Conference Agenda

Bioreceptive Design reframes building façades as dynamic, living surfaces shaped by multispecies cohabitation, where material ageing and biological growth become integral to architectural expression (Cruz, 2021; Cruz & Beckett, 2016). Mosses, particularly suited to such environments due to their poikilohydric nature, contribute to urban ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, nitrogen cycling, and stormwater retention (Anderson et al., 2010; Elbert et al., 2012). Despite this, the precise environmental parameters that support moss development on vertical urban surfaces remain insufficiently mapped.

This research introduces a prototype monitoring instrument that integrates environmental sensor data and near-infrared imaging to study moss behaviour over time. Bridging bryology, ecological science, and digital fabrication, the system tracks physiological responses of Syntrichia ruralis in relation to changes in light intensity and colour, temperature, and humidity—factors known to influence photosynthetic performance (Coe & Sparks, 2014; Griffin-Nolan et al., 2018; Zotz et al., 2000; Zotz & Rottenberger, 2001).

The closed-loop chamber measures real-time CO₂ uptake and O₂ production as proxies for net photosynthesis, while NDVI and NPCI (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index and Normalised Pigment Chlorophyll Ratio Index) are extracted from sequential imaging to assess active photosynthetic regions non-destructively (Graham et al., 2006; Young & Reed, 2017). These datasets are processed via a novel Python-based program on a Raspberry Pi to visualise moss responses through time-series data and correlate physiological shifts with environmental changes.

Initial findings demonstrate measurable effects of fluctuating temperature and light conditions on moss carbon dynamics. The system enables the mapping of optimal parameters that enhance photosynthetic efficiency, providing a model for curated propagation on bioreceptive substrates. Beyond empirical results, this project proposes a tool for embedding ecological intelligence into architecture, enabling a responsive design process in which living systems co-author material choices.

By coupling digital sensing with visual proxies of plant behaviour and data sonification (Zelada & Çamcı, 2024), this prototype supports a biocentric methodology where design responds to and integrates biological organisms. It lays the groundwork for adaptive architectural strategies rooted in environmental responsiveness, biological performance, and non-human agency.

Anderson, M., Lambrinos, J., & Schroll, E. (2010). The potential value of mosses for stormwater management in urban environments. Urban Ecosystems, 13(3), 319–332. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-010-0121-z

Coe, K. K., & Sparks, J. P. (2014). Physiological Ecology of Dryland Biocrust Mosses. In D. T. Hanson & S. K. Rice (Eds.), Photosynthesis in Bryophytes and Early Land Plants (pp. 291–308). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6988-5

Cruz, M. (2021). Design for Ageing Buildings. In L. Duanfang (Ed.), The Routledge Companion to Contemporary Architectural History (pp. 384–400). Routledge.

Cruz, M., & Beckett, R. (2016). Bioreceptive design: A novel approach to biodigital materiality. Architectural Research Quarterly, 20(1), 51–64. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1359135516000130

Elbert, W., Weber, B., Burrows, S., Steinkamp, J., Büdel, B., Andreae, M. O., & Pöschl, U. (2012). Contribution of cryptogamic covers to the global cycles of carbon and nitrogen. Nature Geoscience, 5(7), 459–462. https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1486

Graham, E. A., Hamilton, M. P., Mishler, B. D., Rundel, P. W., & Hansen, M. H. (2006). Use of a networked digital camera to estimate net CO2 uptake of a desiccation-tolerant moss. International Journal of Plant Sciences, 167(4), 751–758. https://doi.org/10.1086/503786

Griffin-Nolan, R. J., Zelehowsky, A., Hamilton, J. G., & Melcher, P. J. (2018). Green light drives photosynthesis in mosses. Journal of Bryology, 40(4), 342–349. https://doi.org/10.1080/03736687.2018.1516434

Young, K. E., & Reed, S. C. (2017). Spectrally monitoring the response of the biocrust moss Syntrichia caninervis to altered precipitation regimes. Scientific Reports, 7(July 2016), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep41793

Zelada, E., & Çamcı, A. (2024). Conveying climate data through immersive sonification and interactive plant art in Unnatural Nature. Personal and Ubiquitous Computing. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00779-024-01807-7

Zotz, G., & Rottenberger, S. (2001). Seasonal changes in diel CO2 exchange of three central european moss species: A one-year field study. Plant Biology, 3(6), 661–669. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2001-19363

Zotz, G., Schweikert, A., Jetz, W., & Westerman, H. (2000). Water relations and carbon gain are closely related to cushion size in the moss Grimmia pulvinata. New Phytologist, 148(1), 59–67. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1469-8137.2000.00745.x

Weathering is traditionally seen as a process of decay, yet it holds the potential to activate ecological functions and enhance architectural expression (Mostafavi & Leatherbarrow, 1993). This project repositions weathering as a productive ecological force that can transform buildings with aesthetic depth, material richness, and the capacity to host life. As structures age, weathering processes (chemical, physical, and biological) gradually unlock nutrients from mineral substrates and generate micro-environments capable of supporting plant and microbial colonization. This research asks how architectural design can intentionally harness weathering as a driver for ecological succession and biodiversity in urban contexts.

