In this paper we introduce a design methodology that allows the system/circuit designer to build reliable systems out of unreliable nano-scale components. The central point of our approach is a generic (parametrical) architectural template, COnfigurable Nanostructures for reliAble Nano electronics (CONAN), which embeds support for reliability us levels of abstractions. Some of the main reliability sources are regular and decentralized structures based on simple basic computation cells designed to be robust against disturbances and noise, fault tolerance based on hardware, time and information redundancy applied at the basic cell level as well as at higher levels, self diagnosis assisted by the dynamic reconfiguration of basic computation cells and interconnect rerouting. Within the CONAN template both technology dependent and independent models co-exists such more abstract layers are technology independent while the lower levels can be retargeted to various fabrication technologies. O...