We Are What We Build: Material Ecology & Belonging

How can materials shape vibrant communities? Join Healthy Materials Lab with Petra Marinko to examine how nature, craftsmanship, and design foster health, vitality, and inclusivity.

Healthy Materials Lab sees vibrant communities to be grown and crafted by all their components. As we examine materials at the ingredient level, asking "What is it made of?", we observe our ecosystems and cultures similarly. Our material assessment mirrors how we must approach community. Indigenous teachings remind us that the natural world is as integral to the community as the people. Nature has deep significance, across Europe and globally. “The cultural and spiritual significance of nature is part of broader value systems and worldviews that generate unique ethics of living.”, says the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Connection with nature fosters values like respect for biodiversity and ethical care in innovation. By prioritizing non-toxic, biogenic materials, we can transform how we design spaces to foster inclusivity — for both people and the natural world. In this session, we’ll present research and together with our Project Partner Petra Marinko from Slovenia show how material choices shape health and vitality in communities and examine the role of craftsmanship and collective knowledge. From building products to entire neighborhoods, we must ask: How do we design thriving communities with nature, rather than in spite of it? Join us in reimagining material health as community health — because vibrant spaces are made of more than just people; they are made of everything around us.