Vermillion Sands: Material Processes and Artificial Nature Meeting...39 d Ze Æ andin Peri Zer and t...
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39 The Expanding Periphery and the Migrang Center Vermillion Sands: Material Processes and Arficial Nature Vermilion Sands is a living canopy structure that was installed on Vancouver’s water- front in the summer of 2014. The installaon embodies an invesgaon into the innovave use of materials and processes to produce experienal atmospheres that exploit the pro- ducve tensions between what is commonly perceived as the arficial and the natural. The programmac vehicle for the invesga- on is a structure that provides a loggia-like entry to an arts fesval’s grounds while also offering a cooling shade space in response to the August sun. The resulng canopy is com- prised of 260 custom-fabricated modules, each hydro-seeded with either white clover or perennial grass, that were grown in a nurs- ery, and then suspended from a grid of aircraſt cable. Pursuing this unprecedented method- ology, the result is an axial roof structure that is abstract and pure while also being hetero- geneous and bioc. The project synthesizes various domains of crical design inquiry into a unified mul- sensory and hapc space. Of parcular note is the invesgaon into geometric form, fab- ricated from a geotexle fabric, which enables producve growth while achieving requisite qualies in relaon to aesthecs, light and shadow, and solar protecon. Also, crical is the way the project works to achieve an ambi- ent atmosphere through arficial light and an integrated misng nozzle system. Vermilion Sands is the tle of a 1971 collec- on of short stories by JG Ballard. In this sci-fi collecon, each story focuses on a parcular MATTHEW SOULES University of Brish Columbia design or arsc medium in which nature is hybridized with technology to produce sur- real and baroque results – for example, sing- ing plants, living fashion, and cloud sculptures. Within the context of the Anthropocene we currently inhabit, where the ability to dis- entangle the ‘natural’ from the ‘arficial’ is fleeng; we can only hope that the aesthet- ics and sociality of the future will be increas- ingly populated with designs akin to those in Ballard’s prescient texts. It is our fantasy that Vermilion Sands the canopy could be a char- acter within Vermilion Sands the book. The research embodied in this design project, in our opinion, is a significant part of the effort to find the best possible versions of a sustain- able future. GROWING GEOMETRY The project involved research into the types of materials and processes that can afford new forms of arficial nature. This work involved close collaboraon with a hydro-seeding company to test various scenarios for ‘plant- ing’ the modules. Hydro-seeding is a planng process that involves spraying a slurry mixture of water, mulch, guar gum (a biodegradable adhesive), and seeds onto a surface. It is com- monly used on infrastructural projects such as the spraying of highway embankments. With the hydro-seeding company we tested and evaluated different mixtures and geotex- le substrates to determine a combinaon that performed well in this novel applicaon of an exisng technology. The research also involved tesng various geometric forms through full-scale mock-ups to determine which surface combinaons and angles facili- tated the desired growth and formal qualies. AMBIENT ATMOSPHERES The project involved research into embed- ded systems that provide sustenance for the plants’ survival while at the same me height- ening the experienal pleasures for users. To irrigate the plants an array of 150 nozzles are integrated in the canopy grid. Through an electronic mer, various tests were per- formed to find a calibraon that ensures ade- quate irrigaon while also offering adiabac cooling for people under the canopy. At the same me, LED lighng is incorporated into the columns to uplight the modules and the misng plumes. The combinaon of lighng and mist offer an ethereal atmospheric ambi- ence to the installaon. FABRICATION PROCESS The fabricaon process followed four steps. First, a wire fabricator produced 260 trun- cated pyramid-shaped frames from 10 gauge steel wire. Second, geotexle fabric was sewn to each frame. Step three is the hydro-seeding process. A mobile tank was towed to a spray- ing yard and half of the modules were sprayed with clover and the other half with ryegrass. The final stage before on-site installaon is the growing period. The modules were grown in nursery for 30 days prior to installaon.
