basic render of a system with three balloons and four anchors (three round the edge and one in the centre):
note that this is only a first draft. in particular, the structure would not curve back outwards (the form finding parameters were not set up properly), the top nodes would be less spikey and the general profile would be lower
jago
jago
this is bit late to the party perhaps, but I've been thinking again about canopies and inspired by the helium plastic bags I think I may have found an option that: self-assembles, is cheap, easy to design, and is interesting/fun. see what you think.
I was wondering, for no particular reason, whether, if you attached a helium canister to an infinitely stretchable balloon*, it would float off:
but from here I started thinking about blimps and the hindenberg and realised that if one was to through a sheet over this guy:
you might get a scaled version of this (these aren't very good images but I think you get the idea):
what's nice is that, to build this big tent all you need to do is drape some canvas over a deflated weather balloon, tie the balloon/canvas down to three or more anchors (some bricks, a box of mud, etc.) and then turn on the gas. this means that, as well as being fun and easy to do, it might be suitable for temporary shelters for disaster relief (I think one of the other groups was loking at this at some point) as all you would need to deliver to the site would be the canisters or even just fly a blimp there and pop a cover on. clearly wind loading could be an issue, but then the structure could just be lowered in bad weather.
in the course of writing this I have unfortunately discovered that this idea is not 100% new:
http://idotimestwo.blogspot.com/2009/05/floating-away-at-altar.html
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMw20ZWf7VTjf_p0wRWJfAGvTFIBXfuoSJPPTk7Xw1vbT4clC6LKEd0pm1CKdRcrD8nLkWEejp-Xty-zU9DBbKKBMjD-TF5Uz55wn9mFzcYMEnKp_UuMDQsDZOJ8-ITkUqBdB1mCoMrTzC/s1600/IMG_0937.jpg
but then nothing is, and there's still plenty of scope to play with the idea. for instance, by placing the balloons on the inside and by stretching and folding the canvas you could achieve much greater lateral rigidity while achieving almost any shape/form you wanted. in way, this would be almost the exact inverse of what heinz isler did with concrete:
http://www.explorations-architecturales.com/data/upload/images/hst93.jpg
http://shadesofgreendesign.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/29.-.png
as I say, this may be a bit late in the day but I thought I'd put it out there anyway.
jago
*I was actually envisaging sticking a canister in one of these and then letting it float off like a chinese lantern. unfortunately it doesn't work (safety aside)
I was wondering, for no particular reason, whether, if you attached a helium canister to an infinitely stretchable balloon*, it would float off:
but from here I started thinking about blimps and the hindenberg and realised that if one was to through a sheet over this guy:
you might get a scaled version of this (these aren't very good images but I think you get the idea):
what's nice is that, to build this big tent all you need to do is drape some canvas over a deflated weather balloon, tie the balloon/canvas down to three or more anchors (some bricks, a box of mud, etc.) and then turn on the gas. this means that, as well as being fun and easy to do, it might be suitable for temporary shelters for disaster relief (I think one of the other groups was loking at this at some point) as all you would need to deliver to the site would be the canisters or even just fly a blimp there and pop a cover on. clearly wind loading could be an issue, but then the structure could just be lowered in bad weather.
in the course of writing this I have unfortunately discovered that this idea is not 100% new:
http://idotimestwo.blogspot.com/2009/05/floating-away-at-altar.html
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMw20ZWf7VTjf_p0wRWJfAGvTFIBXfuoSJPPTk7Xw1vbT4clC6LKEd0pm1CKdRcrD8nLkWEejp-Xty-zU9DBbKKBMjD-TF5Uz55wn9mFzcYMEnKp_UuMDQsDZOJ8-ITkUqBdB1mCoMrTzC/s1600/IMG_0937.jpg
but then nothing is, and there's still plenty of scope to play with the idea. for instance, by placing the balloons on the inside and by stretching and folding the canvas you could achieve much greater lateral rigidity while achieving almost any shape/form you wanted. in way, this would be almost the exact inverse of what heinz isler did with concrete:
http://www.explorations-architecturales.com/data/upload/images/hst93.jpg
http://shadesofgreendesign.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/29.-.png
as I say, this may be a bit late in the day but I thought I'd put it out there anyway.
jago
*I was actually envisaging sticking a canister in one of these and then letting it float off like a chinese lantern. unfortunately it doesn't work (safety aside)
status update
Mike and I met the Headmistress of All Souls Primary yesterday and it's good news. not only is she really keen that we use their roof to do a joint project for LFA, but she also really liked the ideas that we already had:
she loved the idea of a rooftop allotment as not only does the school not have any green space, but nor do most of the kids as they all live in flats locally (something that I hadn't considered up till now).
she was also very keen on the idea of providing some sort of canopy/enclosure over the roof so that they can use this space in bad weather - it is essentially the only play area that the school has and so when it rains the kids have nowhere to let off steam and it is a 'nightmare'.
the only caveat she had was that the roof must still be usable as play-space for the kids (e.g. to have small games of football, netball etc) but this is what we have envisaged from the start and just serves to reiterate that it is our intention to find supplementary not alternative uses for the roof - hence our focus on retractable structures.
