We talk about living buildings but what if a building could really be “alive”?
I attended a fascinating presentation of research at the Royal Institution, Professor Martyn Dade-Robertson revealed a future where buildings aren't just constructed—they're grown. Imagine foundations that heal themselves, walls that breathe, and roofs that respond to sunlight, all created by microscopic organisms working in harmony.
Robertson's research shows how bacteria can literally strengthen the ground beneath our feet. By introducing specially engineered microbes into soil, these tiny organisms can produce calcium carbonate crystals that bind soil particles together, creating foundations more resilient than traditional concrete methods.
Mycelium, the root network of mushrooms, is continually being celebrated as a revolutionary material for insulation, packaging, alternatives to plastics, but now, in experiments with NASA, Robertson's team have demonstrated how this fungal network could potentially create structures on Mars, growing insulation and structural components in resource-limited environments. A full-scale mycelium structure built in New York completely biodegraded within just four months of being dismantled.
The most fascinating aspect is the materials' ability to self-heal. Mycelium can "biologically weld" itself, fusing broken components back together. Bacterial cellulose can create surfaces that respond to light, changing colour like living skin—imagine walls that tan in sunlight or tiles that darken to provide shade.
These aren't just theoretical concepts. Robertson's team has already explored the waterproof nature of mushrooms. Hydrophobins are proteins which play a crucial role in mycelium's hydrophobicity (waterproofness!). They self-assemble at air-water interfaces, creating a hydrophobic layer on the surface of the mycelium. So the scientists have researched this hydrophobic behaviour and have tested coatings derived from bacterial proteins that can protect materials and make them fire-resistant. One experiment showed a piece of balsa wood treated with their protein coating survived a fire that would have quickly consumed an untreated piece.
The environmental implications are profound. While current biotechnological materials aren't yet carbon-neutral, the potential is enormous. Researchers are exploring techniques like using cyanobacteria to capture CO2 during material production, potentially turning building materials from carbon sources into carbon sinks.
There are challenges, of course. Scaling these technologies remains difficult, and there are complex ethical considerations about introducing engineered organisms into environments. The carbon footprint of producing these materials is still being evaluated, and not all solutions are immediately viable.
Yet the vision is compelling. Robertson describes buildings as "living" entities—structures that can adapt, respond, and even heal themselves. It's a radical departure from our current understanding of architecture, where buildings are static and unchanging.
For me also, maybe we should also be rethinking HOW our societies function. We are essentially nomadic, so maybe in the future we can look at shifting communities, our homes are grown, and naturally go back to the earth. We move on as climate change forces us to migrate, shift to higher or lower ground. Even work and job functions will change in the future. Working remotely means we can work anywhere. Maybe we can grow our homes are we go, meeting the needs to growing and shifting populations, while not harming the earth? What do you think?
The most beautiful aspect of this research is its fundamental philosophy, and that is earning from nature rather than trying to dominate it. Each innovation is a testament to the extraordinary complexity of biological systems—systems that have been solving engineering challenges for millions of years.
As climate change demands radical rethinking of how we build and live, these living technologies offer a glimpse of a more sustainable future. Bacteria, fungi, and microbes aren't just microscopic organisms—they're potential architects of a new world.
I can’t imagine that all buildings of tomorrow might be grown but what is hopeful is that science is exploring other options rather than mining, concrete, polluting construction methods. This is why we try and celebrate small and emerging research and scientific wins to give us hope and also to encourage new and innovative thought, research and importantly the sharing of these amazing innovations. Without the sharing of knowledge, we remain forever in the dark. Bringing things into the light means we can all see.
Written by Dr. Vanessa Champion, editor, Journal of Biophilic Design.
If you love research, I encourage you to check out The Royal Institution Lecture series.
This was the lecture I attended: https://www.rigb.org/whats-on/how-grow-house
The lecturer was Martyn Dade-Robertson, Professor of Emerging Technology at Northumbria University, with a background in Architecture and Computing, and more recently, in Synthetic Biology (focused on engineering biological systems). He founded the Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment (HBBE) and co-leads the Living Construction Group.