BEYOND BOUNDARIES The potential of the bio-based materials

Beyond Boundaries: The Potential of Bio-based Materials is a research project developed through two parallel collaborations: at the German University in Cairo (GUC) and with AnotherDesign Lab. The work investigates how bio-based materials can transform local waste into valuable resources, focusing on locality, environmental conditions, and material systems.
The project explores waste as a generative material system through research, teaching, and design experimentation. At GUC, the work was developed through courses, workshops, and extracurricular activities involving students and local communities. This included the development of design outcomes such as a stool created in a rural area near Cairo together with local villagers, responding to everyday needs in sugarcane processing and addressing the environmental impact of using disposable plastic stools, which were typically left in the landscape after use.
In parallel, collaboration with AnotherDesign Lab focused on material experimentation and the development of applied bio-based prototypes with local crafts and design practices.
Across both contexts, the research positions design as a tool for rethinking waste, resources, and material cycles within specific ecological and cultural conditions.