2021 • Computational Design • 3D Printing
Sea Sprouts uses computational models based on barnacle settlement and growth patterns, simulating how these organisms colonize surfaces through larval attachment and calcification. The algorithm generates forms that radiate outward from initial anchor points, creating encrusting structures that follow natural acorn barnacle morphology. The 3D-printed structures are designed with integrated planters that house embryophyte plants—land-dwelling species that contrast with the marine-inspired forms. This pairing explores impossible collaborations between sea and terrestrial organisms, with the structural support provided by computationally-grown barnacle forms nurturing living plant tissue. The biocompatible printing material allows safe contact with both human skin and living plant roots. Part of the Beyond Biomimicry collection, the work demonstrates how computational design can facilitate cross-ecosystem interactions that nature itself would never produce. 
