Living Room Collective uses live cyanobacteria within 3D printed biostructures to capture carbon dioxide from air in the Canada Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025. Named Picoplanktonics, the exhibition commissioned by The Canada Council for the Arts is on view from May 10th to November 26th, 2025. designboom speaks with Living Room Collective’s lead and biodesigner Andrea Shin Ling about the project. In our interview, she says that architecture often uses the term ‘regenerative design’ when referring to circular or upcycled material systems. ‘In Picoplanktonics, we are talking about the biological definition of regeneration, which means the literal ability to regenerate or renew from damaged or dead parts,’ she tells designboom.

The research team has merged two ancient metabolic processes for Picoplanktonics: photosynthesis and biocementation. For the former, they turn to cyanobacteria, one of the oldest groups of bacterial organisms on the planet. ‘Cyanobacteria are among the first photosynthetic organisms and are believed to be responsible for the Great Oxygenation Event, where 2.4 billion years ago, the atmosphere transformed from a high CO2 environment to a high O2 environment because of photosynthesis,’ Andrea Shin Ling explains. They can also produce biocementation, or the process of capturing carbon dioxide from air and turning it into solid minerals, like carbonates. Because of this, the resulting minerals act like ‘cement’ and can store the carbon permanently, keeping it out of the atmosphere.

all images courtesy of The Living Room Collective | photos by Valentina Mori, unless stated otherwise

Infusing the bacteria during the printing stage

Before bringing them to Venice, Andrea Shin Ling and the Living Room Collective fabricated the 3D printed biostructures at ETH Zürich’s laboratory. The biodesigner shares with us that when they make these structures, they already infuse the living cyanobacteria during the printing stage instead of later on. Then, they need to let the bacteria grow and take care of them so they can grow. This means they have to provide enough light, warmth, and humidity so that they can proliferate and slowly harden the prints.

‘The idea is that the bacteria cooperate in a human-initiated fabrication process and, with our care, can continue and finish that process (in this case, hardening the printed structures they live in),’ says Andrea Shin Ling. She adds that for the 3D printed biostructure with live cyanobacteria in Venice, favorable conditions mean warm sunlight, high humidity, and access to salt water. ‘These are conditions that are common in Venice and achievable in the Canada Pavilion, which informed our design process,’ the biodesigner explains to designboom.

Living Room Collective uses live cyanobacteria within 3D printed biostructures to capture carbon dioxide from air

Microorganisms that can repair themselves to a healthy state

In Picoplanktonics, the Living Room Collective works with bacteria as the living component of their material system. It has the ability to grow and die within the 3D printed biostructures, as shown in Venice, and the colony can restore itself under favorable conditions after periods of decline. Andrea Shin Ling says, however, that the process isn’t necessarily consistent since it depends on the environmental conditions at a particular point in time.

‘So, for instance, a bioprint might dry out if the air is too dry that week, and many of the bacteria die. But because the system is regenerative, the bacteria population has the potential to restore itself when favorable conditions return and then continue their carbon sequestration work,’ she shares with designboom.

these biostructures are inside the Canada Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025

During their research process, the group has also had samples where the bacteria have gotten ‘sick’, worn out, or where they looked like they were over-oxidized. With some care, the live cyanobacteria were able to repair themselves back to a healthy state. This is what Andrea Shin Ling means when she describes regenerative design. It looks more into the potential of biological material systems that are dynamic and restorative.

‘But their responsivity can also create situations that we don’t want. So much of the project is then trying to understand what is causing these situations and monitoring conditions so that we can respond accordingly,’ the biodesigner adds. Visitors to the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 can see the research process and progress of Picoplanktonics firsthand inside the Canada Pavilion. It remains on-site from May 10th to November 26th, 2025.

the research group takes care of the bacteria throughout the exhibition to maintain their healthy state

the bacteria need warm sunlight, high humidity, and access to salt water to thrive

the research group already infuses the living cyanobacteria during the printing stage | image © designboom

the bacteria harden the printed structures they live in | image © designboom

the research team has used ancient metabolic processes for Picoplanktonics | image © designboom

the cyanobacteria can also produce biocementation, or the process of capturing carbon dioxide from air

Living Room Collective’s lead And biodesigner Andrea Shin Ling

the exhibition is on view until November 26th, 2025

project info:

name: Picoplanktonics | @picoplanktonics

group: The Living Room Collective

team: Andrea Shin Ling Nicholas Hoban, Vincent Hui, Clayton Lee

commission by: The Canada Council for the Arts | @canada.council

event: Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 | @labiennale

location: Calle Giazzo, 30122 Venice, Italy

dates: May 10th to November 26th, 2025

research and development: Andrea Shin Ling, Yo-Cheng Jerry Lee, Nijat Mahamaliyev, Hamid Peiro, Dalia Dranseike, Yifan Cui, Pok Yin Victor Leung, Barrak Darweesh

photography: Valentina Mori | @_valentinamori_

production

eth zurich: Huang Su, Wenqian Yang, Che-Wei Lin, Sukhdevsinh Parmar; Tobias Hartmann, Michael Lyrenmann, Luca Petrus, Jonathan Leu, Philippe Fleischmann, Oliver Zgraggen, Paul Fischlin, Mario Hebing, Franklin Füchslin; Hao Wu, Nicola Piccioli-Cappelli, Roberto Innocenti, Sigurd Rinde, Börte Emiroglu, Stéphane Bernhard, Carlo Pasini, Apoorv Singh, Paul Jaeggi; Mario Guala, Isabella Longoni;

