top of page
Writer's picturedilan özkan

The tension between mycelia growth and design agency

Updated: Aug 1, 2021

Natalie Alima (BIOLAB/ Rmit)

Natalie Alimas’ PhD research focuses on real-time robotic feedback systems developed between industrial robots, biological materials and computational design. By establishing a direct dialogue between the digital and physical realms, data is extracted from the organism in order to generate algorithmic computational behaviours. This material centric design approach aims to create a new set of highly volatile and strange geometries which are fabricated in real time. Natalie is the creator of BioLab Studios, a design studio taught at both RMIT and Monash University. This research explores mycelia growth in its application to architecture and design.





Project Description

This research presents techniques in which real-time feedback is developed between industrial robots, biological materials and multi-agent algorithms. By allowing these mediums to act as co-creators within the design process, my research questions what the design implications are when enabling biological growth to contribute to the creation of form. It therefore posits a strategy in which the troubled relationship between architecture, form and nature is being re-exposed in the development of live feedback systems. In order to establish a direct dialogue between the digital and physical realms, data is extracted from mycelium in order to generate algorithmic computational behaviours. Mycelium is therefore enabled to become a co-creator within the design process as its chemical characteristics and patterns of growth dictate computational shape. These forms showcase a new set of highly volatile and strange design tectonics that may only emerge from fusing computational technologies and unrestrained nature until the two become indistinguishable.



322 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page