
The About Futures Melbourne Design Week 2026 hitlist
With thirty-plus events on bio-materials, repair and circularity, this year’s design week highlights that sustainability concepts have beyond the fringe.
Zeoform is pioneering a truly circular approach to sustainable materials by turning abundant waste cellulose and water into its proprietary Zeoform Micro Pulp (ZMP) – a high-performance, biodegradable, non-toxic and fully compostable material with applications across design, architecture and manufacturing. Unlike conventional composites that rely on glues, resins or petrochemical binders, Zeoform’s process harnesses natural cellulose fibres and water to create durable, versatile boards and components that emulate or exceed the performance of wood, plastics, MDF and engineered composites, with minimal ecological footprint.
With more than a decade of research and development behind it, Zeoform showcases how circular materials can be realised at scale without compromising strength, aesthetics or environmental integrity. Its proprietary technology unlocks the natural binding power of cellulose, enabling products that are strong, lightweight, mouldable and biodegradable – capable of being machined and finished with standard woodworking tools for use in joinery, furniture, cladding, cabinetry and bespoke design elements. At end of life, Zeoform materials either fully biodegrade or can be cycled back into the material loop, aligning with circular economy principles.
Zeoform has also explored design-led implementations, as seen in the Iceberg Series – a collection of sculptural tables, shelves and lighting that demonstrate the material’s tactile qualities and potential as both structural and aesthetic surfaces in interiors and product design.
By championing a water-only binding process and waste-centric feedstock, Zeoform points toward a future where materials do not extract from natural ecosystems but are instead created and returned in harmony with them – offering architects, designers and manufacturers a compelling alternative to extractive, petrochemical-dependent materials.
Find out more at zeoform.com

With thirty-plus events on bio-materials, repair and circularity, this year’s design week highlights that sustainability concepts have beyond the fringe.

A community building with heart, The Apple House features hemp, lime plaster, spruce glulam and an earthen floor – all with a respectful outlook to the surrounding orchard.

The most profound thing Bard Yersin did to this 18th-century Fribourg farmhouse was strip away layers from an earlier renovation. La Crêta is an adaptive reuse project that proves sustainable design’s most powerful tool is restraint.

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