Nature's Architect | Awarded Spaces

Neri Oxman, known as “Nature’s Architect,” is a designer, inventor, and researcher who pioneered Material Ecology, a design philosophy combining technology and biology to align human-made creations with ecological principles

Neri Oxman founded The Mediated Matter Group at MIT in 2010, where she advanced this interdisciplinary field and became a tenured professor in 2017. Neri holds a PhD in Design Computation from MIT and has studied architecture and medical sciences across renowned institutions.

Her work, encompassing over 150 scientific publications and patents, is housed in major museums like Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), Centre Pompidou in Paris, MAK Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna, Austria, and the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City.

Neri has received numerous honours, including the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award, the London Design Innovation Medal, and an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Institute of British Architects. Celebrated globally, her innovative vision integrates culture and nature, shaping sustainable design for the future. Neri Oxman has launched her new design practice, OXMAN, a design lab focused on creating sustainable, nature-centric products and environments.

OXMAN lab, designed in collaboration with Foster + Partners, expanded the talented OXMAN team and developed cutting-edge innovations and inventions; bringing together computational design, robotics, material science, green chemistry, biology, and ecological engineering.

OXMAN reimagines industrial systems to transform the way everyday items like clothing, food, and buildings are designed and produced.

"We advocate for synergy between biology and technology, moving towards products and buildings that are designed for the immediate and long-term well-being of human civilisation and the natural world."

Operating across product, architectural, and molecular design, OXMAN’s integrated approach connects design, materials, production, and decomposition to promote environmental sustainability. Since its founding in 2020, OXMAN has built a state-of-the-art lab, expanded its multidisciplinary team, and developed innovations in fashion, architecture, and scent design.

Rooted in the philosophy of Material Ecology, pioneered by Dr. Oxman at MIT in 2006, the lab aims to align human-made creations with natural systems, ensuring they adapt and benefit the environment. Oxman’s vision merges engineering and ecological growth to create biodegradable products, rewild urban ecosystems, and enhance biodiversity, revolutionising design for a sustainable future.

Oxman focuses on designing sustainable solutions that benefit the environment and ecosystems. The lab’s work encompasses three key initiatives:

O°: Develops biodegradable products using polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a material produced by bacteria. Through zero-waste 3D printing and knitting technologies, they create fully decomposable consumer goods, such as shoes, designed to nourish the soil after use.

EDEN: Redesigns architecture to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services like air purification and carbon sequestration. Projects like the EDEN Tower integrate natural ecosystems with urban spaces, creating symbiotic environments for humans and nature.

ALEF: Innovates in agriculture and molecular goods production by promoting biodiversity and ecosystem restoration. Through technologies like “Capsules,” they recreate and study ancient ecosystems, applying insights to agriculture, scent design, and other industries.

Overall, Oxman’s work aims to harmonise human innovation with ecological well-being, fostering a regenerative future.