I am a fourth-year Industrial Design (Honours) student at Western Sydney University, passionate about merging design and engineering to create sustainable, adaptable housing solutions. My work focuses on modular design, precision fabrication, and user-centred innovation. Through my Honours project and internship, I have developed a deep understanding of prefabrication systems, advanced manufacturing, and circular design principles, with the goal of shaping the future of Australia’s modular housing industry.

Blake Reed

 

Proteus Adaptive Wall System – Modular Homes that Grow with You The Proteus System is a reconfigurable wall and panel framework that reimagines how modular homes are built, maintained, and upgraded. The system has the capability to be fully automated and built offsite. The system uses T-slot aluminium extrusions, aluminium solid cladding, and removable panels to create a wall structure that can be assembled, serviced, or replaced without demolition. Developed through extensive research into Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) and Design for Disassembly (DfD) principles, Proteus challenges the wasteful, fixed nature of traditional construction. Its 80 mm wall cavity allows space for insulation, wiring, and plumbing, while rubber compression seals ensure weatherproofing and long-term serviceability. The idea is to create a framework on which the Australian housing crisis can be solved. Through allowing new homeowners to buy a small property and easily evolve it to suit their needs, driving down, cost, time and material wastage. Beyond structural innovation, Proteus represents a sustainable housing philosophy — where homes can evolve with changing needs rather than be demolished or replaced. It aligns with global efforts toward circular construction and supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals (9, 11, 12 & 13) through reduced waste, adaptability, and long-term resilience.