Laasya Bosukonda

Ground

Problem:
Food waste like coffee grounds is often discarded, contributing to emissions in landfills, despite its potential as a raw material. There is a need to repurpose waste into valuable materials that support a circular economy within architectural and design contexts.

Solution:
Through an in-depth experimental research process, we developed a durable bioplastic from used coffee grounds. Using methods such as hand piping, 3D printing, and casting, we explored scalable fabrication techniques.

This work highlights the potential of food waste-derived biomaterials for scalable, design-driven applications.

Skills

Design, Material research, Prototyping, Experimentation

Timeline

Fall 2024 - Present

Materials

Agar agar, Potato starch, Gelatin, Xantham gun, Glycerin, Coffee grounds, Banana peels, Cellulose

Tools

Miro, Ziplocks, Foil, 3D Printer

Why does this matter?

Waste streams constitute the only responsible material source in our world.

As of 2020, humanity officially became the maker of the planet. According to research published in the Scientific American, all human-made synthetic objects now outweigh the combined biomass of all living organisms on Earth.

This raises questions about the future of architecture and design disciplines as the accumulation of new matter now leaves an irreversible footprint.

Manual Forming

Proposed Application

A sustainable composite material made from banana peels and coffee grounds to create a growth wall for plants.

The wall acts as both, a support structure and a nutrient source by:

Leveraging the properties of organic waste to enhance plant growth
Improving soil fertility, prevent erosion, and boost water retention
Recycling agricultural by-products into a valuable resource

Field trials will evaluate its effectiveness in improving crop yields and restoring soil health.

Material Lifecycles

Evaluating the impact of the chosen materials by examining their sourcing, manufacturing, and end-of-life impact.

When discarded, coffee grounds and banana peels release methane in landfills, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and wasting nutrient-rich organic matter.

Material Process

An in-depth overview of the full design process, highlighting the various prototypes and refinements that informed and shaped the final outcome

Final Material Recipe and Characteristics

The final material features a naturally warped form, where coffee grounds and banana-based bioplastic are seamlessly integrated

Shaping Strategies

Investigated multiple approaches to shaping and forming in order to identify a solution that balanced durability with design intent

Individual Recipes

Refined recipes by experimenting with ingredients and proportions to reach the desired material consistency

3D Printing

Individual Recipes and Strategies

Developed and refined recipes, geometries, and printing parameters for optimal results

Iteration 1 used the same bioplastic recipe developed in the manual forming phase

Material Issues and Process Adjustments

Faced clogging issues due to the mixture’s thickness at the extruder tip

Adjusted the order of ingredient mixing to improve flow consistency

Refined the method of loading material into the extruder for better print stability

Iteration 2 involved replacing some ingredients with cellulose

Advancements Achieved

Improved material flow for smoother extrusion
Reduced air bubbles for more consistent dispensing
Increased structural integrity to support taller prints without collapse

Moving Forward

Ongoing work focuses on optimizing the material and print parameters to support taller structures, with future goals including the design of modular panels and functional furniture pieces.