About this Event
9115 Mary Alexander Road, Charlotte, NC 28223
The David R. Ravin School of Architecture presents a spring symposium, Interior Ecologies: Translating Experimental Prototypes to Scalable Regenerative Systems.
Interior Ecologies brings together a diverse group of designers, engineers, scientists, and A/E/C professionals to discuss the potential of regenerative living systems and approaches for transitioning experimental installations into practical, real-world applications.
Despite notable pilot installations, the scalability and widespread public adoption of regenerative technologies have been challenged by several persistent factors, including public perception, unquantifiable benefits, and the complexities with architectural systems integration.
This symposium examines these limitations and potential solutions through the lenses of cultural reception and ecological–social benefit. It aims to catalyze a “design–validate–deploy” framework that positions regenerative systems not as niche interventions, but as integral agents within and beyond the built environment.
Three keynote speakers will be followed by a lightning round of talks and a panel discussion:
David Benjamin
David Benjamin is Founding Principal of The Living and Associate Professor at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. His work applies biology and computation to an expanded and actionable framework of environmental sustainability. By considering buildings as dynamic systems rather than static objects, he finds opportunities to design levers of decarbonization that scale up. Recent projects include the Airbus NIS Engine Factory (a low-carbon manufacturing facility), the Princeton University Embodied Computation Lab (a new building for architecture research), and Hy-Fi (a branching tower for the Museum of Modern Art made of a new type of carbon-negative brick). Benjamin received a Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies from Harvard and a Master of Architecture from Columbia. He also edited the book “Embodied Energy and Design: Making Architecture Between Metrics and Narratives.”
Maria Paz Gutierrez
Professor Gutierrez is an innovator in the intersection of architecture and materials engineering and science exploring materials invention from the nano to the building scale. In 2008 she founded her research group BIOMS that has collaborated focused on transforming natural materials multifunctional capacities at the intersection of energy-water-air and culture. Gutierrez’s research and design has been featured in leading scientific and architectural, and public forums including Science Nation and the BBC and recipient of various design awards including the ACSA Creative Achievement Award, Evolo Skyscraper (Detox Towers) and a semifinalist of the most prestigious award in sustainability design innovation — Buckminster Fuller Award. She is also recipient of various national and international teaching awards including the Sarlo Distinguished Mentorship and the Blue Award at UT Vienna.
Ginger Krieg Dosier
Ginger Krieg Dosier is an architect, visionary, and inventor pioneering the use of Earth’s microbial intelligence as blueprints to address humanity’s greatest challenges. In 2012, she co-founded Biomason to scale structural biocement, a biologically grown alternative to conventional cement. Over her eleven years as CEO, she transformed Biomason from a home lab into a globally recognized commercial enterprise. Ginger is especially skilled at forging strategic expertise in building and connecting diverse teams—shaping the larger strategic vision for global scale application and adoption.
Lightning Talks:
Jonathan Dessi-Olive, Sam Fleming, Garrett Herbst, and Faith Tootle
Register here!
Event Details
See Who Is Interested
+ 8 People interested in event
User Activity
No recent activity