11/8/2015

CLOTMagazine|AlbertoT.Estvez

AlbertoT.Estvez
PostedbyCLOTMagazineinArtech,Biodesign,Materials,Trends

(BioluminLemonTrees)

(Biolamps)

WordsbyLulaCriado(Twitter@lula_clotmag)

Thepublicunderstandingofgeneticshowwe
knowitorhowitinterfaceswiththesocietyand
data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Ch2%20style%3D%22border%3A%200px%3B%20margin%3A%200px%200px%203px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20v

1/7

11/8/2015

CLOTMagazine|AlbertoT.Estvez

itsapplicationinmedicineandsciencehas
changedduringthelasttwodecades.
Thedevelopmentofgeneticengineeringthe
processofaddingDNAtoanorganismmakes
thatgeneticsisnotonlyaboutthestudyof
genomics,genesandgenesactionbutisaswell,
atooltointegratenaturallifeelementstothe
architectonicdevelopment,amongothers.

ArchitectAlbertoT.Estvez,fascinatedfor
architecturesincetheageof7andforgenetics
andbiologysincehewas10,isblurringthe
boundariesbetweenarchitecture,natureand
genetics.In2000hefoundedinBarcelona
(Spain)theGeneticArchitecturesOffice,an
innovativearchitecturegroupthatencompasses
theGeneticArchitecturesResearchGroup,the
BiodigitalArchitectureMastersDegreeanda
PhDProgramandischallengingthedefinitionof
architecture.
Lookingatnatureforinspirationandblending
advancesinmolecularbiologyandgenetic
bioengineeringEstvezcreatedtheGenetic
BarcelonaProject,aninterdisciplinaryresearch
whichinvolvesgeneticists,natureandarchitects.
DeeplyconnectedwiththeGeneticArchitecture
OfficetheGeneticBarcelona
Projectincorporatesbiologicalprocessesand
exploresthecreationofbioluminescentplantsby
addingthegeneforbioluminescentproteininto
theDNAofthetrees.Theresultisthecreationof
anenergywhichproducesnoharmfulwasteand
ischangingthedefinitionofconventional
processesofdesigntoprovokereflectionon
societyabouthowtobuiltandilluminatecities

data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Ch2%20style%3D%22border%3A%200px%3B%20margin%3A%200px%200px%203px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20v

2/7

11/8/2015

CLOTMagazine|AlbertoT.Estvez

societyabouthowtobuiltandilluminatecities
moreecologically.

(Antenna)

(seriemicroscopephotosCrucifiedforest)

Yourareanarchitectworkinginthe
intersectionofarchitectureandscience,when
andhowdidthefascinationwithgenetics
comeabout?
Well,perhapsitmayhavetodothatfromtheage

data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Ch2%20style%3D%22border%3A%200px%3B%20margin%3A%200px%200px%203px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20v

3/7

11/8/2015

CLOTMagazine|AlbertoT.Estvez

Well,perhapsitmayhavetodothatfromtheage
of10Iwantedtobecomeascientistbiologist,to
workwithmicroscopes,etc.Ofcourse,before,
sinceage7,Iwantedtobeanarchitect:what
dilemma!,hahahaSofinally,yousee,perhaps
becausemylatentinterests,Ihavefinishedbeing
anarchitectwhohascreatedageneticslab,who
leadsgeneticiststoarchitecturalobjectives,who
workswithelectronmicroscopy,butwhocreates
architecture.
Although,morespecifically,Imustsaythat
betweenDecember1999andJanuary2000there
wasoneofthosetypicalinformativeballs,
wherethemediawasincreasinglypublishingon
anissue,infectingeachother,encouraged
seeingotherstalkaboutit.Onlythatinthiscaseit
wasaboutgenetics:press,radioandtelevision
wereveryquicklyinvadedbynewsandreports
ongenetics.
Then,watchinghowgeneticsofferedsuchahuge
fieldintheworldofhealthandnutrition,Iasked
myselfabouttheapplicationofgeneticsalsoto
architecture.SoforthatIcreatedthennow
alreadymorethan15yearsagoaresearch
group(theGeneticArchitecturesResearch
Group),amastersdegree(todaycalledBiodigital
ArchitectureMastersDegree)andaPhD
Program.

Afterfifteenyearsofworkinginbiodigital
architectureandgenetics,whatareyou
currentlymostexcitedaboutGenetic
BarcelonaProject?Whatdirectionsdoyou
imaginetakingyourworkin?
Inthesemattersthereisabigdifferencebetween

data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Ch2%20style%3D%22border%3A%200px%3B%20margin%3A%200px%200px%203px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20v

4/7

11/8/2015

CLOTMagazine|AlbertoT.Estvez

Inthesemattersthereisabigdifferencebetween
whatyoucangettoimagine,and,perhapswith
goodluck,whatyoucangettodo.Becausefor
usnoweverythingdependsongettingthemoney
neededforresearch,topaythesalariesof
geneticists,topaythereagentsandmaterials,
etc.

