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Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism SynBio-architecture: BioSynth Towers Project

to develop unexpected interactions with others and can A B
age and evolve with time. It would therefore look as if the
rational adoption of straight lines and compatible building
materials were one of the most conspicuous manifestations
of the human fondness to dominate nature, as they allow
to suppress uncertainties associated with live counterparts.
Other non-straight elements, which were later adopted C
(round and gothic arches, and domes), did not change the
emphasis on Euclidean geometry (Sbacchi, 2001) as the
core basis of any architectural project. Most often, non-
linear forms were used almost exclusively for decoration.

Yet, one of the take-home lessons of contemporary
systems and synthetic biology is the ability of evolutionary Figure 2. Gaudí’s method for optimizing complex structures and its
mechanisms (Morange, 2013) to solve complex applicability to the genetic design of synthetic metabolic pathways.
optimization problems, which are not amenable to (A) String-weight engineering involves determining parameters for
calculation from first principles (Krohs & Bedau, 2013). constructing a complex object where the interactions between nearby
elements affect the entire system, and vice versa. Photo credit: Gaudí
For example, assembling a new metabolic pathway for the Museum, Barcelona. (B) Initially, a collection of components is physically
synthesis or degradation of a target chemical compound connected to form an object. Weights are then attached to specific
typically starts with arranging a DNA sequence that locations that will later become the peaks of the architectural piece.
encodes all the necessary enzymes, predicted either Through the force of gravity, the object undergoes deformation, resulting
in an optimal distribution of angles and masses. Flipping the model
manually or with CAD resources (Hafner et al., 2020). But upside down provides the stability parameters for the structure. (C) To
this is just the beginning: the components of the route must achieve the best combination of enzymatic steps (1–5) for converting a
be expressed in a specific stoichiometry through additional substrate into a product (Z), various factors must be considered, such
regulatory assets (e.g., promoter sequences and ribosomal as appropriate gene expression levels controlled by the promoter P, the
binding sites) to secure effective nesting of the construct regulator, and the intergenic regions (IGR), as well as mRNA stability and
termination (T). Introducing sequence diversification at these regulatory
in the pre-existing genetic and physiological network of points and applying selective pressure to enhance Z production allows for
the host, avoid toxic intermediates, and foster long-term exploration of the solution space until an optimum is attained (Adapted
performance (Stephanopoulos, 2012). Alas, such catalytic from de Lorenzo, 2018)
phenotypes are challenging to design, as the parameters
involved in their optimization are either too high a number optimal genetic and physiological arrangements under
or they are simply unknown. One way is the application of given conditions. Therefore, in reality, biological systems
what has been called Gaudí’s principle (Porcar et al., 2015) can evolve and adapt to the environment capable of solving
based on his hanging chain models (Figure 2). Under problems that are not yet amenable to straight engineering.
this frame, the starting point is a system which contains As long as biological evolution cracks challenges that
all necessary components to deliver a given function but cannot be tackled otherwise, can we entertain also that
lacks the proper connectivity and/or is endowed with biology empowers us to push architecture beyond the
unsuitable parameters and transfer functions. By letting self-imposed limitations of what we could call straight-line
the system fluctuate under an overarching selection criteria philosophy?
(for instance faster/better growth), the same biological
object is made to evolve for finding solutions (Naseri & 3. Technification of biology vs biologization
Koffas, 2020). Such an evolutionary and/or combinatorial of technology
approach typifies prime outputs to the initial challenge,
regardless of the number of objectives that need to be One common and implicitly accepted tenet of
simultaneously met. The process can in fact be entertained contemporary technology is that by applying mathematical
as a sort of physical computation, in which a complex methods, advanced physics/chemistry, and more recently
metabolic problem is embodied in a material object, and computational approaches, humans can prevail over the
the result is delivered as another physical entity endowed uncertainties and threats of the natural world. In other
with the solution. If we were to do this rigorously, the words, for too long a time, the environment has been
large number of fine adjustments of the starting metabolic perceived as an adversary to submit to and a source of
and regulatory devices could not be addressed through resources to exploit. Attempts of technological domination
rational calculations. The best growers thus represent of the natural realm (and their associated narratives) are
discrete attractors in a solution space which embody reminiscent of recurrent historical events when a self-

Volume 5 Issue 3 (2023) 3 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.0619