InterspeciesForms the hybridization of architectural, biological and robotic agencies

Abstract

Situated in the field of architectural biodesign, InterspeciesForms explores a closer relationship between the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus and the designer in the creation of form. The intention of hybridizing mycelia’s agency of growth with architectural design aesthetic, is to generate novel, non- indexical crossbred designed outcomes. The purpose of this research to advance architecture's existing relationship with the biological and evolve preconceived notions of form. In order to establish a direct dialogue between architectural and mycelia agencies, robotic feedback systems are implemented to extract data from the physical realm and feed it into the digital. Initiating this cyclic feedback system, mycelia growth is scanned in order to computationally visualize its entangled network and agency of growth. Utilizing mycelia’s physical data as impute, the architect then embeds design intention into this process through customized algorithms based on the logic of stigmergy. In order to bring this cross-bred computational outcome back into the physical realm, form is 3D printed with a customized mixture of mycelium and agricultural waste. Once the geometry has been extruded, the robot patiently waits for the mycelia to grow and react to the organic 3D- printed compound. The architect then responds with a countermove, by scanning this new growth and continuing the cyclic feedback system between nature-machine and the architect. This procedure demonstrates form emerging in real time according to the co-creational design process and dynamic dialogue between architectural and mycelia agencies.