| Interdisciplinary Designer | Biodesigner | Resercher |
Bridging architecture, biology, and digital fabrication to pioneer innovations in Biodesign.
About me
Hi, I’m Natalia Beata Piórecka, an interdisciplinary designer with a strong focus on biodesign and sustainable development. My passion lies in merging architecture with cutting-edge scientific and technological advancements to rethink traditional approaches to design and ecology. I graduated with distinction from Newcastle University with a Bachelor’s in Architecture and completed my Master’s in Bio-Integrated Design at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, where I was honored as the Best Bio-ID Master Student of 2024.
Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working on innovative projects that earned me recognition, such as being named in Forbes’ ’25 under 25′, and receiving awards like the Green Product Award, New European Bauhaus Award, and iF Design Award. My work revolves around material innovation, particularly exploring how living organisms like mycelium and bacteria can be used to create sustainable architectural solutions. My academic work has been exibited on varius research and award platforms like CAADRIA, ACADIA, LFA, Living Exhibition and few more.
Currently, I’m a Senior Scientist at the University of Innsbruck, where I lead the MUSE (Mycelium Seat) research project and work with students to push the boundaries of sustainable design and biotechnology.
Projects
MYCOsella Viridis
Growing the Mycelium Chair
The MYCOsella Viridis – a Mycelium Chair is a project at the intersection of biotechnology and design, harnessing mycelium‘s natural properties of growth and decay to revolutionize the architectural and design industry. This research-driven project delves into mycelium‘s ability to transform agricultural waste into a durable, eco friendly material, with a tangible application. Offering a sustainable alternative to conventional construction materials, it illustrates the potential of mycelium-based composites for innovating sustainable industrialization
within the furniture sector.
I.N.S.E.C.T. Wall Twin
for and with Insects, Fungi, and Humans
This pictorial confronts the urgent need to shift design practices in response to the past and ongoing destruction of habitat structures and the resulting losses of biodiversity. To do this, it illustrates the first iteration of I.N.S.E.C.T. Wall Twin: an architectural installation that endeavours to support coexistence between local insects, fungi, and humans. The installation is an outcome of the workshop “Interspecies Exploration by Bio-Digital Manufacturing Technologies” during the first part of the I.N.S.E.C.T. Summer Camp (Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, August 2022).
Urban MYOCskin
innovative bioactive structure
Urban MYCOskin proposes an innovative bioactive structure that explores the dynamics of growth and decay through the utilization of mycelium, the root system of mushrooms. Mycelium serves as a natural binder and waste manager, creating lightweight, biodegradable, and bioreceptive composite materials. This project integrates computational simulations, environmentally responsive design principles, and advanced fabrication techniques to create resilient urban interventions.