Aguahoja

The central thesis of Neri Oxman's "Aguahoja" is that design can achieve biological growth, integrating living organisms into fabricated structures to create responsive, sustainable materials and architecture. This book presents a vision where synthetic biology and digital fabrication converge, moving beyond inert materials to cultivate designs that are alive, adaptable, and capable of performing functions like sensing, healing, and computation. It introduces a new paradigm for creation, blurring the lines between nature and technology.

Readers will understand the principles of biologically integrated design, gaining insight into how living systems can be programmed and incorporated into building materials and products. The book highlights specific research projects and their potential to address pressing global challenges, from waste reduction to climate change, by fostering a symbiotic relationship between the built environment and the natural world. The takeaway is a profound shift in how we conceive of and create the material world.

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Key concepts

• Bio-design — A design methodology that incorporates living organisms and biological processes into the creation of materials, products, and structures.
• Digital Fabrication — The use of advanced manufacturing technologies, such as 3D printing, to create complex designs from digital models.
• Synthetic Biology — The engineering of biological systems for new functions, enabling the programming of living organisms for specific material properties.
• Living Materials — Materials that incorporate biological components and exhibit life-like properties such as growth, self-healing, and responsiveness.
• Generative Design — A design process that uses algorithms and computational tools to explore a vast range of design possibilities based on defined parameters and constraints.