Bioregioning Los Angeles

Biofabrique 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, bioregional agency, adobeisnotsoftware, Angel City Lumber, Kate Yeh Chiu, 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 by Peter Berg 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. Biofabrique Los Angeles aims to reactivate this approach through research, workshops, and material assemblage.

The project begins with the creation of a Biofabrique, 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, Biofabrique Los Angeles aims to develop tools, prototypes, and frameworks for a regenerative, place-based architecture aligned with the environmental realities of the region.