Geometrically articulated Bio-receptive concrete facades

Abstract

Bio-receptivity is a natural growth of small plant species on stony surfaces with minimum external influence. It is commonly found around us on old buildings, crevices and corners, damp and moist areas. Bio-receptivity has always been viewed as a negative phenomenon in the public eye due to its random and shabby growth conditions. However, this phenomenon co-exists on building surfaces establishing a hybrid relationship, which poses several advantages on the building life-cycle. Apart from being a protective coating, its environmental benefits, like CO2 reduction in air, air purification through dust removal and cooling effect through evapotranspiration, has been known and researched through decades, but has not been brought into practice in the building industry. This research chooses to use geometry as a design variable to engineer self-sustaining moss growth on concrete panels in an ordered and systematic manner. The exercise is an attempt to not only address the functional aspect of Bio-receptivity but also its aesthetic quality which is vital to influence the perception of people and promote mass use of this new type of sustainable concrete material. The primary intend of the research is to gain a thorough understanding into the concept of Bio-receptivity and identify the governing factors responsible for the relationship between the small plant species and stony materials. Saxicolous moss like Tortula muralis and Grimmia Pulvinata are found to be the most common moss types growing on limestone base stony materials and is further utilized in the practical experiment. The research is conducted in a top-down approach, where first the designs are developed in an ordered system taking into consideration the growth structure of moss in nature and the influencing environmental characteristics, next the designs are fabricated into prototypes exhibiting the appropriate material properties and then validated through series of practical experimentation and CFD simulations to justify the influence of geometry; based on the comparative analysis of the results a general design guideline is provided for a self-sustaining Bio-receptive concrete facade panel. A real-time visual representation of Bio-receptive panel is presented as per the guidelines and an economically viable and technically feasible facade system is proposed to facilitate its commercial use on buildings/facades.