Queen Victoria Gardens

Drop in for a guided sensory experience that playfully engages with regenerative design and the circular economy 

Harness sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch to encircle yourself in a new vision for the future. Think immersive future-focussed sensory party.  

Wander the pavilion and taste regenerative futures, touch the extended life of second-hand garments, smell the unique scent of 3D printable biodegradable bioplastics, and see the poetic adaptability of zero-waste, modular furniture and regenerative natural fibres. Open every facet of perception and attune yourself to a future that’s happening now. 

House of Heat is a unique collaboration bringing together academic and industry leaders, led by Neomatter co-founder and RMIT senior lecturer Ollie Cotsaftis. Joining him are industrial designer and circular economy expert Sarah Dsylva, and UNSW senior lecturer Nina Williams, who works at the intersection of cultural geography and design studies. 

This is a true melting of minds from academia and industry, working together to demystify complex concepts and showcase the material innovators and makers leading the way in our transition to coexistence. 

Stay late or drop in to explore at your own pace. 

Collaborators: 

Ollie Cotsaftis is a Senior Lecturer at RMIT University School of Design exploring regenerative urban futures through biomaterials and climate adaptation. He is also co-founder of neomatter, a nature repair and nature-based solutions startup developing materials for regenerative tomorrows.

Sarah D’Sylva is an Industrial Designer and Co-founder of Hyloh, leading a global network that accelerates circular economy adoption through materials innovation, design, and storytelling.

Nina Williams is a Senior Lecturer at UNSW exploring more-than-human creativity at the intersection of cultural geography and design.

FUTURE reMADE locally produces circular furniture made from 90% post-industrial waste, 10% colour, fastener, and UV.

Hyloh is a global consultancy and collective helping organisations with their material and sustainability challenges.

Isabella Raco is a fashion designer and PhD candidate at RMIT University exploring how frontier technologies can inspire and support people in taking better care of their clothes and embracing repair practices, helping shift consumer behaviour in the fashion and textile industry.

Javier de Urquijo Isoard is an industrial designer and PhD candidate at RMIT University researching the influence of biomaterials on processes of making, exploring how working with natural decay and decomposition can inform the development of more sustainable 3D printing and prototyping materials.

Neomatter is a nature repair and nature-based solutions startup that develops plastic-free, high-performance natural fibres for design and manufacturing, pioneering a global movement towards regenerative materials.

Music by Eve Hunter (XAPHANIA) and Charlotte McCombe (Tourista Caliente)