MATERIAL RESILIENCE: Edible Entanglements between Food, Nature & Design

As climate change reshapes the future of agriculture, its impact on all living systems is not merely probable — it is inevitable and expansive. Even the slightest changes in weather patterns, soil composition, or terrain can dramatically alter the life cycle of a plant and its surrounding ecology. Whether it’s a flower’s bloom, a grapevine’s yield, or a barley seed’s growth, these shifts are transforming the very fabric of the ecosystems we depend on. Through these material exchanges, the trajectory of food production is being fundamentally reshaped in ways we are only beginning to grasp.

At the same time, we are increasingly aware that the material realities of design and innovation are intricately interconnected across multiple scales, influenced by diverse species, and determined by extensive geographies. What we design today is not only driven by human needs, but also by a complex web of ecological processes, species interaction, and global resource flows. Our actions — through design, construction, and consumption — are inseparable from the shifting environmental realities of climate change, resource scarcity, and ecological instability.

This seminar will explore the profound impact of human-driven and planetary disturbances on food production and consumption. We will address critical issues such as climate-induced inequities, resource instability, and the escalating threat of food insecurity. Students will be encouraged to experiment with new forms of representation and storytelling that make visible the invisible forces shaping our relationship with food. How can we bring climate change into focus — not merely as a distant, existential threat, but as a tangible force that is felt, tasted, and understood? This course will invite students to rethink the future of food as both a material and cultural experience — one that is increasingly shaped by forces beyond our control, yet still within our capacity to address.