Stella Lee Prowse (AU)

Aléa co-founder

Aléa is a creative studio based in Paris. Miriam Josi (CH) and Stella Lee Prowse (AUS) co-founded Aléa in 2021 after completing a Master of Science in Nature Inspired Design at Ensci-les Ateliers.

Their work explores growth, decay and waste, with the goal to develop regenerative methods of fabrication while honoring beauty in the process.

Their ongoing research Back to Dirt explores a unique myco-fabrication process that utilizes mycelium,  the filamentous structure of fungi, and local waste substrates to grow objects in soil. Their process bypasses conventional conditions and requirements in myco-fabrication, examining the potential of mycelia’s capacities to remediate soils in situ and contribute to nurturing biodiversity. 

Their research is supported by Artagon ENOWE, FAIRE and the City of Paris and their work has been presented at Pavillon de l’Arsenal, Amour Vivant Biennale, MATTER and SHAPE, Kadist and Galerie Sainte Anne (Paris), FRAC Orleans, Fondation Thalie and Collectible (Brussels), CID Grand-Hornu, Saint-Etienne Design Biennale, Bundeskusthalle Bonn, BASE (Milan), London Design Museum and Zéruì Gallery (London), and Paris and Milan Design Week.

In 2023 Aléa launched The Garden Lab, a long term transdisciplinary applied research project for practices of co-creation at Domaine de Boisbuchet.

Observing the invisible (with Aléa Work)

Reflecting on collaborations with living systems, Aléa shares how these processes challenge conventional design roles. When working with living organisms, the designer shifts from controlling outcomes to cultivating conditions for growth and transformation, while integrating more-than-human needs into the process. Cycles of life, emergence, growth, and decay become part of the design methodology.

Framed through the lens of sympoiesis – making-with – this talk explores what it means to design through shared processes rather than imposed form. What happens when unpredictability is embraced rather than eliminated? Through selected projects and research initiatives such as The Garden Lab, Aléa reflects on how design can evolve through co-creation.