Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has partnered with the Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) and D-Shape for the World Design Congress (WDC) 2025. Established by the World Design Organization (WDO) in collaboration with the UK Design Council, WDC 2025 brought together the global design community to address design for planet.
Examining design’s capacity as a crucial tool for environmental action, ZHA presented projects that explore sustainable innovation across marine ecosystems, renewable materials, urban regeneration, and future mobility—demonstrating design as an effective catalyst for ecological resilience.
Showcased at WDC 2025, Nereid is a digitally fabricated habitat designed to help restore the marine ecosystem within the North Lantau Marine Park conservation zone in Hong Kong. Sponsored by HKSTP, Nereid has been developed by ZHA using advanced 3D printing technologies created by D-Shape, one of over 2,400 tech companies within HKSTP’s vibrant innovation and technology ecosystem.
Hilda Chan, Chief Marketing Officer of HKSTP, said: “The collaboration highlights the visionary design of Zaha Hadid Architects, the ingenuity of D-Shape, and our commitment to innovative solutions for environmental challenges. We’re thrilled to see Nereid presented at the World Design Congress, demonstrating the power of Hong Kong’s I&T on the world stage.”
Collaborating with marine physiologist and toxicologist Professor James Fang of Hong Kong Polytechnic University whose work and research promotes ocean health and seafood sustainability, Nereid is a prototype developed by ZHA and D-Shape as a practical response to biodiversity loss due to climate change, increased urbanisation, land reclamation and marine pollution that are exponentially impacting coastal environments globally. The project will provide restorative and hydrodynamic benefits which encourage the natural regeneration of marine ecosystems.
Specifically targeting the regeneration of food resources, the design of Nereid by ZHA and D-Shape has been developed to encourage the growth of phytoplankton and filter-feeding shellfish that are the foundation of the marine ecosystem’s food chain.
Employing pH-neutral materials in a low-carbon concrete paste that is safe for marine environments, D-Shape’s advanced 3D printing technology delivers bio-mimetic forms that replicate natural reef textures and porosity for deployment across diverse coastal zones. Optimised for marine-grade applications, the design emulates the geometries of benthic systems such as kelp forests to mimic natural complexity.
This initiative aligns with HKSTP’s mission to foster innovation while restoring the region’s marine habitats. Nereid will create regenerative marine infrastructure that also serves as an effective barrier against harmful practices such as bottom trawling of the seabed by fishing fleets.
Programmes creating artificial reefs providing marine habitats, places of refuge and nurseries have proven to significantly enhance biodiversity and regeneration. Earlier this year, Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) worked with the Agriculture Fisheries and Conservation Department of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to install artificial reefs on the seabed to the west of Hong Kong International Airport’s centre runway.
Post-deployment monitoring surveys confirmed these artificial reefs successfully promoted the growth of colonisation species including goby fish (Tridentiger trigonocephalus), barnacles (Balanus amphitrite), bryozoans (Bugula neritina), oysters, corals, sponges and hydroid species. Ahermatypic hard corals (Balanophyllia) and several commercial fish species (such as Scatophagus argus, Monacanthus chinensis and Acanthopagrus schlegelii) also inhabited these artificial reefs adjacent to Hong Kong International Airport.
Home to the Chinese White Dolphin (Sousa chinensis) – a critically endangered species affectionately known locally as the Hong Kong Pink Dolphin due to its distinctive skin colouration in the warm waters of the Pearl River Delta – the region’s marine ecosystems have been adversely affected by shipping, ferry traffic and land reclamation. This initiative joins existing programmes established to revitalize the ecosystem, essential to supporting the repopulation of the city’s beloved dolphin.
Christos Passas, Design Director, Zaha Hadid Architects, said: “Driven by a deep understanding of the requirements needed to support local ecosystems, this prototype is part of a wider approach developed in collaboration with partners in innovative technologies to research and progress initiatives that enhance environmental sustainability.”
Mario Nuzzolese, Director, D-Shape said: “Nereid demonstrates large-scale 3D printing can support the regeneration of marine ecosystems. By opening our technology to partners, we’re turning bold ideas into habitats where nature and innovation thrive.”
