Browsing by Author "Livesey, Graham David"

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    A Biomimetic Structural Form: Emulating Nature’s Structural Forms to Develop an Environmentally Effective Paradigm for Tall Buildings
    (2024-01-16) Al-Sehail, Osama Qahtan; Soto Rubio, Mauricio; Kolarevic, Branko R; Vazquez, Alicia Nahmad; Sinclair, Brian Robert; Taher, Rima; Akbarzadeh, Masoud; Livesey, Graham David; Soto Rubio, Mauricio; Kolarevic, Branko R
    In light of climate change concerns and the relentless quest to reduce the earth’s environmental degradation, the environmental development of tall buildings is part of this endeavour to ensure their continuity as a typology. Minimising the negative environmental impact of tall buildings is vital to meeting the criteria of global sustainable development, which entails defining the issue of environmental impact, selecting a development area and approach, formulating a solution, and then examining the outcomes. Due to their exceptional height, which requires the use of more materials and energy to meet functional and structural obligations compared to low-rise buildings, the environmental impact associated with their construction appears more significant than their operation, especially following the technological development of operating systems in the last few decades. The potential of the structural form to accommodate various demands throughout their history allows the development of the environmental dimension of tall buildings through its prominent role no different in this case as well. Given the inadequacy of current technical practices to bring about real environmental development, nature is seen as an alternative source of knowledge for sustainable development where biomimicry is the method embraced for this purpose. Accordingly, the biomimetic structural form (B SF) is put forward as an ‘effective paradigm’ bringing about the required development in tall buildings to cross over the green threshold (GT), a hypothetical level specifying the environmental target of development. The development of the paradigm is based on what organisms have evolved of solutions, strategies, and principles over time to guarantee their sustainability within their environment. Simply, this is a leap towards ultimate solutions without taking the same amount of time. The B SF is the biomimetic development of the architectural and structural dimensions of the structural form, which in turn contributes to the development of its environmental dimension and that of the entire tall building. The success of the B SF in crossing the GT thus reveals the capacity of a tall building to fulfil the survival environmental level (pre-sustainability) and the quality of the building to proceed towards achieving overall sustainability, usually associated with the use of typical supporting sustainability systems.
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    Towards A New Practice of Integrated Landscape Design and Care
    (2023-07) Tsang, Amy; Natvik, Mathis; Dall'Ara, Enrica; Livesey, Graham David; Hlimi, Tawab; King, Andrew John
    This research examines how to bridge an existing gap between landscape design and maintenance within the overarching goal of supporting and enhancing ecological function in designed landscapes. Emerging from a practice-based problem, the research solution aims to bring together the working ecosystems of design and maintenance through a process of building strong and effective teams working towards common goals. The UK Design Council’s Double Diamond was used as the guiding framework for the development of the thesis problem and solution. Two research methodologies, Design Science Research and practice-based research were used to identify and solve the problem by generating new knowledge and insights around integrating ecological landscape design and maintenance. Three major components of research were conducted: 1) “On the Ground” interviews, 2) Key Informant interviews, and 3) a Practitioners Precedent review. These were used to inform the research solution, a “Model of Care”. The “Model of Care” is based on the fundamental principles of common values and goals, support structure, knowledge transfer, communication, and capacity-building. To test and describe the solution, four care archetypes were developed: 1) “Self”, 2) “Community”, 3) “Contractor”, and 4) “Staff”. For each of these archetypes, a persona and design fiction narrative were developed to describe how the “Model of Care” could be applied in practice. The research demonstrated how an integrated approach to design and care of landscapes can lead to better outcomes for not only ecologically designed landscapes, but designed landscapes in general. The research also illustrated the value and importance of reflection, innovation, and experimentation within a practice-based context towards solving complex challenges.
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    What Do Buildings Do All Day?
    (2024-06-24) Jones, D'Arcy; Livesey, Graham David; Brown, John Leslie Stinson; Gomez-Moriana, Rafael
    Architectural practice is serious stuff. This thesis challenges the conventions that limit creativity by poking fun at architectural sincerity. Non-architectural ways and things inspire contrarian inventions within fictional and nonfiction case studies. The design process itself is questioned. Explorations embrace ordinariness by paying more attention to the everyday. The results describe creative techniques prioritizing logic over expectations, function over aesthetics, and people over form. In a profession where imitation and familiarity are valued more than irreverence, this thesis defines a new model of critical practice that can subversively change architecture from the inside.