BIO DESIGN
an architect’s responsibility to awareness
WRITTEN AND CURATED BY ABIGAIL MCCARTHY
INTRODUCTION
3.8 billion years of research and development. However, humans have only been walking the earth for approximately 200,000 years. In the past 200,000 years, human innovation has taken on many forms. Some of it has morphed from what they’ve learned from the natural world and some of it has morphed from the ideas inside their minds. Ultimately, no innovation takes place without research, development, and execution. As the human race has evolved, newer innovations have been derived from older ones. This lineage of evolution in innovation has exponentially grown into an abundant source of information and infrastructure today. Humans have drastically changed the composition of Earth since their initial arrival, taking nearly no precautions to slow down any time soon. American poet, essayist, and naturalist Diane Ackerman has a similar take on human involvement in the world that she expresses through her book The Human Age: The World Shaped by Us. Ackerman writes how “Like supreme beings, we now are present everywhere and in everything. We’ve colonized or left our fingerprints on every inch of the planet, from the ocean sediment to the exosphere, the outermost fringe of the atmosphere where molecules escape into space, junk careens, and satellites orbit. Nearly all of the wonders we identify with modern life emerged in just the past two centuries, and over the past couple of decades, like a giant boulder racing ahead of a landslide, the human adventure has accelerated at an especially mind-bending pace.” (1) What is even more interesting is how humans and domestic animals make up 90% of all mammal biomass on Earth when in the year 1000 they only made up 2%. “Leave no stone unturned” has taken on a new and literal meaning to the human race. There is a constant battle for the newest, biggest, coolest invention and Ackerman thinks that “many of our inventions have reinvented us, both physically and mentally.” (2) Although there is no mention of whether Ackerman thinks this is a good or bad thing, there is a clear message that humans need to be more aware of their actions and their consequences, both implicit and explicit. Applying this to the world of design and architecture, it is no secret that innovation in architecture is at an all time high. From record breaking skyscrapers to curved facades, there is no shortage of outrageous designs coming to life. But what about the “soft and hairy” (3) architecture? The architecture that relates itself back to the 3.8 billion years of research and development the Earth has been doing? It’s there, but many architects and prospective architects today are caught up in the fast-paced, flashy, radically different architecture. There’s nothing wrong with that, but architects must not lose sight of the living world around them and how design drastically changes that landscape.
BIOMIMETICS, BIOPHILIA, AND BIOTECHNOLOGY = BIODESIGN
Situated somewhere between the philosophies of biomimetic, biophilic, and biotechnical design, the remainder of this essay and exhibition is curated to explore how architecture has and continues to respond to these concepts and the responsibilities they incur in terms of social, economic, political, and environmental standpoints. The main thread along this design process involves a deep understanding of biology or the study of life. Without life, there would be nothing. A world of nothingness is quite literally no place to live. Biomimetic design deals with the idea of biomimicry which is defined as the design and production of materials, structures, and systems that are modeled on biological entities and processes.Biomimetic designs can take on many forms and interpret the natural world in a multitude of ways. Contrastingly, biophilic design is based on an aesthetic approach to incorporating the natural world. The biophilia hypothesis coined by biologist Edward O. Wilson states that “our natural affinity for life—biophilia—is the very essence of our humanity and binds us to all other living species.” (4) This style of design incorporates many green elements to enhance the experience of the user and their connection to the natural world rather than connecting them to the structural composition of the project. Projects that excel in the use of biophilic design elements have a certain calmness and serenity to them. Finally, biotechnical design in architecture lends itself to the technological practices derived from natural processes that aim to solve problems relating anywhere from sustainability to social issues. Biomimetics, biophilia, and biotechnology in architecture can be summarized into a singular entity: biodesign. (5) Life and architecture should exist together, not separate. The use of nature, science, and design produces some of the most forward thinking, rational approaches to combining these three elements. Furthermore biodesign can be categorized in three subtopics: their formal approach, their material approach, and their computational approach. No one item in this exhibition fits into a singular category perfectly, but rather exemplifies aspects of one better than another. The formal approach may generate forms that are more explicit from their research of certain natural processes or entities. The material approach is mainly concerned with the manipulation of the natural world to produce a design that encompasses these natural materials. The most compelling approach is the computational approach however, as these projects are concerned with technological research in the natural world that generates these unique forms and how they affect the environment around it. There are many different driving factors for architects and their interests which results in countless design processes.
