Current Polemic

Exploring time as a possible condition of spatial experience and a definitive measure for the existence of atmospheric phenomena, this thesis seeks to unravel some of the mystic surrounding this immaterial quality. Through experiments situated in the realm of space-time and their ability to respond in dynamic capacities to user interaction, awareness of the temporal condition that space occupies and the role within it we as users play is brought to the foreground. It has become apparent that space is no longer static but instead defined through various interactions. Contemporary terminology within the field expresses these spatial conditions during conception as ‘fluid’, ‘responsive’, ‘adapting’, and ‘evolving’ to name just a few. These possibilities are generally contingent on human occupation as material states do not often afford the built environment such dramatic possibilities.

This condition is accepted because we no longer derive satisfaction as a detached observer. Our ever-increasing awareness of our temporal state as time is quantified, realized, and experienced in fractions of a second, is nearing or surpassing the threshold of our perceivable range. Its importance, while truly no less pressing despite this inability to truly witness its full breadth, carries a certain stigma due to these developments in observable and measurable application.

Looking at past and present methods of the representation of time through art and technology as well as our sensorial abilities to perceive it, this thesis attempts to frame a groundwork for ways in which temporal acuity can interweave itself into the design and actualization of our built environments. This interwoven connection presents a new and dynamic condition for the amplification of atmospheres within built space. Utilizing both design tactics to alter our emotional response to an environment and pairing those with methods of embodying motion and in turn temporality, truly ‘fluid’ design may be achievable in the realm of the experience.

Current Abstract

In today’s fast paced society moments of temporal awareness seem to escape us. However, programs contingent on timely operation exist in capacities far exceeding historical precedent. Advances in transportation have brought new levels of urgency as well as detention. It has expanded geographical and cultural boundaries, reducing the duration between points of interest. It is within the intersection of these pathways that my thesis is situated, the realm of the transitional space — a node on a network — intersecting everywhere and nowhere. Here time and its atmospheric intervention is of the utmost importance, bringing this phenomena to the foreground.

The public space is defined through interaction. The private space through withdrawing from the immediate spectacle. Both are flexible in plan, able to occur wherever the scenario presents itself. Interpreted this way built space in its present condition is failing to fully embrace time with the same importance as material objectification.

Time, part of the experiential “fourth-dimension”, provides measure for these interactions. The duration, and arguably the distance, between objects (viewers/users or material bodies), is responsible for this space-time perceptional distortion. The speed in which these objects move, or appear to move, directly influences our interpretation of the atmospheric conditions present within a space.

Transitional Atmospheres

I intend to execute the design of a transitional space -- a locomotive station in which a phenomenal interplay of motion and time, populated with both being and machine, exist on a central stage. People are either in animated motion or situated in temporary detention. As crowds arrive they bring with them unique and indeterminate levels of earnest. In this central station there exists a heightened sense of self-awareness present in moments of haste and stagnancy; on this stage the opportunity for atmospheric intervention and temporal awareness is revealed.

The clients, comprised of individuals of varying backgrounds and equally diverse social roles, are primarily a heterogeneous audience. However, due to an interaction with the space, in both active and passive roles, they define the atmosphere and spatial tone as a collective, thus simultaneously becoming equal contributors. The threshold, the space which separates interior and exterior, embodies the most active and hastened ambient qualities. As the procession through the space unfolds the audience is brought to various platforms of agency; many will lead to everywhere and still others nowhere, instead their departure contingent on an arrival. Caught in limbo, subject to time and circumstance, they wait for their moment in frozen anticipation.

Through explorative installations, I will continue to expand on the notion of interactive design, its ability to sync with existing architectural techniques, to create hybridized environments that enhance atmospheric conditions and temporal awareness. Through this technocratic approach I hope to garner new understanding of the implications of building as such, and further speculate as to the possibility and manner or integration.

The train station will encompass a critical threshold, where the exterior elicits subtle interior intrigue, spilling outward onto the streets of a digitally drowned surrounding. Once this threshold is breached, an interactive and dynamic condition is revealed — layering of spaces and the movement of people that ultimately find themselves in the central hub. Here time seems to slow; a moment for some, speculative eternity for others. Here the space becomes observable, a performance through flurries of people moving between connections and platforms, near and seemingly at a distance from those waiting patiently.

