We are facing an environmental and climate crisis, which is largely a result of misaligned and damaging design beliefs and practices. Such thinking requires interdisciplinarity that brings together biologists (including ecologists, bioengineers, materials scientists, etc), ethicists, artists, and designers to imagine, create, and critique potential futures of the built environment and emerging technology’s role in it. Our flagship program is a competition in which university and high school students partner with scientists, artists, and designers to envision transformational applications of biotechnology. Additionally, we introduce the public to innovative strategies of designing sustainable futures through webinars, the annual BDC Summit, an online magazine, exhibitions, and events that engage in open dialogue about desirable and undesirable futures for the built environment.