ANIMA - Structure Optimized 3D Printed Interior Installation

We are students from Master Degree of Interior Design at RMIT and this installation is made for Melbourne Design Week – “HAT, HAND AND BOOT” 2025 Exhibition. It invites audiences to gather around a reimagined “table,” conceived as an immersive encounter with the hidden dynamics of consumption, digestion, and waste. Rather than a conventional surface for eating, the table becomes a metaphorical body—an architectural skeleton through which flows of matter are revealed and made tangible.
In the design process, the form was first generated using the topology optimization method with the BESO algorithm, aiming to create a self-supporting structure with minimal material usage. The rough model obtained from this process was then refined and subdivided manually using Rhino’s SubD tools. Following this, the Aurora algorithm was applied to the SubD surfaces to generate detailed surface articulation. Finally, the structure was fabricated through 3D printing with PETG material, and the components were assembled using traditional mortise-and-tenon joints.
Interlaced within this scaffold are clear plastic tubes that echo the intricacy of organic vessels. Through these vessels, participants actively pump vibrant red jelly, a material chosen to evoke the lifeblood of the system. The jelly becomes symbolic “blood,” moving visibly through the structure, its circulation dramatizing processes that in living organisms are usually concealed. This act of manual pumping establishes a performative connection between viewer and work, insisting that sustenance and waste are inseparable aspects of human life.
The visceral experience is intensified by a striking red cover of organza fabric infused with jelly, creating textures that oscillate between allure and discomfort. By engaging with this installation, participants are prompted not only to witness but also to enact cycles of intake and release, sparking reflection on how individual actions tie into larger ecological systems. Ultimately, the work transforms the familiar setting of a table into a stage for critical awareness—where bodily metaphors and environmental concerns converge, challenging us to reconsider responsibility within the broader metabolism of contemporary life.