Conference Agenda

Plant galls—specialized structures induced by insects, viruses, fungi or bacteria—demonstrate a remarkable natural capacity for interspecies co-design. Gall-inducing organisms, such as gall wasps, chemically and/or epigenetically activate specific developmental pathways in host plants, causing them to grow complex micro-architectures that serve as habitats, protective environments and nutrient sources for their offspring. These galls often feature sophisticated adaptive properties, including structures that could be interpreted as defences, bitter compounds that deter herbivores, precisely timed exit routes and—in rare cases—even ballistic dispersal mechanisms that launch them into the soil.

These structures embody biological principles highly relevant to the theme of cultivated matter: they are autonomously generated, functionally optimized and the result of inter-organismic communication and reprogramming. We propose to view plant galls as living analogues of programmable materials. The gall can be understood as a naturally bio-printed entity, where the instructions originate from one species and the form is produced by another.

We explore in our conceptional research the potential of this phenomenon as a model for future biointegrated materials and living architectures. Could humans one day direct plants to grow objects—structural components, tools or even devices—through targeted biochemical or genetic cues, much like insects direct plants to grow galls? The vision is not of extraction, but of symbiotic fabrication: architecture that grows, adapts and disassembles in harmony with ecological systems.

This biomimetic speculation contributes to emerging discussions on regenerative materials, self-assembling systems and the cultivation of responsive, embodied matter. By shifting from assembly to growth and from control to dialogue, we outline a pathway toward circular strategies that integrate care, maintenance and co-evolution. The gall becomes not just a structure, but a symbol: of interdependence, of resilience and of an architecture that is, in every sense, alive.

Gebeshuber, Ille C., and Richard W. van Nieuwenhoven. “Plant Galls on Alpine Plants — Fascinating Connection between Nature and Physics.” Cecidology 39, no. 1 (2024): 10–15. ISSN 0268-2907.

Freigassner, Julia, Richard W. van Nieuwenhoven, and Ille C. Gebeshuber. “From Nanostructure to Function: Hierarchical Functional Structures in Chitin and Keratin.” Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie 239, no. 9 (2025): 1443–97. https://doi.org/10.1515/zpch-2024-0913.

van Nieuwenhoven, Richard W., Manfred Drack, and Ille C. Gebeshuber. “Engineered Materials: Bioinspired ‘Good Enough’ versus Maximized Performance.” Advanced Functional Materials 34 (2024): 2307127. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202307127.

van Nieuwenhoven, Richard W., Florian Gisinger, Pia M. Graves, August Hammel, Mathias Mörth, and Ille C. Gebeshuber. “Insights into Growth Regulation by Connecting Simulations of Plant-Growth to the Plant Gall Life Cycle.” Poster presented at the MRS 2023 Spring Meeting & Exhibit, San Francisco, California, USA, April 10–14, 2023. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.28736.61445.

van Nieuwenhoven, Richard W., Florian Gisinger, Lukas Hageneder, and Ille C. Gebeshuber. “Engineered Living Materials III: Structure, Function, and Scale.” NanoTrust Dossiers, no. 68en (2025): 6 pp. Austrian Academy of Sciences. ISSN 1998-7293. https://epub.oeaw.ac.at/ita/nanotrust-dossiers/dossier068en.pdf.

van Nieuwenhoven, Richard W., Florian Gisinger, Lukas Hageneder, and Ille C. Gebeshuber. “Engineered Living Materials II: Mapping the ELM Field from Biogenic Content to Fabrication.” NanoTrust Dossiers, no. 65en (2025): 6 pp. Austrian Academy of Sciences. ISSN 1998-7293. https://epub.oeaw.ac.at/ita/nanotrust-dossiers/dossier065en.pdf.

van Nieuwenhoven, Richard W., Florian Gisinger, Lukas Hageneder, and Ille C. Gebeshuber. “Engineered Living Materials I: Foundations, Classifications and Future Potentials.” NanoTrust Dossiers, no. 64en (2025): 7 pp. Austrian Academy of Sciences. ISSN 1998-7293. https://epub.oeaw.ac.at/ita/nanotrust-dossiers/dossier064en.pdf.

