Sustainable Land Lab

Sustainable Land Lab Competition: Final Eight 
By: Megan Gebke

In a previous blog, I had mentioned the sustainable land lab survey. Up to four winning teams will be announced on April 10. The winning teams receive a two year land lease and $5,000 cash to jump start their project. The final eight ideas have been chosen:

Bistro Box: The Bistro Box concept is a small business incubator that transforms surplus cargo containers into a compact restaurant and culinary destination.

Carbon Carpet: The Carbon Carpet team proposes to install warm season grass plantings on unutilized urban lots currently owned by the LRA. Plantings will be positioned to afford educational, financial, ecological and social benefits to neighbors, city residents and fellow inhabitants of spaceship earth, in that order, respectively.

Chess Pocket Park: Community sustainability supported through Chess Pocket Park – outdoor community chess venue for residents with a permanent location supporting our primary community asset – its people.

HUB: Hybrid Urban Bioscapes (formerly LauLab, Nectaring Garden and Refab): A productive landscape and a public space. The intention is to share knowledge and strategies with local residents about how to cultivate and maintain a food producing garden while having a place to gather.

Mighty Mississippians (formerly Christner): Learning Lessons from the Past: A modern agricultural and sustainable living model, the premises for our approach rooted in regional history, the Mississippians and their ancestors, as well as modern permaculture practices. Using concepts of permaculture, the site would demonstrate the interdependent relationships that work efficiently and sustainably in nature and that worked for previous civilizations, from the soil to the birds, to humans.

Renewing Roots Urban Farm: A scalable urban agriculture network that proposes to transform blighted lots into cost efficient models of sustainability.

ShiftUP : A community space to rent, maintain, and learn about bicycles. As a bike hub, shiftUP would encourage bikers from other parts of St. Louis to visit Old North and interact with the community.

The Sunflower+ Project: The Sunflower+ Project: StL proposes turning previously developed urban lots into a community asset through the planting of sunflowers. With a goal of eventually spurring redevelopment of these vacant parcels, the project will serve as an appropriate, scalable, and productive transitional solution.

For more information visit: http://sustainablecities.wustl.edu/2013/02/eight-teams-advance-to-final-round-of-sustainable-land-lab-competition/

Automated Parking

The Architecture of Automated Parking 

By: Lucas E. Shubert

Parking is constant design problem for architects, engineers, and all kinds of planning professionals. Typically, in dense urban areas, the most viable solution is to create a free-standing structure dedicated to parking—a parking garage. However, dense urban areas are not the only optimal candidates for parking garages. Small cities throughout the U.S. could benefit from the potential pedestrian scale mass parking that automated parking garages can provide.

The difference between traditional ramp parking garages and automated parking garages is minimum double potential capacity per same unit area combined with ease of use. Ramp garages require at least enough space for one lane of traffic per each stall, whereas automated parking garages only require the space for stalls and a shared space for the central sorting machine. While both types of garage require one or more entrance terminals, human interaction with the automated type ends at there—leaving more space for parking stalls.

Since there is so little interaction between the user and the interior the garage structure, architectural elements such as paths of egress and accessibility are of little relevance. Furthermore, form is entirely dependent on the function of the building, based on the specialized machinery involved. Therefore, the focus of design is limited to the exterior façade and its relation to its surroundings. Natural (and for that matter, electric) light holds no value during day to day operations, but could be valuable to lower operational cost if the machinery needs repair.

So, since natural light is generally unnecessary and the only required fenestration on the exterior of the building relates to the entry terminals, how does one design an architecturally fascinating façade? The most obvious solution is to add an energy capturing system on as much of the vacant exterior as possible. A large array of solar panels can help to balance the power consumption of the robotic systems within the building. Perhaps the best solution to minimizing the potential monumentality and emptiness of the exterior of an automated parking garage is to include adjacent mixed-use spaces. That way, they can share a pedestrian scale to create a walkable downtown environment.

Thesis Problem Statement

Thesis Problem Statement 
By: Kyle Miller 

Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder is one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders of childhood. According to DSM-IV, the prevalence of Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity is estimated at 3%-5% in school age children. According to WebMD, some experts, though, say ADHD may occur in 8% to 10% of school aged children. Also, the rate of older teens diagnosed with ADHD is greater compared to younger children. This neurobehavioral disorder is 2.5 time more common in males than in females. With the analysis information, it has confirmed that there are a group of students afflicted with ADHD out there that have been diagnosed with this neurobehavioral disorder and they are in spaces that are contributing to the issue more than it is trying to help them with their issue.

