The 2026/27 residents will respond to the theme of ‘Grown’, critically interrogating the cultivation of natural, renewable and biodegradable materials.
Algae, fungi, yeast, natural fibres... grown materials are substances cultivated with living organisms, rather than being extracted from the earth. They are renewable and biodegradable, whether they originate in a lab or on land.
The UK's bioeconomy is a government growth priority: the 2025 Modern Industrial Strategy names engineering biology as one of six frontier industries, with an ambition for global leadership by 2030. Globally, the market for mycelium-based materials alone is projected to grow from around $3.6 billion today to over $5 billion by 2030, as fashion, construction and packaging industries look for alternatives to plastic, leather and other petrochemical- and animal-derived materials.
Yet the landscapes in the UK where these materials could be produced are themselves under threat. Seagrass meadows on the west coast of Wales have depleted by 92% over the last century, while only around 30,000 hectares remain of Scotland’s temperate rainforests. The UK's grown ecosystems are as fragile as they are abundant.
How can design research into grown materials help to increase the UK’s bioeconomy?
The 2026/27 Design Researchers in Residence are Afshan Tanweer, Justina Alexandroff, Peerasin Punxh Hutaphaet and Lars Dittrich.
Afshan will be growing structural materials from struvite and vivianite – waste buildup minerals – on a 3D-printed scaffold. Justina will design external wall tiles with patterns based on local plants that encourage the growth of moss, thereby improving the surface’s ability to cope with heat and pollution. Peerasin will develop microbial and bio-based inks and regenerative printing in standardised industry processes and Lars will use medical tools and craft heritage to shape pure mycelium by hand as it grows.
Each resident will critically interrogate the UK's grown ecosystems through case studies, field research and by building human and non-human relationships. The outcomes of this year’s residency will, in their own ways, contribute to the UK’s bioeconomy.
