temporarily. A third condition is a "wet
proofing" strategy, whereby residents occupy the first floor during dry
seasons and move to
an
upper storey during periods of flooding.
It has a buoyant
foundation which is a particular type of amphibious foundation that is
specifically designed to be retrofitted to an existing house that is already
slightly elevated off the ground and supported on short piers. The system
consists of three basic elements: buoyancy blocks underneath the house
that provide flotation, vertical guideposts that prevent the house from going
anywhere except straight up and down, and a structural sub-frame that ties
everything together. It basically works like a floating dock. A
steel frame that holds the flotation blocks is attached to the underside of the
house. The posts that provide vertical guidance are installed not far
from the corners of the house. Utility lines have either self-sealing
'breakaway' connections or long, coiled 'umbilical' lines. When flooding
occurs, the flotation blocks lift the house and the vertical guideposts resist
any lateral forces from wind and/or flowing water. Any house that can be
elevated can be made amphibious.
Fig9: buoyant foundation in Baca house (section)
fig10: external view of Baca house
The Amphibious house by Baca
architects has a defense mechanism
that can cope with up to 2.5 meters of floodwater – well above
projected flood levels for the area. Four guide posts set into
channels in the flanks of the building control and support the movement. The
site does not regularly experience severe floods, so every few years the dock
will be pumped full of water to test the movement. The structure
is plumbed with flexible pipes that can stretch by up to three meters as
the house rises in its dock, allowing the residents to continue as much as
possible with everyday life. While flooding cannot be prevented, its effects
such be managed more effectively. Simple but effective resilience could be
offered with more sustainable drainage systems such as green roofs and
permeable paving.
Advantages of Baca
House
·
The house is elevated to
whatever level is required for it to stay above water
·
Unlike permanent static
elevation, the house is still protected even in an extreme flood
·
Installation is usually
much less expensive than for permanent static elevation
·
The house remains low to
the ground, so there are no long flights of stairs to climb
·
The entire structure is
less susceptible to hurricane wind damage
·
Long-term issues of soil
subsidence and rising sea level are already accommodated
·
The retrofitted house
looks essentially the same as it did before
·
Its original (traditional
or historic) architecture is preserved
·
The neighborhood retains
its original character.
Fig11: Buoyant foundation during flooding
Fig12: Plan of Baca house
4. Conclusion
Through the above examples it is seen that where Oscar
Niemeyer took inspiration for the form and spatial arrangement from nature, the
Baca architects have taken the functionality of the beaver’s lodge to create a
buoyant house. Having taken the spatial arrangement, the cathedral of Brasilia
almost replicates the beaver’s lodge in its composition of spaces and its feel.
The Baca house does not replicate the lodge in any form, yet has taken up its
concept of buoyancy to make the house flood prone. This shows that taking the inspiration
from nature further evolved the design to form better functioning and
futuristic structures.
References and Bibliography
·
https://duranvirginia.wordpress.com/2012/12/27/curiosities-10-examples-of-biomorphic-architecture/
·
Javier
Senosiain, “Bio-Architecture”.
