SoilWorks

SoilWorks is an open-source design project that reimagines public spaces by integrating sustainable materials, soil, and plants into modular, biodegradable furniture. Rooted in a shared vision for tackling the climate crisis, restoring biodiversity, and reconnecting people with nature, the project empowers local communities to build green spaces in order to enhance urban landscape and foster climate-conscious conversations.

The aim is to imagine a local park transformed into a collaborative hub, where people come together to construct sustainable structures — benches, stools, or sculptures — that seamlessly blend into the environment. These modular designs, made from biodegradable materials, help structure the soil before naturally decomposing, enriching the local ecosystem over time. This ensures that the space evolves with nature, rather than disrupting it.

Through extensive research and material experimentation:

• ⁠ ⁠We developed recipes for alternative, eco-friendly materials derived from organic food waste.
• ⁠ ⁠These designs are accessible worldwide via our open-source platform, providing communities and organisations with resources to build their own structures.
• ⁠ ⁠We also explored and researched economics, ensuring that local groups can access funding and support to host workshops in order to bring these concepts to life.
• ⁠ ⁠We put together a prototype of our model furniture along with a user manual for easy building of the furniture.

By merging design, sustainability, accessibility and community action, SoilWorks offers a blueprint for cities to invite nature back into urban life — creating spaces where people don’t just sit in nature, but actively shape and sustain it.