Fin Gilbert - BA3

Since the beginning of their use in 1957, nuclear power plants have posed a threat to the immediate and extended environment they are situated in, both through major catastrophes and at a less extreme level through disruption and destruction to the biodiversity of the local environment. This essay looks specifically at Hinkley Point, due to its proximity to a European nature conservation importance - the Severn Estuary – a national nature reserve – Bridgewater Bay – and a Site of Special Scientific Interest - Blue Anchor. This essay uses Hubell’s Neutral Theory to identify shortcomings in current impact assessments, as well as examining case studies including Jarman’s Garden and BIG’s Amarger Bakke to suggest other ways of relating power production and ecosystems, in light of Haraway’s notion of “staying with the trouble” to suggest ways in which power production might have a positive ecological impact.

Gabrielle Beaumont - MArch2

Material is central to the work of many contemporary architects; the use of material can create spatial significance or reflect on the culture of a location. However, simple material choices and details have a far larger reaching impact than we realise; the way in which we discard, mine, harvest, transport and export material leaves an impact within the world and nature around us. This thesis explores material values: it is a speculation of ‘Material’ possibilities, in which raw material is no longer seen as a commodity and waste is part of a continuing cycle of regeneration.

This thesis draws from Bennett’s ‘vibrant matter’ – an exploration of ‘Material’ in its abstract state forms the focus to the theory of political ecology where anything from worms to a collection of trash in a gutter is intrinsically liked to humanity and our impact upon the natural world. Bennett’s ‘Vibrant Matter’ leads into the exploration of the ‘Anthrapocene’, ‘Capitalocene’ and Haraway’s ‘Chthuluscene’ in which human and non-human are linked in tentacular practices and material co-existence: a new kind of ’subject-substrate’ symbiotic kinship.

Raworth’s ‘Doughnut Economics’ was also a large influence on the thesis. Raworth champions degrowth theory and promotes a new localised circular economy which feeds itself without the need for excessive use of resources, which damage the planet and leave communities lacking in basic human rights.

Connecting insights of economic, political and social discussion with material language and design acknowledges the need for systematic change across these three areas. This thesis discusses the invention of new materials which can be applied to the design and construction processes in different ways, as well as the appropriation of disused, old and broken components in new projects, proposing new changes to the design process and the governing bodies which influence final outcomes.

Ian Fletcher, Dr Ash Ahmed, Dr Pauline Fitzgerald

Mycelium Curiosities is a Ph.D. research project which investigates the feasibility of fungal mycelium synthesised materials and the utilisation of nature’s biopolymers obtained from agricultural waste to biologically engineer a sustainable and biodegradable material for use in construction. The aims of the research project are to provide an overview into the production, properties and performance of mycelium-based materials, extract natural cellulose fibres from wheat straw and to determine whether the material can be implemented for structural and/or non- structural applications. Mycelium is the vegetative part of a fungus consisting of a mass of branching thread-like hyphae, which act as a natural binder (matrix) in the mycelium-based composite system. Mycelium is mainly composed of natural polymers, such as chitin, cellulose and proteins and is a natural polymeric composite fibrous material. Mycelium digests nutrients from agricultural waste and in the process bonds to the surface without use of any additional energy input. It also depolymerises and colonise natural cellulose fibres acting as a natural self-assembling glue.

Nick Tyson

Holly Tree LOG documents the life cycle of a single tree from felling to timber processing. In doing so, it investigates waste material flows associated with urban tree management. The project exploits 3D Lidar scanning to make a digital survey of the tree, explores the repair and manipulation of digital files and the application of this process in design.

The first stage of the LOG provides a survey of the elements of the tree and establishes a set of computational tools through CNC milling the outcomes of the survey. A second stage will test a set of design parameters for digital manufacturing of the timber through the production of speculative components for architecture.

Image: Log02 manipulated digital survey [Adam Atraktzi]