Design for 1 Ecosystem

Organised by: Zoöp Nieuwe Instituut

What if we no longer view decay as failure, but as a fundamental starting point for design?

FUNGI. Anarchistische ontwerpers. Photo: Florine van Rees.

If we view decay as part of a building’s life cycle, architecture can become a living platform that supports people and other life forms. In collaboration with BlueCity, this programme explores the possibility of designing for a single ecosystem, thereby initiating new ecological relationships.

Emma van der Leest (BlueCity) discusses the topic with three experts in bio-based materials, new systems and innovative applications: Marit Janse, Marjanne Cuypers and Pascal Leboucq.

In bio-based construction, ageing is not the end, but a process of change. Materials break down, returning nutrients to the earth and making room for new life, such as mosses, fungi, insects and microorganisms. This requires new forms of collaboration, not only between humans, but also with the non-human world. How can we design in a way that works with natural processes, rather than against them?