Research Innovation Award!

Asst. Prof. Dr. Gözde Damla Turhan Haskara (Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design, Design Studies Graduate Program co-Coordinator), Filiz Özbengi Uslu (Textile and Fashion Design Research Assistant & Design Studies PhD student), Selen Çiçek (ITU, Architectural Design Computing PhD student), and Anıl Dinç Demirbilek (Industrial Design Research Assistant & Design Studies PhD student) have been honored with the “Research Innovation Award” at the XXVIII International Conference of the Ibero-American Society of Digital Graphics (SiGRADi2024), held in Barcelona from November 13-15, 2024.

 

Their award-winning research, titled “A Scalability Assessment of Biofabrics As An Alternative Architectural Construction Material,” explores the use of bacterial cellulose-based biopolymers in architectural construction through computational design and digital fabrication. This innovative study demonstrates the potential of biofabric materials in replacing conventional construction materials, highlighting properties such as tensile strength, water retention, and heat insulation. This award recognizes the commitment to advancing sustainable and circular material practices.

 

Follow their Instagram account for more: https://www.instagram.com/wetlaboratory  

 

This research explores the scalability of biopolymer applications in recent biobased textile design applications for architectural construction. It particularly focuses on the transition from laboratory experimentation to architectural construction practice with the aid of computational design and digital fabrication. The research aims at harvesting spatial structures through the re-characterization processes for desired material properties. The methodology is divided into four steps: Modification of the biofabric formulation derived from bacterial cellulose (BC); tensile strength tests; computational design and digital fabrication of a catenary geometry as a scaffold; bioassembly process; and observations at different environmental conditions after the removal of the scaffold. The results have shown that the material properties such as the tensile strength, structural integrity, high capacity of water detention, and heat insulation differentiate bacterial cellulose-based biopolymers as circular alternatives to the current conventional architectural construction materials and processes, having us reevaluate our connection with nature through architecture.

 

Full paper proceedings: SiGRADi2024 Proceedings