Join the 2025/26 Design Researchers in Residence – Alfred Yatlong Yeung, Elise Limon, Rafael El Baz and Rosa Whiteley – in conversation about designing for the green transition and all things Mineral.
Following the opening of Design Researchers in Residence: Mineral (Saturday,13 June 2026 – Saturday, 20 September 2026), the four researchers and curator will spend an afternoon discussing the UK’s intersecting mineral landscapes.
The event marks the conclusion of the researchers’ 8-month long residency, which has culminated in a summer display and accompanying publication.
The afternoon will include a tour of the display, a panel discussion and an audience Q&A. Together, these elements will offer further insight into the residents' research and invite broader reflection on the UK’s relationship with its mineral resources.
Speakers
Alfred Yatlong Yeung, Design Researcher in Residence 2025/26
Alfred Yatlong Yeung is an architect and writer with a particular interest in the relationship between cultural identity and material extraction. His project investigates the emerging landscape of Cornish lithium mining, exploring the tensions between the UK’s renewable energy ambitions and local communities.
Elise Limon, Design Researcher in Residence 2025/26
Elise Limon is a writer, researcher and architectural designer with interests in the circular economy and the restoration of contaminated landscapes. Focusing on copper, her project considers the long-term implications of mining infrastructure and what it means for the UK to return to its landscapes of extraction.
Rafael El Baz, Design Researcher in Residence 2025/26
Rafael El Baz is a designer and artist working at the intersection of material research, traditional craft and contemporary fabrication. In collaboration with glassmaking factories, Rafael’s research reframes silica slag as a new raw material for design – challenging industry aesthetics and redefining waste streams as resources for regenerative futures.
Rosa Whiteley, Design Researcher in Residence 2025/26
Rosa Whiteley is a designer, writer and researcher whose work spans food systems, critical ecology and atmospheric politics. Her project explores the future of the UK’s chalk aquifers, addressing urgent questions around water scarcity, resource management and climate adaptation.
Abbie Adams, Future Observatory Curator
Abbie Adams is a curator and designer working at the intersection of research, ecology, and culture. She is currently Future Observatory curator at the Design Museum, where she curates exhibitions, residencies, and commissions research that explores sustainable futures through design practice.