FORMAL COMPOSITION
Greek mythology produces valuable connections between myths and real life. The story of the sculptor Pygmalion (6) (EXHIBITION ITEM 1) is one of high interest because he brings something regarded as “not living” to life. This is a demonstration of hylozoism or the philosophy that all matter has life. (7) Many statues take on the form of real life scenes. However, they are still regarded as stagnant, non living statues. Hylozoism challenges this belief in the idea that they are actually alive like Pygmalion’s statue. Being able to look at anything and realizing its liveliness is an important trait for architects to have. The idea of life is constantly being challenged and is not defined in a singular way. A hylozoic approach to design allows architects to imagine endless possibilities and gives feeling and meaning into otherwise stationary projects. There is also the idea of learning from natural processes to create a formal approach that reflects that research. In the case of Ensamble Studio’s project the Domo (EXHIBITION ITEM 2), the angle of repose is used to mold massive boulders in the shape of upside down pyramids. Not only does this project reflect primordial structural ideas about overhangs and bending moments, but it also reflects the simplistic nature of the project. Similarly, an art installation in the Jewel Changi Airport called Crystal Clouds by Cao Perrot (EXHIBITION ITEM 3) imitates the complete impermanence of clouds in a very permanent setting. Made out of nothing but crystals, this project is formally appealing and intriguing while maintaining a minimal appearance. A formal approach to biodesign may seem more aesthetic that scientific, but formal characteristics of the natural world are what humans first notice. Studying the behavior is a level of biomimicry (8) that should not be overlooked. A lot of the time it lends itself to the formal characteristics and the correlation between the two is unparalleled. The examples presented here are only a snapshot of the way architects can look at biodesign from a formal lens.
MATERIALITY
Materiality plays a large role in every aspect of life. Many people associate specific materials with specific places, things, events, etc. Another way to describe that is that materials have certain triggers. Especially in the natural world. In the case of the Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore (EXHIBITION ITEM 3.5), this indoor oasis was actually designed with the popular movie Avatar in mind. A lush alien world minus the aliens. The Jewel gives off strong biophilic vibes and aims to use these plants to create an outdoor experience inside. This connection to nature allows travellers to experience nature which is not common in a typical day of airplane travel. How architects begin to think about nature in the most unnatural spaces is critical in how they think about its inhabitants and the ways biophilic design can use materials (i.e. plants) that reinvigorate and reconnect the people to the earth.
