Material-led design research through biomaterial transformation: Temporality, participation, and spatial production

This article investigates how biomaterials can act as active drivers in material-led design research through time-dependent transformation. While biomaterials are often framed as sustainable alternatives, their role in generating spatial and experiential conditions remains underexplored. Addressing this gap, the study develops a practice-based research approach examining food-waste-derived biomaterials as surface-forming agents. The research is structured around Sta!ned, a participatory installation operating as a design research medium. Biomaterials are produced and applied through pouring protocols, while environmental conditions and participant interaction, observed qualitatively, act as sources of variation in material behavior. Longitudinal observation and structured analysis enable the systematic examination of transformation processes. Findings show that surface formation emerges through accumulation, diffusion, and decay, producing temporally evolving spatial conditions rather than fixed outcomes. The study proposes a transferable methodological framework integrating material agency, temporality, and participation, positioning material transformation as a generative component of design knowledge.

Keywords: Biomaterials, practice-based architectural research, participatory spatial interaction, temporal surfaces, spatial installation.