Date
19 May 2026
Time
18:30 PM - 20:30 PM
Where
Casa IED New York at Salotto 84 Withers Street, Brooklyn, NY , New York City - USA
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In-person event
Designing with nature: indigenous knowledge and regenerative futures
At Casa IED New York, Julia Watson joins the Plural Intelligences series for a conversation on how design can engage with nature as a living system, drawing from indigenous knowledge to shape more resilient and regenerative futures.
Hosted during NYCxDESIGN and in connection with IED’s participation in WantedDesign, the talk explores how traditional ecological intelligence can inform contemporary design practices. Moving beyond extractive models, Watson reflects on the potential of design to operate in symbiosis with natural environments not as an external force, but as part of a broader system of relationships.
Known for her research on Lo–TEK (Local Traditional Ecological Knowledge), Watson brings attention to practices developed over generations that integrate architecture, landscape and community into sustainable living infrastructures. Her work challenges dominant narratives of innovation, proposing instead a shift toward approaches rooted in adaptation, coexistence and long-term thinking.
As part of the Plural Intelligences framework, the event contributes to an ongoing exploration of how different forms of knowledge. Scientific, cultural, embodied, can intersect to address complex global challenges. In this perspective, design becomes a mediating practice, capable of connecting disciplines, territories and ways of knowing.
The talk with Julia Watson is part of Casa IED’s public program in New York, developed to foster dialogue across creative communities and expand IED’s international cultural presence.
Free admission – registration required.
Register via Eventbrite.