finally, she suggested that it might be possible to organise a design workshop with the teachers and the older pupils to get a better idea of how the space might work etc
so, all good
jago
Mike and I met the Headmistress of All Souls Primary yesterday and it's good news. not only is she really keen that we use their roof to do a joint project for LFA, but she also really liked the ideas that we already had:
she loved the idea of a rooftop allotment as not only does the school not have any green space, but nor do most of the kids as they all live in flats locally (something that I hadn't considered up till now).
she was also very keen on the idea of providing some sort of canopy/enclosure over the roof so that they can use this space in bad weather - it is essentially the only play area that the school has and so when it rains the kids have nowhere to let off steam and it is a 'nightmare'.
the only caveat she had was that the roof must still be usable as play-space for the kids (e.g. to have small games of football, netball etc) but this is what we have envisaged from the start and just serves to reiterate that it is our intention to find supplementary not alternative uses for the roof - hence our focus on retractable structures.
finally, she suggested that it might be possible to organise a design workshop with the teachers and the older pupils to get a better idea of how the space might work etc
so, all good
jago
Core idea
From the very beginning of the project we have been very keen to collaborate with All Souls to try to find a way for them to fully exploit this rooftop space. We have taken care that whatever we consider does not conflict with its role as a playground/sports pitch – we are looking for supplementary, not alternative, uses for this space.
Bearing this in mind, the core of our proposal is to create a rooftop allotment that can be easily retracted to the perimeter of the site, leaving the playing area free. We intend to use the pre-existing ‘cage’ as a trellis to grow runner beans, vines, tomatoes etc. on, before building retractable allotment boxes, similar to chests of drawers, in which they can grow ‘low rise’ vegetables and herbs. We envisage a scenario in which each class is given a plot to tend, perhaps growing the vegetables for school dinners. In the long term, we intend to build a wormery to produce compost from the school’s own food waste.
We believe that there is a great deal of scope for this to become a model for other inner city schools to follow, providing a fun way for young urban children to learn more about nature and the environment, what constitutes a healthy diet and the importance of food waste, while also significantly increasing the local biodiversity.
For the duration of the Festival, we plan to celebrate these ideals by transforming the rooftop into a fruit and veg jungle that the children can explore and get lost in.
state of play
michael's sent another email to the head, suggesting that a few of us drop round to the school to show them what we've come up with so far, so this would seem to be a good moment to take stock of where we are.
complementary use of space:
our central idea is to find a way for the school to fully exploit their rooftop without depriving the children of their playground. therefore we are looking at structures/street furniture that are retractable or which leave the majority of the space free for the children to play in.
green space:
this area of london is horribly short of green space, leading to the idea of some form of roof garden. however, this might seem to get in the way of the kids using the roof to play football/kiss-chase, so we get to the idea of a retractable rooftop allotment (a hanging garden might also be feasible, but raises lots of issues about how it would be tended, what clearance would be necessary, planning issues, etc.).
retractable allotment:
our core idea. this ties together elements of vertical city farms, hydroponics (possibly), complementary usage, urban greenery, retractable structure (c.f. retractable seating but with fewer, deeper layers), as well as being a great learning resource for the school: e.g. each class has its own plot which they have to tend, teaching them about biology, the environment, diet, etc. in short, it's got everything. we need to do a bit of research into what plants/vegetables you can grow with very little head room - lettuce, carrots and cabbage being obvious examples.
enclosure:
supplementary to the rooftop allotment, it would be nice if we could make some form of enclosure for the roof, whether temporary or retractable, to clearly define it as a new space, rather than just an object in the same space. this would provide further benefit in terms of maximising this resource (the rooftop) by allowing it to be used in all weathers. for more details on this, see earlier blog titled 'enclosure'
feel free to add to this if I've missed anything
michael's sent another email to the head, suggesting that a few of us drop round to the school to show them what we've come up with so far, so this would seem to be a good moment to take stock of where we are.
complementary use of space:
our central idea is to find a way for the school to fully exploit their rooftop without depriving the children of their playground. therefore we are looking at structures/street furniture that are retractable or which leave the majority of the space free for the children to play in.
green space:
this area of london is horribly short of green space, leading to the idea of some form of roof garden. however, this might seem to get in the way of the kids using the roof to play football/kiss-chase, so we get to the idea of a retractable rooftop allotment (a hanging garden might also be feasible, but raises lots of issues about how it would be tended, what clearance would be necessary, planning issues, etc.).
retractable allotment:
our core idea. this ties together elements of vertical city farms, hydroponics (possibly), complementary usage, urban greenery, retractable structure (c.f. retractable seating but with fewer, deeper layers), as well as being a great learning resource for the school: e.g. each class has its own plot which they have to tend, teaching them about biology, the environment, diet, etc. in short, it's got everything. we need to do a bit of research into what plants/vegetables you can grow with very little head room - lettuce, carrots and cabbage being obvious examples.
enclosure:
supplementary to the rooftop allotment, it would be nice if we could make some form of enclosure for the roof, whether temporary or retractable, to clearly define it as a new space, rather than just an object in the same space. this would provide further benefit in terms of maximising this resource (the rooftop) by allowing it to be used in all weathers. for more details on this, see earlier blog titled 'enclosure'
feel free to add to this if I've missed anything
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