Interwoven Architectural Skins: Biobased Material Fiber Construction Using Chuspata
Document Type Conference Proceeding
Abstract
This paper contributes to the growing body of research and application of biobased materials, an emerging technology in sustainable architecture, by specifically investigating potential architectural applications for the aquatic reed Typha domingensis. This invasive plant flourishes at the edges of lakes in the state of Michoacán, Mexico. Known locally as chuspata, the stalks are abundantly harvested for use by artisans in the region of Lake Pátzcuaro to produce domestic artcrafts and to clear the waterways for local fisherman. The chuspata artisans utilize the material through a weaving process that has deep cultural and pre-Hispanic origins and represents a circular process where environmental, economic, and cultural conditions intersect productively. Our research question asked whether chuspata could be employed at an architectural scale while building upon both the biological and cultural aspects of the raw material and its transformation through human processes. The pliability, cellular structure, linear rigidity, and sectional variability of the stalk were studied for their potential architectural performance along with the geometrical characteristics of common weaving patterns such as cadena, petate, and torcido. The study resulted in a collection of built prototypes and an exhibition pavilion developed in collaboration with artisans of Ihuatzio, along with architecture students and faculty from Mexico and the United States, featuring traditional and innovative weaving patterns to introduce porosity, rigidity, and three dimensionality, as a means to scale up the use of the material from small art craft objects to larger scale architectural components in horizontal and vertical configurations. Our outcomes point to the promise of employing rapidly renewable biobased materials to create light, aesthetically pleasing, and culturally resonant, temporary structures with low thermal mass to provide shade or as a screen in warm climates with significant urban heat islands. The low embodied energy and biodegradability of the material contribute to its sustainable use.
