Designed for decay: A 3D printable yeast-based biomaterial
A team at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, has worked out how to turn baker’s yeast into an architectural surface.
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Cardboard rammed earth offers concrete alternative with 75% less carbon
Could discarded cardboard become the future of sustainable construction? Researchers at RMIT think so, with a breakthrough that fuses waste and earth into strong, reusable walls.
Studio TOOJ’s DUK collection melds mycelium innovation with surrealist form
Studio TOOJ’s DUK collection quietly disrupts the boundaries between form, function and materiality. Conceived as an exploration of illusion and tactility, the made-to-order series presents sculptural pieces that appear to be soft cloth draped in space – yet on closer inspection, each one reveals itself as a precisely carved, immovable form.
10 exhibitions about bio-materials and waste to see at Melbourne Design Week 2025
Melbourne Design Week is now in its ninth year, continuing to grow in scale and ambition. I was lucky enough to attend the inaugural event as editor of Australian Design Review — and it’s remarkable to see the shift since then. This year, a surge of shows explores bio-materiality, waste and reuse with new urgency. Here are 10 exhibitions worth adding to your list.
Coffee concrete – An award-winning material reinventing sustainable construction
Researchers at RMIT University have developed an innovative way to transform spent coffee grounds into a high-performance construction material, strengthening concrete while tackling the mounting problem of organic waste.
Sustainable materials in interior design: how to choose, and what to look out for
What makes an interior material sustainable, how does natural differ from sustainable, and what are the trade-offs when selecting cork, bamboo, timber, wool, recycled surfaces and more.
How building materials affect your health: what the evidence actually says
Bringing natural materials into the home is certainly not a new concept. From wood and wool to bamboo and cork – natural materials bring a sense of warmth and connection to the environment.
Don Kwaning’s Lino Leather
Don Kwaning is an emerging designer and recent graduate from the Eindhoven Academy. One of his outstanding projects was Lino Leather, a product that adapts traditional linoleum to create a supple and non-animal leather product.
About Futures is an independent magazine documenting the homes, ideas and conversations shaping a new era of sustainable design.
The most exciting architecture being built right now is sustainable. About Futures covers the groundbreaking materials, the alternative building processes, and the people reimagining what home can look like when it’s designed for the future.