toronto metropolitan university: Venessa Chan, Minh Ton, Daniel Wolinski, Marko Jovanovic, Santino D’Angelo Rozas, Rachel Kim, Alexandra Waxman, Richard McCulloch, Stephen Waldman, Tina Smith, Andrea Skyers, Randy Ragan, Emma Grant, Shira Gellman, Mariska Espinet, Suzanne Porter, Stacey Park, Amanda Wood, Lisa Landrum, Dorothy Johns, Cedric Ortiz

university of toronto: Daniel Lewycky, Philipp Cop

visualisation: Adrian Yu, Nazanin Kazemi, Ariel Weiss

structural advisors: Andrea Menardo, Kam-Ming Mark Tam

graphic design: Shannon Lin

website: Sigurd Rinde, Shannon Lin

local project logistics: Tamara Andruszkiewicz

project advisors: ETH Zurich, Benjamin Dillenburger, Mark Tibbitt

support: Canada Council, Digital Building Technologies, Institute of Technology & Architecture, D-ARCH, ETH Zurich, Department of Architectural Science, Toronto Metropolitan University, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, University of Toronto, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada; Advanced Engineering with Living Materials (ALIVE) Initiative, ETH Zurich; Additive Tectonics GmbH; ABB Switzerland; Vestacon Limited and NEUF Architect(e)s

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Ogilvy Colombia develops a prototype of biodegradable packaging or plastic made of whey and cheese waste that decomposes in 300 days. The project is named Self-Packing Cheese because the cheese is wrapped with bioplastic made of materials taken and recycled from the production process. The design teams, comprising Ogilvy Colombia and Nestlé, use microorganisms controlled in a lab to produce PHA, or polyhydroxyalkanoates, which is a type of bioplastic. They mix it then with organic byproducts from cheese production, specifically the whey, or the water-like liquid produced after the cheese is made. Combining these creates small pellets.

all images courtesy of Ogilvy Colombia

Material that can decompose in 300 days

These small pellets, then, are processed with injected air. This creates the thin, plastic-like film of the biodegradable packaging for Self-Packing Cheese. The design teams say that the prototype can help reduce waste and the use of traditional plastic. They add that typical plastic breaks down after around 900 years. With their biodegradable packaging made of cheese, the plastic can decompose as early as 300 days. Design-wise, the film is translucent and lightweight, although it does have a smoky look to it given the whey.

The company can still print over the cheese’s plastic, hinting at the robustness of the biodegradable packaging. The material represents a potential model for circular packaging. It refers to packaging that can be reused, repurposed, or broken down naturally rather than ending up as waste. The biodegradable packaging or plastic, in this case, actually comes from the cheese itself and eventually returns to the environment without completely polluting it. The project also foresees other potential uses of the wrapper. In this case, companies can adopt the material for different products and purposes, helping reduce the use of plastic.

the cheese is wrapped with bioplastic made of materials taken and recycled from the production proces

the design teams use microorganisms controlled in a lab to produce the bioplastic

the wrapper can decompose as early as 300 days

cheese whey makes up the recycled materials of the wrapper

detailed view of the packaging

the company can still print over the plastic

the project aims to reduce the use of traditional plastic

project info:

name: Self-Packing Cheese

companies: Ogilvy Colombia, Nestlé | @ogilvycolombia, @nestle

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Researchers at EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) have created a living biodegradable material made from fungi that can allow trash bags to decompose the organic waste. It is only of the many potential applications of the studied fungi. In the field of electronics, the living biodegradable material made from fungi can be used to produce sensors as well as bio- and paper batteries. It’s because the kind of mycelium the researchers have used, the split-gill mushroom, reacts to moisture and its surroundings. Also, it is a ‘biodegrader’. This means that its properties can actively decompose wood and other plant materials. 

The study begins with the split-gill mushroom, an edible fungus that grows on dead wood. Usually, researchers clean and process the mycelium before they use it as a material. In the Empa study, the team has used the entire living mycelium as it is, including the ‘extracellular matrix,’ which contains a natural mix of proteins and fibers that the fungus creates as it grows. Then, they choose a specific strain from the finger to make two molecules. The first is schizophyllan, which lets them produce a strong and thin fiber. The next is hydrophobin, which is a protein that behaves like soap and interacts well with water and oil. These two make the living biodegradable material made from fungi robust, flexible, and adaptable, creating a component that’s ideal for biodegradable and natural products.

all images courtesy of Empa

Objects using living biodegradable material made from fungi

Now for the testing part. The researchers have tried out two applications in their lab. First as a plastic-like film, then as an emulsion. The latter is what helps create the schizophyllan fibers and hydrophobins, even producing more of the molecules over time, which the team describes as a rare occurrence. For the former, the scientists have turned the living biodegradable material made from fungi into a thin film. They’ve discovered in their study that the resulting object is strong and flexible. This is due to the extracellular matrix and the long schizophyllan fibers.  The team adds that they could make it significantly stronger when they align the fungal fibers in the same direction. 

