What do you want (to be) yeast? Exploring early stage yeast-based materials through the lens of architectural materialisms

Abstract

In the context of climate change and global warming, the construction sector is among the most polluting industries¹, prompting a critical review of its processes. Although bio-based materials are often proposed as a sustainable alternative, research indicates that their large-scale production can have unintended negative consequences², particularly due to land-use changes that affect natural environments and local communities, escalating socialecological conflicts³. One alternative is to reduce the demand for extracted bio-based materials, such as wood, by creating new materials from their by-products, so-called biofabricated materials4. This thesis investigates the potential of a yeastbased mix, a bio-fabricated material, for architectural applications5. Using architectural materialisms as a holistic framework that integrates community, architectural, and nonhuman perspectives, the material is examined through theory-informed design in the robotic laboratory at Chalmers. Additional methods include scientific experimentation, diagramming, material fabrication, 3D scanning, and comparative analysis. The results highlight the importance of the architect’s early involvement in material research, as this enables the adoption of holistic perspectives and ensures a socio-ecological understanding of materials, complementing conventional biological, physical, and chemical performance assessments. The conclusions are synthesized in a design proposal that demonstrates a potential full-scale (1:1) construction using the material, confirming its capacity to become part of the future construction material palette and to offer sustainable, context-sensitive alternatives to conventional bio-based materials.