Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan · CLIENT: Misosoupdesign
Living Reef is a public exhibition that presents research on sustainable design. The exhibition shows work made with Direct Ink Writing 3D printing and circular materials, including recycled slurry, low carbon cement and clay. Small scale fired clay prototypes and large printed components are displayed on plinths and in enclosed cabinets. The layout follows a clear route, from concept development and digital modeling to material tests, fabrication limits and final prototypes. The aim is to explain how design education can support circular material use and coral reef restoration.
Press Kit
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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