With special attention to the integration of the locomotive into the building program I hope to capitalize on the opportunity of time and procession. Common spaces will exist, with the observers set to the side, left to appreciate the movements of the entire stage; each platform as an individual act of the whole show.

Case as Thesis

Responsive Atmospheres:

Atmosphere, a dynamic and temporal condition, presents responsive experiences. It provides for a heightened sense of awareness through emotional provocation. These individualized, yet collective atmospheres each embody an energy, shifting color to indicate the intensity or the duration in which they are active. The series embodies the idea of spatial progression and experience reliant on occupation.

Feedback encompassed ideas of user interaction, expression, scale, and effect. These issues are driving forces behind temporal atmospheres, the embodiment of the thesis and the new effort (better late than never!) behind the satisfying thesis topic I have arrived at. I look forward to its final development. Although it is due on December 8th I have every expectation to revise a more developed draft during the proceeding semester to bring it to where I hope it should to go. The concept intrigues me ^^

[Images coming soon! Still need to photograph it...]

2046

"It's as if he boarded a very long train headed for a drowsy future through the unfathomable night". Chow Mo Wan

A film by Wong Kar-wai. Backdrops of 1960s Hong Kong ignite the screen in a kaleidoscope of color. Beautiful, ornate decor, floral prints and lighting that exudes a sense of nostalgic transience are combined with worn and tattered structures. At once the atmosphere of the film commands your attention. The soundtrack teases the ears with symphonic romance. The smooth, sad and detached melody of Shigeru Umebayashi successfully transports the viewer into the scene. The visual emotion of the characters are heightened, resonating with the observer's consciousness.
2046, the novel in which Mr. Chow, the protagonist is authoring, is described as a place from which "no one has ever come back". The temporal shift from present to Mr. Chow's fictitious future cityscape is spent aboard a mysterious train along a seemingly never ending route. A constant relationship between proximity and dislocation is established through this transitional metaphor, but is also present in the story's failed love affairs which are situated within the various space-times.

Wong Kar-wai is attributed with a unique style, a visual and emotional pastiche, which emphatically dictate both mood and atmosphere. His delicate play of subtle hues combined with a masterful distortion of depth leave the observer in a state of uncertainty. This spatial technique emphasizes the obvious and leaves the full context to be imagined. It is disorienting as a true perspective cannot be obtained. The reversal of this situation — placing the background in focus and foreground left in obscurity — embodies a more fluid sensation, as if the destination is within reach and time resumes or even seems to advance.

Reactive Cube

The Reactive Cube by Graham Plumb is a visceral screen, a 3d void filled with water. This water is mixed with an oil based compound designed to remain disparate and suspended in the aqueous state. The original cube played with the depth formed from light refraction on the oil's surface, providing 3-dimensional holographic visuals. Later versions of the cube became interactive, responding to the movements and interference caused by users.

http://grahamplumb.com/cube.html

Paradigm Map

The final paradigm map expresses our individual research into a chosen topic. The topics are relevant to one another, stemming from the general idea of "constructed natures". Within this paradigm books, individuals, projects, and key concepts are linked together in a lineage parallel to the train of thought and growth as the thesis has evolved this term. Connections are formed between our varied topics, which provide insight through overlaps (similarities) and offer further realms of research to examine. As these paradigms progress it will provide the opportunity to expand on the network, continuing to see how each other evolve and offer information to the others for their benefit.

The thickness of line expresses the connection strength. This is based on our personal interpretations as this is our own research and has given us alone an insight into the relevancy of the source/topic to the idea at the end of the tunnel. Expect a further rendition down the road as the thesis really takes hold in the coming month.

Mathieu Lehanneur's 'Andrea'

Andrea, an air purification system designed by Mathieu Lehanneur in partnership with David Edwards of Harvard University, elevates the status of household plant to functional art piece.

