Designing for Planetary Futures: Sustainable Innovation at Central Saint Martins 2025 Postgraduate Show

Visiting the show on a sunny Saturday morning, I was greeted by the lively atmosphere of Granary Square, with children running and splashing in fountains, groups chatting over breakfast, and proud friends and family clutching flowers and maps. Inside the campus, a buzz of excitement filled the air as visitors navigated the packed halls, celebrating the students’ achievements.

My first stop was ‘The Crossing’ exhibition on the ground floor, a collaborative presentation from six courses: MA Architecture, MA Biodesign, MA Cities, MA Material Futures, MA Narrative Environments, and MA Regenerative Design. I was immediately drawn to the MA Material Futures exhibit, where students explored the intersections of science, technology, and culture with a clear focus on sustainability and innovation.

One project that truly stopped me in my tracks was ‘Bio Gold’ by Carolinia Mortara. As a photographer who has captured countless jewellery pieces, it was eye-opening to realise that gold’s value is less about its physical properties and more about its shimmer, and that there is now more gold contained in electronic waste than mined ore. Mortara’s work powerfully exposes the devastating environmental and social costs of gold mining in Brazil, highlighting connections to organised crime, mercury poisoning, and the displacement of Indigenous peoples such as the Yanomami.

“We already have more gold in electronic waste than in natural ore—we don’t need to mine any more.”

Inspired by natural iridescence found in golden beetles, grasses, and marine bacteria, Mortara experiments with bio-based materials that recreate gold’s shimmer without the ecological destruction. A standout piece was her ‘living necklace’, created in collaboration with the British Museum and Asty Seller which is a replica of a 16th-century Brazilian artefact that threads together centuries of extractivism with a vision for a more ethical, shimmering future.

“Most gold is used for its shimmer, not its properties—so why not create that shimmer without destroying the forest?”

For Mortara, Indigenous voices are central to this conversation:

“For many Indigenous communities, gold is the skeleton of the planet. When you take it out, the Earth will melt.”

For more on Carolinia’s work, visit her website carolmortara.com.br or follow her on Instagram @carolmortara and also contact her via email at carolmortara@gmail.com

Moving on, I visited the M Arch Architecture show and was struck by how deeply it embodied this year’s theme of Design for Planetary Care. Celebrating a decade since the first graduating cohort, the showcase brought together projects blending ecology, social justice, and critical spatial practice. Each Major Project, still a work in progress, reflected a year-long journey of students questioning where they fit within today’s complex global challenges: who they are, what they believe, and how they can act. The exhibition radiated experimentation, curiosity, laughter, and hope, imagining architecture as a practice of care, empathy, and generosity.

Among the thought-provoking works were Jessica Adebisi’s Outstretched Threads, which explores Black diasporan identity and the search for authentic belonging through storytelling and visual expression.

“Engines and gears are like a ballet, a symphony,” she says, imagining the “music of the future” helping us empathise with Earth’s changing rhythms.

Inspired by her Mexican heritage and childhood tinkering alongside her mechanic father, Altamira built a machine that speaks an alien yet intimate language of planetary change. Her vision is to expand this work over a century of data, integrate live weather feeds, and collaborate with institutions to share this unique interface between planetary intelligence and human perception.

“Hearing the sounds of the future might help us be more conscious about what is happening and more forgiving of ourselves and our planet.”

For more on Kay’s work, visit her website www.kayaltamira.com and follow her on Instagram @kayaltamira

I ended my expedition with the MA Biodesign Graduate Showcase Uncentered, where thoughtful explorations of materiality and care took centre stage.

Shom H Shah’s Arka ~ Living Timber reimagines wood waste into an ambient lamp that embodies renewal and ritual. Drawing on the memory of traditional Indian oil lamps, Arka transforms discarded timber into a warm, biofabricated totem bridging human, nature, and time.

As the day came to a close and I stepped away from the vibrant energy of the shows, I felt both inspired and humbled by the passion and innovation on display. The breadth of creativity and critical thinking demonstrated by these postgraduate students reaffirmed for me the power of art and design to engage with urgent global challenges and imagine hopeful new futures. I found myself eager to revisit the exhibits, knowing there was still so much to absorb beyond my first visit.

As a fellow student preparing for my own postgraduate show, I left with a renewed sense of purpose and excitement. The dedication and courage of these graduates to push boundaries and explore complex narratives reminded me that this next chapter will be as challenging as it is rewarding. It’s clear the class of 2025 is poised not only to contribute to their fields but to lead with empathy, insight, and a deep commitment to care—qualities our world desperately needs right now.