Transcript of Vermillion Sands: Material Processes and Artificial Nature Meeting...39 d Ze Æ andin Peri Zer and t...
39 The Expanding Periphery and the Migrating Center
Vermillion Sands: Material Processes and Artificial Nature
Vermilion Sands is a living canopy structure that was installed on Vancouver’s water-front in the summer of 2014. The installation embodies an investigation into the innovative use of materials and processes to produce experiential atmospheres that exploit the pro-ductive tensions between what is commonly perceived as the artificial and the natural.
The programmatic vehicle for the investiga-tion is a structure that provides a loggia-like entry to an arts festival’s grounds while also offering a cooling shade space in response to the August sun. The resulting canopy is com-prised of 260 custom-fabricated modules, each hydro-seeded with either white clover or perennial grass, that were grown in a nurs-ery, and then suspended from a grid of aircraft cable. Pursuing this unprecedented method-ology, the result is an axial roof structure that is abstract and pure while also being hetero-geneous and biotic.
The project synthesizes various domains of critical design inquiry into a unified multi-sensory and haptic space. Of particular note is the investigation into geometric form, fab-ricated from a geotextile fabric, which enables productive growth while achieving requisite qualities in relation to aesthetics, light and shadow, and solar protection. Also, critical is the way the project works to achieve an ambi-ent atmosphere through artificial light and an integrated misting nozzle system.
Vermilion Sands is the title of a 1971 collec-tion of short stories by JG Ballard. In this sci-fi collection, each story focuses on a particular
MATTHEW SOULESUniversity of British Columbia
design or artistic medium in which nature is hybridized with technology to produce sur-real and baroque results – for example, sing-ing plants, living fashion, and cloud sculptures. Within the context of the Anthropocene we currently inhabit, where the ability to dis-entangle the ‘natural’ from the ‘artificial’ is fleeting; we can only hope that the aesthet-ics and sociality of the future will be increas-ingly populated with designs akin to those in Ballard’s prescient texts. It is our fantasy that Vermilion Sands the canopy could be a char-acter within Vermilion Sands the book. The research embodied in this design project, in our opinion, is a significant part of the effort to find the best possible versions of a sustain-able future.
GROWING GEOMETRYThe project involved research into the types of materials and processes that can afford new forms of artificial nature. This work involved close collaboration with a hydro-seeding company to test various scenarios for ‘plant-ing’ the modules. Hydro-seeding is a planting process that involves spraying a slurry mixture of water, mulch, guar gum (a biodegradable adhesive), and seeds onto a surface. It is com-monly used on infrastructural projects such as the spraying of highway embankments. With the hydro-seeding company we tested and evaluated different mixtures and geotex-tile substrates to determine a combination that performed well in this novel application of an existing technology. The research also involved testing various geometric forms
through full-scale mock-ups to determine which surface combinations and angles facili-tated the desired growth and formal qualities.
AMBIENT ATMOSPHERESThe project involved research into embed-ded systems that provide sustenance for the plants’ survival while at the same time height-ening the experiential pleasures for users. To irrigate the plants an array of 150 nozzles are integrated in the canopy grid. Through an electronic timer, various tests were per-formed to find a calibration that ensures ade-quate irrigation while also offering adiabatic cooling for people under the canopy. At the same time, LED lighting is incorporated into the columns to uplight the modules and the misting plumes. The combination of lighting and mist offer an ethereal atmospheric ambi-ence to the installation.
FABRICATION PROCESSThe fabrication process followed four steps. First, a wire fabricator produced 260 trun-cated pyramid-shaped frames from 10 gauge steel wire. Second, geotextile fabric was sewn to each frame. Step three is the hydro-seeding process. A mobile tank was towed to a spray-ing yard and half of the modules were sprayed with clover and the other half with ryegrass. The final stage before on-site installation is the growing period. The modules were grown in nursery for 30 days prior to installation.
Materials 40Vermilion Sands
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MEDIA INVESTIGATIONS