The system works by drawing air through a body of water via intake fan where solid particles (dust, pollen, etc) are captured. The interior air, laden with the toxic off-gases of consumer and industrial products poses a threat to human health. Andrea pulls this air in through its root system and leaves before allowing it to reenter the room, cleansed. The tests have shown it to preform immensely better than similar carbon based models. Initial results have indicated as much as 80% of a noxious gas removed through one pass.

[images courtesy of www.mathieulehanneur.com/]

Dubai Islands: Danger to environment?

In an article by Tina Butler, a journalist writing for Mongabay.com in August of 2005, explained the threat to existing aquatic ecosystems through the construction process of Nakheel's reclamation. Nakheel, a large corporation that has been at the forefront of much of Dubai's artificial seascapes, has stirred up so much sediment that organisms are being choked due to silt. Butler explains that the "health of the coral reefs has been in a state of continuous decline over the past 50 years. The Arabian Gulf is one of the most grievously affected areas, with recent estimates of habitat loss pegged at 35 percent. Increases in temperature and salinity have previously been attributed as the leading factors in reef habitat degradation, but the new pressure from dredging serves only to exacerbate the declining state of the environment". According to Butler this is directly affecting tourists, the group that much of this has been produced to bring. She claims the SCUBA industry has been affected drastically; "the current activity has essentially destroyed Dubai's diving industry even if temporarily, and enthusiasts have left the area for clearer waters".


Today, Nakheel is in financial turmoil abandoning future contracts and attempting to proceed on existing ones in an effort to streamline the corporation and bring the red zones of their budget back into the green. Perhaps this is more a problem than just completing the already questionable work. Will a half finished state of construction pose problems with unstable foundations, resulting in lack of intended development and use meaning the degradation was all for nothing? Only time will tell how it all pans out.

[Tina's article can be viewed here]

Initial Paradigm Mapping

This map seeks to isolate sources relevant to the progressing work of the thesis. This is the culmination of three individuals; Christopher Holzwart, Cecilia Roussel, and myself. Looking at the categorization of sources, including authored writings, theories, and projects, the map arranged them chronologically to look at the progression of thought and the evolution of focus with regards to our exposed subset of the niche ecology.

Harmonious Fusion

[image courtesy of http://markcweedon.net]

Floating Garden Ecosystem

French designer Benjamin Graindorge developed a garden, in partnership with Duende Studio, that engages the nitrite cycle in a micro closed loop ecosystem. An excerpt on the process can be read below:

Floating Garden

The fish tank is a microcosm that reflects human concerns: within the finite space of its architecture the main issue that conditions the well-being of its inhabitants is waste management. ‘Floating Garden’ by Benjamin Graindorge and Duende Studio brings an innovative solution to the daily maintenance constraints of freshwater aquariums with a filtering system that is 100% natural: a cushion of sand + plants that adapts to each and every model. Its recycling principle based on hydroponics does away with the chore of regular water changes and proposes a new domestic- scale typology, between the decorative glass vase and the water purifying plant.

Floating Garden uses two techniques for eliminating nitrate wastes voided by fish:

1/ Gravel-bed filtration: tank water moves over a tray where it seeps through a 5cm layer of river-sand. The sand bed traps suspended waste particles and forms a host environment for the aerobic and anaerobic bacteria that transform azote into nitrates.

2/ Aquaponics : nitrate-enriched water pours over a layer of plant-life. The substratum of roots extracts the nitrates to sustain plant growth, which means that water returning to the tank is pure. Needless to say, the vegetation is adapted to wet environments: e.g. Amazon-basin plants or tomatoes rather than cacti.

The combination of these two techniques in a simple easy-to-use product marketed for the general public as of spring 2010 is a significant innovation. It is a little known fact that aquarium fish are up front in the domestic pets market.

Aquarium water remains stable: it is clean and the tank needs only minimal upkeep: a sponge wipe over glass faces to remove algae deposits, an occasional top-up to compensate surface evaporation, and of course food for the fish.

