At RMIT University's School of Design, Ollie’s practice engages living systems, critical ecologies, and material entanglements to activate scalable pathways for regenerative transitions.

Before joining RMIT, he was a design lead at Fjord Design and Innovation and the founder of future ensemble studio. He is currently Program Manager (Co) of the Master of Design Innovation and Technology, Design and Architecture Lead of the RMIT Nature Positive Network, editorial board member for Biotechnology Design (Cambridge Press, UK), and co-founder of neomatter, a nature repair and nature-based solutions startup.

2023 Designing Conditions for Coexistence (Design Studies)

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

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

At RMIT University's School of Design, Ollie’s practice engages living systems, critical ecologies, and material entanglements to activate scalable pathways for regenerative transitions.

Before joining RMIT, he was a design lead at Fjord Design and Innovation and the founder of future ensemble studio. He is currently Program Manager (Co) of the Master of Design Innovation and Technology, Design and Architecture Lead of the RMIT Nature Positive Network, editorial board member for Biotechnology Design (Cambridge Press, UK), and co-founder of neomatter, a nature repair and nature-based solutions startup.

2023 Designing Conditions for Coexistence (Design Studies)

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

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

Biomaterials & the Circular Economy

After years of trials and tribulations, bio-based materials have emerged as the building blocks of a new circular bioeconomy. With mycelium handbags on luxury runways and building facades clad in biochar, they’re now edging into the mainstream.

As production scales up and costs come down, the range of biomaterials on offer becomes 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 — ones that work with rather than against the living, and support coexistence and mutualism.

In this context, regenerative and more-than-human design offer a shift in perspective. 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 now lives.

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