Living Reef Ratio Expositionis by Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan

Living Reef Ratio Expositionis by Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Praemium A' Design Award Ferreum in Productum Sustinibile Competition Category.

FerrumProductum Sustinibile· 2026

Living Reef Ratio Expositionis

by Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan

Client: Misosoupdesign

Praemium A' Design Award Ferreum Winner in Productum Sustinibile Category

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Verified Award Winner
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The Design

About Living Reef Ratio Expositionis

Living Reef expositio publica est quae investigationem de arte designandi sustinebili exhibet. Expositio opera monstrat quae methodo impressionis tridimensionalis Direct Ink Writing atque materiis circularibus confecta sunt, in quibus sunt pulmentum reciclatum, caementum carbone humili et argilla. Prototypa argillae coctae parvae magnitudinis et partes impressae maiores in stylobatis atque in armariis clausis exponuntur. Dispositio iter perspicuum sequitur, a conceptus evolutione et formatione digitali usque ad probationes materiarum, fines fabricationis et prototypa ultima. Propositum est explicare quomodo institutio designatoria usum materiarum circularium et restitutionem scopulorum coralliorum adiuvare possit.

The Recognition

About the Praemium A' Design Award Ferreum

Living Reef Ratio Expositionis victor est Praemii A' Design Award Ferreum, honoris amplissimi formis bonis dati, quae postulatis professionalibus et industrialibus ab creationibus bene formatis exspectatis satisfaciunt. Victores Ferrei magnam peritiam, altam specializationem, intellectum periti et facultatem creandi auctorum suorum ostendunt. Exspectatur Living Reef Ratio Expositionis creationem multum aestimatam, admiratam et carissimam, practicam et novam fore. Haec forma Ferreo victa optimas industriae consuetudines integrat et proprietates technicas idoneas, cum scientia et talento coniunctas, habet. Living Reef Ratio Expositionis ob diligentiam suam honoratur et ad vitae qualitatem emendandam formatum est, ut mundum meliorem reddere iuvet.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: LivingReef Exhibition is a public facing exhibition that documents and displays the outcomes of an international university initiative on sustainable design using Direct Ink Writing DIW 3D printing with circular materials. Instead of presenting only finished objects, the exhibition makes the full research and education workflow visible, from concept development and AI assisted modeling to material trials, fabrication constraints, iteration, and final prototypes.
Dimensions & Packaging: The exhibition includes small scale fired clay prototypes and large scale printed components made with recycled materials. Forms emphasize porosity, modularity, and self supporting geometry. Objects are displayed on museum grade plinths and enclosed cabinets. All components are designed for safe transport, installation, and public viewing within a gallery environment.
Tags: Sustainable Design, Circular Materials, 3D Printing, Design Education, Coral Restoration, Digital Fabrication, University Collaboration
Production Technology: Direct Ink Writing DIW 3D printing, AI assisted 3D modeling, parametric design, digital fabrication, circular materials, recycled C Slurry, low carbon cement, clay based 3D printing, large scale additive manufacturing, sustainable design education
Design Challenge: The challenge was to convert a complex research program into an exhibition that is technically accurate, publicly accessible, and visually coherent. Circular materials behave unpredictably during printing, requiring repeated testing and geometry revision. The project also required integrating outcomes from multiple universities into one clear narrative while presenting both successes and failures as part of sustainable design learning.
Research: LivingReef is an international research and education initiative exploring sustainable design through DIW 3D printing, circular materials, and AI assisted workflows. The exhibition presents physical outcomes and process documentation from cross university workshops, showing how waste derived materials can be transformed into functional prototypes. The project highlights design education as a driver of circular economy practices and environmental awareness.
Inspiration: The exhibition is inspired by two parallel needs. First, coral reef systems are fragile and require new restoration approaches that can be locally adaptable. Second, higher education must respond to decarbonization and digital transformation by teaching designers to work with low waste processes and circular resources. LivingReef translates these needs into a tangible public narrative.
Project Duration: Project duration: 2025
Workshops: Fukuoka Japan and Tainan Taiwan
Exhibition dates: 2025 10 17 to 2025 10 20
Exhibition venue: NTNU Art Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
Operation Flow: The exhibition guides visitors through a clear narrative flow: project background, cross university collaboration, digital modeling, material testing, fabrication challenges, and final outcomes. Interaction is educational and visual, using physical prototypes, process images, and concise labels. Visitors learn how sustainable design evolves through iteration, material limits, and collaboration.
Team Members: Shuenn-Ren Liou
Kazuya Saito