Radical Softness in the lab
At Friedman Benda in New York, where designboom met Joris Larman before Symbio’s opening, the Dutch designer described his work as a study in material intelligence and collaboration with living systems.
‘The Symbio Benches are experimental works that explore how concrete can become symbiotic,Laarman tells designboom as he points to a future where design coexists with its environment rather than merely occupying it — exemplifying the concept of Radical softness which designboom is currently investigating.
For Laarman, this shift belongs to what he calls the “Symbioscene,” a speculative era after the Anthropocene.where nature and technology merge into something truly sustainable.‘
Throughout her reportthis idea has two distinct material forms: 3D printing Symbio concrete benches designed to host moss and lichen appear alongside the Ply Loop series, where engineered wood is pushed into fluid, computational curves through a biodegradable resin. Symbio is on view at Friedman Benda Gallery in New York until July 24, 2026.
Symbio benches overlooking Friedman Benda. image by designboom
Joris Laarman rethinks concrete as a habitat
Joris Laarman’s Symbio benches bring the immediate presence of landscape objects. Their long, rounded forms lie low to the ground, surfaces cut by dark green channels that seem somewhere between physical markings and digital code. These lines are more than a surface pattern.
‘The design itself is very three-dimensional, which means it also helps drain water,‘ the Dutch designer explains. ‘Below the first layer, there are hollow channels built into the structure.‘
These channels feature a bioactive substrate developed with Respyre, a Dutch startup partnering with Mosscrete. Describes the material: ‘It is a porous type of concrete that holds water very effectively and was originally designed to support moss growth.‘
Over time, the benches are meant to gather life in their recesses, supporting moss, lichen, insects and bird activity. The object becomes a small ecological platform, shaped by both calculations and weather.
Joris Laarman at Friedman Benda, image by designboom
A Turing design in concrete
Symbio’s surface language is derived from reaction-diffusion systems, also known as Turing patterns. Laarman traces their symbolic weight back to Alan Turing’s research in the 1950s, when early computational thinking began to describe patterns already visible in living organisms.
‘There is something symbolic about merging natural development patterns with computer language,‘ he says. ‘You find these patterns everywhere in nature. They feel organic, but also highly technological.‘
This symbolic overlap gives the work its charge. Joris Laarman uses the computer here as a way of approaching physical behavior, while concrete moves towards softness through porosity, water retention and biological use. The benches suggest that advanced manufacturing can act as a host, giving built matter a role in longer life cycles.
Symbio benches overlooking Friedman Benda. image by designboom
For coal storage structures
The environmental research behind the benches goes beyond the scale of the gallery. Laarman is testing additives that allow concrete to store carbon, a direction he sees as critical to construction.
‘Once concrete becomes carbon negative, it permanently stores carbon instead of emitting huge amounts of CO2,‘ he explains, noting that concrete currently accounts for around 8% of global carbon emissions.
The studio is investigating mineralization processes within cement as well as materials such as biochar, which can increase the amount of carbon stored. Powder printing expands this research because it can work with different aggregates, from lighter mineral mixtures to darker carbon-rich compositions. For Joris Laarman, the bench becomes a proof of concept for architecture, something that could ultimately inform facades and public spaces.
Ply Loop shelf (wall) overlooking Friedman Benda. image by designboom
Architecture for more genres
This architectural ambition appears in Laarman’s idea of future facades shaped around multiple forms of life. ‘We envision buildings that create a biophilic experience, where nature actively becomes part of the architecture,‘ continues. The concept includes openings for birds, wild bees, bats and other species, with dimensions adapted to their needs.
Here, Symbio advances a broader discussion of hospitality in the built environment. The project asks what happens when a building element is designed for human contact and non-human habitation at the same time. ‘Symbioscene is really about working with nature. With these symbiotic objects, we are trying to collaborate with nature in a very literal sense.‘
Ply Loop Chair 2.0 on view at Friedman Benda. image by designboom
Plywood with a second life
The second project in the exhibition, Ply Loop, brings the same thinking indoors through wood. At Friedman Benda, the series includes a chair, console, freestanding bookcase and wall shelf, each made of oak and walnut veneer with thermosetting bio-resin. Their forms seem almost impossible for plywood, with thin surfaces bending into loops, shells and flowing structural openings.
Laarman is direct about the contradiction within engineered wood: ‘Many people assume that wood is always natural, but engineered woods often contain huge amounts of glue, especially plywood and chipboard.‘
Conventional structural lumber can be difficult to recycle and is often burned at the end of its life. Working with Plantics, Laarman uses a fully recyclable and biodegradable resin that gives plywood a different material future.
