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1.Complete the reading, write an expanded definition of biomimicry. Biomimicry combines the words bio and mimic. Bio meaning life and mimic meaning to imitate. When you use Biomimicry you are looking to nature for inspiration and direction to solve pressing challenges. Plants, Microbes and animals have been thriving on this planet for billions of years longer than humans. Where humans have created and therefore destroyed parts of our planet, nature has been replenishing and repairing.  Biomimicry in design is studying and learning from design principles found in nature and using it to design our own way out of the mess we have made.

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14 PATTERNS OF BIOPHILIC DESIGN  “Biophilic design can reduce stress, improve cognitive function and creativity, improve our well-being and expedite healing; as the world population continues to urbanize these qualities are ever more important.” 

”Biophilia is humankind’s innate biological connection with nature. It helps explain why crackling fires and crashing waves captivate us; why a garden view can enhance our creativity; why shadows and heights instill fascination and fear; and why animal companionship and strolling through a park have restorative, healing effects.”

“Biophilia may also help explain why some urban parks and buildings are preferred over others.” 

Nature in the Space Patterns 

1. Visual Connection with Nature. A view to elements of nature, living systems and natural processes. 

2. Non-Visual Connection with Nature. Auditory, haptic, olfactory, or gustatory stimuli that engender a deliberate and positive reference to nature, living systems or natural processes. 

3. Non-Rhythmic Sensory Stimuli. Stochastic and ephemeral connections with nature that may be analyzed statistically but may not be predicted precisely. 

4. Thermal & Airflow Variability. Subtle changes in air temperature, relative humidity, airflow across the skin, and surface temperatures that mimic natural environments. 

5. Presence of Water. A condition that enhances the experience of a place through seeing, hearing or touching water. 

6. Dynamic & Diffuse Light. Leverages varying intensities of light and shadow that change over time to create conditions that occur in nature. 

7. Connection with Natural Systems. Awareness of natural processes, especially seasonal and temporal changes characteristic of a healthy ecosystem.

Natural Analogues Patterns

8. Biomorphic Forms & Patterns. Symbolic references to contoured, patterned, textured or numerical arrangements that persist in nature. 

9. Material Connection with Nature. Materials and elements from nature that, through minimal processing, reflect the local ecology or geology and create a distinct sense of place.

10. Complexity & Order. Rich sensory information that adheres to a spatial hierarchy similar to those encountered in nature.

Nature of the Space Patterns 

11. Prospect. An unimpeded view over a distance, for surveillance and planning.

12. Refuge. A place for withdrawal from environmental conditions or the main flow of activity, in which the individual is protected from behind and overhead. 

13. Mystery. The promise of more information, achieved through partially obscured views or other sensory devices that entice the individual to travel deeper into the environment.

14. Risk/Peril. An identifiable threat coupled with a reliable safeguard.

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INITIAL QUESTIONS:  ISSUE: How can the average person afford to live sustainably, relying on natural energy and in turn co-existing with nature? - What can designers do?

What does it look like for nature and humanity to co-exist? 

How can ALL humans live, relying on natural energy flows? Can they? 

What does it look like for humans to use natural energy flows? 

If designers can create these sustainable homes, who can afford to buy them? 

Added Key Words - Affordable housing, Inequality, Design consumption. 

Readings/Articles to look into:  Challenges of responding to sustainability with implications for affordable housing. https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.massey.ac.nz/science/article/pii/S092180090900278X

Ecological concepts and strategies with relevance to energy-conscious spatial planning and design https://journals-sagepub-com.ezproxy.massey.ac.nz/doi/pdf/10.1068/b35076

Phenomenology in Spatial Design Disciplines: Could it Offer a Bridge to Sustainability? https://link-springer-com.ezproxy.massey.ac.nz/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-73302-9_14

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Research : Natural Energy Flows

“natural processes with energy that can be extracted and transformed in a useful way“ They are renewable and a sustainable source of power.  Examples of natural energy: 

Solar radiation

Water flow 

Geothermal Power

Wind power

Tidal power

Power generated from these sources can be used to heat homes, generate electricity, 

Energy Flows verse Energy fuels Fuels refer to sources such as coal, natural gass, uranium and oils. 

