Nottingham Attenborough Nature Reserve
Architecture has an extensive and growing impact on the natural environment.
The propose Centre will demonstrate how the logic of eco‐system can be extended to develop biological energy and material systems for buildings and cities. The new Hub facilities will be designed to serve as a prototype building, revealing the use of living organisms, algae, has the potential to provide the energy requirements needed for buildings and human activities in the future.
Architecture has an extensive and growing impact on the natural environment.
The propose Centre will demonstrate how the logic of eco‐system can be extended to develop biological energy and material systems for buildings and cities. The new Hub facilities will be designed to serve as a prototype building, revealing the use of living organisms, algae, has the potential to provide the energy requirements needed for buildings and human activities in the future.
Design Proposal
The primary function of the facilities is to provide a learning exhibition centre for the general public, to promote using carbon neutral algae bio‐fuel in the city. A large scale modular algae farm integrated with a specialist research lab will be operating together with the facilities for algae production. Each pre‐fabricated module will be designed to minimise its structure materials and optimise the production yield of the algae. The exhibition centre and its modular farm will be designed to reduce its environmental impact by promoting energy efficiency through planning, orientation and its envelope. The centre itself will act as a model demonstrating how nature and modern bio‐technology can be merging together to form architecture as one.
The secondary function focusing on algae bio‐fuel and by‐products applications through its natural life cycle; a small scale exemplar algae bio‐fuel station will be in collaboration with international oil industry partners, in order to provide commercial motivation for research and development on new generation bio‐energy fuel. The site, Attenborough Nature Reserve can be benefit from its by-products to heal and improve the quality of the natural habitat of the eco-system. The algae bio-fuel generated by the photo-bioreactor could also provide energy fuel source for local Attenborough community fishing boats, and local businesses such as small scale car sharing and car club services.
The secondary function focusing on algae bio‐fuel and by‐products applications through its natural life cycle; a small scale exemplar algae bio‐fuel station will be in collaboration with international oil industry partners, in order to provide commercial motivation for research and development on new generation bio‐energy fuel. The site, Attenborough Nature Reserve can be benefit from its by-products to heal and improve the quality of the natural habitat of the eco-system. The algae bio-fuel generated by the photo-bioreactor could also provide energy fuel source for local Attenborough community fishing boats, and local businesses such as small scale car sharing and car club services.
Linked to the specialist research lab, the algae bio‐fuel station experimental data will provide substantial evidence, how a large scale bio-energy fuel modular system can benefit both eco‐system and mankind. Every individual algae farm modular component will be act as an experimental platform, seeking different possibilities and interests in terms of its uses in micro to macro scale globally.
The
aim of this project will explore the means of developing an
architecture that is strongly correlated to the organisations and
systems of the natural world. The logic of eco-system can be extended to
develop biological energy and material systems for buildings and
cities. Artificial photosynthesis might eventually lead to self sufficient and zero pollution buildings that are independent form centralised energy grids and improve their hosting environment. Future applications for artificial photosynthesis are within the solar energy field, which entails the cleaning up of environmental pollutants, and the production of clean burning fuels.