Wanfeng Si
Architecture as a proto-organism
The traditional architectural design process typically concludes with a fixed and immutable form. But what if architecture, like living organisms, could continue to grow, self-repair, and remain in a state of active evolution? How would this transform our understanding of architectural space? Grounded in critical perspectives on the Anthropocene, this research draws on the theoretical frameworks of post-human spatial ecology and non-anthropocentric design to propose a paradigm where architecture is a proto-organism. In this paradigm, architecture is not conceived as a static entity but as a dynamic living system connecting humans, materials, and the environment through the agency of biomaterials—materials that shift from being passive resources to active agents. This PhD study seeks to rethink architectural forms and conceptions within the context of human–nature symbiosis. Taking mycelium as an example, it leverages the organism’s ecological capacity for information transmission, to connect elements within architectural spaces, exploring how multi-entity, interspecies communication and evolution can inspire new approaches to architectural design. The core research question is: Can architecture be designed as a living system capable of multi-species communication, self-organization, and spatial intelligence, through the participation of organisms? The research is conducted through a series of bio-material experiments that demonstrate and analyze information exchange between different entities within space, challenging the dominance of human-centric design and reconfiguring architecture as a multi-species symbiotic system. Adopting creative practice as a methodology, this study uses creative works and critical reflection as the primary tools for discovery. Through material experimentation and interactive installations, the research investigates a series of decentralized networks that achieve spatial self-organization, exploring symbiotic relationships between human and non-human entities in architecture, thereby probing the potential of “architecture as a proto-organism.” Through this process, the research is expected to contribute to understanding in: (1) Transforming biomaterials from a passive resource into design agents; (2) Integrating architectural design with bio-intelligence-driven non-traditional computational methods through living networks, (3) Advancing theoretical discussions on post-human architectural design by perceiving architecture as a symbiotic and evolutionary multi-species system, and (4) Developing practice-led methodologies that combine biomaterial experiments with creative design to provide a new interdisciplinary approach to the research of architecture as a living organism.
Supervisors
Associate Professor Simon Twose & Dr Michael Donn
Previous Education
- University of Arts London, London (MA, Interior and Spatial Design) 2023
- Donhua University, Shanghai (BA, Art and Science) 2019