Matter, Agency and Design: Toward a Relational Ontology of Biomaterials

Abstract

This paper proposes a new approach to design and architecture through the use of algae-based biomaterials, framed within ecological post-humanism and agential realism. In the context of the climate crisis, it advocates for an ethics of design that acknowledges matter’s agency and promotes collaborative relationships between humans, materials and the environment. Drawing on the theories of Barad, Bennett and Haraway, materiality is reinterpreted as an intra-active phenomenon where algae are not mere resources but living entities with the capacity to affect and be affected.  The research explores Do-It-Yourself (DIY) materials from the vegetabile and recuperavit realms, focusing on algae such as Ulva, collected on the coast of Algarrobo, Chile. Using low-tech fabrication methods, a bio-based panel was developed and tested for its thermal, water and fire resistance properties. The study highlights the potential of these biomaterials to replace industrial components, offering a sustainable and ecological alternative. 

Moreover, the work emphasises the role of female seaweed gatherers as key agents in a collaborative, circular economy, valuing local knowledge and community-based co-creation. The project envisions an aesthetic and ethical design process where matter and designer co-evolve through dynamic and relational practices. The resulting prototype demonstrates that it is possible to design materials with a life of their own, capable of responding to environmental stimuli, dissolving the nature/culture divide, and fostering a more equitable, sustainable, and territorially grounded model of development.