Global temperatures rise and urban areas are increasingly exposed to extreme heat, pressing a dire need for sustainable and passive cooling strategies in architecture. Butterflies can inspire us in this matter, as they benefit from various multifunctional nanostructures on their wing scales. The properties enabled by these hierarchical structures range from structural coloring, hydrophobicity and self-cleaning properties to structural integrity and passive thermoregulation. Recent research indicates interesting thermal properties, especially a high emissivity within the atmospheric window (the wavelength spectrum from 7.5 μm - 13 μm, where the Earth’s atmosphere is transparent for radiation). This work investigates different kinds of butterflies with a thermal camera as well as a novel hyperspectral imaging camera to identify species and wing areas of interest. The scale nanostructures are furthermore analyzed on micro- and nanometer length scales for potential application in the thermoregulation of buildings. With Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Focused Ion Beam (FIB) techniques it is managed to cut into single scales, to analyze the cross-section of these structures. Color scales, scent scales and reflective scales from various butterfly species (both tropical and native to the temperate zone of Middle Europe) are compared. The findings aim to highlight the potential of integrating biological nanostructures into human-made architecture for multifunctional designs.

Tsai, C.-C., Childers, R.A., Shi, N.N., Ren, C., Pelaez, J.N., Bernard, G.D., Pierce, N.E. & Yu, N. (2020). Physical and behavioral adaptations to prevent overheating of the living wings of butterflies. Nat Commun. 11, 551. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14408-8

Köchling, P., Niebel, A., Hurka, K., Vorholt, F. & Hölscher, H. (2020) On the multifunctionality of butterfly scales: a scaling law for the ridges of cover scales. Faraday Discuss. 223, 195-206.

Corti, M., Zischka, F., Preda, F., Perri, A., Polli, D., Cerullo, G., Ballada, O., Barta, C., Chroust, L., Valentini, G., Gebeshuber, I.-C., & Manzoni, C. (2024). A bolometric hyperspectral camera based on a birefringent interferometer for remote sensing in the thermal infrared. In L. De Stefano, R. Velotta, & E. Descrovi (Eds.), EOS Annual Meeting (EOSAM 2024). EDP Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202430913001

Gebeshuber I.C. & Zischka F. (2023) Lernen vom Schmetterling für passiv selbstkühlende Fassaden. Bulletin - Alumni-Magazin der TU Wien Nr. 54, Themenheft “Energieeffizienz – Das Gebot der Stunde”. März 2023, Cover Page & p. 22-23.

Zischka F. & Gebeshuber I.C. (2023) Lernen vom Schmetterling für passiv selbstkühlende Fassaden. TMW-Zine, 12. Juli 2023, Technisches Museum Wien.

This research addresses the apparent conflict in building design between the need for stability and performance to withstand climate change and the imperative for degradability and circularity that leaves no waste. Drawing upon two decades of biomimetic design research, including frameworks from Architecture Follows Nature and site-specific investigations of the Nature, Art & Habitat Residency (NAHR), this paper defines the conceptual foundations and early hypotheses for a "coexistent" architecture. The central inquiry explores how architectural materials and assemblies can transition from inert, waste-generating objects to active participants in resilient, regenerative ecosystems, responding to a need for more conventional abstract structuring and contextualization in biodesign.

The methodology is grounded in the perspectives of geoecology and edaphology—fields that study the dynamic interaction between geological substrates, soils, and biological systems over time. This approach explores the potential for architecture to be designed with biomaterial responsiveness and slow transformation, allowing it to become geo-bio-reactive. This involves asking how principles of edaphology, especially the interaction between mineral substrate and plant life, can inspire new biomaterial assemblies strategies and structural morphologies.

The results suggest provocative possibilities for a paradigm shift: that buildings could be designed to mirror the adaptive, context-sensitive behaviors of natural organisms and geological formations, including their responses to periodic disturbances such as fire. This framework envisions life cycles that incorporate transformation, degradation, or decomposition as purposeful, ecologically valuable phases, thereby reducing long-term environmental impact and enhancing climate resilience.

In discussion, the research is framed as foundational thinking on how architecture can emulate the cyclical logic of natural systems—engaging dynamically with environmental forces, embracing disintegration, and ultimately contributing to the metabolic flows of the ecosystem. This aims to contribute to the field by defining the epistemological and practical implications of an architecture designed for resilience and regeneration in the face of climate change.

Benyus, Janine M. Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. New York: Harper Perennial, 2002.

Bratton, Benjamin H. The Terraforming. Strelka Press, 2020.

Dazzi, Carmelo. Fondamenti di pedologia. Illustrated ed. Milano: Edagricole, 2021.

Mazzoleni, Ilaria. Architecture Follows Nature: Biomimetic Principles for Innovative Design. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2013.

Mazzoleni, Ilaria, and Nature, Art & Habitat Residency. Transect of Coexistence: Inquiry into Nature, Art, and Habitat. Florence: ListLab, 2024.