Regen Conaltradh Bith-dhearaidh by Sofia Porto Iannuzzi

Regen Conaltradh Bith-dhearaidh by Sofia Porto Iannuzzi is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Duais Umha A' Design Award in Thoraidhean Seasmhach, Phròiseactan agus Dealbhadh Uaine Competition Category.

UmhaToradh Seasmhach· 2026

Regen Conaltradh Bith-dhearaidh

by Sofia Porto Iannuzzi

Client: Universidad de Monterrey

Duais Umha A' Design Award Winner in Toradh Seasmhach Category

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The Design

About Regen Conaltradh Bith-dhearaidh

Cuireann Regen síos córas grafach ina bhfeidhmíonn struchtúir bheo fréamhacha mar theanga amhairc agus mar fhoshraith ábhartha araon. In ionad priontáil ar dhromchlaí neamhbheo, tagann an conaltradh chun cinn trí fhás bitheolaíoch rialaithe. Feidhmíonn gach déantúsán mar theachtaireacht amhairc, mar orgánach beo, agus mar thoradh in-bhithmhillte ag an am céanna. Trí inléiteacht a ailíniú le timthriallta éiceolaíocha, athmhúnlaíonn an tionscadal léiriú grafach mar phróiseas athghiniúna, ag moladh múnla malartach ina bhforbraíonn, ina n-athraíonn, agus ina n-ath-imch\Comhtháthaíonn an conaltradh isteach i gcórais nádúrtha in ionad dramhaíl a ghiniúint.

The Recognition

About the Duais Umha A' Design Award

Tha Regen Conaltradh Bith-dhearaidh air Duais Umha A' Design Award a bhuannachadh, aithneachadh gu math urramach a bheirear do dhealbhaidhean sònraichte a tha air an comharrachadh le cruthachalachd, innleachd agus geurchuis. Tha buannaichean Umha nan obraichean gu math sgileil agus gu sònraichte cruthachail a dhearbhas eòlas farsaing, mac-meanmna agus tapachd an luchd-dealbhaidh. Thathar an dùil gum bi Regen Conaltradh Bith-dhearaidh na nì air a bheil mòran meas, ion-mholta agus gràdhach, a tha gu sònraichte proifeiseanta agus ùr-ghnàthach. Tha an dealbhadh seo a bhuannaich Duais Umha A' Design Award a' cur nan cleachdaidhean as fheàrr ann an ealain, saidheans, dealbhadh agus teicneolas an gnìomh, agus tha e sàr-mhath airson an aire do mhion-fhiosrachadh. Bidh Regen Conaltradh Bith-dhearaidh a' sàsachadh fheumalachdan gu h-iongantach, a' suathadh ri miannan, a' tàladh faireachdainnean agus a' togail fiosrachd.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Regen uses cultivated root structures as both visual language and material substrate for communication. Instead of printing on inert surfaces, the message emerges through controlled biological growth. The project replaces linear production logic with a regenerative cycle: cultivation, communication, transformation, and natural reintegration. Each artifact operates simultaneously as a graphic piece, living organism, and biodegradable outcome. Regen positions biological growth as a design medium, proposing a scalable approach to regenerative visual communication.
Dimensions & Packaging: Artifact dimensions vary according to biological growth. Poster-scale applications range from approximately 300 × 420 mm to 500 × 700 mm. Thickness depends on root density accumulation. All materials are plant-based, compostable, and designed for full biological reintegration.
Tags: Regenerative Design, Biodesign, Visual Communication, Living Materials, Circular Systems, Material Innovation
Production Technology: The project utilizes root domestication techniques, biodegradable substrates, controlled humidity environments, and mold-guided growth systems to direct biological formation into legible graphic structures. Analog prototyping, material testing, and circularity assessment were integrated to align organic growth with visual clarity and structural stability.
Design Challenge: The main challenge was reconciling graphic precision with biological unpredictability. Root growth is inherently variable, requiring a design approach that balances control and emergence. Constraints included growth variability, time dependency, structural fragility, and environmental sensitivity. The solution required designing adaptive systems rather than fixed compositions.
Research: Regen investigates root domestication as a reproducible substrate for graphic communication. Through iterative cultivation and material testing, the project evaluates structural integrity, visual legibility, and ecological performance. Circularity was assessed using the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI), demonstrating measurable improvements across prototype iterations and identifying pathways to eliminate remaining linear support materials.

Circularity was assessed using the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI), demonstrating quantifiable improvement across prototype iterations and identifying pathways to eliminate remaining linear support materials.
Inspiration: Regen transforms biological growth into a functional medium for communication, replacing inert graphic surfaces with living systems. Instead of relying on extractive, synthetic, and disposable substrates, the project proposes a regenerative alternative rooted in living processes. Informed by biodesign research and circular thinking, Regen studies root growth behavior and material life cycles to develop living graphic substrates. The result is a shift from static surfaces toward evolving visual systems that actively participate in ecological regeneration.
Project Duration: Developed between January and November 2024 in Monterrey, Mexico, Regen was produced through experimental research and prototyping at Universidad de Monterrey as part of an academic design research initiative focused on regenerative graphic systems.
Operation Flow: Regen artifacts are cultivated through guided root domestication rather than mechanically assembled. Growth patterns are influenced through mold-guided pathways and environmental calibration, including humidity, light, and substrate density. Interaction occurs over time, as viewers experience gradual transformation, texture emergence, and organic variability. After fulfilling its communicative function, the artifact decomposes naturally, completing a regenerative material cycle.
Patents: All visual, material and graphic components of the Regen project are protected under academic and creative authorship. No patents or trademarks have been registered for this project.
Team Members: Sofia Porto Iannuzzi
Image Credits: Main: Photographer Sofia Porto, Living Poster Series, 2025.
Image #1: Photographer Sofia Porto, Root-Based Artifact, 2025.
Image #2: Photographer Sofia Porto, Root Structure Close-Up, 2025.
Image #3: Photographer Sofia Porto, Biodegradable Artifact Detail, 2025.
Image #4: Photographer Sofia Porto, Biodesign Poster Outdoor, 2025.
Image #5Photographer Sofia Porto, Root Textile Surface, 2025.