Territory-based biomaterials Methodology to create a situated biomaterial palette

Abstract

Given the growing demand for designers to incorporate material research and development processes from biological sources into their creative processes, it is essential to reflect on how and under what criteria these practices take place. This context not only implies an epistemological search to establish frameworks for global action but also emphasizes the impact these initiatives generate in the context in which they are located. Understanding the critical influence that the Global North exerts on these practices at a global level, it is urgent to ask ourselves: what should be the relevant approaches for a biomaterial practice typical of the Latin American experience? Moreover, how does the context affect the biodesigner decision-making to promote pertinent materials of each territory? This article presents the methodology "Biomaterials Based on the Territory (BBT)," a reflective and critical guide to starting a conscious process in identifying, experimenting, and developing new local materials of biological origin. We present the research developed by the Valdivia Biomaterials Laboratory (LABVA) in southern Chile as a case study. By monitoring and analyzing the process of creating a biomaterial palette, it was possible to project practices with a critical and situated vision. This process promotes material autonomy to give a local response to the socio-environmental challenges that we currently suffer.