Generative Design From Lamps to Lungs: Nervous System
Jessica Rosenkrantz and Jesse Louis-Rosenberg of Nervous System Presentation from CDFAM NYC 2024
In this presentation from the CDFAM Computational Design Symposium in NYC, Jessica Rosenkrantz and Jesse Louis-Rosenberg, founders of Nervous System, provide an overview of their interdisciplinary work at the intersection of design, biology, mathematics, and engineering.
Nervous System operates as a hybrid entity—combining elements of a design studio, research lab, artist duo, and software consultancy—to create a diverse array of objects and structures. Their practice leverages computational and generative design methodologies across multiple scales, resulting in products ranging from jewelry and puzzles to furniture and large-scale architectural installations.
The talk highlights how they employ algorithms inspired by natural patterns, such as leaf venation and vascular networks, to generate intricate designs applicable in various contexts.
Nervous System is kind of this strange mashup of design studio and research lab, artist duo/software consultancy and we work with a lot of different materials different production methods different processes. We make jewelry, jigsaw puzzles, furniture and even things on an architectural scale what what unites all of this is that it's all created by software that we write, built on a computational approach to design and how that changes what we can make
Jessica Rosenkrantz
Starting with their early projects that explore the formation of leaf veins using the space colonization algorithm, they demonstrate how manipulating computational methods can lead to unique decorative objects and complex architectural features.
Extending the application of their computational techniques, they have collaborated with scientists to develop 3D-printed vascular structures for artificial organs. Working with bioengineers, they have designed blood vessel networks for 3D-printed lungs and liver-like structures. The presentation addresses the challenges of modeling complex, interpenetrating networks of airways and blood vessels, as well as the technical hurdles in scaling these designs to organ-sized structures while maintaining biological functionality.
Throughout the presentation, Jessica and Jesse emphasize the broad applicability and versatility of computational and generative design in their work. By applying these methodologies across a wide range of scales—from microscopic vascular networks to monumental architectural installations—they illustrate how computational design can push the boundaries of both artistic expression and scientific research. Their work exemplifies the potential of generative design to contribute significantly to advancements in bioengineering, design, and technology.
