Abstract
This paper examines biogenic construction within the material and social limits of a “full planet.” While plant-based materials such as straw are often celebrated for their environmental benefits, their availability depends on agricultural monocultures—large-scale, uniform, fossil-fueled regimes that erode not only soils and biodiversity, but also local knowledge, cultural practices, and community agency. Using straw as a case study, the paper reveals how treating agricultural residues as burden-free “byproducts” obscures the land, labor, and ecological relationships displaced in their extraction. Scaling straw-based construction quickly collides with land-system constraints, intensifying competition between food, fodder, shelter, and ecological health while narrowing socio-cultural diversity. At the same time, monocultural production severs reciprocal ties between people and landscapes, replacing stewardship with input–output management. The paper contends that addressing material limits requires bridging ecological and social boundaries, fostering construction practices grounded in regenerative agroecologies and community diversity. The central question becomes not how healthy a building is, but what kind of planet—and social world—it helps to sustain.
Presenters
Aleksandra JaeschkeAssociate Professor, School of Architecture, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Biogenic Construction, Regenerative Agroecology, Planetary Boundaries, Socio-Environmental Resilience, Environmental Communication
