NASSETTI X ROOTFULL
NASSETTI X ROOTFULL is a collaboration between Filippo Nassetti Studio and Zena Holloway of Rootfull.
Rootfull is an emerging biodesign company, pioneering the use of plant roots as a material for new textile and design applications, guiding their growth to weave unique artifacts and surfaces.
Beginning in 2024 within the framework of QEST - Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, Filippo Nassetti Studio has been supporting Rootfull to integrate advanced digital and computational methods into their design workflows, pushing past the limits of 3D printing alone, pointing towards a new era of programmable, sustainable design and craftmanship.
Beginning in 2024 within the framework of QEST - Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, Filippo Nassetti Studio has been supporting Rootfull to integrate advanced digital and computational methods into their design workflows, pushing past the limits of 3D printing alone, pointing towards a new era of programmable, sustainable design and craftmanship.
The collaboration developed a bespoke design workflow that begins with the generative simulation of complex patterns found in coral. Custom algorithms translate the digital code into a single 3D print, which is then duplicated multiple times in beeswax. These templates act as the spatial roadmap for wheatgrass roots to grow onto. The roots sense the wax barriers through thigmotropism - a plant’s natural tendency to change direction in response to obstacles - forcing them to "render" the digital design into a tangible, woven textile.
The outcome of this process is an initial collection of postnatural design artefacts, including lighting screens as well as wearable pieces, which has been showcased in several exhibitions such as London Design Festival 2024.
While this collection draws inspiration from the organic structures of coral reefs, the underlying technology is entirely agnostic to form. Because the templates are generated through custom algorithms, it is possible to translate almost any visual language into a growth path for the roots. Whether it’s a geometric pattern, the map of a specific city or a line of poetry, it is possible to write code that tells the roots exactly where to grow.
The project is continuing in 2026. This page will be updated regularly as progress unfolds.