SMALL AT LARGE

BB BUILDING MACHINE 1972

I DESIGN WITH SYSTEMS, YOU NEED THE INTEGRATE WHOLE TO MAKE IT ALL WORK. IT IS OBVIOUS TO ME. NATURE UNDERSTANDS THAT.
THE OVERLAYING SYSTEMS OF THE HUMAN HAND FROM BONES TO SKIN. THE TECHNIQUE I USED ON THE BIOMORPHIC WERE SIMILAR, STARTING OUT WITH THE STRUCTURE OVERLAID WITH VARIOUS FUNCTION INCLUDING THE SKIN.

GROWTH OF CITES FOR EONS HAVE RELIED ON TEARING DOWN BUILDINGS AND CONSTRUCTING BIGGER ONES. CHANGE DOES NOT MEAN BETTER, AND THE PROCESS IS WASTEFUL AND DESTRUCTIVE .

GROWTH IS THE KEY TO CITIES. I AM INTRIGUED WITH ALL THE POSSIBILITIES. THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE TOOK LOS ANGELES, AN EXISTING CITY, AND SHOWED HOW TO REMODEL IT BY BUILDING OVER THE EXISTING AND MOVING THE POPULOUS ABOVE INTO A NEW STRUCTURE IN HARMONY WITH THE PLANET’S NATURAL SYSTEMS. THE EXISTING BUILDINGS TORN DOWN AND RECYCLED AS FUNCTIONS MOVED . THE HISTORICAL DOWNTOWNS KEPT TO VISIT. THE CONCEPT OF THE NEW CITY BEING AN ECOLOGICAL HOLLOW MOUNTAIN THAT TOUCHES THE GROUND AT MINIMUM POINTS. THE STRUCTURE GREW IN A 3 DIMENSIONAL MANNER LIKE THE HUMAN BODY. PARTS WERE ADDED TO INCREASE THE SIZE TO ACCOMMODATE THE GROWTH.

THE GROWTH PATTERN INDICATED BY THE ARROWS. THE PROJECTING TAPERED COMPRESSION MEMBERS FROM A CENTRAL AREA WAS DERIVATIVE OF A BARNACLE GROWING FROM A ROCK. THE CONICAL BARNACLE EXPANDS THE SHELL AT THE BASE NEXT TO THE ROCK AND PUSHES UPWARD , THUS, NEVER DESTROYING ANY OF THE EXISTING STRUCTURE. I CAME ACROSS THIS PRINCIPLE WHILE DOING A REPORT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON ON THE BARNACLE IN 1959. THE BARNACLES PATTERN OF BUILDING ON THE ROCKS FASCINATED ME AND I WAS ATTRACTED TO THEIR GROUPINGS. DARWIN SPENT YEARS STUDYING THEM. MAYBE SOMETHING TO DO WITH BARNACLES HAVING A PENIS LENGTH 0F EIGHT TIMES THE LENGTH OF ITS’ BODY.

THE COMPRESSION MEMBERS BEING A HOLLOW TAPERED STEEL FRAME USED FOR PLUG ON HIGH DENSITY LIVING, COMMERCIAL, OR CIVIC FUNCTIONS. THE CENTER OF THE FRAME BEING FOR MOVEMENT SYSTEMS, THE HOLLOW SPACE BEING THE SIZE OF A LARGE STADIUM. THE OVERALL SHAPE OF THE COMPRESSION CRUCIFORM RESPONDING TO STRUCTURAL AND GROWTH DEMANDS OF BEING LARGER AT POINT OF INTERSECTION OF THE CROSS AND TAPERING TO THE TIPS.

A WIRE MODEL PARTIALLY BUILT, EXAMPLE OF TYPICAL STRUCTURE . COMPRESSION CROSS MEMBER WITH PIN CONNECTION TO HORIZONTAL CROSS MEMBERS TIED TOGETHER WITH THREE DIMENSIONAL SKIN. THE FOOTINGS GRABBING THE THE EARTH . 1972

