Radiolarian

Radiolarians are amoeboid protozoa that produce intricate mineral skeletons, typically with a central capsule dividing the

cell into inner and outer portions, called endoplasm

and ectoplasm. They are found as zooplankton throughout the ocean, and their skeletal remains cover large portions of the ocean bottom as radiolarian ooze. Due to their rapid turn-over of species, they represent an important diagnostic fossil found from the Cambrian onwards (Wikipedia).

Radiolarians have many needle-like pseudopodia supported by bundles of microtubules, called axopods, which aid in the Radiolarian's buoyancy. The nuclei and most other organelles are in the endoplasm, while the ectoplasm is filled with frothy vacuoles and lipiddroplets, keeping them buoyant. Often it also contains symbioticalgae, especially zooxanthellae, which provide most of the cell's energy. Some of this organization is found among the heliozoa, but those lack central capsules and only produce simple scales and spines.

The main class of radiolarians are the Polycystinea, which produce siliceous skeletons. These include the majority of fossils.

Protocell

1.We want to change the world with almost nothing.

It is possible to generate complex materials and architectures through harnessing the fundamental energetics of matter. In other words, doing more with less.

2. What we call protocell architecture is, at root, a piece of Dadaist and Surrealist research, in which all the lofty questions have become involved.

The novel self-assembling material systems that arise from protocell architectural practice make no reference to, nor attempt to mimic bio-logic. As such, protocell architecture is an alien to the natural world, yet speaks the same fundamental languages of chemistry and physics. The results of these conversations and interactions constitute a parallel biology and second biogenesis whose aesthetics are described by Surrealist agendas.

3. Architecture is dead, long live architecture.

Protocells constitute a disruptive technology for architectural practice since they are capable of reaching a transition point when evolution emerges within the system, the outcome of which is unpredictable and therefore offer novel and surprising ways of constructing architecture that will succeed and replace conventional technologies.

4. Protocell architecture swallows contrast and all contradictions including the grotesquery and illogicality of life.

Protocell technology is at the beginning of an evolutionary pathway that is connected to and dependent on the environmental conditions around it. The responsiveness of protocells to stimuli, means they can be regarded as computing units. Consequently, protocells do not seek to generate idealized architectural forms but reflect and interpret the full spectrum of the processes they encounter in the real world.

5. What is generally termed life is really a frothy nothing that merely connects.

Protocell technology offers an opportunity for architects to engage with the evolutionary process itself. Unlike natural biological systems that evolve randomly according to Darwinian evolution, protocell technology allows deliberate and specific interventions throughout the entire course of its coming into being. By moving and metabolizing, protocells may form the basis for a synthetic surface ecology. These interventions are the basis of what we call protocell architecture.

6. We do not wish to imitate nature, we do not wish to reproduce nature, we want to produce architecture in the way a plant produces its fruit. We do not want to depict, we want to produce directly, not indirectly, since there is no trace of abstraction. We call it Protocell Architecture.

Protocell Architecture embodies the principles of emergence, bottom-up construction techniques and self-assembly. It is equipped with design ‘handles’ that enable the architect to persuade rather than dominate the outcome of the system through physical communication. As such, these systems are unknowable, surprising and anarchic.

7. We want to collage effective organic machinery that composes itself according to the drivers of biological design.

Protocell Architecture is chemically programmable and operates in keeping with the organizing principles of physics and chemistry.

8. We want over and over again, movement and connection; we see peace only in dynamism.

Protocell Architecture gathers its energy from the tension that resides at an interface between two media such as oil and water, which causes movement, disruption and change. Protocell Architecture resists the equilibrium since this constitutes death.

9. The head is round, so thoughts can revolve. The head of architecture is green, robust, synthesized and exists everywhere simultaneously, whether it is large or very, very small.

Protocell Architecture is fashioned from ‘low tech biotech’ characterised by ubiquitous, durable and affordable materials.

10. We wish to blur the firm boundaries, which self-certain people delineate around all we can achieve.

Protocell Technology becomes a co-author in the production of architecture through the possession of living properties and its ability to self-assemble.

11. We tell you the tricks of today are the truths of tomorrow.

Protocell Architecture is better adapted to the prevailing physical and social conditions since it is founded on a new set of technologies that are not ‘alive’ but which possess some of the properties of living systems. As such these technologies are qualitatively different to the industrial and digital technologies that have become the mainstream tools of the twentieth century.

12. We will work with things that we do not want to design, things that already have systematic existence.

Protocell Technology has the capacity to transform and modify existing building materials and architecture with the potential for surprise.

