Nicholas Liao

Set in the year 2050, humans have developed technologies to genetically modify and engineer plant tissue to withstand the changing climate. Biogrove speculates the advancement of sustainable and growable materials. It aims to rediscover the housing infrastructure in a communal village setting through traditional techniques such as grafting and weaving.
Utilising mangrove and bamboo as core materials for this project. The project believes that it is possible to grow structures and produce sustainable housing that is capable of withstanding and improving nature as a whole.

With the aim of emphasising the existing communal village setting that is prominent in Indonesian culture. The project is designed in a way where each space is shared. Having shared spaces not only emphasises community building, but it creates oneness among people and space. Spaces are designed for people to intentionally connect and cross paths with each other.

With intentions of integrating the design naturally to improve all qualities of life, I decided to pursue the idea of growing houses using sustainable and effective means. As mangroves are a thriving and important species of trees in Indonesia, having it as a core material enables the ecosystem to thrive and strengthen itself against natural causes. I decided to use grafting as a technique to shape the project to allow the growth of the tree to guide the design process. This allows the project to be built at any location and in any arrangement as long as it is possible for it to be done.

This diagram shows a simulation of how a tree structure is formed through grafting and tree redirection.

To allow for a greater understanding of how the spaces are built, a variety of drawings are produced. This helps to communicate how the spaces are sectioned and built. Not only that, it also shows how the materials are used and integrated into creating the space of the project.

This drawing shows how people are able to move up to the space and also through the space.