PREFABRICATED BIORECEPTIVE DEVICES FOR INCUBATING URBAN BIODIVERSITY

Biokupas is an interdisciplinary research-creation project that explores how standardized architectural devices can act as bioreceptive systems to support urban biodiversity. It aims to shift the traditional human–nature dichotomy toward a relationship of mutual benefit by encouraging the spontaneous colonization of non-human life in the city. Building on previous work that developed the design framework, this article emphasizes the prefabrication and installation phases of the project, focusing on the technical and methodological processes that enable the deployment of bioreceptive structures in urban space. The methodology integrates interdisciplinary workshops, material experimentation with biodegradable substrates (mycelium, totora, and carrizo), parametric modeling, and CNC-assisted prefabrication. Five modular devices were fabricated and installed in contrasting microclimatic contexts across Quito, Ecuador. The selection of locations responds to the need to test environmental variability as a condition for bioreceptivity. Preliminary evaluation focuses on structural stability, adaptation during installation, and early signs of material transformation and biological colonization. These insights provide a methodological foundation for long-term monitoring and discussion of urban biodiversity outcomes. By documenting the processes of fabrication and installation, this study contributes to the emerging field of bio-integrated urban infrastructures, demonstrating how small-scale architectural prototypes can act as experimental laboratories for regenerative design.