circular economy
Events
“A journey into a whole new material world”: Plant Life at the NGV
Curator Ewan McEoin tells us about the NGV’s new exhibition on plant-based materials as alternatives to plastics, synthetic materials and other non-renewable resources.
Events
“Renewable real estate”: Wrapping up Melbourne Design Week with FK
FK hosted a standout Melbourne Design Week event with a panel on adaptive reuse and renewable real estate at 500 Bourke, featuring previous contributor Nicky Drobis and our editor as moderator.
Events
3daysofdesign promises a collective recalibration from ‘more’ to ‘meaningful’
After Milan Design Week’s ‘festival of consumption’, 3daysofdesign offers a much-needed reset, an opportunity to ‘make the world a better place’ and perhaps even a soft-launch of the future.
Project
La Marzocco finds its Sydney rhythm
Inside La Marzocco Sydney, Open Creative Studio has turned a Botany warehouse into a flexible showroom, training space and events venue — one that understands coffee culture as both technical craft and social ritual.
Events
The Byera Hadley diaries: Agriculture and architecture rendezvous in Europe
Currently in Europe researching straw as a waste material as part of his research scholarship, AJC Architects’ Michael Jones reports back on what he’s seen and learned so far.
Articles
Minimalism comes full circle
With a minimalist aesthetic and an inventive approach to product, ZETR is challenging the way electrical accessories are designed, made and experienced.
News
“Designers can no longer claim they don’t know the consequences”: Q&A with curator Ewan McEoin
At the NGV’s Making Good: Redesigning the Everyday, design becomes a force for repair. From algae-based vinyl to mycelium earplugs, the exhibition proves that rethinking the ordinary can reshape our collective future.
Events
What is the role of design in a world in crisis?
At the World Design Congress in London, a simple idea threaded through two dense days: design is not an island. It moves inside wider systems of economics, policy, finance and ecology.
Events
CPD Live Returns: 14-16 October 2025
Join CPD Live from 14-16 October for three days of live, interactive education – 100% online, 100% free, and packed with insights to keep your knowledge current and earn CPD points.
Events
Sydney Design Week winners announced
The winners of two major Powerhouse design initiatives – the Holdmark Innovation Award and the Carl Nielsen Design Accelerator – have been announced with the launch of Sydney Design Week 2025.
Events
ReStory by ReLove is open!
ReLove has celebrated the official opening of ReStory by ReLove, a social enterprise giving beautifully curated, preloved furniture a second life.
Ideas
Ross Harding: What about the work-life balance of our cities?
The Finding Infinity Principal comments here on the question of balance in city life, with architecture and design highlighted as the key levers for making change.
People
Stepping up for sustainability: Meet Jane Abernethy of Humanscale
Humanscale’s Chief Sustainability Officer is embarking on a tour of Australia, delivering a talk entitled: “Sustainable by Design: Materials Transparency for a Healthier Planet.” At the same time, the company opens a brand new showroom in Sydney. We met her to find out more.
Events
From Venice with architecture: Highlights from the 2025 Biennale
Australian curator, writer and educator Kate Goodwin has been in attendance at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale and reports back on some of the highlights.
Events
Jessie French and Aesop join forces again for Melbourne Design Week
French’s experimental materials studio, OTHER MATTER, is collaborating across multiple Aesop premises for another exploration of experimental, circular design.
Events
We talk to Arper’s head of sustainability at Milan Design Week
Andrea Mulloni is the head of sustainability at furniture manufacturer, Arper. With a particular emphasis on the evolving Catifa Carta chair, we chatted to him at Arper’s stand during Milan Design Week.
Events
Rethinking Plastics in Product Design: The new book aiming to guide sustainable transitions
Geoff Isaac’s book provides industrial designers and manufacturers with the knowledge needed for a transition to sustainable material choices.
Workplace
Hassell’s vision for Australia’s newest city in over a century starts with workplace design
In Western Sydney, Hassell’s First Building for Bradfield City Centre aims to be regenerative, adaptable and connected to First Nations culture.
Events
Highlights from Stockholm Design Week 2025
From bio-based innovations to circular design, this year’s fair redefined the role of materials in shaping the future of interiors as sustainable materials and a thoughtful approach to the impact of design on our world took centre stage.
Events
Crafted Liberation transforms textile waste into symbols of empowerment
From discarded headscarves to stadium seats, Crafted Liberation leverages material innovation to celebrate Iranian women’s resilience in the pursuit of gender equality.
Workplace
Highlights from ORGATEC 2024
The reimagined format of ORGATEC for 2024 has reinvigorated the world’s leading trade fair for workplace design, resulting in the most successful edition to date. Read on to discover highlights and new trends from ORGATEC 2024.
Events
“The future lies in combining advanced technology, holistic thinking and circular economy”
With Tilt’s Tim Phillips having recently sat as a panellist on one of Saturday Indesign’s discussion events, we decided to dig a little deeper into sustainability with him.
Ideas
Putting back better: Circularity and regeneration, not sustainability
Following a recent panel discussion during Melbourne Design Week, Collectivity Talks Founder, Genevieve Brannigan sat down with Sally Evans, Director of Graphic Design and Product Development at Nexus Designs, to interrogate the role of biofabrication.
