BLIP
On June 8th, 2002, a wildfire began in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, 22 miles southwest of Denver, Colorado. Known as the Hayman Fire, it burned 138,000 acres (about the size of Chicago) over 20 days, destroying 133 homes and forcing 5,340 people to evacuate before containment. At the time, it was Colorado's largest recorded wildfire, devastating millions of native pine trees and leaving a lasting scar. Historically, wildfires have played a crucial role in the life cycles of forests, clearing undergrowth and promoting new growth and wildlife habitats. Climate change, however, has increased the frequency and severity of fires like Hayman, disrupting natural regeneration cycles and endangering ecosystem balance. Efforts to replant burned areas, including those from the Hayman fire, have struggled. Twenty-two years later, much of the scar remains bare, with Ponderosa Pine failing to return. Without tree cover, hillsides become unstable, vulnerable to landslides, and disrupt traditional snowmelt patterns crucial for watersheds.
To address post-wildfire forest recovery, Biodegradable Landscape Infrastructure Pods (BLIP) integrates research from ecology, architecture, art, and engineering. This interdisciplinary approach aims to enhance replanting success rates by adapting to burn scar conditions. BLIP utilizes a two-part biodegradable pod & mat system to act as the life support for a growing tree. The mat is cast out of mycelium, a natural, mushroom-based material that takes cues from the desert rhubarb plant by featuring a wide wingspan that captures and funnels water to a clay vessel nestled in the center as well as keep the water underneath cool. The pod itself is split into two pieces. The bottom of the vessel stores and percolates water to an adolescent tree located at its center in a process inspired by Spanish clay irrigation Ollas. The buried legs of the pod stabilize loose soil prone to landslides in burn scar areas, which often occur during heavy rain events. The vessel’s glazing pattern focuses water diffusion directly toward the tree roots and internal chambers maximize water storage capacity. The top of the vessel has a raised brim along one side that provides shade to the tree without inhibiting its vertical growth to prevent direct solar exposure to the stem and minimize soil temperature conditions that might prove fatal for growth. Postfire materials found on site are also utilized to adapt the site for better growing conditions. BLIP is 3D printed from biodegradable materials that allow for it to decay slowly over time as the tree matures. This concept is inspired by naturally occurring nurse logs found in Northwestern United States forests. When arranged in a gridded pattern, the vessels support the distributed growth of sapling trees while also serving to reinforce the landscape until mature tree roots can naturally serve the same purpose.
The BLIP system addresses the challenge of reforestation, which has become more difficult due to the hotter and more severe forest fires caused by climate change. By recognizing decay as a critical phase in an object’s lifecycle, design, and function, we aim to advance the role of the architect as a mediator between the built environment and our shrinking natural environments. Our goal is to develop strategies that streamline human intervention while enabling ecosystems to heal themselves in harmony with the long-term goals of the communities that rely on them.
This project is a collaboration between the LoDo Lab, HouMinn, and HiLo Lab.
