Final year thesis University of Pretoria 1996 B-Arch (UP)
Emergency center for earthquakes
San Francisco
This scheme was described by the examiners as a technological
fantasy of a sophisticated nature bordering on industrial design
and engineering.
The autonomous off grid building had characteristics of a robot and
space station hybrid.The building harvested energy via PV and
stored the energy in capacitors waiting in a hibernating state.
At the given moment of the predicted future earth quake on the San
Andreas Fault the building would be able to re-act on input from
remote sensors signalling the occurrence of the feared earthquake
and re-act in specific ways:
-The building adjusted and de-tuned its structure hydraulically to
a safe frequency based on the
measured frequency from the sensors.
-The building pod would for a few moments float in a magnet field
creating a very efficient shock absorber.
-The feet of the building with Teflon padding would be able to
independently slide to release built up tension in the structure
caused by earth movement.
A natural wetland below the building functioned as bio filter for
recycling dirty water from the building and supplying clean
rain water harvested and stored in the wetland.
Emergency center for earthquakes
San Francisco
This scheme was described by the examiners as a technological
fantasy of a sophisticated nature bordering on industrial design
and engineering.
The autonomous off grid building had characteristics of a robot and
space station hybrid.The building harvested energy via PV and
stored the energy in capacitors waiting in a hibernating state.
At the given moment of the predicted future earth quake on the San
Andreas Fault the building would be able to re-act on input from
remote sensors signalling the occurrence of the feared earthquake
and re-act in specific ways:
-The building adjusted and de-tuned its structure hydraulically to
a safe frequency based on the
measured frequency from the sensors.
-The building pod would for a few moments float in a magnet field
creating a very efficient shock absorber.
-The feet of the building with Teflon padding would be able to
independently slide to release built up tension in the structure
caused by earth movement.
A natural wetland below the building functioned as bio filter for
recycling dirty water from the building and supplying clean
rain water harvested and stored in the wetland.
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