Abstract
This paper examines how bio-integrated design strategies can reconfigure spatial experiences across scales—from adaptive domestic interiors to climate-resilient urban systems. Grounded in the author’s longitudinal research (1974–2026) and case studies from Analog to AI Futures, the study argues for a biospheric design framework that bridges Space/Place and Environmental Impacts through three interconnected lenses: Home as Living System: Analyzing the Solar prototypes (2002–2018), the paper demonstrates how AI-optimized dwellings can merge passive climate responsiveness with biophilic materials (e.g., mycelium, algal bioreactors). These buildings function as micro-ecologies, challenging Shinohara’s theory of domestic identity by introducing symbiotic human-microbial cohabitation. Urban Thresholds of Care: The CRUNCH project (2018–2024) in Miami exemplifies Theme 4 (Social Impacts), using geospatial BIM to generative design flood-resilient public spaces that double as social infrastructure. Community workshops revealed how elevated structures, flood mitigation and neighborhood cohesion—echoing Gehl’s principles of lingering spaces while addressing climate justice. Material Flows Across Scales: The 3D-Printed Bridge (2022–2025) in Germany embodies Constructing the Environment, where robotic fabrication minimizes waste through topology optimization. Life-cycle analysis demonstrates how such techniques can reduce the carbon footprint of urban construction, aligning ecological and aesthetic values. Using ethnographic fieldwork, computational simulations, and prototype testing, this research finds that effective biospheric design necessitates acknowledging scalar interdependence, temporal flexibility, and multispecies ethics, proposing it as a transdisciplinary practice linking architecture, synthetic biology, and social equity.
Presenters
Thomas SpiegelhalterProfessor, Co-Director Structural and Environmental Technologies Lab, College of Architecture, Communication and the Arts, Florida International University, Florida, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Biospheric design Climate-responsive architecture Social-ecological resilience Multispecies spaces Robotic fabrication
