urban ecologies information and complexity

7/28/2019 Urban Ecologies Information and Complexity

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OCAD U ResearchSponsored by Autodesk

Bruce Hinds, CarlHastrich, Ian Clarke


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Thanks to all our open

minded students willing

to play!


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After a while, the whole concept of a national grid for electricitywill seem to be as outdated as the concept of phones with wires...Any buildings with air conditioning will generate at least someof its own power from solar tiles on the roof, and gradually gridoperators in most places will begin to announce 10-year phase-

out plans, advising their customers of the last likely date reliablegrid electricity will be available. By then, most people will begenerating most of their own energy anyway, and the fading out...will be an inevitability. Your kids will see this.

Vinay Gupta - printed in The Alpine Review; Scenarios


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Occupants are generally treatedas passive participants withinan environment controlled by acentralized automation system.Attar, from Cole, Brown 2009

Image credit: Michael Lokner


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User

Building

Context

An Investigation of Relationships


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Natural Models for Inspiration

Image credit: USFW PacifcImage credit: Carl Hastrich Image credit:v4vjk

Individual Colony Community

Increase in complexity


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Image credit: Carl Hastrich

Image credit: BaldBoris Image credit: Manitoba Asssociation of Architects

Barrel Cactus - Current Goal of Sustainable Architecture

Isolated and independant,reliant entirely on physiologicalstrategies for survival.

Swiss Re - London Manitoba Hydo Place - Manitoba


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Fantastic pioneer species of

future cities. But to regenerate

our cities, buildings must

connect and contribute.


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Image credit:v4vjk

Image credit: IDEO

Termite Colony - Active Participation

Image credit: Herman Miller

The structure functions likelungs, acting as an extension ofthe organisms physiology, an

extended phenotype.

Furniture layout is designedto facilitate organizationalbehaviour.


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The next step is for the

participation to extend tophysiological systems.


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Image credit: USFW Pacifc

Coral Reef - Community through Nutrient Flow

While nutrient poor, thecommunity is so diverse it isable to use energy efciently

which then supports the increaseof diversity. It is an example ofcircular cause and effect.


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Efciency and regeneration

will occur through networkingresource ow.


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Impact on Energy Efciency in Ecology

energy used

by organisms



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Patch Dynamics: Diversity increases Efciency


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Evolution of Buildings in a Regenerative City

Old Paradigm

Buildings asConsumersBuildings drawing (perceived)

abundant enegy

Current Paradigm

Buildings asConservatorsIndependant buildings drawing

minimal resources

Emerging Paradigm

Buildings asContributorsInter-dependant & connected

buildings exchanging resources

Singledirection

of ow,

resources

abundant.

Singledirectionof ow,

resources

conserved.

Multi-directionalow,

resources

generated.



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Our Research Overview - Building Science Review

Building Centric

Efficiency is the quantitative measureof achieving human needs - identifiedthrough predetermined standards.

Technologically driven according to pre-

defined standardized metrics (i.e. Ashrae)

with a goal of static, consistent performance.

Building:

Pre-determined function.

Occupant Centric

Comfort is the qualitative humanperception of their environment.

A deeper understanding of user

satisfaction, health and engagement

is evolving building performance.

Research suggests desire for personalized,

individualized performance. Therefore

metrics for building performance

are tailored and are informed

according to input from the user.

Individual:

Adaptive / Interactiveservices.

Eco-Centric

Distribution of resources within asystem via diverse relationships.

Dependant on deep understanding

of occupant centric building

performance and the value of an

ecological/systems framework.

Research suggests an evolving,

interconnected framework. Emphasis

on context and time, specifically the

relationships between information.

Community:

Exchange of Resourcesin a network.

Current trajectory of research

Future trajectory of research


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OCAD U ResearchSponsored by Autodesk

Thank you,Carl Hastrich - [email protected] Hinds - [email protected] Clarke - [email protected]

urban ecologies information and complexity

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