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Videre: Drawing and Evolutionary Architectures

Analysing the works of the seascape architect Wolf Hilbertz (1938 -2007), coral scientist

Dr Thomas Goreau, architect Newton Fallis and collective, the article considers

the development of ‘self organizing’ natural building materials developing a mode

of working - Cybertecture (Cybernetics & Architecture) (Hilbertz 1970). This

investigation focuses particularly on that of Biorock® the mineral accretion technology,

and involves a process of creating artificial coral reefs which are stronger and more

resilient to degrading factors found on natural reefs. The technology exemplifies an

evolutionary environmental system, a coral which is more reliant, tradable, multiplies

in growth three to five times faster than normal, protects coastline, and grows

fish populations through its constantly evolving habitat (Hilbertz, Goreau 1970,

1992, 2008). Importantly the technology has wide implications for restoring, designing

and managing fragile and threatened coral ecosystems thus creating an emerging field of

Seascape Architecture (Goreau, Hilbertz 2005).

This important ecological invention stems from a number of design drawings which the authour has redrawn from fragmentary archives to explore the ideational process have developing this method of restoring coral reefs.