It’s the similar technique as weaving of layering threads in fabric. The researchers then imagine using the living biodegradable material made from fungi to produce plastic bags that can compost waste. If not that, then other compostable objects for packaging. It behaves like plastic, and it is natural and even safe to eat. The Empa researchers now look into combining traditional fiber material science with the new field of living materials, ones that can grow, adapt, or heal themselves. Because the mycelium is alive, they can also control its properties by adjusting how it is grown, like temperature, humidity, and nutrients, opening the path to alternative materials.

researchers can also use the film to make other packaging materials

the film can be used to produce bioplastics

the kind of mycelium the researchers have used, the split-gill mushroom, is already a ‘biodegrader’

view of the emulsion as a result of the mixture

the mixture can create the schizophyllan fibers and hydrophobins

the mushroom’s properties can actively decompose wood and other plant materials

the split-gill mushroom is an edible fungus that grows on dead wood

the material is edible because it comes from a mushroom

the resulting object from the study is strong and flexible

project info:

name: Living Fiber Dispersions from Mycelium as a New Sustainable Platform for Advanced Materials

researchers: Ashutosh Sinha, Luiz G. Greca, Nico Kummer, Ciatta Wobill, Carolina Reyes, Peter Fischer, Silvia Campioni, Gustav Nyström

institutions: EMPA, ETH Zürich | @empa_materials_science, @ethzurich

study: here

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In a quiet Venetian courtyard, a concrete structure stands as the result of an experimental collaboration between Holcim and ELEMENTAL. At first glance it’s austere, shaped as a blocky sectional module of precast panels. Most important is its material of biochar concrete and the story it tells. At the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, sustainable construction firm Holcim and Chilean architecture studio ELEMENTAL unveil a full-scale prototype that demonstrates a new way of building which resists the choice between climate action and social housing. Instead, it proposes a method to both sequester carbon and propose answers to urgent housing needs. designboom met with ELEMENTAL founder Alejandro Aravena in Venice to learn more about the collaborative project.

‘Whoever comes with solutions and technological developments that lower the carbon footprint of building is welcome,’ Aravena tells designboom in an interview. This collaboration with Holcim emerged from years of overlapping commitments to climate responsibility and socially-responsive architecture. Aravena, a Pritzker Prize-winner, recalled his team’s first encounter Holcim during post-earthquake reconstruction efforts in Chile. ‘It was pragmatic: people need places to live, and they’ll build them whether or not governments or markets are ready. This project explores what happens if we meet that inevitability with better tools.’

Alejandro Aravena (Founder, ELEMENTAL), Miljan Gutovic (CEO, Holcim) | image © designboom

elemental notes architecture’s human-centric process

The prototype on display at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale is a deceptively modest proposal by Holcim and ELEMENTAL. It is a structural sanitation unit that addresses core needs — water, shelter, and infrastructure — through an expandable frame. This is ‘incremental design,’ a method pioneered by ELEMENTAL in which housing is conceived as a process over a finished product. ‘You have to reframe your role as an architect,’ Aravena explained. ‘It’s not about control. You start the thing, but then you have to let it go.’ According to Alejandro Aravena, the role of the architect is to provide a sturdy beginning. He recognizes the inevitability of self-construction, especially in the Global South, where most new square-meters are built by individuals, not design studios.

‘In most developing countries, public housing is also property. It’s the biggest transfer of public money to private families,’ Aravena noted. ‘If we can help it gain value by being adaptable, expandable, better placed, it becomes more than shelter. It becomes an economic investment for its owners and occupants.’ The structure in Venice reflects decades of this thinking. ELEMENTAL’s earliest incremental homes tripled in value by allowing for self-built expansion.

Holcim and ELEMENTAL debut a carbon sink housing prototype at the Venice Biennale | image © Celestia Studio

carbon neutrality through holcim’s biochar concrete

Aside from the process, the Venice Architecture Biennale display is a celebration of a new material logic by Holcim and ELEMENTAL. At its heart is the construction company’s new carbon sink technology, which introduces into concrete a charcoal-like material called biochar, which is derived from organic matter. Biochar traps carbon permanently, preventing its release into the atmosphere at end of life. According to the team, one kilogram of biochar can prevent up to three kilograms of carbon emissions. What matters is that it performs with no compromise. It’s not weaker, not slower, not more expensive. Applied to cement, mortar, and concrete, this biochar formulation creates what Holcim calls ‘net-zero concrete,’ here used with 100% recycled aggregates in a closed-loop construction process.

Holcim’s biochar concrete sequesters carbon while maintaining full performance | image © Celestia Studio

‘Normally, the world moves by example,’ Aravena tells designboom, describing his optimism for the project’s impact. ‘When we proposed our first project in 2003, people said it wouldn’t work. Too idealistic. Too expensive. Too slow. So we built it. Then we built it again, in different climates, on flat land, on slopes. The skepticism faded.’ This prototype is similarly direct. It is a built object, not a rendering or a speculative diagram. ‘You can’t argue with a real thing,’ Aravena continues. ‘Some people will find excuses, but others, especially policymakers and engineers, will see that there’s no technical reason not to do it.’

For both Holcim and ELEMENTAL, the project is not disruption for disruption’s sake, but a response to the realities of the built world. ‘Forget utopia. What’s pragmatic is that people will keep building,’ Aravena reflects. ‘So let’s make what they’re building work for them, for the environment, for future generations.’ That vision echoes in the rough concrete shell by the canal. In a year when the Biennale theme circles back to ‘Time Space Existence,’ this prototype quietly reframes each: time as carbon accounting, space as participatory infrastructure, existence as inhabitation with agency.

