As a species, humans are adept at inventing toxins yet equally inept at eliminating them from our environment. Due to current trends, our exposure to dangerous chemicals increases with time as our environment becomes more polluted.
Mushrooms may turn out to be important keys to both human and planetary health. Their indispensable role in recycling organic matter has long been known. Mycelium can be selected and trained to break down toxic waste, converting it into harmless metabolites. Mushroom allies may even be able to detoxify chemical warfare agents. The use of fungi to improve the health of the environment by filtering water in order to help trees to grow in forests and plants in gardens is one facet of a larger strategy called by Paul Stamets Mycorestoration.
The broader meaning of Mycoremediation is the process which fungi degrades or removes toxins from the environment. Mycoremediation practices involve mixing mycelium with contaminated soil, by placing mycelial mats over toxic sites. The powerful enzymes secreted by specific fungi are able to digest lignin and cellulose, the primary structural components of wood. These digestive enzymes can also break down a surprisingly wide range of toxins that have similar chemical bonds with wood.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
BRIEF
Noumena, Green Fab Lab and Fab Lab Barcelona present “SYMBIOTIC ASSOCIATIONS” workshop. The purpose of the course is to explore the relationship between digital and biological manufacturing, as multi-scalar construction techniques. The Workshop will be based on defining a theoretical and experimental framework focused on the convergence between Digital Tectonics and Organic processes. We will focus on the association between biology and architecture in order to manufacture biological mechanisms.
During the workshop, participants will be involved in a dynamic workflow, studying algorithms based on recursive systems associated with organic and digital manufacturing. The Workshop will be divided into two main phases:
– Computational Phase: The students will explore digital iterative actions simulating biological growth.
– Manufacturing Phase: During this phase we will develop biological reactions, mixing Mycelium with other materials used in rapid prototyping, such as wooden PLA, Clay and biodegradable materials.
TOPICS
Intro to rhino
Intro to grasshopper
Advanced grasshopper
Data management
Intro to loops
Cellular automata
L-systems
Agent based modeling
Bio-mimetic simulations
SCHEDULE
Day 1 / 18th March Friday, 16:00
Tour at Green Fab Lab
Basics of 3D modeling in Rhinoceros
Basics of Grasshopper
Recursive iterative methods
Day 2/ 19th March Saturday, 10:00- 18:00
Advanced Topics of looping
Simulation of material growth
Prototyping with additive manufacturing techniques
Day 3 / 20th March Sunday 20/3, 10:00- 18:00
Experimenting with Mycelium
Final presentation session
REQUIREMENTS
The workshop is open to all participants; no previous knowledge of Rhinoceros, Grasshopper or tailoring techniques is required (although an introductory knowledge is welcome). Participants should bring their own laptop with a pre-installed software. The software package needed has no additional cost for the participant (Rhino can be downloaded as evaluation version, Grasshopper and plugins are free). These software are subject to frequent updates, so a download link to the version used in the workshop will be sent to the participants a few days before the workshop.
TUTORS
Aldo Sollazzo of Noumena
Starsk Lara of collaborator of Noumena
ADDRESS
Valldaura Self Sufficient Lab
Ctra. BV-1415 (Horta-Cerdanyola), km 7
08290 Cerdanyola del Vallès
Barcelona – Spain
CONTACT
Noumena
Fab Lab Barcelona
Get the student discount code for a 20% reduction on the workshop fee
Note: When arriving by the Carretera de Horta a Cerdanyola you will find the main entrance at the metal footbridge at km 7.5. The entrance is sign posted Can Valldaura / A04. The entrance is at the apex of the hill, it is not located at the restaurant.