The following student and graduate projects from the Bachelor of Design with Honours are shared to inspire your own ideas for this regenerative design competition. They showcase what is possible in sustainable and regenerative design and how design can respond to real-world systems and challenges.
These projects:
- illustrate a wide range of sustainability and regenerative challenges that students have chosen to address
- inspire thinking about the problem or system you might design solutions for
- demonstrate how students have approached reusing, recycling, and sustainability in their designs
- show how resources can be re-utilised to create new purpose or solve existing problems
- provide examples of student design processes, including research, drawing, modelling, prototyping, and material testing
- offer guidance on effective presentation and documentation of design ideas.
Rik Olthuis: Two Feet Under
Voronoi Runners are sneakers made from 100% biodegradable materials, offering a solution to the overwhelming waste produced by the footwear industry.
Fin Georgeson: Natures Calling
This project seeks to remove the “ick factor” from composting toilets, using a compostable bin made from mycelium materials.
Sarina Oetgen: Anthrotype - Imprint of a human
'Anthrotype: Imprint of a human' investigates the complexities of designing for a post-human Aotearoa. Each toolkit connects a way of making with a location, through a material found there.
Karlena Dunn: A Bio-culture Of Care
'A Bio-culture Of Care' optimises local waste streams, interacts with existing systems and promotes decomposition, through all-life-friendly design processes.
Liliana Cahill: Woven Soil
Starting from an analysis of what minerals a plant needs to survive, the fabric is designed to provide all that plants need to thrive.
Peter Zlatkov: Restoring Mussel Beds in the Hauraki Gulf
A Mussel Sheet and Reef Pod, a two-part restoration system that will restore mussel beds and increase biodiversity in its deployment areas.
Charlotte Klinge: Growing compostable tableware for a cleaner planet
This project investigates the material qualities of bacterial cellulose and showcases its potential as a sustainable material in the area of product design.
Sadie Alexander: For Bun
This project explores how slow, contemplative textile processes can foster a reconnection with my practice, deepening both personal and material relationships.