ELEMENTAL’s incremental housing approach empowers residents | image © Celestia Studio

the prototype addresses basic needs with a precast core designed for rapid deployment | image © Celestia Studio

Aravena explains that most housing is self-built and must be treated as part of the solution | image © Celestia Studio

recycled aggregates and net-zero biochar technology reduce environmental impact | image © Celestia Studio

Aravena hopes the project will serve as an inspiring, real-world example | image © Celestia Studio

the goal is not to control the process but to channel the energy of those who build | image © designboom

Holcim and ELEMENTAL will exhibit the carbon sink unit in venice through November | image © Celestia Studio

project info:

event: 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale Di Venezia

architect: ELEMENTAL (Alejandro Aravena)

construction: Holcim

photography: © designboom, © Celestia Studio

The post ‘examples move the world’: holcim and ELEMENTAL’s net-zero prototype at venice biennale appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

In the hands of Rotterdam-based Belgian designer Isaac Monté, the Lady Dior handbag undergoes a metamorphosis — where minerals bloom into crystals and a fashion icon finds new resonance in the world of contemporary art. Monté’s collaboration with Dior and Belgian gallery Spazio Nobile channels his long-standing fascination with material alchemy into a glimmering new chapter, crystallizing the house’s legendary handbag into a radiant display of craftsmanship and material experimentation.

The Crystallized series marks an ongoing body of work that began with vases and now spans the windows of Dior boutiques and the Lady Dior itself. The project draws inspiration from stalagmites and mineral formations, exploring time as a sculptural medium. Each object grows organically, its form determined by the chemistry of its environment rather than a mold or machine. The results are singular: no two are alike in color, structure, or surface. For Monté, the growth process is not just aesthetic, it’s philosophical. ‘It’s about patience,’ the artist notes. ‘About letting nature intervene in the act of making.’

image © Kristen Pelou, video by Sticky Stuff Agency

material experimentation lends glimmering result

Isaac Monté, Dior, and their shared attention to detail have turned what could have been a static display object into something much more visceral. When the fashion house commissioned Monté to reimagine the Lady Dior for its new Vienna flagship, the designer approached the task as he would a piece of living architecture. Crystallizing the handbag involved a painstaking layering of minerals and oxides, a process he has honed over ten years. The result is both bold and delicate — faceted surfaces that shift in color and sheen, catching the light like gemstones. The familiar silhouette of the Lady Dior becomes something otherworldly, a relic from a future that embraces both luxury and decay.

The crystallized Lady Dior handbag pushed the boundaries between design object and collectible artwork. While the bag is no longer a functional accessory, its presence is magnified by its transformation into a sculptural artifact. The design preserves Dior’s signature canework pattern beneath layers of crystalline growth, merging the iconography of high fashion with the language of geological time. It demonstrates preservation-through-reinvention, an approach that reflects both the heritage of the brand and the experimental ethos of the gallery Spazio Nobile, which has represented Monté since 2019.

Dior’s Vienna Flagship displays crystallized handbags by Isaac Monté | image © Kristen Pelou

the Intersection of Craft and Concept

Dior’s Jewelry Gem Collection has also been brought to life in boutiques and window displays featuring Isaac Monté’s crystal installations. These spatial compositions play with transparency, luminosity, and structure, echoing the jewel-like logic of the crystallized handbag. They invite passersby into a slowed-down world of mineral bloom, where nature’s quiet processes are amplified in a language of luxury and spectacle.

The project presents a compelling case study in the evolution of applied arts. Monté’s background in product design and bio-art — his early work even involved bacterial growth and deception — feeds into a conceptual rigor that underpins the decorative beauty of the handbag. What might first appear ornamental is deeply process-driven, each crystal a result of controlled chemical reactions. The handbag becomes a surface of experimentation, where applied chemistry meets fashion’s iconic forms.

Dior display windows bloom with mineral forms | image © Kristen Pelou

the crystallized Lady Dior is grown, not made | image © Kristen Pelou

each Lady Dior handbag is transformed into a one of a kind crystal object | image © Kristen Pelou

each crystallized object forms naturally over time | image © Sticky Stuff Agency

crystals form layer by layer, creating unique textures on each handbag | image © Sticky Stuff Agency

the crystallization process transforms, oxides and minerals | image © Sticky Stuff Agency

the process draws from stalagmites and natural mineral growth | image © Sticky Stuff Agency

crystallized surfaces reveal the passage of time through material form | image © Sticky Stuff Agency

project info:

project title: Crystallized

location: Dior Flagship, Vienna, Austria

artist: Isaac Monté | @isaacmonte.nl

brand: Dior | @dior

gallery: Spazio Nobile | @spazionobilegallery

retail photography: © Kristen Pelou | @kristenpelou

video production: Sticky Stuff Agency | @stickystuffagency

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Kia reveals the interior design of its concept electric SUV EV2 at Milan Design Week 2025, made of hemp, mycelium, flax fibers, and recycled textiles. As part of the exhibition Transcend Journey at Eastend Studios, visitors can see the cabin of the concept vehicle for the first time. One of the first biomaterial elements the design team applies is the cellulose-based Simplifyber Fybron from renewable sources such as wood, paper, and recycled textiles.

