Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has designed a digitally fabricated marine habitat for the North Lantau Marine Park—a conservation zone in Hong Kong. Titled Nereid, the project was presented at the 2025 World Design Congress exhibition at the Barbican in London this September, following a call for regenerative and responsive design for a world increasingly defined by the climate crisis.
Nereid was developed together with marine physiologist and toxicologist James Fang of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation and D-Shape, a startup specialising in sustainable 3D printing for marine structures. The prototype is a response to biodiversity loss caused by climate change, and demonstrates how parametric design and advanced manufacturing can provide solutions for the recovery of various ecosystems.
Rising temperatures and ecosystems in crisis
Rising temperatures, pollution, overfishing and other human activities are disrupting Hong Kong’s marine ecosystems. The consequences—coral bleaching, declining marine wildlife and habitat degradation—make conservation efforts increasingly urgent. One such site is the North Lantau Marine Park, where the Nereid will be deployed. This area is home to the Chinese White Dolphin, affectionately known as the “Pink Dolphin” for the colour of its skin. Critically endangered, the population in Hong Kong waters has dropped by over 80% in the past 17 years, underscoring the urgent need for habitat restoration.
The Nereid is part of a broader effort to revive the ecosystems that sustain these animals. In a recent collaboration between the Airport Authority Hong Kong and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of the Hong Kong SAR Government, artificial reefs were installed on the seabed west of Hong Kong International Airport. Monitoring shows these reefs encourage the growth of goby fish, barnacles, bryozoans, oysters, corals, sponges and hydroid species. Other organisms—including ahermatypic hard corals and commercially important fish—have also begun to colonise the structures. By supporting foundational species, these interventions indirectly benefit larger species, including the Chinese White Dolphin, by restoring the food chain and (re)creating the biodiverse habitats necessary for their survival.
A low carbon, marine safe intervention by D-Shape
Nereid is made from D-Shape’s innovative binder-jetting process, from a patented pH-neutral mineral, low carbon and marine safe material that replicates the texture and porosity of underwater plants, along with the forms that they take—specifically, the internal cavities where marine life attaches and grows. “Nereid demonstrates [how] large-scale 3D printing can support the regeneration of marine ecosystems,” explains Mario Nuzzolese, Director of D-Shape. “By opening our technology to partners, we’re turning bold ideas into habitats where nature and innovation thrive.”
A design driven by environmental needs and collaboration
ZHA’s Design Director Christos Passas explained that a “deep understanding of the requirements needed to support local ecosystems” was required for this project, and emphasised the collaborative research that informed material selection and structural layout . Once finalised, Nereid will be installed in the North Lantau Marine Park, where it is expected to ensure the growth of those organisms that form the base of the marine food web—and hopefully help create a happier environment for all those who dwell there.
