Physarum Polycephalum
This project drives an agenda for greater environmental awareness and stewardship, leveraging nature in the design process. Utilising the intelligence of slime mold, the project explores a “form of computation” that enables materials to self-organise and solve structural stability problems analogously. This concept addresses the societal instability caused by climate change.
Project type
Architecture, Design Research
Date
May 2024
Status
Concept design
Date
Exploring biological artificial intelligence
Awards
Nominated for the AJ Student Prize 2024 (Postgraduate)
Masterplan
The program integrates stewardship into daily life by connecting externalised objects, architectures, and technical expressions to memory (Ballantyne and Smith, 2012). The built environment will keep individuals attuned to local climate data, encouraging a muscle memory response to environmental changes. In times of worsening pollution or ecological impact, people will be motivated to reduce their individual carbon footprints, contributing to a collective good.
Educational Aspiration
The project aims to be an educational hub within nature, a center for knowledge exchange, raising awareness about current environmental conditions. It seeks to improve stewardship for the benefit of wildlife, ecosystems, and the longevity of human existence. This is crucial as resource depletion threatens future generations.
Biological Artificial Intelligence
In our era of ecological, economic, and social turmoil, the project explores alternative architectural practices that align urban design with nature’s problem-solving abilities. Specifically, it examines the quorum sensing ability of slime mold to influence the masterplan and design. This involves testing slime mold behaviour and developing methodologies to apply these insights to architectural processes.
Data and Energy
Balancing environmental research with data storage needs presents challenges, especially as data servers increase energy consumption. The project aims to reduce wasted energy through heat recovery systems from data servers, optimising environmental control for performance. Additionally, data security is paramount, protecting physical and digital assets from attacks while ensuring public transparency to promote environmental stewardship.
Conclusion
Balancing environmental research with data storage needs presents challenges, especially as data servers increase energy consumption. The project aims to reduce wasted energy through heat recovery systems from data servers, optimising environmental control for performance. Additionally, data security is paramount, protecting physical and digital assets from attacks while ensuring public transparency to promote environmental stewardship.
