Indicating Matter: Outdoor and Indoor Sensing with Biomaterials

"Indicating Matter" is a biomaterial research thesis exploring how architectural surfaces can serve as interfaces for outdoor and indoor environmental sensing, thereby enhancing our understanding of environmental health. Lichen, a natural bioindicator of air and water pollution, is central to this study. The deliberate integration of lichen habitats within architectural systems can enhance the visibility of environmental pollution and inform remediation strategies. Moreover, this research examines the potential of pH changes on indoor wall surfaces as indicators of water and microbial activity variations. By emphasizing the incorporation of biomass and pH indicators into architectural surfaces, an area that has received limited attention in biomaterial research, the aim is to raise awareness about environmental pollution through architecture while fostering the development of pollution-responsive landscapes. Through the use of these materials, architectural facades transcend their conventional functions, becoming active agents of environmental stewardship. For architects, this presents an opportunity to provide users with insights into microbial and biomass fluctuations within their surrounding landscapes.