NEW TYPOLOGY FOR MULTI-FLOOR TENANTS

The project explores a novel and captivating tower typology which emerged in New York in the last years – “The New York’s Super Slender”. Located on a small, still vacant site on West 45th St which footprint measures at approx. 30x30m only, the tower rises to 400m in height, and provides modern, ergonomic, sustainable office spaces. The project is another take on a path which skyscraper design will likely be following in the coming years, to meet extreme challenges of constrained and dense city centers, with their shortage of big vacant lots, yet ever growing demand for new properties.

FORM AS AN OUTCOME OF STRUCTURAL CONCEPT

The tower utilizes an innovative structural system, which solely determines its appearance. Due to extremely constrained site, the choice was to eliminate perimeter columns and substitute them by a set of steel cables, which run and twist along the height of the tower, allowing for an ultralight, yet sturdy structural assembly. The cables are anchored in a deep foundation, MEP zones and tied back to the core at the upper structural ring. The spiral arrangement of the cables – the “twist” – creates a force of surface tension, resulting in a “corset” holding the insides contained, very similar to a candy which is held inside a wrap because its ends are twisted (more details in the images’ captions).

Architecturally, it becomes simply an expression of the building’s structure -  a sleek, minimal and futuristic volume of reflective glass, a cylindrical tube which is also one of the most efficient shapes for wind resistance. It is also abstract, and aligns with technology-oriented aesthetics. Solutions like circulating elevators and multi-story lobby with automatic visitors’ dispatch systems allow to accommodate higher occupancy rates typical for office buildings.

REDEFINING THE STREET

The goal was to design the block’s centerpiece which by its alien-like appearance would contribute to the extremely diverse, charging, energetic and ever-progressing built environment of New York. A dazzling shine of reflective glass and chrome, modernity of aluminum, and dynamic shapes are called to create a dominating presence and stature on 45th St, increasing values of surrounding properties.

“HALO” ENTRANCE CANOPY

One of the most distinctive features of the design is the “Halo” canopy – a toroid volume soaring above the entrance plaza. Clad in reflective glass on the sides and in bead-blasted chrome panels at the front and back, it subtly reflects the surroundings, as well as definitely provokes an interest and desire to get closer, to walk in, to reveal what is hidden behind such futuristic, drastically different form, unlike any other tower canopy in Manhattan.

ENTRANCE LOBBY & OBSERVATION DECK

With a common visual characteristic and shared materials and design features, these two spaces are though different and each captivating in its own respect. The entrance lobby, which greets a visitor with an austere multi-story space, is a first glimpse into very modern, technology-driven interiors of the tower. Surrounded by the dark canyon of Midtown, it still relies heavily on artificial lighting, yet already perceives as a gateway into bright and light-filled spaces of the offices and beyond, as the tower rises into the sky to leave behind the noise, smoke and fuss of what we so lovely call “The Capital of the World”. In double-deck elevators visitors reach the vantage point – an observation deck at level 96, which provides 360-degree unobstructed views of the city and allows to rest and meditate in serene and light-filled space.

HIGH-PERFORMANCE FAÇADE

A distinctive feature of the tower, it was scripted in parametric software to wrap the smooth and curvilinear shape of the building, and panelize it into flat panels comprised of paired triangles. The slim (only 500mm in height) spandrel extends from the glazing panels above to allow for continuity of glass reflections and prevention of leakage. Each panel is tilted for 1 degree towards inside of the building. The boxes which the cables run inside of are capped by aluminum stamped panels with integrated and software-controlled rotating vents for natural ventilation / conditioning. Tapered ends of slab allow for more daylight penetration, yet high-performance glass coating blocks excessive thermal gain.

ERGONOMIC WORKPLACE

As part of the tower’s integrated design approach, the furniture was also engineered to fit the space precisely. Due to the recently formulated risks which prolonged seating poses on health of modern workers, it is crucial to equip the space with ergonomic, sit-stand transformable furniture. The desks are hanging from the ceiling on gas-lift arms which allow for an easy individual adjustment of their height and rotation/position, as well as quick office layout/seats quantity reconfiguration based on minute needs of a tenant.

TUNED MASS DAMPER

Due to extremely dense spatial arrangement of the tower, a solution for locating a multi-ton tuned mass damper had to be non-trivial. The idea was to design a toroidal damper, which will not take up space directly on top of the core, to leave it free to locate elevator overruns and to provide continuity of evacuation paths such as stairs inside of the core. Thus, the damper circles the core with even distribution of mass, and is software controlled to counteract sways caused by high-velocity winds.

PREFACE

For the Hyperloop transportation system proposed by Elon Musk earlier in 2015, Rustem Baishev of RB Systems presents an integrated design vision both for a station and a passenger pod. The station's design is as of now speculative and is not tied to a specific location, due to yet uncertain public intent in commissioning such building; nonetheless - with a firm promise of such intent to arise in the foreseeable future - there is a strong sense in exploring its potential layouts. With no previous precedents in such building typology, many spatial and programmatic concepts had to be invented. Likely, they will continue to be subjects for testing until a reasonable worldwide standard in such typology is established. For now, RB Systems took an exploratory road and made a detailed proposal for a station that formulates key-features of passengers' and pods' logistics, which is believed to be the factor of an utmost influence over a station's design.

