PRS Australia PhD Examination - Javier De Urquijo Isoard (School of Design - RMIT University)

Join us for the PhD examination of School of Design candidate, Javier De Urquijo Isoard.

2pm - 4pm, Tuesday 21 October

Decayability: Care-Based Material Affordances for Ecological Reintegration

Javier’s research reframes soil not as a passive endpoint, but as a critical collaborator in the design process. By treating decomposition as an ecological and relational act, the project challenges assumptions about material afterlives and foregrounds the agency of soil ecologies. A transdisciplinary methodology brought together industrial design, soil science, and design theory.

Grounded in affordance theory, more-than-human design, and the ethics of care, the research introduces decayability as a material affordance. This attribute accounts for care, temporality, and ecological responsiveness.

Javier's research produced viable filament alternatives that maintained 3D printing performance while supporting microbial activity over extended periods. More broadly, his research offers a methodological model for integrating ecological timescales into design practice - positioning soil health not as a constraint, but as an active partner in the transition toward more accountable and situated circular material systems.

Please note no entry will be permitted after commencement of this examination. Please aim to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time. 

RMIT Design Hub Gallery
Building 100, Level 2, Project Room 2
Corner Victoria & Swanston St, Carlton, Victoria, 3053

Access
This exam will be recorded, but not live-streamed.
The Level 2 Project Spaces are accessible via lifts from the street entry located at the corner of Victoria & Swanston Streets.