Exploring a More-than-Human Approach to Designing with Urban Ecology

Master thesis (2024)

Authors

R. Wabeke Industrial Design Engineering

Contributors

T.J. Jaśkiewicz Design Conceptualization and Communication - IDE (mentor)
Bregje F. Van Eekelen Design Aesthetics - IDE (mentor)
Faculty
Industrial Design Engineering, Industrial Design Engineering
Copyright: © 2024 Ronne Wabeke
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Published Date

08-02-2024

Language

English

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Faculty

Industrial Design Engineering

Abstract

Ecology as an equal user of the city
The city is designed to be human-centred. In the multispecies urban environment humans take on roles of management and ownership over flora and fauna. This leaves the richness and biodiversity of urban habitats in the hands of humans (Denters, 2020). Ecology is often treated as a second class citizen and given opportunities according to human preferences.

In collaboration with material-centred design agency Refunc, this project explores the way designers can work with the entanglements around local ecology and facilitate equal and just treatment of ecology as an added client of otherwise human-centred design.

More-than-human perspective
In the first stage of the project, practices from more-than-human-design theory, Refunc, nature-inclusive building and ecologists are collected and urban human-ecology relations are explored by noticing entanglements (Tsing, 2021) and multidisciplinary collaboration. To allow more opportunities for ecology to be revitalised in urban environments the main objectives are to create space and facilitate agency for ecology.

Decentring through experimentation
In the following stage of the project
designing, making and co-creation are used as knowledge generation tools. Through multiple design experiments the application of more-than-human design and Refunc’s practices is explored and more practices are collected and defined.

The main challenges of adopting the more-than-human perspective are:
The lack of knowledge and understanding of ecology and the complexity of entanglements.
Decentering the human in the design process.

Play and multidisciplinary collaboration can support the designer in finding new multispecies uses for objects.

Added to Refunc’s framework are lively materials, nonhuman functions and more-than-human clients. As well as a change in perspective from projects that are finished once they are produced to interventions that are ever changing.


A (never) complete journal of practices for designers of urban ecology
A journal is created to provide support to beginning more-than-human designers.
The design goal is to introduce them to MTHD practices and inspire them to experiment in a project with urban ecology.

The journal is filled with 29 practices, examples of interventions and activating questions. It is a collection of the work of this project and a starting point for another designer going on a similar journey. They are recommended to be applied and explored one by one in a reflective and iterative design process. After the designer has mastered its contents, the journal can be planted and create space for ecology by itself.

Lastly, the journal and this project are an invitation to every designer to experiment and explore how their projects can involve more-than-human ecology.