UNPRECEDENTED SPEED

The expected pod's travel speed of nearly 1200 km/h is a well-known item for discussion leading to many engineering challenges in the tube's design. But the greater issue for designing a Hyperloop station's layout is that proposed rate of departures / arrivals is too very rapid in its own respect, estimated to be at 1 pod per minute. Meaning that complete pod's handling - to include many various operations - must be performed within such an extremely short amount of time. Besides of a vast degree of automation, it would require a well-thought-out sequence of spaces, and to our firm believe, an absolutely necessary change in levels to separate arriving and departing vehicles. Level difference is pretty much the only mean to make such a demanding pace of throughput achievable - otherwise a station's footprint would have to grow sideways extensively. In this concept, once a pod enters the station's interior space after being cleared at a pressurized airlock, it is put on an automated cart that carries it through the tracks to a designated platform. From this point the throughput is organized as a queue, and after passengers leave the pod, the vehicle then proceeds to enter the service block to undergo unloading of luggage, after which it is put on a turntable elevator, which then lifts it to an upper level. It is at this upper level the pod is finally prepared for departure, change of batteries and supplies, loaded with a luggage again and is released to proceed to departure platforms for passengers to board. After that, the pod is ready to leave; the sequence of departures/arrivals is managed by an automatic dispatching system.

ROBUST, LONG LIFE-SPAN, MINIMUM MAINTENANCE RAILSHIFT

One of the key-features of the design is the method proposed for separation of the vehicular flow through the station - an answer on how to connect a single exit from the tube with at least 20 platforms. An initial analysis had revealed that mechanical applications, especially exposed ones, involving rotary systems, elevating systems - might likely be subject to jams affecting the scheduled queue operations in a domino effect, and may also require a constant surveillance and a frequent maintenance. A robust, composite concrete-made rail shift - even if being a conventional system - is a solution proven by time, requires minimal service, and allows for a streamlined operation, through which all the pods travel on automated carts, making it easy to remove a faulty vehicle from the queue. This is a signature part of RB Systems' design, which dictated the station's layout and overall form. It is also believed that the rail shift has to absolutely occur inside of a station, after an airlock, since that shifting tracks within the tube would result in a significant engineering challenge.

MASSIVE SPATIAL RESERVE FOR PRESSURIZATION EQUIPMENT AND SAFETY SYSTEMS

An amount of machinery required for provision and maintenance of pressurization in an airlock is yet unknown, therefore a considerable space reserve was laid out surrounding the area where the tube enters the station. The machinery and other necessary equipment is to be housed within the station's "beads", parts of which are made of soil that was excavated to form the station's "bowl" - a zone which is covered by the glass dome. The "beads" are paneled by vast arrays of photovoltaics to generate energy. This makes the station to be "submerged" in landscape.

LARGE SAFETY ZONE THAT SEPARATES PLATFORMS FROM THE TUBE'S ENTRANCE

The potential safety risks of dealing with vacuum and such a rapid movement of vehicles through a station are not yet formulated; most likely, they are to be considerably high. As a mean of safety, the entire zone in-between the platforms and the tube's exit is made inaccessible for passengers. It is a space reserve, provided with applications to remove faulty pods from the queue.

INTERIOR EXPERIENCE

The goal for the interior atmosphere was to become truly a celebration of pure excitement of travel using a forefront technology. An airport, as well as a conventional train station - are usually the typologies which are expressive the most, and serve as a "face" to a city in which a traveler arrives. The goal was to design a spacious, bright-colored interior filled with light, formal enough and spiritually uplifting, in almost space-age aesthetics, symbolizing a technological breakthrough that the Hyperloop is. The navigation is made easy, with timetables located simply above each track. The service block is separated from the station's interior by a transparent storefront, making passengers able to see the pods being handled by intricate machinery.  A spacious waiting hall provides leisure facilities such as cafeterias, and opens up to captivating panoramic views of the entire station's interior. The glass composition and PV cells that are molded within the glass assembly do protect the interior space from an excessive solar heat gain.

GLASS DOME

An experimental structural system is proposed, which is a space-truss supported from a perimeter structural ring and four structural funnels; assembled from components made of fiberglass, making the system to be light enough to span for nearly 100m at the largest.

THE POD

The goal for the pod's design was to come up with a user-friendly, non-aggressively looking machine that would appeal to many categories of travelers; a design that does not remind of a flying engine, but rather an elegant hybrid of an airplane with a high-speed train. A lot of consideration was given to aerodynamics for the nose - the compressor's impeller is exposed and its blades are designed to be bulging out off of design surface to provide boundary layer suction, greatly reducing the surface drag along the entire pod's body behind the impeller; the impeller is housed in a round nacelle that is partially covered by body panels blended with the end of the nose; behind the impeller are also the gills that evacuate an excessive flow and push it against the walls of the tube to provide additional lateral stabilization. The aerodynamic concept is theoretical, but was proven effective in a low-resolution CFD test. The engine's compressor is a spiral volute, in a turbo-like principle, to occupy less space within the vehicle. Propulsion and levitation systems are not addressed in detail, but conceptually laid out as electric and air skis, respectively, in accordance with proposals in the Alpha paper.

THE POD'S INTERIOR

The interior is a no-aisle layout with two rows of seats separated by a central console. The entertainment system is provided at all times controlled from an elbow-pad touch screen. The boarding is performed from both sides. The luggage compartment is located above the cabin, and is accessed only inside of the service block and if passenger doors are closed. The passenger doors are sized rather generously, with hope that further technology development would allow to handle such apertures efficiently from pressurization standpoint.

THE WINDOWS. IN THEORY

Clearly the greatest thing about Hyperloop is the speed. Why not let passengers to feel it? Even with many current engineering struggles to make the system real, there might be an ultimate vision that relies on a distant future when technology is proven and advanced enough to implement extreme design features. The windows in both the tube and the pod would allow for actually sensing the speed in relation to landscape objects, which would make Hyperloop even more an exciting experience. For pressurization issues the windows are made to be individual apertures spaced ever so often. The spacing is calculated the same as "frames per second" in movie-making - it is determined what distance the pod travels in one second at every fragment of a route, and this number is then divided by 25 - an amount of FPS that, if played continuously, human eye perceives as a steady image. For a very short moment the windows both in the tube and in the pod would align, and if the pod flies so fast that in one second it passes 25 windows, then the passenger's eye would see an uninterrupted image of the outside. Whether it is a landscape or a city that the pod passes through, it seems as truly entertaining to feel such speed.

