11/8/2015 CLOTMagazine|AlbertoT.Estvezdata:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Ch2%20style%3D%22border%3A%200px%3B%20margin%3A%200px%200px%203px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20v1/7AlbertoT.EstvezPostedbyCLOTMagazineinArtech,Biodesign,Materials,Trends(BioluminLemonTrees)(Biolamps)WordsbyLulaCriado(Twitter@lula_clotmag)Thepublicunderstandingofgeneticshowweknowitorhowitinterfaceswiththesocietyand11/8/2015 CLOTMagazine|AlbertoT.Estvezdata:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Ch2%20style%3D%22border%3A%200px%3B%20margin%3A%200px%200px%203px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20v2/7itsapplicationinmedicineandsciencehaschangedduringthelasttwodecades.ThedevelopmentofgeneticengineeringtheprocessofaddingDNAtoanorganismmakesthatgeneticsisnotonlyaboutthestudyofgenomics,genesandgenesactionbutisaswell,atooltointegratenaturallifeelementstothearchitectonicdevelopment,amongothers.ArchitectAlbertoT.Estvez,fascinatedforarchitecturesincetheageof7andforgeneticsandbiologysincehewas10,isblurringtheboundariesbetweenarchitecture,natureandgenetics.In2000hefoundedinBarcelona(Spain)theGeneticArchitecturesOffice,aninnovativearchitecturegroupthatencompassestheGeneticArchitecturesResearchGroup,theBiodigitalArchitectureMastersDegreeandaPhDProgramandischallengingthedefinitionofarchitecture.LookingatnatureforinspirationandblendingadvancesinmolecularbiologyandgeneticbioengineeringEstvezcreatedtheGeneticBarcelonaProject,aninterdisciplinaryresearchwhichinvolvesgeneticists,natureandarchitects.DeeplyconnectedwiththeGeneticArchitectureOfficetheGeneticBarcelonaProjectincorporatesbiologicalprocessesandexploresthecreationofbioluminescentplantsbyaddingthegeneforbioluminescentproteinintotheDNAofthetrees.Theresultisthecreationofanenergywhichproducesnoharmfulwasteandischangingthedefinitionofconventionalprocessesofdesigntoprovokereflectiononsocietyabouthowtobuiltandilluminatecities11/8/2015 CLOTMagazine|AlbertoT.Estvezdata:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Ch2%20style%3D%22border%3A%200px%3B%20margin%3A%200px%200px%203px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20v3/7(Antenna)(seriemicroscopephotosCrucifiedforest)societyabouthowtobuiltandilluminatecitiesmoreecologically.Yourareanarchitectworkingintheintersectionofarchitectureandscience,whenandhowdidthefascinationwithgeneticscomeabout?Well,perhapsitmayhavetodothatfromtheage11/8/2015 CLOTMagazine|AlbertoT.Estvezdata:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Ch2%20style%3D%22border%3A%200px%3B%20margin%3A%200px%200px%203px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20v4/7Well,perhapsitmayhavetodothatfromtheageof10Iwantedtobecomeascientistbiologist,toworkwithmicroscopes,etc.Ofcourse,before,sinceage7,Iwantedtobeanarchitect:whatdilemma!,hahahaSofinally,yousee,perhapsbecausemylatentinterests,Ihavefinishedbeinganarchitectwhohascreatedageneticslab,wholeadsgeneticiststoarchitecturalobjectives,whoworkswithelectronmicroscopy,butwhocreatesarchitecture.Although,morespecifically,ImustsaythatbetweenDecember1999andJanuary2000therewasoneofthosetypicalinformativeballs,wherethemediawasincreasinglypublishingonanissue,infectingeachother,encouragedseeingotherstalkaboutit.Onlythatinthiscaseitwasaboutgenetics:press,radioandtelevisionwereveryquicklyinvadedbynewsandreportsongenetics.Then,watchinghowgeneticsofferedsuchahugefieldintheworldofhealthandnutrition,Iaskedmyselfabouttheapplicationofgeneticsalsotoarchitecture.SoforthatIcreatedthennowalreadymorethan15yearsagoaresearchgroup(theGeneticArchitecturesResearchGroup),amastersdegree(todaycalledBiodigitalArchitectureMastersDegree)andaPhDProgram.Afterfifteenyearsofworkinginbiodigitalarchitectureandgenetics,whatareyoucurrentlymostexcitedaboutGeneticBarcelonaProject?Whatdirectionsdoyouimaginetakingyourworkin?Inthesemattersthereisabigdifferencebetween11/8/2015 