Mariela Urra Schiaffino

Design isn’t just about building objects, it’s also about building a future, and, for Mariela, it’s all about a sustainable one. Through utilising tools of design, imagination, and creativity, she reimagines societal relations to nature. These new perspectives are vital to building a sustainable future for all. Design is an effective tool to approach complexity, and Mariela is an expert in exploring its emerging role in socio-ecological transformations. The pathway to change is often paved with elements and structures that appear too ephemeral or imaginative to be incorporated into high-level research. But not to worry, Mariela is skilled in creative practices to weave transdisciplinary knowledge together.

Prior to Demos, Mariela has worked on several sustainability projects collaborating with institutions such as the Finnish Ministry of the Interior and different European cities.

At Demos Helsinki, Mariela has applied these perspectives to research projects like Reallocate, MUST, CommuniCity, Regions4Climate, SUDDEN, and ARISE.

Mariela’s passion for nature reveals itself in many ways. In addition to being a respected sustainability researcher, she is also a professional naturalist guide and educator. She has led month-long expeditions to the great outdoors and even trips for professionals to photograph polar bears!