Further Research

What If

Membrane
Architecture

What is it?
There are many great advantages and functional
benefits of tensile membrane structures and here
are few reasons why:

Flexible Design Aesthetics - Tensile membrane structures

provide virtually unlimited designs of distinctive elegant forms
that can be realised because of the unique flexible
characteristics of membrane resulting in an iconic and unique
structure or feature for any building owner, city or even region.

Outstanding Translucency In daylight, fabric membrane

translucency offers soft diffused naturally lit spaces reducing
the interior lighting costs while at night, artificial lighting
creates an ambient exterior luminescence.

Lightweight Nature - The lightweight nature of membrane is a

cost effective solution that requires less structural steel to
support the roof compared to conventional building materials,
enabling long spans of column-free space.

Low Maintenance Tensile membrane systems are somewhat

unique in that they require minimal maintenance when
compared to an equivalent-sized conventional building.

Variety of Membranes Whether its a permanent durable

structure that needs to last longer than 30 years, an insulated
membrane system for thermal performance, or a deployable
flexible application, there are a variety of tensile membranes
to choose from to meet specific performances for your next
building project.

http://www.birdair.com/tensile-architecture

Santiago Calatrava

Who is he?

Santiago Calatrava Valls is a Spanish/Swiss

architect, structural engineer, sculptor and painter.
He has offices in New York City, Doha, and Zrich
Works predominantly in concrete
Creates structures in concrete and steel that
appear to be impossible.

Alnwick Castle
Treehouse Village

What is it?
The enormous and beautifully crafted Treehouse is
built from sustainably sourced Canadian cedar,
Scandinavian redwood and English and Scots pine. It
sits high in the treetops in a copse of mature lime trees
and looks as if its been there forever.
There are walkways in the sky and wobbly rope
bridges for bouncing on, all accessible by wheelchair
and buggy. On the Treehouses deck theres the
Roost, one of The Gardens education rooms, which
shows films and hosts activities at certain times of the
year.
At the heart of the Treehouse is one of the most
beautiful and unique restaurants to be found anywhere
in the world. Theres a roaring log fire in the centre of
the room, trees growing through the floor, handcrafted
furniture and screens created from fallen branches.
Most importantly, the locally-inspired food is delicious.
http://www.alnwickgarden.com/explore/whats-here/thetreehouse/about

Alnwick Castle
Poison Garden

What is it?
It's not often that the Home Office becomes
involved with plants in the setting of a public
garden, but in this instance a number of the
'inmates' have to have their very own license in
order to be there at all.
Many of the plants are already well-known for their
medicinal properties, but as its creator, the
Duchess of Northumberland said:
'I wondered why so many gardens around the world
focused on the healing power of plants rather
than their ability to kill... I felt that most
children I knew would be more interested in
hearing how a plant killed, how long it would
take you to die if you ate it and how gruesome
and painful the death might be.
http://www.alnwickgarden.com/explore/whats-here/
the-poison-garden/about

Glassware &
Hand Blown Glass

What is it?

Glassblowing is a glassforming technique that

involves inflating molten glass into a bubble (or
parison), with the aid of a blowpipe (or blow tube).
A person who blows glass is called a glassblower,
glassmith, or gaffer. A lampworker manipulates
glass with the use of a torch on a smaller scale,
such as in producing precision laboratory
glassware out of borosilicate glass.

Organic Housing /
Building into Nature

What is it?
A natural building involves a range of building systems and
materials that place major emphasis on sustainability. Ways of
achieving sustainability through natural building focus on durability
and the use of minimally processed, plentiful or renewable
resources, as well as those that, while recycled or salvaged,
produce healthy living environments and maintain indoor air
quality. Natural building tends to rely on human labor, more than
technology. As Michael G. Smith observes, it depends on "local
ecology, geology and climate; on the character of the particular
building site, and on the needs and personalities of the builders
and users.
The basis of natural building is the need to lessen the
environmental impact of buildings and other supporting systems,
without sacrificing comfort or health. To be more sustainable,
natural building uses primarily abundantly available, renewable,
reused or recycled materials. The use of rapidly renewable
materials is increasingly a focus. In addition to relying on natural
building materials, the emphasis on the architectural design is
heightened. The orientation of a building, the utilisation of local
climate and site conditions, the emphasis on natural ventilation
through design, fundamentally lessen operational costs and
positively impact the environmental. Building compactly and
minimising the ecological footprint is common, as are on-site
handling of energy acquisition, on-site water capture, alternate
sewage treatment and water reuse.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_building