Melissa Ivelaja, A The latest graduate of the architecture of the University of Melbourne was awarded the NATSPEC student award 2024 for a proposal that examines the use of oyster shells as a sustainable building material.
The competition asked the Australian students to propose innovative and convincing options for the use of new or existing materials, products or systems in design and construction.
The judges awarded this year's prize for their proposal with the title Shellshocked, which awarded the potential of using oysters shell products in a number of material applications in construction to the use of oysters shell products on Iyster-Shell-Neben product this year's construction potential.
The jury consisting of Anthony Burke, Rebecca Moore, Kathlyn Loseby and Tony Kemeny-Lobte Ivelja for their creatively recovered shells, including gravel, concrete aggregate and terrazzo or as a full-shell decoration. These application ideas were demonstrated in an accompanying scheme called Point Lonsdale Oyster Pavilion and several material prototypes.
In her proposal, Ivelja explained that Mollusc mussels have become an important global pollutant, with “estimated 10 million tons being thrown away every year,” most of the landfills end “. She added that oysters were historically used under construction, but mainly disappeared from contemporary building practices, despite their promise as “material with low embodied energy”.
The jury commented that Ivelja's proposal not only showed “imagination in the application”, but was “exceptionally researched and communicated well”.
Adele Mancini, Matthew Sabransky, Dominic Randall and Luke McKee from Deakin University were praised for a proposal that examined the use of disposable vapes as building material.
The NATSPEC students received $ 8,000 AUD and praised entries of $ 1,500.