It emerges at the Kia electric SUV EV2’s dashboard and door panels. This ingredient comes through a liquid-based process, eliminating the need for weaving or spinning. The team also integrates biodegradable mycelium-based components into the interiors, courtesy of Biomyc. These materials include hemp and mycelium, which are grown and colored to match Kia’s Pantone specifications for visual consistency throughout the cabin.

all images courtesy of Kia

Mycelium-based materials for the interior surfaces

There are two types of mycelium that Kia’s design team uses for the electric SUV EV2. The first is mycelium-infused polyurethane, applied across light blue interior surfaces, containing visible mycelium particles. The second is a grown volume material, produced by mycelium cells binding with cellulose from agricultural waste. This solid structure is used in components such as the door armrest, where it provides insulation.Inside the Kia electric SUV EV2, the team also incorporates a bio-based composite made from flax fibers named AmpliTex, courtesy of Bcomp.

It shows up in the back seat shell and front seat substructures of the concept vehicle. The use of this component replaces traditional synthetic materials, which helps reduce the overall vehicle weight. AmpliTex is also fully recyclable. At the end of its use, companies can process it into composite pellets for reuse. Kia’s Color, Materials, and Finish (CMF) team has also developed a dark-blue finish for the material to align with the vehicle’s overall design.

exhibition view of Transcend Journey with the electric Kia concept model

From concept to real-life model starting 2026

Aside from the biomaterials in the cabin, the Kia electric SUV EV2 features seat headrest-integrated speakers, portable door speakers, side-extendable seats, detachable seat cushions, and pop-up luggage dividers. The vehicle is also capable of sending message lighting to the pedestrians crossing so they know that car has stopped to make way. The interior is also configurable. This means that the Kia electric SUV EV2 has a rear bench that can be lifted. It reveals a flat floor that can double as a ‘living room’ inside the car.

The vehicle also comes with rear-hinged back doors so it opens up more for easy entry. Then, the front section features vertical daytime running lights and an open lighting structure without a cover lens. The bumpers and lower sections have contrasting graphic elements, which contribute to the concept vehicle’s utility-focused design. The profile of the Kia electric SUV EV2 evidently includes a straight shoulder line that connects the front and rear sections. The solid fenders contrast with geometric glass shapes and wheel arches to define the vehicle’s form. First unveiled in February 2025, the Kia electric SUV EV2 expects to hit the market in 2026.

the exhibition takes place at Eastend Studios between April 7th to 9th, 2025

the interior parts uses biomaterials such as mycelium and hemp

dashboard view of the electric vehicle

the car also features seat headrest-integrated speakers, portable door speakers and side-extendable seats

exterior view of the electric vehicle

view of the sunroof and the vehicle’s straight shoulder line

the solid fenders contrast with geometric glass shapes and wheel arches

so far, the model expects to hit the martket in 2026

project info:

name: Kia EV2 electric SUV

car manufacturer: Kia | @kiausa

companies: Biomyc, Bcomp, Simplifyber | @biomyc.eu, @bcompltd, @simplifyber_inc

exhibition name: Transcend Journey

location: Eastend Studios on Via Mecenate, 88/a, Milan, Italy

dates: April 7th to 9th, 2025

The post kia turns hemp, mycelium, flax fibers & recycled textiles into cabin parts of electric SUV EV2 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Reinterpreting regional handicraft through technology, TECHNOCrafts’ Alwadiya: The Living Pots are biodegradable vessels designed for transformation. The series, on view at the Raw to Revival exhibition at the AlUla Arts Festival, is a material experiment responding to the ancient city’s heritage and ecology, envisioned to decompose into the land it came from. In collaboration with LAMÁQUINA and Micaela Clubourg, TECHNOCrafts has 3D printed the pots using a natural cellulose-based material infused with PURE.TECH — a carbon dioxide absorbing compound — and wrapped their forms in linen and biodegradable skins naturally tinged with hues extracted from local fruits and herbs.

This shift from permanence to ephemerality raises broader questions about how heritage is defined, as Raw to Revival presents crafts as a means of adaptation — one that acknowledges both historical knowledge and technological advances. In this region, where ancient ruins are preserved as markers of time, these pots propose an alternative born out of the interplay between handicrafts and digital crafts: an object conceived to participate in natural cycles. The exhibition will remain on view at Design Space AlUla until April 19th, 2025.

all images courtesy of Arts Alula

on view at raw to revival, at the alula arts festival

Madrasat Addeera, a historic girls school-turned arts and design hub in the old town of AlJadidah, was home to the Editions program curated by Samer Yamani which pairs local and international artisans and designers to develop new material applications rooted in AlUla’s traditions. The Alwadiya collection is one of four works commissioned as part of Madrasat Addeera Editions, with other objects on display including room dividers and seating and decorative items that each respond to AlUla’s environmental conditions through a combination of digital fabrication and traditional techniques.

Bridging these realms, Alwadiya: The Living Pots introduce an alternative perspective on sustainability and preservation. While traditional craft has often been associated with longevity, this project suggests that impermanence can be just as significant. TECHNOCraft has realized the vessels as living entities that will decay over time to reintegrate into a broader ecological cycle, their surfaces bearing the signs of erosion much like the life cycle of a tree. They are composed as an ode to AlUla’s lush oasis and its vibrant flora, including its citrus trees, aromatic herbs, and majestic date palms.

