Mobile Infrastructure

A mobile architecture will need a unique way of dealing with infrastructure.  Firstly though, how long will this mobile architecture be required in a certain location?

Short term visits mean that the architecture could constantly refuel/restock/recharge as it moves whereas long term stays means that it will need to be more self-sufficient in terms of sustaining the inhabitants’ lives and required functions.

TRANSPORT:

Traditional modes – Car – Truck – Bus – Boat – Walking – Train – Plane etc.

Could the mobile architecture utilise existing roads, tracks, airports, ports, rivers etc?

Is it independently mobile but using this existing infrastructure OR independently mobile using new infrastructure or not requiring any infrastructure at all?

Mechanisms/modes of movement:

-Wheels-tracks-Propellers-Sails-Motor-Pedals-Legs/muscle-Wings-Fins-Rolling-Magnets-Sliding-Jet engine-Rockets-Slingshot-Catapult-Linear-Hydraulics-Crane-Towing-Leeching-Symbiosis-Migration etc etc etc.

Whatever the mode is, this has to be durable to withstand our harsh , varied climates and long distances across Australia.  It will also have to be maintainable on the go.  Does this require specialised service persons to travel with the architecture?

Is the architecture capable of self-repair, or assisted repair?

Is it capable of mining/gathering and producing its own parts as it moves?

Is it made of recycled parts or waste?

Is it made of readily available materials sourced from the location/s it is intended to travel?

Would this make it more responsive to local climates? Or would it need to adapt constantly?

OR

Are there multiple distributed units which are region specific and as a result of this, could they each have a unique character that represents these regions?

Once united do they form a collage of Australia?

SETTING:

How would mobile architecture sit in a new location?

Is it capable of laying its own foundations/slab/footings/piles.  Would this be a waste if the architecture isn’t going to set down in the same location again?  Yes it probably is.

Can it instead already contain this form of base structure – it should aim to have minimum impact on its environment.

Limiting the use of heavy bases/piles means that the height of the architecture will be restricted in order to maintain its stability.  It may need to be more of a spread out base.  This feature will also allow inhabitants to retain a closer connection to the land.

Could it rest on stilts/legs to minimise its footprint, or in the extreme case, could it float above the ground, anchored to the location through some type of minimal connection?

POWER:

There is no doubt that this architecture will require power of some form, either to aid its mobility or to be technologically capable of performing its function.  But how could a building generate its own power?

Could it simply tap into the existing electricity grids wherever it rests?  What if there is not enough supporting infrastructure capable of powering a possibly large entity?

Wind generators could be used, either fixed mounted or capable of popping up?  Maybe as the building moves, the forced air flow through the generator blades increases, therefore by mobility it is more efficient as a wind generator.   Aerodynamics then come into play with the form so to channel maximum air flow though the generator!  This would also reduce any drag of the entity and create greater efficiency in the use of movement power.

Solar panels could be utilised as a fold out system or permanent skin on the building, these could also act as shading devices against the harsh Australian sun.  Could mirrors be used as a building material to focus/gather/direct more sunlight into the panels?

The building could be equipped with mechanical generators, utilising renewable fuel sources, possibly using waste produced as biofuel?  The building will need to have some form of integrated waste management system, capable of converting the resource into a variety of forms.

These generators could also be driven by motion, the more the building moves, the more power is generated.  This might come through additional wheels, rotational forces, or as previously mentioned, wind driven turbines.

In combination with all of these possible power sources, batteries/power storage will be required to manage this, and backup supply is essential so that a mobile architecture doesn’t become stranded.

WATER:

Basic system requirements will be water storage tanks, possible expandable so the building may take advantage of water when it becomes available, especially precious outback rain.

To make maximum use of supplies, there should also be some form of recycling system.

This should be able to recycle greywater and also blackwater.

The building could be capable of refilling from existing potable/treated water sources, but also capable of drawing water from natural sources such as ponds, dams, billabongs etc.  This water will all need to be treated on board prior to human consumption.  The building could also store saltwater when near coastal locations, meaning there will also be the requirement for a desalinator in this case.

The building could also utilise our humid climate regions, condensing moisture from the air, slowly supplying a minimal amount to aid in extreme survival situations should the mobile architecture become crippled and static for a period.

Could the building “tap” into underground wells or basins?  Eg. The Great Artesian Basin or the Murray Darling Basin, both of which are huge resources of inland Australia’s fresh water supply.

Could this ability utilise a windmill or similar feature to retain a strong identity of Australia?  Could this then double up as power production in conjunction with the wind power generation system?

FOOD:

The mobile architecture, while utilising existing transport systems, could double as food transport to and from rural farming areas, as a carrier of grains or cattle etc.  The mobile infrastructure could also utilise small gardens, capable of being fertilised by treated human waste, in a similar/linked system to that of the water processing.  The facilities may also incorporate a food gathering system such as a built in harvester, to enable the architecture to drive through permitted fields and take what it needs on its travels, sustaing the inhabitants with staple products to boost initial supplies.  In line with food carrying, production, harvesting, the architecture will also need spaces to store/refrigerate/freeze goods for tranportation.