Abstract
Weathering is often seen as a force of decay, yet it possesses the potential to enhance architectural character and ecological functionality (Mostafavi & Leatherbarrow, 1993). As buildings age, weathering processes activate nutrients within previously inert materials, creating conditions conducive to ecological succession (Mayrand et al., 2018). This interdisciplinary-research-based theoretical proposal, formalized as part of a group dissertation with the University College of London’s Bio-Integrated Design masters program, supports weathering as a transformative process that fosters biodiversity and resilience in urban environments. Weathered architectural substrates can become fertilizers that positively modify their surrounding ecologies by creating young soil, microclimates, and niche habitats. Heritage limestone structures in London are case studies for a proposed design methodology with three primary agents: nutrient cycles, accelerated timescales, and contextual aesthetics.
Through a multi-pronged approach involving lab experiments, fabrication, computation, and environmental simulation, the study explores how buildings can be designed to kickstart self-sustaining ecological processes by integrating systems as active agents that interact with natural cycles. The lenses used to investigate the subject are phosphorus dynamics on surfaces, biologically enhanced rock weathering, and ornamentation as a driver of bioreceptivity.
By rethinking urban surfaces and leveraging innovative substrates and microbial interactions, this research proposes a new paradigm for biologically integrated architecture. By embedding life into our constructed landscapes, architecture can foster deeper connections between built structures and their ecosystems, redefining aesthetics and functionality through ecological resilience.