LIVING SEAWALLS

REEF DESIGN LAB X SYDNEY INSTITUTE OF MARINE SCIENCE

Seawalls are an ever-present structure in our intertidal environments and are rarely designed in a way that provides shelter for native marine animals. Normally a seawall is completely flat and devoid of crevices minimising the potential for colonising organisms. The aim of the living seawalls project is to develop research-based techniques for designing marine infrastructure in the future. We explore how digital fabrication techniques such as 3D printing can be utilised to minimise cost and increase habitat complexity. RDL works with a scientific team based out of Sydney Institute of Marine Science, UNSW and Macquarie University to bring Living Seawalls to life.

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PRODUCT RANGE

  • RIDGES

  • ROCKPOOL

  • LARGE ROCKPOOL

  • OYSTER

  • HONEYCOMB

  • TEXTURE

  • SPONGE FINGERS

  • CONTROL

  • SWIM-THROUGH

  • KELP HOLDFAST

INSTALLATION SITES

AUSTRALIA

NSW

SA

WA

QLD

ASIA

Singapore

EUROPE

 Gibraltar

Wales

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SCIENCE DRIVING LIVING SEAWALLS DESIGN

Click image to enlarge

EARTHSHOT PRIZE FINALIST

In 2021 Living Seawalls was one of three finalists in the restore our oceans category of the prestigious Earthshot Prize. Reef Design Lab is honoured to be a project partner with Sydney Institute of Marine Science and the entire Living Seawalls scientific team!

BARANGAROO

LIVING SEAWALLS X LENDLEASE

The Living Seawalls underwater garden project consisted of 384 panels that were spanned between piles beneath the boardwalk at Watermans Cove.

The new panels have been designed to mimic the rocky reefs and seaweed forests around Sydney Harbour.  We incorporated oyster shells and crushed sandstone to provide additional habitat opportunities for marine life, including fish, seaweed, oysters and other molluscs, lace corals, sea squirts and sponges. The scientific team is also testing the effectiveness of transplanting seaweeds to the surface of the substrates.

Links: Barangaroo, SIMS, ABC

LIVING SEAWALL COLLAB

LIVING SEAWALLS X VOLVO

RDL teamed up with Volvo and SIMS to design a 3D printed concrete habitat panel for World Ocean Day in 2018.  The panel design will form part of the Living Seawalls research project contributing valuable eco engineering knowledge to the wider program.

Find out more about the Volvo Living Seawall Project below