Brehm Preparatory School, located in Carbondale, Illinois was chosen as the proposed site because it demonstrates a structured learning environment for students who have ADHD. It is the only accredited junior and senior high school in the Midwest specifically designed to meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of students with complex learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder. There are currently 90 students that attend Brehm from California to New York as well as other countries. An important characteristic about Brehm is their own individualized educational plan, there emphasis differentiated instruction and there small classed which is from one to eight students. Brehm also has a daily structure in place for the students so they can become more confident and comfortable.

A traditional classroom is a classroom with desk and chairs. A non-traditional classroom is a classroom with a space to do physical activity. The ideal traditional classroom size for student afflicted by ADHD is 8 to 10 students. In an average elementary class size with one instructor for all subjects is 20.1 students and the average secondary class size with a different teacher for every subject is 23.0, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. This means architecturally that classrooms are being designed for to many students. Also the classroom should be not be as stimulating according to Brehm Preparatory School. This is also a factor that can be influenced on what the architecture is.

The Martial Arts program is necessary to the physical fitness of a student afflicted with ADHD. It makes the student look and feel better about themselves when they are physically fit. Also this activity creates a structured environment which can translate to an architecturally designed space. Furthermore, in putting a non-traditional classroom next to a traditional classroom make it possible to architecturally make the spaces completely different. The underline principles it to create a structured learning experience with the balance of traditional learning experiences to non-traditional experiences.

CNC Machine

Using the CNC part ten or so...
By: Josh Rucinski
One of the hardest things to find online is the speeds of which you should cut materials. The main reason is because the information is protected. The secondary reason is because RPM spindle speed is not actually the same as cutting speed.

Cutting speed, when you can find it online usually reads like this 600 fpm which means 600 feet per minute. Machinists use this because the diameter of the cutting head of the tool changes the speed of the cut dramatically. Consider the following. I have a 10” diameter tire and I rotate it once on the ground it will have travelled 10”x pi = 31.4”, if you have 40” diameter tire, the distance is four times the length on the ground. If you rotated both tires during the same length of time, the 40” diameter tire is moving 4 times the speed!

Therefore cutting speed is expressed in rpm by using an equation. Pi is simplified as 3, and the inch/foot converter is factored in. There the expression is this (fpm*4)/diameter of tool= rpm. CNC push speed is a small fraction of the rpm, The Feed Rate in "INCHES Per MINUTE" is determined by multiplying the number of cutting teeth by the RPM, multiplying that product by the Feed per Tooth, and dividing by 3. The calculation is as follows:

Feed Rate = (Number of Cutting Teeth x RPM x Feed Per Tooth)

Example #3 Use the information and RPM calculated in Example #2 for a Milling Machine, ball-parking the FPT(Feed per Tooth) of .005 (see table), and a cutting depth of .050"

Feed Rate = (2 x 2000 x .005) = 20 inches/minute

This is really just rules of thumb, adjustments are always required to each product.

WBS

Work breakdown structure (WBS):

By: Jabina Shrestha                                                      

Work breakdown structure (WBS):

It is a fundamental tool used in project management and system engineering. It is like tree structure (look similar to organizational chart but they are alike) which consists of summing of subordinates. The main idea of WBS is used to define and organize the total scope of the project. The concept of WBS developed with the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) in the United States Department of Defense (DoD).

The purposes of the WBS are;

-          it helps more accurately and specifically define and organize the scope of the total project

-          it helps  in assigning responsibilities, resource allocation, monitoring the project and controlling the project

-          it allows to check all the deliverables specific with the stakeholders and allow to be sure of no missing and overlapping

One of the most important WBS design principles is 100% Rule. The Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures (Second Edition), published by the Project Management Institute (PMI) define the 100% rules as follows;

“The 100% Rule  ... states that the WNS includes 100% of the work defined by the project scope and capture all deliverables- internal, external, interim-interim of the work to be completed, including project management. The 100% rule is one of the most important principles guiding the development, decomposition and evaluation of the WBS. The rule applies at all levels within the hierarchy; the sum of the work at the “child” level must equal 100% of the work represent by the “ parent” and the WBS should not include any work that falls outside the actual scope of the project, that is, it cannot include  more than 100% of work.. It is important to remember that the 100% rue also applies to the activity level. The work represented by the activities in each work package must add up to 100% of the work necessary to complete the work package.”

