Fab Tree Hab

Studio: Terreform ONE

Team: Avantika Velho, Mitchell Joachim (PI), Vivian Kuan, Claudia D'Auria, Nicholas Lynch, Mamoun Friedrich-Grosvenor, Grace Morenko, River Prud’Homme, Brook Boughton.

My Role: As the biodesigner on the team I led material R&D for the facade modules. I also played a major role in the design, fabrication installation, and documentation of the project from start to finish.

2022-24

New Windsor, NY, USA

The Fab Tree Hab is an extension of its surrounding ecosystem, a terrestrial reef made from native willow trees that play host to humans and nonhumans. As dynamic as a forest, the structure is an embodiment of 100% living matter, upending human-centered and energy-intensive construction practices. This is a maximal positive contribution model, it is not about efficiency or net zero. We are not cutting down trees to make a building. Instead, we are actively growing more trees, enmeshed in a shaped geometry for programmatic use. Sourced from a local biomass farm, tree clusters are shaped on-site within large reusable timber scaffolds. After five year’s growth, the trees support the modular multispecies wall system. Wall components are made from handmade crocheted jute fibers and 3D-printed bioplastic volumes. These serve as micro-habitats and food webs for flora and fauna to greatly increase biodiversity. The structure takes a socio-ecological approach to architecture, serving as an observatory and education center for people and providing a wildlife refuge. 

Fab Tree Hab: Alive Architecture Video 2023

  • Fab Tree Hab's First Summer

    Willow trees sprouting in the summer of 2024 along a facade of multispecies habitat and planter modules that feature willow guiding channels to mold their growth overtime.

  • Fab Tree Hab's First Winter

    2023

  • Living Village

  • A Terrestrial Reef

    New Windsor NY, USA

  • New List Item

    Description goes here

Gallery

  • Structures Grow Stronger With Time

    Over time the willow trees will become the primary structure and the temporary scaffolding will be removed.

  • Lifecycle

    CLT scaffolds shape trees and can be dismantled and reused when the trees mature.

  • Grafting Process

    Grafting is a horticultural technique whereby tissues of plants are joined so as to continue their growth together. The success of this joining requires that the vascular tissues grow together.

  • Creating Food Webs on Facade

    The willow guiding multispecies facade was designed to host all kingdoms of life.

  • Multispecies Habitat Module

    01.Wool felt backplate, 02. Cedar frame, 03. Knit jute habitat insert, 04. Crocheted jute habitat, 05. 3D printed bioplastic habitat.

  • Living Village vs Suburbs

    Living architecture preserves biodiversity, sequesters carbon, and produces oxygen while leaving room for human programming.

  • Early Prototype of Multispecies Modules

    Early Prototype of Multispecies Modules

    Experimenting with knit and 3D printed ceramic.

  • Side Elevation of Fab Tree Hab

  • Plan of Fab Tree Hab

  • Multispecies Module

Process

  • Installing multispecies modules

    We fabricated and installed 180 handcrafted multispecies habitat and planter modules onsite!

  • Weaving willows into the scaffold

    Willows harvested from the SUNY ESF Farm were planted along the structure and woven through metal bars on the computationally designed CLT arches.

  • Crocheted jute habitats

    Jute rope was crocheted to produce dwellings for small mammals and birds. Coated with a custom formulation of pine rosins and natural waxes for added weather resistance.

  • Multispecies facade modules

    170 multispecies facade modules were made to acomodate all kingdoms of life and fabricated using sustainable materials such as reclaimed cedar, wool felt, jute, canvas and bioplastics.

Awards & Recognition

2024

2024

2024

2024

2025

2024

2025

Credits & Acknowledgments

Fabrication: Arch Production and Design LLC., Evan Collier (Founder/Lead Fabricator). GreenCastle Building Solutions, LLC., A.J. Dederick (President). DCM Fabrication INC.

Advisors: LandShifterZ, Ezekiel Golan. Arborsmith Studios, Richard Reames.

Structural Engineering: Robert Silman Associates Structural Engineers, DPC, Justin Den Herder, PE, (Principal), Takuma Yonebayashi.

Agriculture: SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Aidan Ackerman, Timothy A. Volk.

Video Production: Michelle Alves de Lima.

Arborist: Link Zampino.

Concepts/ Research: Lara Greden, Javier Arbona, Nina Anker, Maria Aiolova, Sky Achitoff, Nicholas Gervasi, Eli Stoken, Dora Hauache, Maria Abdelazim, Lucy Gagne, Landon Young, Grace Jung, Abigail Weinstein, Iyad Abou Gaida, Connor Lambrecht, Tashania Akemah, Tara Cotrim, Zander Leff, Akhil Kulkarni, Mauro Edel Rodriguez, Vivian Jiang, Skylar Perez, Robin Stiefel, Lisa Wood Richardson, Ella Rocker, Elliot Zubkus, Adrian “Teddy” Kos, David Paraschiv.

Sponsors: National Endowment for the Arts, Ove Arup Foundation, NYU Gallatin, RNR Foundation.