in London. The Hawley Award recognises Engineering innovations that deliver demonstrable benefits for the environment.
Hugo has been awarded for Resinero, a project that explores how to mimic the natural transformation of pine resin into amber. By accelerating the fossilisation process, his research aims to create a material with the visual and structural qualities of glass—yet requiring far less energy to produce, while actively contributing to carbon sequestration. Rooted in a cross-pollination of design, engineering, and ecological knowledge, Resinero repositions pine resin as a relevant material for a regenerative future. The focus of the project is to revitalise the symbiotic relationship between resin tappers and forest ecosystems—an exchange where humans obtain pine resin in exchange for maintaining and protecting the forest biodiversity from wildfires and other threats.
This award-winning project aligns strongly with the Regenerative Art & Design research group at CARADT, which explores ecological literacy, socio-ecological systemic considerations, material ethics, of care and more-than-human futures.
Resinero embodies this approach by integrating eco-social processes, bio-material transformation, and local economic impact, demonstrating how systemic and imaginative, practice-based design research can lead to tangible innovations that regenerate ecosystems, support communities, and challenge the extractive logic of conventional materials.
‘How can we find new materials and products that rely on interdependence between communities and ecological systems rather than extraction?’
Hugo F. Garcia is a design engineer and researcher working at the intersection of design, ecology, and material science. His practice combines traditional knowledge with scientific research and low-impact technologies to develop regenerative design systems.
The Regenerative Art and Design (RAD) research group seeks to contribute to a new generation of regenerative designers and artists who address the pressing need for transitions that support planetary health. By taking whole systems responsibility through collaborative practices, the group aims to create transformative pathways for reimagining design futures grounded in care and ecological integrity.
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