Towards a Bacterially-Induced Textile Architecture

Bacteria are rarely considered as belonging to the architectural realm. Yet they are part of the built environment as they are part of our own bodies. In the emerging field of biodesigned architecture, bacteria are involved in the visual expression as well as the structural performance of buildings. In this visual essay, we reflect on the results of a curriculum-based workshop focused on the biocalcification of textiles, a rigidification process informed by the bacterially induced precipitation of calcite. Building on the pioneering work of architects Bastian Beyer and Daniel Suarez in this area, the results point at the rich textile vocabulary through which biocalcification can be expressed and the value of interdisciplinary collaborations sitting at the intersection of textile design, architecture and microbiology.