Paper

Building Ecosystems: Hybrid Materialities for Collective Urban Infrastructures

---

Abstract

The ultimate purpose of this research is to propose new models of urban infrastructures and collective spaces for social interaction based on the integration of material, structural, and environmental systems. Accordingly, the prototypical installation presented in this paper works as a preliminary concept developed as result of a collaborative and interdisciplinary research approach conducted at Rice University and involving expertise in the fields of structural, civil and environmental engineering, materials science, music, and architecture. The project lends itself to operate as a prototypical flexible module with the potential to be deployed onto any pre-existing urban rooftop or public area. The modular system is comprised of hollow ceramic pieces acting as structural columns and water collectors, a modular ceramic floor elevated on pedestals, a lightweight space truss structure, and a waterproof membrane that captures and cleans rainwater through its expansive surface. Subsequently, the rainwater would be channeled through the hollow ceramic columns, from which it would be diverted to pipes below the elevated floor and collected into modular water tanks uniformly distributed within the elevated floor. The water management system as proposed would work to alleviate the effects of flooding and drought through storage as well as release and reduce runoff by capturing water and redirecting it into the tanks (Castellón, D’Acunto, Bertagna, López Cardozo 2021). Besides, the materiality of the modular ceramic columns, with their low thermal conductivity, could potentially provide energy-saving cooling benefits. The resulting prototype integrates structural and material strategies to optimize construction aspects related to transportation, assembly and disassembly of building components, as well as thermodynamic questions related to heat transfer and water cycles while helping to foster a sense of community and social interaction. This paper focuses on the description of the material processes implemented in the design and construction of the installation. The resulting prototype acts as a proof of concept for future developments of the project.

Keywords: Architecture, Material processes, Building ecologies, Structural design, Modular construction

How to Cite:

Castellón, J. J., (2023) “Building Ecosystems: Hybrid Materialities for Collective Urban Infrastructures”, Building Technology Educators’ Society 2023(1), 108–115. doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/btes.1941