Alwadiya: The Living Pots bridge handicraft and technology

material experiments responding to the city’s heritage & ecology

By embedding biomaterials into the design process, Madrasat Addeera Editions moves beyond the replication of heritage aesthetics to explore how craft can evolve in response to contemporary environmental challenges, particularly with the integration of new production technologies. The Raw to Revival exhibition, in turn, presents these interventions as part of a broader conversation about the future of design in AlUla, with a focus on sustainability in terms of resource efficiency, as well as an ongoing dialogue between material, place, and time. With the perspectives of regional and international designers, the exhibition showcases AlUla’s distinct blend of natural beauty and craftsmanship, inviting visitors to explore textures, scents, sounds, and visuals that tell the story of the region.

created by TECHNOCrafts, LAMÁQUINA, and Micaela Clubourg

biodegradable vessels designed for transformation

the pots are 3D printed the pots using a natural cellulose-based material infused with PURE.TECH

wrapped in linen and biodegradable skins naturally tinged with hues extracted from local fruits and herbs

an object conceived to participate in natural cycles

Alwadiya: The Living Pots are on view at Raw To Revival for the AlUla Arts Festival

introducing an alternative perspective on sustainability and preservation

TECHNOCraft has realized the vessels as living entities that will decay over time to return to the ecological cycle

composed as an ode to AlUla’s lush oasis and its vibrant flora

project info:

name: Alwadiya: The Living Pots

designer: TECHNOCrafts

collaborator: LAMÁQUINA | @lamaquina_3d, Micaela Clubourg | @micaclubourg

exhibition: Raw to Revival

location: Design Space AlUla, Saudi Arabia

dates: January 16th — April 19th, 2025

The post TECHNOCrafts’ 3D printed pots designed to biodegrade pay homage to AlUla’s lush oasis appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

The second Islamic Arts Biennale’s official prayer space, AlMusalla, is a meditative reflection on ritual and transience embedded in regional identity. Realized by EAST Architecture Studio, AKT II, and Rayyane Tabet, the pavilion thoughtfully responds to the Biennale’s theme, And All That Is In Between, which contemplates the connection between the physical and the spiritual, the historical and the contemporary, and humanity’s relationship with the divine. ‘Musallas, unlike mosques, have always been nomadic sacred spaces. They were traditionally very easily and quickly built, dismantled, and rebuilt elsewhere,’ lead architect Nicolas Fayad architect tells designboom, as he explains how AlMusalla was designed with consideration of both the past and the future. This temporal quality, he notes, informed every design decision — from its interlocked modular structure to its reliance on sustainable, natural materials.

Constructed primarily from reclaimed palm waste, the project converges three histories: the courtyard typology prevalent in Islamic sacred spaces, the use of natural materials in regional construction, and ancient weaving traditions. Further, set beside the Biennale’s AlMidhallah segment where contemporary installations imagine a ‘garden of concepts’, AlMusalla engages with the landscape and the architectural context with sensitivity. In the context of the airport Hajj Terminal in Jeddah, one of the most significant thresholds in the Islamic world, the structure frames the oculi above and mirrors the liminality of its surroundings — an enclosure within the vastness, a quiet space carved into the movement of travelers. Its walls rise in stepped verticality to encircle areas of worship, congregation, and learning, while its woven facade, made from 200 kilometers of palm fiber, mirrors both the intricacies of the craft and the journey of pilgrimage. Within AlMusalla’s central courtyard, we sat down with Nicolas Fayad to learn more about the ideas that shaped the project, from its material choices to its conceptual and spatial gestures and the ways it reinterprets historic vernacular. Read our full conversation ahead.

all images by Marco Cappelletti

a sacred congregation space at islamic arts biennale

Sacred spaces often exist between material and metaphysical realms, and AlMusalla consciously navigates this liminal condition while speaking to various contextual specificities of Saudi Arabia. Its relation to King Abdulaziz International Airport’s SOM-designed Hajj Terminal amplifies this dialogue. ‘When we first arrived at the site, we were almost overwhelmed by the immensity of the void that exists beneath these beautiful canopies,’ Nicolas Fayad recalls. ‘We needed to create a space that could exist autonomously, framing its own environment, while remaining connected with the terminal.’

The architect, co-founder of Beirut-based EAST Architecture Studio, suggests this engagement is both literal and symbolic. Here, the typology of the courtyard, significant in Islamic and regional architecture, is adopted as the core organizing element. ‘At any moment when you find rest in AlMusalla, or pray, you can still experience the canopy above,’ he tells designboom. The staggered monolithic walls partially capture this void, which the discreet entrance foyer, the female and male vestibules, and the prayer hall snap to almost organically. In this sense, this circulation stems from the idea of centrality, or a magnet around which a fluid or set system unfolds, and a nod to the programmatic constructs of mosques. These gestures can also be read as a reference to the Tawaf, during which pilgrims circulate the Kaabah in Makkah, extending the space’s spiritual facet.

AlMusalla is a meditative reflection on ritual and transience embedded in regional identity

reclaiming palm waste for structural & ornamental expressions

The walls thin out as they rise, concealing and revealing space as they come together. Granular and textured, their stratified surfaces evoking a tree trunk’s cross section emphasize their materiality: compressed palm waste reclaimed from Saudi Arabia’s many date farms. ‘We’re looking here at waste that comes from 150 palm trees,’ says Fayad. ‘It’s essentially an architecture as landscape.’ He explains that the resulting system is a remarkable feat of engineering by Christopher Blust of AKT II who has solidified the waste with biodegradable PVC and transformed it into a structurally viable material. ‘It was a real collaborative effort. We were able to think of a structural solution that comes out of waste, which is incredibly challenging. Especially given the size of some of these walls which reach 12.5 meters in height.’

