Work conducted at the ETH by the Architecture and Digital Fabrication department. They conduct experimental research into the possibilities of digital fabrications and collaborate on certain professional projects when the opportunity arises.

The top photo is a close up of bioluminescent dinoflagellates and below is the effect they have on water when they are disturbed. The bottom is bioluminescnce in action. My fish farm has the potential to harvest this bacteria and then release it into West India Dock every night for the entertainment of the restaurant clients. The night time experience of my building will be important since it will be competing with the bright lights of Canary Wharf which forms the background to my site. Experiential activity is important to my program as it draws people into area that currently is vacant at night.

I have stumbled across The Metropolitan Agriculture Innoversity today, something which has an uncanny resemblance to my dissertation, primer and thesis. Their brochure is very interesting (check out the link) aiming to ‘transcend conventional barriers and evolve the logic of existing agricultural systems to better serve the needs of metropolitan residents’. Many of the points they pick up on are facts that I have already covered in my dissertation, but the idea of an ‘innoversity’ is very much apart of my programme.

‘The Innoversity combines the traditional purpose of a university- education and research- with learning from on-the-ground innovation, testing and piloting practical innovations in the field. The Innoversity is a shared platform for innovation and change between participating cities; it is a network for sharing and co-creating knowledge and experience gathered from projects all around the world’.

check out the right of the graphic below………

look familiar?……

It is very encouraging to see that there is financial backing behind the topic, and it creates an opportunity to contextualize my project but there is a part of me which is slightly gutted……. Lets hope they don’t come up with an architectural proposition before I do. So without further ado, I best get cracking.

Institute of Acoustics

Nikos: The Institute of Acoustics is holding a conference in Cardiff (TODAY! 27/1/2010 at the Millennium Copthorne Hotel, Cardiff CF5 6DH) on the noise effects of wind turbines. There is even talk about a “wind turbine syndrome” causing people stress and sleep deprivation. I suggest you seek out some of the speakers and perhaps find their work and/or contact them for feedback and expert advice. Hope that helps. Their website is at http://www.ioa.org.uk

On their website the following also caught my eye:

Noise in the Built Environment

Date:

29/04/2010

Location:

Ghent University, Belgium

http://www.leejangsub.com/

yum!!