Coastruction

With Coastruction we take action. We use the freedom of shape and material enabled by our technology to create multip

Our 3D printer allows us to create artificial reefs, designed for species based on their location and for their site-specific conditions.

18/08/2026

Wait, how on earth did it get there?

You may have seen our last installation at the SEA LIFE in Blankenberge, Belgium.

But you may have wondered, how on earth did it get there? A structure of 180kg was not an easy feat to deploy!

Let’s start with the design:
When we create a design at Coastruction we not build for the future inhabitants, but also for the convenience of transportation and installation.

That’s the whole magic of a 3D printer ✨

For each project we ask our clients and partners, how do we want to lower this structure into the water? The answer determines what extra lifting interfaces we add to the design:
🔹Handles and sturdy ledges for handling
🔹Tunnels and loops for lifting straps
🔹A shape that stays upright when dropped

This was exactly what was done with the reef for Sealife to ensure the most smooth transition from land to water without disturbing any of the local creatures.

Even the local turtle, Cracker, came to say hi!

👉 Get in touch with us now for your next installation project

📐 Design: Carlos Rego, 2026
🎥 Media: SEA LIFE Blankenberge

10/08/2026

Look below, look above⬇️⬆️

The first time we saw a tiny fish exploring a habitat we designed just for them… unforgettable. 🐟💙

And honestly? Every time after that too. 🫶🌊

Last year, SEA LIFE Blankenberge gave us a challenge:
🔹 Create safe shelter for the smaller fish
🔹 Make sure Cracker the turtle doesn’t knock it over

So we listened, designed, iterated… and delivered. 🛠️✨

For our first aquarium installation at SEA LIFE Blankenberge, every opening, ledge and surface was shaped around real reef behaviour:
🐠 Overhangs and sheltered pockets for small fish to hide from bigger ones
🐢 A structure strong enough for Cracker (their rescued, dis‑boyant sea turtle) to rest on without tipping it over

Our priority is always the same: build habitats that genuinely improve aquatic life, wherever they’re placed. 🌍💧

The challenge? Translating natural reef functions into engineered structures that perform even better.

This new installation is also helping us understand how marine life uses the habitats we create, so we can build even better reefs for supporting life within and beyond aquarium walls🪸🌱🌊

Want a unique structure for your aquarium too? Get in touch!

📐 Design: Carlos Rego, 2026
🎥 Media: SEA LIFE Blankenberge

03/08/2026

A milestone we'll never forget. 💙🌊

Our very first aquarium installation is officially in the water! 🐠

In 2025 we were approached with the opportunity to feature our 𝘗𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦-𝘉𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘙𝘦𝘦𝘧𝘴 at SEA LIFE Blankenberge, an aquarium that also functions as marine rescue and rehabilitation center, especially for seals along the Belgian coast.

Together with the team at Blankenberge, we’ve designed and installed two custom reef structures for their newly refurbished Ocean Tank.

This collaboration is about so much more than placing a feature in an aquarium, it’s about supporting marine life wherever it exists, ocean, river, lake, aquarium, pond. It is about building something in response to a specific need and improving quality of life.

It also creates an opportunity to educate about the importance of artificial reefs in marine ecosystems, why we sometimes need them and how they can help. Aquariums are an important step in not only our journey but also of the entire younger generation who will become marine scientists, politicians, consultants and representatives of our one Blue Planet. 🌍✨

A huge thank you to the divers and the entire team at Sea Life Blankenberge for trusting us with this project, and for creating this beautiful installation video.

Keep an eye on our page to see how our reefs are doing 🐢🐟

Want a unique structure for your aquarium too? Get in touch!

📐 Design: Carlos Rego, 2026
🎥 Media: SEA LIFE Blankenberge

13/07/2026

Our reefs don't just belong in the ocean.

Last month, Coastruction was part of Rotterdam Architecture Month, one of Europe's leading platforms where design, urbanism, and innovation collide.

Seeing our purpose-built reefs exhibited alongside some of the boldest architecture was a reminder that reef design is, at its core, a design discipline. Every surface texture, every cavity, and every curve is a deliberate decision engineered around biology but shaped with intention.

Thank you to the Rotterdam Architecture Month team for including us. The conversations we had over the past few days confirmed what we believe: the future of coastal infrastructure is both functional and alive.

🐟 Purpose-built reefs are designed where engineering meets ecology

02/07/2026

To understand why building a reef in the Wadden Sea is hard, you first need to understand what makes it extraordinary. 🌊

The world's largest tidal flat system. 500km across the Netherlands, Germany & Denmark. UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tidal flats that breathe twice a day move 15 km³ of water in and out every 12 hours.
🐟 140 fish species, including herring, plaice, sole & sea bass, all depend on these waters to grow.
🦅 10–12 million migratory birds pass through every year.
🦐 10,000+ species. One of the most productive ecosystems on Earth.

Then, in 1932, the Afsluitdijk was built severing the fish migration routes that made this ecosystem thrive. Underwater habitat: lost. The ecosystem has never fully recovered.

That's the challenge we're building for. 🪸

24/06/2026

One year. Brainstorming, designing, testing. Yesterday, it was unveiled. 🌊

Our reef element for the Wadden Sea is now on public display at the Afsluitdijk Wadden Centre, and we couldn't be prouder.

The Wadden Sea is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Strong currents. Tidal extremes. A unique mix of species found nowhere else. Building a Purpose-Built Reef here meant starting from scratch with the biology first. 🐟🦐🌿

We researched every fish, shellfish, and algae species that calls this area home. Then we translated that into a 3D-printed structure made from local materials, zero toxic additives and zero waste.

Because the Afsluitdijk changed this coastline forever. Our reef is designed to help nature recover it.

In-water testing: before the end of 2026. This is just the beginning. 🪸

📍 Go see it at the Afsluitdijk Wadden Centre

02/04/2026

This year we attended for the first time and we were blown away by the curiosity, collaboration and innovation.

“Wait… you can 3D‑print reef structures?” One of the questions we heard the most
And yes, we absolutely can.

Three days of conversations, curious minds, unexpected encounters and a flood of ideas at ChangeNOW left us feeling genuinely hopeful for the future.

Some highlights we’re taking home:

🤲 Meeting NGOs, researchers and start‑ups who are building real, scalable restoration tools and technology
🧩 Huge interest in modular, customizable reef structures and coral‑growth solutions
🔬 New possibilities for collaboration in monitoring, research, materials and co‑designing habitats

It was refreshing to see how naturally people connect with the idea that innovation can be gentle, adaptive and built with nature instead of against it 🌿

Thank you to everyone who stopped by, asked questions, shared insights and imagined new possibilities with us.

Adres

Scheepsbouwweg 8
Rotterdam
3089JW

Website

https://www.coastruction.com/coastruction

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