EPILOG

Above mentioned are only a few factors which the future station's design will likely be revolving around. With all the excitement that surrounds the Hyperloop system and its disrupting potential, it is likely that we will continue to see many designs addressing its every feature. RB Systems believes in the importance of high-performance, integrated design and the holistic visual characteristic it provides, giving related looks and principles to all the parts ranging from a piece of furniture to a vehicle, a station and, ultimately, to its master planning aspects. RB Systems encourages collaboration and welcomes requests for joining forces with entities that have an ongoing or planned work related to the Hyperloop project.

SPACE X HYPERLOOP POD COMPETITION 2015, SEMI-FINALIST IN DESIGN ONLY CATEGORY

BASE OF TOWER

2017

Entrance Lobby

2017

IN AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN WE BELIEVE THAT AN ULTIMATE ACHIEVEMENT WOULD BE TO SHAPE A CAR WHICH FORMS AND ELEMENTS ARE VISUALLY AS ABSTRACT AS POSSIBLE; A CAR THAT DOES NOT REMIND OF A LIVING CREATURE, A FACIAL EXPRESSION, OR EMOTION - SUCH AS AGGRESSION FOR EXAMPLE, TO WHICH MANY MODERN DESIGNS TEND TO RESORT. TO SCULPT A MERE TECHNICALITY THROUGH SIMPLEST MOVES AND NEUTRAL LINES - IS WHAT WE ASPIRED FOR IN THIS SINGLE-SEATER DESIGN, COMING UP WITH A STRIPE OF LED HEAD AND TAIL LIGHTS THAT BLENDED SMOOTHLY INTO THE SIDES OF THE CAR, WHICH ARE DETACHED FROM THE CABIN TO ALLOW FOR BETTER AERODYNAMICS.

2016

THE SHAPE OF THE BUILDING IS DETERMINED BY SOLAR ORIENTATION. THE ANGLE OF THE FACADE'S INCLINE IS GRADUALLY CHANGING, FROM SOUTH TO NORTH, FROM VERTICAL TO SLOPED - TO TURN AWAY FROM THE DIRECT SUNLIGHT PENETRATION ON THE SOUTH, AND TO ANGLE TOWARDS MORE AMBIENT DAYLIGHT PENETRATION ON THE NORTH. WEST / EAST FACADES ARE SLOPED MODERATELY, TO SLIGHTLY INCREASE DAYLIGHT GAIN. THE COURTYARD, AS WELL AS LIGHT SHELVES, SERVES THE SAME PURPOSE TOO. THE ROOF IS CLAD IN SOLAR PANELS, AND TILTED TOWARDS SUN TO BE MORE EFFICIENT DURING THE SUN'S LATITUDINAL TRAVEL.

SPACE X HYPERLOOP POD COMPETITION 2015, SEMI-FINALIST IN DESIGN ONLY CATEGORY

THE ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPT REVOLVES AROUND THE PASSENGERS’ FLOW AND PODS’ LOGISTICS. FROM PURELY FUNCTIONAL CONSIDERATIONS, THE BUILDING HAS NATURALLY COME TO SUCH A SHAPE AFTER THE PROGRAM WAS MODELED AND COMPOSED INTO MODULES. THE BUILDING COMPRISES OF ENTRANCE AREA AND LUGGAGE DROP-OFF, SECURITY CLEARANCE AND WAITING AREAS WHICH OPEN UP TO VAST INTERIOR SPACE OF THE STATION. DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL PLATFORMS ARE SPLIT INTO TWO LEVELS TO FACILITATE A DEMANDING GOAL OF EVERY-30 SECONDS PODS’ DEPARTURES. THE VAST SPACE IS RESERVED FOR PRESSURIZATION SYSTEMS AND THEIR SERVICE, AND LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE AREA WHERE THE TUBE  ENTERS INTO THE BUILDING VOLUME. ARRIVAL PICK-UP AND DEPARTURE DROP-OFFS ARE SEPARATED ELEVATION-WISE AND DO NOT INTERSECT. THE BUILDING IS SUBMERGED IN LANDSCAPE TO ALLOW UNDISTURBING YET FUTURISTIC VISUAL PRESENCE. THE INSIDE SPACE IS COVERED BY A GLASS ROOF, A LIGHTWEIGHT TRUSS SYSTEM THAT IS SUPPORTED FROM THE PERIMETER STRUCTURAL RING. TRANSPARENT INFLATED ETFE IS ALSO AN OPTION GIVEN WARM CALIFORNIAN CLIMATE. 

48-HOURS DESIGN COMPETITION BY BUILDEARTHLIVE.COM

Toroidal tuned mass damper

CURTAIN WALL VIGNETTE RENDERINGS

RESEARCH, 2015

THIS PROJECT CONTINUES MY INVESTIGATIONS INTO NEW GENERATION OF SHADING SYSTEMS. ON THE SAME PRINCIPLE OF PREVIOUS ONES,, IT IS BASED ON VARIATIONS IN LIGHT LEVELS, WHICH ARE BEING SENSED BY PHOTOCELL TO DRIVE THE MOTORS’ MOVEMENT.  ALTHOUGH IN THIS PROTOTYPE THE LIMIT OF MATERIAL AND FRAME’S FLEXIBILITY WAS TESTED AND EXPLORED. THE STRETCHABLE FABRIC WAS SEWED ONTO TWO TYPES OF FRAMES: 