Not only can living entities such as plants reinvigorate, but so can other natural entities such as the protocells scientist and architect Rachel Amrstrong has developed. These protocells could potentially reinvigorate Venice, Italy (Seen in the project Saving Venice - EXHIBITION ITEM 4) by piling their secreted shells along the wooden piles to create a limestone reef that reinforces the collapsing foundation. Bringing new life to Venice has the ability to save the city and the historic architecture that has been built on top of this foundational system for centuries. Similarly, epsom salt has the ability to reinvigorate and heal the human mind and body by the use of sensory deprivation tanks (EXHIBITION ITEM 5). Studies have shown that this method of therapy is beneficial to individuals with mental health disorders as well as individuals with physical pains and pressures. Both Saving Venice and sensory deprivation tanks use materials in water to heal complexly designed individuals and structures by the use of terrestrial chemistry. The natural components of these substances only furthers the importance of using existing substances instead of cooking harmful ones up in a lab to create a synthetic approach. A company that is most interesting in the realm of materials and the natural world is bioMASON (EXHIBITION ITEM 6). This company is literally growing bricks that can be used for construction. (9) A brick farm in its simplest form. The outrageousness of this comes from a lengthy experimentation period where the biotechnology of how to form a strong brick from natural materials was truly pushed to the limits. Actualizing an idea like growing bricks is amazing in the world of architecture because many speculative designs regarding biotechnical aspects aren’t fully researched or developed. bioMASON is unique in the sense that they “achieve what many other examples of biotechnical architecture do not: an engagement with the post-avantgarde, post-utopian nature of contemporary innovation ecologies, and in a manner that resonates with those very conditions.” (10) Essentially, embracing the post avant garde is to realize the current situation and know that a revolutionary movement is not the answer to biotechnical design but rather taking an approach that evolves with time and research at a steady pace to produce a sustainable design method is the answer. The humbleness of this reflects the architect’s attention to detail and how they are aware that their work may impact design and construction methods. The project Tree Fab Hab by Terreform ONE (EXHIBITION ITEM 7) uses native trees as their main material to create cost-effective housing by inserting prefabricated building skeletons into the natural environment that allow the trees to grow on and around the structures and engulf them with their extremities. This project not only emphasizes the use of local materials over imported ones, but it also stresses the need for affordability in bio design. How can architects keep costs low but innovation with nature high? Tree Fab Hab tackles that question and even offers that they can become a model for Habitat for Humanity. This extends past cost saving methods and into the field of social responsibilities of architects. Not all architecture can be high class, high end. That is completely unaffordable and downright absurd. Architects have a responsibility to serve disadvantaged communities and deliver a similar caliber of architecture without generating the costs that surround the stigma of “high architecture”. Using locally sourced materials similar to Terreform ONE will help cut down those costs while still connecting the architecture back to the earth.
COMPUTATION
The technology of the 21st century allows architects to go beyond physical experimentation and look to computers to generate information about biological data and begin to inform the design process in a new light. Both projects Lumen (EXHIBITION ITEM 8) and Hylozoic Ground (EXHIBITION ITEM 9) are interested in the mechanical processes of generating designs that act as a singular unit and respond to the people moving through the project, similar to fundamental elements of the human body. While Lumen is made of a knitted mesh, Hylozoic Ground uses an abundance of two dimensional laser cut surfaces to layer into the installation. The connection between the synthetic construction and the natural world is like no other. The responsiveness of this style of architecture is carefully calculated through extensive research across many disciplines. Interactive architecture has been rapidly gaining popularity, but hardly in this light. The lightness in both these projects have a certain femininity to them while also keeping their mysteriousness intact. This architecture is subjective. It’s many interpretations are what make it so unique. Similarly, Architect Frei Otto designed light and airy structures. Otto was a pioneer of modern, lightweight, tent-like structures. (11) In an award winning documentary about his life, his work, and his beliefs, (12) it was stressed that this revolutionary architect thought that nature and architecture should be harmonious. Otto was interested in a real, new kind of thinking and wanted to make another kind of architecture through tensile structures. Additionally, he was concerned with his role as an architect in terms of his social responsibility and sought to be a minimalistic design with a strong awareness of cost and scale. One of his most minimal projects, the Munich Zoo Aviary (EXHIBITION ITEM 10), used the computational method of the tensile structure with a lightweight, almost invisible mesh to create a habitat that expanded beyond the confines of the aviary. Otto’s attention to detail demonstrates how he wanted everything to be in agreement with the laws of nature. Paying attention to the small details can make or break a design in the long run. And in terms of Frei Otto, he would always suggest that using less is producing more, producing a great effect on the inhabitants and the environment around it. To wrap up the idea of using computation of the natural world as a design method, it is important to note that before the invention of computers, Frei Otto used methods of analytical drawings to compute generative design methods. In his book Occupying and Connecting, Otto examines the evolution of form starting from the simple line to the complex grid. Ultimately he suggests that “the art of urban development requires knowledge of all living organisms in nature, of non-living nature, the present state, and the possibilities of technology.” (13)This suggestion pokes interest at themes of multidisciplinary and awareness of surroundings. There is so much more to architecture than the design of a project. It begins with a research and development period similar to Otto’s, paying close attention to the implications a design may have. This cannot be stressed enough. ALL DESIGN HAS IMPLICATIONS BOTH EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT, BOTH GOOD AND BAD. It is up to the architect to use their moral compass to navigate the design process and use the 3.8 billion years of research and development that is right outside their backdoor to make mindful decisions in their work.
