Articles & Papers by Stanislav Roudavski
Place and Parametricism: Critical, Archival and Digital Approaches to Contemporary Design, 2025
This chapter belongs to a book that sets in tension the qualitative notion of place and the quant... more This chapter belongs to a book that sets in tension the qualitative notion of place and the quantitative techniques of parametric modelling. I explore this tension by reframing the notions of place and technology in more-than-human terms. This non-anthropocentric interpretation highlights the continuity of underlying processes and opens promising opportunities for future design.
Earth Ethics: Art, Institutions and Regenerative Practices, 2025
We acknowledge and pay respect to the traditional and sovereign territory of the Boonwurrung and ... more We acknowledge and pay respect to the traditional and sovereign territory of the Boonwurrung and Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin Nation, the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work. We pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging, and to the numerous Indigenous peoples who have crossed this land through the millennia. We further extend that respect to creation ancestors across the Kulin Nation and to the agency of Country itself, including tarrang (trees). This story began with a Cultural Heritage Management Plan for Western Water. I was there as a field rep for the Boonwurrung. My first feeling of this place was: Gee, look at all the destruction. At the bottom of the activity area was this tree, just lying there in front of the horse stables. As soon as I saw it, I thought: That's a scar tree. The scars on this tree aren't cut by steel axes; they're made by stone that the fella had to sit there and make. And up the top end of the paddock there was a massive artefact scatter, with thousands of objects. All different types: silcrete quartz, tachylyte, amazing quality tools and materials. Even though this place has gone through all this destruction, there's still evidence of our old people there. This place was someone's home. If you go down there today, there's a big eagle's nest that's rested up there on the river; that's his home. Up the road where this tree was, there's another marked tree that's still in the ground, still growing. Our voices can be silenced, but the evidence of our old people, you cannot dismiss. 1 -Boonwurrung cultural practitioner and heritage officer David Tournier 1 Unless otherwise noted, the quotes in this text are from the symposium accompanying the exhibition More Than a Tarrang (Tree), held 2 November 2023 in the Melbourne Museum Theatre.
People and Nature, 2025
1. Urban encroachment increasingly threatens wildlife survival and well-being, underscoring the n... more 1. Urban encroachment increasingly threatens wildlife survival and well-being, underscoring the need for design and management to consider nonhuman species. This article analyses cases of positive coexistence between humans and Powerful Owls (Ninox strenua) to identify key challenges, opportunities, objectives and practical strategies for urban planning. As a species historically linked to old-growth forests, powerful owls now inhabit urban environments but face significant human-induced pressures, including diminishing numbers of nesting sites.
2. To explore the potential for positive coexistence, we conducted 10 in-depth interviews with 19 individuals experienced in observing and advocating for powerful owls. These interviews took place either online or during guided walks through owl habitats in Australian cities. This approach allowed us to supplement existing scientific research, highlight future research areas and document human–owl interactions across three themes. First, participants identified barriers to improving coexistence, including insufficient consideration of owls in urban decision-making, conflicts between human activities and owl conservation, and the need for improved knowledge sharing. Second, participants' experiences demonstrated that greater knowledge of owl behaviour and habitat preferences can play a vital role in fostering positive coexistence. Third, participants provided specific examples of positive coexistence, illustrating how and why people form relationships with urban wildlife.
3. Building on these findings, we propose urban management strategies that incorporate contributions of nonhuman stakeholders, empowering them to influence decision-making. Such strategies can promote positive coexistence, facilitate knowledge exchange and guide informed actions.
4. This research can provide valuable guidance for land managers, conservationists, policymakers, ecologists, designers and researchers in environmental humanities working to create inclusive, more-than-human urban environments. This guidance includes (a) methods for integrating nonhuman stakeholders into design, planning, management and development processes; (b) approaches to redefining landscape features as catalysts for positive human–wildlife interactions; and (c) examples of technical systems that enhance information flow among stakeholders, encouraging innovation, the adoption of new solutions and accountability.
