DISSERTATION ON

MORPHOGENESIS AS A TOOL FOR ADAPTABLE BUILDING DESIGN

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE

VIVEK KUMAR VISHWAKARMA

B. ARCH. SEMESTER 7th

(Registration no………)

Guided by:

Ar. HEMCHANDER KHOHAL

B. Arch Department

GANGA INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURE AND TOWWN PLANNING

Affiliation

MAHARISHI DAYANAND UNIVERSITY

COURSE YEAR (2016-2021)

I declare that this written submission represents my ideas in my own words and where others’ ideas
or words have been included, I have adequately cited and referenced the original sources. I also
declare that I have adhered to all principles of academic honesty and integrity and have not
misrepresented or fabricated or falsified any idea/data/fact/source in my submission. I understand
that any violation of the above will be cause for disciplinary action by the University and can also evoke
penal action from the sources which have thus not been properly cited or from whom proper
permissions have not been taken when needed.

……………………………

(Signature)

Vivek Kumar Vishwakarma

B. Architecture

Semester 7th

(Reg. no………………….)

Date: ………………………….
 GANGA INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECURE AND TOWN PLANNING

Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the DISSERTATION entitled MORPHOGENESIS AS A TOOL FOR ADAPTABLE
BUILDING DESIGN, submitted by VIVEK KUMAR VISHWAKARMA as a part of the 5-year undergraduate
programme in architecture at GANGA INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURE AND TOWN PLANNING, is a record
of bonafide work carried out by him under my guidance.

The content included in this dissertation has not been submitted by any other university/institute for
award of any other degree or diploma.

Guided by:

Ar. HEMCHANDER KHOHAL

Date: ……………………

Ganga Institute of Architecture and Town Planning

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the people who have been instrumental
in the successful completion of this Dissertation.

I would sincerely like to express my deep gratitude to Ar. HEMCHANDER KHOHAL for his valuable
guidance and his insightful discussions during the course of the project.

VIVEK KUMAR VISHWAKARMA

B. ARCH. SEMESTER 7th

Urban areas around the world are experiencing many problems related to a poor use of buildings, and
high consumption of energy and materials through repetitive buildings’ refurbishment or demolition.
Inhabitants and users complain about rigidity of their buildings which become inadaptable to their
evolving needs through time.

Architecture must embrace adaptability and flexibility to withstand effectively, and with respect of
sustainability, the increasing needs of change that our contemporary society knows, and to create a
symbiotic relationship between the building and its users. Adaptability helps to achieve a safe,
healthy, effective, responsive, harmless, environmental friendly and well integrated building, and thus
to ensure a long term value.

Morphogenesis is the biological process that causes an organism to develop its shape. It is one of the
three fundamental aspects of developmental biology. Morphogenesis is concerned with the shapes of
tissues, organs and entire organisms and the positions of the various specialised cell types. In
contemporary computer-aided design approach in architecture, morphogenesis holds a decisive role
in formation process, as well as acts as a guide in design process.
 HYPOTHESIS

• How nature is an inspiration and the next hope for residential and commercial buildings?
• Why there is a need to conserve nature in the ever-growing urban environment of concrete
structures?
• How nature can conserve itself as well as inspire today’s building trends?
• What are the possible ways of using nature as an inspiration for building design?
 CONTENTS

1. DISSERTATION SYNOPSIS
2. INTRODUCTION
 SYNOPSIS

AIM: To research various parameters and tools to mould buildings so that they respond towards the
changes of nature (i.e. adaptable design) as well as to accommodate the needs of the future.

OBJECTIVE

➢ To illustrate and discuss new conceptual ways of designing adaptive building envelops of
habitable structures in that respond to environmental changes in the surrounding climate of
different places.
➢ How the usage of such adaptive envelops can help reduce the energy consumption of the
building.

APPROACH METHODOLOGY

➢ Understanding current building trends and techniques.

Construction is an ancient human activity. It began with the purely functional need for a controlled
environment to moderate the effects of climate. Constructed shelters were one means by which
human beings were able to adapt themselves to a wide variety of climates and become a global
species.

Human shelters were at first very simple and perhaps lasted only a few days or months. Over time,
however, even temporary structures evolved into such highly refined forms as the igloo. Gradually
more durable structures began to appear, particularly after the advent of agriculture, when people
began to stay in one place for long periods. The first shelters were dwellings, but later other
functions, such as food storage and ceremony, were housed in separate buildings. Some structures
began to have symbolic as well as functional value, marking the beginning of the distinction between
architecture and building.

The history of building is marked by a number of trends. One is the increasing durability of the
materials used. Early building materials were perishable, such as leaves, branches, and animal hides.
Later, more durable natural materials—such as clay, stone, and timber—and, finally, synthetic
materials—such as brick, concrete, metals, and plastics—were used. Another is a quest for buildings
of ever greater height and span; this was made possible by the development of stronger materials
and by knowledge of how materials behave and how to exploit them to greater advantage. A third
major trend involves the degree of control exercised over the interior environment of buildings:
increasingly precise regulation of air temperature, light and sound levels, humidity, odours, air
speed, and other factors that affect human comfort has been possible. Yet another trend is the
change in energy available to the construction process, starting with human muscle power and
developing toward the powerful machinery used today.

The present state of construction is complex. There is a wide range of building products and systems
which are aimed primarily at groups of building types or markets. The design process for buildings is
highly organized and draws upon research establishments that study material properties and
performance, code officials who adopt and enforce safety standards, and design professionals who
determine user needs and design a building to meet those needs. The construction process is also
highly organized; it includes the manufacturers of building products and systems, the craftsmen who
assemble them on the building site, the contractors who employ and coordinate the work of the
craftsmen, and consultants who specialize in such aspects as construction management, quality
control, and insurance.

Construction today is a significant part of industrial culture, a manifestation of its diversity and
complexity and a measure of its mastery of natural forces, which can produce a widely varied built
environment to serve the diverse needs of society