References https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Primary_energy_flow

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WEEK 7 

Principles:  1. Insist on the right of humanity and nature to co-exist in a healthy, supportive, diverse, and sustainable condition. 2. Rely on natural energy flows. Human designs should, like the living world, derive their creative forces from perpetual solar income. Incorporate this energy efficiently and safely for responsible use.

Key Words:  

Eco-design 

Spatial 

Natural energy

Co-exist with Nature

Sustainable

“Identify the issues problems that this principle responds to. 

Consider how specific design or art practices may respond to these principles within a context of ecological sensitivity. Research key texts which raise awareness of the concern and advance new strategies for raising awareness and changing attitudes and behaviours in relation to issue. Focus on your specific discipline area of design or art practice. Research multiple examples of historical and contemporary precedents. Begin to zone in on a specific area of concern and related practice.

Start collecting relevant texts - 2 from class readings and a set from your own research. You will select from these as you put your essay together and position these texts in critical conversation with each other.

Work to build a research archive which you will draw on for  your essay.”

For Weeks 8 and 9

- Your key area of focus and the issue and the Hanover principle it responds to.

- 1 key text from your own research

- a set of relevant examples that address this concern.

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ASSIGNMENT 2

06/05/2020

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WEEK 5 - CLASS TASK  Earth Day Posters through the years 1970 (First Earth Day)

1980

2020

Concerns for today’s (2020) earth day: 

Taking climate action

“Climate change represents the biggest challenge to the future of humanity and the life-support systems that make our world habitable

Future generations suffering 

https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2020/

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WEEK 6 

Reading: Hanover Principles

Select 2: 

Rely on natural energy flows. Human designs should, like the living world, derive their creative forces from perpetual solar income. Incorporate this energy efficiently and safely for responsible use

Relying on natural energy such as Solar power, pulls raw, clean energy from the sun. It can replace the use of power that emits green house gasses and lower our dependence on fossil fuels. Humans must stop relying on finite resources. 

Accept responsibility for the consequences of design decisions upon human well-being, the viability of natural systems, and their right to co-exist.

Equally taking responsibility for life cycle and waste as big Co-operations need to. Humans need to understand that our actions effect the entire ecosystem. What we make today has a definite impact on the world tomorrow. Taking responsibility for what we have already done is crutial to the survival of our planet. An example could be, we have made plastic, we can’t get rid of it now, but what can we do to ensure it is reused, recycled and kept out of our animals, oceans and landscapes. 

Discuss their implications for your specific field of practice (Spatial Design):  Natural energy when creating spaces is key when designing. Ensuring the space is sustainable in the way is is heated and lit. Solar power is a popular and efficient and safe way of using natural energy for Human use.  Further to what i mentioned in the response, I think when designing spaces we need to think before purchasing, building new. What can we use that has already been made? what can we use that is negatively effecting our planet already? Can we turn it into something positive? Thinking creatively about insulation, furniture, technology that can be sustainable.  Find a further  2 examples of contemporary practice in your discipline which you see as engaging with some or all of these principles -make connections to some of the historical precedents and frameworks that we have discussed. Example 1:  “Living Garden” by MAD Architects An exhibition designed by 10 International Architecture firms, aiming for the “China House Vision”, and collaborated with a solar energy company, Hanergy. This design was built in Beijing in 2018. The exhibition focuses on green, with the flooring made out of timber planks and the roof an open grid of bamboo. In each slot of the grid are strategically placed solar panels, “positioned at the best angle to produce the greatest possible amount of energy”. Architects have removed the regular connotation of “house’ by removing the walls between the outside and inside. The aim for people living in the house to not only save physically on environmental damage but create a connection with their natural surroundings.    These architects had similar approach to the design process as Buckminster Fuller (as read in Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth) both having the goal to redesign in a way that isn’t normally done, for the purpose of protecting our environment and limiting environmental damage but most importantly using their designs to cause a shift in the way we think about our environment. For MAD architects this was done by creating an emotional bond between the people their natural surroundings. 

Example 2: 

The 10 Star home, located in Victoria, Australia. It is 4 bedroom home built to tread as lightly on the planet as possible. Their aim “is to give back to nature, rather than take away from it”. Clare Cousins Architects/ The Sociable Weaver claim that not only have they built a home, they have also built a new way of living. “Built with a zero waste philosophy, healthy and non-toxic, carbon positive and 10 star”. The home self heats, and self cools, causing zero power bills and even producing more.

