This intensive design/build workshop explores the processes of precast modular building technology as it relates to an expanding concept of Horticultural Building Systems. For the purpose of this course, Horticultural Building Systems are defined as the instance where vegetation and an architectural system exist in a mutually defined and intentionally designed relationship that supports plant growth and an architectonic concept. Students will translate conceptual models into full-scale prototypes that contribute to the evolution of vertical gardens and green roof technology.
Precast concrete and concrete block a ubiquitous building materials. They are widely used for their cost effectiveness, durability, and modularity. In this course, we borrow inspiration from concrete block and precast construction in an attempt to fuse these principles with current trends in vegetated architecture. The primary focus of this course is in part the relationship between vegetation and building systems, and in part the relationship between mould, form, module, and maker. We will translate concepts of form and function into buildable units through the process of model making, mould making, casting, and assembly. Each phase of the project development is as important as the final product. For this reason, your entire project and process should be documented online as part of the class blog (www.precasthorticulturalbuildingsystems.blogspot.com). All reviews will be conducted online, and you final submission for the course is a complete blog entry and archive.
Horticultural Building Systems find their origin in early European sodden roofs, glasshouses, orangeries, ivy clad facades, espaliers, trellises, and have evolved through time to include modern greenhouses, engineered green roofs, living walls, bio-domes, sculpture, bioreactors, and cryogenic preservation chambers. The rise of horticultural building systems in speculative and built architecture leaves many questions unanswered as each new site becomes a new experiment, with diverse variables from species selection to microclimate, substrates, architectural nuances, project scheduling, and design of horticultural system. A disparity exists between the ubiquity of “green” or vegetative building systems in architectural proposal, and what is actually known about the design, construction, and longevity of these systems. Currently, innovation for horticultural building systems like green roofs and living walls is almost entirely dependent on research and development made by private companies and individuals protected by patent. This workshop brings the innovative potential of horticultural building systems into the realm of the university, where primary research and unfettered creativity can merge in an open format. This class is an experiment into the potential to hybridize landscape, architecture, and product design. It is also an experiment into the nature of horticultural building systems of which there are few answers, only questions.
This design/build workshop explores the processes of precast modular building technology as it relates to an expanding concept of Horticultural Building Systems. For the purpose of this studio, Horticultural Building Systems are defined as the instance where vegetation and an architectural/tectonic system exist in a mutually defined and intentionally designed relationship that supports plant growth and an architectonic concept.
