Spirulina Bank

A Bio-Plastic temple in the Polymer Valley

After developing a series of experiments with bio-plastic made from potato starch, glycerine and vinegar, Marilu Valente created a digital form-finding technique which uses the same principles as the elastic material. Below is a plan of the resulting building, a bio-polymer centre in the Polymer Valley in Thelford, U.K. We will be updating this post soon but wanted you to see how a complex three-dimensional Architecture can still be communicated through a beautiful 2D plan.

#PotatoStarchIsTheFuture

Plan of the bio-plastic temple by Marilu Valente

Plan of the bio-plastic temple by Marilu Valente

(bio)Plastic Morphologies

What if Bioplastic could be used as a green construction material ?

Plastic can acquire any shape you give it.

But what about the natural behaviour of the viscous material?

Experiments consisting in elongating the viscous material can reveal an interesting form configuration that has inherent structural properties.

The rules defining the the material configuration are then coded into a script that enables to digitally replicate the shape. The structural performace of the shape opens the opportunity for many applications.

A bridge is imagined following the same formal configuration.

The Role of Bioplastics, Bioenergy and Biofuels in Global Land Use

This is a very interesting article about the increasing role of Bioplastics and Bioenergy and its effects on the global land use.

The Role of Bioplastics- Bioenergy and Biofuels in Global Land Use

The article was published in March 2012