The Graduate Architecture, Urban Design, and Landscape Architecture programs (GA/LA/UD) at Pratt Institute are proud to participate in the Biodesign Challenge (BDC) with their project submission Hybrid Habitats: Bio-Tech for Development, led by Visiting Professor Dr. Sandra Piesik.
The Biodesign Challenge is a global, interdisciplinary education program and competition that invites students to explore the convergence of art, design, and biotechnology. Founded on the belief that scientific progress is enriched by creative vision, BDC empowers participants to imagine more equitable and sustainable futures through the lens of emerging technologies.
Hybrid Habitats: Bio-Tech for Development explores the transformative potential of biotechnology and biomaterials – specifically the 7,000-year-old date palm – to reimagine the future of biodesign in desert and arid environments. This project leverages the date palm, an abundant agricultural byproduct, alongside living organisms such as the bacterium Kocuria rosea, to propose innovative, bio-circular, and regenerative design solutions.
The proposal envisions new bioregional architectural scenarios that respond to the urgent global challenges of desertification, biodiversity loss, and extreme heat. By capitalizing on the excellent reflectivity of date palm leaves, Hybrid Habitats recommends adaptive façade systems tailored for vulnerable regions. These systems integrate modular desert canopies, geometric patterns inspired by palm shade, and bio-hued, sensor-driven components influenced by the organic motion of microbial life.
Rooted in the principles of modularity, circularity, and ecological intelligence, Hybrid Habitats offers a scalable, intergenerational vision of sustainable living, ensuring that no one is left behind in the transition to a bio-integrated future.
Instructor
Dr. Sandra Piesik
Visiting Assistant Professor
Students and Projects
· Form Finding BioHue
· Bhavya Manish Prajapati, Mithila Sunil Patil, Falguni Sakpal
· Geometric Explorations Palm Shade
· Alara Ata, Andreas Palfinger, Aysin Bahar Sahin
· Organic Motion K-Biotic
· Anand P. Popat, Kayla J. Reyes, Lucius Hu
· Modularity Desert Canopy
· Ren Henniger, Rundong Ying
Special Acknowledgements: Dr Lars Dietrich and Dietrich Lab, Columbia University.
Biodesign Challenge
June 11–June 13, 2025, 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
Online and Parsons, The New School – 66 5th Ave, New York, NY 10011 and MoMA – 11 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019