Jotanovic, Nina; (2023) Biogenic Architecture: Biomineralisation as an Emerging Material Practice. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

With significant progress in material science, the last century has introduced numerous advances in architecture. While a vast array of synthetic materials for architectural use has been created, most of these materials have limitations that need to be urgently addressed. Their industrialised manufacturing processes entail harsh conditions, extreme pH levels and elevated pressure and temperature, which are highly unsustainable. As the consequences of such processes are progressively becoming tangible, it is critical to rethink routes of material creation to mitigate some of these effects. Beyond environmental damage, many synthetic materials often exhibit perceptual uniformity when compared to natural ones, undermining certain aspects of human sensory experience. New processes of material creation, where biology acts as a model and a method, are crucial to address both challenges. In nature, a process of biomineralisation creates solid materials with exquisite perceptual and performative properties under environmentally benign conditions. This research thesis explores how adopting principles of biomineralisation in laboratory and design processes offers methods to shift manufacturing techniques, with the aim of creating a new generation of materials able to positively participate in the Earth’s cycles and, concurrently, enhance perceptual stimulation. Through simultaneous employment of lab and design experiments, the work here uncovers potential routes of applying biomineralisation to produce a thin outermost layer of architectural materials. These microscopically bulky biogenic coverings differ from the conventional understanding of architectural coatings through their performative aspects, notably their capacity for biogeochemical interaction. Material appearance, inherent to the growth process, is further explored with the aim of augmenting perceptual stimulation through surface-light interactions. Three-dimensional bulkiness and precise ordering within the material microstructure together with biological integration are found to be two key principles for biomineralised thin materials to offer performative and perceptual possibilities to address some of the current material challenges in architecture.

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