Excavated housing in Crevillente (Spain). Constructive and typologycal study

Underground architecture has sheltered man for many centuries, but the current need to emphasize the bioclimatic approach makes the study of excavated housing essential. This traditional construction is a part of the collective human living experience but also a reference in using the natural conditions of each region through simple proposals based on ground thermal inertia. The aim of this paper is to show the typological evolution of the excavated dwelling in Crevillente, in southeast Spain, compared to other worldwide architectural proposals or urban solutions. To show their adaptation to the regional geography and to comprehend both formal and material characteristics of these simple typologies, which do not need extra energy contribution for interior conditioning. This work is part of the doctoral thesis of the author.

The thermal performance of earth covered buildings in hot, arid regions /

"Work Performed Under Contract No. EG-77-C-01-4042."

University of Michigan Law Library Rare Book Room, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1982

[Schematic Design Drawing of] Level 1 Floor Plan. Blue ink and colored pencil drawing on electrostatic print, 17 3/4 x 24 3/4 inches [from photographic copy by Lance Burgharrdt]

Subterranean Urban Systems Study, Graham Foundation Grant, 1971-1974

[Conceptual Sketch], untitled. Ink sketch on spiral notebook paper, 8 1/4 x 10 3/4 inches [from photographic copy by Lance Burgharrdt]

Subterranean Urban Systems Study, Graham Foundation Grant, 1971-1974

[Conceptual Sketches], untitled. Ink sketches on spiral notebook paper, 8 1/4 x 10 3/4 inches [from photographic copy by Lance Burgharrdt]

Subterranean Urban Systems Study, Graham Foundation Grant, 1971-1974

[Conceptual Sketches], untitled. Ink sketches on spiral notebook paper, 8 1/4 x 10 3/4 inches [from photographic copy by Lance Burgharrdt]

Subterranean Urban Systems Study, Graham Foundation Grant 1971-1974

[Conceptual Sketches], untitled. Digital image only of blue ink sketches on spiral notebook paper, initialed, 8 1/4 x 10 3/4 inches

Automation of an underground mining vehicle using reactive navigation and opportunistic localization

This paper describes the implementation of an autonomous navigation system onto a 30 tonne Load-Haul-Dump truck. The control architecture is based on a robust reactive wall-following behaviour. To make it purposeful we provide driving hints derived from an approximate nodal-map. For most of the time, the vehicle is driven with weak localization (odometry). This need only be improved at intersections where decisions must be made - a technique we refer to as opportunistic localization. The truck has achieved full-speed autonomous operation at an artificial test mine, and subsequently, at a operational underground mine.

Reactive navigation and opportunistic localization for autonomous underground mining vehicles

This paper describes an autonomous navigation system for a large underground mining vehicle. The control architecture is based on a robust reactive wall-following behaviour. To make it purposeful we provide driving hints derived from an approximate nodal-map. For most of the time, the vehicle is driven with weak localization (odometry). This need only be improved at intersections where decisions must be made – a technique we refer to as opportunistic localization. The paper briefly reviews absolute and relative navigation strategies, and describes an implementation of a reactive navigation system on a 30 tonne Load-Haul-Dump truck. This truck has achieved full-speed autonomous operation at an artificial test mine, and subsequently, at a operational underground mine.

Play in the city : Parkour and architecture

The ability to play freely in our cities is essential for sustainable wellbeing. When integrated successfully into our cities, Urban Play performs an important role; physically, socially and culturally contributing to the image of the city. While Urban Play is essential, it also finds itself in conflict with the city. Under modernist urban approaches play activities have become progressively segregated from the urban context through a tripartite of design, procurement and management practices. Despite these restrictions, emergent underground play forms overcome the isolation of play within urban space. One of these activities (parkour) is used as an evocative case study to reveal the hidden urban terrains of desire and fear as it re-interprets the fabric of the city, eliciting practice based discussions about procurement, design and management practice along its route.

Nest architecture of Pachycondyla striata Fr. Smith, 1858 (Formicidae, Ponerinae)

Nine nests of Pachycondyla striata Fr. Smith, 1858 were excavated between 2006 and 2007 at the UNESP university campus in Rio Claro, SP, southeastern Brazil. The P. striata population was larger in the two nests excavated in the months of August and November, 2006. The nests of this species are simple and poorly elaborated, with chambers and tunnels close to the ground surface. P. striata places the pupae in chambers isolated from the other individuals. The lack of chambers with the specific purpose of conditioning food and garbage underscores the simplicity of these nests.

Nest architecture of Atta laevigata (F. Smith, 1858) (Hymenoptera : Formicidae)

The internal structure of three nests of Atta laevigata was studied in Botucatu city, São Paulo State, Brazil. Two nests were excavated through the opening of trenches and one was cement-moulded to enable a better view of the internal structures. The three nests presented a similar structure, with the depths and number of chambers varying as a function of the loose soil area of the nests. The number of chambers ranged from 1149 to 7864, reaching as deep as 7 m underground. Chamber volume ranged from 0.03 to 511. The foraging tunnels extended as far as 70m from the loose soil region. The nests of this species are the deepest within the genus Atta and have the highest number of chambers.

Ventilation of the giant nests of Atta leaf-cutting ants: does underground circulating air enter the fungus chambers?

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Underground dwellings in the Tajuña valley, Madrid, Spain and their bioclimatic adaptation

Underground dwellings are the maximum example of the vernacular architecture adaptation to the climatic conditions in areas with high annual and daily thermal fluctuations. This paper summarizes the systematic research about the energy performance of this popular architecture and their adaptation to the outdoor conditions in the case of the low area of the River Tajuña and its surroundings. Some considerations on their maintenance and renovation arise from the research.

The other architecture: From natural caves to excavated housing

Excavated towns are an attractive example of underground urbanism that managed to solve, in a very interesting way, thermal problems thanks to natural ground inertia or transition spaces. The aim of this paper is to show the typological evolution of excavated dwellings worldwide, as an architectural proposal and urban solution. The proposed methodology provides an analysis of underground architectures from natural caves to excavated housing, focusing on the study of global constructive solutions to specific problems. Thus, architectures as a natural geography correction (horizontal excavation), buried underground architectures (vertical excavation), subtractive architectures (shallow excavation) and combined architectures (mixed excavation) are studied. In conclusion, there are many examples of typological combinations since troglodyte architects tried to adapt the most elementary constructive rules to get greatly enriched results. These proposals of different underground structures deal with each territory and its geographical features, and obtain urban and architectural solutions transferable to current configurations.