GROWTH WAS A PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THE STRUCTURE. THE STRUCTURE COULD EXPAND IN A THREE DIMENSIONAL WAY, SIMILAR TO AN ANIMAL. BUT INSTEAD OF SOPHISTICATED MAMMALS GROWTH PATTERN, THE PRIMITIVE BARNACLE PRINCIPLE OF PUSHING FROM ONE END WAS USED. THIS WORKED FOR EXPANSION OF THE ISOLATED COMPRESSION MEMBERS IN THE TENSEGRITY SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE LARGE MAIN COMPRESSION MEMBERS. THE GROWTH MACHINES WERE FED RAW MATERIAL AND THEY EXTRUDED THE COMPRESSION MEMBERS. THE GROWTH MACHINES LAST TOUCH WAS TO PLANT SEEDS. THUS WRAPPING THE STRUCTURE IN FOLIAGE. UNKNOWN TO ME THE U.S. SPACE PROGRAM PROPOSED A SIMILAR IDEA WITH THE BEAM BUILDERS IN SPACE THAT BUILT TRUSSES FOR SPACE. TO DEMONSTRATE WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT I DREW A PROJECTED BUILDING COMPUTERIZED GROWTH MACHINE. THE DRAWING CAME QUICKLY IN A COUPLE OF HOURS. PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST DESCRIPTIVE AND POWERFUL DRAWING I HAVE EVER MADE. I DREW FOR ONE EXTRUDED MEMBER AND THE MACHINE TO BUILD IT, AND THEN TRACED TO PROJECT OUT FROM A CENTRAL NODE FOR ADDITIONAL MACHINE EXTRUDED MEMBERS. I WAS INSPIRED BY GROWTH MACHINE DRAWINGS I HAD SEEN OF WOLF HILBERTZ. MY INTERPRETATION QUITE DIFFERENT THAN HIS.

WOLF HILBERTZ IS AN ARCHITECT OF EXTRAORDINARY INSIGHT THAT BUILDS WITH MATERIALS USING THE PRINCIPLES OF NATURE. THE PROJECT I AM MOST FAMILIAR WITH WAS WHERE HE HOOKS UP A LOW VOLTAGE ELECTRODES OF OPPOSITE POLES TO A WIRE MESH. THE ELECTRICITY ACCELERATES THE ORGANISM GROWTH ON THE WIRE MESH AND THUS A SHELL CRUSTACEAN BUILDS UP RAPIDLY ON THE MESH WHEN LEFT IN SEA WATER. THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION BEING REINFORCING WOOD PILINGS OF DOCKS. HE PROJECTED WHOLE COMPLEXES BUILT AS WELL THIS WAY.

WOLF HERBERTZ ORGANIZED A FUTURE DESIGN CONFERENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IN SAN ANTONIO TEXAS IN 1975, WHERE HE GATHERED TOGETHER LIKE FUTURIST MINDS. RUDY DORNACK, GERMANY. CAROLYN DRY, POLO SOLERI, ROY MASON, WOLF HELBERTZ, MYSELF AND OTHERS. I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A GREAT TIME TO SHARE, BUT INSTEAD HILBERTZ WANTED HEATED DEBATE AND DELIBERATELY CREATED CONFLICT. I HAD A GREAT TIME, BUT WAS SADDENED BY NOT POSITIVE SHARING AND RESPECT. A MISSED OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD UPON. I WAS FLOWN BACK IN A PRIVATE PLANE BY A STUDENT OF MINE WHO WAS FERRYING A PLANE AND TEACHING ANOTHER STUDENT HOW TO FLY. NEEDLESS TO WE WERE TURNED IN FOR CRAZY FLYING, BUT MADE IT BACK OK.

COMPRESSION COMPUTERIZED BUILDING MACHINE THAT BUILDS FROM A NODE THAT EXPANDS, NOTICE FOLIAGE ENCRUSTING STRUCTURE.

RIGIDITY COMES BY CONNECTING THE TIPS OF THE COMPRESSION MEMBERS WITH A TENSILE SKIN. THE PATTERN BEING HYPERBOLIC PARABOLOIDS THAT FORM WARPED DIAMOND CONFIGURATIONS. THE EDGES CONNECTED WITH STRAIGHT LINES FROM OPPOSITE SIDES. TO GIVE THE SKIN DEEPTH ISOLATED COMPRESSION MEMBERS WERE INSERTED AND THUS PRODUCED A WOVEN 3 DIMENSIONAL SKIN WITH WALKWAYS AND CLIP ON POINTS FOR LIVING UNITS. TO ACCOMMODATE THE GROWTH. THE SKIN EXPANDS ON THE EDGES BY EXTRUDING MATERIALS, THUS NOT DESTROYING THE EXISTING SKIN. .

