Student work from ‘Pratiques Expérimentales’ by Diego Lourenco Ramos, 2020

Pratiques Expérimentales

This course examines humans' evolving relationship with the living through the lens of materiality and bio-collaboration. 

Challenging the prevailing industrial approach to material sourcing and processing, students are exploring different directions to working with mycelium, with the intent to dig deep and make new discoveries in under-explored territories.

By growing mycelium using waste as a substrate and examining the ethical considerations in bio-collaboration, students imagine more regenerative fabrication processes and redefine their role as designers.

Through hands-on workshops, students navigate an iterative design process through trial and error, experimentation and observation. Students cultivate mycelium on different organic substrates, manipulate form through experimental mold making and test natural finishes to uncover new material properties and propose potential design opportunities that address our current environmental crisis.

This course is an experimental and supportive environment fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, idea sharing, learning by doing and embracing the failures in the process. An emphasis on documentation allows students to reflect and carry their observations and tools to be applied in their future practices.