CLOTMagazine|AlbertoT.Estvezdata:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Ch2%20style%3D%22border%3A%200px%3B%20margin%3A%200px%200px%203px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20v5/7Inthesemattersthereisabigdifferencebetweenwhatyoucangettoimagine,and,perhapswithgoodluck,whatyoucangettodo.Becauseforusnoweverythingdependsongettingthemoneyneededforresearch,topaythesalariesofgeneticists,topaythereagentsandmaterials,etc.Hopefullysomeonereadingtheseletterswantstoparticipateinthehistoricalmilestonesthatweproposewithgenetics,andwhicharetocome.WeareaswhenChristopherColumbuswasseekingfundingforthetrip.UntilIsabel,theSpanishqueenaswassaid,becominglegendwasfascinatedbytheprojectandbecamepersonallyinvolvedwithherjewels,inwhatwouldbecomenothinglessthanthediscoveryofAmerica.Thisgreatlychangedtheworld,asifwecouldgetrealitythegeneticarchitecturegoalsthatafterallarelookingtotaptheenormouspotentialofferedbynature,toensurethesustainabilityandfutureofourblueplanet.Forexample,wehavealreadyopenedthreewaysofbioluminescenceinordertogetdrasticallyareductionofenergyconsumptionofnightlightinganditsconsequentpollution.Althoughtheshortageoffundshasleftusonlydosomesurveys,butnottowalkthewholeway.Asyearsagoweareonthethresholdofafourthway,whichcanbemuchmoreeffective.And,whatsattheendoftheroad?Thesatisfactionofthreeofthemostbasichumanneedssolvedinthemostnaturalandsustainableway:naturallight,heatandhabitat,living,withoutenergyconsumptionandpollution,fueledbytheancestralpowerofferedbynature,thathumans11/8/2015 CLOTMagazine|AlbertoT.Estvezdata:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Ch2%20style%3D%22border%3A%200px%3B%20margin%3A%200px%200px%203px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20v6/7ancestralpowerofferedbynature,thathumansarealreadyinthepossibilityofchannellingitthankstotheadvancesofgenetics.Treesandplantsinthestreetsandhomesthatoffernaturallylightandheat.Livinghouses,purchasedinmalls,whichcanbeplantedinthegroundandthatgrowalone.Itopensanunexploredinfinitehorizon,fascinating,awholenewworldtocome.Yourworkchallengesthedefinitionofarchitecture,howdoyouvisualizethecityofthefuture?Asasoftandfurrycity(hairy):alivingcity.Acitythattakeseveryadvantagethatnatureteachesus,howopenbook,billionyearsago.Thecityofthefuturewillbeof50%biologicaltechnologyandof50%digitaltechnology(100%biodigital).Livinghousesthatgrowalone,treesthatgivelightatnight,plantsthatgivewarmthinwinter:acitythatseemsmoreaforestthatacontainerslandscapeofaport.Afterall,whereweprefertolive,inboxesorintrees?Wemustendwiththecitycountrysidedichotomy:likeadirtyoilstain,ourcitiesaredestroyingnaturewherevertheygrow.Butwemustbeabletogetthateveryhumanfootprintbecomescreatoroflife.Whatisyourchiefenemyofcreativity?Well,Ihavenoenemiesofmycreativity,hahahaAnyway,likeeveryoneelse,wehaveobstaclestogreaterdeploymentofcreativity.Asthelimitationsthatcomefrombehumans:from,forexample(somethingverystrangeinfact),thatweneedsleep,evenourpersonalimperfections.11/8/2015 CLOTMagazine|AlbertoT.Estvezdata:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Ch2%20style%3D%22border%3A%200px%3B%20margin%3A%200px%200px%203px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20v7/7weneedsleep,evenourpersonalimperfections.Andtimeissolimited,andgoessofast.Andwehavetospendtosomanythingssimultaneously.Perhapsotherswouldhaveenemiesoftheirowncreativity,ascanbeparadoxicallyitsowncomplacency,theirvanity,theirego,allforignoringandnotrecognizingtheirownlimitations,theirmentalmyopia,theirshortsightedness,theirneuronalrigidityBut,yes,weallequallyaffectmainlynotbeingabletodedicateourselvesmoretocreate.YoucouldntlivewithoutIcouldntlivewithoutbelieveonthemissionthatwemustplayinourshortlifeforthelargestlivingbeingscolonyintheknownuniverse.Icouldntlivewithouthopeforabetterfuture,sumofeachbitthatwemustbringwithourlives.Icouldntlivewithoutloveourwork.