1. The Botanist: Dr. Thomas Speck

In this episode, I am talking to Dr. Prof. Thomas Speck about the meaning of lightness in the field of biology, exploring topics like the material efficiency of nature, biomimicry, half-timbered houses, Frei Otto, and the many projects Dr. Speck did in collaboration with Jan Knippers and Achim Menges from the IntCDC Cluster at the University of Stuttgart.

This episode was moderated and produced by Leon Hidalgo.

The following article is meant as an informational extension of the podcast episode:

Where it all started: An interest in the Bioacoustics of frogs

The Limited Materials of Plants: Cellulose, Lignin, Hemi-Cellulose and Pektins

The referred ingenious “Fachwerkhaus” or in english: Half-timbered House

Frei Otto was a Skeptic of biomimicry, although his structure's form-finding was often inspired by natural principles.

mentioned livMatS Pavilion, 2021, a collaboration between Clusters of Excellence: IntCDC and livMatS as well as Fibr GmbH

And the light pattern it creates.

The mentioned reactive shading system inspired by pine cones: Solar Gate, 2023, Stuttgart. A collaboration of ICD, intCDC, livMatS, IKT.

The mentioned Project: FlectoLine Facade, 2024, Stuttgart, a collaboration of Clusters of Excellence: IntCDC and livMatS as well as ASCA GmbH. Inspired by the trap mechanism of the waterwheel plants (Aldrovanda vesiculosa)

In the end let's get an idea of the places, that evoked an existential feeling of lightness for Dr. Speck: The first fieldwork in an undisturbed tropical rainforest.

and standing in the nothingness of snowy Spitzbergen