TRACE ∴ Journal for Human-Animal Studies, 2025
There is a pressing need for improved decision-making in a rapidly changing, unpredictable world.... more There is a pressing need for improved decision-making in a rapidly changing, unpredictable world. In response, we integrate ecocentric and technocentric perspectives to develop a more-than-human framework for understanding creative decisions that direct action in environmental governance, management, and design. Technocentric and ecocentric approaches often pursue distinct and incompatible goals but also share a commitment to amplifying power, reach, accountability, fairness, and beneficial consequences of decision-making processes. Current frameworks for urban and environmental management often prioritize human decisions and technologies at the expense of nonhuman voices. This results in widespread harm to nonhuman lifeforms and, by extension, to human societies. This study introduces an integrated approach to decision-making, one that draws on the creative potential of both human and nonhuman agents. We argue that embracing a more-than-human perspective can foster just relationships, enhance care, promote resilience, and support wellbeing in multispecies communities. To evaluate this framework, we examine decision-making processes in nonhuman organisms, compare these with technical systems, and explore hybrid decision-making in diverse contexts. As a case study, we examine the challenges facing alpine dingoes in Australia. The goal is to assess the impact of smart technologies on these apex predators in three future human-altered landscapes. The outcomes illustrate how more-than-human decision-making can contribute to environmental design and management. This, in turn, offers actionable insights for building equitable and sustainable futures. Our work also contributes to research on morethan-human approaches to algorithmic management in relation to cities, landscapes, and the communities that inhabit them.
Proceedings of the International Conference on Construction, Energy, Environment and Sustainability, 2023
This paper introduces an online tool that supports the implementation of artificial tree-hollows ... more This paper introduces an online tool that supports the implementation of artificial tree-hollows for birds, mammals, and other organisms. As a team of designers and ecologists, we seek to address species extinctions, support urban biodiversity, and ameliorate conflicts between human and nonhuman beings. Recent efforts among built-environment professionals utilise computer-aided design and manufacturing to produce artificial-habitat structures with geometric and material qualities that can benefit many species. Examples of such structures include 3D-printed reefs for fish, machine-milled façades for algae, and complex perches for birds. This paper focuses on artificial tree-hollows that support nesting and denning. Community-led initiatives to supply artificial hollows, such as nest boxes, are popular and important conservation activities. However, industrial manufacturing limits opportunities to adjust designs for local conditions. Computer-aided design and manufacturing can produce bespoke artificial hollows but require specialised equipment and expertise that are not available within community-led projects. What tools can help to develop hollows that are both bespoke and accessible to human communities? We propose that an online configurator (i.e., a website interface that allows human users to customise digital models) can address this question by connecting computer-aided and participatory design. To test this hypothesis, we have developed and tested an online configurator for artificial hollows with both human and nonhuman users through case-studies in Trentino, Italy and Melbourne, Australia. Our findings illustrate that the configurator can use expertise of human and nonhuman stakeholders to support the design of artificial hollows. The configurator can produce artificial hollows that suit specific ecosystems, are sustainable, and can be implemented by non-designers such as residents, community conservation groups, and councils. The resulting designs can respond to local cultures, resources, user preferences, climates, existing structures, and management needs. These outcomes advance the goals of biodiversity-inclusive design and design for multispecies cohabitation.
Cultural Science, 2024
The accelerating environmental crises necessitate a shift in design and management, prompting a m... more The accelerating environmental crises necessitate a shift in design and management, prompting a move beyond anthropocentric frameworks that prioritize human needs and expertise. This article explores more-than-human participation in design, arguing for an approach that recognizes expertise, innovation, and the rights of nonhuman beings. By integrating nonhuman contributions, design collectives can overcome limitations of humancentric governance and foster more just, resilient, and sustainable ways to live. Starting with Sherry Arnstein's (1969) influential Ladder of Citizen Participation, this article proposes a structured way to understand degrees of more-than-human participation and discusses the implications. Through this approach, design becomes a more-than-human endeavour with a better chance of responding to the needs of all stakeholders within a living Gaian system.
Proceedings of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS) 2024 Symposium: Redefining the Art of Structural Design, 2024
Birds and many other living organisms rely on large old trees for their survival. However, these ... more Birds and many other living organisms rely on large old trees for their survival. However, these trees are rapidly disappearing from many landscapes. The regrowth of such trees takes hundreds of years, and in many disturbed landscapes, wildlife populations cannot persist without temporary human-made replacement structures. In 2022, Mirra et al. [1] conducted a study on the AI-based generation of 3D models, or visual abstractions, of large old trees. An AI agent analysed a dataset of these trees to identify features that appeal to animals and generated forms that approximated these features. The researchers also evaluated the usefulness of the AI-generated forms as artificial replacements for trees using morphological and cost criteria.