[images courtesy of http://www.dezeen.com]

Site as Thesis

The creation of site is a worldwide phenomenon. This practice is generally utilized for several reasons ranging from the programmatic to the experimental and in scale from a personal oasis to an entire city. These projects generally take the form of artificial islands, locked into a location, permanently affecting the surrounding ecology either as a massive disruption or even through immediate extermination. So what is the answer as these become more affordable, and recently more enticing? The ability to shape the terrain at will has had the Persian Gulf entertained for the present. However, in the near future they may prove commonplace throughout East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Rim. This will eventually prove a logical alternative where Asian countries face overpopulation, congestion, and land shortages in and around their current urban centers. Their waterways and coastal regions, current under stress, are likely in for a real shock when this transitions occurs.

Ecological disruption and polluted waterways, side effects of artificial land formation and establishment, will alter a very vital food source, especially for this geographic location as they rely heavily on the sea for their diet (30% of protein in their diet is a result of fish consumption). As water quality drops and ecologies are disrupted, this reliance may prove a larger issue than a land shortage.


Autonomous algae-laden cleaners shoal the boundaries of these artificial environments, cleansing the waters to promote an abundance of sea life and help assure that this does not occur. These capsules use existing currents, aided with a minor propulsion system, to school in massive clean-up efforts. The algae (such as Gracilaria lemaneiformis) is monitored and the capsule adjusts the depth according to the health and abundance of algal growth. As more light penetrates the capsule the algae regenerates its mass. As the mass becomes increasingly plentiful it travels deeper, letting the lack of photosynthetic activity reinstate an appropriate volume within the transparent shell. These units continue to evaluate water conditions and send live feedback to water monitoring centers located on the artificial landforms.

Truk Lagoon

North of New Guinea is a sheltered body of water in the central Pacific that consists of 11 large islands and 46 smaller ones. Ironically, these islands were given to the Japanese after its seizure from the Germans and mandate from the League of Nations post-World War I. These islands served as a forward anchorage for the Japanese Imperial fleet during World War II. It was heavily developed, described as the equivalent of America's Pearl Harbor.

Truk Lagoon was attacked on February 17, 1944 by Allied forces. The assault (Operation Hailstorm) spanned three days, resulting in the sinking of 60 ships and 275 aircraft. These found their place at the bottom of the sea where for many decades they sat in a gloomy abyss. Alien to their environment, they served as a catalyst for marine life in the area. Today they are a protected reef considered to be a diver's paradise after being popularized by Jacques Cousteau's 1971 television documentary where he brought the coral-encrusted wrecks to light. This new synthetic ecosystem now houses over 266 unique species (2007 Earthwatch study).

[Image courtesy of http://aquaviews.net]

House Demolition

The primary concern with the House as Thesis was the fallacy to distinguish a unique focus. The House dealt with wide-ranging sustainable/ecological tactics, but for no greater good than composing a responsible space around the notion of thermal delight. Unfortunately, this is not the intended focus or the sole target of my ambiguous thesis. The House was supposed to raise questions on synthetic versus natural systems and spaces. It was intended to explore the relationship of these opposites and propose a new integrated approach or hybridization in which the building did not only incorporate green spaces, but that the green spaces were responsible for the well-being and functionality of the synthetic living quarters in which we have all grown accustomed. Why much of this failed to reach this pinnacle lies in the fallacy to determine or at the very least speculate a method of such integration. Is it through built green space or mechanical systems? Is this through site integration? Or is it through bio-technologies?



Site was also an issue. The landscape chosen for its conception was the sandy shores of Holland, MI. This coastal area played an insignificant role in the beach house development. The design was intended for universal applications as a more internally focused project, but this made it too narrow. It should have been more contextually reliant, especially since the coastal location was such an original fascination. Additionally, water should have played a larger role in the project as this is a personal fascination and the role of which I wish to explore deeper during my thesis. But, alas, with the House demolished I am free to start again...

River Plant Aquarium

The River Plant Aquarium by Mathieu Lehanneur is an ecosystem study as it relates to basic human needs. Lehanneur, a French designer with an ecological agenda, examines the concept of the aquarium as a source of food and lifestyle influence beyond eye-candy. He utilizes the aquarium as a fish hatchery and introduces simple agriculture through small vegetable gardens.


