With the increasing need for architectural sustainability, biodesign offers a new approach to incorporating living organisms in building materials. Bacteria hold a range of biological activities that impact their environment, and which could enable the solidification of inorganic materials; this has already been seen with microbially-induced carbonate precipitation that strengthens bonds between sand particles. This paper describes the novel development of an additive co-fabrication manufacturing process, demonstrating an interdisciplinary approach of architecture and microbiology. Specifically, the activity of a biological deposition (i.e., cyanobacterial calcium carbonate precipitation) and its integration with that of a robotic deposition (i.e., a sand-based biomixture) within an architectural biofabrication workflow. Two bacterial strains were successfully grown in potential sand-based construction materials. Microbiological protocols, such as optical density and fluorescence measurements, were then applied to identify parameters, for harvesting light through photosynthesis and harnessing it to the sedimentation of calcium carbonate. Assessments of the proposed mechanical delivery system and printing properties enabled the outlining of a suitable robotic deposition system for sand-based mixtures. Through examinations of these microbiological and mechanical protocols, this paper outlines design strategies and tradeoffs for an integrated workflow, that corresponds with both the biological (micro) and architectural (macro) scales.

Biodesign is an emerging field that brings together a wide range of practices, connecting fundamental research, applied sciences and creative approaches. Within this spectrum, a tension exists between instrumental uses of biological processes and a growing sensibility that acknowledges the agency of living materials and organisms. This study proposes reconciliation as a guiding concept for biodesign, understood not as a metaphorical gesture but as a concrete and plural perspective that promotes species coexistence and conservation. We contextualise reconciliation through restoration, reciprocity and relationality as distinctive yet interconnected design and ecological principles that extend beyond normative human exchange, promoting multispecies coexistence. Through a mix of reflexive thematic synthesis and the analysis of selected case studies derived from the authors’ own projects, employed as a practice-based methodological inquiry and primary source of empirical and reflective insight, we explore how reconciliation is enacted and experienced in practice. Finally, we propose a conceptual framework to address reconciliation in biodesign, offering guiding concepts and key questions to discuss and support ecological flourishing in multispecies collaborations.

The paper uses the material and conceptual figure of dust and matter out of place to amplify more-than-human perspectives of time, to trace the changing orientations and ethos of a site. Dust contains a complex mixture of inorganic and organic material, made up of an exuberance of microbial life such as Penicillium, Aspergillus and Cladosporium and around 20 other fungal sources. We are interested in dust as a material and metaphorical device to situate and critique temporality and the way we narrate and investigate the past and future, from a non-human, microbial point of view. Dust implies residual matter, a contradiction to order often associated with dirt. It indicates something that needs to be removed, or rearranged, something that is “out of place,” an element that does not fit. Dust also indicates time and space and signals movement and life: dust hosts a medley of non-human particles and microbial communities that engage in their own worldmaking practices. The paper brings together methods of “un-cleaning” with archival research and spatial methods of 3D scanning, modelling and mapping, as an opportunity to decentre human hubris and explore the ways in which non-humans have and continue to inhabit “our” spaces.

Responsive materials can transform their visual appearance in reaction to environmental stimuli. One example of such responsiveness involves the use of plant-based anthocyanins as pH-mediated allochroic pigments. Despite the increasing interest and applications of this pigment, its applications in urban contexts are very limited. By using pH-mediated colour change as a phenomenon to trial a colourimetric quantitative framework, this study seeks to bridge smart material design with colour science approaches to enable future scale-up applications. The colour values of anthocyanins immobilised in sodium alginate-based hydrogel discs and yarns were measured in response to varying pH values. The colourimetric measurements in CIELAB colour space provided a device for setting independent colour values that demonstrated a clear pattern across the pH range of 1–12. The colour difference (ΔE00) of mean colour values was perceivably different across the pH scale, with a minimum value of 2.7. Key variables of the process have been summarised, and their relationships have been discussed. Finally, a proof-of-concept small-scale textile prototype encompassing anthocyanin-laden hydrogel yarns was developed. The findings of this study contribute towards the integration of non-destructive means of colour measurement as a quantitative tool for biochemical process evaluation.

