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In response to the escalating 21st-century environmental challenges, this research investigates rewilding-oriented architectural strategies through 3D printed components designed to support the Apis mellifera pollinators. Integrating computational design, traditional apiculture practices, and sustainable local materials, the aim is to establish an Interspecies Design framework that embeds biodiversity support and ecological agency within sustainable architectural practice. Material formulations prioritise low-impact, waste-derived resources to minimise ecological footprint. Validation follows a two-phase protocol: lab-scale testing to assess thermal and acoustic performance, followed by in-situ monitoring of pollinator interaction and ecological integration.
Vaia Tsiokou is a Greek-Italian computational designer and researcher. She holds a BA in Interior Architecture, Applied Arts & Product Design from the Technological Educational Institute of Athens, a MSc in Integrative Technologies & Architectural Design Research from the University of Stuttgart, and a PGCert in Biomimetics from the Hellenic Open University. She is currently pursuing a MARes in Hybrid Arts at the Ionian University. Her expertise in academic research includes large-scale robotic fabrication, full-scale architectural prototyping, and various Additive Manufacturing methods, ranging from coreless filament winding to granular and powder-based systems. She has contributed to the design and construction of the livMatS Pavilion, the first building with a load-bearing structure entirely made of robotically wound flax fibre composites, internationally awarded: Materialpreis 2021 (Material), Green Concept Award 2022 (Best of Architecture & Tiny Houses), Iconic Awards 2022 (Innovative Architecture – Winner & Innovative Materials – Best of the Best), German Design Award 2023 (Excellent Architecture & Eco Design), and BIG SEE Architecture Award 2023 (Public / Open Space). As an EU R&D project manager, she has led teams and collaborated with partners across Europe to develop solutions that promote sustainability and inclusivity. From 3D printed Indoor Environmental Quality applications to circular toys and orthotics, her work is rooted in advancing environmental sustainability and well-being for all. Within MARes, Vaia is exploring nature-inclusive materialities. By integrating computational design, sustainable materials, and 3D printing, her aim is to create biologically informed structures and symbiotic living architectures that allow the coexistence and interdependence of human and non-human life.
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International Conference DCAC
Tsirigoti Square 7, 49100 Corfu
Ionian Islands Region, Greece
av-dcac@ionio.gr
