Circular Hospitality Residency

The idea

Working with Scholé, The Agrarian Kitchen and Dier Makr, Kate will collect material streams that are commonly discarded, including fryer oil, bone, brick and wine bottles.

These materials will be processed and tested, then translated into design outcomes that return to everyday restaurant life: tiles and surfaces, lighting elements, and new structures that reduce reliance on single-use plastics moving through venues in constant cycles.

Why hospitality waste matters

Hospitality waste in Tasmania is a largely untapped material stream, rich in both narrative and technical possibility. Unlike mixed waste, these by-products are often consistent, local, and traceable, which makes them surprisingly viable for material research.

The goal is to treat waste as a legitimate material input, and to develop outcomes that are useful, repeatable, and grounded in the specific character of each venue.

Closing the loop

By returning finished pieces to their origin sites, the residency completes a material loop with real-world visibility. It invites chefs, staff, and diners into a deeper conversation about place, waste, and the practical role of design in hospitality culture.

The residency will also include workshops led by Kate, alongside open-access documentation for designers, educators and venues.

Partners

This residency is developed in collaboration with design tasmania, regional arts australia, and Scholé, The Agrarian Kitchen and Dier Makr, with each venue contributing distinct waste streams, constraints, and site-specific opportunities for design outcomes.