L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2026 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano Yes. NAHR is a nonprofit organization based in Italy, with an outpost in Califor- nia. Participants are select- ed through an open call and work on their proposed pro- j e c t s w i t h i n a n a n n u a l theme. It's not a school, but an independent space for applied research where each person develops their own w o r k w h i l e r e m a i n i n g i n d i a l o g u e w i t h o t h e r s . I n California, it takes place on a r e t i r e d h o r s e r a n c h i n Santa Ynez, in a more inti- mate format, almost like a retreat. In Italy, the group is larger, the residency runs from June to August, and the interdisciplinary dia- logue becomes broader and more complex. What kind of experi- e n c e d o p a r t i c i p a n t s have? They arrive with a project idea and develop it on site. There's individual work, but also continuous exchange among artists, scientists, and designers. Often, unex- p e c t e d c o l l a b o r a t i o n s emerge between very differ- ent disciplines. One exam- ple is Danielle Stevenson, an environmental toxicolo- gist from Los Angeles who took part in NAHR and has since become a leading fig- ure in research on mycore- mediation of soils damaged by the 2025 wildfires. something that protects, but a l s o " c o m m u n i c a t e s , " breathes, and connects us with the surrounding envi- ronment. By studying dif- f e r e n t k i n d s o f " a n i m a l s k i n s , " w e c a n d e s i g n façades that better protect occupants while also inspir- ing more ecological materi- als, for example, ones that store solar heat and release it indoors. Another signifi- c a n t e x a m p l e i s t e r m i t e m o u n d s . S o m e t e r m i t e species build complex struc- tures that naturally regulate v e n t i l a t i o n a n d i n t e r n a l t e m p e r a t u r e w i t h o u t mechanical systems. Cer- tain contemporary build- ings have drawn on these principles to develop pas- sive cooling strategies and reduce energy consumption. What other elements of nature play a role in this discussion? C o l o r i s p a r t o f i t . I n n a t u r e , i t ' s n e v e r p u r e l y decorative, it's functional a n d c o m m u n i c a t i v e . F l a m i n g o s t u r n p i n k because of their diet, while b u t t e r f l i e s ' c o l o r s c o m e f r o m m i c r o s c o p i c s t r u c - tures. This teaches us that in architecture, color can also have a deeper function, not just an aesthetic one. I s t h i s a p p r o a c h a t the core of Nature, Art & Habitat (NAHR)? W h a t m a k e s V a l T a l e g g i o p a r t i c u l a r l y suited to NAHR? It's a place that allows for direct, experiential immer- sion, quickly bringing par- ticipants into contact with landscape, economy, and community. A clear exam- ple is the local DOP cheese supply chain, such as Taleg- gio and Strachitunt: from p a s t u r e s t o l i v e s t o c k , through production, aging, and consumption. It's a tan- gible form of circular econo- my that can be experienced every day at NAHR. W h a t d o e s a t y p i c a l day during the residen- cy look like? Days alternate between i n d i v i d u a l r e s e a r c h a n d i n f o r m a l e x c h a n g e s . F o r e x a m p l e , a n a r t i s t m i g h t involve others in a film pro- j e c t , o r p a r t i c i p a n t s m a y share techniques and skills. The work is deeply tied to t h e t e r r i t o r y : w a l k i n g , o b s e r v i n g , m e e t i n g l o c a l people, and sourcing mate- rials and references directly on site. It's not always easy, s o m e t i m e s p a r t i c i p a n t s want to visit specific places like quarries or extraction sites, but can't access them. These challenges are part of the process and help deepen understanding of a place's environmental, economic, and political dynamics. What is NAHR's ulti- mate goal? T h e g o a l i s t o c r e a t e m e a n i n g f u l c o n n e c t i o n s across disciplines and foster a more conscious relation- ship with place. Today, we often experience landscapes superficially, almost "con- s u m i n g " t h e m . H e r e , t h e idea is the opposite: to slow down, observe, and