EXHIB
BITION
In Greek mythology, Pygmalion is a sculptor. Pictured here is Pygmalion with an ivory sculpture of his. Originally he thought he “was not interested in women”(14) but ended up falling in love with his statue. The goddess of love, Aphrodite, brings her to life when Pygmalion kisses her. Pygmalion names her Galatea and they end up bearing a child together. A big critique of Pygmalion is the idea that he sculpted his “perfect woman” that physically did not exist. For centuries, the definition of a “perfect woman” has been challenged and reinvented many times. Many are not fond of the stigma that surrounds this and disagree that potential suitors have the ability to shape their perfect lover. This ancient myth also emphasizes how the breath of life is one of utmost beauty and how one may be brought to life through unconventional practices. Since the beginning of the human race, there has been a desire to bring more to life than just living organisms. This is a reflection of hylozoism. (15) In the case of Pygmalion, animation of solid ivory exemplifies the human desire to breathe life into everything around them in a response to their need for a lively surrounding atmosphere.
PYGMALION
greek mythology painting by Jean-Baptiste Regnault
Ensamble Studio is a cutting edge architectural firm interested in innovative approaches to research & practice and aim to develop a method of strategy through observing governing technologies of natural processes. Speaking specifically to their project, the Domo pictured here, the architects are especially cognizant of the ground and how it can be manipulated to create a mold to be filled. Using the natural properties of materials such as dirt, gravel, sand, etc, an angle of repose is explored and used to create a structurally sound configuration. The angle of repose is the steepest angle of descent or dip that a granular material can be piled or removed without slumping. The mold was created by digging giant craters in the ground onsite and reinforcing it with steel members and then pouring concrete into the molds until it was filled in up to the surrounding ground level. The Domo is a formal approach to using the properties of gravity to construct a stable structure in a unique but primitive way. In a lecture series at the Syracuse University School of Architecture, architect DĂŠbora Mesa, co-founder of Ensamble studio stated the Structures of Landscape series that the Domo was featured in was, “born from the ground.â€? (16) What might be even more compelling is how this structure born from the ground immediately reinserts itself to connect back with the existing landscape. Although it may seem monolithic in size, the Domo blends naturally into the landscape, making it the perfect candidate for advocating for the idea of learning from the earth.
DOMO
tippet rise art center, montana ensamble studios
This item in the exhibit is broken down into two parts. The larger project of the Jewel Changi Airport built by Safdie Architects houses the smaller Crystal Clouds art installation by Cao Perrot. However, it is appropriate to lead with the smaller art installation. Crystal Clouds designed by landscape artists Andy Cao and Xavier Perrot is comprised of 16 shimmering crystal clouds that greet visitors coming to the Jewel. (17) Suspended above the crowds of people, these clouds bring about a timeless lightness to the already lush design of the space around it. Completing the indoor oasis, Crystal Clouds plays off the formal interpretations of clouds passing through the sky. Cao Perrot specifically uses crystals in this project to create a mirage of light changes that evokes a sense of impermanence with each different shimmer and shine.
CRYSTAL CLOUDS
jewel changi airport, singapore cao perrot
The larger project in which the Crystal Clouds are contained is the Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore. Architect Moshe Safdie wanted to create “a new community-centric typology as the heart, and soul, of Changi Airport.� (18) The Jewel combines marketplace and garden to create an alternative universe separate from the rest of the city. This project is one of great scale and structural feats. Based on the geometric shape of a torus, the Jewel features a cylindrical waterfall gushing 150 feet to the ground. (19) That coupled with 5 stories and 72,000 square feet of every plant imaginable, this project is like no other. Even though airports are seen as international turf, the inclusion of such local elements and businesses gives the rest of the world a taste of Singapore and it gives Singaporians a sense of being home again. The aspect of the indoor garden reflects the biophilia hypothesis that all humans want to be connected to the natural world. Not only do humans learn and develop from Earth and life on Earth, but they also want to be one with nature as it is the root of all things, bringing peace to many. Biophilic design is different from biomimetic design in the aesthetical department because biophilic design relies on the appearance of nature rather than the internal workings of nature and living things.
