REED-Y MADE
2024
Harvard GSD |
SCI-6372
| Circuits, Circles, Loops: Towards a Regenerative Architecture
with Hanzhang Lai & Charissa Shang
This project explores how complex habitat management of the abundant wetland species Phragmites australis—the common reed—can be transformed into a productive material practice. While traditional architectural uses of reeds typically depend on thatching or weaving, this work asks: how might the intrinsic material properties of reeds inform novel geometries and building methods? Can the use of reeds as a building material incentivize the conservation and restoration of coastal wetlands?
Design Research, Fabrication, Material Science
A significant portion of the northeastern American landscape is salt marsh and wetland habitat. Massachussetts alone holds 21,000 hectares of salt marsh across private and public land.
These ecosystems are rich with fauna and flora, and P. australis, the common reed, is among
the most prevalent plant species. Because of their resilience and invasive growth patterns, reeds have flourished in these ecosystems for centuries, often outcompeting native species and suppressing local biodiversity. Their durability even allows them to establish themselves in urban environments, frequently appearing along roadsides.
Yet this same hardiness gives reeds important ecological value - they can help buffer rising sea levels, stabilize soil, provide animal habitat, and filter pollutants from urban runoff. Even as they challenge it, reeds contribute meaningfully to the delicate balance of wetland environments.
P. Australis in a well managed preservation area, Plum Island, MAP. Australis overgrown on a roadside, Cape Cod, MA https://www.chathamthisweek.com/2015/10/21/phragmite-invasive-species-getting-out-of-control
To date, the most popular methods for common reed manangement involve simply obliterating phragmite populations in order to combat invasiveness. This practice started as early as the 1930’s when ditches were dug to mitigate mosquito breeding. Today’s industrial practices, such as rotary excavation, not only remove phragmites but destroy the surrounding habitat, leaving wetlands and bordering areas vulnerable to effects of rising sea levels. Furthermore, there is no exisiting waste stream for the extracted plant material. The only methods for proper disposal are burning, another environmental hazard, or meticulously bagging the material for weeks to months before composting.
Rotary Excavation
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11273-021-09817-5#Fig5Ditches left in the Great Marsh at Old Town Hill reservation, in Newburyport, MA
https://www.onthecoast.thetrustees.org/great-salt-marsh-restoration
Rather than viewing phragmite removal solely as a nuisance or conservation task, Reed-y Made proposes a regenerative cycle of responsible harvesting, reuse, and ecological stewardship - by using waste to create a modular furniture system. This project not only takes advantage of an exisitng bio-based matieral wastestream, but embraces the material qualities of reeds themselves, affording flexible and contemporary forms.
Early experiments in forming and assembling reed bundles and linear elements
Testing led to the development of several modular connector nodes, 3D printed in biodegradable PLA. These predesigned joints standardize the dimensions of reed bundles and the tectonics of the system, allowing people to easily assemble their own furniture and other objects.
Prototyped furniture pieces include a table, a wall-mounted light fixture, and a birdhouse, each demonstrating different kit-assembly possibilities. Beyond offering a sustainable material solution, Reed-y Made fosters creativity and mindfulness by inviting people to engage hands-on with local ecologies and craft practices. It opens broader conversations across environmental systems, material science, consumer behavior, and regenerative systems.
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Ben Kazer 2026
ABOUT
Ben Kazer is a designer, researcher, and artist living and working in Cambridge, MA.
He completed his B.S in Cognitive Neuroscience at Tufts University and a Master in Design Studies at Harvard Graduate School of Design, where he continues to serve as a critic.