Architectures of syntopia: An interdisciplinary speculative model for constructions with insect-infested wood

Abstract

Based on a case study in Franconia, Germany, where beetle infestation of spruce trees is high, we present an interdisciplinary approach from materials science, cultural theory, and computational design to develop architectures for syntopic living. The term syntopy was coined by Luis René Rivas and describes “two or more related species inhabiting the same macrohabitat.” It is a combination of the Greek words syn* for together and *topos for place. Architectures of Syntopia aim to create spatial structures for humans that emanate from and are located in a specific place – a topos. They also include non-human species, creating what Anna Tsing describes as “multispecies worlds“. By interweaving methods from materials science and cultural theory with computational design, different speculative perspectives are developed on one and the same subject: the beetle infestation of the spruce.

Keywords

• computational design
• speculative design
• wood materials science
• cultural theory