Abstract: What happens when discarded 3D-printing material becomes part of an architectural experience? Ninefold: A Distributed Resonant Field explores this question through nine sound-producing objects made from recycled plastic. Presented at Reeves House Visual Arts Center in Woodstock, Georgia, the installation connects material reuse with sound, light, geometry and movement. More importantly, it suggests a different approach to sustainable design: instead of treating waste simply as a problem to eliminate, designers can investigate its potential as a medium for creating new spatial experiences.
First image left: Ninefold, a field of nine resonant artifacts, varying in geometry, scale, surface, and material |images ©Arsh Khanna; Source: Woodstock Arts — official exhibition page
Second image left: Variations in geometry, translucency and surface articulation influence both acoustic and visual perception. |images ©Arsh Khanna; Source: Woodstock Arts — official exhibition page
From Waste to Material Potential
Recycled 3D printing waste is finding a new role in spatial design. Rather than turning discarded plastic into another conventional object, Ninefold uses recycled material as part of an immersive environment where sound, light and form interact.
The installation was created by Hyojin Kwon, Jeremy Muller and Misri Patel. It is currently presented at Reeves House as part of Ninefold: A Distributed Resonant Field alongside Plastic Reimagined: Material Agency & Circular Design. The exhibition is curated by Carolina Cuevas and the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Nine Objects, One Resonant Field
The installation consists of nine sound-producing artifacts distributed throughout the gallery. Each object acts as an acoustic mediator. Its geometry, thickness, translucency and surface qualities influence the way sound travels through the space.
Consequently, visitors do not experience the installation from a single fixed position. As they move around the room, their relationship with the sound field changes. Sounds can intensify, overlap or recede depending on where a person stands.
At the same time, the material contributes visually. Variations in translucency and surface articulation affect the way light is perceived. Therefore, the objects operate simultaneously as sculptural forms, acoustic elements and spatial devices.
Designing With Waste
This approach extends the ideas behind Plastic Reimagined, a Georgia Tech design-research project led by Hyojin Kwon.
The project investigates discarded plastics such as HDPE and PLA collected from makerspaces and other waste streams. Instead of treating these materials as an end product of consumption, the studio explores their potential for new architectural applications through fabrication and computational design.
This shift is significant. Sustainable design is often focused on selecting environmentally preferable materials. However, Ninefold suggests another question: what can a reclaimed material actually do?
Its answer is not limited to recycling. The material becomes part of the performance of the space.
A New Direction for Sustainable Design
This idea could influence future interior and architectural practice.
Recycled materials can have distinctive textures, colours, transparency and physical behaviours. Therefore, designers can potentially use these characteristics to influence acoustics, lighting, atmosphere and spatial perception.
In this sense, circular design becomes more than a strategy for reducing waste. It becomes a creative method.
Instead of hiding the history of a material, designers can allow its previous life to remain visible. The irregularities and variations created during fabrication can become part of the aesthetic language.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Ninefold presents a compelling direction for sustainable design. It demonstrates how recycled plastic can move beyond being simply a substitute for new material and become an active component of spatial experience.
The project connects several disciplines at once: material innovation, digital fabrication, acoustic design, lighting and architecture.
Ultimately, its most valuable lesson may be simple: the future of circular design is not only about asking how waste can be reused. It is also about asking what new experiences can be designed from it.