The refrigerated aquarium houses the fish which produce waste into the water column. This waste is extracted as a nutrient source by the plants which in turn purify the tank water encouraging fish development and growth. This cyclic method does not work without the addition of food for the fish or natural sunlight for the plants, but is essentially a minor maintenance living artificial environment. The small footprint and multiple intent of the River Plant Aquarium enriches the urban experience for those who lack private outdoor space.

[photo from duendepressrelations and inhabitat]

House as Thesis

Examining the present state of the world and the role we as humans have assumed, the House as Thesis acknowledges the bare necessities of what defines a living quarters for a family, but moves beyond this role to conceptualize a new, dynamic structure in which to not only encapsulate and shelter life, but enrich it.


[Bio-core of the housing construct]

A current issue with the majority of single-family homes erected throughout North America, as well as much of the world, has to do with its relationship to the surrounding environment. Instead of utilizing natural energy sources (progressive blue measures) -- wind, hydrological, geo-thermal, or solar -- these homes sit as exposed monolithic entities, parasitically feeding on the planet and fouling the world around them. House as Thesis explores relations of the natural and the synthetic world. It raises questions on the overbearing demand of mechanical systems and seeks to provide alternative solutions, if not entirely, at least in assistance to those we have grown accustomed.

Opening Gambit

To be revealed soon... the first "sacrificial" embodiment of the thesis animal. This is likely only one of what will surely be many in the long process to uncovering the focus/truth.

Eidetic Operations - James Corner

LANDSCAPE(topic-based):

Expanse of natural vegetation or exposed earthly formations, the result of an everchanging planet.

The topography of intellectual activity specific to a given area or focus.

The alteration of an existing natural features by creating contours, usually complete with plantings.

PROJECTION(active/descriptive):
The reproduction of an object by optical means on a surface.

Act of conveyence from sensory organs to a source of stimulation outside the body.

Communicating distinctly or forcefully to an audience.

Attribution of an individual's emotional state onto another people or objects.

"Landskip (landscape as contrivance, primarily visual and sometimes also iconic or significant and Landschaft(landscape as a an occupied milieu, the effects and significance of which accrue through tactility, use, and engagement over time)."

"Both terms connote images, but the latter comprises a fuller, more synaesthetic, and less picturable range than the former. Furthermore, the working landscape, forged collectively and according to more utilitarian demands than anything artistic or formal, has been more the traditional domain of descriptive analysis by historians and geographers than of speculation by landscape architects." Corner

Identity Crisis

Beijing has seen incredible changes in recent years. It has gone from a rural landscape of farmers and fishermen to an industrious region; the epicenter of the world's production. Chairman Mao is said to have surveyed Beijing from atop the Gate of Heavenly Peace and proclaimed his desire for "the sky to be filled with smokestacks." His wish has come true as production facilities multiplied like rabbits. People came from the countryside to work the newly available and higher paying jobs that these factories offered. Makeshift housing was erected adjacent to the factories to eliminate daily commutes and increase productivity. Traditional structures, such as the hutongs that previously adorned Beijing, began to disappear overnight.


Since the Olympics in 2008, the issue of transit to and from the city center has greatly improved. The air is still filled with soot and smog that form a noticeably thick and palpable haze through the streets. Great efforts are being made to remedy this which include the planting of dense vegetation, pushing manufacturing to the periphery, and the instigation of an evening electrical curfew at ten o'clock. En lieu of the makeshift housing that was erected alongside factories, new and "affordable" alternatives are being built [this was a heated topic of debate as many Chinese feel the issue is unfairly addressed and are essentially being evicted from their current place of refuge without appropriate compensation or access to the new facilities]. These new projects utilize very simplistic but universal methods of construction. This is resulting in a cultural identity crisis. The traditional Chinese elements have been either eliminated or reapplied as purely motif. Beijing is quickly being reduced to stereotypical thrift store decor and foreign techniques. If this does not change it will be interesting to see how quickly a city can lose itself.

