Adaptive Multiscalar Design Approach for Urban Dust Storms

Abstract

In the context of the 21st century, which identifies anthropocentrism as a dominant reason for environmental impacts, a consensus is emerging for thinking critically about adaptation and developing necessary actions in response to emerging socio-ecological realities. Continuous processes of urbanization are constantly impacting natural environments, which are deeply interrelated with the aggravation of cumulative environmental, economic, and social problems. This combination results in a profound ecosystem crisis, including climate change, at the epicenter of which are cities and, inevitably, architecture. The natural and urban environments are undergoing a systemic change driven primarily by the evolving processes in culture, science, industry, and commerce. As a result, the architecture discipline seeks to overcome its own preconceptions and adapt to these enhanced understandings of ecological relationships. Therefore, this research focuses on developing a design solution in response to air pollution in arid regions, specifically in Nogales, Mexico. Air pollution is a macro-scale problem that is caused mainly by human activities. If designers integrate human agency with architectural design strategies, we might begin to adapt positively to climate crises like air pollution while increasing our awareness about the impacts of human activities. This research proposes a wearable weather station on a scale of a human body equipped with climate sensors. The wearable weather station or human dust shelter will act like an urban element accessible to people when they face harmful air quality. The design process mainly focuses on environmental data like air movement pattern, the impact of sun and radiation on different surfaces, Sand and Dust Storm (SDS) behavior. The Plant and the adaptation systems in nature also play prominent role as a source of inspiration for learning the morphology and adaptation strategies. The evaluation of these natural systems for commonalities and differences through methodical and rigorous comparison of their flows and compositions reveals that adaptive systems have a strong relationship with context. Similar systems in varying contexts have different performance characteristics and different ways of responding because of the complex set of parameters within the context of evolutionary design. These adaptative systems in nature respond to a complex challenge, showing inherent traits that allow for adaptation to climate change, indicating that both material selection and design strategies need to be based on the specific ecological realities of a given context.