ONE IS THE BENDABLE CONTOUR MADE FROM TWO STRIPES OF POLYCARBONATE GLUED TOGETHER TO PROVIDE LAMINAR FLEXIBILITY, AND ANOTHER ONE IS RIGID ACRYLIC OUTER  FRAME TO BE DRIVEN BY MOTORS. THE FRAMES’ MOVEMENT IS SYNCHRONIZED IN ORDER TO PROVIDE SIMULTANEOUS CONTRACTION OR UNFOLDING OF THE ELEMENT.  DURING HIGH SUN HOURS, IT IS IN ITS MAXIMUM DEPLOYED POSITION WHEN INSIDE OPENING STILL ALLOWS SOME LIGHT TO PENETRATE. DURING LOW SUN AND DARK HOURS,  IT IS CONTRACTED TO ITS FOLDED STATE WITH INSIDE OPENING AT ITS MAXIMUM APERTURE.  THE GOAL WAS TO CONVEY A FACADE ELEMENT THAT CAN ALSO BE EXPRESSIVE RATHER THAN BEING A SIMPLY FUNCTIONAL APPLICATION TO MANAGE DAYLIGHT.
SUCH FACADE ELEMENT CAN BE USED AS PART OF A STRATEGY FOR ADVANCED CURTAIN WALL OF A CULTURAL OR OFFICE BUILDING. THE NEXT STEP IN THE RESEARCH WOULD BE TO MINIMIZE AMOUNT OF MECHANICAL PARTS AND MOTORS, IDEALLY BY UTILIZING SPRINGS AND LINEAR ACTUATORS LOCATED IN SPECIFIC POINTS ALONG THE ELEMENTS’ ARRAY .

RESEARCH PROJECT

CURRENT WIND TURBINE APPLICATIONS IN BUILDINGS ARE USUALLY ABLE TO UTILIZE WIND THAT BLOWS ONLY IN ONE DIRECTION. THE ABSTRACT BEHIND THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE A METHOD BY WHICH THE CHAOTIC, MULTI-DIRECTIONAL WIND OCCURING IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS CAN BE EFFECTIVELY MANIPULATED. GIVEN THAT AIR IS A FLUID, AS ANY FLUID IT WOULD STICK TO AND FOLLOW A SURFACE TO WHICH IT IS APPLIED \ DIRECTED. TO WHICH THE BEST EXAMPLE IS “COANDA EFFECT” IN AERODYNAMICS. THEREFORE, THE SHAPE OF A BUILDING CAN BE CONFIGURED TO MANIPULATE THE FLOW. THE TOP OF TOWER IS AN ENERGY SPIRE, A WINDFARM, AND IS SHAPED ACCORDINGLY - AS A SCREW, ONTO THE SPIRAL THREAD OF WHICH THE WIND MASS IS BLOWING AND THEN TRAVELS UP AND DOWN, FOLLOWING THE SURFACE AND GETTING DRAWN INTO THE CHANNELS WITH WIND TURBINES, SPINNING AS MANY OF THEM AS POSSIBLE REGARDLESS OF THE PREVAILING WIND DIRECTION OR UNIFORMITY OF THE FLOW.

AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN, 2015

WHEN IN THE NEAR FUTURE FREIGHT VEHICLES BECOME UNMANNED, A CABIN IS NO LONGER NEEDED SO TRUCKS WILL BE AT LEAST TWICE AS LOWER IN PROFILE AND WEIGHING LESS, REDUCING DRAG TO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE ON FUEL CONSUMPTION. DUE TO LONG DISTANCES THAT FREIGHT TRUCKS NEED TO COVER TIMELY FOR ECONOMICAL VIABILITY, ELECTRIC POWER TRAIN IS NOT YET EXPLORED IN THE DESIGN SINCE IT ENTAILS THE NECESSITY OF MAKING STOPS TO RECHARGE. THE IDEA WAS TO TRY TO AVOID "DESIGNING", AND RATHER ENGINEER THE OUTER MOLD LINE (THE BODY) BASED OFF OF STRICTLY FUNCTIONAL CONSIDERATIONS - SUCH AS THE LARGE COOLING INTAKES ON THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, DISK COVERS ON THE FRONT WHEELS TO REDUCE PARASITE DRAG AND STREAMLINE THE FLOW AROUND THEM, AND COVERED SIDES.

SPACE X HYPERLOOP POD COMPETITION 2015, SEMI-FINALIST IN DESIGN ONLY CATEGORY

CU GSAPP, 2012

THE PROJECT WAS CONCEIVED AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION FOR LIBERATION OF HONG KONG HARBOUR WHICH IS CURRENTLY OVERWHELMED WITH PORT TRAFFIC, FREIGHT SHIPS, BUT MOSTLY BY SMALL PRIVATELY-OWNED PLATFORMS, WHICH ARE ANCHORED AWAY FROM THE SHORE AND STORE SHIPPING CONTAINERS, THUS THREATENING THE ECOLOGY OF THE HARBOUR AND THE CITY. THE DESIGN ATTEMPTS TO FIT A PORT TYPOLOGY INTO A VERTICAL VOLUME: REINFORCED STEEL AND CONCRETE STRUCTURE MAKES UP A HEAVY-DUTY “SHELF” FOR CONTAINERS, WHERE THEY ARE STORED; THEY ARE MOVED THROUGH THE STORAGE BY A HEAVY-DUTY CRANE THAT TRAVELS UP AND DOWN OF ONE OF THE STRUCTURAL PILLARS. 

