Biodesign: exploring the intersection of art, design, biology and sustainability

Description: 

Explore biodesign concepts through presentations and discussions. Practitioners from diverse backgrounds, ranging from industry to academia, will address various topics related to biodesign, including bioart, biofabrication and biomimicry and will feature the showcase of contemporary and innovative projects.

Morning Speaker: 

Title: Raw. Programmable Matter, Culture, & Nature

Maria Paz Gutierrez, M.Arch., Associate Professor, University of California, Berkeley

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Maria Paz Gutierrez, Associate Professor in the College of Environmental Design at the University of California at Berkeley

Presentation Description: 

The frontier of natural material invention is experiencing exponential growth. As costs of synthetic matter continue to rise, and environmental awareness increases, the innovation of carbon-neutral materials is ever more attractive. Traditionally, natural materials and techniques in the built environment have relied on onsite experimentation and skilled labor, often paired with insufficient technical data, specifications, and standardization. While this tradition has supported creative economies, craft, and local sourcing of sustainable materials, 21st-century environmental and socioeconomic demands are unprecedented. Natural materials must also deliver on cost performance and supply for mainstream uptake to become competitive for future applications. Advances from the nano to the large scale in material computation and digital fabrication provide radically new opportunities in cost and supply mainstream uptake for natural materials. From cellulose nanofibers to implantable devices, the domain of natural materials innovation strives to create paradigm shifts in multifunctional capabilities of matter and opens new prospects for exploring the material culture and the reclamation of traditional craft.

As we strive to advance multifunctional capabilities from mechanics to interfacing, we are programming natural materials for unprecedented functionalities. This presentation will discuss the work of M. P. Gutierrez's research (BIOMS group founder) in the frontier of natural material innovation addressing health, environmental, and socioeconomic paradigms in future material cultures. Her work inquires new functionalities of soft matter exploring the architectures, science, and manufacturing of natural powders and fibers, including proteins, polysaccharides, and alginates. Gutierrez’s work centers on the interface and scalability gaps present from the nano and macro scale lengths in shaping new concepts and technologies in the design, engineering, and science of programmable natural materials. The presentation will address this frontier through her ongoing research integrating live organisms and natural materials, including Microengineered Lichen blocks and multiscale 3D printing/weaving of medicinal and flood-resistant cork waste panels.

Morning Speaker: 

Title: Guidelines for bio-inspired design that raises awareness about air quality

Elena Brebenel, M.F.A., Assistant Professor, Kent State University

Afternoon Speaker:

Amy M. YoungsAssociate Professor of Art, The Ohio State University

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Amy Youngs

Organizer: 

Margarita Benitez, M.F.A., Associate Professor, Kent State University

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Margarita Benitez