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Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Microbial technologies: Toward a regenerative architecture

microorganisms among culture collections, laboratories, microbes may sound like science fiction, the functional
and researchers worldwide formed an Open-Source integration of microbes into the built environment is feasible.
facility for research activities to advance the scientific Using the technology of ‘life’ and the new know-how from
understanding of microbes. Commercial pressures from the field of biotechnology, a new regenerative architecture
biotechnology firms in the late 20 century, however, altered toolset is emerging that uses natural energy to run building
th
this situation by restricting this access through intellectual operations, and grows non-structural materials, reusing
property protections and gene patenting. In this paper, them at the end of their lifespan. These advances are possible
the term “microbial commons” is deanthropocentrized through the designed incorporation of biofilms and specific
to decouple it from notions of human exploitation, types of microbial consortia into solid matrixes (e.g.,
3
protection and control, returning microbial communities agricultural wastes) or bioreactors, for cultivation, where
to their position at the foundation of the biosphere, where environmental parameters can be adjusted to encourage the
their global exchange of microbial goods nourishes the microbes to perform different kinds of work. Collectively,
living world beyond the confines of the laboratory. In this these microbial populations turn waste streams into a
context, the notion of microbial technologies becomes an range of materials and low power energy that can be made
economic system for microbial/human interactions, through available to citizens across multiple social, economic,
our obligate consumption of microbial goods through our and political divides. Forming the operational basis for
everyday acts of living (Armstrong, In Press). community transactions through access to the microbial
commons, such microbial technologies establish a platform
4. Principles of microbial economics for a circular resource economy to activate regenerative
Over the eons, microbes have used their commons to architectural practices by enabling new kinds of urban
invent all major forms of metabolism, multicellularity, exchanges (Timmis et al., 2019). A vision outlining the
nanotechnology, organic metallurgy, sensory systems, principles of transforming urban impacts by incorporating
locomotive apparatuses, reproductive strategies, microbial technologies into our buildings is shown below
community organization, metabolism, and mineral where the integration of microbial technologies and (low-
conversion platforms, creating the basis for versatile and cost/vernacular) materials into buildings enables the
nature-based microbial technologies (Margulis, 1981). The production of low-power living spaces with novel formwork,
incorporation of these agents into our living spaces within esthetics, and user experiences that advance the regenerative
specific contexts creates a transactional, circular platform architecture toolset and portfolio (Figure 1).
for sustainable interventions, potentially replacing modern 5. Introducing the microbial fuel cells (MFCs)
plumbing with bioreactor systems that transform a variety
of household wastes into usable resources (Lahiji & MFCs offer a regenerative and decentralized solution for
Friedman, 2017). Such technologically mediated access to energy generation through their ability to convert organic
the microbial commons operates according to mutualistic matter into electricity (Potter, 1911) (Figure 2). Each cell
principles — if you give me your waste, then I shall give has an anode and cathode, separated by a proton-exchange
you (something useful) — escaping the capitalist logic membrane that divides the liquids in the two chambers
of resource inequality (extreme stockpiling leading to while allowing protons to pass from the anode to the
resource depletion and gross inequalities), as the same cathode. Organic waste flows into the anode as feedstock
things are valued differently by different actors, facilitating for an anaerobic biofilm, which excretes electrons that are
equitable transactions. Mutualistic relationships, however, captured by electrodes, generating an electrical current
break down in the presence of pathogens, which account sufficient to power electronic devices, while protons pass
for < 1% of all microbes, and are an exception to the through the membrane where they combine with oxygen
principle rather than the rule — so much so, that biofilms to produce water.
actively destroy them (Pasternak et al., 2019). 2 MFCs, however, produce more than just bioelectricity as
While a regenerative technological platform that enables the biofilms also recover nutrients, synthesize biofertilizer
meaningful resource exchanges between humans and (in the stabilized sludge they produce, which is a rich
source of nitrogen and phosphate), make disinfectant, treat
2 The exceptional and important behavior of pathogens is wastewater, and kill pathogens while they excrete electrons
documented in detail in many medical papers. It is not the
author’s aim to downplay this important characteristic of
some microbes but rather to emphasize that most microbes 3 A microbial consortium or microbial community is when two
are beneficial to all life and can, therefore, be engaged within or more bacterial or microbial groups live symbiotically but
our living spaces using appropriate hygiene principles. have not formed a biofilm.

Volume 5 Issue 1 (2023) 3 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.157