JEWEL CHANGI AIRPORT singapore safdie architects
In a TedTalk titled “Architecture that repairs itself?”, scientist and architect Rachel Armstrong claims that metabolic materials (living materials producing or absorbing energy) can make the most of local resources to generate their existence from a bottom up approach.(20) The conversion of inert to living matter reexamines the stagnant materials currently used in the practice of architecture. In collaboration with architect Christian Kerrigan, Armstrong is fascinated with how these living materials can begin to repair parts of architecture that are already existing. And so, the project “Saving Venice” came to light. This project aims to use protocell technology to grow a limestone reef underneath the city to reinforce the wooden piles on which the city was built. The historic design of the city has lent itself to severe water damage as sea levels rise and continue to rise. This project would use the secretion from the protocells to build up layers of limestone around the wooden piles in a strategic way as the cells want to move away from the light and towards the dark depths of the city’s foundation. Terrestrial chemistry will allow existing architecture to become one with the earth again as the bond of these limestone buildups will not only stabilize the city rooted in water, but also encourage the local ecosystem to interact with these new structural elements below the surface. These metabolic materials that Rachel Armstrong talks about have the potential to alter the architect’s way of thinking in terms of connecting architecture and the natural world.
SAVING VENICE
venice, italy christian kerrigan in collaboration with rachel armstrong
Zooming into a smaller scale, the design and science behind sensory deprivation tanks can repair many aspects of the human body. This exhibition is less about the design of the tank itself and more about the effect of the material property of epsom salts and how they can repair the human mind and body. Epsom salt is purely magnesium sulfate, a common substance that has been used for treating many different ailments for the past few centuries. In a recent sensory deprivation tank study done by Clinical Neuropsychologist Justin Feinstein, Ph. D. who is also the director of the LIBR Float Clinic and Research Center, it was found that â&#x20AC;&#x153;beyond the immediate dissipation of anxiety, the float experience also induced a significant decrease (p < .0001) in self-reported stress, muscle tension, pain, depression, and negative affect, along with a significant increase (p < .0001) in serenity, relaxation, happiness, positive affect, overall well-being, energy levels, and feeling refreshed, content and peaceful.â&#x20AC;? (21) When the concept of sensory deprivation tanks came to fruition in 1954 by the ideation of American physician and neuroscientist John C. Lilly, limited research was conducted to solidify the benefits of this type of floating beyond how much epsom salt was needed to create a buoyancy that would leave the floater weightless, losing all sense of grounding. Since their popularity has grown, extensive research has been done similar to Dr. Feinsteinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to ground these assumptions about floating in reality. Sensory deprivation buoyancies are comparable to buoyancy levels in the Dead Sea. This correlation only furthers the idea of using naturally derived substances to treat the human mind and body in a holistic way and how these materials can alter the way architects and designers think about repairing the built environment with natural processes.
SENSORY DEPRIVATION TANK
john c. lilly and timothy leary
The company bioMASON reflects the newly developed concept of biotechnical architecture. Biotechnical architecture may differ from biomimetic architecture based on the increased emphasis of using technologies of living materials. This begins to replace previous ways of thinking about the technologies that govern emerging architecture.bioMason was founded by Ginger Krieg Dosier and Michael Dosier through their experimental architecture practice VergeLabs. Their story was captured by Australian architectural theorist Pia Ednie-Brown who describes bioMASON as a company that is “specialising in the biomanufacture of building materials and its architectural applications.” (22) Essentially, bioMASON uses bacteria, calcium chloride and urea and combines it with sand aggregate to create masonry bricks of immense biotechnical innovation. (23) This is a total game changer in the sense that the high carbon heat baking process is completely eliminated and instead explores how architects can begin to grow their necessary materials. The idea of “experimentation through materials” as Ednie-Brown puts it, begins to unpack not only how architecture can be multidisciplinary but how architects themselves can be multidisciplinary. For the Dosier couple, they “were also taking classes in molecular gastronomy, working with chefs using liquid nitrogen and experimenting with how some food techniques might be used in producing formwork.” Working simultaneously in the field of biology and/or chemistry, studying life and the composition of matter, architects can push the limits of design knowledge and intervention through a science-based approach.
