SEOUL DESIGN AWARD

Brewdnest is an upcycling initiative created to tackle the environmental challenges posed by the coffee industry’s rapid growth: deforestation, loss of bird habitats, ecological crises, and increased pesticide dependence. The goal of the project is to restore natural pest control on farms and enable more sustainable coffee cultivation by repurposing spent coffee grounds into module birdhouses.

The modular birdhouses are crafted using compression molding and biodegradable materials, enabling local production and installation while minimizing ecological footprint. At its core, Brewdnest redefines waste as a valuable resource. The return of birds reduces pesticide use, improves farmers’ health and long-term productivity, and fosters cleaner ecosystems and more resilient rural economies.

In daily life, Brewdnest demonstrates how something as common as coffee waste can become a resource for ecological restoration, inviting consumers to reflect on sustainable consumption and coexistence with nature. Beyond its functional purpose, the projects serves as an educational tool and social movement, embedding ecological awareness within communities and offering scalability across coffee-growing regions worldwide.

The project also functions as a hands-on learning resource in schools and community workshops, where children and citizens build birdhouses themselves and experience ecological restoration firsthand. By combining environmental education with local participation, it fosters intergenerational exchange, reminding locals how small actions can lead to global change. Brewdnest contributes to regenerative agriculture and forest restoration, envisioning a future where people, environment, and society heal together through the creative reuse of discarded resources.