Materials as Catalysts for Relationships. An Eco-Social and Technological Perspective on Materials Design.

The design projects presented highlight how material design is gradually emerging as a relational practice, in which matter is no longer viewed as an inert resource but as a catalyst for eco-social and technological connections. From this perspective, materials become mediators between human and non-human systems, between territories, technologies, and production processes, contributing to the construction of new forms of coexistence. The case studies presented demonstrate how different approaches - biomanufacturing, parametric design, and the eco-social approach - share a common drive toward regenerative and context-specific practices, where technologies and biotechnologies amplify and transform relationships. In this sense, material design can therefore be understood as an approach to systemic transformation, capable of generating technical, functional, cultural, and ecological value, and able to redefine the role of design as an active agent in the construction of a new paradigm that connects nature, culture, and technology.