Temporalities of a DIY biocomposite through material exploration

The paper aims to unravel a do-it-yourself biocomposite’s relationship with time and its various implications from a theoretical standpoint. The study derives from shrinkage & warpage behaviour of bioplastics which are regarded as obstacles, especially in mass production. Controllable within tolerance, these inherent behaviours are proposed as a production method to design non-Euclidean bioplastic surfaces. Temporal by nature; the wooden frame-based biocomposite warps and finds its form over time and eventually biodegrades. This paper first introduces materials’ time in relation to polymers & biopolymers as a manifestation of the future by drawing attention to the nonlinear relationship between materials, authorship, and architecture. Secondly, parallels between recipes’ time and the openness of the future are emphasised. Thirdly, experiments’ time is discussed regarding the ‘artisan phase’ of crafting materials and heterogeneity. Lastly, building on an ecological realist view and with deep time thinking, the crisis’ time is considered as an opportune time to propose sustainable strategies.