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Abstract‘Bio Scaffolds’ explores a series of design tectonics that emerge from a co-creation between human, machine and natural intelligences. This research establishes an integral connection between form and materiality by enabling biological materials to become a co-creator within the design and fabrication process. In this research paper, we explore a hybrid between architectural aesthetics and biological agency by choreographing natural growth through form. ‘Bio Scaffolds’ explores a series of 3D printed biodegradable scaffolds that orchestrate both Mycelia growth and degradation through form. A robotic arm is introduced into the system that can respond to the organism’s natural behavior by injecting additional Mycelium culture into a series of sacrificial frameworks. Equipped with computer vision systems, feedback controls, scanning processes and a multi-functional end-effector, the machine tends to nature by reacting to its patterns of growth, moisture, and color variation. Using this cybernetic intelligence, developed between human, machine, and Mycelium, our intention is to generate unexpected structural and morphological forms that are represented via a series of 3D printed Mycelium enclosures. ‘Bio Scaffolds’ explores an interplay between biological and computational complexity through non anthropocentric micro habitats.

InterspeciesForms hybridizes mycelia’s agency of growth with architectural de-sign intention in the generation of novel, crossbred designed outcomes. In order to establish a direct dialogue between architectural and mycelia agencies, robotic feedback systems are implemented to extract data from the physical and feed it in-to the digital realm. Initiating this cyclic feedback system, mycelia growth is scanned in order to computationally visualize its entangled network and agency. Based on the logic of stigmergy, computational agents trace around the organisms patterns of growth, forming entangled and complex networks. Through this unification of biological growth and computational agencies, non-indexical crossbred outcomes begin to emerge. Bringing this hybridized computational form 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 living extrusions. The architect then responds with a countermove by scanning this new growth and continuing the cyclic feedback system between nature-machine and architect. This procedure demonstrates form emerging in real time according to the co-creational design process and dialogue between architectural and mycelia agencies.

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.

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