The Ever-growing Sponge Module: Designing Modular Systems for a Regenerative City | Masters Design Project on Regenerative Architecture

Site Context

This project does not respond to a specific site or context, instead operates at a speculative scale. We aimed to highlight the massive volume of textile waste produced annually by imagining how this material could be reintegrated into iconic landscapes. The proposal considers large-scale insertions—such as a megastructure in the heart of New York City or a new obelisk in Washington, DC—that confront the public with the scale of this environmental issue. These structures not only make visible the waste crisis but also speculate on new ecological roles, functioning as vertical gardens and water retention systems. In doing so, the project repositions waste as both a symbol and agent of resilience in the built environment.

Design Process

This studio encouraged students to approach architecture from the scale of the detail, working backward within a modular design framework. In our case, the detail was embedded in the material itself. Rather than beginning with form or program, the process started with textile waste—an abundant, overlooked material—and allowed its physical behavior to drive the design. Through hands-on experimentation, they explored different methods of aggregating and binding reclaimed textiles using various natural and synthetic agents. 

Each combination produced distinct structural and textural properties, which in turn revealed new functional and spatial possibilities. Some mixtures became rigid and load-bearing, while others remained soft and absorptive—lending themselves to different uses across the system. This iterative process allowed us to define modules that were not only materially efficient but also responsive to environmental performance. The design emerged through this material dialogue, resulting in a system that reflects both the limitations and the potential of waste as a generative force in architecture.

Final Outcome

The final outcome of the project is a modular system that transforms textile waste into a living, water-retentive urban infrastructure. Using a combination of digital modeling, material experimentation, and physical prototyping, we developed a series of interlocking units designed to retain moisture, support plant growth, and adapt to various urban conditions, from sidewalk edges to larger park installations. Each unit is made from shredded textile waste, proposing a new role for discarded materials in ecological restoration.

In addition to the built prototype, we produced drawings, renders, and fabrication studies that explore the system’s scalability and performance across different spatial and environmental contexts. These investigations highlight how architectural details, through the relationship of material behavior, geometry, and method of assembly, can act as a lens for creating architecture itself.

Conclusion: This project approaches design as a holistic process, where the life cycle of materials, construction methodologies, and systems of aggregation are integral from the outset. Beyond its technical resolution, the work offers a framework for circular thinking, where waste is not an afterthought but a beginning. It challenges extractive models and opens new possibilities for a built environment rooted in regeneration, adaptability, and long-term stewardship.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]