Design Resistance. Material Solutions for local remoteness

Abstract

Material design and indigenous knowledge are more often intertwined in the contemporary practice of design. Sustainable design is evolving towards discourses that stress the relevance of local interventions and the diverse contribution native cultures can give in shaping post-developed societies. This paper addresses the topic of endemic material design in decentralised areas through Material Driven Design experience by analysing the project called Viral Nature, a material research and design of a composite material able to host vegetal life and attract biodiversity. Originally formulated as a potential design intervention against soil degradation and desertification, nonetheless, the exposure of Viral Nature artefacts to the public showed its potential to be employed as a communicative medium to foster human feelings of environmental empathy. A case study to display a design trend leading toward resistant practices of biointegrated design, to investigate and hypothesise how endemic DIY-Material Design strategies enhance the functionality of the material experience and encourage a change of paradigm towards alternative solutions for the pluriverse.