That concrete is the most damaging material in the world is no secret. Where, therefore, to look for alternatives? The key may lie in innovative materials that integrate with nature. Sound utopian? We talk to Magdalena Pietryszyn, architect, co-creator of the Foil&Soil project and the upcoming "New Matter" workshop, about whether building materials today can become an active participant in ecological processes.
Ola Kloc: What are the "New Matter" workshops about?
Magdalena Pietryszyn: The "New Matter" workshop is an interdisciplinary space to experiment with the future of materials in an urban and environmental context, while respecting the local ecosystem. We will focus on exploring and creating innovative materials that integrate with nature, foster interspecies harmony, while responding to contemporary challenges such as pollution and climate change.
Together with innovation and biomaterials designer Vera Banas, we will guide participants through the creative process, which includes experimenting with plant- and wood-based materials. In addition to theory that will introduce the composition and structure of future materials, participants will have the opportunity to work with local raw materials - from plants and agricultural waste to biodegradable wood polymers - to create nature-friendly samples. The structure and texture of these materials, as important as their chemical composition, will be explored in a holistic approach to materials science of the future.
Foil&Soil
© Magdalena Pietryszyn
An important element of the workshop will be the presentation of excerpts from our international research projects, such as "Atlas of Habitats," an online atlas of animal habitats created with my participation for the University of Applied Arts in Vienna and the United Nations (UNIDO) in Liberia. These projects demonstrate how textural and porous materials can act as both hiding places for animals and elements that support biodiversity in an urban context.
The workshop also marks the beginning of my long-term collaboration with Ferment, a house of culture and nature, where we developed a strategy for working with local natural resources. My goal is to design a spatial-material strategy that not only relies on local matter, but also invites all species to interact together.
The "New Matter" workshop will take place on Saturday, December 14 at the FERMENT house of culture and nature in Warsaw's Sadyba district
© organizers archive
Registration: IG(ferment_home), FB(Ferment house of culture), email (biuro@fermentdom.com)
Ola Kloc: Part of the workshop will be experiments with natural raw materials - what kind of matter will be used?
Magdalena Pietryszyn: We focus on materials that combine natural origins with the potential for technological processing. During the workshop, we will work primarily with biodegradable polymers of wood origin, as well as materials derived from agricultural waste, such as hulls, skins or grains of vegetables and fruits. Our goal is to show participants how locally available raw materials can be transformed into innovative solutions that can be applied both in everyday life and on a larger scale - for example, in urban planning. Our context is old Sadyba, and in particular the Ferment garden, named by owner Dagna Jakubowska and landscape architect Natalia Budnik - the edible garden.
Foil&Soil laboratory
© Magdalena Pietryszyn
Ola Kloc: In what materials do you see the building material of the future?
Magdalena Pietryszyn: I see the future in materials that create "interspaces" - porous and permeable structures combining natural and synthetic elements that redefine the relationship between the interior and exterior. Such materials, such as organic and synthetic polymers, allow air, water and microorganisms to flow through, supporting biodiversity in the urban fabric.
"Interspaces" offer new opportunities for architecture: they create adaptive microenvironments that foster interspecies interactions and support key ecosystem services such as air purification and habitat creation. Such hybrid structures can transform cities into co-habitat spaces, where building materials are not just a background, but an active participant in ecological processes.
porous permeable cone
© Magdalena Pietryszyn
Earlier this year, Foil&Soil, the spatial-materials duo I co-founded, created a short film, commissioned by the Oslo Architecture Triennale, about material strategy for northern cities, which interestingly tells the story of our research into the matter of the future tasked with supporting biodiversity, responding to the Triennale's brief "Towards New Naturehoods." I see less and less sense in the use of large-scale glazing or steel, which has less than 1% porosity and does not support natural air exchange processes or integration with the ecosystem. In my opinion, the future may lie in materials with high porosity, with properties of, for example, pumice (70-90% porosity) or sponge (more than 90%), which allow the structure to breathe, promote natural ventilation and can provide habitats for plants and insects.
porosity of pumice
© Magdalena Pietryszyn
Experiments with hybrid materials, such as polycrete or modified sandstone, show the potential of sustainable architecture based on local raw materials, new materials, or materials that get a second life through their transformation. I believe that interdisciplinary collaborations like ours are the future of cities, and micro-interventions, can be more effective than designing new structures on a large scale.
Ola Kloc: Thank you!
