This one week, interdisciplinary class explored how diverse areas of knowledge can converge to foster creative, collaborative, and critical dialogue. It focused on integrating science and design into conservation and social processes, encouraging students to rethink the future of ecosystems and human well-being. Biomimicry served as the central tool, highlighting connections between biology, society, and design.
Students examined the theoretical and historical duality between humans and nature, analysed adaptations in organisms and natural systems, and explored sustainable prototyping. They learned to embrace uncertainty and apply adaptive management to design, learning from both successes and failures.
The course emphasised developing critical thinking, creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Students gained an integrative vision to observe, respect, and value nature while addressing environmental challenges with sustainable and innovative solutions. They were encouraged to consider the well-being of both society and the planet in their approaches.
Rebeca (Re) Mora-Castro.
Biologist, Bio Designer, Photographer and Educator.
Rebeca has a PhD in Science, and her transdisciplinary work examines Biophysics (analysis at nanometric and micrometric scales of surface materials and biological structures), Functional and structural biology (biophysics with emphasis on principles of mechanics, form and function), Bio design (from the lens of biomimicry, local thinking and biomaterials) and Collaboration and dialogue (crossing the human-human dynamics toward interspecies collaboration).
Her work in education, delves into the relationships between humans and nature in the context of socioecological challenges and team science. Over the last few years, her research has also focused on reimagining and contextualising biomimicry within Latin America, aiming at new ways of doing and thinking from and with nature through conscious bio design practices. Her scientific projects make efforts to recognise environmental and sociocultural implications, genetic and biophysical characteristics and dynamics of wasps and bees of Costa Rica.
Her research has been published in prestigious academic journals, secondary literature and international media.
Norris is a multidisciplinary designer in California dedicated to exploring design's role in reversing climate change and repairing our species’ relationship with the rest of nature. Currently, Norris leads the design team at Regrow, working alongside farmers and climate scientists to accelerate the world's transition to regenerative agriculture. Previously, he led interdisciplinary teams at IDEO, designed a more human-centered safety net at Code for America, and reimagined interactive learning at Inkling.
Norris is an alumni of the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design. His final thesis, a winner in the Core77 Design Awards, investigated how design could help promote resiliency against climate change in rural Central America. He received his Bachelor's of Science in Biology from Brown University and studied Graphic Design at the Rhode Island School of Design. When not working, he enjoys being in deep in mountains and nestled underneath redwoods.
