Project Aim
The goal of this sprint is to produce the first working prototypes of plastic-free marine infrastructure through a series of hands-on community workshops.
Together, across two cohorts, we will collaboratively prototype a range of possible designs – exploring different materials, finishes, shapes and surface treatments. Here, we are generating tangible proof points: physical artefacts that can attract funding, spark imagination, and inform the engineers and decision-makers who will carry this inquiry forward.
We will test materials like mycelium, oysters, bio-resins, and other control materials to understand how they behave in marine environments. We’ll observe, learn, pivot and adapt in real time. It’s a living inquiry – and like all living systems, it will evolve as we go.
At the completion of each stream, prototypes will be tested in saltwater pools at the Design Lab at the University of Sydney and in Sydney Harbour.
This sprint is part research, part art, part action and we will be documenting the process as we go to learn and evolve. This is early-stage, experimental, and deeply collaborative – your hands will shape how we make our harbour healthy and begin to heal the vital waters that surround us.
Who Is It For?
This is an all-inclusive program welcoming people from all walks of life.
You might be:
A curious human with no prior experience who simply loves our city’s waterways
A change-maker or activist passionate about ocean and ecosystem health
An engineer, architect, designer or academic with an interest in marine studies or regenerative infrastructure*
A student, artist, maker or systems thinker
Someone who feels called to be part of something hopeful and hands-on
Diversity of perspectives is essential to this program, we believe regenerative change is possible when unusual alliances come together.
No prior expertise required – just commitment to the 8 weeks, curiosity, and a willingness to collaborate. * Participation in this program can contribute to CPDs
Sign-up here.
Key Dates
We will run two distinct cohorts, each exploring a different prototype pathway. Participants will only be able to join a single stream, not both.
Stream 1
Wednesdays, March 11 – April 29
5:30pm – 9:00pm
Each participant produces their own buoy
This stream focuses on material experimentation and comparative testing.
Steam 2
Tuesdays, March 31 – May 19
5:30pm – 9:00pm
This stream applies insights from Cohort 1 into a larger, system-oriented prototype.
To view a detailed week-to-week program, please scroll below, beneath the Sign-up link. Please note this is an indicative outline that may evolve.
Location
Workshops will be hosted at the Design Lab at the University of Sydney, with final prototype testing conducted in Sydney Harbour – bringing our collective experiment into the living waters of Sydney.
Commitment and Pricing
We ask participants to commit to the full eight-week sprint.
This is a living experiment where each week builds on the next.Having full attendance ensures we have enough hands and continuity of insight to successfully create and test the prototypes.
The total cost is $80 ($10 per workshop).We’ve intentionally priced this to be accessible and inclusive.
If cost is a barrier, please reach out. We want you to join us and welcome conversations about concession pricing. Email Yvonne and Stephanie to explore options: yvonne@bluegreen.au / stephanie@regen.sydney
A Journey of Discovery
This is a process of exploration and working at the edge.
We will test ideas. Some will work beautifully. Some may fail spectacularly. We will pivot and adapt as we learn from the materials and from the harbour itself.
If this sounds exciting and you’d love to dive into something experimental and collaborative that seeks to heal our city’s waters – then please join us on this journey.
Sign Up Here
Numbers are limited to 20 participants per cohort, and places are expected to fill quickly.
If you feel the call to be part of this first-of-its-kind regenerative experiment, please register your interest here.
We’ll be in touch to confirm your spot.
Come help us prototype a future where marine infrastructure helps heal vital waters together.
Detailed Week-to-week Program – What to Expect
Below is an indicative outline of the program, note that it may evolve and be refined based on the prototyping outcomes as the weeks progress.
Week 1: Orientation and principles of circularity Program overview, expectations and initial concepts for the prototypes.
Speakers: Dr Phillip Gough, University of Sydney Dr Kiran Kashyap, Regen Sydney; and Tom Rivard, Urban Futurist.
Week 2: Hands-on and principles of circularity Hands-on session processing the raw materials ready for sterilisation – paired with an in-depth discussion on circularity and waste streams.
Speakers: Jessica Mevel, Sydney Circular Economy Club.
Week 3: Forming and artifacts Hands-on session shaping the materials into the moulds – paired with a discussion of the prototypes as cultural artifacts.
Speakers: Prof. Lian Loke, University of Sydney and artist; and Prof. Kate Goodwin University of Sydney, and curator.
Week 4: Walk on Country and neighbourhood climate mitigation Introduction to Nature-based Solutions, exploring how the University connects to Country through the use of swales, rain gardens and constructed wetlands. Followed by a short workshop on opportunities for neighbourhood climate mitigation.
Speakers: David Beaumont (Wiradjuri), Cultural Facilitator; Colin Finn, Blue Green Australia; and Tom Rivard, Urban Futurist.
Week 5: Unmoulding and art preparation Hands-on session removing the mycelium forms of the moulds, drying them, and preparing the oyster shells. The second part of this session involves planning and sketching out the intended artistic elements with project artists.
Speakers: Jenny Turpin, artist; and Kate Goodwin University of Sydney and curator.
Week 6: Coating Hands-on session covering the units in either eco-concrete or oyster biopolymer. This critical session is led by a mix of practical material scientists.
Speakers: Dr Phillip Gough, University of Sydney; Jenny Turpin, artist; and Kate Goodwin University of Sydney and curator.
Week 7: Planting and Connecting to, and Healing CountryConnecting with and healing Country hands-on process, adding soil, planting medium and wicking materials to the units to test how we can plant native coastal succulents.
Speakers: David Beaumont (Wiradjuri), Cultural Facilitator; and Clarence Slocklee (Bundjalung), Jiwah.
Week 8: Floating – onsite in the harbour! Exciting session testing the floating of the prototypes in Sydney Harbour (location to be confirmed).
Speakers: Colin Finn, Blue Green Australia; and Tom Rivard, Urban Futurist.