We are at a cusp of change in the way in which we fundamentally understand the opportunity which living materials present today.  We are also at a very exciting juncture when it comes to the latest developments to integrate smart materials into our built environment. For example, façades with shape memory alloys which react to the environment in such a way that they actively move to shade a building without electricity, could be a reality 2-3 years from now. On the other hand, we are just scratching the surface in how we imagine living systems interfacing with non-living materials, enabled by digital fabrication, such as 3D printed structures integrated with bacteria to sequester CO2 from the atmosphere. The opportunities are almost endless.

What is the newest, most radical transdisciplinary work at the nexus of architecture, biology and design all about? Can we envision modern architecture with life in structural components? What new materials do we need to execute new functions, and what are the new functions we foresee?

Watch this session, a part of the Berlin Science Week 2021 and ETH Zurich’s RETHINKING Living series, to learn more about the different levels of readiness for implementation and timescales involved in the ongoing work in this fascinating field.