bioMASON north carolina ginger krieg dosier
This unique project is “composed with 100% living nutrients.” (25) Fab Tree Hab is quite different from any other piece in the exhibition based on the fact that the materiality of this project uses wood that is purely manipulated based on the placement of trees that sculpt themselves around the homes. This shift away from chemically induced studies begins to examine the inner workings of the manipulation of trees and how these living constructions or arborsculptures (26) demonstrate a thoughtful approach to habitable structures.The way the trees are manipulated is by prefabricating CNC reusable scaffolds that allow the trees to grow on and around, intertwining themselves and letting the living structure become fully immersed in the ecological community. Additionally, the architects on this project claim, “this home concept is intended to replace the outdated design solutions at Habitat for Humanity.” (27) Because this type of construction is relatively inexpensive, there is no doubt the Fab Tree Hab would be a viable solution for affordable housing. This pokes interest at the architect’s responsibility to explore biomimetic/ biophilic/ biotechnic design strategies that are also cost saving. The science behind this design has been distilled down to an understandable amount that can be implemented with ease of funds and design complexity. That is not to say the design is not complex, but rather straightforward and simplistic in nature.
FAB TREE HAB terreform ONE
Jenny Sabin, designer of this project Lumen, is well known in the architectural world for her computational and mathematical approach to design interventions that relate to the natural world. Lumen embodies the essence of a canopy while exploring how the project defines itself as a largely woven cellular environment. Sabin makes note that Lumen resists “a biomimetic approach… Through direct references to the flexibility and sensitivity of the human body, Lumen integrates adaptive materials and architecture where code, pattern, human interaction, environment, geometry and matter operate together as a conceptual design space.” (28) It would be easy to make biomimetic references to this project with terms like “cell networks” populating its description, but Sabin is adamant that its references to social and environmental connections are more important. The collaboration between fundamental research and design pushes this project to its limits. The knitted materiality plays a large role in the language of the project and suggests that knitting is really the first form of 3D printing. (29) The computation of this project starts to chip away at the complex notions of near living architecture and how it responds to the world around, the inhabitants inside of it and what that begins to say about the project and its larger entities.
LUMEN
sabin design lab
Similar to Lumen, Hylozoic Ground is interested in the computational aspect of bionical data to respond to the environment around it. Designed by Architect Philip Beesley in collaboration with Dr. Rachel Armstrong (previously mentioned), Dr. Rob Gorbet, Martin Hanczyc, Pernilla Ohrstedt, and Hayley Isaacs, the gist of this project is that it “functions like a giant lung that breathes in and out around its occupants. Arrays of touch sensors and shape-memory alloy actuators (a type of non-motorized kinetic mechanism) create waves of empathic motion, luring visitors into the eerie shimmering depths of a mythical landscape, a fragile forest of light.”(30) This dramatic approach to computational, biotechnical architecture makes use of laser cutting to produce an intricately woven field of branch-like members. The animation of Hylozoic Ground brings about feelings of emotion and poetry as those who experience it have seen nothing of the sort before. Like many other projects across this exhibition, many disciplines have been deployed to create a holistic project that can be interpreted in many ways. These fields of discipline include sustainable design, geotextiles, material science, environmental engineering, robotics, psychology, and -what is most interesting- biotechnology. Beesley wrote many books on projects and research in his many realms of architectural interests. One thing remains constant across the board however. His projects “work to catch and inject matter, accumulating density and eventually forming a hybrid turf.” (31) The idea of a hybrid turf combines biology and technology (as well as design) in a seamless manner, able to adapt to any condition. Hybridity in architecture is not a new concept, but the dive into the hybridity of biotechnology and architecture has barely scratched the surface.
