Design can help us finding solutions for a variety of issues, including coastal squeeze. This geographic process occurs when rising sea levels and human coastal development combine to reduce the available space for intertidal habitats.
As global heating causes sea levels to rise, the low-water marks where the tide recedes and exposes mud and rocks are pushed further inland. At the same time, humans construct hard coastal structures like sea walls to protect themselves from rising water levels and storms.
The consequence of coastal squeeze is that the intertidal habitats - areas between land and sea that are exposed and then submerged by tides and that support a diverse range of marine species such as barnacles, limpets, crabs, starfish, and snails - becomes progressively smaller. The reduction in available space and habitat can have a detrimental impact on the wildlife that relies on these intertidal areas for survival.
Different companies and organisations launched a variety of solutions to this problem, from artificial basin-like concrete vertical rockpools providing safe shelter for sea life, to eco-engineered breakwater blocks.
Living Seawalls in Sydney combined industrial design techniques with ecological research to create ornate reinforced concrete panels from 3D printed moulds that form complex habitat geometries and mimic rocky shorelines.
These bespoke habitats available in 10 designs are aesthetically pleasing: attached to coastal structures in various countries, they look like decorative elements with an intriguing pattern, but they do have instead a function being examples of micro-architectures that offer a safe haven to various marine species.
But micro-architectures are trending: architecture studio Low Design Office, which has locations in Austin, Texas, and Tema, Ghana, focuses on exploring local material ecologies in small-scale architecture and in developing microinfrastructures that interoperate at the scale between furniture and architecture.
Their projects range from simple canopy tabletops and micro-enterprises serviced by umbrellas to home businesses in sheds or kiosks. These initiatives, along with roadside and cottage industries, create a widespread network of regenerative infrastructure that empowers communities economically.
By combining design and engineering on a smaller scale, Low Design Office promotes a model of self-construction that transforms kiosk culture into a transformative infrastructure for African urban and rural areas.
One of their initiatives, the Agbogbloshie Makerspace Platform (AMP), in collaboration with Panurban, a French design consultancy, revolves around the transformation of the Agbogbloshie scrapyard - located behind the Agbogbloshie Market, Onion Market and Yam Market on Abose-Okai Road in Accra, Ghana.
Agbogbloshie serves as a hub for dismantling, sorting, and processing various types of scrap, including aeronautical, automotive, electronic (e-scrap), domestic waste, glass, metal, and plastics.
Around 6,000 to 10,000 individuals, engage in the scrap trade, dismantling and processing a wide range of items each year (from batteries and fans to toasters, microwaves, washing machines, fridges, televisions, computers, laptops and mobile phones, just to mention a few ones).
While some perceive Agbogbloshie as a toxic e-waste dump, others view it as an urban-scale open-air manufacturing space. It functions indeed as an action-oriented maker ecosystem where materials and components salvaged from end-of-life equipment are utilized to create new products. AMP seeks to learn from Agbogbloshie's practices and explore its potential as a model for micro-industrial ecosystems with broader applications.
AMP also offers open solutions for crafting space, compact architectures such as the Maker Kiosks (modular and prefabricated structures), Maker Kits (customizable and portable kits), and a Mobile App for makers. All these systems empower individuals to customize their environment.
One of these solutions is a prototype modular, mobile and kinetic spacecraft that has the capability of replicating itself forming coordinated matrixes.
The structure consists of two semi-octet truss frames equipped with bifold hangar doors, installed on recycled tire foundation pads constructed on-site.
The ongoing components of this project are showcased in an installation entitled "Enviromolecular" on display in the Arsenale section at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice (until 26th November).
The installation showcases a demonstration of the modular spacecraft, along with the researches and drawings that contributed to its creation. Like the geometries forming the intertidal habitats mentioned earlier, the configurations of these modular environments are particularly intriguing. Besides, both solutions can be categorized as micro-architectures with a compact and functional design.
Micro-architectures can actually be a great inspiration for both knitwear and textiles as they can generate innovative and visually striking patterns.
Actually, architectural patterns will be fashionable come next season: Kim Jones' included in his S/S 24 menswear collection for Dior (showcased last week at the École Militaire in Paris) several geometrical patterns.
One of the notable features of the show was an architectural element with models emerging from hidden trapdoors on the catwalk. The models patiently awaited their turn to walk, then returned to their spot and disappeared again.
Dior's trademark cannage pattern was reinvented and was prominently featured throughout the show. The pattern appeared in various forms, from the marled jacquard cannage knits in vibrant colors to the tweed sweater vests, jackets and shorts and was also employed to create three-dimensional patterns on leather bags.
The cannage pattern holds significance as it was inspired by the Napoleon III-style woven rattan chairs that Christian Dior himself used for guests during his inaugural salon show at 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris in 1947. Since then, it has become an integral part of the house's design language.
The cannage pattern, resembling a geometric lattice or diamond-shaped stitching, was initially utilized in Dior's accessories collection, particularly on handbags (one of the most famous iterations of the pattern is seen on the Lady Dior bag, which was introduced in 1995).
Over the years, the cannage pattern has undergone numerous transformations, showcasing its versatility across colors, materials, and scales within the maison's product range. In this particular collection, this motif derived from an interior design element turns into an architectural pattern.
This reinterpretation exemplifies the potential for creative exploration and innovation within the realm of small-scale constructions, inviting us to delve deeper into the world of experimental and sustainable micro-architectures and discover more captivating patterns that can inspire and elevate a fashion design.
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