Which plastics can do the job?
Recovered polymers vary. Our research questions cover print behaviour, material consistency and the properties needed for a useful product—including how it could be recovered again.
Research & development · Brisbane
What could plastic do next?
A park bench. A planter. Something a community uses every day. We’re exploring how recycled plastic and robotic 3D printing could turn those ideas into locally made public furniture.
Research in progressArgenta animation · 16 seconds
Ideas in motion.
An animated look at our world of robotic 3D printing.
Three questions worth exploring.
What makes a public object useful?
Seating, planters and bins need more than an interesting shape. We’re exploring comfort, maintenance, replaceable parts and designs that respond to the place they belong.
Could more be made closer to use?
Digital designs create possibilities for local production. We want to evaluate material use, transport, manufacturing effort and product life to understand when that approach makes sense.
Public furniture · Recycled polymers · Robotic manufacturing
From material to a place in the community.
Our current focus is a family of public-space concepts: seating, bins, planters and landscape elements. The ambition is a shared design language with room for local needs.
These concepts are in development. Product performance, material recovery and lifecycle benefits need to be evaluated for each material and application.
Looking towards Brisbane 2032
The event ends. Useful design stays.
What if a seat made for a crowd became a favourite spot in a local park? We’re seeking collaborators to explore recycled-plastic designs with a purpose before, during and long after 2032.
Seats with a next address
Prototype modular seating and planters with a community home planned from the start.
Displays that come back
Explore reusable exhibition pieces, signs and public-art structures that can be repaired, rearranged and used again.
One pilot. Real evidence.
Start with a material, a prototype and a site. Record recycled content, material use, repair options and a realistic route to reuse or recovery.
Have an idea for a better public space? Let’s bring it to life together—with councils, designers and partners across Australia and around the world.
Bring a material. A site. A difficult question.
We welcome councils, universities, designers, material suppliers and manufacturing partners interested in exploring a practical research question together. Local and international collaboration enquiries are welcome.
What could a collaboration involve?
A material trial, a prototype, a site-specific public-furniture concept or a proposal for a pilot installation. We would agree the research question, responsibilities and evidence needed before defining the work.
What should I send?
Tell us about the material, site or product you have in mind. Existing drawings, quantities, location, timing and the outcome you want to investigate help shape a useful first conversation.
Are these products ready to order?
The concepts on this page are R&D proposals. For an existing product or a custom manufacturing brief, explore our collection or contact the workshop to discuss its current feasibility.