Hybios: Hybrid BIOStructures is thesis project by Rizad Joucka and Jack Chandy Francis, and it explores the fluidity of concrete as a material, coupled with the flexible workability of its forming process, as it has lead to innovation in the architectural discourse throughout history. The model typology for this research was a cultural center and the aim of this thesis is to go beyond current practices of using concrete in the built environment, in order to enable the construction of complex geometries analogues to the coherence of structures found in the nature. State of the art materials related to concrete construction, and cutting edge computer simulations are used in the research, which created a constant feedback loop between qualitative analogue prototypes and information-rich computer models.

The program of a Cultural Center was envisioned within the computational algorithm, which simulates the building form based on material qualities, forces and environmental conditions. Program and circulation are seen as main input parameters for the generation process. Design decisions that are based on pragmatic logic have been the result of the building process, working in a bottom-up form generation process.

The research is aimed towards the generation of novel spatial and architectural elements that have great interior quality, using innovative fabrication systems pertaining to the structural domains of tensile membranes and concrete construction. The work is focused on experimenting with the notion of coupling digital and analogue form finding methods with construction aware thinking to generate innovative processes of constructing novel tectonics and spatial qualities. The intention of using hybrid materials and processes aims at the simplifying the construction of smooth gradients of differentiation, one of the key characteristics of contemporary architecture today.