Living Construction

Modern biotechnologies give designers unprecedented control over the fundamental building blocks of life, with emerging fields such as synthetic biology offering the promise of new sustainable materials and structures. This book bridges design speculation and scientific reality and explores how living cells construct and transform materials through fabrication and assembly methods, providing real-world examples for designers to utilize.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 106 pages
\n Publication date: 29 October 2020
\n Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
\n

Modern biotechnologies have granted us an unprecedented level of control over the fundamental building blocks of life. For designers across various disciplines, emerging fields such as synthetic biology present exciting opportunities to create new sustainable materials and structures that can be grown, self-assemble, self-heal, and adapt to changing conditions. While there is a vibrant speculative discourse surrounding the future of design in the age of biotechnology, there are limited realized design applications.

This book, the first in the Bio Design series, serves as a crucial bridge between design speculation and scientific reality, connecting contemporary design thinking in fields such as architecture, product design, and fashion design with the traditional engineering approaches that currently dominate biotechnologies. Packed with real-world examples, Living Construction unveils how living cells construct and transform materials through methods of fabrication and assembly at multiple scales, and how designers can harness these processes to create innovative and sustainable designs.

Living Construction explores the potential of biotechnologies to revolutionize the construction industry by introducing self-assembling and self-healing materials. It discusses the use of living cells as construction agents, capable of fabricating structures at a scale that is not feasible with traditional construction methods. The book showcases examples of living cell-based construction projects, including biocomposite materials, self-regenerating buildings, and even living walls that can purify air and reduce carbon emissions.

Furthermore, Living Construction explores the role of design in shaping the future of biotechnologies. It discusses how designers can leverage their expertise to create new materials, structures, and systems that are both sustainable and aesthetically pleasing. The book emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, where designers, scientists, engineers, and biologists work together to push the boundaries of what is possible in the field of biotechnologies.

In conclusion, Living Construction is a groundbreaking book that provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the emerging field of bio design. It offers designers a valuable perspective on the potential of biotechnologies to create sustainable and innovative designs, and serves as a call to action for the construction industry to embrace the power of living cells in building the future.

\n Weight: 166g\n
Dimension: 126 x 195 x 11 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781138363038\n \n