Hostname: page-component-76d6cb85b7-xh428 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-07-09T20:24:43.550Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
Accepted manuscript

Multispecies Reconciliation Principles in Biodesign Practice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 July 2026

B. Pollini*
Affiliation:
Design Department, Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Espoo, 02150, Finland
A. Ilgün
Affiliation:
Artificial Life Lab, Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, 8010, Austria
C. Paoliello
Affiliation:
Department of Visual Arts and Design, University of Évora; Faculty of Fine Arts, CIEBA, University of Lisbon, Portugal.
M. G. Casteleijn
Affiliation:
VTT Technical Research Centre Finland, Espoo, Finland Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland
J. A. Gandier
Affiliation:
Bio Unit, Häme University of Applied Sciences, Hämeenlinna, 13101, Finland
E. Brunelli
Affiliation:
Department of Architecture, University of Florence, Florence, 50121, Italy
*
*Author for correspondence. Email: barbara.pollini@aalto.fi
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Accessibility of Accepted Manuscripts

Accepted Manuscripts are early, peer-reviewed versions that have not yet been copyedited, typeset, or formally published and may not meet all accessibility standards. A fully formatted accessible version will follow.

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the 'Save PDF' action button.

Biodesign is an emerging field that brings together a wide range of practices, connecting fundamental research, applied sciences, and creative approaches. Within this spectrum, a tension exists between instrumental uses of biological processes and a growing sensibility that acknowledges the agency of living materials and organisms. This study proposes Reconciliation as a guiding concept for biodesign, understood not as a metaphorical gesture but as a concrete and plural perspective that promotes species coexistence and conservation. We contextualise Reconciliation through Restoration, Reciprocity, and Relationality as distinctive yet interconnected design and ecological principles that extend beyond normative human exchange, promoting multispecies coexistence. Through a mix of reflexive thematic synthesis and the analysis of selected case studies derived from the authors’ own projects, employed as a practice-based methodological inquiry and primary source of empirical and reflective insight, we explore how Reconciliation is enacted and experienced in practice. Finally, we propose a conceptual framework to address Reconciliation in biodesign, offering guiding concepts and key questions to discuss and support ecological flourishing in multispecies collaborations.

Information

Type
Full Paper: Biodesign Conference
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press