Algae Biofuel Research Centre

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.

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.

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.

Modular Algae Photo-bioreactor

Algae production wall

The purpose of this wall is to design as an interactive system which allows the general public to understand the production cycle of algae. Built in a series of parallel walls, the suspending algae modular system could be constructed below any long span open structure frame. As visitors talking journeys between the walls in their different production cycle, they will begin to understand how algae photo-bioreactor works and their application toward zero carbon bio-fuel.

Algae photo-bioreactor cell

The idea of this concept design is where each individual modular cell join up together to create a large network of algae production system; which could become a part of the building canopy or additional plugin on the roof. This installation will also reduce annual tempurture on upper floors of the installed building, the modular production system will act as thermal buffer zone to reduce direct solar gain.

Tube photo-bioreactor

Tubular photo-bioreactors are very suitable for outdoor mass cultures of algae since they have large illumination surface area. In order to arrange for maximizing sunlight capture, pipe works of this continuous tubular close loop photo-bioreactor is arranged in different angle facing toward the sun path to have maximum production yield; maintenance and services will be held under the polycarbonate shell structure. The space within the photo-bioreactor structure envelope could be function as bus stop or bike shed for the public to engage the production of the algae.

Centre for Sustainable Energy

The new centre for sustainable energy technologies will engage in research in this vitally important area and provide students taught courses linked to established courses in Nottingham. The new building will designed to serve as an exemplar building, demonstrating state of the art techniques for environmentally responsible, sustainable construction.

Design outline

This building will be designed to minimise its environmental impact by promoting energy efficiency through careful consideration of the planning, orientation and building envelope, and as far as possible using passive means to archive heating, cooling and ventilation. Where possible the building will be designed using locally available materials with low embodied energy, storing rainwater and re-using grey water where appropriate, and attempt to develop its own ecology and biodiversity within the site. It is intended that this building will not require conventional heating or cooling systems, and residual energy requirements will be met by renewable sources.

The centre will provide research training for students by research. In addition to the centre will conduct extensive research and design in applied science and technology, as well as developing an  income generating commercialization strategy, it will also seek to produce policy relevant research.

Oasis Generation Programme

The world is running short of freshwater.

With agriculture accounting for some 70% of all water used, the shortage is closely linked to food production. The provision of clean water is a pre-condition to life, health and economic development and the lack of water in many parts of the world is the root cause of much suffering and poverty. Present methods of supply in arid regions include: over-abstraction from ground reserves, diverting water from other regions and energy intensive desalination. None of these methods are sustainable in the long term and inequitable distribution leads to conflict.

The Green Desert Tower

The objective of the Green Desert Tower is to develop and deploy an integrated, large-scale system for production of freshwater, energy, biomass and ecosystem services on a significant scale.

The inputs are simple: Nutrients, sunlight and seawater.

The processes integrated into the tower will work optimally under sunny and arid conditions. The unique benefit of the system arises synergistically from the integration of proven technologies, such as: The Seawater Greenhouse, Solar Power and the extraction of nutrients from seawater.

Elements and Compositions

1 Exoskeleton structure

The building is composed by an exoskeleton structural network through genetic algorithm design; which integrated together with external Solar Thermal Tubes for seawater evaporation processes.

2 Internal superstructure and air humidifier

Air humidifier will be use to cool and humidify greenhouses and to convert sufficient humidity back in to freshwater to irrigate the crops and reduces lost of humidity.

3 Spiral helical slab for continuous vertical irrigation

The seawater greenhouse will be placed in zones controlled spiral helical slab. Any additional fresh water from irrigation will be run off to the next level until reaches the ground level oasis to achieve minimal water wastage.

4 Base structure, lift shaft and services core for reverse osmosis

Each independent structure came together in a unique building core to serve as the backbone of the Green Desert tower.

5 Observation platforms and agriculture services layers

A series of levels are developed within the structure, each having one or few function and typologies of spaces. Form visitors, farmers and maintenance engineers.

6 ETFE building skin with integrated PV panels

Production of energy - Under the ETFE facade large surface are covered with PV panels, the presence of ETFE improves by 20% the capacity production of the solar PV panels.

The Peace Pentagon

339 Lafayette, New York City, the building is known locally and nation-wide as a centre for peace activism, giving rise to the affectionate nickname “Peace Pentagon” as a symbol of peace activism. This three-story corner commercial building with stores on the first floor and offices on the second and third floors was designed in 1922, and became protected as part of a Manhattan Historic District in 2008.

By preserving the existing building façade with a new five storey office block on top, the design will provide more efficient tenant spaces. The retaining façade will be link on the outside by a transparent skirt of glazing that floods the spaces below with natural light and encourages an impression of the tower floating weightlessly above the base. The lobby occupies within the renovated original retaining façade, with spaces provides access to all parts of the building. It incorporates the main elevator lobby, the cafeteria, auditorium and mezzanine levels for Peace Pentagon gift shop and special functions. Members of the public are also invited to share the building with a flexible space on the top floor as “City’s Lounge” which also offers roof top view of the city.

Bio integration
A woven blending greening material with the building form will provide a more stable diverse and stable ecosystem in the city, which enable species interaction and migration linked to existing vegetation at ground level. (i)

Carbon sinks
Forests, soils and other vegetation currently absorb about 40 per cent of the emission from the built environment. Vegetation is growing to absorb carbon dioxide and accelerated the cycle of photosynthesis, to produce high oxygen level fresh air to the building for the occupiers. (ii)

Water purification
As vegetation is interwoven with the built form, each garden will remove grey water pollutants through filtration, settlement and active uptake by vegetation roots. (iii)

Think outside the parking box

Design outline - in collaboration with Nissan

Urban parking is in need of a renovation. Ideas must challenge current perceptions of urban parking and offer a tougher, sleeker, or even playful rendering of it. The urban parking challenge is open to innovative designers with a bold and daring vision.

Idea description

‘The Qashqai Tower, urban vertical parking system’

Located in the City of London, Canon Street, this design could be a new solution to the city parking problems; the concept is base on a three by three parking space grid layout on a triangular form 915 meter sq, providing a total of 63 car parking spaces (3 x 3 x 7); by saving the footprint of the structure, each module has been rotated at 90 degree up vertically.

Additional modular parking cell can be constructed on top of the original structure in the future to expand the number of car parking spaces depending on the urban conditions. The parking system is mainly powered  by solar panels Integrated by the side of the column;  wind turbine on top of the tower will generate additional power from the prevailing wind, also rainwater will be collected and recycle back to the local community.