Building on this research, we developed our pavilion entry for the IASS 2024 design competition. Our focus was on creating (1) a design strategy to translate the AI-generated visual abstractions into buildable tensegrities, and (2) a fabrication method that facilitates the transport, assembly, and disassembly of these structures using repurposed and biodegradable materials. We named this prototype “FloaTree”. We have constructed prototype tests in Melbourne, Australia, and will build the full-scale pavilion during the annual IASS symposium in Zurich, Switzerland, in August 2024.
Plant Perspectives, 2024
This research explores the idea of plants as designers and discusses approaches that humans can u... more This research explores the idea of plants as designers and discusses approaches that humans can use to support plant’s productive agencies. It argues that plants have unique and valuable capabilities for creating and caring for their environments. Human interventions often overlook or constrain such capabilities. In response, the article proposes to use numerical modelling to better understand plants better while challenging the anthropocentric assumptions that are common in design. It focuses on large old trees in Tasmania as examples of outstanding plant-designers that need more recognition and protection. The article also raises open questions for further research on the ethical, ecological, and aesthetic implications of vegetal design.
Designing More-than-Human Smart Cities: Beyond Sustainability, Towards Cohabitation, 2024
How can we improve the lives of trees, birds, humans, and other beings in increasingly degrading ... more How can we improve the lives of trees, birds, humans, and other beings in increasingly degrading environments? Might direct participation of non-human beings in design be an answer? We believe that such participation is not only possible, but crucial. The idea of trees as designers and birds as assessors might seem jarring, if not preposterous. We hope our readers might suspend their disbelief until the latter stages of the narrative. To tell our story, we refresh several common terms, including community, imagination, innovation, and participation. We derive these updates from scientific evidence, even where the consequences seem counterintuitive. Why do we need these novel understandings? After all, our case study could stand as a technical contribution to restoration ecology without an appeal for more-than-human participation. We shall be pleased to contribute in this way. However, we have another—strategic— ambition. Our overarching motivation is an expansion of moral consideration in human societies. We observe that more and more humans agree to protect the rights of human minorities, future human generations, and even whole systems such as rivers. An aspect of this ethical concern is the idea of helping all beings speak for themselves. ‘Nothing about us without us’ is a slogan that captures it well. This slogan motivates the disability movement and others struggling against injustice. Can it apply to non-human beings, too? Political empowerment of non-humans clashes with preconceptions about communities. However, ingrained habits are not a good reason to reject change, not amid the sixth mass extinction and widespread harms to numerous beings. With this in mind, we strive to give serious consideration to inclusive design that can use non-human knowledge to look into the future. In this chapter, we use data analysis and simulation to make one step forward in this long-term project.
Biological Conservation, 2024
Large old trees have been described as keystone habitats for several species. However, current re... more Large old trees have been described as keystone habitats for several species. However, current research does not fully explain why these species show a preference for such trees. In this study, we combined field observations of birds with terrestrial lidar scans and computational feature-recognition to describe habitats provided by trees at an unprecedented level of detail. We conducted field observations of birds at 62 trees and used parameters including branch angle, branch diameter, branch state (living or dead), and trunk diameter at breast height (DBH) to develop a generalised linear mixed model (GLMM) that could predict which types of branch birds are more likely to visit. We then quantified angles, diameters, and states of 78,006 branch objects representing the complete canopies of 16 trees. By combining these two models we predicted that large trees (>80 cm DBH) contained, on average, 383 m of branches that were highly suitable for birds (i.e., the predicted probability of observing a bird was ≥0.5), which was more than seven times the average length of highly suitable branches provided by medium trees (51-80 cm DBH). Only one of the sampled medium trees contained highly suitable branches. Small trees (<50 cm DBH) contained none. Our analysis provides new knowledge about characteristics that make large old trees disproportionately attractive to birds and presents a novel method of assessment that can apply to other complex habitat structures.
