BioTiles

The BioTiles project challenges traditional construction methods and materials by embracing the power of natural processes and unpredictability, resulting in a sustainable and beautiful product by creating innovative biocomposite tiles using bacterial biomineralization and Icelandic volcanic sand. Each tile captures a moment of nature's unruliness, creating unique and beautiful patterns that cannot be replicated.

The idea behind BioTiles is to challenge the notion that construction materials and methods have to be rigid and predictable. The project embraces the beauty and unpredictability of nature and harnesses it to create something functional and sustainable. The manufacturing process is inherently unpredictable, which adds to the allure of the project, creating a unique sense of anticipation as each tile is created through a steady flow of liquid through sand in partnership with a live entity—the biomineralizing bacteria, Sporosarcina pasteurii.

BioTiles contributes to the New European Bauhaus Initiative in several ways. Firstly, it is a sustainable solution to the challenges facing the construction industry by using locally sourced materials and a natural process that does not require high heat or energy. Secondly, the product is beautiful and unique, blending in with the local landscape and adding to the aesthetic appeal of any space. Finally, the project is inclusive, providing opportunities for local communities to cultivate their environments rather than build on them at their expense.