THE SKIN GROWTH MACHINE. THE MAJOR TENSION CABLE WITH MACHINES EXTRUDING CABLES AND INFILL MATERIAL FOR THE SKIN 1972

THE GROWTH REQUIRES THE FOUNDATIONS TO MOVE. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO ANCHOR THE STRUCTURE TO THE GROUND, BUT ALLOW IT TO SHIFT TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEW SIZE AS NEEDED. LIKE A SNAIL THAT SITS AROUND , BUT ALSO SLIDES. IN CONSTRUCTION OF DAMS THE GROUND IS FROZEN TO ASSURE A STRONG EARTH TO WITHSTAND THE CONCRETE COMPRESSIVE PRESSURES. IN THE BB THIS IS DONE BY PUTTING REFRIGERATION RODS INTO THE GROUND. THIS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED WITH A HIGH DEGREE OF INSULATION PROVIDED BY A FEW FEET OF EARTH, FROM 5 TO SIX FEW FEET BELOW THE EARTH’S SURFACE A CONSTANT TEMPERATURE IS MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE WORLD. SO ONCE THE FREEZING OCCURS THE ENERGY REQUIREMENT TO MAINTAIN THE TEMPERATURE IN MINIMUM. DURING ONE OF MY LECTURES, IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT A NATURAL ENERGY SOURCE COULD BE TO TAP INTO THE THERMAL ENERGY OF THE EARTH BY GOING DOWN WITH A PIPE AT THE FOOTINGS..

WHEN THE STRUCTURE NEEDS TO MOVE NEW REFRIGERATION RODS ARE INSERTED IN DIRECTION OF GROWTH AND OLD RODS ARE RETRACTED WHERE THEY ARE NOT NEEDED. A SWATH IS CREATED WHERE THE FOOTING HAD BEEN. .THE GROUND THAT IS FROZEN DESTROYS THE LIVING ORGANISM, BUT WHEN THE GROUND IS LEFT TO THAW OUT LIVING ORGANISMS WOULD RETURN. A SEEDING AND WATERING WOULD BE THE LAST STAGES OF THE FOUNDATION MOVING ON. ONE OF MY MAJOR CONCERNS IS THAT OUR CITIES HAVE SUFFOCATED THE EARTH. THEREFORE, THE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF LAND THAT IS COVERED UP THE BETTER.

THE MAIN STRUCTURAL JOB OF THE FOOTINGS ARE NOT THE COMPRESSIVE LOADS (WEIGHT OF THE STRUCTURE PUSHING INTO THE GROUND) ALTHOUGH THESE WOULD BE SIZABLE) BUT THE LATERAL PUSH FROM WINDS. THE HUFF AND PUFF TO BLOW YOUR HOUSE DOWN. THEREFORE THE FOOTINGS ARE LIKE SEQUOIA TREE ROOTS THAT GRAB THE SURFACE AND SPREAD OUT. THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE ACTS LIKE A GIGANTIC SAIL THAT MUST WITHSTAND THE FULL IMPACT OF HORIZONTAL FORCES. AND HAS TO GRIP THE GROUND AGAINST BEING BLOWN AWAY. THE COMBINED ANCHORING OF FOOTINGS MAKES FOR AN EXTREMELY EFFICIENT STRUCTURE.

THE FOUNDATION INSERTING AND REMOVING FOUNDATION RODS THAT FREEZE THE GROUND. A PIN CONNECTION TO STRUCTURE ABOVE. THE LIVING UNITS ON THE SKIN SUBMERGED IN THE RESERVOIR. A STACKED PARKING FOR GROUND VEHICLES. THE BROWN EARTH DEPICTING THE FROZEN AREA. 1972

