Starlet Coral Pavillion

The studio over the clouds

“Art Splash: Lummus Park”

Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, FL

The studio will work in a section of Lummus Park in front of Ocean Dr., extending from 5^thStreet to 10^thStreet. Lummus Park is a 74-acre public Park parallel to Ocean Dr. from 5^thto 15^thstreets in South Beach. The Park has grassy areas, palm trees, sand volleyball courts, some other outdoor recreational facilities and crossed by a wavy promenade. This studio develops an architectural and urban proposal to reinvent the Ocean Dr. was the catalyst of the rebirth of South Beach in the late 1980s. However, more than 25 years later Ocean Dr. has lost its allure and is in a process of clear decline. The Park was created in the 1920s as the Lummus Brothers (originals owners of the site), Collins, and Fisher formed the island of Miami Beach. Traditionally the Park was a mediating piece of landscape that united Ocean Dr. with the beach. In 1985 that direct connection, between the sea and Ocean Dr., was broken as the whole coast of the island was part of major sand nourishment project, which created new storm surge defenses and enlarged the width of the Beach.

Design 8 _ Spring 2016

Student:
Jaleesa Aponte
Cindy Rodriguez

Launch website

Biomimicry Approach:

The pavilion is based on biomimicry approach. Utilizing a bottom-up approach to form-finding, the researched and explored the structural wisdom of a species of our choice. The research focus is on the coral species, Siderastrea radians and its colonies are formed by an aggregation of polyps that each secrete calcium carbonate for their skeletons; which, together, form a grid-like structure. An additional layer of aggregation lies in the tissues of the coral polyps in the form of zooxanthellae, a photosynthesizing alga. S. radians is a hard coral that ranges from Bermuda, the Bahamas, Florida, and throughout the Caribbean Sea.

For gender differences, this particular coral species distinguishes between male and female colonies. In fact, there is a tendency for members of Siderastrea to have physical gender differences as well as reproductive differences. In fact, there is a tendency for members of Siderastrea to have physical gender differences as well as reproductive differences. Annually, the growth rate of male colonies is greater than females and so have a higher extension rate in the amount of living tissue.

Algorithmic Thinking and Process

The main methodology of the studio was based on a very simple but elaborated conceptual algorithmic diagram. The intent is to help students to understand the principles of algorithmic approach applying bottom-up design, which enable them to define an algorithm to make their intended design. In this method the process become more significant that the object itself and the output is less controlled.

Digital Form-Finding:

In the following exercise students explores the monolithic structure system of a grid shell in the digital software, e.g. Kangaroo physics is a grasshopper plugin for calculating the optimize shell form structure. The initial design process begins with an intensive scientific research studies and they translate that into diagrammatic rules and mathematic codes. This group of students extracted patterns from specimens of S. radians to test their grid-shell properties. Using our research, our parameters were the gender differences and the radial growth characteristic.

Environmental Performance

During the course, students are encouraged to incorporate optimization strategies into the design by implying the defined environmental pressure that integrates a rigorous process of various digital assessments. In this exercise the overall geometry is based on the environmental factor like sun light.A shadow study was then conducted to understand sun exposure on the site. This is where the colonial shapes rule set came into play. In areas of the site that had the most shade, the colony would form flat and encrusting. With more light, the colony would become more bulbous. In addition, in the micro level sun exposure is analyzed over the geometry in order to have an optimized surface panel. With settled forms, they conducted a solar analysis using the Heliotrope plugin. This plugin al- lowed us to see in real time insolation on each individual cell, or polyp, of the Voronoi pattern. Knowing the insolation of each cell informed us on which needed to provide more shade. Each cell is one panel and all the panels together interlock to form our Gridshell & Aggregation pavilion.

Fabrication Assembly :

Each pavilion is composed of a system of panels that interlock. The panels are framed by ceramic and each acrylic contains actual algae concentrations that produce electrons during photosynthesis. These electrons are stored in a battery to power LED lamps at night. This is a system already employed in multiple designs for algae-powered lamps as algae is currently being developed as an alternative energy solution for fuel and, in small amounts, electricity.

The Program:

Exhibition/Awareness center

The site is between 6th and 7th street in Lummus Park, Miami Beach. The pavilions consist of a male and three females occupying the grass and sandy portions of the site. The male is situated on the south side to go along with the idea that in sexual reproduction the male gametes it releases will move with the current, the prevailing winds.

The pavilions are hosting the Miami-based artist/scientist group Coral Morphologic. They conduct marine biological surveys and raise awareness of local coral reefs through site-specific art installations. Their main media mode is film. Each pavilion would display their artwork in different ways. Femella Una is the orientation pavilion and introduces visitors to a tiger flatworm from one of their short films, “Transmission.” Femella Duae presents coral specimens underneath Coral Morphologic’s close-up coral polyp projections; as in their art installation “Cassio- peia 1.” Femella Tres displays several of their short films and Masculum features large format films and lectures.

Nature is my Mentor!

Do Research and Learn…

Recent Posts.

Starlet Coral Pavillion

Design 8 _ Spring 2016

Biomimicry Approach:

Algorithmic Thinking and Process

Digital Form-Finding:

Environmental Performance

Fabrication Assembly :

The Program:

Nature is my Mentor!

Do Research and Learn…

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Recent Posts.

Starlet Coral Pavillion

Design 8 _ Spring 2016

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Biomimicry Approach:

Algorithmic Thinking and Process

Digital Form-Finding:

Environmental Performance

Fabrication Assembly :

The Program: