Designing a more sustainable tomorrow through practice-led education
School of the Built Environment
Published on the 18 December 2025
The Design Futures Lab equips students with the knowledge and skills to deliver high-impact design.
Industrial Design honours student Quince So has always had an interest in problem-solving, but the former finance analyst never imagined she’d engage in marine environment restoration.
In her final studio project, she designed an artificial reef for oysters. The structure, 3D-printed using oyster shells, can be placed on sites where “construction intervention” is required, for example on sandy or muddy sea floors.
“Restoring oyster habitat is essential for maintaining marine diversity, water quality and ecosystem health,” says Ms So. “A single oyster can filter five litres of water in an hour. They extract algae, bacteria and heavy metals from our waterways. Unfortunately, natural oyster reefs are considered functionally extinct in NSW.”
At least 97% of natural reefs in NSW have been lost due to over-harvesting and pollution. Additionally, 106 million oysters are farmed in the state each year, generating 3,000 tons of shell waste.
The calcium carbonate content of oyster shells is essential for oyster larvae to grow, Ms So says. “Repurposing oyster biomaterials diverts waste from landfill for ecological benefit, moving us one step closer to a circular economy.”
The FADA3030 studio project connects students with industry partners to explore research-informed design. Students undertake rigorous prototyping and testing to resolve design challenges, extending their critical, theoretical and practical skills.
Ms So developed RE:HABITAT in consultation with OceanWatch Australia with support from the Design Futures Lab in UNSW’s School of Built Environment. The Lab hosts 10 unique spaces, including wood, metal and polymers workshops; robotics and digital fabrication labs; collaborative robots; a wet lab and a spray booth.
Each space houses industry-leading equipment, materials and making possibilities, says Ms Nichola Jephcott who manages the Lab. Students are inducted into workshop areas, undertaking badge training in machinery with experienced professionals on hand to help troubleshoot.
Robotically 3D printed chair from recycled PTEG, chair with back rest up.
“We provide a space for students to explore and innovate, whether that’s functional design or high-impact research,” Ms Jephcott says. “Students have access to and guidance with fabrication and emerging technologies to help build a diverse skillset for industry.”
“Without the Lab’s technicians, the artificial reef wouldn’t have come to fruition,” Ms So says. “Having someone to provide expert assistance, to bounce ideas off was so helpful.”
She researched reef restoration projects, developing her design concept in alignment with NSW Shellfish Reef Restoration Guidelines. “I read a lot about how to grow and support oyster life cycles, different [kinds of] sites, and what oyster regeneration methods are being used at the moment.”
“Using 3D printing enables us to move from large, unsightly concrete structures or gable rocks to more aesthetic forms,” she says, in this case inspired by the oysters themselves.
“I wanted to recreate that layering … that biomorphic form so I looked at different types of coral, seashell shapes, to mimic their natural processes.” The curved form also allowed greater surface area for housing oysters.
Ms So ran initial tests with clay, having never used a 3D printer. “The technicians gave me tips on how to use the machinery and CURA [splicing software], and how to define the thickness, speed and flow rate.”
There were a lot of “fails”, across coding, material consistency, binding agents and form, she says. “At almost every stage, I hit a wall which was heart wrenching. But when you hit a point where you can't go any further, you pivot. Failing gives you insight.”
When the prints finally worked, she was “over the moon”. “To be able to experiment and create something beautiful, to have a product to show to the client [OceanWatch Australia]. It was a really nice moment.”
Her prototype will be included alongside other case studies in an ongoing OceanWatch Australia restoration project on oyster environments. The portability of 3D printing means site-specific designs can be manufactured locally using local stockpiled shells, reducing the risk of importing disease.
“Engaging with industry and local communities builds awareness and capacity in sustainable behaviours and technologies as well as a shared responsibility for the health of our marine environments,” she says.
“The structures aim to attract oysters and other marine life, along with people snorkelling, to promote social awareness and conservation efforts.”
Modelling the circular economy to next-generation designers
Sustainable design is central to the ethos of the Design Futures Lab. “Students are encouraged to work with upcycled materials, such as waste corflute, acrylic, and the thermoplastics PETG [Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol] and HDPE [High-Density Polyethylene],” Ms Jephcott says. “It’s about keeping the circular economy top of mind.”
Industrial Design student Mohamed Nashat, an electrical engineer, made a foldable chair using PETG, a polyester that can be recycled again and again, in the intensive digital making course within computational design.
Students design and manufacture a piece of furniture using 3D printing and CNC machining in just three weeks, with no prerequisite knowledge required. “The emphasis is on experimentation, on risking failure and having fun,” Mr Nashat says.
His decision to design a foldable chair acknowledges that space is a commodity and a privilege. It also presented new design, material and mechanical constraints. “I’d never used these processes before, so it was a challenge,” he says.
“It was like a big Rubik’s cube, I had to iterate and sketch again and again and again to find that compelling form with a [mechanical] solution that could work with 3D-printing manufacturing.”
3D Printed chair on the print bed by Miaoyang Cao for BEIL0014 Digital Making. The material is post industrial waste PETG
While hinges often have three parts, Mr Nashat wanted to simplify the design so it could be printed in just two. “This is where form meets function. Everything needs to feed into the solution.”
He started by creating very small prototypes on his 3D printer at home to identify design challenges. For instance, having an organic form proved necessary to provide hinge support and facilitate any compression and/or stretching through use.
“There was lots of trial and error – I’d print a small model, then folding it, it would break.” After iterating and reiterating, it was into the Lab. Students are inducted into the Lab’s facilities, in this case 3D printing.
“The technicians were really understanding and supportive, correcting our mistakes and helping to prepare the file for printing,” Mr Nashat says.
The speed of moving from preparation to manufacturing was impressive. “They got it done in no time, and we were printing. You see it running, and it's scary! The robot is really fast.”
The team were on hand to manage issues in the moment, for example, when bubbles form, you need to act fast. Mr Nashat printed both the hinge and base parts over six hours on the one day. “Then everyone was nervous – would they go together? And it just clicked! Wow. It was really amazing.”
Mr Nashat now plans to bring his greater understanding of the manufacturing process to his more ambitious designs from the ideation phase, for example, a foldable chair that can be printed in just one piece.
“This is an interesting design challenge in and of itself that allows me to take advantage of being able to use the 3D robot again, but it also has the potential to make production more cost-efficient.”
However, first he will re-iterate and reprint his current design – this time in orange for flair. The Lab offers a vibrant space for experimentation, he says. “As the lab continues to grow every day, so do our skills, our projects, and our ability to make better designs that shape a better tomorrow.”
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