THE HEIGHT WAS ADJUSTED TO ALLOW FOR MAXIMUM SURFACE AREA TO RECEIVE SUNLIGHT FOR RESIDENTIAL. SQUAT CONFIGURATIONS BLOCK THE SUN TO THE GROUND AND CREATE A LARGE BOTTOM SURFACE WITHOUT SUN. WHILE TALL AND SLENDER VERSIONS ALLOW THE SUN TO REACH THE GROUND UNDERNEATH THE STRUCTURE AND MINIMIZED SHADED SURFACES. THE ORIENTATION OF THE BB IS PREDOMINATELY NORTH AND SOUTH. THIS ALLOWS EACH SIDE TO RECEIVE DIRECT 1/2 DAY SUN WITH FILTERED LIGHT ALL DAY LONG. THE INTERIOR IS THE SIZE OF A NARROW GRAND CANYON THAT RECEIVES LIGHT THROUGH A SERIES OF LIGHT SLOTS AND A TRANSPARENT SKIN. THE EXTERIOR SKIN OF THE STRUCTURE BEING A TRANSPARENT GLAZED MEMBRANE, THERE IS A HIERARCHY OF SUN EXPOSURE FROM THE MAXIMUM AT RESIDENTIAL TO MINIMUM IN INDUSTRIAL AREAS.

SUN STUDY MODEL OF INTERSECTION 1972

SOLAR STUDY MODEL WITH TRANSLUCENT SKIN, ALL SURFACES HYPERBOLIC 1972

SOLAR STUDY MODEL WHITE WASHED TO STUDY SUN PATTERNS 1972

ELEVATION SUN SHADOWS ON SOLAR STUDY MODEL. GROUND PLANE UNDERSIDE RECEIVES PARTIAL SUN THROUGH
ARCHED ELEVATIONS. 1972

THE WATER SYSTEM DIAGRAM. RESERVOIR AT BOTTOM COLLECTS ALL RECYCLED , DRAIN OFF AND WATER STILL WATER.
THE RED LINE INDICATES PUMPS MOVING WATER TO TANKS AT TOP OF COMPRESSION MEMBERS IN OFF PECK HOURS WITH WIND MILL POWER. THE MAJOR TENSILE CABLES BEING LINES OF DRAINAGE. HYDRO ELECTRIC POWER GENERATED BY FALLING WATER. 1972

AS IN THE VERTICAL CITY THE HUGE INTERIOR SPACE WOULD HAVE A GREENHOUSE FEELING AND WOULD COLLECT WATER , THE COMBINATION OF COLLECTING WATER FROM DEW, RAIN, RECYCLING, RUN OFF AND STILL ACTION WOULD MAKE LOS ANGELES SELF SUFFICIENT. OWENS VALLEY, SACRAMENTO RIVER, COLORADO RIVER ALL BEING RESTORED.

THE RESERVOIR BELOW WOULD BE USED FOR RECREATION, MARINE PRODUCTION, AND AQUATIC MUSEUM OBSERVATION. CASCADING WATER FROM ABOVE CLEANSING THE AIR AND CREATING GREY NOISE . 1971

THE TRANSPORTATION DIAGRAM IS A THREE DIMENSIONAL MOVEMENT SYSTEM. THE MAIN CORRIDOR OF MOVEMENT BEING A DIRECT STRAIGHT LINE DOWN THE CENTER WITH EXITS PERPENDICULAR AT THE CRUCIFORM. THESE CONNECTED TO THE MAJOR CABLES THAT EVENTUAL LEAD TO THE SKIN HORIZONTAL WALKWAYS.

THE PRINCIPLE MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION BEING A PERSONAL-SIZED MODULAR THAT SERVES AS FLYING CAR, TRUCK, AND PEOPLE -MOVER. USING SOME REFINEMENTS OF OUR PRESENT TECHNOLOGY, OR PERHAPS AS-YET UNDISCOVERED MECHANISM FOR PROPULSION OR CONTROL, THESE MODULES WILL HOVER , FLOAT, FLY, AND MOVE IN ANY DIRECTION, AND BE CONTROLLED EITHER MANUALLY OR AUTOMATICALLY. FOR LONG-DISTANCE TRAVEL ALONG THE CENTRAL CORE SECTION OF THE BB, MODULARIZE CAN CLIP TOGETHER TO FORM TRAINS, OR BE PICKED UP BY A MOTHER VEHICLE AND CARRIED ALONG A TRACK FOR PART OF THE DISTANCE TO THEIR INDIVIDUAL DESTINATIONS. A MODULE FOR THIS SYSTEM COULD BE COMPARED TO SKI LIFT CHAIR SYSTEMS OR GONDOLAS. THE WALLS OF THE MODULAR ARE MADE OF ELASTIC MATERIAL THAT CAN EXPAND OR CONTRACT, DEPENDING ON THE INTERIOR SPACE NEEDED, AND ENABLE THE MODULES TO BOUNCE OFF OBSTACLES OR EVEN DEFLATED TO FIT INTO A CUSTOM SUITCASE THAT DOUBLES AS A POWER SOURCE AND INTERFACE FOR GUIDED SYSTEMS.