The sociable weaver website. 

This architectural and Spatial example of sustainable design is a great example on how we can implement the points made in the Hanover Principles. By recognising the problem, accepting responsibly for our actions when designing, eliminating waste, relying on natural energy flows and designing something needed, the 10 star home has paved the way designers showing that we can live with little impact on our planet.  

References: 

Bifulco, Agnese. “Living Garden: the House of the Future by Ma Yansong and MAD Architects: Floornature.” Floornature.com. Accessed April 30, 2020. https://www.floornature.com/living-garden-house-future-ma-yansong-and-mad-architects-14097/. McMenamin, Mark. “MAD Architects Conjures ‘Living Garden’ Pavilion With the Help of Solar Energy.” Interior Design. Interior Design Magazine, April 2, 2019. https://www.interiordesign.net/articles/16169-mad-architects-conjures-living-garden-pavilion-with-the-help-of-solar-energy/. “10 Star Home.” The Sociable Weaver, thesociableweaver.com.au/houses/10-star-home/.

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WEEK 5 - TASK 2 & 3

2. Plastic -- identify the concerns raised by Meikle in 1990.  ( read Meikle reading for this week ). Identify some of the issues we now face in relation to plastic - locate visual examples which evidence this. ( also watch the UN video Ocean Plastic- see link below)  - Babies suffocating on plastic.  - Ocean Pollution - Harming marine life - Toxic chemicals in the air - Burning toxic fumes  - Toxic chemicals in food wrapped in plastic - Nature cannot deconstruct it  - Filling landfills

Great pacific garbage patch

3. Identify  and propose a design/art strategy within your  discipline which offers a critique on waste plastic, and/or at the same time utilises waste plastic as resource.   Similar to the recent research I did on “The Waste House,” I propose to use waste to build houses/building and sculptures that last. If plastic lasts around 500 years or more it should be used for something intended to be used for at least the 500 years. Using waste as insulation for houses, recycling them into plastic used to make bathtubs, window finishings ect. 

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WEEK 5 - TASK 1 Reading : Buckminster Fuller’s - Ephemeralization as Environmentalism: R. Buckminster Fuller’s Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth.

Notes: Page 1  Introduction into the way Fuller thinks. The way he looks at the earth and what he is doing about it.  - thinks of earth as a spaceship  - for it to survive it must be put under constant scientific control to survive  - has been using the term spaceship earth since the 1950′s  - “earth lacked an operating manual” Fuller created his a book similar to a manual in 1969. - “ Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth as an accessible argument in favor of finding a more ecological and truly sustainable future for human- ity’s ongoing industrial development” Page 2  - Background about fuller. Born in New England in 1895. Didn’t cope well with the routines of school, instead learned an array of trades by working as a meat packer, mechanic and machinist. He was a veteran of the US during world war 1. “  he continuously cultivated his earliest fascina- tions with sailing, navigation, and shipbuilding as a boy, which also added nuance to his unique views of both the built and natural environment. -  “Whether he saw the earth from the sea or the air, he always highlighted the integral unities and embedded interdependencies of the “economy” and the “ecology” of Earth for humanity”.  - Married Anne Hewlett.  - Career as an Entrepreneur and business man, selling  different types of old aircraft, automotive, and building technologies.  - Pioneer of  Dymaxion House and Dymaxion Car,  spray concrete construction technologies, geodesic designs that he called monolithic ferroconcrete domes.  - “ granted 28 U.S. patents for his inventions, the Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects for his design breakthroughs, numerous honorary degrees for his public intellectual work, and ulti- mately the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1983 by President Ronald Reagan (Zung, 2002). “ Page 3/4/5/6 -  “Fuller’s goal was to redesign and rebuild the collective apparatus of society’s system or systems to curtail environmental damage (Luke, 2005a) to the Earth and earthians”.  -There is distinctions between “environmental thinking” and  “ecological thought.” Environmentalism argues for a managerial approach. Solved without fundamental changes in present values of patterns of production and consumption; Ecologism requires radical changes in our relationship with the non-human natural world, and in our mode of social and political life. - Fuller believes that their needs to be a shift in thinking about humanities relationship with the nonhuman world, and changing our social and political life. 

