Zaha Hadid Architects has introduced groundbreaking 3D-printed marine habitats designed to support the natural restoration of ocean ecosystems. The innovative project, called Nereid, was recently showcased at the World Design Congress exhibition in London, held at the iconic Brutalist Barbican Centre from September 9-10, 2025. The habitat prototype represents a cutting-edge approach to addressing marine biodiversity loss through advanced digital fabrication technologies.
The World Design Congress, themed "Design for Planet," challenged designers and commissioners to tackle their most critical assignment yet: creating a regenerative future in response to climate change while examining design's role as a tool for environmental action. Within this context, Zaha Hadid Architects presented Nereid as a digitally fabricated habitat developed using sophisticated 3D printing technologies in partnership with D-Shape, a startup specializing in large-scale binder jetting 3D printing for marine structures.
Nereid was specifically conceived to address the restoration of marine food resources by encouraging the growth of phytoplankton and filter-feeding shellfish, which form the foundation of marine ecosystem food chains. The project was developed in collaboration with James Fang, a marine physiologist and toxicologist from Hong Kong Polytechnic University, whose research focuses on promoting ocean health and seafood sustainability. This scientific partnership ensures the habitat design is grounded in marine biology principles and environmental science.
The prototype serves as a response to the growing threats of biodiversity loss caused by climate change, urbanization, land reclamation, and marine pollution, which are increasingly affecting coastal environments worldwide. These environmental pressures have significantly damaged marine ecosystems, making innovative restoration solutions like Nereid increasingly crucial for ocean conservation efforts.
The habitat utilizes pH-neutral materials in a low-carbon concrete paste, shaped into biomimetic forms that replicate reef-like textures and porosity. This design allows for deployment across diverse coastal zones while maintaining environmental compatibility. The structure is optimized for marine applications and emulates the complex geometries of benthic systems such as kelp forests, imitating natural complexity to provide suitable habitats for marine life.
Beyond its ecological benefits, Nereid's design also functions as a protective barrier against harmful fishing practices such as bottom trawling, which can damage seafloor ecosystems. The habitat's reef-like structure creates physical obstacles that help preserve marine environments from destructive human activities while simultaneously providing new spaces for marine organisms to thrive.
The project was specifically developed for the World Design Congress 2025 in partnership with the Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) and D-Shape. This collaboration brings together architectural innovation, scientific research, and advanced manufacturing technologies to create practical solutions for marine conservation challenges.
Hong Kong's marine ecosystems have been significantly impacted by shipping traffic, ferry operations, and extensive land reclamation projects. Nereid complements existing ecosystem revitalization programs, including a collaboration launched earlier in 2025 between the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of the Hong Kong SAR Government to install artificial reefs on the seabed west of Hong Kong International Airport's center runway.
According to Zaha Hadid Architects, post-deployment monitoring of these existing artificial reefs has confirmed successful promotion of colonization species growth. The reefs have attracted goby fish (Tridentiger trigonocephalus), barnacles (Balanus amphitrite), bryozoans (Bugula neritina), oysters, corals, sponges, and hydroid species. Additionally, ahermatypic hard corals (Balanophyllia) and several commercial fish species, including Scatophagus argus, Monacanthus chinensis, and Acanthopagrus schlegelii, have successfully inhabited these artificial reef structures near the airport.
The World Design Congress exhibition also featured other notable Zaha Hadid Architects projects, demonstrating the firm's commitment to sustainable design innovation. These included the proposed Eco Park Stadium for Forest Green Rovers Football Club, the 3D-printed concrete blocks of the Striatus and Phoenix bridges (first presented at the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale and introduced by Shajay Bhooshan, co-founder of ZHA's Computational & Design group), NatPowerH hydrogen refueling infrastructure for the recreational boating industry, BEEAH Group's new headquarters in Sharjah, UAE, the Thalia cork wall system developed with Gencork, and designs for the Napoli Porta Est masterplan adjacent to the city's railway station.
Zaha Hadid Architects continues to push the boundaries of sustainable architecture and environmental restoration through innovative design solutions. Recent work by the firm includes a beachfront tower in Florida that extends Miami's tradition of sculptural coastal architecture, a new residential neighborhood in Málaga, Spain, and the winning design for the arrivals terminal at Vilnius Airport in Lithuania. The Nereid project represents the firm's ongoing commitment to addressing global environmental challenges through cutting-edge architectural and technological innovation.
