Reef Project
Transformable Artificial Reef Structure
The Reef Project is a transformable reef restoration structure designed for rapid and effortless underwater deployment. By enabling the structure to collapse for transport and expand underwater, our project addresses the limitations of current systems that are difficult to transport and deploy. Reefs are vital ecosystems that support marine biodiversity and protect coastlines, making efficient restoration methods like ours increasingly urgent.
Precedent: Biorock by BioRocks — an established coral reef restoration technique using low-voltage electrical currents to stimulate mineral growth on submerged metal structures.
I designed the structure around a scissor-mechanism framework that enables controlled collapse and expansion. The mechanism uses brass sections, threaded female standoffs, screws, washers, and 3D-printed hinges to replicate the intended kinematic behavior while enabling rapid fabrication. The design supports assembly-line manufacturing and significantly reduces the time divers spend deploying each unit.
Mechanism in action — collapse to expansion
I developed detailed connection studies for each moving joint in the structure, prototyping each linkage using print-in-place 3D printing to ensure the scissor mechanism could operate smoothly underwater while remaining structurally stable in its expanded state.
Link connection details
Scissor joint details
Section view of the scissor linkages
Hinge detail — variation 1
Hinge detail — variation 2
Hinge detail — variation 3
I produced three technical drawings to document the structure's geometry based on the 3D model I designed.
Isometric view
Elevation view
Plan view
Final documentation sheet
The final model was assembled using brass bars, threaded standoffs, screws, and 3D-printed hinges — a material approach chosen to replicate the kinematic behavior of the final design while enabling rapid fabrication and iteration.
I generated speculative imagery to visualize how the reef modules would be deployed at scale — packed in their collapsed state for transport, then expanding underwater into a stable reef habitat structure.
