Dare forme al mondo. Per un design multinaturalista

The current global situation calls for a radical re-evaluation of our daily practices, steering them towards a form of sustainability that goes beyond economic logic to embrace the intricate interdependence of environmental ecosystems. In such a context, the responsibility of those who actively shape the material world extends beyond mere functionality and immediate efficiency: it implies an ecocentric perspective that recognises the intrinsic value of the planet and the complex web of life that inhabits it, encompassing not only human societies but also animal and plant communities. Where can architects and designers draw inspiration to move in this direction? How can nature itself be incorporated into the creative process that leads to new projects and new possibilities? In this book, Andrea Staid offers some answers and points to multiple avenues of research. Staid’s innovative concept of ‘multinaturalist design’ invites us to reconsider the ontologies of design, moving beyond an anthropocentric view that confines the capacity for design to the human sphere alone. Through an ethnographic perspective on design, Staid highlights how various non-human species exercise a form of material agency that influences the organisation of the ecosystem. It is noteworthy how many contemporary societies embody practical ecological knowledge: they mimic the design solutions offered by nature and develop production systems intrinsically connected to their environment, revealing an epistemology of design rooted in interspecies relationships. By recounting, with poetic attention and anthropological rigour, the travel and study experiences she has undertaken in recent years, Staid provides in this book a series of vivid illustrations of the possibility—as well as the necessity—of a paradigm shift within the creative professions that bear the responsibility of continually giving new forms to this ancient world.