2016

Urban Mutations: Radical Perspectives on Environmental Design

Liam Stumbles

[email protected]
Intro Image
Climate Capsule Infrastructure: perspective

Urban Mutations critically examines the implication of the environmental crisis on conventional methods of urban development and architectural thinking. In contention with conservative ‘green’ building schemes, this project undertakes a radical and systemic renegotiation of environmental, population, and life-quality issues in architecture and urban design.

The radical vision depicts an urban condition in which the city is undergoing temporal mutation and continuous reconfiguration. Semi-autonomous urban systems employ advancing technologies such as 3D Printing and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to grow, mutate and reform existing built fabric into climate-sensitive urban environments. In parallel to dealing with sustainability issues, the systemic architecture aims to enhance urban stimulation, communication and public amenity.

Section 2 1462 Wide
Lumley tower mutation: cross section
798 Wide
Lumley tower mutation: exterior perspective

The project explores two main concepts: the first, ‘Climate Capsule Infrastructure,’ is a cyclical urban system that aims to transfer the ‘embodied energy’ of existing structures into new architecture through localised material reconfiguration. The concept employs mobile 3D printing and robotised recycling for transforming motorway viaducts into a continuous habitable architecture.

The second concept, ‘Symbiotic Interventions,’ is an urban system that mutates existing buildings into climate-sensitive architecture without the need for demolition or land. The system employs drone swarms for semi-autonomously 3D printing structures in the interstitial space of existing built-up areas. The surrounding ‘host’ structures provide structural support while the printed ‘symbionts’ adapt the existing fabric to the changing environmental and societal conditions.

 
Night 2460
Urban scene 1
Diagrams 1462 Wide
Climate-responsive skin concept
Plan 798 Wide
Lumley tower mutation: upper level floor plan
Interior 2460
Lumley tower mutation: interior perspective
Urban Scene 3
Urban scene 2
Urban Scene 2
Urban scene 3
Diagrams 2 1462 Wide
Bimetal reactive skin concept and growing chamber assemblage diagram
Roof Plan 798 Wide
Lumley tower mutation: roof plan
1462 X 1462
Symbiotic Interventions: perspective 1
798 X 1462 Lumley
Symbiotic Interventions: perspective 2
Represetnation Unit
Presentation unit
Structure Image
3D printed joint + steel tube construction experiment