On 27th February 2026, BIOARC bioreregional weaver Carolin Schelke, together with our local partner Innova-Tech, organised a design thinking workshop bringing together architects, farmers, researchers and industry stakeholders. The workshop was focused on the rice-producing region of Terre d’Acqua in Northern Italy, and took place at the historic Abbey of Lucedio – a place where centuries of innovation meet landscape, culture, and nature. Founded in 1123, this former Cistercian abbey is known as the cradle of Italian rice cultivation, a perfect setting to explore bio-based materials and circular futures.

The BIOARC Design Thinking Workshop focused on a simple but important question: how can agricultural by-products become part of sustainable construction?

The workshop brought together architects, farmers, researchers and industry actors to explore this from different angles. The workshop adopted a participatory format, encouraging all participants to contribute based on their own experience.

The starting point was understanding the current rice production system. Participants looked at how rice production functions within the bioregion and what happens to the by-products it generates. Materials like straw and residues are already part of the system, but their use often remains limited to agriculture.

Through discussion, it became clear that there is a gap between agriculture and construction. These sectors operate separately, even though they rely on the same territorial resources. 

The next step was mapping the system more precisely. Participants worked together to identify how materials, infrastructure and processes are connected, and where value is currently lost. This helped build a shared understanding of the system, grounded in real conditions.

Once this was established, the focus shifted toward future possibilities. Agricultural by-products were discussed as potential inputs for new material applications in construction. The conversation moved from identifying problems to exploring what could realistically be developed.

The discussion remained grounded, with participants reflecting on the practical feasibility of these materials and the conditions needed for their wider use.

In the final part of the workshop, attention turned to implementation, with the discussion focusing on how ideas could be translated into concrete applications and further developed through future collaboration.

The workshop resulted in a shared understanding of the challenges and potential, while also creating a space for collaboration between actors who do not usually work together.

BIOARC uses this type of process to connect research with practice and to explore how local resources can inform new construction approaches. Agricultural by-products are considered materials already present within the system, with potential to be used in new ways.

The insights from the workshop will feed into the next phases of the project, including material development and future applications.

The main takeaway is straightforward: the materials for more sustainable construction already exist – the question is how to integrate them into existing systems.