PIEZO-ENVIRONMENT : A METAPHORIC MODEL FOR PIEZO-ELECTRICITY HARVESTING IN URBAN CONTEXT

Abstract

The inadequacy of natural resources for the generation of electricity will remain a critical problem for Singapore economy in both short-term and long-term future. With the exception of solar energy, which has been implemented in various buildings in Singapore, most of the alternative energy options in the market today are not realistic in the Singapore context.

The recent success in development of Piezo-electricity energy harvesting has open up new possibilities for applications in Singapore. Piezoelectricity is electrical energy that is produced when mechanical pressure or strain is exerted on a Piezo-material. When pressure is exerted onto a Piezo-material, a negative charge and a positive charge are produced on the expanded and compressed side respectively. Hence, an electrical current will be generated across the surface of the material.

This dissertation hypothesizes that Piezo-electricity harvesting technology could be incorporated into architecture and urban design. Through technical studies on how these technologies operate, it is possible to open up more opportunities to exploit the properties and behaviors of Piezo-electric materials and systems. With the recognition and exploitation of these emerging technologies, it is possible to achieve a self-powered autonomous society and create interesting form of interaction as well. Although architecture is inherently an interdisciplinary profession, its practice puts the architect at the center, as the director of the process and the key decision-maker. The disciplines that we must now reach out to, is not only mechanical and electrical engineering, but also other far-fetch disciplines like biological sciences.