Air/Condition by Peter Sloterdijk
ATMOSPHERE(topic-based):
Gaseous envelope or medium at a given place, such as the one surrounding the earth.
A unit of pressure (14.7 lbs per square inch is the atmosphere of air at sea level).
A surrounding mood or emotional tone embodying either a work or situation.
A distinctive quality given to a subject, such as a place, for descriptive purposes.


UNCONSCIOUS (descriptive/active):
The part of the mind containing psychic material influential to behavior, but goes without awareness, sensation, or cognition.

Discovery of the unconscious through psychoanalysis - How Dali saw his art.

Down six fathoms, my fins firmly rooted on the bottom of Lake Michigan, I stood surrounded by an alien environment. The deep blue waters were enlivened by the shimmering sun in a hopeful attempt to penetrate the depths and have a peek itself at what lay ahead. The wreck, distinguishable only as a ghost form, lay in two pieces; its hull pointing upwards forever frozen in its last attempt to clutch to the world it knew before plunging into the abyss and the stern horizontal in acquiescence. This skeleton, now a haven for zebra mussels and gobies--both invasive species from afar--creates a surreal world in a changing environment. As I inhale and exhale from my supply line, a series of bubbles--a reminder of my being a visitor to this place--rise up and away, frantically racing towards the faint light above. I am truly immersed in another atmosphere, like Dali in his dive suit, both with limited air supply, but mine remains clearly indicated. I instantly feel more self-aware in this environment around me and realize the odds at which I am with my world.

Organization Spce - Easterling

NETWORK(topic-based):
A system of interrelated objects; interconnected components.
Organization or arrangement of elements.

ECCENTRICITY(descriptive/active):
An oddity or peculiarity.
Quality or amount by which something is eccentric.
Distance between two centers - as in cylindrical objects in machinery.
Measure of deviation from an elliptical path.

"When a small desire meets large volumes of consumers, or a dumb component is multiplied within a banal or repetitive environment, it has the power to gradually reconstitute an organization. Repetitive housing, for instance, critiqued for its monotony, potentially amplifies a small fitting or detail. Similarly, transportation redundancies might be valued since they present opportunistic sites for installing intelligent switching between networks." - Easterling

Recycling Recycling by Mark Wigley
ARTIFICIAL (topic-based):
Lacking all spontaneity or naturalness, as if evidently made by mankind.
Based on arbitrary, superficial characteristics not necessarily indicative of natural interrelationships.
Produced without regard to true existing demands/needs.
Of or belonging to art.

EXTENSION (descriptive/active):
An additional allotment of time provided for one to meet an obligation.
An addition to a space.
The property of a body by which it occupies space, either directly, via a form of prosthetic, or even an emanating aura.
To expand or stretch as to increase overall surface area or impact.
To enlarge the influence or scope of / Increase the duration


“The technological world becomes the new nature, the artificial nature that needs to be analyzed in ecological terms. The prosthetic body grows into a landscape, a terrain that can be occupied” (Mark Wigley).

Article summary: Recycling.

A Tour of Monuments of Passaic, New Jersey by Smithson:
MONUMENT (topic-based):
A object erected in commemoration or celebration of a person, event, etc., as enduring evidence or example for others.
An area preserved and maintained with historical significance, beauty, or intrigue for the public.

ENTROPY (descriptive/active):
A general lack or pattern or organization.
A measure of energy that is unavailable to perform work during a closed thermodynamic process.
A measure of chaos within a closed system.
A measure of the loss of information during transmittal.
A uniform temperature throughout the universe, for all matter, regardless of material that results in “heat death”. (A theory was formulated that over time entropy would build up and all motion would eventually cease. For this to occur, if ever, far more time than would impact us as a species would need to go by.)
A doctrine of unavoidable social degradation and inevitable decline.


“The last monument was a sand box or a model desert. Under the dead light of the Passaic afternoon the desert became a map of infinite disintegration and forgetfulness. This monument of minute particles blazed under the bleakly glowing sun, and suggested the sullen dissolution of entire continents, the drying up of oceans—no longer were there green forests and high mountains—all that existed were millions of grains of sand and was a dead metaphor that equaled timelessness and to decipher such metaphors would take one through the false mirror of eternity. This sand box somehow doubled as an open grave—a grave that children cheerfully played in” (Robert Smithson).

