1. SLOANE BROWN
MAJOR: ARCHITECTURE
“NANO NETWORKS”
05/06/11
PGTE 5165 - HYBRID WORLDS - PROF. VICTORIA VESNA

2. ABSTRACT
Nano Networks re-imagines an isolated 1950s state office campus in Albany, New York as
a landscape of natural, built, and social systems intertwining a nanotechnology research park
with the city and its residents. This entails a breakdown of boundaries between and within
these systems on multiple scales, from underutilized greenways and massive infrastructures
threading through the campus to lab and collaborative spaces clustered within the research
facilities. In the same way that the enhanced excitability of a single neuron at the nano
scale has the capacity to improve the health of an entire neural network, the heightened
interconnectivity of urban and architectural systems and spaces in this project creates an
energetic network for enhanced collaboration and creativity.

3. INSPIRATION
Scientists have found a way to use carbon nanotubes to
improve the health of neural networks by promoting cell
attachment and growth. Because carbon nanotubes, like
neurons, are highly electrically conductive, they can form
very tight contacts with neuronal cell membranes. Once
connected, the carbon nanotubes create “shortcuts”
between distal and proximal compartments of the
neuron, which allows for enhanced neuronal excitability
(a healthier neuron!) Not only is this amazing in and of
itself, but it fits perfectly with my thesis concept and the
type of collaborative, networked spaces that I want to
design!

4. EXISTING CLOSED SYSTEM
EXISTING CLOSED SYSTEM FUT
UR
FUT
UR EP
NEW YORK EP
AT ROO GREENWAY AT ROO GREENWAY
N
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
N
INDUSTRY
TROY
ALBANY
ROU
ROU
T
ROCHESTER SYRACUSE
E 85
BUFFALO ITHACA
OFFICE PARK
CE
NTR
TE 8
STONYBROOK
NEW YORK CITY
A
OFFICE PARK
LA
CE
VE
NT
5
R
AL
AV
ALBANY
E
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
W
INDUSTRY
AS
INCUBATOR
HI
N GT
ON
COLLEGE OF NANOSCALE AV
SCIENCE & ENGINEERING E
SUNY ALBANY
PROPOSED
HARRIMAN TECH PARK ?
W
AS
HI
WE NGT
STE ON
RENSSELAER
RN
SUNY ALBANY EAST CAMPUS
AVE AV
E
WE
STE
RN
URBAN SCHEME
AVE
PATROON CREEK PROPOSED NETWORK
KRUM KILL
WATERSHED INTERSECTION
PROPOSED NETWORK
EXISTING CONDITIONS
LAB
FLEXIBLE
OFFICES
COLLECTIVE NODE
S
OFFICES
SITE PLAN 1/64” = 1’-0”
OFFICES
LABS
LABS
coLAB CLUSTERS
EMPIRE STATE DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL
NANOTECH CIRCULATION
“...a landscape of natural, built, and social systems intertwining a
NEW PROPOSAL
nanotechnology research park with the city and its residents.”
PUBLIC CIRCULATION

5. LAB
FLEXIBLE
OFFICES
COLLECTIVE NODE
S
OFFICES
OFFICES
LABS
LABS
coLAB CLUSTERS
BUILDING SCHEME
NANOTECH CIRCULATION
PUBLIC CIRCULATION

6. PROGRAM ORGANIZATION PRECEDENTS
PROGRAM ORGANIZATIONconference/collaberation
PROGRAM ORGANIZATION
labs
KEY
labs
KEY
KEY
conference/collaberation
TYPICAL FLOOR PLAN
labs conference/collaberation
lab support free-form collaboration
lab support free-form collaboration
free-form collaboration
lab support
logy Center circulation
Birch Nanotechnology Center circulation
circulation
Birch Nanotechnology Center offices
offices
offices
ed Nanotechnologies Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies
Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies - circulation confined to hallways
-- circulation confined to hallways
circulation confined to hallways
- programmatic functions split into wings
-- programmatic functions split into wings
programmatic functions split into wings
-closed conference/collaboration spaces
-closed conference/collaboration spaces
-closed conference/collaboration spaces
- no shared spaces
-- no shared spaces
no shared spaces
- strict modular lab organization
-- strict modular lab organization
strict modular lab organization
ement Laboratory Advanced Measurement Laboratory
Advanced Measurement Laboratory
us
NEW PARADIGM
A NEW PARADIGM
Googleplex Campus NEW PARADIGM
Googleplex Campus
Activity Based Learning
Macquarie Bank -- Activity Based Learning
Macquarie Bank Activity Based Learning
B LEVEL 04

7. coLAB interface
VERTICAL CONNECTION
QUICK PASSAGE
Surface Analysis
Experiment Results
Meeting tomorrow! 204803030
Room 322 3-039338399993
30r59000000
A

8. PUBLIC interface
ANALYTICAL
A MOLECULAR
CHEMISTRY
H ELECTRON CHARAC.
E CHARAC.
E
ELECTRICAL MEMSS
C R
CHARACTERIZATION
TIO CHARA
CHARACTERIZATION
A Z
SURFACE ANALYSIS
A NANOSTRUCTURES
A
III
AXITRON
IN
NSTRUCTIONAL
T INSTRUCTIONA
TIO AL
IO A OPTICAL
+ CHARACTERIZATION
LAB
B LAB
B
EPIGRESS
NANOSTRUCTURES
S NANOSTRUCTURES
A
I II
SCANNING
N
E
ELECTRON ELECTRON
T NANOSTRUCTURES
S NANOSTRUCTURES
T
MICROSCOPY/
OSC
S MICROSCOPY/
O
OPY I II
TEM
E
EM SEM
M