Many heads make short work
Abstract
Physarum polycephalum is a fascinating organism with a unique biological structure and life cycle. It’s unique characteristics and the relative ease of working with it contribute to wide study and a growing body of associated research across a variety of disciplines. This accessibility helps provide a common ground for interdisciplinary work engaged with the mysteries of living systems. This talk will survey several perspectives on the organism, emerging applications in practice, and prospects for future work considering the organism as a ‘reference architecture’ from biology that can inform human-scale design activity.
Bio
Randall Anway, AIA is a Registered Architect in New York and Connecticut. He specializes in consulting on design - and designing - inspired by natural systems. He holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Connecticut. Accreditations: Certified Biomimicry Specialist, LEED AP, and Certified Sustainable Building Advisor. Based in Connecticut, he offers services through his firm, New Tapestry, LLC. Randall’s experience includes early stage development of a document production system for the Army Corps of Engineers, and work as Systems Architect for facility management at Xerox Corporation. His design experience spans from new work to historical retrofit for residential, commercial and institutional projects. He is a member of the INCOSE Natural Systems Working Group, and a founding member of Biomimicry NYC (biomimicrynyc.com). Other recent and ongoing activities include contributing to the online journal, Zygote Quarterly (zqjournal.org).