Central to this inquiry are three agents: phosphorus dynamics in lithic substrates, biologically enhanced rock weathering, and the use of ornamentation to generate conditions for bioreceptivity. The objective is to reconceptualize buildings as active geological-ecological systems that evolve through time and contribute to the metabolic and ecological health of cities. Through a multi-pronged approach involving lab experiments, fabrication, computation, and environmental simulation, the study explores how buildings can be designed to kickstart self-sustaining ecological processes by integrating systems as active agents that interact with natural cycles through the investigations of synthetic lichen, spontaneous vegetation, biomaterial, and capillary rise.

Organisms that inhabit lithic environments exhibit adaptations to nutrient scarcity and extreme conditions, playing a critical role in mineral cycling (Yusuf, 2020). Phosphorus, an essential and finite nutrient for plant growth, is locked within mineral substrates such as limestone—commonly used in construction—but becomes bioavailable through microbial metabolism (Porder & Ramachandram, 2013). This, in combination with the utilization of classical architectural motifs, is reconfigured to create new biogenic forms that prioritize diverse microclimates and colonization of microbes and plants. Decorative elements with complex geometries then generate niches that modulate environmental conditions and are strategized to direct nutrient distribution.

By rethinking urban surfaces and leveraging innovative substrates and microbial interactions, this research proposes a new paradigm for biologically integrated architecture by rethinking urban surfaces and leveraging innovative substrates and microbial interactions, strategizing systematic design through nutrient flows. By embedding life into our constructed landscapes, architecture can foster deeper connections between built structures and their ecosystems, redefining aesthetics and functionality through ecological resilience.

Alberti, M. (2005). The Effects of Urban Patterns on Ecosystem Function. International Regional Science Review, 28(2), 168–192. https://doi.org/10.1177/0160017605275160

Kallison, E.R. (2021) "A Review of the Contributions by Lichen to Building Soil," IdeaFest: Interdisciplinary Journal of Creative Works and Research from Cal Poly Humboldt: Vol. 5, Article 1.

Khakhar, A. (2023). A roadmap for the creation of synthetic lichen. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 654, 87–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.BBRC.2023.02.079

Larson, Doug W; Matthes, Uta; Kelly, Peter E; Lundholm, Jeremy; Gerrath, John A.  Ekistics; Athens Vol. 71, Iss. 424-426, (Jan-Jun 2004): 75-82

Latt, Z. K., Yu, S., Kyaw, E. P., Lynn, T. M., May, Nwe, T., & Mon, W. W. (2018). Isolation, Evaluation and Characterization of Free Living Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria from Agricultural Soils in Myanmar for Biofertilizer Formulation.

Lisci, M. & Pacini, E. (1993) "Plants Growing on the Walls of Italian Towns: An Ecological and Floristic Study." Phytocoenologia, vol. 23, no. 4.

Mayrand, F., Clergeau, P., Vergnes, A., & Madre, F. (2018). Vertical Greening Systems as Habitat for Biodiversity. Nature Based Strategies for Urban and Building Sustainability, 227–237. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-812150-4.00021-5

Mostafavi, M., & Leatherbarrow, D. (1993). On Weathering: The Life of Buildings in Time. The MIT Press. https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262631440/on-weathering/

Porder, S., & Ramachandran, S. (2013). The phosphorus concentration of common rocks-a potential driver of ecosystem P status. Plant and Soil, 367(1–2), 41–55. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11104-012-1490-2

Yusuf, M. (2020). Lichen-derived products : extraction and applications (M. Yusuf, Ed.) [Book]. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Cities have long been designed as exclusive habitats for humans, often diminishing space for other life forms. However, recent work in urban ecology shows that cities can support surprisingly high biodiversity. Urbanization creates physical and chemical barriers that fragment ecosystems, and one such overlooked barrier, but also a site of opportunity, is the architectural surface. While nature-based solutions often address green and blue infrastructure, buildings themselves are rarely explored as active contributors to biodiversity. This thesis addresses that gap by reimagining building facades as bioreceptive membranes—living interfaces embedded with ecological potential.

Drawing on the concept of “architectural bark”, the study investigates how poikilohydric organisms like mosses and lichens can colonize building surfaces. The research followed four phases: defining the Client (organism), selecting the Host (substrate), shaping the Design (morphology), and choosing the Tool (fabrication method). Emphasis was placed on locally sourced, bio-based materials from waste streams to support circularity. Scaffold geometries were designed to enhance colonization through surface complexity, shading, and water retention. Additive manufacturing was selected over casting and molding for its ability to create micro-grooves that increase porosity and support biofilm attachment.

