Living artefacts for regenerative ecologies

Karana, E.; McQuillan, H.L.; Rognoli, Valentina; Giaccardi, Elisa

doi:10.1017/btd.2023.10

Living artefacts for regenerative ecologies

Title

Living artefacts for regenerative ecologies

Author

Karana, E. (TU Delft Emerging Materials)
McQuillan, H.L. (TU Delft Materials and Manufacturing)
Rognoli, Valentina (Politecnico di Milano)
Giaccardi, Elisa (TU Delft Human Information Communication Design)

Date

2023

Abstract

Introduced in 2020, the notion of living artefacts encompasses biodesign outcomes that maintain the vitality of organisms such as fungi, algae, bacteria, and plants in the use of everyday artefacts, enabling new functions, interactions, and expressions within our daily lives. This paper situates living artefacts at the intersection of the sustainability discourse and more-than-human ontologies, illuminating the unprecedented opportunities that living artefacts present for regenerative ecologies. These ecologies are characterized by a fundamental inclination toward mutualism, creativity, and coevolution. In regenerative ecologies, the human-nature relationship transcends the binary distinction and it manifests as a single autopoietic system in which the constituent members collaboratively engage in the creation, transformation, and evolution of shared habitats. The paper outlines five pillars, supplemented by guiding questions and two illustrative cases, to aid designers in unlocking, articulating, and critically evaluating the potential of living artefacts for regenerative ecologies.

Subject

Living artefacts
regenerative ecologies
sustainability
more-than-human
biodesign

To reference this document use:

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:4c1ffd05-05ce-496c-bbb0-e3817ab47b5d

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1017/btd.2023.10

ISSN

2752-9452

Source

Research Directions: Biotechnology Design, 1

Part of collection

Institutional Repository