“Ephemeralization, a term coined by R. Buckminster Fuller, is the ability of technological advancement to do "more and more with less and less until eventually you can do everything with nothing," that is, an accelerating increase in the efficiency of achieving the same or more output while requiring less input.” - Wikipedia

Page 7  - Example of one of Fullers works. - SPATIAL DESIGN “For Fuller, the Dymaxion house was an epitome of ephemeralization. With a total weight of 3,000 pounds rather than 150 tons plus for the average American home, it would be mass produced, highly mobile, comparatively inexpensive, but structurally robust. With a tiny foot-print on the land, it would be earthquake and storm resistant, heated and cooled naturally, and manufactured out of low-cost, mass-produced, highly durable materials. It would be human shelter in a solar system for the natural system to leverage them both synergistically to attain greater ephemeralization (Hays et al., 2008)”.

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WEEK 4: TASK 1&2

Reading: First Things First Manifesto ( 1964/2000) 1. Summarise the author(s) position or argument. The designers who wrote ‘First Things First Manifesto’ in 1963 argue that designers should be focusing their energy and skills into projects that improve society. This piece expressed frustration that designers efforts for many years have been used for sales purposes, to persuade consumers into purchasing products even if it means using techniques that are misleading. Advertising is also extremely fast passed and turn around on products is fast. These designers feel like their hard work gets put to waste. 

2. What is your position - do you agree or disagree and on what basis-- I agree with the designers on the basis that designing for advertising and sales people would be frustrating because of the fast turnaround and often questionable ethics that go into advertising. I also agree that designers should aim to design for positive reasons, designing for educational purposes and solutions that improve society. But in saying this I believe that as a designer you can choose what areas and companies you would like to design for. Some people may thrive designing in the advertisement segment and for the most part advertising is a crucial part of business for companies and can be used positively within companies. 

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WEEK 3 : TASK 1

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WEEK 4: TASK 3 Reading: Sustainable Futures Section ( Section 6, Houze, R. and Lees Maffei, G. Event/movement: Grassroots environmental movement 

Reference: 

Nicholas Freudenberg & Carol Steinsapir (1991) Not in our backyards: The grassroots environmental movement, Society & Natural Resources, 4:3, 235-245, DOI: 10.1080/08941929109380757

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WEEK 4: TASK 3 Reading: Sustainable Futures Section ( Section 6, Houze, R. and Lees Maffei, G., ( 2010 ) Event: Earth Day  Earth day is an event celebrated annually on the 22nd April. The first Earth day was celebrated in 1970, marking the beginning of the modern environmental movement. Earth day Founder Gaylord Nelson witnessed a massive oil spill in California prompting him to act. His goal was for environmental protection to reach a national political level. He wants people to recognise and fight for their concerns for the consumption, waste and destruction we have done to our planet, and to realise the negative impact it has directly on human health.  Highlighting these issues is the book “The Waste Makers” by Vance Packard.  Earth Day evolved organised protests, where individual groups fighting for causes such as against oil spills, polluting factories, toxic dumps, wilderness loss, ect. had joined on Earth Day to unite against these shared values. The first Earth Day alone led to the making of the “US Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the clean air, clean water and endangered species act”. 

Earth Day in the 19th Century verses Earth Day today. Children are involved in protests a lot more. In fact children often plan these protests and make their own signs. There is awareness of the destruction we are doing to our earth even from the youngest of ages.  Safe protests like these bring awareness from government level right down to having conversations with young children about  the issues we face. Children who get to participate in these protests will be learning so much, more than they could ever learn from a day in the classroom. 

References: “The History of Earth Day.” Earth Day.org. Accessed April 14, 2020. https://www.earthday.org/history/.

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WEEK 3: TASK 4 Arts and Crafts movement Define:  The "Arts and Crafts movement” is a rebellion against the negative impact of industry production. It highlights the importance of craftsmanship and handwork, and champions the talent of under-appreciated crafts people. The movement is about ensuring people know and care about the manufacturing process and where their product came from. 

William Morris research: Is a British artist, designer and poet, born in 1834. He grew up extremely privileged, attended oxford university and started his own interior design and manufacturing company called ‘Morris and company’. He was the social activist who started the arts and crafts movement, passionate about craftsmanship and the creative process. Morris was a huge influence in championing under-appreciated crafts people now that the industry process was taking over.  

