Daniel Suarez

Close-up of a white, porous, and coral-like structure with fibrous texture.

Emergent Complexity in Multi-Scale Architectural Design: Crafting Fiber-Based Biocomposites in Digitally Informed Material Systems.

In the contemporary discourse of architecture, the evolving relationship between tradition and innovation presents a fertile ground for exploration. The convergence of craftsmanship, digital technologies, and emerging biological methodologies offers a unique vantage point for rethinking material possibilities. This synergy challenges conventional boundaries and opens up new possibilities for materials in architecture.

This lecture introduces Daniel's practice through case studies that highlight the ability of fibrous materials to embody enhanced functionality and complex interactions. The structural logic of loop-based crafts such as knitting is adapted to create interlocking geometries that inform novel robotic fabrication methods, develop plant-based yarns and material systems, or act as host environments for processes such as bacterial calcification. These biological and geometric interactions transform fibrous substrates into responsive, lightweight structural prototypes. Load-bearing biocomposites evolve across scales, from nano-scale structures in biological systems to large-scale architectural applications.

A look into resource-efficient fabrication methods and near-zero waste leverages the potential of these building systems within a sustainable framework, offering an alternative approach to construction methods that embraces circularity, ecological adaptability, and cultural resonance.

Daniel Suarez

Daniel Suárez is an architect, researcher, and educator interested in innovative materials, design interfaces, and technology processes for architectural production. He holds an MSc in Architecture and Urban Design from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and has training in computational graphics and design.

Daniel has worked independently and with international firms like Toyo Ito Spain AA, combining long experience as a registered architect in Spain and Germany with practice-based research as an Associate Researcher at the Berlin University of Arts (UdK) within the EU-H2020 ArcInTexETN network.

He is an Associated Member of the Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity« at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and a Research Architect at ENSAD Paris as part of the Soft Matters group and the ImpressioVivo project. Using paper waste and sustainable additives, they are exploring the potential of biocalcified cellulose-based foam in connection to 3D printing technology.

Daniel's diverse work spans multiple disciplines, domains and scales, fostering a holistic, hands-on approach that combines experimental fabrication, computational design and biological processes to address architectural challenges sustainably.