BIDLISIW (Rays of the Sun) - A Biophilic and Biomimetic Community Housing of the Future.

Project idea

Urban densification in the modern era has traditionally looked like countless high-rise buildings packed into a small geographical space. This is the classic image of urbanization in most cities here in Asia. This building system isolates people from their environment and reduces the chance of encounters with others.

The design proposes to achieve a structure that breathes and cools itself by tapping into passive design solutions. An idea by Architect Mick Pearce, who successfully integrated the termite mound’s cooling system on the largest office and retail building in Zimbabwe, reducing thirty-five percent (35%) less energy consumption from other similar structures. With this, sustainability can be achieved if we take a closer look at our environment and create inspiration for it.

Project description

BIDLISIW is a community housing in an urban setting inspired by the contour lines of the terrain of Chocolate Hills in the Province of Bohol. These lines were translated into a building taking the different shapes of the hills. The objective is to create new strategies and ideas for building future urban housing that unites humans and nature living together. In this design, floors are connected by ramps that will be accessible using micro-mobility transportation. Accessing the floor levels of the building gives a sense of hiking a hill while interacting with its environment. Spacious pathways will also provide an avenue for recreational activities to promote wellness. Most houses in urban cities in different parts of the world lack an appropriate meeting place. Studies found that people living in high rises suffer from more significant mental health problems and fewer positive social interactions. One of its goals is to create a space for the community to meet, interact, and socialize. These meeting points at all levels in the structure will lead to promoting involvement with nature and revitalization of humanity’s social scene.

Technical information

Integrating biomimicry from the termite mound’s cooling system, this building will use thermal mass to store the heat during the day and releases it at night. The structure uses the windows from each house or unit that will serve as air passageways. It will allow the building to breathe. During the night, the cool air from the outside cools down the inside of the structure. During the daytime, the solar-paneled windows will create a closed convection cycle sending the hot air up and out of the building, constantly cooling the interiors of the building. This will also increase the safety of the users when it comes to healthcare. It will reduce the spread of bacteria and the accumulation of pollutants indoors.
The design consideration of this concept is the safety of the users, their social interactions with one another, users' circulation throughout the space, universal design that caters to everyone, sustainability, and the users' connections to its environment.
The colors of the coatings used in this structure are carefully considered to induce a safe and inviting atmosphere throughout the building. Light travels in waves, and each color has different wavelengths that affect our behaviors and how we see our surroundings. Thus, an overall neutral color scheme for the design will be utilized. The colors used in this project will bring style and life through the wood finishes that we will be using.

Documentation

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