#15995 - Distributed Design Platform

Detailed Description

Design for the symbiocene
Our ideas about nature and our relationship with non-human beings have influenced the way we build things. Unfortunately, many man-made structures have harmed the environment and its inhabitants. ‘Negotiating Boundaries’ aims to heal these relationships and ecosystems by designing for the symbiocene. It proposes a building style that embraces erosion and succession as design processes, stepping away from rigid borders and embracing sea-level rise and degradation as gradual habitat facilitation. As sea levels rise, we will need to consider marine organisms in our construction decisions as they will be the future inhabitants of our homes. By designing for the symbiocene, we can create multi-species, ecologically friendly habitats that promote a balance between humans and non-humans, and celebrate co-dependence. This project proposes a new material culture based on the sea and its inhabitants as an alternative to cement and concrete, using an available residual low from the Dutch coast. The result? Seacrete. Oysters and mussels are abundant sources of lime. When Seacrete dissolves it adds value to the landscape. It gradually wears away like cliffs that have been eroded by the wind and sea, creating a beautiful living landscape. This material culture offers an exciting new direction in eco-friendly building materials and takes a step towards creating nature-inclusive materials for the symbiocene.

Project Details

In your project's current stage of development, how does it align with the OPENNESS value of the Distributed Design Platform?: At Studio Lotek, we embrace an open mentality and approach in our design processes. Transparency, replicability, and accessibility are fundamental to our work, from hardware and software to implementation and usability. We carefully document every aspect of our projects in a research booklet available on our website, ensuring our knowledge is shared and accessible. Exhibiting our work allows us to explain the purpose and ideas behind our projects, fostering interaction and knowledge exchange with others. We actively present our work to share knowledge and will continue to do so, as it is essential for the advancement of the design community.

In your project's current stage of development, how does it align with the COLLABORATIVE value of the Distributed Design Platform?: Educational and Collaborative Approach: By documenting and sharing their processes and collaborating with various stakeholders, Studio Lotek promotes broader adoption of regenerative practices, further amplifying their positive impact on systems. Collaboration is key to our practice, as demonstrated by our partnerships with mussel farmers, factories, and shell-fishing companies in the Netherlands and our latest project with Carbyon. Making connections and working together is vital for innovation and growth. Shortly we will also start giving workshops on how to make 'Seacrete'.

In your project's current stage of development, how does it align with the REGENERATIVE value of the Distributed Design Platform?: Negotiating Boundaries: Design for the Symbiocene
"Negotiating Boundaries" is a project that seeks to heal and restore the relationship between human-built environments and natural ecosystems.

How it renews and restores systems:

Embracing Natural Processes: Instead of fighting against natural processes like erosion and sea-level rise, this project incorporates them into the design. By doing so, it creates structures that evolve and adapt over time, fostering natural habitats rather than disrupting them.

Facilitating Marine Habitats: As sea levels rise, the project considers marine organisms as integral to the construction process. This approach helps restore marine ecosystems by providing new habitats for marine life, which can flourish in and around these structures.

Breaking Down Rigid Borders: Traditional construction often creates hard, impenetrable barriers between human and natural environments. "Negotiating Boundaries" softens these borders, allowing for a more fluid interaction between land and sea, promoting biodiversity and ecological resilience.

Symbiotic Relationships: By designing for the symbiocene, the project fosters co-dependent relationships between humans and non-humans. This promotes ecological balance and helps restore ecosystems that have been damaged by conventional construction methods.

Sustainable Material Source: Seacrete is made using residuals from the Dutch coast, particularly lime from oysters and mussels. This not only utilizes waste materials but also reduces reliance on environmentally damaging materials like cement and concrete.

Biodegradability and Ecosystem Integration: Unlike conventional building materials, Seacrete gradually wears away, similar to natural cliffs eroded by wind and sea. This process integrates the material into the landscape, enriching the soil and water with lime and other nutrients, thereby restoring the natural ecosystem.

Promoting Marine Life: As Seacrete dissolves, it creates new, dynamic landscapes that provide habitats for various marine organisms. This supports marine biodiversity and helps rebuild marine ecosystems that have been degraded by human activity.

Nature-Inclusive Design: Seacrete’s development focuses on creating materials that work with nature rather than against it. This approach renews natural systems by fostering environments where both human and non-human entities can thrive together.

In your project's current stage of development, how does it align with the ECOSYSTEMIC value of the Distributed Design Platform?: Means acknowledging the complexity of interactions between cultural, natural, and social aspects and designing to improve the health of social and environmental systems.

At Studio Lotek, our approach is ecosystemic, acknowledging the intricate interactions between cultural, natural, and social aspects and designing to improve the health of social and environmental systems. Our project "Negotiating Boundaries" made of "Seacrete" embodies this ecosystemic and eco-social design approach in the following ways:

Cultural and Social Integration: "Negotiating Boundaries" challenges traditional construction methods by incorporating cultural and social considerations into design. By promoting a symbiotic relationship between humans and non-humans, the project fosters a cultural shift towards more sustainable and inclusive building practices.

Environmental Restoration: The project recognizes the dynamic nature of ecosystems and incorporates processes like erosion and succession into the design. This helps restore natural habitats, allowing marine life to thrive and promoting biodiversity.

Community Collaboration: The project involves collaboration with local communities, including mussel farmers, factories, and shell fishing companies. These partnerships not only enhance the project's ecological impact but also strengthen social bonds and local economies.

Adaptive Design: By designing structures that adapt to sea-level rise and environmental changes, "Negotiating Boundaries" contributes to the resilience and health of both human and natural systems. This adaptive approach ensures long-term sustainability and harmony between built and natural environments.

Sustainable Material Innovation: Seacrete represents a shift towards sustainable material use by utilizing waste materials from the Dutch coast. This reduces the environmental impact of construction and supports the health of natural systems.

Environmental Enhancement: As Seacrete dissolves over time, it enriches the ecosystem by adding nutrients and creating new habitats for marine life. This process improves the health of the marine environment and supports biodiversity.

Cultural Reconnection: The development of Seacrete is deeply rooted in a cultural appreciation of natural materials and processes. By reintroducing traditional, nature-inclusive building materials, the project fosters a cultural reconnection with the environment.

Educational Impact: Through documentation and public exhibitions, Studio Lotek shares the knowledge gained from the Seacrete project. This educational approach raises awareness about sustainable practices and encourages others to adopt ecosystemic design principles.

Integration with Natural Processes: By embracing natural processes and integrating them into design, The project restores ecological balance and promotes biodiversity.

Sustainable Material Use: Using sustainable, biodegradable materials reduces environmental impact and restores natural cycles.

Habitat Creation and Enhancement: Designing with non-human entities in mind creates new habitats and enhances existing ones, fostering healthier ecosystems. (We can only foster a healthy ecosystem by thinking about more than humans, is still a unique approach to design, what makes Studio Lotek a pioneer in design)