Reformative Coral Habitats (2020)
article⁄Reformative Coral Habitats (2020)
abstract⁄Coral reefs are some of the most diverse ecologies in the marine world. They are the habitat to tens of thousands of different marine species. However, these wildlife environments are endangered across the globe. Recent research estimates that around 75 percent of the remaining coral reefs are currently under threat. In 2018 after a devastating storm, Hong Kong lost around 80 of its existing corals. Consequently, a team consisting of marine biologists and architects at The University of Hong Kong has developed a series of performative structures that have been deployed in the city’s waters in July 2020, intending to aid new coral growth over the coming years. The project was commissioned by the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department AFCD and is part of an ongoing active management measure for coral restoration in Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park in Hong Kong. The following objectives were defined as part of the design and fabrication research of the project. To develop a design strategy that builds on the concept of biomimicry to allow for complex spaces to occur that would provide attributes against the detachment of the inserted coral fragment, hence could enhance a diverse marine life specific to the context of the cities water conditions. To generate an efficient printing path that accommodates the specific morphological design criteria and ensures structural integrity and the functional aspects of the design. To develop an efficient fabrication process with a DIW 3D printing methodology that considers warping, shrinkage, and cracking in the clay material. The research team developed a method that combined an algorithmic design approach for the design of different geometries with a digital additive manufacturing process utilizing robotic 3D clay printing. The overall fabrication strategy for the complex and large pieces sought to ensure structural longevity, optimize production time, and tackle the involved doublesided printing method. Overall, 128 tiles were printed, covering roughly 40sqm of the seabed.
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| Year |
2020 |
| Authors |
Lange, Christian; Ratoi, Lidia; Co Lim, Dominic; Hu, Jason; Baker, David M.; Yu, Vriko; Thompson, Phil. |
| Issue |
ACADIA 2020: Distributed Proximities / Volume II: Projects |
| Pages |
164-169 |
| Library link |
N/A |
| Entry filename |
reformative-coral-habitats |
