The DHub supports emerging talent with “Materia Prima”

Materia Prima is an annual open call by the Museu del Disseny-DHub aimed at design schools in Barcelona. Its purpose is to showcase final degree or master’s projects that reflect on materiality, ecology, social or regenerative design, and sustainability.

The goal is to give visibility to emerging talent in our region and highlight the growing commitment of new generations to responsible design for the future of the planet.

A jury appointed by the museum selects up to eight projects each year, which are exhibited in two six-month periods within the exhibition Matter Matters. Designing with the world.

On April 28 at 6:30 PM, you can attend the presentation of four new projects in the exhibition’s viewing space:

• Bot Pollution, by Àngela Escudero and Carla Olivares (Elisava): A web application that reveals the environmental impact of every interaction with artificial intelligence on a mobile device, displaying its carbon footprint in real time. Through a restrictive and comparative experience, the project encourages reflection on the ecological cost of everyday digital actions and the growing use of AI.
• Caliu, by Judith Aubà (IED Barcelona): A modular system made of cork and wood that improves thermal and acoustic insulation in rural homes without invasive renovations. Designed for houses under restoration, it offers a reversible, sustainable, and adaptable solution that enhances comfort and strengthens ties to the local environment.
• Yutori, by Fran Niubó (ESDAPC): A shoe inspired by a slower pace of life and designed according to circular economy principles. It features detachable components that facilitate reuse and recycling of materials. Inspired by the Mallorcan porquera, it connects tradition and sustainability to propose a more conscious way of designing and consuming footwear.
• Sobre la máquina, una ventada, by Alba Prinz (BAU, University Centre of Design): A project that explores the boundaries between nature and artifice through experiments in which natural elements—such as wind, sun, or heat—directly intervene in design and production processes. The result is a collection of garments that make these interactions visible and propose a coexistence between nature, technology, and human action.