Bio Diesel

Algoil Gas Station design is to serve as a fueling station of biological derived fuels from plant oils. Biofuel producers take plant oil extracts and through simple refining, create biodiesel. The history of biodiesels used in engine date back to the 1900s, as the original diesel engines were created to run off vegetable oils and not petro oils (History of Diesel and the Diesel Engine). Petro oils provided an economically cheaper alternative in the 1900s contributing to the wide adoption of petro based diesel engines despite of the original biofuel design. Today with political awareness of the dependencies of foreign oils and the advent of better biological extraction and production capabilities with algae as a feedstock, biodiesel use is in a renaissance (BioDeisel Growing a new Energy Economy). Biodiesel works in any current diesel engine and provides a quick transition to environmental energy for diesel cars and 18 wheelers (Guide to Hybrid and Alternative Fuels). Public perception of biodiesel holds back further development of this resource as people believe that biodiesel is not a viable alternative and could damage engines (Building a successful biodiesel business).

This gas station design informs, intrigues, and popularizes biodiesel in society. The gas station informs on the production of algae based biodiesel through the display of bioreactors producing biodiesel integrated into pumps and divider walls. This ornamentation does not hide the source of biodiesel by covering up pumps with advertisements and metal facades; instead, it celebrates it by incasing it in transparent safety glass. The canopes over the parking and pumps take the form of an algae cell with a green translucent material that allows diffused light to pass through as if looking through a microscope. the structures are meant to take the appearance of plants. the material are meant to look like metal work from far. The incorporation of fountain also provides water flow, which is necessary in any open or closed pond algae production system.

The over all site design provides a social sense of place giving people chance to interact and have small talk about biodiesel. Instead of eye height pumps that block the view of the person pumping gas next to the client, this design uses waist high pumps allowing for a conversation while waiting for the tank to fill to take place. In addition, the addition of café seating next to the bioreactor wall allows for a social setting in this public space that people visit often to refuel their cars.

In addition, the design makes a statement from above with rounded elements making it stand out from the squared neighbors. With advent of web mapping products like Google Earth, society sees the rooftops of buildings more often (Rooftop Advertising). Making a statement in plan view serves as signage advertising the gas station via online mapping products and GPS units.