HYLOZOIC GROUND philip beesley
Frei Otto’s work at the Munich Zoo included an extensive but mimial enclosure for the birds in the aviary. Otto’s dedication to be ethically minimal is demonstrated well here as the enclosure almost vanishes into the surrounding landscape. Using his inventive method of tensile structures, Otto created a lightweight skin for the aviary, with only the support poles and thin mesh being visible. Additionally, Otto believed that the structure and the form of it should be unified and, in the case of the Munich Zoo Aviary, that meant adopting an organic variation. The silhouette hugs the trees in just the right places but the minimal meshing lets one believe the aviary goes on forever. Known as the young tent builder, Frei Otto was concerned with architecture’s harmonious connection with nature and flexibility these tensile structures allowed. Ultimately, Otto wanted to do more with less given that earth has limited resources but humans have unlimited needs. He was a very future thinking architect from that perspective in the respect that he was planning for a sustainable future. Otto’s feelings towards his social responsibilities were of utmost importance to him. Otto roots his beliefs in biophilic tendencies but pushes it beyond “green architecture” or biomimetics and instead calls architects to be aware of their implications on society above anything else.
MUNICH ZOO AVIARY
munich, germany frei otto
CONCLUSION
Architects of the biodesign realm are not interested in creating a whole new world, but rather interested in employing various techniques of research, development, and design into their work to create impactful designs that alter the way architecture is thought about in regards to the natural world. To go back to Diane Ackerman’s book The Human Age, it is stated that “we’ve turned the landscape into another form of architecture; we’ve made the planet our sandbox.” (32) A sandbox is filled with germs and completely tan. The planet should not be regarded or treated as a sandbox. There has been a lot of stress recently on the lasting impact of humans on the world in regards to climate change and sustainability. Extensive measures have been taken to reverse some of the damage that has been done but not nearly enough. This is not a call for all architects to take up green, sustainable architecture methods, but rather a critique on how architects are currently viewing the earth and its connection to architecture. The responsibility of an architect goes far beyond the design of a structure. There are social, economic, political, environmental, etc implications of the architect and their architecture. The power an architect possesses is one of great strength. Elements explored in this essay about biodesign should be considered by all architects to create a cohesive architecture that is alive and bountiful. The ball is now in your court, what are you going to do with it?
ENDNOTES 1. Ackerman, Diane. The Human Age. Toronto: Harpercollins Canada, 2015. 2. See note 1. 3. Pawlyn, Michael. “’Soft and Hairy’ Architecture: Why Designs should Embrace Nature.” FT.Com (Oct 14, 2016). https://search-proquest-com.libezproxy2.syr.edu/ docview/1838650508?accountid=14214 4. Wilson, Edward O. Biophilia. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1984. 5. Myers, William, and Paola Antonelli. Biodesign: Nature, Science, Creativity. London: Thames &amp; Hudson, 2014. 6. Anderson, W. S. 1972. Ovid’s Metamorphoses: Books 6-10. Norman. 7. Beesley, Philip, and Rachel Armstrong. Near-Living Architecture: Work in Progress from the Hylozoic Ground Collaboration, 2011-2013. Toronto, Ontario: Riverside Architectural Press, 2014. 