February 04, 2026
ArtCenter College of Design Launches Materials Innovation: Seaweed, a New Studio Exploring Seaweed as Regenerative Material for Design
Transdisciplinary Studio Sponsored by MADWORKSHOP and ArtCenter Trustee David C. Martin
PASADENA, CA – ArtCenter College of Design announces Materials Innovation: Seaweed, a new Transdisciplinary Studio (TDS) led by ArtCenter faculty Stella Hernandez and Kristine Upesleja, in which students investigate the creative potential of seaweed as a material for use in industrial design.
Taking place over 14 weeks during the College’s Spring 2026 term, Materials Innovation: Seaweed invites students to explore how seaweed and its derivatives—including kelp, algae and agar—can be extracted, mixed, dried and tested to form new composites, surfaces and structures. The course emphasizes play, discovery and critical inquiry, with students developing design concepts that respond to ecological challenges and emerging material possibilities.
“The design of a great furniture piece starts with understanding the nature of the materials to be used. This course allows students to be inspired by the characteristics of seaweed as a material and to explore how it performs in three dimensions,” said MADWORKSHOP co-founder/co-president and ArtCenter trustee David C. Martin. "I look forward to seeing the students utilize this natural resource to arrive at innovative, functional design solutions.”
The studio is the first of a two-course sequence. This initial class focuses on material making and research, with an additional later studio dedicated to prototyping full-scale applications informed by directions explored in the first term.
The first studio concludes with a synthesis and presentation of material experimentation and design concepts exploring applications of seaweed-based materials in surfaces and structures, laying out the groundwork for the continuation of the project in the second studio.
For the second studio, the explorations and prototypes will include, but are not necessarily limited to, a conceptual piece of furniture that blends seaweed’s unique sensorial qualities and sustainable principles.
Open to upper-term students from multiple departments, Materials Innovation: Seaweed is sponsored by MADWORKSHOP. Founded by ArtCenter trustee David C. Martin and his wife Mary Klaus Martin, MADWORKSHOP provides innovative design students with the opportunity to freely explore their ideas from inspiration to realization.
About ArtCenter College of Design
Founded in 1930 and located in Pasadena, California, ArtCenter College of Design is a global leader in art and design education. With a mission to educate, inspire and empower creative and design leadership, the College is renowned for its undergraduate and graduate degree programs spanning industrial design, media and technology, as well as visual and applied arts. With deep industry relationships, state-of-the-art facilities and a strong faculty roster, ArtCenter provides real-world experience aligned with industry needs. Through rigorous, hands-on, practitioner-led instruction, the College prepares students for meaningful creative careers. For nearly 100 years, ArtCenter alumni and faculty have shaped many of the world’s most iconic products, vehicles, campaigns and creative works, leaving a lasting impact across art, design and culture.
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