Jefferson Trust Awards Flash Grant to Support Living Tectonics Studio
Assistant Professor Ehsan Baharlou, Dr.-Ing has received a Jefferson Trust Flash Funding grant to support Living Tectonics: Bio-Based Futures, a hybrid studio that explores engineered living materials and robotic fabrication. The Trust awarded $75,480 across 16 flash grants this fall, part of its mission to support innovative ideas that enrich the University of Virginia and the student experience.
Founded in 2006, the Jefferson Trust has awarded more that $16.9 million to 406 trustee-selected projects across Grounds. Flash Funding grants are capped at $10,000 per project and are awarded monthly in the fall and spring.
"This was our first time running a Flash Funding cycle in the Fall semester," said Brent Percival, Executive Director of the Jefferson Trust. "The high request volume is an indicator of students' drive to advance UVA, and the wide variety of projects showcase the vibrancy of our student body."
This fall's funded projects—including Tangible Microbes, Project Loch Ness, and Baharlou's Living Tectonics—underscore a strong commitment to experiential learning across UVA.
Living Tectonics: Bio-Based Futures Studio: $3,400
Project Director:
Ehsan Baharlou, Assistant Professor of Architecture and Director of the Computational Tectonics Lab
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| A panel with engineered living materials produced by the Computational Tectonics Lab. Photos: Ehsan Baharlou | |
Baharlou's project, funded at $3,400, directly supports Living Tectonics a hybrid studio that engages ten undergraduate and graduate students in developing engineered living materials (LBMs) through casting and robotic additive manufacturing. The studio up-cycles agricultural and post-consumer waste into mycelium-based composites that can be 3D printed into façade panels capable of capturing CO₂, regulating heat flux, and fostering biodiversity.
The goal of this project is to provide students with hands-on experience as they explore innovative approaches in architectural design. With backing from the Jefferson Trust, students will prototype panels that showcase how LBMs can be integrated into conventional light-frame construction. By aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the studio advances beyond sustainability toward circular, regenerative design.
As part of the course, students:
- Develop bio-based composites by pairing living components such as algae, mycelium, and bacteria with materials that have not yet been explored.
- Cast and 3D print prototypes using multi-axis robotic paste extrusion.
- Test performance attributes, including strength, shrinkage, and growth stability.
- Apply generative design tools to optimize geometry for environmental performance.
Through the supported course, ten School of Architecture students gain hands-on experience in circular design processes that merge biology, computational design, and advanced fabrication.
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By semester’s end, each student will produce composite samples, a robotically printed façade panel embedded in a test wall, and a research booklet aligning their work with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The project builds on Baharlou’s expertise in digital fabrication and sustainable material systems—research that is currently on view at the 6th Chicago Architecture Biennial as part of the Living With/Vivre Avec exhibition originally commissioned for the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale. It also strengthens interdisciplinary collaboration across Architecture, Engineering, and Environmental Sciences.
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For more information on the Jefferson Trust, visit www.jeffersontrust.org.