Sustainability, 2023
The need to support life in degraded landscapes is a pressing challenge of our time. Models from ... more The need to support life in degraded landscapes is a pressing challenge of our time. Models from ecology, computing, architecture, and engineering can support the design and construction of habitat features in contexts where human intervention is necessary and urgent. For example, anthropogenic change is causing many arboreal habitats to disappear due to diminishing populations of large old trees. Current management approaches can provide artificial replacements in the shape of poles for perching and boxes for nesting. However, their large-scale long-term impacts are rarely assessed and often unclear. Along with benefits, these structures can result in ecological traps, waste, and pollution. Although computer-aided design and fabrication can provide more sophisticated solutions, limited understanding of tree structures and their use by arboreal wildlife constrain the formulation of clear goals for engineering. In response, this research examines long-term implications at a restoration site that already features a variety of living and manufactured habitat structures. To do so, we build a computational simulation that uses high-fidelity lidar scans of trees in combination with field observations of bird interactions with branches. This simulation models landscape-scale dynamics of habitat supply over hundreds of years. It can account for many types of structures, including trees, snags, and utility poles, irrespective of the processes that led to their availability. We use this understanding of integrated supply to generate quantitative comparisons of design strategies that can inform design decisions in application to arboreal habitats and other modified ecosystems.
Landscape Architecture Australia, 2023
Using more-than-human design as a theoretical framework and artificial habitats for arboreal wild... more Using more-than-human design as a theoretical framework and artificial habitats for arboreal wildlife as a case study, Deep Design Lab explores approaches for better inclusion of nonhuman contributions.
Architect Victoria, 2022
A themed section of the Architect Victoria journal dedicated to more-than-human and interspecies ... more A themed section of the Architect Victoria journal dedicated to more-than-human and interspecies desgin. Edited by Stanislav Roudavski and includes articles from a variety of disciplines including architecture, design, animal studies, biological sciences, geography, philosopy, and others.
Architect Victoria, 2022
We propose that designing for and with nonhuman beings is the most exciting, rewarding, intellect... more We propose that designing for and with nonhuman beings is the most exciting, rewarding, intellectually challenging, and consequential approach to creative practice.
Leonardo, 2022
Urbanization severely reduces opportunities for nonhuman habitation and undermines nonhuman subje... more Urbanization severely reduces opportunities for nonhuman habitation and undermines nonhuman subjectivities, aesthetic experiences, behaviors, traditions, and cultures. In response, humans need to reimagine cities as places for interspecies cohabitation. In this article, a team of architects and ecologists demonstrates that such reimagination depends on the cultural behaviors of multiple species. The authors illustrate the implications of this dependence by designing and discussing nesting structures for the powerful owl (Ninox strenua). The project shows that prosthetic habitats can serve as useful provocation for thinking about interspecies cultures. The authors use this work to propose productive avenues for further research.
Transpositiones, 2022
This article introduces the notion of interspecies cultures and highlights its consequences for t... more This article introduces the notion of interspecies cultures and highlights its consequences for the ethics and practice of design. This discussion is critical because anthropogenic activities reduce the abundance, richness, and diversity of human and nonhuman cultures. Design that aims to address these issues will depend on interspecies cultures that support the flourishing of all organisms. Combining research in architecture and urban ecology, we focus on the design of urban habitat-structures, i.e., any physical objects that support dwelling such as houses or nests. Design of such structures presents practical, theoretical, and ethical challenges. In response, we seek to align design to advancing knowledge of nonhuman cultures and more-than-human justice. We present interspecies design as an approach that incorporates human and nonhuman cultural knowledge in the management of future habitats. We ask: what is an ethically justifiable and practically plausible theoretical framework for interspecies design? In response, we explore the capabilities approach that seeks to pursue justice by supporting forms of wellbeing that human or nonhuman beings are able to achieve. Our central hypothesis is that the capabilities approach to justice can establish goals and evaluative practices for interspecies design. To test this hypothesis, we refer to an ongoing research project that aims to help the powerful owl (Ninox strenua) thrive in Australian cities. To establish possible goals for future interspecies design, we discuss powerful-owl capabilities in past, present, and possible future situations. We then consider the broader relevance of the capabilities approach by examining human-owl cultures in other settings, globally. Our case-study indicates that: 1) owl capabilities offer a useful baseline for future design; 2) cities diminish many owl capabilities but present opportunities for new cultural expressions; and 3) more ambitious design aspirations can support owl wellbeing in cities. The results demonstrate the capabilities approach can inform interspecies design processes, establish more equitable design goals, and set clearer criteria for success. These findings have important implications for researchers and built-environment practitioners who share the goal of supporting multispecies cohabitation in cities.
Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 2022
The decline of critical habitat structures, such as large old trees, is a global environmental ch... more The decline of critical habitat structures, such as large old trees, is a global environmental challenge. The cavities that occur in these trees provide shelter and nesting sites for many species but can take centuries to develop. Artificial cavities, including nest boxes and carved logs, offer an increasingly important conservation response. However, current methods of designing, manufacturing and deploying such habitats have constraints that limit innovation, feasibility and effectiveness. In response, this article aims to provide new and broadly useable methods that can improve the design of habitat structures for cavity-dependent animals. To address the shortcomings of existing methods, we develop an approach that uses computer-aided design techniques of generative and parametric modelling to produce structures that satisfy stakeholder needs, computer-aided manufacturing techniques of 3D printing and augmented-reality assembly to build functional prototypes, and computer-assisted techniques of laser scanning and data-driven design to support installation, monitoring and iterative improvement of designs. We demonstrate this approach through a case-study project that designs and instals habitat structures for the powerful owl Ninox strenua, a cavity-dependent and threatened bird. Through a comparison with existing methods, our pilot study shows that computer-aided design and manufacturing can provide novel and useful approaches to develop artificial habitat-structures. Computer-aided design finds geometries that approximate the complex characteristics of natural tree cavities and automatically produces new versions to suit diverse sites or species. Computer-aided manufacturing integrates materials that match the performance of naturally occurring habitat structures and facilitates the assembly of complex geometries by non-experts. Computer-assisted techniques produce precisely fitting and easy-to-instal designs, which support gradual improvement through ongoing prototyping and evaluation. These capabilities highlight how advanced design techniques can improve aspects of artificial habitat-structures through geometric innovation, novel construction techniques and iterative exploration. Significantly, computational approaches can result in designs that can perform well, are easy to construct and instal and are applicable in many situations. Our reusable workflow can aid in the tasks of practical conservation and support ecological research by effectively negotiating the needs of both humans and target species.
Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 2022
Biodiversity is in a state of global collapse. Among the main drivers of this crisis is habitat d... more Biodiversity is in a state of global collapse. Among the main drivers of this crisis is habitat degradation that destroys living spaces for animals, birds, and other species. Design and provision of human-made replacements for natural habitat structures can alleviate this situation. Can emerging knowledge in ecology, design, and artificial intelligence (AI) help? Current strategies to resolve this issue include designing objects that reproduce known features of natural forms. For instance, conservation practitioners seek to mimic the function of rapidly disappearing large old trees by augmenting utility poles with perch structures. Other approaches to restoring degraded ecosystems employ computational tools to capture information about natural forms and use such data to monitor remediation activities. At present, human-made replacements of habitat structures cannot reproduce significant features of complex natural forms while supporting efficient construction at large scales. We propose an AI agent that can synthesise simplified but ecologically meaningful representations of 3D forms that we define as visual abstractions. Previous research used AI to synthesise visual abstractions of 2D images. However, current applications of such techniques neither extend to 3D data nor engage with biological conservation or ecocentric design. This article investigates the potential of AI to support the design of artificial habitat structures and expand the scope of computation in this domain from data analysis to design synthesis. Our case study considers possible replacements of natural trees. The application implements a novel AI agent that designs by placing three-dimensional cubes – or voxels – in the digital space. The AI agent autonomously assesses the quality of the resulting visual abstractions by comparing them with three-dimensional representations of natural trees. We evaluate the forms produced by the AI agent by measuring relative complexity and features that are meaningful for arboreal wildlife. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that AI can generate design suggestions that are aligned with the preferences of arboreal wildlife and can support the development of artificial habitat structures. The bio-informed approach presented in this article can be useful in many situations where incomplete knowledge about complex natural forms can constrain the design and performance of human-made artefacts.