THE BUILDING IS ALSO DESIGNED IN A WAY THAT IT BECOMES A POWER-PLANT: THE USE OF CFD ANALYSIS HAS LED TO SPLIT TOWERS, PREDICTED AS EFFECTIVE FOR THE DEPLOYMENT OF WIND TURBINES. THE CONCEPT HAD BEEN TESTED AT VARIOUS REYNOLDS NUMBERS. THE PRESENTED DIAGRAMS OF WIND SPEEDS RANGING FROM 1 TO 33 m/s (COLORED REGIONS OF INCREASED/DECREASED FLOW ACCELERATION) DEMONSTRATE THAT FLOW SPEEDS UP DRASTICALLY BY GOING THROUGH THE NARROWING VOID IN-BETWEEN THE TOWERS, INCREASING WIND TURBINES' EFFECTIVENESS. ON TOP OF THE TOWER GREYWATER COLLECTORS ARE ALLOCATED. 

CU GSAPP, 2012

RESEARCH PROJECT

THIS STUDY IS AN EXPLORATION OF ONE OF THE POSSIBLE METHODS FOR THE STREAMLINING OF AIRPORT OPERATIONS. THE MAIN TERMINAL THROUGH AN UNDERGROUND ROBOT TRAIN IS CONNECTED WITH SATELLITE TERMINALS , WHICH  ARE SHAPED TO ALLOW THE AIRPLANES TO APPROACH JET BRIDGES WITH NO TOWING, SIMPLY BY PARKING SIDEWAYS. AN AIRPLANE IS THEN ABLE TO LEAVE THE GATE ON ITS OWN WITH NO TOWING TOO, SAVING TIME SPENT IN TAXIING. THE CLEARANCES OF APPROACH TRAJECTORIES AND WING SPANS HAVE THEREFORE DETERMINED THE PLANNING. THE MAGENTA LINES SHOW THAT EACH PLANE MAY APPROACH AND DISPATCH THE TERMINALS ON ITS OWN. FOR THE PEAK LOADS AND RUSH HOURS, ADDITIONAL JET BRIDGES ARE DEPLOYED ALLOWING FOR MORE CONVENTIONAL CONFIGURATION. AN AUTOMATED DISPATCHING SYSTEM DIRECTS PILOTS AS TO WHICH PATHWAY TO TAKE ON THE WAY BOTH FROM LANDING TO THE GATE AND FROM THE GATE TO THE RUNWAY AND TAKEOFF.

AN EMBODIMENT OF THE BOLD CHICAGO'S SPIRIT, IT IS A TOWER THAT CONTINUES RADICAL DESIGN STATEMENTS OF SEARS AND HANCOCK IN A SLEEK FORM SATURATED WITH MODERN TECHNOLOGY, YET AUSTERE IN ITS VISUAL PRESENCE. IT IS "FORM EQUALS FUNCTION"

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN, 2013

AN OBJECT THAT FIGHTS GRAVITY AS THE VEHICLE IT IS NAMED AFTER. THE LAMP'S SHADES AND ELECTRIC BLOCK ARE SUSPENDED ON STEEL CABLES, WHICH ARRANGED IN A WAY OF CANCELLING EACH OTHER'S FORCES, REACHING STEADY EQUILIBRIUM AND ALLOWING THE LAMP TO LEVITATE ABOVE ITS BASE.

An Overall view of the tower

CU GSAPP, 2013

OBERON LAMP IS INSPIRED BY URANUS’ SYNCHRONOUS SATELLITE, OBERON, WHICH IS TIDALLY LOCKED, WITH ONE SIDE ALWAYS POINTED TOWARD THE PLANET.
THE ROUGH SURFACE OF THE SHADE MADE OUT OF CONCRETE REFLECTS THE LIGHT AND CONTRASTS WITH A “CHEMICAL” PURITY OF ALUMINUM. THE THICKNESS OF THE SHADE IS ONLY 4 mm, WHICH HAS BEEN ACHIEVED WITH METICULOUS MODELLING OF MOLDS FOR CASTING AND DOUBLED CURVATURE OF THE FORM. THE SHADE IS SUSPENDED ON STEEL CABLES, WHICH ARE TIGHTENED BY GUITAR PEGS MOUNTED IN THE BASE. THE IDEA REQUIRED A LOT OF INSIGHTS TO GET IMPLEMENTED. THE 3D-MODEL WAS DIVIDED INTO FEW COMPONENTS - THE STAND, THE BASE, THE SHADE AND THE ELECTRIC PIECE. THE SHADE WAS POURED OUT OF CONCRETE, THE MOLDS WERE CUT OUT BY CNC MILL AND PREPARED WITH SILICON. THE STAND HAS ALSO BEEN CUT OUT ON ALUMINUM MILL, AND AEROSPACE COUNTERSUNK BOLTS WERE CHOSEN TO HOLD THE ASSEMBLY TOGETHER.

RESEARCH 2015

OPTIMIZATION TECHNIQUES APPLIED IN AEROSPACE ENGINEERING CAN BE OF A GREAT USE FOR ARCHITECTURE. TO DESIGN AN AIRPLANE, MULTIPLE PARAMETERS HAVE TO BE ANALYZED AND SET UP PRIOR TO THE PROCESS. SOME OF THOSE ARE VARIOUS COEFFICIENTS, SUCH AS WING AREA, WING LOADING, MEAN AERODYNAMIC CHORD, WEIGHT, ENGINE THRUST, LIFT PROFILE, AIRFOIL PROFILE, ANGLE OF INCIDENCE AND MANY OTHERS. ONE CANNOT BE FOUND AND RESOLVED WITHOUT IMMEDIATELY AFFECTING ANOTHER.  THEREFORE, AEROSPACE ENGINEERS PIONEERED MULTI-OBJECTIVE OPTIMIZATION, A DESIGN TECHNIQUE WHEN A PARAMETRIC RIG IS CREATED, WITH ABILITY TO AUTOMATICALLY OUTPUT EACH OF THOSE CRITERIA FOR INVESTIGATION. A SPECIAL SOFTWARE IS THEN HANDLING THE TEST IN WHICH AN OPTIMAL CONFIGURATION IS FOUND. ONLY ONE OUT OF MANY ITERATIONS WILL MEET REQUIREMENTS SUCH AS, FOR EXAMPLE, A LIFT CAPACITY IN RELATION TO THE ENGINE'S THRUST, WHICH AT THE SAME TIME IS THE RESULT OF MANIPULATION WITH WING AREA.

