1st Edition
Plastic Futures in Architecture From Recycled Synthetic to Bio-Based Polymers
1. Plastic Techne: An Introduction
Ehsan Baharlou
Part 1: Being
Being: A Preamble
Ehsan Baharlou
2. Being Plastic: Living in the Plasticene
Phoebe Crisman
3. Plastic Imitating Life: Future Potential for a Controversial Material
Blaine Brownell
4. Syntopia 0—Anthropos I Human: From “Designer Matter” to “Critical Material”
Karola Dierichs
5. Breathing Enclosures & Engineered Living Materials
Maria Paz Gutierrez
Part 2: Becoming
Becoming: A Preamble
Ehsan Baharlou
6. Sustainable Polymers in Architecture: From Recycling to Bio-Based Innovation
Philip F. Yuan, Jiapan Sun, and Liming Zhang
7. Infundibuliforms: Experiments in Spatial Plasticity
Kathy Velikov, Wes McGee, Daniel Tish, and Geoffrey Thün
8. Hybrid Composite Manufacturing: Plastic Futures for Architecture
Marshall Prado
9. Nature's Blueprint: Redefining Plastic Designs
Julia Koerner
10. Plastic Plus
Virginia San Fratello
Part 3: Beyond
Beyond: A Preamble
Ehsan Baharlou
11. A Path Towards the Biomaterials Age
Stylianos Dritsas and Javier G. Fernandez
12. ChitoFold: Designing 3D Forms from 2D Gels Towards a Fuel-free Future
Laia Mogas-Soldevila
13. Chitin-Based Biocomposites: Sustainable Alternatives for Architectural Applications
Paulina Grabowska, and Hanaa Dahy
14. Toward Natural Fiber Architecture: From Synthetic to Bio-Based Composite Building Systems
Christoph Zechmeister, Monika Göbel, Jan Knippers, and Achim Menges
15. Malleability as a Driver for Design: Activating Alternative Resource Flows with 3D-Printed Biopolymer Composites
Mette Ramsgaard Thomsen, Gabriella Rossi, Carl Eppinger, and Paul Nicholas
Biography
Ehsan Baharlou, Dr.-Ing. is an Assistant Professor of Architecture and the director of Computational Tectonics Lab at the School of Architecture, University of Virginia. His research agenda unfolds through three interconnected streams: Computationally Driven Material Ecologies, Circular Robotic Fabrication for Performance and Living and Regenerative Architecture. He investigates regenerative architectural technologies across scales- from microscale material formulations to full-scale assemblies. His work has been internationally exhibited at the French Pavilion in Venice Biennale 2025 and at the 2025 Chicago Architecture Biennial. He has also co-edited a special issue of the International Journal for Architectural Computing (IJAC), advancing computational design discourse by foregrounding ecological levers such as autonomy and interdependence.
