Bio Design: Growing the Future Design Futures Design Melanie Glöckler
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Bio Design: Growing the Future Design Futures Design Melanie Glöckler Nature fuses with science in biofacturing, a cutting-edge approach to design Neri Oxman and manufacture that sees products and systems not made, but grown Overview – Biofacturing – biological manufacturing – is a system of production that sees humans working with nature to grow materials and objects – It can be split into two distinct, top-level approaches: makers and artists who work with nature very directly; and scientists, engineers and designers working in the growing area of synthetic biology – From lab-grown luxuries such as leather and diamonds to more earthy processes and applications, biofacturing is set to make an impact across multiple industries and at varied market levels – Key materials for biofacturing design include algae, bacteria and mycelium, all of which are fast-growing organisms that are (relatively) simple to work with – As consumers become more sustainably minded, biofacturing methods will also begin to enter the home, particularly for food, drink and nutrition Jen Keane From Made to Grown "Over 3.8 billion years, biology has evolved In general, natural materials are more likely to rapid-prototype, recycle and replenish to be biodegradable or renewable, better than any system ever engineered by answering growing consumer concerns humans," says Natsai Audrey Chieza, around sustainability. The specific output of founder of biodesign company Faber biofacturing also theoretically cuts down on Futures. "What if we could harness the waste, as products can be grown to fit the inherent intelligence of nature, to make needs of the user more closely. things from living systems?" As noted in Key Ideas: London Design That, in a nutshell, is the premise of Degree Shows 2018, symbiotic systems are Burg Halle biofacturing. Loosely defined as any an emerging focus for the designers – and manufacturing method that works the consumers – of tomorrow. In a time of symbiotically with biology, biofacturing limited resources and growing global fuses the craft of working directly with needs, biofacturing is a way to live in a way nature with the science of engineering a that is more closely linked to nature, while product for optimum fit and functionality. still fulfilling modern expectations. While some practitioners work directly with MIT scientist and designer Neri Oxman the land, such as growing trees into a believes we are "moving from the age of specific shape, others are working in lab the machine to the age of the organism". Faber Futures settings to harness the capabilities of Speaking at Design Indaba 2018, she asked: dynamic organisms such as mushroom "What does it mean for designers to grow roots, bacteria and algae. objects rather than assemble them?" Biofacturing is not only an innovative Over the next few decades, we'll find out. manufacturing method. It could also be the In this report, we explore some of the answer to many global challenges, as well solutions emerging already and their as a number of rising consumer priorities. potential impact on design and lifestyle. Jen Keane Working With Nature Since the Industrial Revolution, we have become used to products that are mass- manufactured to ever more perfect consistency. Biofacturing changes that: although designers can steer organisms in certain directions, the specifics of the pattern, colour or shape will often – and naturally – be slightly different each time. Designers are celebrating the poetry of this unpredictability. The results can be unexpectedly beautiful. Carole Collet's Carole Collet 'self-patterned' Mycelium Rubber organises into rose shapes of its own accord. Full Grown Laura Pelizzari grows algae into patterns using light; the algae will follow the shape of the picture placed beneath it, but the final effect will vary based on the process. Gavin Munro's Full Grown chairs – grown as trees and harvested directly into furniture – are equally unique, each telling a story of seasons, soil and growth. Neri Oxman's Vespers masks are pigmented according to the breath of their user, and the shape and intensity of the colour that develops will be different in each one. Laura Pelizzari Neri Oxman Co-Creators: Algae Fast-growing, plentiful and super versatile, algae is emerging as a super-material of the near-future, and could have multiple applications across design. At Milan Design Week, exhibition Microbes II: A Day Made of Algae explored how the micro-organisms could be used to make products as varied as footwear, textiles and nutritional solutions. Melanie Glöckler experimented with ways to 'semi- manufacture' algae into textile pieces using Melanie Glöckler vortex technology, or to 'deep draw' it into shaped products using plastic moulds. Dorothea Lang Dorothea Lang's project, Dynamic Agar, presents experimental research into shape- changing systems made from agar-based bioplastic, which is derived from red algae. Atelier Luma's Algae