Analyse and discuss this work in relation to his arts and crafts values, and concern with environment and nature.  Morris Chair  The Morris chair was the first recliner chair designed by Ephraim Colmam and adapted and produced by William Morris company Morris & Co. in 1865. It was part of the Arts and Crafts furniture line where many verifications of the chair were designed. Popularity of the chair grew and quickly Variations of the Morris Chair was being created by designers across the globe, adding their national personality. The Morris Chair began to be manufactured in large factories, which i believe was not the plan William Morris had for his chair. He believed that skilled craftsmanship and creativity was important and with factory manufacturing the same detail and personality of his original design would not be shown. The chair no longer showed ethics from the Arts and Crafts Movement, ethics of craftsmanship and use of true materials.

 Strawberry Thief 1883 Strawberry thief is one of William Morris’ most popular textile designs. Like many of his other designs Strawberry Thief was inspired by his love for nature. Morris’ had a vision to bring the beauty of nature inside by incorporating it into interior decorations and furnishings. The textile was intended for the use of curtains or to be draped around interior walls. William Morris’ concerns for the environment were evident in his techniques used to design his textiles. He only uses natural dyes, even when more synthetic colours were available. “The organic colour scheme enhances the naturalism of Morris’ flowers, vines, and leaves”.

Recent work by Morris & co. (Foundered by William Morris) Melsetter collection

Locate an example of work by an  Arts and Crafts architect or designer in your area of interest. This can be from New Zealand or elsewhere. Add to your journal and analyse and discuss in relation to  arts and crafts values.  For your New Zealand research Use Te Papa collections online, and google images. Use this link as a starting point -  https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/topic/1092 J W Chapman-Taylor  Is a New Zealand architect, craftsman, builder, furniture designer, photographer and astrologer. He was the first to bring Arts and Crafts Movement to New Zealand. Currently on display in Te Papa is J W Chapman-Taylor’s Dresser constructed in 1910, it is an example of the style the Arts and Crafts movement pieces. Hand crafted, and looked hand crafted, using honest and true materials, Simplistic design and fitting to it’s purpose. 

References Rodel, Kevin. “Evolution of the Morris Chair - Design for the Arts & Crafts House: Arts & Crafts Homes Online.” Design for the Arts & Crafts House | Arts & Crafts Homes Online, 30 Nov. 2010, artsandcraftshomes.com/interiors/evolution-of-the-morris-chair.

Watson, Andrea. “Culture - The First Eco-Warrior of Design.” BBC, BBC, 9 Sept. 2019, www.bbc.com/culture/story/20190909-the-first-eco-warrior-of-design.

Rachel. “Behind the Scenes at Morris & Co. and the New Melsetter Collection.” The Ordinary Lovely, 21 June 2019, www.theordinarylovely.com/blog/2019/6/14/behind-the-scenes-at-morris-amp-co-and-the-new-melsetter-collection.

“V&A · William Morris and Wallpaper Design.” Victoria and Albert Museum, 2020, www.vam.ac.uk/articles/william-morris-and-wallpaper-design.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Arts and Crafts Movement.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1 Mar. 2019, www.britannica.com/art/Arts-and-Crafts-movement.

“Collections Online - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.” The Arts and Crafts Movement, Te Papa Collections Online, collections.tepapa.govt.nz/topic/1092.

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WEEK 4: TASK 3 Reading: SustainableFutures. Introduction and Buckminster Fuller 1969

- Summarise the author(s) position or argument

The author begins by arguing the fact that designers have been needlessly upgrading products, through colour, shape and style, forcing a constant change in industry. Designers are ignoring human need and the need humans have for the natural environment. The authors prompt designers to start designing for the majority of humans in the developing world, to find living improvements and solutions to problems we face every day. Instead of the current fad that designers lean towards to often, “stimulating the whims of the wealthiest percentage.”

What is your position - do you agree or disagree and on what basis For the most part, I agree with what the author is arguing. I think that designers for many years have been upgrading things unnecessarily for the purpose of customers needing “the new”, especially the wealthiest percentage. But I also understand that often designers are just people doing a job, in an attempt to make a living. The wealthiest percentage is the easiest to target as they have the money to waste on idealist items and collectables. For example, what is easier than designing the same designer handbag in 10 colours, where a wealthier customer would feel the need to collect them all. I think designers need to look past quick money and instead look into a sustainable future. I love how the author talked about designing living improvements. Things that practically help people in their everyday lives.