Building Composites Combining Living Organisms For Self-healing.

Building Composites Combining Living Organisms For Self-healing.

Building composites combining living organisms for self-healing is an innovative approach in bio-integrated construction that represents a paradigm shift in how we conceptualize and create building materials, incorporating living microorganisms and biological systems directly into construction composites to enable autonomous repair and regeneration of structural elements. This groundbreaking methodology draws inspiration from nature's self-healing mechanisms, particularly observed in biological systems like human skin and plant tissues, adapting these principles to architectural applications through the integration of carefully selected bacteria, fungi, or algae within traditional building materials such as concrete, cement, or polymeric composites. The biological agents are typically embedded in a dormant state within the material matrix, activated only when damage occurs, such as when cracks form or structural integrity is compromised. Upon activation, these organisms initiate metabolic processes that result in the precipitation of materials like calcium carbonate or the production of natural polymers, effectively sealing cracks and restoring structural integrity without human intervention. This technology has garnered significant attention in sustainable architecture and has been recognized in various design competitions, including the A' Design Award's Construction Materials, Components and Systems Design Category, highlighting its potential to revolutionize building maintenance and longevity. The development of these self-healing composites represents a convergence of biological sciences, materials engineering, and architectural design, addressing critical challenges in construction sustainability by reducing maintenance requirements, extending building lifespans, and minimizing the environmental impact of repairs and renovations. The incorporation of living organisms into building materials also contributes to the broader movement toward bio-integrated architecture, where buildings are conceived not as inert structures but as dynamic, living systems capable of responding and adapting to environmental conditions and structural stresses over time.

Bio-integrated construction, Self-healing materials, Sustainable architecture, Microbial engineering

— Sebastian Cooper