A prototype cladding panel was fabricated using cork and charcoal using the multi-material additive manufacturing technique developed at IaaC. Cork provided structure and insulation, while charcoal introduced bioreceptive zones in a functionally graded composite. Serving as a proof of concept for bioreceptive retrofits, the panel demonstrates the viability of creating ecologically responsive surfaces. Though small in scale, it is envisioned for application in retrofit buildings, aligning with zero-carbon renovation strategies in cities like Barcelona.

This early-stage research confirms the material and fabrication feasibility of bioreceptive surfaces, while highlighting the need for long-term assessment of ecological colonization, climatic resilience and architectural integration. The prototype demonstrates how bio-based, additively manufactured components can support ecological connectivity and enhance urban biodiversity. Positioned at the intersection of biology, technology, and architecture, the study reframes the building envelope as a symbiotic membrane—an infrastructure of care and cohabitation. As a scalable pilot, the prototype outlines both the potential and next steps for embedding aliveness into urban construction.

Katti Madhusudan. "Coral Reefs of the land". Current Conservation, Vol 11.4. 2022. https://www. currentconservation.org/coral-reefs-of-the-land

Cruz, M., & Beckett, R. "Bioreceptive design: a novel approach to biodigital materiality." Architectural Research Quarterly, 20(1): 51–64. 2016. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1359135516000130

Lim, A. C. S., & Lharchi, A. "Parameters for bio-receptivity in 3D printing". In Sustainable Development Goals Series (pp. 701–715). 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-36320-7_44

Mayor-Luque R., Beguin N., Riaz R., Diaz J. & Pandey S. "Multi-material Gradient Additive Manufacturing: A data-driven performative design approach to multi-materiality through robotic fabrication". 2024. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/388028385_Multi-material_Gradient_Additive_Manufacturing_A_data-driven_performative_design_approach_to_multi-materiality_through_robotic_fabrication

This research project investigates methods for designing building envelopes activated by greywater to integrate the built environment into the functions of the ecosystem. The building envelope is approached as both an interface and a regenerative infrastructure for multispecies commoning by addressing the connected issues of urban water management, climate resilience, air and water pollution, as well as the loss of urban biodiversity caused by resource pollution and habitat fragmentation. The project explores design methods of harvesting, circulating, storing, and bioremediating greywater to increase bioreceptivity, aiming to create circular thermodynamic and biochemical chain reactions that benefit multiple levels of biodiversity and humans alike. From hand-building vertical clay-based landscapes, to utilizing digital hydrodynamic form-finding tools, the project combines analogue and digital design and fabrication, along with embodied, empirical, and scientific forms of knowledge, to enrich the architectural design process. Using biotechnological tools of production and monitoring, the aim is to promote the growth of specific biofilms and bryophyte species capable of efficient oxygen production, carbon dioxide fixation, and water bioremediation. The living biomass can in turn mitigate the effects of urban heat and create an approximate micro-climate of comfort for multiple species. This vibrant bio-protective layer functions in synergy with an overlapping system embedded in the envelope, providing commons such as habitat, nutrition, and survival resources to local keystone species of fauna and flora. The project draws on morphological and organizational principles of mutualistic relationships in nature, especially the relationship between poriferans and their endosymbionts, while also addressing the potential for predation and conflict among species, bridging architecture and urban ecology. Informed by landscape architecture, the envelope is intended as an experimental vertical field where multimodal and more-than-human care practices can unfold. This approach shifts architectural design from a predictive process seeking control and stability to a dynamic process of learning from biological agency and designing systems capable of biological adaptation and interaction in a physical world that is rapidly changing.

San Francisco Estuary Institute. Making Nature’s City: A Science-Based Framework for Building Urban Biodiversity. SFEI Publication #947, 2019.

Zaera, Alejandro, and Jeffrey S. Anderson. The Ecologies of the Building Envelope: A Material History and Theory of Architectural Surfaces. Actar D, 2021.

Poikolainen Rosén, Anton, Antti Salovaara, Andrea Botero, and Marie Louise Juul Søndergaard, eds. More-than-Human Design in Practice. Routledge, 2025.

Beckett, Richard. Probiotic Cities. Bio Design. Routledge, 2024.

Sharma, Sanjay K., ed. Bioremediation: A Sustainable Approach to Preserving Earth’s Water. CRC Press/Taylor & Francis Group, 2020.

Stohl, Leonie, Tanja Manninger, Julia Von Werder, Frank Dehn, Anna Gorbushina, and Birgit Meng. “Bioreceptivity of Concrete: A Review.” Journal of Building Engineering 76 (October 2023): 107201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2023.107201.

Stauridēs, Stauros. Towards the City of Thresholds. Common Notions, 2019.

Puig de la Bellacasa, María. Matters of Care: Speculative Ethics in More than Human Worlds. Posthumanities 41. University of Minnesota Press, 2017.

Armstrong, Rachel. Liquid Life: On Non-Linear Materiality. With Project Muse. Punctum books, 2019.