Join bio-material researcher Elena Francioni of BIO.TEXTILES for the lecture, Reading Biomaterials: Learning Through Unexpected Outcomes.
Reading materials begin where experiments don’t go as planned. A material warps, cracks, becomes brittle, or behaves unexpectedly, and what looks like failure becomes a source of information. Drawing from the research of bio-material researcher and industrial designer Elena Francioni with agar and alginate-based materials, the lecture explores how observing, questioning, and testing material behavior can turn unexpected results into the next step of material development.
Course Description:Â
Bio-based Materials is a graduate-level elective course that explores the creation and application of novel material solutions. Through lectures, field trips, and hands-on activities, students gain a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities of integrating bio-based materials into design practices. The course will consider material selection, fabrication techniques, lifecycle analysis, and how materials inform constructed environments. Students will engage in design projects to demonstrate the potential of bio-based materials as innovative and sustainable design solutions.
Email Jessica Thies, Part-Time Faculty of Bio-Based Materials, with any questions at: thiesj@newschool.edu
IMAGES / CAPTION:Â
© 2026 Elena Francioni / BIO.TEXTILES
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