TOP-30 FINALIST AWARD
TEAM IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: NASA3DP-021

THE CONCEPT IS BUILT ON A FIRM BELIEF THAT MARS IS CLOSER THAN WE THINK. IT IS INEVITABLE THAT ONE DAY IT WILL BECOME JUST AS ORDINARY DESTINATION AS OUR OWN EARTH’S CONTINENTS AND CITIES. IN SUCH CASE AN EXPANDABILITY AND A LONG-TERM VISION OF WHAT MARS COLONIZATION MAY REQUIRE FROM A HABITAT BECOMES THE MAIN DRIVING FACTOR FOR DESIGN. FOR AN EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS SUCH AS MARS, A TECHNOLOGY AND CONTRUCTION PROCESS HAVE TO SHAPE THE BUILDING, RATHER THAN ANY OTHER NOTION THAT USUALLY INFORMS AN ARCHITECTURAL IDEA. IN SEARCH FOR A SUITABLE TECHNOLOGY, INITIAL ANALYSIS LED TO AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THE COMMON APPROACH - WHICH IS THE DEPLOYMENT OF MULTIPLE SMALL ROVERS WITH PRINTING HEADS - GETS TO THE POINT OF EXTREME COMPLEXITY IN ORGANIZING THEIR ORIENTATION AND POSITIONING IN PHYSICAL SPACE IN RELATION TO A MASTER 3D MODEL WHICH IS VIRTUAL, THAT WOULD REQUIRE AN ARRAY OF CAMERAS OR OTHER COMPLEX SENSORS’; ALSO THEIR INABILITY TO MOVE LARGE MASSES OF SOIL IS THE FACTOR THAT IS PUTTING THEM OUT OF FAVOR. THE SAME IS ABOUT CARTESIAN AND DELTA 3D PRINTING METHODS, WHICH REQUIRE EXTENSIVE AND PRECISELY CONTROLLED CALIBRATION. 

SO THE DECISION WAS TO DESIGN A SYSTEM THAT WOULD EASILY POSITION ITSELF ALMOST IN AN ANALOG WAY, WITH LITTLE HELP OF AN ACTUAL 3D MODEL THAT HAS TO BE TRANSLATED INTO A PHYSICAL SPACE TO DIRECT A ROBOT.

THE NUCLEAR POWERED (MINI REACTOR) CRAWLING EXTRUDER, ONCE DEPLOYED, IS “TETHERED” BY A LASER BEAM TO THE ANCHOR POINT IN THE SENSOR HEAD OF THE “SHEPHERD BOT”, WHICH IS LOCKED ON ITS SPOT. ONCE COPIED ITS POSITION, THE MACHINE STARTS TO CRAWL AND EXCAVATE THE SOIL FROM BENEATH OF ITSELF, GRINDS AND MIXES IT WITH A BONDING AGENT AND SLOWLY EXTRUDES INTO PRE-DETERMINED, CONSTANT DOMED PROFILE OF THE STRUCTURE, WHICH IS OPTIMIZED FOR RADIATION PROTECTION, DIRECT SUNLIGHT BLOCKAGE, AS WELL AS BECOMES A NATURAL SOLUTION FOR THERMAL BALANCE OF THE SEALED HABITABLE SPACE BELOW. IN THE SPECIAL CHAMBER, THE EXTRUSION IS THEN BOMBARDED BY HIGH PRESSURE HIGH TEMPERATURE CO2 FLUE THAT GLASSIFIES SURFACE LAYERS FOR STIFFNESS. WITH THIS THE MACHINE CRAWLS AND BUILDS THE SUBMERGED STRUCTURE BEHIND; THEN SHEPHERD BOT COMMANDS IT TO TURN, AND TRAJECTORY FORMS A SPIRAL - A GEOMETRIC DEFINITION OF AN INFINITE GROWTH.

ARCHITECTURALLY SPEAKING, IT BECOMES A FETUS OF AN INTELLIGENT LIFE ON A DISTANT, DEAD PLANET. THE SPIRAL FORM IS AN OUTCOME OF A BUILDING METHOD, OF A DRY TECHNOLOGY, THAT SURPRISINGLY COINCIDED WITH THE LAWS OF HARMONY WHICH MAY BE FOUND IN VARIOUS FORMS OF NATURE RANGING FROM MICRO TO MACRO LEVEL, SUCH AS OF A DNA CHAIN OR A SEA SHELL. THE HUGE BASEMENT, AS A RESULT OF EXCAVATION, BECOMES A UNIFYING, COVERED SPACE, WHERE ALL FUNCTIONS ARE ALLOCATED. SERVICE CORRIDORS ARE THE MEAN OF A RAPID CONNECTION BETWEEN THE DISTANT SECTORS OF THE BUILDING. VAULTS ARE COVERING SPACE, SERVING AS A PROTECTION AGAINST RADIATION, AND ALSO GIVING A SENSE OF A PSYCHOLOGICAL COMFORT AND AIRINESS, RELIEVING THE MENTAL PRESSURE OF INHABITANTS AS OPPOSE TO FLAT CEILINGS. AT THE CHORD OF THE VAULTS ARE PREFABRICATED DEW COLLECTORS, AIR RECUPERATION UNITS THAT EMPLOY ALGAE-FILLED POLYURETHANE PACKETS AS A FILTER, AS WELL AS PHOTOVOLTAIC ARRAYS. THE SHAPE OF THE CHORD’S LIGHT SCOOPS IS DESIGNED IN A WAY TO BLOCK THE DIRECT HARMFUL MARTIAN SUNLIGHT, BUT RATHER TO REFLECT IT DOWN THE SPACE. THESE CHORD MODULES ARE PREFABRICATED AND DELIVERED FROM EARTH. 