THE VESTED INTERESTS OF THE AUTOMOBILE IS IN CONFLICT WITH THINKING ANEW. THE BASIC PRINCIPLE OF A PERSONAL TRAVELING SPACE IS HERE TO STAY. THE CAR HAS MANY BENEFITS. PERSONAL SPACE, FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT, SECURITY, PRIVACY. ETC.

THERE ARE BENEFITS TO TRAVELING LONG DISTANCES BY TRAIN. ONE BEING THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PHYSICALLY DRIVE. SO THE NEW MODULAR OF MOVEMENT MUST BE PERSONAL SPACE THAT ONE HAS THE OPTION TO DRIVE OR IS AUTOMATICALLY DIRECTED. THE SAFETY FACTOR IS PARAMOUNT. A SOFT INFLATABLE THAT CAN BOUNCE OFF OBJECTS OFFERS PROTECTION.

I BUILT A MODEL OF THE COMPRESSION CORE WITH THE TRANSPORTATION PODS ON CABLES, SIMILAR TO A SKI LIFT. ONCE THE TWO DIMENSIONAL ELEMENT OF THE STREET IS REMOVED THEN A THREE DIMENSIONAL MOVEMENT ALLOWS FOR DIRECT ACCESS.

THE TRANSPORTATION CAPSULES WITH THE COMPRESSION CORE CROSS. LIKE A SOPHISTICATED SKI LIFT WERE THE MODULARS COMBINE TO CREATE TRAINS. THAT PICK UP AND DROP OFF MODULARS AT DESTINATION. POINTS. 1972

TRANSPORTATION MODULAR. EXPANDS AND CLIPS TO OTHER MODULARS 1972

THE TRANSPORTATION MODULARS MOVING THROUGH THE HORIZONTAL COMPRESSION CORE. INDIVIDUALLY AND LINKED UP. A SPHERE CAN MOVE IN A TUBE LIKE A BALL
WHAT I WAS SUGGESTING WAS NO FINITE SOLUTION. IF CREATIVE ENGINEERS WERE GIVEN THE TASK THEY WOULD COME AMAZINGLY CLOSE. FULLER WENT THE EXTRA MILE TO PHYSICALLY BUILD SUCH THINGS, WHICH WAS HIS BRILLIANCE, BUT HE PUT THE BURDEN ON HIS OWN SHOULDERS, WHICH RESTRICTED OTHERS FROM INTERACTING. I LACK THOSE SKILLS AND KNOW OTHERS COULD MAKE IT HAPPEN. 1972

SUITCASE TRANSPORTATION MODULAR. ALL SOFT AND COZY THAT CAN BOUNCE OFF OTHERS AND HARD OBJECTS. 1972

IN 1972 THERE WAS LOTS OF HOPE AND SUGGESTIONS FOR GUIDED MODULAR VEHICLES, IT STILL SEEMS TO BE THE RAGE AND EVENTUALLY WILL BE IMPLEMENTED.

BUT I AM NOT BANKING ON IT IN MY LIFETIME, SO I OFFER THE DOWNTOWN TROPISHERE AS THE WAY TO GO FOR THE PRESENT WITH PEDESTRIAN WALKWAYS, CARS, TRUCKS, BUSSES AND LITE RAIL AND TRAINS. THE CONCEPT THAT EVERYBODY WILL WALK IS NAIVE, SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME PERSONAL VEHICLES WERE SOUGHT AFTER AND NEEDED FOR SECURITY, PRIVACY, ILLNESS, GROUPING, ETC. AS I WRITE THIS I AM IN EXTREME PAIN WITH A FLARED UP KNEE AND NOT UP TO WALKING TEN FEET.

THE SYSTEMS DESIGN TO BE CONTINUED.

GLEN