🧬 Week 14: Bio Design & Bio Fabrication

Global Listener — Anastasia Ntavou | Athens, Greece Final Project Completed

Reflection: Bio Design & Bio Fabrication

Suzanne Lee (Biocouture) and Christina Agapakis (Ginkgo Bioworks) represent the frontier this project aims toward: biology as a design material, not just a research tool.

Bio Design: The surfboard is not just an engineering project — it is a design object. The choice of olive pomace ties the product to Greek landscape and identity. A Cretan olive grove becomes part of the surfboard’s material story.

Bio Fabrication: The compression molding approach mirrors how Ecovative and other mycelium companies fabricate. The engineered SC16 waterproofing is the differentiator — no post-process coating needed, waterproofing is grown in.

Scale roadmap:

1. Lab validation (current — HTGAA 2026)
2. Node-scale prototype (Lifefabs, Athens)
3. Pilot production with local olive producers
4. Certification (ASTM mechanical + ASTM D5338 compostability)
5. Market entry as premium sustainable surfboard