We are seeking a new MDes student in biodesign toward creative applications of dredged sediments!


Entry in program: September 2025

Interested applicants must submit a complete dossier to the Masters of Design (MDes) program by January 15, 2025.


Keywords: sustainable biomaterials and composites;  dredged sediments; digital fabrication; computer-aided design (CAD); circular design; urban infrastructures; built environment; public spaces; objects and installations; citizen engagement;
photo: istock
Globally, only 7.2% of all extracted and transformed resources are reused or recycled. With the expansion of urban areas and infrastructures impacting the integrity of environments and the well-being of communities - human and more-than-human - on a local and global scale, the design sector plays an increasingly important role in driving creative research into new circular materials. Bio-composite and biobased materials such as hemp, mycelium, clay, cellulose, recycled concrete, and others now integrate objects, constructions, art installations, architectural structures, and public spaces with potential for more just, sustainable, and resilient material futures. In Québec (Canada), regular dredging of sediments in port infrastructures is essential to maintain waterway depth and remove contaminants. Every year, this process generates over a billion cubic metres of residue, constituting a major waste management challenge. These materials represent a valuable, potentially reusable resource for design, architecture, and construction. How can we design new circular materials from locally abundant waste? What forms, applications and experiences can these residues generate? And how can they foster new public imaginaries in a context of ecological crisis? To address these questions, the student will develop their master's project around the environmental, social, and cultural potential of circular design, new sustainable biomaterials, bioprinting, 3D technologies, and the built environment. Working under Dr. Alice Jarry, the student will experiment and evaluate the potential of dredged sediments for design and architecture, and will study, test, and compare their integration with other biomaterials (e.g. recycled concrete, clay, hemp, cellulose, alginate, etc.) through 3D models, physical objects, surfaces, scaffolds, installation prototypes, and renderings.


The student will contribute as a research assistant to the new transdisciplinary project Recycling dredged sediments as building materials: Performance and socio-environmental impacts for sustainable ports.

They will join a diverse and dynamic team of designers, building and civil engineers, and materials scientists.  The salary is $20 000.00 / year for two years (inclusive of benefits, and in accordance with the Concordia’s CREW convention).

Interest in collaborative art-science practices, exhibition design, fieldwork, and co-design methodologies involving stakeholders (e.g. designers, architects) and publics will be considered an asset.

Required qualifications:

• Interest in circular design and innovative bio/composite materials for the built environment;

Interest in digital fabrication and biomanufacturing;

• Interest in transdisciplinary and cross-sectoral research;

• Excellent knowledge of CAD software such as Rhino, Blender, or others

• Excellent knowledge of image and video editing software such as Photoshop and/or Premiere;




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Further information: alice.jarry@concordia.ca

Equity, diversity, and inclusion:

The Concordia University Research Chair in Critical Practices in Materials and Materiality celebrates difference and acknowledges that diversity is fundamental to supporting an academic community where innovation, creative exploration, and intellectual freedom can flourish. Offering a bilingual environment (English/French), the Chair is committed to employment equity within its community and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including women, members of visible minorities, Indigenous persons, members of sexual minorities, persons with disabilities, and others who may contribute to diversification.







Critical Practices in
Materials and Materiality
alice.jarry@concordia.ca