FAB TREE HAB

FAB TREE HAB

LIVING PAVILLION

The first of its kind, “FAB TREE HAB” is an experimental homegrown habitat designed for non-human organisms first, and people second. It’s a terrestrial reef meant to attract a multitude of life forms. Located next to Storm King Art Center in Upstate New York, the structure is engineered to shape clusters of grafted woody plants at multiple levels. These tree clusters are grown on a nearby biomass farm and shaped on-site from large cross-laminated timber (CLT) arch scaffolds.

As the primary bio-textile researcher and fabricator, I designed and hand crocheted wall components from jute fibers and treated with a bio resin to retain shape and water resistance. These handwoven elements serve as micro-habitats and food webs for flora and fauna to greatly increase biodiversity.

The structure is a living laboratory. Changing with the seasons, it will be as responsive to shifting environmental conditions as the forest beside it is. Designers and ecologists will study life cycle changes, from the durability of its components to resident biodiversity. Its awe-inspiring scaffolds will eventually be superseded as the willow trees age into stronger beams. Foundation elements use almost no concrete by engaging a diamond pier design above the earth. All the wood is either cedar or treated with beeswax and rosin to prevent decay. The structure’s essential dynamism will engage users for the course of its lifetime. With each new day, this terrestrial reef is reinvented.

In every respect, this project generates life and minimizes embodied carbon. It’s not net zero — it’s a net positive contribution to the environment. The goal is to replace steel and concrete with living structural materials, and provide spaces for non-human animals to co-habitat with humans.