ASO Studio: Image Deep:/MycoRepair - Regenerative Reconstructions
The ambition of this studio is to examine the architecture of adaptive reuse, focusing on bio-remediation through the use of invasive species and mycelium, along with material circularity, embodied energy and labor frameworks as primary inspirations for the formation of matter.
Images from ASO Studio Image Deep, 2023. Students: Kui Yang Yang and Neha Hegde.
ASOS Catalog Course Description
The ambition of this studio is to examine the architecture of adaptive reuse, focusing on bioremediation through the use of invasive species and mycelium, along with material circularity, embodied energy and labor frameworks as primary inspirations for the formation of matter.
The project is situated within the incomplete facility of General Sisters, an art collective based in North Braddock. The studio functions as a pilot project, demonstrating that mushroom-based reconstruction is both replicable and accessible. In addition to the already mentioned frameworks, the design process includes: (a) 3D scanning of spaces; (b) Engagement with community members; (c) Facilitating a workshop to teach participants how to cast with mycelium (optional); (d) Documenting the process and envisioning broader spatial implications.
The goal is to re-situate design within a hyper-local framework of material resources and lifecycles, positioning architecture as a vehicle for ecological and communal restoration. By promoting a shift away from purely data-driven rationales, this studio aims to engage in design guided by environmental ethics and sensory subjectivities, integrating these elements into our collective aesthetic and ecological experience.