SLOANE BROWN

MAJOR: ARCHITECTURE

“NANO NETWORKS”

05/06/11

PGTE 5165 - HYBRID WORLDS - PROF. VICTORIA VESNA

ABSTRACT

Nano Networks re-imagines an isolated 1950s state office campus in Albany, New York as

a landscape of natural, built, and social systems intertwining a nanotechnology research park

with the city and its residents. This entails a breakdown of boundaries between and within

these systems on multiple scales, from underutilized greenways and massive infrastructures

threading through the campus to lab and collaborative spaces clustered within the research

facilities. In the same way that the enhanced excitability of a single neuron at the nano

scale has the capacity to improve the health of an entire neural network, the heightened

interconnectivity of urban and architectural systems and spaces in this project creates an

energetic network for enhanced collaboration and creativity.

INSPIRATION

Scientists have found a way to use carbon nanotubes to

improve the health of neural networks by promoting cell

attachment and growth. Because carbon nanotubes, like

neurons, are highly electrically conductive, they can form

very tight contacts with neuronal cell membranes. Once

connected, the carbon nanotubes create “shortcuts”

between distal and proximal compartments of the

neuron, which allows for enhanced neuronal excitability

(a healthier neuron!) Not only is this amazing in and of

itself, but it fits perfectly with my thesis concept and the

type of collaborative, networked spaces that I want to

design!

PROPOSED NETWORK

EXISTING CLOSED SYSTEMFUTURE PATROON GREENWAY

CENTRAL AVE

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WESTERN AVE

WASHINGTON AVE

ROUTE 85

NANO NETWORKS

?SUNY ALBANYPROPOSEDHARRIMAN TECH PARK

COLLEGE OF NANOSCALE SCIENCE & ENGINEERING

SUNY ALBANY EAST CAMPUS

INDUSTRY

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

ALBANYINCUBATOR

RENSSELAER

PROPOSED NETWORK

EXISTING CLOSED SYSTEMFUTURE PATROON GREENWAY

CENTRAL AVE

OOFFFFIICCEE PPAARRKK

WESTERN AVE

WASHINGTON AVE

ROUTE 85

ITHACA

STONYBROOK

ALBANY

SYRACUSEBUFFALO

TROY

ROCHESTER

NEW YORK CITY

INDUSTRYRESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

NEW YORK

EMPIRE STATE DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL

NEW PROPOSAL

EXISTING CONDITIONS

WATERSHED INTERSECTION

NANO NETWORKS

PATROON CREEK

KRUM KILL

SITE PLAN 1/64” = 1’-0”

PUBLIC CIRCULATION

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ICES

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LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAABBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSFLEXIBLE

COLLECTIVE NODE

coLAB CLUSTERS

NANOTECH CIRCULATION

URBA

N S

CHEM

E

“...a landscape of natural, built, and social systems intertwining a nanotechnology research park with the city and its residents.”

PUBLIC CIRCULATION

NANOTECH CIRCULATION

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ICES

OFF

ICES

OOOFFFFFFFFFFFFF

IIIIIICCCCCEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSS

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSFLEXIBLE

COLLECTIVE NODE

coLAB CLUSTERS

BUIL

DIN

G S

CHEM

E

Googleplex Campus

Birch Nanotechnology Center

Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies

Advanced Measurement Laboratory

Macquarie Bank - Activity Based Learning

labs

lab support

offices

conference/collaberation

free-form collaboration

circulation

KEY

NEW PARADIGM

PROGRAM ORGANIZATION

- circulation confined to hallways

- programmatic functions split into wings

-closed conference/collaboration spaces

- no shared spaces

- strict modular lab organization

Googleplex Campus

Birch Nanotechnology Center

Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies

Advanced Measurement Laboratory

Macquarie Bank - Activity Based Learning

labs

lab support

offices

conference/collaberation

free-form collaboration

circulation

KEY

NEW PARADIGM

PROGRAM ORGANIZATION

- circulation confined to hallways

- programmatic functions split into wings

-closed conference/collaboration spaces

- no shared spaces

- strict modular lab organization

Googleplex Campus

Birch Nanotechnology Center

Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies

Advanced Measurement Laboratory

Macquarie Bank - Activity Based Learning

labs

lab support

offices

conference/collaberation

free-form collaboration

circulation

KEY

NEW PARADIGM

PROGRAM ORGANIZATION

- circulation confined to hallways

- programmatic functions split into wings

-closed conference/collaboration spaces

- no shared spaces

- strict modular lab organization

LEVEL 04

A

B

PRECEDENTS TYPICAL FLOOR PLAN

Meeting tomorrow!Room 322

Surface AnalysisExperiment Results

2048030303-03933839999330r59000000

A

QUICK PASSAGE

VERTICAL CONNECTION

coLAB interface

NANOSTRUCTURESSI

NANOSTRUCTURESAII

SURFACE ANALYSISA NANOSTRUCTURESAIII

MOLECULARELECTRON CHARACELECTRON CHARAC...E

ELECTRONEMICROSCOPY/OSCS

TEMTEMEME

ANALYTICAL ACHEMISTRYCHEMISTRYH

SCANNINGNELECTRONT

MICROSCOPY/OPYOSEMSEMM

INSTRUCTITI AL AONAO AIOIOLABBBB

NSTRUCTIONAL IN TLABB

ELECTRICAL ECHARACTERIZATIONR TIOC

MEMSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSCHARACTERCCHARAA IONZATZI

AXITRON+

EPIGRESS

NANOSTRUCTURESSSI

NANOSTRUCTURESTII

OPTICAL CHARACTERIZATION

PUBLIC interface