In this talk, Tobias Luthe presents living systems labs as a powerful model for advancing regenerative design and sustainable development on a global scale. He introduces Living Systems Lab Explorer, a pioneering bio-geo-cultural data explorer designed as a visualisation and learning tool to promote regenerative design and outlines his vision for living systems labs as experimental spaces with open boundaries, where living systems—including their socio-cultural and economic components—can be actively enacted. Through an exploration of the initial iterations of these labs, Tobias reveals their functions and discusses their critical role within the broader context of sustainable development.
Tobias describes the foundational concepts of living systems labs, which are rooted in a holistic approach to understanding complex systems that span biological, ecological, and social domains. Unlike traditional laboratories, these labs do not isolate one system from another but instead emphasise the interconnectedness and dynamic relationships across various levels of governance. Participants in these labs are encouraged to engage in conscious practices that foster meta-awareness, leading to a deeper understanding of how regenerative cultures can be both designed and sustained.
Living systems labs, as interdisciplinary hubs, draw on expertise from fields such as biology, ecology, sociology, philosophy, engineering, and the arts. This multidisciplinary collaboration enables the creation of systemic interventions that are adaptable, resilient, and regenerative—key qualities for addressing the complexity and uncertainty inherent in living systems. In contrast to other experimental spaces, such as real-world laboratories and bioregional weaving labs, living systems labs uniquely focus on ecological sustainability and the regeneration of natural systems. While other concepts often address technological and societal challenges, Tobias positions living systems labs as offering a broader, more integrated approach, particularly attuned to the principles of ecology and evolutionary science.
Adapted from:
Luthe, T. Living Systems Labs. Medium, 24 May 2024. medium.com/@tobiasluthe/living-systems-labs-049e2b20d25a
PROFILE
Tobias Luthe is an academic transdisciplinary hybrid. He is specifically interested in the boundaries between systems. As in nature, biodiversity is highest where systems meet and overlay; complex challenges require timely and evolving “neuronal” approaches, and boundaries can be porous integration zones. He was originally trained as a forest scientist, with majors in environmental economics, wood technology and passive house design, and in education on sustainability, with a PhD in social-ecological resilience of mountain systems to climate change. He is a professor of sustainability science and regenerative design at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Norway, and ETH Zurich, where he heads the Systemic Design Labs group and is the Program Director of a new professional Master’s degree, “Designing Resilient Regenerative Systems.” He is an entrepreneur, co-founding the MonViso Institute, and he co-founded Grown, a design-as-nature lab and experience collective, winning industry awards for bio composites. He is a practising designer with twenty years of experience, such as inventing the first hemp bio-composite skis and designing and building the passive net-positive “regenerator” house Il Doppio. Tobias is a mountaineering guide and photographer.