Title: |
The Tinkerer's Accomplice: How Design Emerges from Life Itself |
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Speaker: |
Dr. Scott Turner |
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Affiliation: |
SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry |
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When: |
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 4:00:00 PM |
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Where: |
IBB Building, Room Suddath |
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Host: |
Jeannett Yen | |
Abstract Social insects are renowned for the remarkable structures they build. Architects and designers have long looked to social insects as models for inspiration for innovative or imaginative designs. I will explore one such model: the mounds built by fungus-growing termites of the genus Macrotermes. These structures have long been thought to be devices for managing the environment of the underground nest, and the principles of their operation are being incorporated into many building designs for wind-driven climate control. New findings show that the actual function of termite mounds is much different and far more complex than previously thought, and this opens the window on a new generation of termite-inspired devices for capturing wind and using it to manage the internal climate of buildings. These findings also point the way to realizing dynamic architecture that self-regulates its function and adapts it to the changing needs of the buildingās inhabitants. |
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Biography A biography was not submitted at this time. |