Hopefullysomeonereadingtheseletterswantsto
participateinthehistoricalmilestonesthatwe
proposewithgenetics,andwhicharetocome.
WeareaswhenChristopherColumbuswas
seekingfundingforthetrip.UntilIsabel,the
Spanishqueenaswassaid,becominglegend
wasfascinatedbytheprojectandbecame
personallyinvolvedwithherjewels,inwhatwould
becomenothinglessthanthediscoveryof
America.Thisgreatlychangedtheworld,asifwe
couldgetrealitythegeneticarchitecturegoals
thatafterallarelookingtotaptheenormous
potentialofferedbynature,toensurethe
sustainabilityandfutureofourblueplanet.

Forexample,wehavealreadyopenedthree
waysofbioluminescenceinordertoget
drasticallyareductionofenergyconsumptionof
nightlightinganditsconsequentpollution.
Althoughtheshortageoffundshasleftusonlydo
somesurveys,butnottowalkthewholeway.As
yearsagoweareonthethresholdofafourth
way,whichcanbemuchmoreeffective.
And,whatsattheendoftheroad?The
satisfactionofthreeofthemostbasichuman
needssolvedinthemostnaturalandsustainable
way:naturallight,heatandhabitat,living,without
energyconsumptionandpollution,fueledbythe
ancestralpowerofferedbynature,thathumans
data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Ch2%20style%3D%22border%3A%200px%3B%20margin%3A%200px%200px%203px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20v

5/7

11/8/2015

CLOTMagazine|AlbertoT.Estvez
ancestralpowerofferedbynature,thathumans
arealreadyinthepossibilityofchannellingit
thankstotheadvancesofgenetics.

Treesandplantsinthestreetsandhomesthat
offernaturallylightandheat.Livinghouses,
purchasedinmalls,whichcanbeplantedinthe
groundandthatgrowalone.Itopensan
unexploredinfinitehorizon,fascinating,awhole
newworldtocome.

Yourworkchallengesthedefinitionof
architecture,howdoyouvisualizethecityof
thefuture?
Asasoftandfurrycity(hairy):alivingcity.Acity
thattakeseveryadvantagethatnatureteaches
us,howopenbook,billionyearsago.Thecityof
thefuturewillbeof50%biologicaltechnology
andof50%digitaltechnology(100%biodigital).
Livinghousesthatgrowalone,treesthatgive
lightatnight,plantsthatgivewarmthinwinter:a
citythatseemsmoreaforestthatacontainers
landscapeofaport.Afterall,wherewepreferto
live,inboxesorintrees?Wemustendwiththe
citycountrysidedichotomy:likeadirtyoilstain,
ourcitiesaredestroyingnaturewhereverthey
grow.Butwemustbeabletogetthatevery
humanfootprintbecomescreatoroflife.

Whatisyourchiefenemyofcreativity?
Well,Ihavenoenemiesofmycreativity,
hahahaAnyway,likeeveryoneelse,wehave
obstaclestogreaterdeploymentofcreativity.As
thelimitationsthatcomefrombehumans:from,
forexample(somethingverystrangeinfact),that
weneedsleep,evenourpersonalimperfections.
data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Ch2%20style%3D%22border%3A%200px%3B%20margin%3A%200px%200px%203px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20v

6/7

11/8/2015

CLOTMagazine|AlbertoT.Estvez

weneedsleep,evenourpersonalimperfections.
Andtimeissolimited,andgoessofast.Andwe
havetospendtosomanythingssimultaneously.
Perhapsotherswouldhaveenemiesoftheirown
creativity,ascanbeparadoxicallyitsown
complacency,theirvanity,theirego,allfor
ignoringandnotrecognizingtheirownlimitations,
theirmentalmyopia,theirshortsightedness,their
neuronalrigidityBut,yes,weallequallyaffect
mainlynotbeingabletodedicateourselvesmore
tocreate.

Youcouldntlivewithout
Icouldntlivewithoutbelieveonthemissionthat
wemustplayinourshortlifeforthelargestliving
beingscolonyintheknownuniverse.
Icouldntlivewithouthopeforabetterfuture,
sumofeachbitthatwemustbringwithourlives.
Icouldntlivewithoutloveourwork.

data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Ch2%20style%3D%22border%3A%200px%3B%20margin%3A%200px%200px%203px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20v

7/7