Relationality as a transitional design instrument towards planetary health

Relationality is opening disciplinary pathways offering innovations in a wide range of fields but requires frameworks from which to develop applicable operational tools. Research aimed at such endeavour is presented in this paper; specifically, a taxonomical Relational Tree which classifies bioinfrastructures in hierarchies according to their role as providers for prosperity from which it is possible to define a sequence; a Relational Cycle built from qualities that –it is hypothesized– in conjunction, provide emergent properties towards self-fulfillment. Several design cases are analyzed to validate and/or calibrate the framework as a transitional design tool. Insights include identification for the process to: situate design problems; view soil as having the capacity to include a wide range of interactions; differentiate relations depending on information; distinguish tangible and intangible structures; identify dynamic processes and consider prosperity as cyclical with no specific starting stage; all of which offer applicable scaffolds in many disciplinary fields.