under- s t a n d n o t o n l y a p l a c e ' s appealing aspects but also its limits. Participants bring a f r e s h p e r s p e c t i v e , a n d those who live in the area often see themselves reflect- ed through that new lens. Sometimes people rediscov- er the beauty of their own work or landscape through t h i s i n t e r a c t i o n . I n t h i s sense, sustainability is not a n a b s t r a c t c o n c e p t , b u t s o m e t h i n g b u i l t t h r o u g h direct experience and dia- logue. ated my first biomimicry course in 2005 while teach- ing at SCI-Arc in Los Ange- les. That experience also led to my first book, Architec- ture Follows Nature (CRC Press, 2013). Sustainability has always been the com- m o n t h r e a d i n m y w o r k , expressed through design. Even in Italy, I was focused on materials, building life c y c l e s , a n d w h a t w e n o w call the circular economy. A t U S C , I c o n t i n u e d t h i s research, which over time expanded into biomimicry and bio-inspired design. How is this principle applied in architecture today? Biomimicry studies how organisms live, adapt, regu- late temperature, commu- nicate, protect themselves, and coexist with their habi- tat. All of this can inspire architectural design. C a n y o u g i v e a c o n - c r e t e e x a m p l e o f h o w t h i s t r a n s l a t e s f r o m n a t u r e i n t o a r c h i t e c - ture? A simple example is ani- mal skin. Skin, including feathers and fur, is not just p r o t e c t i v e ; i t ' s a n o r g a n that connects interior and e x t e r i o r , h e l p s r e g u l a t e t e m p e r a t u r e , a n d d o e s much more. In architecture, w e c a n t h i n k o f b u i l d i n g façades as a kind of skin: H o w c a n nature teach us to design m o r e e f f i - cient build- i n g s ? H o w c a n m a t e r i a l s a n d c o l o r , f o r e x a m p l e , improve the quality of our cities? The answers to these questions lie in a field that i s b e c o m i n g i n c r e a s i n g l y c e n t r a l t o c o n t e m p o r a r y architecture: biomimicry, the idea of learning from nature to solve problems in the built environment. " E v e n L e o n a r d o d a Vinci observed nature to d e s i g n h i s m a c h i n e s . H e studied the flight of birds to imagine devices capable of flying. That's the principle behind biomimicry." Ilaria M a z z o l e n i , an architect a n d e d u c a t o r w o r k i n g b e t w e e n M i l a n a n d L o s Angeles, has built her career around this line of research, weaving together architec- ture, sustainability, and the natural sciences. "The twen- tieth century was the centu- ry of specialization; today we need connections across different fields: architec- ture, biology, art, science," says Mazzoleni. After earning her degree at the Politecnico di Milano and completing a master's in Building Science at the University of Southern Cali- fornia, she chose to settle in Los Angeles, where she has developed a practice that combines design and scien- tific research. In 2016, she f o u n d e d N a t u r e , A r t & Habitat APS (NAHR), an eco-laboratory for multidis- ciplinary practices that pri- marily hosts an internation- a l r e s i d e n c y , b r i n g i n g together artists, architects, and scientists to work on t h e m e s r e l a t e d t o n a t u r e and sustainability. The pro- gram takes place between Southern California and Val Taleggio, in the province of Bergamo, Mazzoleni's place of origin, and a territory t h a t n o w r e p r e s e n t s t h e p h y s i c a l a n d c o n c e p t u a l heart of the project. "It's a l a n d s c a p e I k n o w d e e p l y a n d c o n t i n u e t o o b s e r v e even from afar. It's still very green and lightly urbanized, where nature is extremely present and legible." How did your interest in biomimicry begin? It developed gradually, also through teaching. I cre- F r o m V a l T a l e g g i o t o L o s A n g e l e s : architecture learns from nature SILVIA NITTOLI Grasses and pastures, NAHR fellows 2019 (Photo courtesy of I. Mazzoleni/NAHR Archive); bottom right, Ilaria Mazzoleni (Image courtesy of I. Mazzoleni/NAHR) LIFE PEOPLE REVIEWS ADVICE TRADITIONS

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