Designing for Spontaneous Growth
Towards a Biobased and Bioreceptive Facade Supporting Pioneer Organisms
M. Eijsbroek (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
S. Parisi – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
J.J. Joustra – Mentor (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
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Abstract
As urbanisation continues to increase, the built environment faces growing challenges related to biodiversity loss and environmental impact. At the same time, building facades offer opportunities to support ecological processes within cities.
NPSP already develops facade materials with a reduced environmental footprint, but its current material portfolio involves a trade-off between achieving a fully biobased composition and maintaining visual freedom. The development of the fully biobased and colour-neutral Oribond resin creates an opportunity to address this challenge, while the spontaneous colonisation of pioneer organisms is explored as a bottom-up strategy to support ecosystem development on facades.
The aim of this project was to investigate how an Oribond-based composite can be developed into a biobased and bioreceptive facade material suitable for NPSP facade applications. The project explored both the technical performance of the composite and the potential of the facade panel to support biological colonisation. Factors influencing colonisation were translated into design interventions, after which surface roughness concepts were developed and evaluated through condition-based validation methods.
The developed composite achieved mechanical performance within the range of existing Nabasco facade materials. Surface roughness was identified as a key design parameter for bioreceptivity and was shown to improve water retention and protection against shear forces during early-stage attachment, with directional groove structures demonstrating the most promising performance. In addition, a practical validation approach was developed to assess bioreceptive surface conditions within product development timeframes.
The project demonstrates the potential of combining a fully biobased composite with bioreceptive surface design for facade applications. While long-term biological validation remains necessary, the research contributes a fully biobased facade material, insights into factors influencing biological colonisation, a transferable roughness design strategy, and a practical approach for evaluating bioreceptive design interventions within product
development processes.