TEDGlobal 2009
Rachel Armstrong: Architecture that repairs itself?
蕾秋．阿姆斯壯:能夠自我修復的建築物
Filmed:
Readability: 4.7
1,344,794 views
蕾秋表示,為了拯救世界上正在下沉的城市,如威尼斯,我們需要在建材中使用惰性材料,使建築物具備自我修復的能力.另外,蕾秋介紹了一種能夠自我修復,並防止氧化的材料,而這種材料,是不具生命的
Rachel Armstrong - Applied scientist, innovator
TED Fellow Rachel Armstrong is a sustainability innovator who creates new materials that possess some of the properties of living systems, and can be manipulated to "grow" architecture. Full bio
TED Fellow Rachel Armstrong is a sustainability innovator who creates new materials that possess some of the properties of living systems, and can be manipulated to "grow" architecture. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:15
All buildings today have something in common.
0
0
4000
今天世界上的建築都有些相同之處
00:19
They're made using Victorian technologies.
1
4000
3000
他們都運用了維多莉亞時期所發展的技術
00:22
This involves blueprints,
2
7000
3000
像是藍圖的繪製
00:25
industrial manufacturing
3
10000
2000
使用工業製造出的建材
00:27
and construction using teams of workers.
4
12000
3000
以及許多的建築工人
00:30
All of this effort results in an inert object.
5
15000
3000
結果創造出來的卻是一個毫無"生氣"的物體
00:33
And that means that there is a one-way transfer of energy
6
18000
3000
這是一種單向的能源轉換
00:36
from our environment into our homes and cities.
7
21000
4000
把能源從大自然傳到我們的城市和家裡
00:40
This is not sustainable.
8
25000
2000
這一點也不符合永續發展的觀念
00:42
I believe that the only way that it is possible for us
9
27000
3000
我相信唯一的解決方法
00:45
to construct genuinely sustainable homes and cities
10
30000
3000
是把建築與自然環境結合
00:48
is by connecting them to nature,
11
33000
2000
建造出能永續使用的家和城市
00:50
not insulating them from it.
12
35000
3000
而不是把它們區隔開來
00:53
Now, in order to do this, we need the right kind of language.
13
38000
4000
因此,我們需要的是一種正確的"語言"
00:57
Living systems are in constant conversation
14
42000
2000
長久以來,生態系統和自然界
00:59
with the natural world,
15
44000
2000
不斷地透過新陳代謝
01:01
through sets of chemical reactions called metabolism.
16
46000
4000
來進行對話
01:05
And this is the conversion of one group of substances
17
50000
3000
也就是,一種物質轉換成另一種物質
01:08
into another, either through
18
53000
2000
或是
01:10
the production or the absorption of energy.
19
55000
3000
物質經過能量的吸收與作用而變成另一種物質
01:13
And this is the way in which living materials
20
58000
2000
這就是生命體如何以一個永續的方式
01:15
make the most of their local resources
21
60000
3000
來運用
01:18
in a sustainable way.
22
63000
3000
所需的資源
01:21
So, I'm interested in the use of
23
66000
2000
所以,我對於把能重複代謝的物質
01:23
metabolic materials for the practice of architecture.
24
68000
5000
運用到建築科技上非常有興趣
01:28
But they don't exist. So I'm having to make them.
25
73000
2000
但這種物質目前並不存在,所以,我打算創造它
01:30
I'm working with architect Neil Spiller
26
75000
2000
我和英國巴特列特建築學院的建築師
01:32
at the Bartlett School of Architecture,
27
77000
2000
史畢樂先生
01:34
and we're collaborating with international scientists
28
79000
2000
還有其他科學家合作
01:36
in order to generate these new materials
29
81000
2000
從零開始
01:38
from a bottom up approach.
30
83000
2000
研發這種新的材料
01:40
That means we're generating them from scratch.
31
85000
2000
也就是說,我們將是研發這類材料的先驅
01:42
One of our collaborators is chemist Martin Hanczyc,
32
87000
4000
化學家Martin Hanczyc也是我們團隊中的一員
01:46
and he's really interested in the transition from
33
91000
3000
他對於這種物質轉換的研究
01:49
inert to living matter.
34
94000
2000
非常有興趣
01:51
Now, that's exactly the kind of process that I'm interested in,
35
96000
3000
談到要研發永續材料
01:54
when we're thinking about sustainable materials.
36
99000
2000
是我非常樂見的
01:56
So, Martin, he works with a system called the protocell.