As the walls anchor AlMusalla to the ground, the facade offers a delicate counterpoint — a membrane of palm fiber that stretches across the structure as a materialized spiritual journey. ‘The distance of these fibers, 200 kilometers, is equivalent to the route that links Jeddah and Mecca back and forth. In a way, this idea of the pilgrimage itself is woven into our facade,’ the architect notes. Lending the pavilion its conceptual name, On Weaving, the facade further repositions the tradition of textile-making as both a craft and a structural act in contemporary expressions, with the repetitive process of its production introducing an infinite dimension. Dyed with natural pigments extracted from local plants — reds for the earth, blues for water, and greens for the land — the layered skin both protects and breathes, filtering light and air into the inner sanctum.

realized by EAST Architecture Studio, Christopher Blust of AKT II, and Rayyane Tabet

a modular structure inspired by transience

Just as AlMusalla negotiates the vastness of the terminal by carving out spaces of enclosure and openness, its relation to space is not static and its response to the canopies’ oculi is a broader manifestation of architectural flexibility. This fluidity extends beyond its presence at the Islamic Arts Biennale, shaping its afterlife as a space that can be dismantled and reassembled into various configurations and contexts while retaining its sacred essence. ‘Some spaces can be widened, others compressed,’ Nicolas Fayad tells designboom.

From the outset, AlMusalla was realized with consideration for ‘the unknown’, for how it might perform when moved elsewhere — fulfilling the inherent transience of its traditional form. Even during its lifespan at the Islamic Arts Biennale, the space serves multiple functions beyond prayer. During Ramadan, soon approaching, the pavilion will host night-time gatherings, spiritual discussions, and possibly Quranic study. ‘The structure allows for these organic shifts because of its modularity… and the courtyard and the fluidity that unfolds throughout the space allows for this multiplicity of programs,’ notes the architect. ‘But there will always be a dedicated prayer space at the musalla.’

AlMusalla is constructed primarily from palm waste

the second Islamic Arts Biennale’s official prayer space

a membrane of palm fiber stretches across the structure as a materialized spiritual journey

its walls rise in stepped verticality to encircle areas of worship, congregation, and learning in the courtyard

‘At any moment when you find rest in AlMusalla, or pray, you can still experience the canopy above,’ says Fayad

the female and male vestibules and the prayer hall organically snap to the central courtyard

project info:

name: AlMusalla – On Weaving

architect: Nicolas Fayad – EAST Architecture Studio | @east_architecture_studio

artist: Rayyane Tabet

engineer: Christopher Blust – AKT II | @akt_ii

event: Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 

dates: January 25 — May 25, 2025

location: Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

organizer: Diriyah Biennale Foundation | @biennale_sa

The post interview: nicolas fayad on weaving palm waste into a prayer space at islamic arts biennale appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Gozen officially launches the biomaterial Lunaform, a series of grown and fermented nanocellulose textiles formed by microorganisms. In an interview with designboom, founder Ece Gozen says the material goes beyond plastic-based imitation leather. The team uses their own BioCraft technology to grow the nanocellulose material in their new facility in Turkey, spanning 40,000 square foot. In seven days, the nanocellulose textile Lunaform comes to life through a resource-light fermentation process in this laboratory.

‘Unlike the many synthetic alternatives that rely on a polyurethane base or materials requiring heavy processing, Lunaform is 100% bio-based in its wet state and shaped through the ingenuity of microorganisms, creating a totally unique nonwoven biomaterial,’ Ece Gozen tells designboom. A single structure of fibrous cellulosic bonds makes up Gozen’s biomaterial and nanocellulose-based Lunaform. The founder shares with us that this is key to the material’s tensile strength and drape. The team sources a minimal amount of plant-based inputs from certified local suppliers in Turkey that are required for their controlled fermentation process. ‘Though in reality we grow our feedstock ourselves – which is the wet state of Lunaform – to ensure a process that is scalable and sustainable,’ she says.

all images courtesy of GOZEN Studio

Balenciaga robe-style coat made of bio-based ingredients

Gozen’s biomaterial and nanocellulose-based Lunaform has made its debut before. It graces the runway during the Balenciaga Summer 2024 show at Paris Fashion Week. Called the Maxi Bathrobe Coat, the ensemble comprises a black, belted, robe-style coat with front pockets. Now, there are three collections in the recent launch of Gozen’s biomaterial and nanocellulose-based Lunaform. The first is ORIGINS, which reveals the trail of fibrous patterns left by the activity of microorganisms during its creation. Then TRANSPARENT, dubbed the first commercial translucent collection, created as well with nanocellulose.

The last is INDIGO, which is an artistic material finish that resembles the texture and look between textile, leather, and denim. All of the materials here are from the nanocellulose lattice that formed after the design team combined natural agents and flexible biopolymer, to name a few. The result, as Ece Gozen explains to designboom, gives the clothing a natural cascading drape that can hold its own form, all the while being lightweight and flexible. These are some of the reasons that the biotechnology startup founder and the design team work with the biomaterial and work on making the nanocellulose-based Lunaform as available as possible.

GOZEN launches the biomaterial LUNAFORM, a series of nanocellulose textiles formed by microorganisms

textile-like material transforms into variety of textures

‘Lunaform can be viewed as something of a hybrid material, its fibrous, cellulosic structure gives it a woven fabric-like quality while it retains the durability and beauty of a noble nonwoven. This enables designers to shape new forms that feel both organic and futuristic,’ the designer says. In addition to that, Gozen’s biomaterial and nanocellulose-based Lunaform is a shapeshifter. 

