Halcyon
Biomaterial Research & Regenerative Prototyping
Halcyon is a material exploration project rooted in ecological intelligence — where design meets climate-conscious production. Developed during my MFA at Parsons, the project centers on creating 3D-printable filaments from biodegradable sources, inviting a new way of thinking about digital making: one that regenerates instead of extracts.
Regenerative Design
Systems Thinking
Halcyon isn’t just about a single material — it’s about designing a regenerative system. How might biodegradable objects be locally fabricated and composted?
What if supply chains were seasonal?
The project becomes a provocation:
What does sustainable prototyping actually look like when we stop centering petroleum?
Key Goals
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Manufacture recyclable, compostable objects
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Replace fossil-based industrial plastics
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Demonstrate a closed-loop fabrication system
Prototype Insights
Halcyon — Regenerative Prototyping & Insights
Material Ideation & Biopolymer Selection
Surveyed existing bioplastics and conducted early-stage experiments with agar, starch, cellulose, and lacquer. Identified lacquer for its historic durability, moldability, and natural polymer behavior.
Halcyon challenges the norms of digital making by exploring organic material languages — soft, impermanent, and alive. Instead of mimicking petroleum plastics,
Lacquer as a 3D Filament
Raw lac, harvested from lac insects living on forest trees, was reimagined into a bio-composite. Through hundreds of iterative tests, I developed a formula combining lacquer and other composites that provided ductility, enabling the composite to be extruded into 1.5mm filament compatible with FDM printers.
Temperature Study
Material Behavior & Temperature Study
A core phase of Halcyon involved intensive material testing to understand lacquer’s thermal behavior and compatibility with extrusion-based 3D printing.
Through controlled melting trials, I charted materials transition phases — from softening to flow — identifying the optimal temperature range for stable extrusion without carbonization or structural failure.
To balance brittleness and enhance flexibility, additional campsites were introduced as a plasticizer, creating a composite that could hold form under low-heat conditions.
Material Behavior
Prototyping Process
Experimented with ratios of lacquer and natural binders
Each iteration was tested for:
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Melting point stability
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Viscosity and flow rate during extrusion
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Surface finish post-print
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Cooling and solidification time
Printer Modification
Adapted an FDM printer and extruder to handle composite material. This versatility emphasized the material’s potential not just for digital prototyping, but also for low-tech, localized fabrication methods.
Circular Material
Technical Process
Extrusion & 3D Printing Trials
Built a custom extrusion setup for FDM compatibility. Iterated nozzle temperatures, cooling times, and feed rates to achieve smooth deposition. Assessed layer adhesion, print fidelity, and deformation.
Prototyping & Failure Studies
Produced small-scale speculative forms (e.g., vessels, architectural fragments) designed to fail or decompose. Observed changes over time to understand aging, compostability, and microbial breakdown.
Systems Mapping & Circular Feedback
Mapped a closed-loop system where printed waste re-enters the material supply. Explored seasonal, site-based fabrication models that support ecological rather than industrial rhythms.
Circular System
Circularity & Regeneration
At the heart of Halcyon is a commitment to material circularity.
Unlike traditional plastics, the lacquer-beeswax composite is fully biodegradable..
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Once a form reaches the end of its useful life — whether printed, molded, or cast — it can be reheated, broken down, and remade into new material without losing core structural properties.
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The material’s organic origin allows it to re-enter the natural ecosystem safely.
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Excess or failed prints don’t become waste — they become feedstock, melted back into paste or filament.
As Halcyon, every object is a phase, not an endpoint.
This approach reframes prototyping not as a linear act of consumption, but as a cyclical practice of renewal — aligning production with seasonal, site-responsive rhythms.
Proof of Concept
Prototyping, Material Test and a Design Provocation.
Using the lacquer composite filament, I printed a series of small-scale objects, like eyewear frames — to examine structural integrity,. These artifacts weren’t just functional trials but conceptual probes into how regenerative materials could shape future everyday forms.
Final renders were created to visualize scenarios highlighting the potential of bio-based materials across wearable product design contexts. The renderings serve as speculative projections, imagining a design future where materials return gracefully to the earth.