This paper investigates the feasibility of using mycelium colonization to upcycle household waste, specifically cat litter and spent coffee grounds, into large-scale screening elements through 3D printing and toolpath-informed design. The study introduces a composite that repurposes cat litter, a household waste that is typically sent directly to landfill, as a substrate for fungal growth within additively manufactured forms. By eliminating casting molds and employing continuous fractal toolpaths, the fabrication approach reduces secondary material waste while enabling space-filling, intricate geometries with parametrically controlled spacing that supports mycelium growth. This process extends existing biofabrication precedents through increasing geometric complexity. The research develops a repeatable workflow integrating material circularity, mycelium colonization, 3D printing and computational fractal design to support scalable biofabrication. Prototypes were produced and evaluated at three incremental scales: 9, 15.24 and 22.86 cm. This work contributes to the biodesign community by demonstrating a resource-efficient method for transforming cat litter into biodegradable screening panels within a circular material system.

While Engineered Living Materials (ELMs) are increasingly investigated for technical viability, discussion of their broader societal implications remains limited. To address this gap, we conducted a multidisciplinary co-design workshop centred on a self-healing biomineralised bacterial cellulose (BMBC). Twenty participants from biodesign, bio-nanoscience, materials science and engineering worked in six groups through a three-phase process: (1) generating application concepts, (2) designing how self-healing would unfold and be experienced and (3) reflecting on ecological, social, economic and future implications. Workshop outcomes and discussions were analysed using thematic analysis. Participants framed self-healing not merely as functional repair but as temporal, expressive and relational transformation, emphasising personalisation, regeneration, trust and systemic embedding. The study demonstrates how early, material-led design exploration can surface societal dimensions before technical pathways stabilise. We argue that multidisciplinary co-design supports more responsible ELM development by revealing how such materials may function, be interpreted and acquire meaning in everyday contexts.

This study investigates Grow-It-Yourself (GIY) biomaterial kits as tools for supporting material experience in design education. A GIY kit incorporating algae-, bacteria- and fungi-based materials was developed through iterative material tinkering. The GIY kit was investigated for its potential in a workshop with 18 senior industrial design students, whose interactions and reflections were captured through pre- and post-workshop surveys and a design concept assignment. Findings reveal that the biomaterials derived from three organisms produced distinct and contrasting sensory profiles: algae derived materials were the most positively received, bacterial cellulose elicited the most complex response, pairing tactile interest with strong sensory discomfort and mycelium materials were predominantly described as organic. Behavioral attributions reflected participants’ awareness of material characteristics and prompted relational modes of thinking. The study demonstrates that GIY kits can function as a mediator for material experience, capable of activating sensory perception, meaning attribution and design ideation simultaneously in educational settings.

This paper describes an early-stage research and experiments exploring methods of co-cultivation of the fungal strain Ganoderma lucidum and the bacterial strain Sporosarcina pasteurii within the field of architecture. Co-cultivating these species within a bio-based compound, forming a living material, shows that the binding abilities of both microbial partners can be harnessed through multistep production techniques. As the mycelial network of the fungus spreads through the inoculated wood substrate, bacterial cells disperse and multiply on this same network and release the enzyme urease throughout the now-forming compound bound by the fungus. The enzyme is one of the key actors in the biocementation process, which is activated with the addition of a calcium source to the material. Calcium carbonate minerals form and attach on the hyphae, as well as in between the network, inside the wood sawdust pieces and around void spaces within the composite. While additional data collection is required, the current state of this research suggests that properties of both living materials can be expanded, for example, fire resistance and compressive strength compared to traditional mycelium-based composites, as well as the increased ability of the bacteria to homogeneously distribute and exist in unfavorable environments compared to mono-cultured bacterial communities.