8. López, Marlén, Ramón Rubio, Santiago Martín, and Ben Croxford. “How Plants Inspire Façades. From Plants to Architecture: Biomimetic Principles for the Development of Adaptive Architectural Envelopes.” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 67 (2017): 692–703. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.rser.2016.09.018. 9. “Building with Nature.” bioMASON. Accessed May 3, 2020. https://www.biomason.com/. 10. Ednie-Brown, Pia. “BioMASON and the Speculative Engagements of Biotechnical Architecture.” Architectural Design 83, no. 1 (2013): 84–91. https://doi.org/10.1002/ad.1529. 11. “Frei Otto || Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureates.” The Pritzker Architecture Prize. Accessed May 2, 2020. https://www.pritzkerprize.com/laureates/frei-otto. 12. Chiu, Simon K., and Michael Paglia. Frei Otto: Spanning the Future. Frei Otto Film. Tensile Evolution North America, 2015. freiottofilm.com. 13. Otto, Frei. Occupying and Connecting: Thoughts on Territories and Spheres of Influence with Particular Reference to Human Settlement. Stuttgart: Ed. Menges, 2011. 14. See Note 6. 15. Beesley, Philip, and Rachel Armstrong. Near-Living Architecture: Work in Progress from the Hylozoic Ground Collaboration, 2011-2013. Toronto, Ontario: Riverside Architectural Press, 2014. 16. Mesa, Débora, “Ensamble Studio: On/Site – Off/Site” (2018). School of Architecture Lectures Series. 173.https://surface.syr.edu/architecture_lectures/173 17. CAO PERROT. Accessed May 3, 2020. https://www.caoperrotstudio.com/. 18. “Jewel Changi Airport.” Safdie Architects. Accessed May 4, 2020. https://www.safdiearchitects. com/projects/jewel-changi-airport. 19. “Changi Airport is Singapore’s crown jewel.” AirGuide Business 20 May 2019. Business Insights: Essentials. Web. 3 May 2020. 20. Armstrong, Rachel. “Architecture That Repairs Itself?” TED. Accessed May 3, 2020. https://www. ted.com/talks/rachel_armstrong_architecture_that_repairs_itself?language=en. 21. Feinstein, Justin S., Sahib S. Khalsa, Hung-Wen Yeh, Colleen Wohlrab, W. Kyle Simmons, Murray B. Stein, and Martin P. Paulus. “Examining the Short-Term Anxiolytic and Antidepressant Effect of Floatation-REST.” Plos One 13, no. 2 (February 2018). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0190292. 22. Ednie-Brown, Pia. “BioMASON and the Speculative Engagements of Biotechnical Architecture.” Architectural Design 83, no. 1 (2013): 84–91. https://doi.org/10.1002/ad.1529. 23.“Building with Nature.” bioMASON. Accessed May 3, 2020. https://www.biomason.com/.
24. Quotes from the author’s interview with Ginger Krieg Dosier, January 2012. Ednie-Brown, Pia. “BioMASON and the Speculative Engagements of Biotechnical Architecture.” Architectural Design 83, no. 1 (2013): 84–91. https://doi.org/10.1002/ad.1529. 25. Joachim, Mitchell. “Fab Tree Hab.” Terreform. Accessed May 3, 2020. http://www.terreform.org/ projects_habitat_fab.html. 26. COGDELL, CHRISTINA. TOWARD A LIVING ARCHITECTURE?: Complexism and Biology in Generative Design. Place of publication not identified: UNIV OF MINNESOTA Press, 2019. 27. See note 25. 28. “Lumen.” Jenny Sabin Studio. Accessed May 3, 2020. https://www.jennysabin.com/lumen. 29. Archinet. “Il[LUMEN]Ating; A Conversation with the Winner of 2017’s MoMA PS1 YAP.” Accessed May 4, 2020. https://soundcloud.com/archinect/illumenating-a-conversation-with-the-winner-of2017s-moma-ps1-yap. 30. Beesley Architect Inc, Philip. “Hylozoic Ground.” Philip Beesley Architect Inc. | Sculptures & Projects. Accessed May 2, 2020. http://www.philipbeesleyarchitect.com/sculptures/0929_Hylozoic_ Ground_Venice/. 31. Beesley, Philip. Kinetic Architectures & Geotextile Installations. Cambridge, Ont.: Riverside Architectural, 2011. 32. Ackerman, Diane. The Human Age. Toronto: Harpercollins Canada, 2015.
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