NGV Stylecraft Australian Furniture Design Award 2026

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Contemporary design thinking increasingly asks us to consider how architectural elements can actively contribute to, or even regenerate, the environments they inhabit. This regenerative design philosophy moves beyond constructing static structures, focusing instead on cultivating living systems and creating opportunities for life to take root.
“Plant Knit” is a lightweight, plant-integrated modular system designed to fit neatly into small spaces while offering the potential to expand and enhance larger areas such as offices or open-plan interiors. It can begin as a discrete planted element, just one or two knitted modules and grow incrementally into a larger installation that spans vertically as a room divider. As it expands, the knitted elements can incorporate both planting and lightweight storage, enabling the piece to transition from an elegant accent to a functional, space-shaping system.

Plant Knit can introduce gentle boundaries, create layers within a room, or define zones without the heaviness of solid partitions, all while maintaining visual permeability and adding a living presence.
An integrated irrigation system supports plant health. A hybrid beam holds open water trays that feed flexible tubes, delivering moisture to custom vacuum-formed plant holders nestled within the knitted modules. The structure is stabilized by paired stainless-steel rods anchored to weighted footings, ensuring durability without compromising its lightweight character.
Designed for compact living yet capable of meaningful expansion, Plant Knit can even function as a living window shade, bringing greenery, shading, storage potential, and spatial adaptability into homes of all sizes, while supporting more layered, regenerative ways of inhabiting space.