Coffee & Circularity
Competition

Applications close in:

00
:
00
:
00
:
00

Purpose

To celebrate our 9th anniversary, we will be hosting a Coffee & Circularity Competition aimed at redesigning our original store in Barcelona’s Gracia using our coffee waste.

 

Goal

To support the design community, promote sustainability, and reinforce our commitment to innovation and democratisation.

Competition

Open call to design students and alumni with focus on circularity to rethink coffee shop design using sustainable materials derived from coffee waste. Entries can propose anything from furniture to building materials which can be implemented in the renovation of the store.

Winning team will receive a €3,000 grant to develop and implement their proposal at the renovated store.

Structure

Workshop

  • Date: October 12 & 13
  • Location: Espai FACTO
  • Objective: Design & Prototype
  • Format: Groups of 3 (can apply together)

Main Event

  • Date: October 24
  • Location: Syra Coffee Roasters & HQ
  • Objective: Final Presentations & Winner Announcement.

Use of material

Designs must incorporate at least on of the following:

Used coffee grounds

Green coffee bags

Roasted coffee chaff

Packaging

Guidelines

Eligibility

  • Students in the fields of industrial, interior, architecture design or similar.
  • Submission of a portfolio with 1-2 relevant projects.
  • Registered before October 7

Submissions

  • Conceptual drawings and renderings of the material and its implementation at the store.
  • Descriptions of materials and techniques, emphasizing sustainability.
  • Prototype or model.
  • Final presentation for jury evaluation.

Workshop Mentors

Mohamad El Atab

Architect with over 10 years of experience in computational design and sustainability. He runs a studio in Spain, focusing on retail renovations, with past experience working on projects for Syra Coffee. Mohamad integrates innovative materials, like 3D-printed tiles from coffee waste, and collaborates with Mamou-Mani Ltd on parametric design. He holds a Master’s from IAAC and is committed to circular, sustainable design strategies in architecture.

Julija Karas

A Slovenian industrial designer specializing in circular materials and sustainable design. Julija focuses on biomaterial research, working with plant-based resources to create eco-friendly materials. She holds a Master's in Industrial Design from Ljubljana and a Postgraduate Diploma from Fabricademy at IAAC. Her work merges science and design to reduce environmental impact and prevent ecological degradation through innovative material solutions.

Marce de Medeiros

Argentinian industrial designer in Barcelona, specializing in digital manufacturing and sustainable materials. He works as a freelance designer and teaches at the European Institute of Design. Marce is a contributor to Syra Lab, where he an ADI Bronze medal for the Coffea project. His designs focus on reducing material and process impacts in manufacturing through art, technology, and sustainable practices.

Applications close in:

00
:
00
:
00
:
00