Fresh Air

Design Team
A team of architects and aerodynamicists. Expertise: design, aerodynamics, production technology, materials and rapid prototyping.

Assumptions
1- Convex seating will open the view of the occupant towards the sea.
2- Transparent windshield allows the occupant to stay outside while being protected. 3- Transparent lounge area is attractive in terms of security and to enjoy the seaside view. 4- Extravagant form will deflect vandalism and add a visual marker to the Blackpool seafront.

Proposal
A geometric primitive -a torus- is distorted and becomes both, shelter and sail. It forms a continuous entity, enabling a structural continuity between the two parts. The structure will withstand the specified wind gusts and is dimensioned to add a visual highlight to the Blackpool seafront.

Aerodynamics
A double surfaced sail produced in the profile of an aircraft wing, manages the airflow pattern better than a single surfaced sail and will improve the aerodynamic properties of the shelter. A traditional sail plan with a single surfaced, soft sail and mast generates a "bubble" of stagnant air right behind the mast. With the specified wind speeds at the seafront, one has to reduce the drag the sail generates to a minimum, yet the shelter should be a visible sign for the seafront -and therefore reach a certain height.
The continuity between shelter and the bulged sail allow for a clean airflow stream to run over each surface, with as little detached flow as possible.
A slight tilt in the sail creates an upward lift force component, which helps to lift the whole structure. The wing causes some downward pressure when in a strong wind. Angling the sail to produce some lift will balance the down forces generated, so the bearings are not loaded and the structure is free to rotate easily. The wingsail’s leading edge is set back from the front of the observation bubble and a little to the side as this will help the wingsail track better into the wind and not cause the sail to oscillate the shelter.

Materials
Shelter: clear polycarbonate (Lexan) will be cast in CNC milled moulds. The Lexan is UV resistant and MR (Mar Resistant), i.e., enhanced against sunlight and scratching. The moulds are reusable. Sail: Pattern cut aluminum sheets will be bent at the edges for structural stability and connection. Structure: structural members are made of cut and bent aluminum profiles.
The whole construction is produced with Rapid Prototyping technology and is therefore easily differentiated and reproduced.

Baurmann, Coersmeier