Biomaterials Research (I)
2024Weaving Weeds is a biofabrication research project conducted with the aid of a Virginia Tech Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT) grant and faculty sponsor Dr. Shaun Rosier.
researchers
Braden Perryman, MFA Creative Technologies (BFA Studio Art, BA Sociology, BA Ancient History)
Chelsea Brighton-Smith, Masters in Landscape Architecture (BS Environmental Horticulture)
Ben Hornyak, MFA Creative Technologies (BFA Studio Art: Sculpture)
Lois Nguyen, PhD Science and Technology Studies (MS STS, BS Landscape Architecture)
Thomas-Mark Peterson, Masters in Architecture (BS Biology)
Maggie Webb, PhD Engineering Education / MS Civil Engineering (BS Mechanical Engineering)
abstract
molds were designed using traditional 3D drafting techniques in rhino in addition to parametric grasshopper script, and then exported, sliced, and FDM 3D printed using PLA. careful attention was paid to the minimum ‘resolution’ of the root structures, as well as to avoid drafting overhangs into the formwork - the result: molds that can be reused near-infinitely with proper preparation and cleaning. the mold patterns we chose were inspired by patterns found in nature - from honeycombs, to the cracking of dried mud in the sun, to voronoi cell-division patterns based on delaunay triangulation.
the molds were then lined with a fine meshing material and filled over top with germinated wheat berries. over the course of three weeks, the germinated wheat berries were kept moist and in direct sunlight, where their root structures gradually filled in the negative space of the positive mold. the roots entangled with(in) each other, networking to create a durable, fabric-like material that held its shape and maintained its integrity. the root/shoot assembly was then removed from the molds, turned upside down, and kept in a cool, dark, dry place for another three weeks.