The founder says the textile-like material transforms into a wide variety of touches and textures, even though it comes from a single source. The design team uses their in-house BioCraft technology. In that case, they can tune the nanocellulose by thickness, transparency, colorway, and even grain. They also combine fermentation and biotechnology in the process, which allows for a flexible material.

in seven days, the nanocellulose textile and collection LUNAFORM comes to life

For the unveiling of Gozen’s biomaterial and nanocellulose-based Lunaform, Ece Gozen taps Turkish filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist Serra Duran Parali to produce a short film showcasing the collections. The shot takes place in the biotechnology startup’s new 40,000-square-foot facility in Turkey, which is capable of handling 150,000 square feet of nanocellulose material per year. In the short film, the director documents Lunaform’s materiality and textures using macro shots, fluid motion, and contrasting lighting. 

Ece Gozen tells designboom why she and her team decide to go for a short film to reveal the material and collections. She shares with us that designers and creatives need to see and even feel a material’s potential to feel inspired to use it. ‘A film allows us to cut through the noise in a space where there is often a lot of talk but little substance. Instead of relying on claims and descriptions, we let the material speak for itself, showing its cascading drape, organic formation, and versatility in action,’ she adds. The founder believes that by taking the viewers through their process, they’re also providing them a level of transparency that is rare in this space. 

the textile emerges from a resource-light fermentation process

For Ece Gozen, there’s a low adoption of next-generation materials in the creative industries. The founder explains to designboom that ‘bridging this gap is not just part of a strategy, because it’s already an inherent part of our identity. Gozen is a design-led biotech company born at the intersection of biology, design, materials, and fashion. So our mission is to create new, progressive, and functional materials by taking a design lens to biotechnology. For us, this is not a goal, but a fundamental part of our approach and vision.’

In fact, she and her team are growing Gozen’s biomaterial and nanocellulose-based Lunaform instead of creating new biomaterials all the time. It is abundant and flexible enough to grow in laboratories using natural ingredients, and the founder sees nanocellulose as a foundation to explore and expand upon. ‘So instead of mycelium or other feedstocks, our focus is on pushing the boundaries of Lunaform itself. Its versatility allows us to uncover new applications beyond fashion and textiles, from cosmetics to wearable technologies – and even to industries as exciting and far-fetched as space exploration,’ she says.

LUNAFORM is 100% bio-based in its wet state and shaped through microorganisms

a single structure of fibrous cellulosic bonds makes up the material

the design team sources a minimal amount of plant-based inputs for the fabric-like material

there are three collections in the recent launch of GOZEN’s biomaterial and nanocellulose-based LUNAFORM

INDIGO is an artistic material finish that resembles the texture and look between textile, leather, and denim

the textile-like material transforms into a wide variety of touches and textures

project info:

name: LUNAFORM

biotechnology startup: GOZEN Studio | @gozen.world

head of creative studio: Ece Gözen | @ecegozen

JR art director: Zeynep Gözen

set fabrication lead: Oğuzhan Tilkioğlu

film director and creative director: Serra Duran Parali | @serraduranparali

production house: noé

executive producer: Barış Çetin

director of photography: Can Dolu

1st AD: Zeynep Sütçü

production coordinator: Emirhan Şen

focus puller: Dicle Atan

2nd AC: Yunus Köke

3rd AC: Serhat Doğan

gaffer: Uğur Karaca

best boy: Emre Uğur Kolsuz

grip: Set Gripim

key grip: Cem Tanişman

DIT: Can Kaleli

editor: Mert Halili

colorist: Oğuz Birgölge

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Interdisciplinary designer Shreya Dwivedi presents Earthing Interiority, her recent graduate project from Parsons School of Design. The work explores the intersection of nature, culture, bioregionalism, and interior design, reimagining the globalized domestic interior by integrating foraged local biomaterials into a closed-loop, self-sufficient living ecosystem within a standardized urban dwelling in New York City. The project addresses the issue of placelessness in modern interiors by fostering a sense of belonging and connection to the land.

‘Globalization has blurred the line separating local and global, and spaces, regardless of their geographical origin, look and are experienced similarly. This results in sameness and placelessness, causing alienation from local culture, traditions, and unique contexts. At a time when it’s fairly easy to move around and find ‘home’ in different cultural contexts, how can we cultivate a sense of belonging and connection to the land?

all images © Shreya Dwivedi

Shreya Dwivedi forages biomaterials to create living ecosystems

For Earthing Interiority, Shreya Dwivedi draws on her cultural background, a traditional Indian philosophy of using regional, naturally occurring ingredients in building materials to connect with the land. These include seaweed, oyster shells, moss, and driftwood. This approach not only transforms interiors into living ecosystems, creating social and ecological connections, but is low-carbon and fosters a relationship of care and reciprocity between the space, place, and inhabitants. Even more, as the designer describes it, foraged materials become active participants, not passive components, creating a further sense of grounding for those dwelling within these otherwise impersonal placeless domestic environments.

Earthing Interiority is launched as the designer’s recent graduate project

transforming interiors into living ecosystems to address the issue of placelessness

using seaweed, oyster shells, moss, and driftwood

Shreya Dwivedi draws on traditional Indian philosophy

foraged materials become active participants, not passive components

exploring the intersection of nature, culture, bioregionalism, and interior design

close up shot

close up shot

project info:

name: Earthing Interiority – Reimagining Urban Domesticity using Locally Foraged Material

designer: Shreya Dwivedi | @shreyadee_works

part of: Parsons School of Design 

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