TEGULA series was custom designed for the CCA Pioneering Biomaterials Exhibit. It reflects on the capacity of matter to map and mediate environmental forces inside and outside of buildings through biochemical design in architecture. Sustainable TEGULA composites biodegrade at end-of-life and are in ongoing development for structural robustness towards matching traditional cements (Sand TEGULA), fiberboard (Cane TEGULA) and stone slab (Food TEGULA). They are bound by natural gums, braced by multi-length fibers from flax and fruit skin, and stiffened with minerals of silica and calcium.
Programmed interactions are carried in printed inks on top of TEGULA tiles and (1) change the aroma of indoor air with toxin-free compounds, (2) respond to rising temperature with color, and (3) track ultraviolet radiation from sunlight. Color and scent are the means by which interaction is validated, but benefits of these tiles go beyond signaling. They promote human health by using only biocompatible materials, enhance climate change awareness by connecting matter to environmental variation, signal building pathologies and health threats without use of mechanical devices, and push forward a biomaterials era that is aesthetically surprising and functionally robust.
Cane TEGULA: Cane TEGULA series features a collection of particle board-like composite tiles that upcycle sugarcane bagasse in a process of hyper-local transformation giving new life to unavoidable food market waste. Motifs on top of these tiles feature ultraviolet radiation responsive particles encapsulated in biopolymer inks, and extrusion printed at ambient conditions onto cured tiles. Sensing motifs come to life when hit with direct or diffused sunlight or with an artificial source.
Sand TEGULA: Sand TEGULA series features silica sand and flax fiber composites bound with biopolymers as alternatives to traditional cements. They are patterned with thermochromic inks that clue environmental conditions. This work recognizes thermally responsive architectural materials as vital building blocks in our climate change epoch providing important visual insights into insulation, thermal capacity, heat transfer, and variation between indoor and outdoor environments.
Food TEGULA: Food TEGULA series are bound by water-based gums, based on a mineral matrix from eggshell, and feature fiber from fruit skins that not only serves as structural reinforcement, but also infuses fragrance. Tiles are further patterned with scented bio-inks able to encapsulate and retain any aroma. As such becoming sensory indoor cladding that invites tactile and olfactory engagement, transforming architectural surfaces into multi-sensory experiences.
Project Leads: Eda Begum Birol, Bhavana Priya Balasubramanian, Yasaman Amirzehni (equal contribution), and DumoLab Director Dr Laia Mogas-Soldevila. Production Team: Burcu Gocen, Aaron Dorand, Qianni Wang, Abby Weinstein, Sara Asa, Amir Motavaselian, Bowen Qin. Acknowledgements: Yuanyi Cen (Cane Tegula), Chef Mouhamed Mboup (Food Tegula), Liam Lasting (Sand Tegula).
Exhibition: On display at the "Pioneering Biomaterials Academia and Industry Accelerator" exhibit from 22 Jan–14 Feb 2025, at the Novack Gallery, California College of the Arts (CCA), San Francisco (https://pioneeringbiomaterials.com).
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