37
101000
5000
所以,Martin採用了一種名為"原生細胞"的系統
02:01
Now all this is -- and it's magic --
38
106000
3000
這彷彿就像魔術一樣-
02:04
is a little fatty bag. And it's got a chemical battery in it.
39
109000
3000
在這個圓圓胖胖的袋狀物裡,裝著一個化學電池
02:07
And it has no DNA.
40
112000
3000
它並不具有DNA
02:10
This little bag is able to conduct itself
41
115000
2000
這個小小的袋狀物能夠自行運作
02:12
in a way that can only be described as living.
42
117000
3000
就像是有生命一樣
02:15
It is able to move around its environment.
43
120000
3000
它能夠自己在環境中移動
02:18
It can follow chemical gradients.
44
123000
2000
或是跟隨化學梯度移動
02:20
It can undergo complex reactions,
45
125000
3000
它也能通過複雜的化學反應
02:23
some of which are happily architectural.
46
128000
4000
它們對於建築非常有幫助
02:27
So here we are. These are protocells,
47
132000
2000
這些原生細胞
02:29
patterning their environment.
48
134000
2000
能夠仿造他們所在的環境
02:31
We don't know how they do that yet.
49
136000
3000
我們目前還無法得知他們是如何做到的
02:34
Here, this is a protocell, and it's vigorously shedding this skin.
50
139000
4000
這個原生細胞,它正在脫離他的表皮
02:38
Now, this looks like a chemical kind of birth.
51
143000
2000
有點像小孩出生一樣
02:40
This is a violent process.
52
145000
3000
是一個非常激烈的程序
02:43
Here, we've got a protocell to extract carbon dioxide
53
148000
3000
這邊是一個能夠從大氣中把二氧化碳抽離出來的
02:46
out of the atmosphere
54
151000
2000
原生細胞
02:48
and turn it into carbonate.
55
153000
2000
之後,二氧化炭將會被轉換成碳酸鹽
02:50
And that's the shell around that globular fat.
56
155000
2000
而這些就是球狀物邊緣的硬殼
02:52
They are quite brittle. So you've only got a part of one there.
57
157000
3000
他們非常的脆,所以我們能夠弄到的並不多
02:55
So what we're trying to do is, we're trying to push these technologies
58
160000
3000
現在我們研究的,就是對這項科技
02:58
towards creating bottom-up construction approaches
59
163000
2000
發展出由下到上的建築技術
03:00
for architecture,
60
165000
2000
並且應用在建築上
03:02
which contrast the current, Victorian, top-down methods
61
167000
3000
這跟目前採用這種維多莉亞式由上而下
03:05
which impose structure upon matter.
62
170000
3000
加強結構的方法並不一樣
03:08
That can't be energetically sensible.
63
173000
3000
因為這並不符合永續的概念
03:11
So, bottom-up materials
64
176000
2000
所以,由下到上的材料
03:13
actually exist today.
65
178000
2000
確實存在
03:15
They've been in use, in architecture, since ancient times.
66
180000
3000
這種材料早在古代就已被使用在建築上過
03:18
If you walk around the city of Oxford, where we are today,
67
183000
3000
在英國的牛津
03:21
and have a look at the brickwork,
68
186000
2000
他們牆上使用的磚
03:23
which I've enjoyed doing in the last couple of days,
69
188000
2000
和我最近做的事不謀而合
03:25
you'll actually see that a lot of it is made of limestone.
70
190000
2000
你可以看見他們大量使用了石灰岩
03:27
And if you look even closer,
71
192000
2000
再靠近一點看
03:29
you'll see, in that limestone, there are little shells
72
194000
2000
你可以看見石灰岩中的殼
03:31
and little skeletons that are piled upon each other.
73
196000
3000
還有一些殘骸堆積在裡面
03:34
And then they are fossilized over millions of years.
74
199000
3000
隨著時間,它們現在都已成了化石
03:37
Now a block of limestone, in itself,
75
202000
2000
這些石灰岩本身
03:39
isn't particularly that interesting.
76
204000
3000
並不是甚麼特別有趣的東西
03:42
It looks beautiful.
77
207000
2000
雖然它看起來美極了
03:44
But imagine what the properties of this limestone block might be
78
209000
4000
但想想這些石灰岩磚的特性
03:48
if the surfaces were actually
79
213000
2000
如果它們的表面
03:50
in conversation with the atmosphere.
80
215000
3000
和空氣有接觸的話
03:53
Maybe they could extract carbon dioxide.