Lab works algae into solid pieces for the home. The foundation's small-scale manufacture facilities produce tableware that recalls fine Venetian glass in warm, glowing shades of gold or rose gold, elevating the aesthetic of this material beyond its 'green and slimy' associations. Melanie Glöckler AlgaeLab Co-Creators: Bacteria Bacterial manufacture is being explored by designers as a way to create customisable, responsive, and even living products. Bioweave by Jen Keane is a 'microbial weaving' system that grows bacteria on a loom-like framework threaded with yarn. The bacteria acts as the weft, gradually solidifying the structure so it can then be folded into a 3D object such as a shoe. Developed for the University of Edinburgh's Biodesign Challenge 2018, Plass is a concept for a company that would embed a Jen Keane Bioweave by Jen Keane strain of bacteria (bacillus subtilis) within a biodegradable bioplastic. The bacteria can then be germinated when the product reaches the end of its use, triggering natural degradation back into the environment. Puma, MIT and Biorealize have collaborated on a range of future concepts that explore how bacteria could make products more adaptive. The Breathing Shoe features a bacteria-infused material, which can be strategically 'eaten' by the bacteria to create ventilation when the user needs it. Luis Sousa, Finn Ickler & Jessica Nirkko Biorealize x Puma x MIT Design Lab Co-Creators: Mycelium Mushroom root networks are the organisms behind mycelium, a spongy, foam-like material that is being grown into furniture, tableware and lighting. Ecovative is one of the most established companies working in this field. In a talk at SXSW 2018, the brand's chief scientist outlined how it is using mycelium within applications as varied as housing, lighting design and even wearable tech. Silvio Tinello's bioaggregate takes advantage of mycelium's strengths as a natural binder, combining it with waste Silvio Tinello yerba mate substrate to create a 100% biodegradable material for home products. At the London Design Festival 2017, furniture designer Sebastian Cox staged a 'biofacture laboratory', growing lighting and stools from mycelium and timber for a tactile new hybrid. In another inventive hybrid, Ruben Strahl combines mycelium with bacterial calcium carbonate. The bacteria provides symbiotic stability to the mycelium, enabling the stool to be grown in air and fed by a nutrient fog. Ruben Strahl Sebastian Cox x Ninela Ivanova Co-Creators: Sea & Sediment Embracing the unpredictability of biofacturing to its fullest, designers are leaving products to be shaped and surfaced by the sea. Erez Nevi Pana's vegan design collection includes a stool that has been upholstered by layers of crystallised salt, built up by submersion in the sodium-rich Dead Sea. Tom Dixon experimented with biofacturing Erez Nevi Pana almost by accident. After plunging some unsold chairs into a bay in Miami, partly to see what would happen and partly to save Erez Nevi Pana on storage costs, the designer submerged eight more chairs in the Bahamas in 2012, then passed a current through the steel to accelerate the build-up of limestone so it formed a fuzzy surface coating. Aurore Piette's project, Marecreo: Made by Nature, uses the energy of waves to craft artefacts. Described by the designer as "a natural craft atelier, rising against the industrial way of production", the approach harvests the energy found in nature, applying the ideology of clean energy to design and production. Tom Dixon Tom Dixon Aurore Piette Bio Luxuries As the aesthetic and functional qualities of biofacturing advance, it is already finding a place in the luxury automotive industry. Launched in April 2018, the high-end Rolls- Royce Adamas car collection features 88 lab-grown diamonds arranged in an infinity symbol within the dashboard clock. Luxury electric car design is focusing on vegan leather. In June 2018, Tesla announced all of its cars would be upholstered in vegan leather by default, although the steering wheel will still be Rolls-Royce leather, unless specified. Fisker began offering vegan leather options for its cars in 2009, and continues this in the Emotion, which launched at CES in January. While the vegan leathers used in the auto industry are primarily plastic-based, high- grade, new biofactured launches point to a radically natural auto future. Bolt Threads' Mylo is made of mycelium cells that have self-assembled into a material that looks and feels like premium leather, but can be grown in days rather than years. Mylo is also biodegradable and non-toxic. Bolt Threads Home Grown Future-forward design concepts are considering how biofacturing could work in a DIY home environment. At Milan Design Week 2018, Ina Turinsky and Andreas Wagner showed Nutrient Solution, a speculative project exploring how microalgae could be grown in the home. The countertop chamber is fed with human saliva and breath over 14 days, and then consumed as a bespoke nutrient. Nelson Noll's concept appliance, Heka, is a home-brew kit for intestinal bacteria.