Events
We know you don’t believe in ‘trends’ but here are five from Milan anyway
From colour and materiality to textures and even the odd column, here are some offbeat, oblique observations from the great Italian festival of design.
Ideas
Material matters: Striving for circularity in the retail sector
Ahead of the Melbourne Design Week panel, industry experts and moderator Genevieve Brannigan explore the potential of bio-based and upcycled materials, envisioning a sustainable circular future spanning retail and beyond.
Ideas
“A perfect example of the design of the future”: Patricia Urquiola and Mater in Milan
We spoke to Ketil Årdal, CEO of Danish green-tech design brand, Mater, as they unveiled the Alder collection at Milan Design Week.
Ideas
From cutting-edge projects to thoughtful interviews, seven stories on adaptive reuse
Adaptive reuse is all the rage across the design industry, and rightly so. Here, we present a selection of articles on this most effective approach to sustainability.
Workplace
Today Design, tomorrow the zero-waste workplace
In a veritable feast of recycled material, modular efficiency and functional flexibility, Studio Edwards has designed a zero-waste workplace for Today Design.
Ideas
Comment: Tilt’s top three sustainability priorities for 2024
In this comment piece, Tim Phillips, Managing and Creative Director of Tilt Industrial Design, identifies three key initiatives for sustainability in 2024.
Ideas
HDR outlines six megatrends for 2024
In a climate of innovation, HDR’s architecture practice has forecasted six trajectories of change that will have a transformative impact over the coming year and redefine city-shaping for the foreseeable future.
Events
Buildings Breakthrough at COP28: Q&A with David Ness
UniSA Professor David Ness played a key role in a UN report on CO2 emissions relating to buildings, construction and urban growth which underpins the Buildings Breakthrough official launch at COP28 in Dubai.
Events
Circular Cities Summit launches Global Circular Cities Network
Members of the built environment are invited to join the global community dedicated to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Events
Busy times: Who’s been On The Move in April?
So much is happening across the design world, from promotions and new roles to mergers. Get up to date with April’s moves.
Events
Singapore Indesign Intimate: Reimagining waste for a circular economy
What if waste can be thought of as abundant resource rather than unwanted material? Our panel of experts share how they tackle this critical issue through design.
Project
What’s black and white and timber all over?
The Black & White Building by Waugh Thistleton Architects (WTA) in collaboration with TOG is a timber milestone. As the tallest mass timber office building in central London, this is a ground-breaking project in its use of material.
News
Albury Summer Place launches by rethinking the familiar
Re/place has been installed for this year’s Albury Summer Pavilion! Studio Chris Fox has partnered with Bollinger+Grohmann engineers, the University of Sydney and Swinburne University of Technology to create this temporary installation with an experimental approach to materials and circular economy.
Events
Growth industry: Students leading the way in biodesign
In a competition held by K5 Furniture in collaboration with Monash University, students were challenged with a brief of mycelium-based product design. We visit the avant-garde with the exhibition ‘Metanoia’.
Events
Design Conversation: Sustainable development in the furniture industry
What can be done to reduce the environmental impact of the furniture industry? Three industry professionals share their thoughts, initiatives, and aspirations for a greener industry..
News
HY William Chan aptly appointed to lead Global Shapers
Future-focused Sydney architect and “visionary entrepreneur” HY William Chan has been appointed to lead the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers community.
Ideas
10 times design ingenuity made the economy go ’round
From green ceramics to compostable cling-wrap – these ingenious, sustainable products and services are making our circular economy go ’round.
People
Álvaro González gives us an enlightening executive summary
Cosentino’s newly appointed vice president for Asia Pacific shares his strategic moves in driving the global architectural surfaces company’s growth in the region.
Finishes
5 Minutes With… Álvaro González of Cosentino
Álvaro González, newly appointed Vice President of Cosentino Asia Pacific shares his strategic moves in driving the global architectural surfacing company’s growth in the region.
News
What not to miss during Melbourne Design Week 2021
Melbourne Design Week 2021 comprises a provocative lineup of talks, exhibitions and more, centred around the topic ‘design the world you want’. Here’s our two cents on what events are not to be missed.
Ideas
Cult joins the circular economy with sustainability initiative
In the fight for sustainability, Cult Design has announced the launch of its in-house initiative, Cultivated, which offers buy back, refurbishment and recycling services for well-loved items of authentic design.
People
Pushing For A Circular Economy: Saturday Indesign Ambassador Tan Szue Hann
Tan Szue Hann is a man on a mission. Through his role at MINIWIZ Singapore, he wants to see recycling become a way of life here, and show how design can elevate the value of materials considered ‘waste’.
People
5 Minutes With… Tan Szue Hann of MINIWIZ
Tan Szue Hann recently joined Taiwan-headquartered ‘RD&D’ company MINIWIZ as the Managing Director of its new Singapore office. We hear about his passion for producing architecture and design within the circular economy.
Project
Beautiful and resourceful: Zero Waste Bistro
The circular economy comes to hospitality with Zero Waste Bistro where food and waste management, as well as water efficiency, is paramount.