Growing As Building
May 2013 – February 2016
Research project funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) as part of PEEK 2012
GrAB takes growth patterns and dynamics from nature and applies them to architecture with the goal of creating a new living architecture. The aim of the project GrAB is to develop architectural concepts for growing structures. Three main directions are investigated: transfer of abstracted growth principles from nature to architecture, integration of biology into material systems, and intervention of biological organisms and concepts with existing architecture. Key issues of investigation are mechanisms of genetically-controlled and environmentally-informed, self-organized growth in organisms, and the differentiation of tissues and materials.
Publication
Research institution University of Applied Arts, Vienna
Project managers Dr. Barbara Imhof, Dr. Petra Gruber
Core team Dr. Barbara Imhof, Prof. Petra Gruber, Waltraut Hoheneder, Damjan Minovski, Viktor Gudenus, Dr. Tanja Oberwinkler, Andreas Körner (until October 2014), Rafael Sanchez, Ceren Yönetim, Laura Mesa
Extended team Prof. Julian Vincent, Prof. Thomas Speck, Dr. Angelo Vermeulen
Collaborating institutions University of Bath, Biomimetics, Mechanical Engineering, UK / University of Freiburg, Botanical Garden, Plant Biomechanics Group, DE / Delft University of Technology, Multi Actor Systems Department, NL / Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Building Construction and City Development, ET / transarch office for biomimetics and transdisciplinary architecture
Image credit: GrAB