THE HABITAT CAN GROW BASED ON INCREASING DEMANDS, WITH KEEPING AN OLD AND PLANNED FACILITIES UNDER ONE ROOF, ALLOWING FOR REUSABILITY OF SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE WITHOUT THE NEED TO BUILD IT FROM SCRATCH EVERY SINGLE TIME IN CASE OF SCATTERED SETTLEMENT. FOR INCREASING DEMANDS OF INTERPLANETARY SPECIE WHICH HUMANS HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO BECOME, THE TECHNOLOGY IS BEING DEVELOPED UNTIL THE FIRST SETTLEMENT IN A SIZE OF A CITY IS BUILT ON MARS.

RUSTEM BAISHEV (GENERAL & ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPT / DESIGN, MACHINES’ & SYSTEMS’ ENGINEERING CONCEPT / DESIGN, MODELING, VISUAL PROGRAMMING / RENDERING PRODUCTION)

SPECIAL THANKS TO FRIENDS FOR ASSISTANCE:

ANTHONY VIOLA (CRAWLING EXTRUDER)
KIRILL KOZLOV (INTERIORS’ RENDERINGS)
TIMOTHY WINSTANLEY (VISUAL PROGRAMMING) 
DAN WILLIAMS, MIKE LITTRELL, CIDEAS INC. (PHYSICAL MODEL)

CU GSAPP, 2012

TRANSPORTATION DESIGN

INSPIRED BY THE FAMOUS HORSE OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT, THE DESIGN COMBINES AUSTERE APPEARANCE WITH INNOVATIVE STEERING MECHANISM, THAT ALLOWS FOR LOW BODY PROFILE AND LOW H-POINT TO REACH BETTER AERODYNAMICS AND PERFORMANCE.

MOSCOW INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURE, THESIS PROJECT 2011

CU GSAPP 2012

SPACE X HYPERLOOP POD COMPETITION 2015, SEMI-FINALIST IN DESIGN ONLY CATEGORY

SPACE X HYPERLOOP POD COMPETITION 2015, SEMI-FINALIST IN DESIGN ONLY CATEGORY

THE TUBE

THE VERTICAL STACKING OF TUBES IS CHOSEN AS A MORE RIGID STRUCTURAL SCHEME AND ALSO TO PROVIDE A CONTINUOUS INTERMEDIATE SERVICE SPACE IN BETWEEN THE TUBES AND BEAMS, FOR MOTORS’ AND OTHER SYSTEMS’ LOCATION AND MAINTENANCE. IT IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT PART OF AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION STRATEGY. EVACUATION HATCHES ARE SPACED EQUALLY EVERY (TBD) METERS. WHEN EMERGENCY STOP OF THE POD OCCURS, PASSENGERS LEAVE THE POD AND LADDER DOWN INTO THE SERVICE SPACE FROM WHICH THEY CAN GET TO THE GROUND BY THE LADDERS OR STAIRS LOCATED IN SELECT PYLONS, THAT ARE SPACED WITHIN TO-BE-CALCULATED EASILY WALKABLE RANGE. 

THE WINDOWS

THE GOAL FOR HAVING THE WINDOW OPENINGS IN THE TUBE IS NOT ONLY TO RELIEVE CLAUSTROPHOBIA IN THE POD’S PASSENGERS, BUT ALSO TO ALLOW FOR A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE OF REALLY FAST TRAVEL SPEEDS, WHICH IS BETTER SENSED IN RELATION TO A LANDSCAPE AND ITS OBJECTS. IT IS A KIND OF A SPECTACLE IN ITSELF THAT PERHAPS WOULD ATTRACT MANY MORE PEOPLE TO USE HYPERLOOP. IT IS ALSO A HELP FOR AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. PROVIDING ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING FOR AN ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE TUBE IS EXPENSIVE, AND EVEN A SMALL SOURCE OF DAYLIGHT CAN HELP. THE WINDOWS ARE BEING SEALED BY TRIPLE LAYERED ETFE PATCHES WHICH ARE ADHERED TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE TUBE. EQUALLY SPACED ON EVERY FRAGMENT OF THE TUBE, SPACING IS DIFFERENTIATED BASED OFF OF CRUISING SPEED - THE CALCULATION IS QUITE SIMPLE:  FOR EACH FRAGMENT OF THE TUBE THE DISTANCE TRAVELED IN ONE SECOND IS DETERMINED, THEN THIS DISTANCE IS DIVIDED BY 25 - THE AMOUNT OF FRAMES (FPS) FOR A HUMAN’S EYE TO PERCEIVE A STEADY IMAGE - RESULTING NUMBER IS THE REQUIRED DISTANCE BETWEEN THE WINDOWS . FOR THE HIGHEST CRUISING SPEED OF 333 M/S (AND ALSO SHOWN ON THE RENDERING), THE SPACING IS 12M.

PHOTOVOLTAIC ARRAYS

PV ARRAYS FOR THE TUBE IS A FLEXIBLE SHEETING WITH PV CELLS. IT IS A SOLUTION THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR AN EASY INSTALLATION TO FOLLOW THE CURVATURE OF THE TUBE, MOUNTED BY SELF-ADHESIVES PATCHES ON THE BACK OF THE SHEET. PV’S POSITION AND SURFACE AREA IS DETERMINED BY THE SUN’S ANGLE FOR ORIENTATION OF THE EACH FRAGMENT OF THE TUBE.

