Politecnico di Milano
PROJECTS 2025
Radicula
finalist project
Sofia Amato, Cemre Ercan, Elisa Barca, Umut Dündar, Francesca Cetrullo
Radicula is a bio-integrated textile made from hemp fibers and sodium alginate hydrogel, designed to support aquatic biodiversity in the Naviglio during dry periods. It hosts native plants arranged in three zones—non-submerged, semi-submerged, and fully submerged—based on water needs. Using a porous Voronoi-inspired pattern and layered materials, Radicula promotes capillary water rise, ensuring plant hydration even as water levels drop. This adaptive, replicable intervention helps preserve local flora biodiversity during maintenance or drought, offering innovative strategies for coexistence between urban infrastructure and more-than-human life in changing environments.
Undressed by the Sea
Nonfinalist project
Sofia Amato, Cemre Ercan, Elisa Barca, Umut Dündar, Francesca Cetrullo
Undressed by the Sea draws a poetic parallel between vitiligo in humans and coral bleaching—two conditions marked by the loss of pigment and vulnerability. In response to harsh coral restoration methods, this bio-design project takes a gentler, empathetic approach. Created for Tasmania’s Dark Mofo winter nude swim, it transforms the ritual into a collective act of healing. Participants wear biodegradable swimsuits that offer brief UV protection before dissolving in the sea, releasing nutrients to support coral recovery. The project blends art, ecology, and care—inviting reflection on shared fragility and inspiring action to protect marine ecosystems through intimacy, ritual, and regeneration.
Seconda Pelle
Nonfinalist project
Katherine Grace Young, Sun Jae Kim, Aydan Mahmudzade, Jana Cusi, Giorgia Masini
Seconda Pelle reimagines fish waste—skins, scales, and bones—not as discard, but as material with new potential. Along Italy’s coast, fish are woven into identity and tradition, yet much of what the sea offers is tossed away, contributing to pollution. This project transforms fish scraps collected from markets in Camogli and Milan into flexible, durable sheets using natural ingredients like vinegar, gelatin, starch, and water—free from plastics and toxins. These sheets could become gloves, aprons, or storage vessels. Seconda Pelle envisions a closed-loop system where fish markets return care to the sea, honoring its gifts with circular, regenerative design.
Instructors 2025
Valentina Rognoli