At RMIT University School of Design, his work focuses on unlocking scalable potentials for sustainable urban development, specifically in the areas of biomaterials and climate adaptation.

Before joining RMIT, Ollie was a design lead at Fjord Design and Innovation and the founder of future ensemble studio. Ollie is also an editorial board member for Research Directions: Biotechnology Design (Cambridge Press, UK) and the co-founder of neomatter, a nature repair and nature-based solutions startup.

2023 Designing Conditions for Coexistence (Design Studies, EU)

2022 Dr Olivier Cotsaftis on the Benefits of Biophilia (Canvas 8, UK)

2020 Winner International Biodesign Challenge Outstanding Instructor Award (NYC, USA)

2018 Finalist NGV Victorian Design Challenge (Melbourne, AUS)

At RMIT University School of Design, his work focuses on unlocking scalable potentials for sustainable urban development, specifically in the areas of biomaterials and climate adaptation.

Before joining RMIT, Ollie was a design lead at Fjord Design and Innovation and the founder of future ensemble studio. Ollie is also an editorial board member for Research Directions: Biotechnology Design (Cambridge Press, UK) and the co-founder of neomatter, a nature repair and nature-based solutions startup.

2023 Designing Conditions for Coexistence (Design Studies, EU)

2022 Dr Olivier Cotsaftis on the Benefits of Biophilia (Canvas 8, UK)

2020 Winner International Biodesign Challenge Outstanding Instructor Award (NYC, USA)

2018 Finalist NGV Victorian Design Challenge (Melbourne, AUS)

Biomaterials & the Circular Economy

After years of trials and tribulations, biomaterials have emerged as the building blocks of a new circular bioeconomy — with for example, Adidas and Stella McCartney incorporating mycelium leather into fashion pieces and BMW debuting a concept car with natural latex tyres.

With growing investments, manufacturers are able to increase their production while lowering their costs, making the range of biomaterials on offer more affordable and diverse. This means thinking beyond timber, cotton and traditional organic materials to embrace innovations like seaweed textiles, compostable bioplastics and waste-based bio-objects — all designed to close material loops and better manage our resources.

Regenerative Futures & More-than-human Worlds

We are living in an era of profound transformation, adapting to a world negatively shaped by our collective actions. This calls for new ways of designing and futuring — approaches that work with rather than against the living, and support coexistence and mutualism.

Regenerative and more-than-human approaches to design offer clear and actionable pathways toward achieving this vision. More than advancing ecosystem health and environmental sustainability, they also benefit humanity, mitigating impacts while future-proofing our cities where more than half of the world's population is currently living.

In essence, and alongside the deepening critique of sustainability and anthropocentric design practices, these approaches help us explore 21st-century transitions — regenerative futures in more-than-human worlds.

In essence, and alongside the deepening critique of sustainability and anthropocentric design practices, regenerative and more-than-human approaches help us explore 21st-century transitions that support coexistence and mutualism.