Inspirations for more sustainable practices in Design: potential of biomimicry, material selection and 3D technology

Abstract: Several reflections arise in the field of design when it comes to the materialization of projects, covering artifacts, systems and others. The debate becomes pertinent due to the Designer's connection to the production chain, since their professional practice generates diverse repercussions for the well-being of living beings and ecosystems on the planet. For this, it is up to the Designer to redefine their practices, and more deeply, their way of thinking; with this, the article aims to contribute to the ongoing paradigm shift. In this context, the article presents analytical and critical perspectives on projects by Ross Lovegroove, Arturo Tedeschi and Neri Oxman; professionals who have in their work the exploration of high-performance materials, alongside with technologies and creative strategies that are at the threshold of human capacity (Arruda, 2022). For the study, projects of designers who seek to carry out the insertion of new materials, technologies and design approaches, such as parametric modeling, will be analyzed. As an example, the Aguahoja project by Neri Oxman developed in 2014, in which it was necessary to develop its own manufacturing platform, generating bio-inspired construction strategies, materialized by software capable of building rigid and flexible structures, can be mentioned. Ross Lovegroove also explores unconventional strategies in the Project Ergo, using highly sustainable material selection approaches, and inspirations from nature's shapes for the human anatomy. Arturo Tedeschi’s “Horizon” Project, for example, features both high and low tech, relying on 3D printing and Murano glass crafts, algorithmic design, and LED technology. Based on the exposed projects, we reinforce: 1) the importance and potential of nature's creative and strategic principles for solving humanity's problems, by uniting functionality, aesthetics and sustainability; 2) the relevance of questioning the role of technology, and applying it to visualize and materialize bioinspirations, as well as to build tools and mechanisms to generate autonomy in creative processes, generating advances in the area; and finally 3) urge the designer to solidify his repertoire about the possibilities related to the selection of materials, as well as the perception of their strengths and weaknesses, also contemplating the immaterial contexts embedded in these raw materials; thus being able to contribute even more to multidisciplinary processes.

Keywords: biomimicry, material selection, parametric design, 3D technology, design practices

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1003361

Cite this paper:

​