The Biodesign competition is a a two week long sprint, seeking bold and innovative visions for the future of construction at the intersection of the physical, the digital and the biological.
We seek radical visions for the following categories:
- A. Spaces for living – Single family home in the suburbs – Multi-family apartment in the city – Informal settlement or slums in the context of an emerging economy – In situ revitalization of abandoned buildings in the context of cities with declining population
- B. Spaces for learning or healing – Visions for primary or secondary schools – Novel typologies for wellness institutes
We encourage participants to consider the following questions while thinking about their designs:
WHAT recent technological developments will enable such a transformation?
WHY do you think these technologies will transform construction industry? What value do you see in such a paradigm shift? Will the buildings generate their own energy or aid wellness?
HOW will they transform the construction process ? Will buildings be grown instead of assembled?
The winners will be announced on September 6th 2016.
Construction processes have evolved significantly since humans first started building settlements in the neolithic age. From the earliest settlements made from naturally occurring materials like stone, wood and mud to the complex buildings constructed today as an assemblage of mass produced building elements, developments in science and technology have been pivotal in how we shape our built environment. Yet the very nature of construction today is not very different from when humans first started building. Buildings are still made from thousands of smaller parts that come together as discrete layered systems. The buildings that come out of this paradigm have been proven to negatively impact our health as well as the health of the planet.
Technologically we stand at the verge of a paradigm shift that is going to transform construction industry and our built habitat in a way we had never imagined before. This fourth industrial revolution fuses together the spheres of the physical, the digital and the biological. Emerging developments in synthetic biology, computational design, bio-printing and materials engineering amongst other disciplines already promise a future where our bodies and the buildings we inhabit are in a symbiotic relationship. Companies leveraging on these developments have offered the industry a glimpse of such a future with solutions ranging from facade panels that utilize algae for generating biofuel to bricks made out of mycelium mushroom. Yet this is just a scratch on the surface and the possibilities are endless. Such a future will open up doors to a build habitat that is truly net positive, both for our bodies as well as for our environment.
Historically, developments in technology have always spurred the designer’s imagination, from the advent of steel construction (that led to the skyscraper revolution) or concrete (Maison Domino and its role in making concrete ubiquitous) to the emergence of the plastics industry ( Monsanto house and Alison & Peter Smithson’s ‘Home of the Future). Continuing this tradition we seek radical visions for the future of construction industry that merges together the domains of the physical, the digital and the biological. We encourage bold ideas from individuals and teams that imagine what such a future could look like.
Title
Biodesign CompetitionType
Competition Announcement (Ideas)Organizers
Registration Deadline
August 31, 2016 11:30 PMSubmission Deadline
August 31, 2016 11:30 PMPrice
Free