Design 8- Adaptation and Retrofit Studio
Project 1- Biomimicry Research Project
The first project of the semester was an exploration into nature's existing strategies to solve problems and apply it to an architectural element. This project looks at how the small denticles on shark skin reduce drag while moving in the water and how this can be translated into a responsive facade for a building that reacts to wind loads similar to the shark skin does to drag loads.
Project 2 - Emerge
Project 2 takes what the class learned in the previous project and applies it to a small housing project. This project looks at the home for a teacher in Portugal who likes to surf in her free time, so the house is located along the cliff face of the Atlantic Ocean. Portugal's coast is known for its winds and hot climate. The house uses a curved form to deflect wind from the building and uses overhangs to reduce sun and heat exposure. With a stairwell descending into the ocean the client has direct access to her hobby.
