Thesis Statement

The Sprout system will incorporate itself into condemned buildings in cities and convert the structure into a 100% self-sufficient entity. By introducing organic material into an existing condemned building a process will take place in which the organic material will start to reinforce or improve multiple systems ( heating and cooling, electrical, sewage, water, protection from the element, etc).

Critical Position: The Sprout System

An innovative way of devising and constructing residential units is essential for our continuation and utilization of our planet’s resources. For example, residential units are one of the major causes of pollution on our planet due to the amount of greenhouse gases released into the air, the waste that gets produced from the occupants, and the treatment of water. Our modern ideology of residential home designs requires a change in order for humans to reside on the planet in a sustainable way, such as employing a morphogenetic design. A morphogenetic design entails the residential dwelling continuous growth with the family that lives in it and will evolve to its surroundings in order to incorporate itself into the existing ecological system that it is placed in.

Time Frame

Time Frame: My design is set in the year 2030 and is a prototype structure introducing a new style of Architecture the will allow humans to live on the planet in an ecological way and it will establish our symbiotic relationship with nature.

Growth Rate Experiment

Starting out with two different types of beans (soybeans and string beans) I will grow them and take measurement everyday. Initially I will only have two sets of each type of bean. I will fertilize each type of bean with the other bean plant that is of the same kind (soybean with soybean and string bean with string bean). This will provide a control set of measurements of growth for which I can base my experiment on. I will continue this type breeding for three generations and when the third generation is ready to breed I will attempt to cross breed the soybean with the string bean. Resulting in a hybrid species of soybean and string bean. In the following generations of plants I will select the two fastest growing plants and breed them together. The goal is to achieve a hybrid species that will posses a growth rate that I superior to the original parental plants. I will take measurements twice a day everyday until the plants reach three feet in height. At that point the two that reaches that height first will be breed together.
Constants for my project will be the type of bean seed selected and used, the amount of water that each plant will receive each day, the amount of soil that is placed in the pot for the plant to grow, the amount of sunlight that each plant will be exposed to, the temperature that the plants are placed in, the depth in which the seed is place in to germinate, and the pots that the plants grow in will be the same width and depth. As for protecting the plants from uncontrolled breeding the plants when they are nearing their breeding cycle a clear plastic bag will be placed over them for a period of four days to prevent unwanted exchange of genes.
The end result will hopefully be a cross breed hybrid of the two different bean types that possesses a rapid growth rate that surpasses the initial control group.

Scenario 2

Scenario 2: This scenario explores the possibility of the sprout system to produce a city size organism. Creating this city in a landscape free of existing structures allows the sprout system to push the limits of what we consider to be eco-friendly

Scenario 1

Scenario 1: This scenario explores the possibilities of what could happen if the sprout system adapts itself to an existing city. Improving the eco-efficiency of the city. Adapting underutilized structures to become a valued part of the city

Population Growth

Population Growth: the population is expected to reach between 9 to 12 billion people by the year 2050. The majority of the population growth will happen in the developing countries. Having a city that will be able to adapt to its growing population will be beneficial for the rest of the planet.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Greenhouse Gas Emissions: with the increasing temperature changes due to in part by the increase in greenhouse gas production produced by humans the need for greenhouse gas absorbers is greatly needed.

Biome Site Selection

Biome: the chosen biome for the site is a temperate deciduous forest. This biome was chosen because of its varying temperate that it has annually. This wide range in weather will allow the design to showcase the versatility of this new form of architecture.

Site Selection: The site is located in the SE corner of 15^th and J Street in downtown Sacramento Ca. the reasoning in choosing Sacramento for a site is the inherent connection that the residents already have in the city. The city is already covered with trees and because Sacramento is the capital of California it will make California the beacon of Green design for the nation and the rest of the world.

Kit of Parts

Kit of Parts: the creation of a kit of parts will be a reference to what plants maybe adapted for a use in the sprout system

Notes

• Location?
• Critical Position
• Look at year of design
• set a time frame for construction
• Move from single family to Public Architecture
• backup the design
• Vertical Garden: 
CaixaForum Madrid by Herzog & de Meuron Architects
• Set up a background for the desgn
• Story board
• Reasons for design
• Dictionary of the kit of parts
• Watch Futuristic movies for precedence
• 2-3 scenarios ( how will the design interact with existing structures)

Emerald City

This Kaiser Commercial is a possible way we should look at a city http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTZRAPcNerQ&feature=player_embedded

Justification of Research Approach

In 1865 Gregor Mendel experimented with plant hybridization. The goal of the experiment was to show that the parental plants pass on certain characteristics to its offspring thus creating a hybrid species that posse the desired traits of the parental plants (Mendel, 1865).

The chosen research method utilized is based upon retracing Mendel's experimental procedures of plant hybridization in order to achieve a hybrid species of plant. The goal of the experiment is to create a hybrid species of plant that carries desired traits suitable for the needs of my design. Employing the pedigree method of breeding, this is when the desired traits are identified in the offspring and only those selected offspring will breed with each other, the desired traits of each tentative plant will be isolated. Then using the backcross method of breeding, this method locates the desired traits in the offspring and then will breed the offspring with its parental plant that also has the desired trait, the desired traits will become the dominant expressive trait (Ruiz, Romero., 1999). The quantitative results gathered will consist of multiple plants and their offspring tracking the desired traits through the utilization of backcross method of breeding to influence the fabrication of dominant expressive traits. This deductive experiment will provide a basis for the design due to its ability to yield a hybrid species of plant that will posses the desired traits.

