16:30 rC7 MyColoofah

Students: Hanshu Jia, Anqi Pei and Arunima Kalra

Design: Richard Beckett , Chris Whiteside

Technical: Juan Cantu, Eleana Polychronaki

Theory: Yota Adilenidou

Operating within the discourse of biodigital design, Loofatecture II addresses contemporary built environment challenges of material resource, and low urban biodiversity. Western-centric obsessions with permeance and sterility has favoured the development of material composites that are resistant to ageing, decay or biological growth through the use of chemical or synthetic agents. These materials are unable to be reused or recycled and as the average lifespans of buildings is reducing, are mostly ending up in land fill. In line with these ecological and material insecurities, the project explores the use of hybrid living materials as low-energy, rapidly renewable building materials. Hybrid composite materials are ‘grown’ together comprising mycelium, loofah and grass roots exploring a more biological, non-permanent architecture. These materials engage with circular material economies which can reduce the impact of architecture and construction on climate challenges. Yet they can also serve as bioreceptive substrates for the secondary growth of photosynthetic organisms that can contribute to carbon reduction and increase biodiversity in cities.