Press Release
Living Reef Exhibition by Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan Receives the A' Design Award in Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design
Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan of MisoSoupDesign recognized for sustainable products, projects and green design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 22, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ Living Reef Exhibition by Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan of MisoSoupDesign has been granted the A' Design Award in the Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The recognition forms part of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the A' Design Award
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
More About Living Reef Exhibition
Living Reef is a public exhibition that presents research on sustainable design. The exhibition shows work made with Direct Ink Writing 3D printing and circular materials, including recycled slurry, low carbon cement and clay. Small scale fired clay prototypes and large printed components are displayed on plinths and in enclosed cabinets. The layout follows a clear route, from concept development and digital modeling to material tests, fabrication limits and final prototypes. The aim is to explain how design education can support circular material use and coral reef restoration.
About Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan
Daisuke Nagatomo graduated from Meiji University in Tokyo, and decided to pursue his passion of architecture at Columbia University, where he received master degree in advanced architectural design. Nagatomo began his career in the metropolitan New York area with architecture firms, including TEN Arquitectos and Design Office for Research and Architecture. He was the invited researcher for FabLab House project at IaaC, Barcelona from 2009 to 2010 where he holds research diploma. Nagatomo is currently the assistant professor of National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan as well as adjunct faculty member of Tokyo Denki University.
About MisoSoupDesign
MisoSoupDesign is Japan / Taiwan based Design Studio led by Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan.
Award Record
Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan of MisoSoupDesign is a winner of 37 A' Design Awards, including this recognition. The awards were granted between the 2011 - 2012 and the 2025 - 2026 editions of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design Award
The A' Sustainable Product Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good sustainable products by leading designers and brands worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to sustainable product designers, green product manufacturers, eco-friendly product brands and industrial designers from all countries. Typical entries include sustainable projects, environment friendly designs, recycled, upcycled and bio-degradable products. The awarded sustainable product designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/sustainable-product
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/180506
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/180506
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!180506
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/112232
- Further Information from the Laureate: http://www.misosoupdesign.com/
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Living Reef Exhibition
- Function
- Exhibition
- Category
- Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Sustainability
- Colors
- Black, Dark Slate Gray, Dim Gray, Dark Gray and Gray
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan
- Country
- Taiwan (China)
- Brand
- MisoSoupDesign
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #180506
Credits
- Team
- Shuenn-Ren Liou and Kazuya Saito
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- LivingReef Exhibition is a public facing exhibition that documents and displays the outcomes of an international university initiative on sustainable design using Direct Ink Writing DIW 3D printing with circular materials. Instead of presenting only finished objects, the exhibition makes the full research and education workflow visible, from concept development and AI assisted modeling to material trials, fabrication constraints, iteration, and final prototypes.
- Inspiration
- The exhibition is inspired by two parallel needs. First, coral reef systems are fragile and require new restoration approaches that can be locally adaptable. Second, higher education must respond to decarbonization and digital transformation by teaching designers to work with low waste processes and circular resources. LivingReef translates these needs into a tangible public narrative.
- Research
- LivingReef is an international research and education initiative exploring sustainable design through DIW 3D printing, circular materials, and AI assisted workflows. The exhibition presents physical outcomes and process documentation from cross university workshops, showing how waste derived materials can be transformed into functional prototypes. The project highlights design education as a driver of circular economy practices and environmental awareness.
- Challenge
- The challenge was to convert a complex research program into an exhibition that is technically accurate, publicly accessible, and visually coherent. Circular materials behave unpredictably during printing, requiring repeated testing and geometry revision. The project also required integrating outcomes from multiple universities into one clear narrative while presenting both successes and failures as part of sustainable design learning.
- Realization and Technology
- Direct Ink Writing DIW 3D printing, AI assisted 3D modeling, parametric design, digital fabrication, circular materials, recycled C Slurry, low carbon cement, clay based 3D printing, large scale additive manufacturing, sustainable design education
- Operation and Interaction
- The exhibition guides visitors through a clear narrative flow: project background, cross university collaboration, digital modeling, material testing, fabrication challenges, and final outcomes. Interaction is educational and visual, using physical prototypes, process images, and concise labels. Visitors learn how sustainable design evolves through iteration, material limits, and collaboration.
- Project Duration and Location
- Project duration: 2025 Workshops: Fukuoka Japan and Tainan Taiwan Exhibition dates: 2025 10 17 to 2025 10 20 Exhibition venue: NTNU Art Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
- Specifications
- The exhibition includes small scale fired clay prototypes and large scale printed components made with recycled materials. Forms emphasize porosity, modularity, and self supporting geometry. Objects are displayed on museum grade plinths and enclosed cabinets. All components are designed for safe transport, installation, and public viewing within a gallery environment.
- Keywords
- Sustainable Design, Circular Materials, 3D Printing, Design Education, Coral Restoration, Digital Fabrication, University Collaboration
