thinktank and the life aquatech: water generative design

thinktank and the life aquatech: water generative design
all images courtesy of thinktank and the life aquatech

investigating the behavior of fluid to generate a water-based tectonic structure, ‘thinktank and the life aquatech’ project by students at the architectural association school of architecture in london, shifts from a regular air-based building system to a water-based one. mediating between the architecture’s interior and exterior, the design is based on human comfort levels – particularly in regards to the building’s temperature. self-regulating thermal properties are achieved through the facility’s ability to hold and distribute water within the structure. by contouring the surfaces, the form’s shape derives from its requirement to collect water, while at the same time making it more structurally sound. a fiberglass shell stores the moving fluids in a soft and expandable silicone membrane, resulting in a direct fusion between the building’s aesthetic and its performance.

plaza entrance

market entrance

internal view market

internal view restaurant

water cooling glands in restroom

the 1:1 prototype

physical model

system layering diagrams 

water cycle diagram

water contour lines

site context

project info:

aadrl: armando bussey-solleiro, edward luckmann, vichayuth meenaphant, ana margarita wang-zuniga
tutor: rob stuart-smith

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.