81
218000
3000
他們或許就能吸收二氧化碳
03:56
Would it give this block of limestone new properties?
82
221000
3000
這些沉積物能賦予石灰岩新的價值嗎?
03:59
Well, most likely it would. It might be able to grow.
83
224000
3000
非常有可能.它能夠生長
04:02
It might be able to self-repair, and even respond
84
227000
2000
自我修復或是對周圍環境的
04:04
to dramatic changes
85
229000
2000
立即變化
04:06
in the immediate environment.
86
231000
2000
能夠有反應
04:08
So, architects are never happy
87
233000
3000
但建築師對這些一塊塊的東西
04:11
with just one block of an interesting material.
88
236000
3000
當然還不滿足
04:14
They think big. Okay?
89
239000
2000
他們想要的還不只是如此
04:16
So when we think about scaling up metabolic materials,
90
241000
3000
提到增加能夠代謝的材料時
04:19
we can start thinking about ecological interventions
91
244000
2000
我們先考慮生態干預
04:21
like repair of atolls,
92
246000
2000
像是修復珊瑚礁
04:23
or reclamation of parts of a city
93
248000
3000
和城市中曾經
04:26
that are damaged by water.
94
251000
2000
遭受水災的地方
04:28
So, one of these examples
95
253000
2000
這些例子
04:30
would of course be the historic city of Venice.
96
255000
3000
就跟威尼斯一樣
04:33
Now, Venice, as you know, has a tempestuous relationship with the sea,
97
258000
4000
和海有著密不可分的關係
04:37
and is built upon wooden piles.
98
262000
2000
而且威尼斯整個城市是建築在木頭上的
04:39
So we've devised a way by which it may be possible
99
264000
3000
所以我們想出了一個計畫
04:42
for the protocell technology that we're working with
100
267000
2000
就是使用原生細胞的科技
04:44
to sustainably reclaim Venice.
101
269000
3000
來修復威尼斯
04:47
And architect Christian Kerrigan
102
272000
2000
而建築師Christian Kerrigan
04:49
has come up with a series of designs that show us
103
274000
2000
已經有了一連串的設計
04:51
how it may be possible to actually grow a limestone reef
104
276000
3000
來告訴我們要如何在威尼斯底下
04:54
underneath the city.
105
279000
2000
種植石灰岩礁
04:56
So, here is the technology we have today.
106
281000
3000
這就是我們現今所擁有的
04:59
This is our protocell technology,
107
284000
2000
原生細胞科技
05:01
effectively making a shell, like its limestone forefathers,
108
286000
4000
有效率地生產石灰岩上的那些沉積物外殼
05:05
and depositing it in a very complex environment,
109
290000
3000
並把它們放置在複雜的環境中
05:08
against natural materials.
110
293000
2000
對抗自然的素材
05:10
We're looking at crystal lattices to see the bonding process in this.
111
295000
3000
我們現在看的是水晶晶格的結合過程
05:13
Now, this is the very interesting part.
112
298000
2000
這是一個非常有趣的部分
05:15
We don't just want limestone dumped everywhere in all the pretty canals.
113
300000
3000
我們不要只是把石灰岩丟在威尼斯美麗的運河裡
05:18
What we need it to do is to be
114
303000
2000
我們要做的是
05:20
creatively crafted around the wooden piles.
115
305000
4000
讓它們圍繞著水底下的木頭
05:24
So, you can see from these diagrams that the protocell is actually
116
309000
2000
你可以從這些圖中看見原生細胞正在
05:26
moving away from the light,
117
311000
2000
遠離光源
05:28
toward the dark foundations.
118
313000
2000
朝著深色的底座靠近
05:30
We've observed this in the laboratory.
119
315000
2000
我們在實驗室中就觀察出了這點
05:32
The protocells can actually move away from the light.
120
317000
3000
原生細胞是有趨光性的
05:35
They can actually also move towards the light. You have to just choose your species.
121
320000
3000
但也有些不同種類的原生細胞是有向光性的
05:38
So that these don't just exist as one entity,
122
323000
2000
他們不只是以一種實體的狀態存在
05:40
we kind of chemically engineer them.
123
325000
3000
我們利用化學工程改良他們
05:43
And so here the protocells are depositing their limestone
124
328000
3000
原生細胞沈積在石灰岩上
05:46
very specifically, around the foundations of Venice,
125
331000
3000
有目標地包覆著威尼斯的底座
05:49
effectively petrifying it.
126
334000
2000
使底座更堅固
05:51
Now, this isn't going to happen tomorrow. It's going to take a while.
