samira boon digitally fabricates origami installation HORTUS BIONICA

studio samira boon presents its HORTUS BIONICA series, seeking to cultivate a healthy indoor environment that adapts to the needs of its occupants like a living ecosystem. the first two ‘sprouts’ of the new product series are entitled: sonic blossom ‘~ ~ ~’ and proxi flower ‘<< • >>’, and are designed for the specific challenges of larger indoor spaces. this includes workspaces, atria, restaurants and libraries. synergy between various users and environmental conditions is the starting point for HORTUS BIONICA. a garden of robotic textile creatures that reacts to environmental stimuli.

images by florine nijntjes

the HORTUS BIONICA series is created by studio samira boon, a textile architecture studio that seeks to generate flexible and dynamic environments. the work was developed together with sensor lab and with the support of the creative industries fund NL. the design team believes that sustainable and healthy living of the future is adaptive and interactive like natural systems. to achieve this, over the last years, studio samira boon has developed digitally produced origami designs to implement as lightweight and dynamic 3D textile installations that generate adaptable spaces. HORTUS BIONICA is the next step in merging nature and technology.

HORTUS BIONICA: proxi flower

with HORTUS BIONICA, studio samira boon investigates the viewer’s relationship with nature to foster healthier forms of architecture based on biophilic design principles. the growing collection is a garden of bionic plants. the new species of architectural elements that are able to carry out a number of smart functions and optimize flows — namely energy, light, sound, movement — within public spaces. the team’s biophilic approach goes beyond adding natural elements to unnatural indoor environments. HORTUS BIONICA recognizes and amplifies the nature-like characteristics found in architectural materials, technology and data.

with integrated sensors proxi flower directly responds to the user by opening and closing

by highlighting these properties, studio samira boon promotes architecture as an adaptive garden, HORTUS BIONICA. the garden expresses a strong emotional and sensory dimension that actively supports the user’s wellbeing. this leads to artificial natural organisms that change their shape in an automated way in relation to environmental conditions and changing needs and wishes of the users. each inhabitant of HORTUS BIONICA has its own unique functional application and character, both behaviorally and visually.

HORTUS BIONICA uses lightweight and dynamic 3D textile

studio samira boon’s HORTUS BIONICA species is a growing collection. the first two products were to be publicly presented at material district rotterdam — postponed due to COVID-19 — and had a soft launch in march. the next sprouts to be launched will respond to light and temperature and composed of 100% recycled textile waste. the potential offered by this garden combining nature and technology is enormous and the team invites architects to join in exploring its possibilities.

HORTUS BIONICA: sonic blossom

sonic blossom opens and closes like an inflorescence reacting to sound

they are designed for the specific challenges of public spaces (including workspaces, atria, restaurants and libraries)

the skeleton of sonic blossom

within large areas, arrays of the flowers can enhance spaces and offer privacy through flexible divisions

by installing multiple sonic blossom flowers, soundscapes can be mapped to enhance the interior atmosphere and aesthetics

project info:

project name: HORTUS BIONICA

design: studio samira boon i.c.w. sensorlab

photography: florine nijntjes

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: kat barandy | designboom