Entangled Matter is awarded a finalist spot in the Special Projects Category of The Plan 2024 Awards

November 5, 2024

BY ISABEL BERMAN

Cordula Roser Gray, Senior Professor of Practice in Architecture, recently celebrated a significant achievement as her innovative work, Entangled Matter, was recognized as a finalist in the Special Projects category of THE PLAN 2024 Awards. This groundbreaking project focuses on sustainability and eco-compatibility, using natural systems to inspire a self-sustaining built environment.

Entangled Matter is designed as a flexible structure, easily assembled and reconfigured to adapt to the changing needs of urban spaces. It integrates natural cycles with synthetic systems, utilizing biological batteries to foster a scalable ecosystem that bridges the gap between humans and nature. The project aims to make eco-friendly living more accessible and visible in urban spaces.

The Entangled Matter project first made its mark in the architectural world at the Palazzo Mora during the 18th Venice Biennale's Time-Space-Existence exhibition, thanks to Roser Gray and her collaborators, Tatiana Teixeira and Marcella Del Signore. This work, under CRGArchitecture and X.Topia, emerged from a pressing need to address environmental degradation in cities challenged by overcrowding, traffic congestion, and high population density. With an intent to transform urban spaces into eco-friendly environments, the project proposes a vision where cities act as active solutions to environmental stressors, replacing adverse interactions with harmonious ecological processes.

At the core of Entangled Matter is a dynamic relationship with urban landscapes, achieved by integrating natural cycles into the built environment. The project’s “performative capsules” function as microhabitats that accommodate living systems, leveraging translucent materials for optimal light exposure and porous surfaces for effective gas exchange. Through these design elements, Entangled Matter bridges the divide between human and non-human species, enhancing the visibility of ecological processes and fostering a mutually beneficial relationship.

As a modular system, Entangled Matter emphasizes adaptive reconfiguration, with each component designed to harness natural cycles, like photosynthesis, to support a resilient ecosystem. The project relies on advanced technologies to make these benefits more visible and accessible, raising awareness about the integration of natural cycles into everyday urban life. Through the use of hygroscopic materials and biological elements that sequester carbon, the system not only filters air but also cools its surroundings, creating healthier microclimates within the city. This flexibility makes Entangled Matter ideal for responding to the evolving demands of urban environments under climate change.

Entangled Matter redefines sustainable architecture, envisioning cities as eco-systems that can actively contribute to environmental health. Its modular design, capacity for self-sufficiency, and symbiotic relationship with nature offer a visionary approach to urban design that addresses the urgent need for climate-responsive architecture. Roser Gray's project shines a spotlight on how cities can be transformed to work in harmony with nature, providing a model for future sustainable urban development that benefits both people and the planet.

To learn more about this project, visit The Plan.

Related