The pros and cons of this experiment are contingent upon availability of space, weather human error and time allocation. Lack of space can affect the experiment due to the laboratory's inability to adequately house large number of subjects chosen for the experiment. The weather will play a key role in the plants development and can slow down or increase the growth rate of the plant. In addition, human error can inadevertently affect the breeding plants, thus resulting in pollination of the plants with the wrong parental plant or the plants may self pollinate and produce cloned offspring (Schoen, Lloyd., 1992). Lastly, time will be an issue for this experiment because of the number of generations of plants that will be able to be produced. This will alter the outcome of the results.

This experiment will establish that plants can combine to create hybrid species. Projecting advancement in this field of plant genetics will result in a plant structure that can be manipulated into a housing structure. Plants provide our planet and humans with resources that are invaluable to our survival. They feed us, clean our air, the clean and protect our soil. They are the basis for the majority of life on the planet.

The reasoning behind choosing Mendel’s experiment is Gregor Mendel was the first person to do these sorts of experiments. His discoveries have lead to what we know about genetic today. Modern techniques use such catalyst as radioactivity or chemicals to alter the genes of the plant. (Chahal, Gosal, 2002). This new way of design will take architecture into its next great design revolution. It will create a symbiotic relationship between nature and mankind that will benefit both equally.

Reference:

Mendel, G. (1865) Experiments in Plant Hybridization. Read at the meetings of February 8th, and March 8th, 1865

Ruiz, J. M., Romero, L. (1999) Nitrogen efficiency and metabolism in grafted melon plants. Scientia Horticulturae. 81: 113-123

Schoen, D. J., Lloyd, D. G. (1992) Self- and Cross-Fertilization in Plants. III. Methods for Studying Modes and Functional aspects of Self-Fertilization. International Journal of Plant Sciences. 153: 381-393

Chahal, G. S., Gosal, S. S. (2002) Principles and procedures of Plant Breeding, Alpha Science International

Case Study Chlorofilia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQukt36Gew0 this link is to a case study that I will be using. This case study takes what I want to do to the extreme. take a look its pretty cool. Its from the History Channel Titled City of the Future: Los Angeles 2106

Case Study Yellow Treehouse Cafe

Here is a possible case study. This project is a cafe. Here's the website for more informationhttp://www.pacificenvironments.co.nz/newsarticles/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace=Middle/focusModuleID=3655/overideSkinName=newsArticle-full.tpl

Case Study Free Spirit Spheres

This is another case study. This current built and is lived in. Here is the link to the website http://freespiritspheres.com/

Case Study FAB Tree House

Here is an image of a project that will be one of my case studies. If you want to know more about the project here is the website http://www.archinode.com/Arch9fab.html

The Roots Presentation

• Case Study
• Farmed like Produce
• Architectural Components
• Who is the client

• Oldest Problem in Architecture
• Locate sites for my thesis
• Biomes
• Find 4-5 sites
• Organic or Synthetic
• Location can be a friend or an enemy
• Bio-Dome
• Real or Fantasy?
• Make a plan
• Organism/ house transformation
• Guide or let it grow
• Find Utopia
• What systems an I using?

The Roots

Research Essay

An innovative way of devising and constructing residential units is essential for our continuation and utilization of our planet’s resources. For example, residential units are one of the major causes of pollution on our planet due to the amount of greenhouse gases released into the air, the waste that gets produced from the occupants, and the treatment of water for drinking. Our modern ideology of residential home designs requires a change in order for humans to reside on the planet in a sustainable way, such as employing a morphogenetic design. A morphogenetic design entails the residential dwelling continuous growth with the family that lives in it and will evolve to its surroundings in order to incorporate itself into the existing ecological system that it is placed in.

This morphogenetic design will be self-replicating and self-fabricating using the idea of nature as its structural base, created through genetic engineering of various plant species. The morphogenetic design will provide a source of power for the functions of everyday living. It will also provide a source of food for its residents by producing fruits and vegetables like a garden would. The organic waste that is product by the residents will provide a food source for the morphogenetic design . The design will be a self-sustaining organism that will create a symbiotic relationship with its inhabitants. The design will take on many different appearances depending on which ecosystem it is placed in. In nature plants filter water and remove many toxins that are harmful to human being in the soil and air. The roll that plants offers in the natural world makes it the ideal organism to build with.

The end result will be a home that fits into its local ecosystem providing a solution to our growing economical and ecological problem. With the rapid atmospheric and ecological changes that are happening in the world, a dramatic change must occur in how humans, particularly modern, western cultures, interact with their local ecosystems. This rapidly built, affordable housing would be able to evolve to any climate on the planet. This idea could potentially solve the food and water shortages, whilst simultaneously fixing a number of other problems that our world is facing today.

The main research focus for the quarter will be on the anatomy of plant structures and how they can be manipulated in order to form a housing structure. The research that is involved and the outcome that is need must be in the realm of the avant garde. These ideas that come from this research must push our ideas of what housing is and what it can do.