Melissa Ivelja wins 2025 NATSPEC Student Prize

Melissa Ivelja, a recent Master of Architecture graduate from the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, has been awarded the 2025 NATSPEC Student Prize for her innovative exploration of oyster shells as a sustainable construction material.

Her submission, titled Shellshocked, presents a comprehensive investigation into the reuse of this unusual, recovered material, offering a new perspective on reducing waste in the built environment.

“This recognition inspires me to delve deeper into finding new ways to use recycled materials. I hope to see oyster shells and other innovative sustainable materials integrated into the built environment in the future,” said Melissa.

Melissa’s award-winning entry addresses the irony of oyster shells—a material capable of filtering 200 litres of water per day—becoming pollutants themselves. With an estimated 10 million tonnes of shell waste discarded annually, mostly ending up in landfill, Melissa’s project offers a compelling solution.

Her award-winning project demonstrated material prototypes that showcased diverse uses, from conventional applications such as gravel and concrete aggregate to more elaborate and decorative innovations, including oyster shell downpipes and colour-graded oyster terrazzo.

Historically used in construction, oyster shells have largely disappeared from modern building practices despite their potential as a low-embodied-energy material. Her submission explores a return to this centuries-old material, presenting a specification system to ensure high-quality applications across the construction industry.