The Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment - a collective of bio-scientists from Northumbria University and architects, designers and engineers from Newcastle University - develops biotechnologies to create a new generation of ‘Living Buildings’ which are responsible and responsive to their natural environment.
Healing Masonry is an innovative project led by Dr Magdalini Theodoridou and developed in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team at the Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment.
It explores how bacteria can precipitate minerals within composites to self-heal cracks before they become critical. By combining heritage-inspired construction methods with emerging biotechnologies, it proposes sustainable, resilient alternatives for architecture.
Applicable to both contemporary and historic structures, the system supports adaptive reuse over new build. By extending lifespans, reducing material demand, and enabling bolder designs, Healing Masonry shows how living technologies can advance decarbonisation in the built environment.
