living seawall

a 20 year interdisciplinary ocean conservation project that seeks to restore biodiversity and improve water quality in Sydney Harbour, designed in collaboration with Reef Design Lab and the Sydney Institute of Marine Science.

  • Volvo Car Australia wanted to use World Environment Day as an opportunity to showcase its sustainability credentials, and its divergent and intelligent approach to problem solving.

  • mangrove forests, and the filter-feeding species that inhabit them, keep our oceans clean. but over time these harbourside ecosystems have disappeared to make way for manmade structures, like seawalls. the problem with seawalls? they’re literally too flat to support life. as a result, biodiversity and water quality suffers.

it’s made up of 50 tessellating tiles designed to mimic the root structure of native mangrove trees. the tiles attract filter-feeding organisms that actually absorb and filter out pollutants – such as particulate matter and heavy metals – keeping the water ‘clean’ while aiding biodiversity. the more organisms we have, the cleaner the water.

the Living Seawall adds complexity to flat concrete seawalls, providing better habitats for marine life.

in the 24 month biodiversity assessment, the Sydney Institute of Marine Science observed 91 species on the Living Seawall including snails, mussels, crustaceans and more.

awards & recognition

2021, The Earthshot Prize, Finalist
2020 Fast Company 2020 Innovation by Design Awards
2019 Beazley Designs of the Year
2019 Cannes Lions, Design-driven Effectiveness - Brand Building, Silver
2019 Cannes Lions, CSR - Brand Experience & Activation: Sectors, Bronze
2019 London International Awards, Innovative Use of Design, Silver
2019 London International Awards, Sustainable Design, Bronze
2019 Spikes Asia, Design, Gold
2019 APAC Tambuli Awards, Grand Prix
2019 APAC Tambuli Awards, Gold
2019 APAC Tambuli Awards, Silver
2019 AWARD Awards, Creativity For Good - Design, Silver
2019 AWARD Awards, Poster & Outdoor - Alternative Media, Individual - Bronze

2019 Cannes Lions, Tangible & Spatial Technology - Touchpoints & Technology, Shortlist
2019 Cannes Lions, Ambient Outdoor - Innovation in Outdoor, Shortlist
2019 Cannes Lions, Special Build - Ambient & Experiential, Shortlist
2019 Cannes Lions, CSR - Excellence in PR, Shortlist
2019 Cannes Lions, Life Below Water - Planet, Shortlist
2019 Spikes Asia, Ambient Outdoor, Shortlist
2019 Spikes Asia, Special Build, Shortlist
2019 Spikes Asia, Corporate Social Responsibility, Shortlist
2019 Spikes Asia, Exhibitions/Installations, Shortlist