DESIGNING THE OCEAN PAVILION: Biomaterial Templating of Structural, Manufacturing, and Environmental Performance

Abstract

Driven by novel biomaterials design and natural aqueous formation, this research offers a new structural design perspective combining a crustacean-derived biopolymer with robotic fabrication to shape constructs that interact with the environment utilizing graded material properties for hydrationguided formation. We establish structural, manufacturing, and environmental design templating strategies informing the design of the constructs and their material makeup. We present a biomaterialdriven design process resulting in a novel structural system and a custom robotic manufacturing platform designed to deposit water-based composites unveiling novel functional, mechanical, and optical gradients across length scales. Components are form-found through evaporation patterns informed by the geometrical arrangement of structural members and the hierarchical distribution of material properties. Each component is designed to take shape upon contact with air and dissolve upon contact with water. We present the principles and method applied as a unique case demonstrating the material ecology design approach through additive manufacturing of lightweight, biocompatible and materially heterogeneous structures. Initial results demonstrate a wide range of structural behaviors that represent a novel approach to material-informed biodegradable structure formation by design and hold great promise for the future of sustainable manufacturing.