As part of a semester-long studio at the Spitzer School of Architecture, students researched biogenic materials and developed a series of 1:1 prototype wall assemblies exploring alternative approaches to building enclosure, insulation, structure, and material life cycles.

The studio paired material research with hands-on fabrication. Each student investigated a specific biogenic material system, then translated that research into a full-scale wall assembly prototype. Alongside the physical assemblies, students produced drawings documenting the material life cycle of each system, tracing sourcing, fabrication, use, disassembly, reuse, and end-of-life considerations.

Our role included helping design and build the completed prototype wall assemblies, supporting the translation of speculative material research into buildable full-scale construction studies. We also assisted with the exhibition design and installation, preparing the wall assemblies and accompanying life-cycle drawings for a two-month public exhibition at the Spitzer School of Architecture.

The resulting exhibition presented the work as both research and construction: a collection of tactile, full-scale assemblies that allowed viewers to engage directly with emerging biogenic material strategies, their technical possibilities, and their environmental implications.