Likewise there are others design principles to create WBS, those are;

-          Planned outcomes, not planned actions

-          Mutually exclusives elements

-          Level of detail

-          Decomposition Considerations

-          WBS coding scheme

-          Terminal element

There are some pitfalls while creating a WBS; those are

-          Level of Work Package Detail; must decide how specific and details are needed, must be careful not to get too detailed

-          Deliverables not Activities or Tasks: should contain list of broken deliverables  not a list of specific tasks used to get the deliverables

-          WBS is not a Plan or Schedule: cannot be used as plan or schedule

-          WBS Updates Require Change Control: changes in WBS change the deliverables and thus the scope of the project

-          WBS is not an Organizational Hierarchy:

List of Tools for WBS:

-          WBS Chart PRO

-          Match Ware

Biocleave House

Case Study: Bioscleave House

Colleen O’Malley

Arakawa and Madeline Gins are a husband-and-wife team known for their architecture, art, and poetry. When you go to their Web site, you are greeted by the following phrase: "We have decided not to die." These bold words explain their path to exploring ways to “reverse the downhill course of human life”. They call this “reversible destiny”, meaning death does not have to be inevitable for humans. They believe this can be done by challenging our perceptions. The best way to do this is to change the nature of how we live. That was the idea behind the Bioscleave House. This home is constructed in New York. The house is not comfortable, all preconceived expectations of a home are found now where in the Bioscleave. This design was on purpose, you do not want to be comfortable because comfortable could lead to death, and you need to stay on your toes to stay alive.  

Both the exterior and interior are full of color, with about 40 colors total in the entire house. The house comprises of a two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a study. The kitchen is sunken into the center of the house with bumpy flooring rising around it in undulating waves. None of the rooms have doors, not even the bathroom. Outlets are at odd angles and windows are at unconventional heights to make the resident stretch out of their comfort zone.

Those windows have one important effect that starts to get at the heart of what Arakawa and Gins are trying to accomplish. Because they're either very high or low, you can't establish where the horizon is. You don't know what level is and what's not. The roof is not always a fixed distance from the floor. You can't use your normal ways of getting around, which you may not even have to think about at this point; tools like depth perception and distance don't apply.

Arakawa and Gins claim that losing balance and using your body in surprising ways to maintain equilibrium will stimulate the immune system, which will eventually stop aging and death. But there's a mental component as well. Think about a room that has levels that make you feel like you're two places at once. That violates your idea of what a room should be, and by changing your idea of how architecture should work, you may be changing your ideas about how life should work. A rejection of traditional architecture may bring a rejection of traditional norms that include death.

Digitize

When to digitize?
By: Chris Pacanowski 

Architecture in the past was all about hand drawings and everything was drafted. What has happened to that type of pride in architecture? Well the answer becomes digital. With all of the advances in technology architecture has brought up the use of technical programs for creating all of the drawings that use to be so time consuming. This new use of technology is a great addition to architecture and design IF it is used at the right time. I have found throughout my architecture schooling, that once things start to get on the computer it becomes a little more difficult to change the idea, not because of the software, but because it seems to be set in our minds. So when is the right time to move from hand drawings into digital productions? One of the greatest things with digital is the ability to show clients a view from any direction extremely quickly. The problem is the same, when a client sees a digital image of their potential project, they will react in a few different ways. One, they would love the image and want that exact look in the actual building. Two, they will hate it and want it to be redone and be shown a better view. Three, they won't really like it but will agree with it because of the fact that they believe that it is already at the final stage and can't be changed without a large expense to it. Which brings me back to the question of WHEN is it time to digitize, the answer to this will change from project to project, but the simplest answer would be; it becomes time to digitize when many possibilities have been looked at and established. The reason is, is that things can change a lot faster and a dialoged can be created with a hand drawing easier than a computer drawing. When it comes to my current work, digitizing is when I have explored enough possibilities and have found one that should work well and it becomes time to look at shapes in more of a 3 dimensional perspective. Computers are a great help when it comes to architecture, but never forgetting the past and the hand drawings is always the best way to go and to be creative without limitations!