Rooted in Place is a speculative architectural experiment exploring bio-fabrication. The project investigates whether living plant root systems can be guided by 3D-printed scaffolds to create architectural components — testing whether geometry can direct biology, and imagining what that might mean for how we build.
Concept
What if buildings could grow? Instead of relying solely on inert, energy-intensive materials, this project explores a symbiotic alternative. The goal wasn't to produce a market-ready material, but to test whether roots can actually be guided by geometry — and to make the adaptive behavior of root systems a visible part of the design conversation.
3D-printed scaffolds designed to guide root growth.
Design & Fabrication
A series of modular lattices were designed in Rhinoceros 3D and 3D-printed in PLA, systematically varying porosity, channel size, and layer height to test how geometry influences root path. Rapid iteration on the printer allowed dozens of variations.
Cultivation & Observation
Controlled growth experiments used mung beans and wheatgrass, chosen for their distinct root structures. Seeds were cultivated within the scaffolds in a transparent agar medium, enabling direct observation of how roots interacted with printed geometries over time.
Wheatgrass roots binding 3D-printed tiles into a living mat.
A systems map tracing the journey from biosphere to living construction.
Systems-Level Analysis
A systems map traces the lifecycle of conventional building materials against the proposed bio-fabrication workflow, highlighting where plant-based methods could reduce waste, sequester carbon, and create a more symbiotic relationship between built and natural environments.
A vision for rewilded cities, where buildings and nature thrive together.
Findings
Wheatgrass proved particularly effective — its fibrous root system created a dense, interwoven mat that successfully bound multiple scaffold tiles into a single cohesive unit. No structural testing was performed, but the result demonstrates a compelling possibility for living joinery and serves as a tangible provocation for how we might partner with living systems in design.