PROJECT TYPE
Research Collaborative
LOCATION
Los Angeles, California
PROJECT STATUS
Ongoing
PEOPLE
Jia Yi Gu, Spinagu
Maxi Spina, Spinagu
Clara Kernreuter, Atelier LUMA
Daniel Bell, Atelier LUMA
Ben Loescher, Terrain and adobeisnotsoftware
Jeff Perry, Angel City Lumber
SUPPORT
Villa Albertine
Harvey Mudd College
IMAGE
California Division of Mines and Geology. Geologic Map of California, Los Angeles Sheet. Sacramento: California Division of Mines and Geology, 1969. David Rumsey Map Collection.
Biofabric Los Angeles is a collaborative research and experimentation initiative exploring how bioregional design can shape new material practices for the Los Angeles territory. Developed through dialogue between Spinagu, adobeisnotsoftware, Angel City Lumber and Atelier LUMA, the project investigates how architecture and design can respond more directly to local ecosystems, resources, and waste streams.
Rooted in the concept of bioregionalism—a framework that originated in California in the 1970s—the project revisits the idea that production and design should align with the ecological and cultural systems of a place. Despite its origins in the region, bioregional thinking has rarely been tested through architectural scale in Los Angeles. Biofabric Los Angeles aims to reactivate this approach through research, workshops, and material assemblage.
The project begins with the creation of a Biofabric, a collaborative platform connecting designers, material activists, educators, industry partners, and policymakers. Through field research, mapping, workshops, and material prototyping, the initiative will explore local supply chains—from urban forestry and adobe construction to construction waste and emerging circular material economies.
By connecting local knowledge with international research networks, Biofabric Los Angeles aims to develop tools, prototypes, and frameworks for a regenerative, place-based architecture aligned with the environmental realities of the region.