Global Environment, 2021
Humans design infrastructure for human needs, with limited regard for the needs of nonhumans such... more Humans design infrastructure for human needs, with limited regard for the needs of nonhumans such as animals and plants. Humans also often fail to recognise nonhuman lifeforms such as trees as fellow engineers designers, or architects, even though the contribution of trees to ecosystem services is well established and their right to justice ought to be recognised. Studies have shown that flood-control infrastructure near the Mississippi River inadvertently left Southern Louisiana more vulnerable to coastal threats. We examine this characteristic outcome and identify infrastructural injustices in multispecies communities. Based on theories in philosophy and design supported by historical analyses, we defend the proposals to extend 1) the understanding of resilience to include more-than-human communities; and 2) the notion of justice to include non-human stakeholders. The reframing in more-than-human terms is already under way in a variety of disciplines. However, these efforts rarely extend into considerations of practical design and have attracted criticism for insufficient engagement with historical processes and the accumulations of power and responsibility. To illustrate these injustices, we trace the history of bald cypress trees (Taxodium distichum) in the Mississippi River Delta and show how infrastructure impacted the trees. This analysis demonstrates that designs that do not consider the needs of vulnerable stakeholders can cause harm in multispecies communities. In response, we propose that humans can work to improve infrastructural resilience by including humans and nonhumans as collaborators.
Proceedings of the Society of Architectural Historians Australia and New Zealand: 37, What If? What Next? Speculations on History’s Futures, 2020
How can humanist principles of respect, dignity, and care inform and improve design for non-human... more How can humanist principles of respect, dignity, and care inform and improve design for non-human lifeforms? This paper uses ageing and dying urban trees to understand how architectural, urban, and landscape design respond to nonhuman concerns. It draws on research in plant sciences, environmental history, ethics, environmental management, and urban design to ask: how can more-than-human ethics improve multispecies cohabitation in urban forests? The paper hypothesises that concepts of dignity and respect can underline the capabilities of nonhuman lifeforms and lead to improved designs for multispecies cohabitation. To investigate the implications of this ethical framework, we 1) indicate injustices of current management in relation to natural and cultural histories of trees; 2) outline a conceptual framework that includes large old trees as stakeholders in urban communities; and 3) use this framework in a thought experiment with urban trees in Melbourne, outlining comparative design outcomes. Our findings show that the expansion of dignity to include nonhuman life is possible and plausible. Such an extension can justify and encourage design innovation for multiple species and sites. The resulting design practices will lead to improvements by supporting communities of trees at all stages of their life-cycles, including old age, death, and rebirth. This approach requires substantial shifts in accepted thinking and practices including history, ethics, aesthetics, regulation, and education. Design can play a significant role in the necessary transitions by demonstrating tangible and positive outcomes. In this context, history emerges as an essential tool that can extend societal imagination by situating possible future places in the context of ancient and ongoing geological, evolutionary, ecological, and cultural processes.
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Articles & Papers by Stanislav Roudavski
2. To explore the potential for positive coexistence, we conducted 10 in-depth interviews with 19 individuals experienced in observing and advocating for powerful owls. These interviews took place either online or during guided walks through owl habitats in Australian cities. This approach allowed us to supplement existing scientific research, highlight future research areas and document human–owl interactions across three themes. First, participants identified barriers to improving coexistence, including insufficient consideration of owls in urban decision-making, conflicts between human activities and owl conservation, and the need for improved knowledge sharing. Second, participants' experiences demonstrated that greater knowledge of owl behaviour and habitat preferences can play a vital role in fostering positive coexistence. Third, participants provided specific examples of positive coexistence, illustrating how and why people form relationships with urban wildlife.
3. Building on these findings, we propose urban management strategies that incorporate contributions of nonhuman stakeholders, empowering them to influence decision-making. Such strategies can promote positive coexistence, facilitate knowledge exchange and guide informed actions.
4. This research can provide valuable guidance for land managers, conservationists, policymakers, ecologists, designers and researchers in environmental humanities working to create inclusive, more-than-human urban environments. This guidance includes (a) methods for integrating nonhuman stakeholders into design, planning, management and development processes; (b) approaches to redefining landscape features as catalysts for positive human–wildlife interactions; and (c) examples of technical systems that enhance information flow among stakeholders, encouraging innovation, the adoption of new solutions and accountability.
Building on this research, we developed our pavilion entry for the IASS 2024 design competition. Our focus was on creating (1) a design strategy to translate the AI-generated visual abstractions into buildable tensegrities, and (2) a fabrication method that facilitates the transport, assembly, and disassembly of these structures using repurposed and biodegradable materials. We named this prototype “FloaTree”. We have constructed prototype tests in Melbourne, Australia, and will build the full-scale pavilion during the annual IASS symposium in Zurich, Switzerland, in August 2024.