Lab-grown materials for architecture

Abstract

The idea of architecture using bio-based materials that are produced on an industrial scale under laboratory conditions and can be customized at the molecular level still belongs to the realm of science fiction. However, with the publication of their findings on plant-based, lab-grown materials, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have recently shown that such a future is well and truly possible. Their long-term goal: customizable timber, grown in a lab. Based on current research results and discourse, this article examines the potential of lab-grown materials for tomorrow’s architecture and how they could influence the design process. It also identifies possible positive and negative environmental impacts and discusses the role that lab-grown materials could play in the context of a material transition toward bio-based, sustainable materials in the construction sector.