ABSTRACT
The organic cycles or ecosystems already exist in nature of course, and the technical ones will hopefully exist when things large and small are designed for disassembly, incorporating intelligent synthetic materials. Mussels were used as ‘biosensors’, which were able to vocalise changes in water quality by combining natural and artificial intelligences. The temporary towers were constructed using more than 10,000 bricks that, incredibly, were grown rather than manufactured, using a combination of agricultural by-products and mushroom mycelium, which acts as a natural glue. Ironically for a project with the ability to compost organically, Hy-Fi was eventually acquired for MoMA’s permanent collection. The Living’s ‘Amphibious Envelope’ project is more a thought-provoker than a strategy to be rolled out again and again. The Living’s projects are increasingly influential, attracting numerous awards from around the world.