127
336000
4000
但這不是一蹴可及的.我們還需要一段時間
05:55
It's going to take years of tuning and monitoring this technology
128
340000
4000
我們可能還需要幾年的時間做觀察並且調整
05:59
in order for us to become ready
129
344000
2000
接著才能
06:01
to test it out in a case-by-case basis
130
346000
2000
在威尼斯受損的建築上
06:03
on the most damaged and stressed buildings within the city of Venice.
131
348000
3000
測試
06:06
But gradually, as the buildings are repaired,
132
351000
3000
等到建築物漸漸被修復之後
06:09
we will see the accretion of a limestone reef beneath the city.
133
354000
3000
我們將看到石灰岩礁和城市的底座附著在一起
06:12
An accretion itself is a huge sink of carbon dioxide.
134
357000
4000
這整個沈機物會是由一大塊固體狀的二氧化碳組成
06:16
Also it will attract the local marine ecology,
135
361000
3000
而且還會使附近的海洋生態
06:19
who will find their own ecological niches within this architecture.
136
364000
4000
趨於穩定
06:23
So, this is really interesting. Now we have an architecture
137
368000
3000
這非常的有趣.我們有一座城市
06:26
that connects a city to the natural world
138
371000
3000
能夠與大自然
06:29
in a very direct and immediate way.
139
374000
2000
有最直接的關連
06:31
But perhaps the most exciting thing about it
140
376000
3000
但最讓人感到興奮的
06:34
is that the driver of this technology is available everywhere.
141
379000
3000
莫過於驅動這項科技的元素都處都可以找的到
06:37
This is terrestrial chemistry. We've all got it,
142
382000
3000
那是現在地球上現有的,要取得它們完全不成問題
06:40
which means that this technology is just as appropriate
143
385000
3000
這意味著,這像科技不但適合在
06:43
for developing countries as it is
144
388000
2000
開發中國家使用
06:45
for First World countries.
145
390000
2000
也適合在已開發的國家中使用
06:47
So, in summary, I'm generating metabolic materials
146
392000
3000
總而言之,我正在開發這種能夠代謝的素材
06:50
as a counterpoise to Victorian technologies,
147
395000
3000
來和維多莉亞式的科技取得平衡
06:53
and building architectures from a bottom-up approach.
148
398000
3000
並以一個下到上的方式應用到建築上
06:56
Secondly, these metabolic materials
149
401000
2000
第二,這些代謝材料
06:58
have some of the properties of living systems,
150
403000
2000
存在著一些生物的特質
07:00
which means they can perform in similar ways.
151
405000
3000
他們和生物有些相似處
07:03
They can expect to have a lot of forms and functions
152
408000
3000
應用到建築上
07:06
within the practice of architecture.
153
411000
2000
它們能夠有各種不同的型式與功能
07:08
And finally, an observer in the future
154
413000
3000
最後,當未來的人
07:11
marveling at a beautiful structure in the environment
155
416000
3000
對這些美麗的建築讚嘆不已時
07:14
may find it almost impossible to tell
156
419000
3000
將分不出來
07:17
whether this structure
157
422000
2000
這個建築
07:19
has been created by a natural process
158
424000
2000
是自然生成的?
07:21
or an artificial one.
159
426000
2000
還是人造的?
07:23
Thank you.
160
428000
2000
謝謝!
07:25
(Applause)
161
430000
4000
掌聲
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Rachel Armstrong - Applied scientist, innovatorTED Fellow Rachel Armstrong is a sustainability innovator who creates new materials that possess some of the properties of living systems, and can be manipulated to "grow" architecture.
Why you should listen
Rachel Armstrong innovates and designs sustainable solutions for the built and natural environment using advanced new technologies such as, Synthetic Biology – the rational engineering of living systems - and smart chemistry. Her research prompts a reevaluation of how we think about our homes and cities and raises questions about sustainable development of the built environment. She creates open innovation platforms for academia and industry to address environmental challenges such as carbon capture & recycling, smart ‘living’ materials and sustainable design.
Her award winning research underpins her bold approach to the way that she challenges perceptions, presumptions and established principles related to scientific concepts and the building blocks of life and society. She embodies and promotes new transferrable ways of thinking ‘outside of the box’ and enables others to also develop innovative environmental solutions. Her innovative approaches are outlined in her forthcoming TED Book on Living Architecture.
Watch Rachel Armstrong's TED Fellows talk, "Creating Carbon-Negative Architecture" >>
Rachel Armstrong | Speaker | TED.com