Two RISD Winners Named in the Terra Carta Design Lab Competition

Two RISD teams have been named winners in the Terra Carta Design Lab competition, which challenges students and recent alums to design high-impact solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises: BIOPOD and Shellf Life. Each project will be awarded £100,000 in funding as well as the opportunity to be mentored by Sir Jony Ive HD 09 and Sustainable Markets Initiative’s vast network to help scale their ideas and bring them to market.  Ive, who received an honorary degree from RISD in 2009 for his visionary impact on the field of design, served as chief design officer at Apple alongside Steve Jobs for decades, and currently leads his own design firm, LoveFrom.

“Working with all of the RISD teams who submitted proposals has been a privilege,” says RISD Program Manager Sara Ossana. “Each project tackled a unique dimension of the planetary crisis, and the winning designs are poised to drive meaningful change—addressing rising temperatures, dwindling resources and the urgent need to restore our waterways.”

“We are incredibly proud of all the students and alums who have participated in the Terra Carta Design Lab. Together, they have moved forward groundbreaking ideas by demonstrating that these very ideas can, in fact, create new realities,” adds Provost Touba Ghadessi.  “And, in the realities imagined by these teams, we see nature, people, and the planet guide the future by proposing actionable steps that bring RISD’s creative community, industry partners, and the private sector into dialogue. Let us look at this framework to expand our justice-based approaches, to identify slow design as the key to urgent environmental crises, and to offer the world hope for what lies ahead.”

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BIOPOD—cofounded by Manini Banerjee 24 ID and Avantika Velho 22 ID, and with team members including senior research advisor Dr. Katia Zolotovsky,  Malvika Agarwal 22 GD, Skylar Perez MArch 23 and Joel Yong 25 ID—aims to lower the barrier to entry to wetland restoration through human-scale ecosystem modules designed to remediate water quality (as seen in the top photo). Wetland vegetation traps pollutants while beneficial microorganisms break them down into harmless forms. This process restores water quality, mitigates pollution and enhances ecosystem health by providing a habitat for biodiversity.

“This milestone fuels BIOPOD’s dedication to develop ecological solutions that bridge technology and traditional wisdom,” the group says. “We are excited to heal our earth through collaborating with ecosystems for generations to come. We are honored and excited to bring BIOPOD to the world!"

Shellf Life—founded by Felicia Neuhof MArch 24 with team members Jason Connell MFA 24 FD and Aleza Epstein MArch 24—upcycles seashells and other seafood waste into furniture, tableware, tiles and other home goods with the goal of fostering collaboration and redefining the relationship between the built environment and nature. The group leveraged RISD resources like the Edna W. Lawrence Nature Lab and Hyundai Motor Group Regeneration Studio to develop project strength, malleability and potential for CO2 capture during the calcification process, which mimics the natural development of shells.

“Winning the Terra Carta Design Lab competition confirmed what I suspected—sometimes the most powerful innovations are the simplest ones,” says Neuhof. “I look at our empty oyster, mussel and clam shells differently. Instead of seeing trash, I see everything we need: strength, beauty and a material that has been perfecting itself for millions of years. Now those shells that protected ocean life are protecting our homes, and our planet gets a little better and more beautiful with every seafood dinner.”

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The competition was launched in 2021 by His Majesty King Charles III, in his former role as the Prince of Wales, and Sir Jony Ive in partnership with the Royal College of Art. RISD was invited to participate in 2023—the only US-based school to be invited among four universities—and the interest among students and recent alums was significant. Sixteen teams submitted solution-focused proposals in response to the “Nature, People and Planet” prompt.

Competition criteria includes considering the value of diversity along with the strength and resilience it brings to communities, systems and organizations. Participants were encouraged to recognize the importance of local traditions, languages, products and cultures while aiming to deliver a benefit for human and more-than-human societies and ecosystems.

The teams with shortlisted projects engaged in an intensive six-week curriculum designed by Ossana to foster sustainable business practices and equip participants with tools for storytelling, pitching, business fundamentals, navigating the design media landscape, operations and product development. Through a combination of flash and core workshops, knowledge co-creation and cohort building, the teams gained invaluable insights. They also benefited from guidance provided by a dynamic group of project advisors and workshop leaders, including RISD alums Charlotte McCurdy MID 18 and Hanson Cheng BArch 16. As a result, all participants now have market-ready business concepts and projects, positioning them to bring their proposals to life through real-world applications.

“We are proud to be part of this global effort to transform business practices for climate regeneration. Through this, we hope to show the ingenuity at the heart of art and design education is a necessity to our shared, healthy future,” Vice Provost for Strategic Partnerships Sarah Cunningham says. “Our teams demonstrated extraordinary talent and breadth within the finalist project group, inspiring us with their ability to collaborate across sectors, experiment with materials, integrate expert insights, and shape new futures. While we know RISD is a place of material innovation and incredible talent, it is wonderful to be able to share this with the Sustainable Markets Initiative via their Terra Carta Design Lab and with the broader global community.”

Kaylee Pugliese / Top image: Jenni Ugarte
December 11, 2024