THE CASTELLATED BEAM

THE INTRODUCTION OF A CASTELLATED BEAM WOULD INCREASE THE SPAN AND PYLONS’ SPACING. BEING MOUNTED SIDEWAYS ON THE PYLON’S FRAME, IT SUPPORTS THE GRAVITATIONAL LOAD OF THE UPPER TUBE; THE LOWER TUBE IS HANGING FROM IT.
IT ALSO BECOMES A “RECEIVER” FOR ALL ADVERSE FORCES
SUCH AS SEISMIC AND OTHERS, WHICH WOULD BE ALLEVIATED BY DAMPENING JOINTS TO KEEP THE TUBE ITSELF OFF OF DESTABILIZING VIBRATIONS.

THE PYLONS

SPACED EVERY 50M, HOLLOW PREFABRICATED CAST CONCRETE WITH PREFABRICATED STEEL INSERTS TO PICK UP THE CASTELLATED BEAMS. STEEL POSTS CLADDED WITH METAL AS AN OPTION.

THE CLADDING

SIMPLE THIN SHEET METAL CLADDING MAY BE PROVIDED TO PROTECT THE TUBE AND MOTORS FROM ATHMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS.

EXPANDABILITY

THE SIDEWAYS MOUNTING OF THE BEAM THAT RESTS ON THE STEEL INSERTS ALLOWS FOR ADDING TUBES IN THE FUTURE IN CASE AN INFRASTRUCTURE DEMAND IS GROWING.

SPACE X HYPERLOOP POD COMPETITION 2015, SEMI-FINALIST IN DESIGN ONLY CATEGORY

AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO A FLAT NOSE SURFACE WITH AN INLET FAN THAT WAS DESCRIBED IN HYPERLOOP ALPHA, THE IDEA WAS TO DESIGN A COWL THAT WOULD BALANCE OFF THE AESTHETICS WITH LESSER FRONTAL AREA TO MINIMIZE DRAG, AND ALSO INSTEAD OF A CONVENTIONAL TURBINE, AN ORIGINAL MULTI-FLOW IMPELLER IS EMPLOYED, THE COMPRESSOR OF WHICH OCCUPIES LESS SPACE IN THE POD DUE TO ITS SPIRAL DUCT. THE IMPELLER’S BLADES WERE DESIGNED TO BE BULGING OUT FROM THE DESIGN SURFACE IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE BOUNDARY LAYER’S SUCTION. THAT MEANS THAT THE POD’S BODY BEHIND THE IMPELLER TRAVELS WITH MINIMAL SURFACE DRAG.

THE MAIN FLOW AND THE BOUNDARY FLOW ARE BEING SUCTIONED IN AND FURTHER PUSHED INSIDE OF THE SPIRAL COMPRESSOR (TURBO LIKE PRINCIPLE). THE RESIDUAL FLOW IS EVACUATED THROUGH THE NARROWING CHANNELS THAT MAY BE REFERRED TO AS “AIR GILLS” (OR BLEEDS), IN WHICH THE FLOW SPEEDS UP DRASTICALLY AND EXHAUSTS PARTIALLY TOWARDS THE WALLS OF THE TUBE AND PUSHES AGAINST THEM TO ALLOW FOR BETTER LATERAL STABILITY IN THE TUBE. THIS EFFECT ALTHOUGH IS A CONCEPTUAL AERODYNAMIC ASSUMPTION THAT HAS TO BE CALCULATED IN ORDER TO AVOID PRODUCING AN EXCESSIVE DRAG AND FLOW DISTURBANCES WHERE TWO FLOWS RECONNECT. 

CU GSAPP 2012

AN ASSIGNMENT AT THE DIGITAL CRAFT COURSE AT COLUMBIA, CASE STUDIES OF BUILDINGS BY RENOWNED ARCHITECTS WERE MEANT TO REINFORCE STUDENTS' SKILLS IN MODELING, RENDERING, AND ANIMATION. 
PALAU DES LES ARTS BY SANTIAGO CALATRAVA SEEMED TO BE ONE OF THE MOST COMPLEX GEOMETRIES EVER CONCEIVED, THUS I HAD NO DOUBT BUT TO CHOOSE THIS BUILDING FOR IN-DEPTH STUDY. IT WAS ALSO A GREAT SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE ON THEATRE TECHNOLOGY AND TYPOLOGY.

RESEARCH PROJECT

EXPLORATION OF OPENINGS' CONFIGURATIONS TO RELIEVE EXCSSSIVE WIND PRESSURE IN TALL BUILDINGS

SPACE X HYPERLOOP POD COMPETITION 2015, SEMI-FINALIST ENTRY IN DESIGN ONLY CATEGORY

CU GSAPP 2012

CU GSAPP 2012

RESEARCH PROJECT

CU GSAPP 2012

2018

2011

NAVAL ARCHITECTURE, 2013

IN THIS PROJECT AESTHETICS WAS THE MAIN ASPIRATION. THE GOAL WAS TO ACHIEVE A SLEEK, SHARP SILHOUETTE WITH NO SIGNS OF HUMAN PRESENCE SUCH AS PORTHOLES OR OTHER APERTURES AND OBJECTS COMMONLY SEEN ON A BOAT'S DECK. ALL MECHANISMS ARE MADE RETRACTABLE, AND BEADS ARE RATHER TALL, HIDING THE DECK BEHIND. ALL FACILITIES - AS WELL AS LEISURE FUNCTIONS -ARE DESIGNED TO BE LOCATED BELOW THE DECK LEVEL, AND LIT THROUGH SKYLIGHTS. THE KEEL OF THE BOAT IS NOT ONLY AESTHETICALLY DISTINCTIVE, BUT ALSO OPTIMAL FROM HYDRODYNAMICS' STANDPOINT.

LOGISTICS DIAGRAM

THESIS PROJECT, MOSCOW INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURE, 2011