Where design engages with living matter: B.Lab and the future of biodesign

But what does it actually mean to design together with living organisms?

“It means giving up the idea of having total control over the design process,” explains Rognoli. “When working with living organisms, you do not simply design for matter, but together with it. You need to collaborate with other organisms, understand their behaviours, growth times, capabilities, limitations and living conditions. It is a very different approach from traditional design: we do not impose a form on matter, but rather create the conditions for it to develop, transform and express its own characteristics. In this sense, the project becomes a form of continuous negotiation between design intention and biological processes.”

The group uses a material-driven approach: often the material itself suggests possible applications and design scenarios.

“This is even more true in biodesign,” Rognoli continues, “because one must consider the needs of the living organism and understand under which conditions it can thrive. It is not only about achieving technical performance, but also about establishing a relationship of observation, adaptation and care. Working with living systems also means accepting a certain degree of unpredictability and uncertainty and recognising that the material is not entirely passive, but actively participates in the design process.”

For Duarte, this approach also implies a profound cultural change.

“It encourages us to shift our perspective away from the human being as the absolute centre. It reminds us that we are part of a broader ecosystem and that every project has implications for other species and other ecologies.”

Biodesign, she emphasises, does not only mean using living organisms, but also learning from the logic of nature: “It is not simply about imitating nature, but understanding how its processes work and what forms of intelligence exist within matter itself.”

Among the laboratory’s experiments are materials obtained from microorganisms, renewable biomasses and organic and inorganic waste.

“Materials developed through microorganisms are currently very promising,” says Rognoli. “We are talking about mycelia, algae and bacterial cellulose: in many cases an advanced level of experimentation has already been reached, and some applications are beginning to enter the market, from packaging and fashion to architecture and interiors.”

The laboratory also works on materials derived from organic and food waste: “We have developed experiments using residues from the wine production chain, olive pits and other by-products. The idea is to use biomasses that would otherwise be discarded, transforming them into resources for new production cycles.”

Over the years, thanks to these experiments and research activities, the group has developed a genuine taxonomy of emerging materials, Duarte explains, distinguishing between materials derived from waste, from renewable resources and biofabricated materials.

“We are also very interested in the issue of invasive species or abundant biomasses, such as certain algae that grow rapidly in salt water. Instead of using resources that could have other uses, we can work with materials already present in excess within ecosystems and transform them into new design opportunities.”

An approach that, as the researchers emphasise, can also help rebalance ecosystems and reduce dependence on extractive production models.

Putting hands back into matter

One of the central aspects of B.Lab and of the materials design approach concerns direct experimentation and the physical relationship with materials, especially in the education of new generations of designers.

“It matters enormously,” says Rognoli when discussing the hands-on approach. “For years we have worked on the importance of bringing designers back into a direct relationship with matter. First through material libraries, therefore by touching materials, and then through actual experimentation with tinkering and the DIY-Materials approach.”

According to the professor, younger generations are increasingly accustomed to designing through screens. “Putting hands back into matter means reactivating a fundamental sensory and bodily relationship. Through direct experimentation, people truly understand the qualities and properties of materials and their potential.”

For Duarte, working concretely with matter also means developing greater awareness regarding the life cycle of materials.

“When we ask students to develop a material, it is not simply about ‘playing’ with ingredients and processes. They are asked to recognise where those resources come from, what impact their extraction has, which sectors they could benefit or harm, how they will be disposed of, or what will happen at the end of the life cycle of the product in which they will be used.”

This is an approach that encourages students to think more systemically and to question the environmental and social consequences of design.

According to the researchers, the challenge also concerns the way people will perceive the materials of the future.

“Design has always had the ability to accompany cultural change,” observes Rognoli. “Today it must help people understand the value of materials that may derive from waste or living organisms and that require new forms of relationship and care.”

Acceptability will also be a central issue: “We need to learn to consider waste no longer as something negative, but as a resource.”

Many of these materials, Duarte adds, are still experimental and also require a change from a cultural and narrative perspective.

“A biological material may have characteristics that differ from traditional plastic: perhaps it will not last a hundred years, but it will require a more conscious relationship. This is why the role of storytelling and education is fundamental.”

The importance of interdisciplinarity

In biodesign, the professors explain, interdisciplinarity is not an additional element, but a necessary condition.

“Biodesign necessarily requires dialogue between different disciplines,” emphasises Rognoli. “At Politecnico we are used to collaborating with engineers, but today we increasingly feel the need to work together with life sciences and biology. Collaboration with these areas of expertise is important to advance this type of research.”

Duarte speaks about collaborations with lichenologists, marine biologists, agronomists and other experts who help the group better understand species and ecosystems.

“The designer can translate this knowledge into applications, products and scenarios, but engagement with other disciplines is essential to complete the process.”

In five or ten years, the researchers envision B.Lab as a place increasingly capable of attracting research, expertise and new collaborations.

“I hope this laboratory can increasingly become a catalyst for attention and research,” concludes Rognoli. “I would like it to grow, welcome more students, develop new infrastructures and contribute to the creation of educational pathways dedicated to biodesign.”

Duarte also looks primarily at the possibility of strengthening dialogue with life sciences: “One of our aspirations is to achieve a more stable presence of biological expertise within the research group. It would be very important to work on a daily basis with people coming from the life sciences.”

In recent years, she says, more and more students and researchers with scientific backgrounds have been moving closer to design: “For us this is a very positive sign. It means that new ways of collaborating and new perspectives are emerging to address contemporary environmental challenges.”