Arrecife Vivo (Living Reef)
2026
Biodiversity Award
Winner
Colombian Institute for Marine Biodiversity Engineering (CIMBE)
Designers / Creators / Authors / Leaders
Valeria Quintero Ríos, Mateo Cárdenas Vélez (Biomaterials Engineer), Santiago Pardo Ibarra (Ecological Infrastructure Strategist)
Arrecife Vivo presents a sophisticated yet accessible framework for coral reef recovery along vulnerable coastlines. By structuring its approach into three clear ecological phases—protection, regeneration, and expansion—the project translates complex marine processes into a scalable design system. It stands out for its long-term vision and its sensitivity to both ecological and material conditions.
Arrecife Vivo is a coastal and marine intervention system designed to protect, restore, and expand coral reef ecosystems along the northern coasts of South America. Inspired by experimental reef structures developed in Australia, the project adapts these principles to local oceanic conditions, biodiversity, and material availability.
At its core are modular reef units made from marine-safe, mineral-based composites. These are deployed in carefully mapped zones to form protective and regenerative layers within fragile reef environments.
Three-Phase Design Strategy
1. Halting Degradation
The first phase introduces protective reef barriers that reduce wave energy and shield existing coral structures from physical stress and erosion. These elements stabilize the surrounding environment, preventing further damage to already vulnerable ecosystems.
2. Supporting Regeneration
The second phase focuses on bio-receptive surfaces engineered to encourage coral larvae settlement and marine organism attachment. The texture, porosity, and mineral composition of the modules are tuned to accelerate natural growth processes.
3. Encouraging Expansion
In the final phase, additional modules are deployed outward, creating stepping-stone habitats that allow coral systems to gradually expand beyond their original footprint—effectively seeding new reef zones over time.
