Monday, September 24, 2012

Vertical Parasitic Growth Forms

Arasitic insertions by blake BETHARDS.

This speculative project endeavors to answer the question: what might happen if this infrastructure were revealed? The design proposal explores bioengineering, botany, agriculture, and entomology in the development of a bio-lattice. This exoskeleton, the formal result of a bio-refinement process which the crude oil undergoes, serves as an ecological habitat for honey bees and seed-plants. The tower is literally a pollen factory. An attempt at re-programing outdated oil towers for the sake of food security.
The Los Angeles basin rests above the third largest oil deposit in the United States. During the late 1800’s and into the 1950’s, oil derricks and wells were visible throughout much of LA County (Venice beach, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Long Beach, & Pasadena). Today, much of this infrastructure has been taken down as drilling technologies have improved and in order to accommodate the high demand for property in the region. What most Angeleno’s don’t know is that there are still several dormant derricks hidden within the city, concealed behind false walls or within nondescript buildings.


 





" PARASITIC ARCHITECTURE Independent Study, University of Massachusetts Amherst" [EXCERPT]


Analyzing the idea of parasitism: the unique relationship and flow of resources between hosts and parasites in nature. Existing parasitic architecture and determined media can be offered by a host and used by a parasite in architecture. Those media could be the structure, material, electricity, water, heat, people, sunlight, impression, status or location. Also the specificity of the relationship is highly influencial to the design. The more specific the relationship (the needs of the parasite), the less possible hosts exist.



Black Box Architecture: Inhabiting the Swarm
Mobile urban green space, creates new spaces to be inhabited by users in the city.

The substructure of the layered gardens provides novel circulation space in around the garden surfaces.








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