Article summary: Passaic.

The Architecture of Inception

"What's the most resilient parasite? An Idea. A single idea from the human mind can build cities. An idea can transform the world and rewrite all the rules. Which is why I have to steal it." - Dom Cobb, Inception.


Inception, the new film directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is a story of dreams, deceit, and redemption. Leonardo plays Dom Cobb, a thief and architectural prodigy, finds himself tasked with the art of corporate espionage. However, this time he wont be stealing an idea. Instead he is recklessly embarking on new territory: inception -- the insertion of an idea and therefore the perfect crime. In the subconscious Cobb relies on a team of specialists to design, manipulate, and react to the dreamscape around them. But no amount of careful planning can prepare them for what awaits in the deepest crevices of the human mind.

Inception uses sensational computer graphics and visual art to bring an active and adaptive city to life. In this dream state physics can be challenged, sometimes ignored, as in the actualization of Penrose stairs and other paradoxical illusions. This dreamworld is a form of artificial living environment and the stage for inception.

(Image courtesy of imdb.com)

Living Artificial Environments

Takashi Amano, a Japanese photographer, designer, and entrepreneur, creates ecological systems in an aquarium tank. He introduces carbon dioxide into the aquarium, which is absorbed by aquatic plants that photosynthesize producing rich oxygen, and in turn stimulating the environment for fish and other microorganisms. These synthetic aquatic ecosystems derive from his imagination as well as experiences visiting and documenting the Amazon, Borneo, West Africa, and his native Japan.

He produces wonderful works of natural art which have earned him international acclaim as well as his photographs, which include two images displayed at the 34th G8 summit. More on these living artificial environments can be found here.


I had the privilege of attending a seminar by Amano while staying in Beijing. He shared photographs with accompanying stories and even the design of an artificial living environment before our very eyes.

Lexicon Initiated

Wildness by Kwinter:
ENVIRONMENT (topic-based):
External factors that influence an entity; often physical, but sometimes social or cultural. These can be either natural (undisturbed by mankind) or designed. It is also the background against which a person or thing is observed.

EMERGENCE (descriptive/active):
A state of evolutionary process; a visual development, or outgrowth, through the introduction of new properties, often resulting in a distortion of the previous entity.

"Design today must find ways to approximate these ecological forces and structures, to tap, approximate, borrow, and transform morphogenetic processes from all aspects of wild nature, to invent artificial means of creating living artificial environments" (Sanford Kwinter).

Nonlinear History by De Landa
ENERGY(topic-based):
Heat or power produced in a variety of forms such as fossil fuels, electricity, wind, tidal, nuclear, thermal, chemical, or solar radiation capable of vigorous activity by undergoing a transformation from one form to another.

AUTOCATALYTIC (descriptive/active):
An action, initiated as a reaction to an agent, occurring between two or more entities. Said agent remains unaffected by the action in occurrence.

"Human history is a narrative of contingencies, not necessities, of missed opportunities to follow different routes of development, not of a unilinear succession of ways to convert energy, matter, and information into cultural products" (Manuel De Landa).

Article summaries updated: Wildness & Nonlinear History.

Wonder the Sea

Daily Mail reports that "wave and tidal power could produce enough energy for up to 15 million homes, provide thousands of jobs and slash emissions by mid-century, the Government claimed today. Energy Minister Lord Hunt said harnessing the power of the UK's seas would provide clean and secure energy and export opportunities as he launched an action plan for developing the industry."


Read more here.

Active Horizon

Alternative Energy News provides a glimpse at the future cityscape; "Residents of Dubai may one day experience a unique and constantly changing skyline thanks to Dynamic Architecture’s wind powered rotating skyscraper. The main idea behind their concept involves a central concrete core surrounded by 59 independently rotating levels. The skyscraper would generate its own electricity from the massive horizontal wind turbines that would be stacked in between each floor."

Find the story here.

Initial Launch

Testing...