Polish-Austrian designer Sofia Hagen has been announced as a member of the WAN Awards 2024 judging panel which are now open for entry. She leads a creative practice working at the intersection of art, design and technology to create 3D-printed sculptural products and installations. Her work merges recycled materials with traditional craftsmanship and innovative technology to produce installations and placemaking schemes that push the boundaries of engineering whilst prioritising designing for sustainability.
Prior to launching her own studio, Sofia was co-founder of HagenHinderdael, a practice that received critical attention for its use of cutting-edge technology and advanced material research to create high-end design products.
“These technologies are really interesting for architects. I think this is the future of construction,” says Sofia.
“A lot of buildings now use 3D printed concrete. Everything from the foundations to the facades to the partitions to the more decorative elements can be 3D printed. It’s much more energy efficient.”
Sofia trained in complex 3D modelling at Zaha Hadid Architects.
“It’s my design language. You can push the boundaries with new materials and a fully circular process,” she says.
She is passionate about research into new technologies and material applications.
“My main focus is on organic, non-toxic biomaterials which can be applied at any scale within construction and design,” she says.
Read on to discover Sofia’s key projects.
Nacre: 3D printed concrete furniture
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“These modular pieces were constructed in collaboration with Dubai-based 3D-printed concrete specialists Concreative and inspired by Dubai’s ancient history of pearl diving and our subsequent research into the structure of mother of pearl - which is known for its extraordinary strength and flexibility. The principle of the structure consists of sweeping and rotating hexagonal base shapes, which is applied to the NACRE elements at large scale. The result is a range of sculptural outdoor furniture and landscape design objects that allow for a variety of configurations. What started as a public realm intervention during Dubai design week was then sent to London where it was repurposed as outdoor furniture in the NODE landscape design development in Brixton. I was working hand in hand with architects, there’s a lot of placemaking involved.”
NACRE.P: 3D printed sugar stools
“These stools use the same design as the concrete furniture above but are made of sugar, showing the versatility of this technology. Fermented sugar cane can be recycled and turned into a biodegradable plastic. You can use it for building facades. It’s transparent with a crystalline effect so it’s beautiful for lighting and interior finishes. When it’s combined with wood fibre it has a bit more strength and can be printed into façade panels and cladding.”
Contour: 3D printed concrete furniture
“A collaboration with Austrian 3D printed concrete specialists Concrete3D, CONTOUR is a new bench that takes inspiration from the mountainous landscape of Voralberg. It was featured at the Rossana Orlandi gallery Milano during Milan Design Week 2022 where it remains on display, as well as luxury design showroom Hoettges in Dornbirn. The beauty of 3D printing is it’s so versatile – you can print any shape, including complex geometries. It’s more precise and so you save on additional materials.”
Material Futures
“I’ve worked on a selection of products that recycle construction site waste that is then repurposed as high end furniture. COCOON (pictured above) is the world's first light made of 3D printed sawdust from construction waste bound with lignin. Its currently on display at the ROCA gallery in London as part of the BIO SPACES show curated by Oliver Heath and Planted Cities. KOFIKA is a coffee table set with legs made of 3D printed sugar, a tabletop made of tiles of recycled coffee and plastic waste by Novavita Design. The tiles can be used in bathrooms, kitchen splashbacks and as worktops.”