13. You know as much as we do that architecture is nothing more than rhythms and connections.

Protocell Architecture embodies the complexity of materials in a literal, rather than metaphorical manner and becomes a physical part of our existence.

14. We will construct exquisite corpses not dead but alive and useful.

Protocell Architecture is central to the understanding of living systems. It allows us to work with and enhance the unavoidable inconsistency which is the essence of life itself.

15. We deal in a second aesthetic, one that initiates beginnings and moulds with natural forces.

Protocell Architecture is connected to the environment through constant conversation and energy exchange with the natural world in a series of chemical interactions called ‘metabolism’. This involves the conversion of one group of substances into another, either by absorbing or releasing energy - doing more with less.

Osteoblast & Osteoclast

An osteoblast is a mononucleate cell that is responsible for bone formation. Osteoblasts produce osteoid, which is composed mainly of Type 1 collagen. Osteoblasts are also responsible for mineralization of the osteoid matrix.
Bone is a dynamic tissue that is constantly being reshaped by osteoblasts, which build bone, and osteoclasts, which resorb bone.
Osteoblast cells tend to decrease as individuals become elderly, thus decreasing the natural renovation of the bone tissue.
What I wanted to do was a collection of osteoblast cells outside of human body, and then let them glow in several material. I supposed these cells would absorb material and make tissue structure, which would be made of these materials.

Ju: ...What I have been interested in is that metabolism since I made mechanism which analysed human's movement in depend on environment.

Nowadays, even though metabolism and morphogenesis are necessary and sufficient condition for living body, a lot of contemporary architects just mimic or copy form or structure of nature without there live system. Therefore their building cannot grow and maintain by themselves. There is no exception in all my professional work which I told.

In "urban hive" case, I mimicked born and honeycomb structure to make new building structure against an earthquake and storm, and to make empty space for flexible purpose of users because I had focused on morphogenesis structure such as the structure of born, exoskeleton and frustule. The more I studied living system and form, the less I was satisfied this project. Because I just used natural structure which do not have a self-assembling and self-maintaining system. It is same as a dead body which must be collapsed when its life time finish by nature. This is one of the reason why I am here.

Before starting our course, I wanted to design nano mechanism which makes material and change chemical ingredients of material. It could become one of science fiction film or paper work or possible blueprint. But, after your first lecture, This my plan has been changed to biological architecture.The meaning of protocells, diatoms and slime mould has showed me that self-assembling, self-maintaining and self-growing architecture is a feasible plan.

Last week, I read some newspaper article that RMS (Regenerative Medical Services) succeed to cure several patients who has a broken jawbone to use bone cell implantation (Osteoblasts). What I thought from this article was if this osteoblast can live outside of our body without DNA (I do not know about this cell which needs or has DNA), and if this cell can absorb environment elements, this cell will make new material and structure by itself. Therefore I wanted to study this subject at the time. After our first meeting, I am thinking I should postpone my this interest for the future research. Because my lack knowledge of this subject will fail to show a feasible plan, and I realise this kind of experiment needs high technology and a lot of financial support. Thus, it is impossible to apply easily in the world.

Rachel Armstrong: ... yes, the system to use as a speculative technology.

Osteoblasts & Osteoclasts do indeed have DNA and they are quite fragile ... the big problem with them is that bacteria love the tissue culture so you have to keep them in a sterile environment ...

My feeling is Ju, if you wanted something very interesting, I would put your honeycomb structure into water ... that way you will get rid of the need for worrying about too many support structures to keep growing systems alive ...

Alternatively there are of course bacteria and slime moulds ...

Bacteria can fix silicon particles (sand) look at Magnus Larsson (TED talk actually) for this with the bacterial 'printer' to reclaim areas of desert .... but the problem with his schema is irrigation ...

If you want me to dream .... then I definitely would look at the legendary city of Atlantis ... which according to the texts of Plato was 'rich in technology' but sinks into the mud ...

There are also atolls in the Pacific which will no longer be there with the rising sea levels ... it may be possible to propose an artificial reef that generates honeycomb like buildings as the atolls sink into the sea so that the population is able to live part in the water and part in the land ...

To generate this kind of structue in the water woud be really very interesting ...

There is the biorock technology that you could look at which has a steel framework and uses low current ...

Or there is the protocell technology which we could develop to make carbon fixing rocks ....

I think that this idea of an aqueous style building that exists between the water and the land is a very interesting one ... and is one that really has not been done before ..

Christian Kerrigan has made some initial drawings of an artificial reef under Venice ... but this could be developed so much more in an architectural context ...

See what you think ...