Construction Futures Cluster launches two new projects
Last week we launched two new projects at the Construction Futures Cluster site on Lorimer Street - the Hivepod by Organica Engineering and Plug-n-Play Power by Equoia. It was great to be joined by City of Melbourne Councillor Andrew Rowse, our partners at the Victoria Department of Transport and Planning, staff from Vaughan Constructions, FB IDEAs Hub members and other collaborators from the Fishermans Bend ecosystem.
As well as showcasing the innovation behind these projects, the event also highlighted the intertwined nature of the support that FB IDEAs has provided to seed innovation in Fishermans Bend - by unlocking underutilised sites, by investing in emerging businesses and innovative projects through our grants program and in-kind support, and by brokering partnerships and nurture a culture of collaboration.
Creating a demonstration site built on partnership
The Constructions Futures Cluster site is a partnership between FB IDEAs, Capital V and Vaughan Constructions, where we have supported and co-located a number of projects to showcase innovative prototypes and solutions to support more sustainable futures in the construction and built environment sectors. As well as providing a hardstand site to display demonstration projects, the team from Vaughan Constructions and many of the graduates working at Vaughan have also participated in workshops and discussions about these technologies and their suitability for the construction sector.
As Lauren Vaughan, Development Manager at Capital V, said: “Partnering with FB IDEAs to activate our land has opened up fresh, innovative ideas and valuable partnerships. The activation has improved the functionality of the site. It has been a smart, strategic move that has delivered value for our business and staff – as well as the Fishermans Bend precinct.”
A network of connections nurturing innovation and collaboration
The event last week was to launch the Hivepod and Plug-n-Play Power projects, but the connection that seeded both projects was through projects by the Victorian Cleantech Cluster that FB IDEAs supported by FB IDEAs in early 2025. Organica Engineering was a participant in the Victorian Cleantech Cluster’s PowerON Incubator program and both Equoia and Organica Engineering took part in the Victorian Cleantech Showcase event that was hosted in Fishermans Bend. It was the connections that formed in those projects that led to the Hivepod proposal for Fishermans Bend.
We worked with the team from Organica Engineering and Vaughan Constructions to find a suitable site to locate the project here in Fishermans Bend. Supported by a FB IDEAs grant, the Hivepod then started to take shape with offsite development and experimentation, then onsite assembly late in 2025.
As the power requirements of the Hivepod were refined, we approached a number of startups in our network to explore options for another demonstration project to showcase an off-grid sustainable energy solution to power the Hivepod. Equoia’s Baby Droid and solar array solution was selected, and since November has provided 24/7 power to the Hivepod without drawing on the grid.
About the Hivepods - by Organica Engineering
Hivepods are modular, 3D-printed temporary structures designed as secondary accommodation, or for remote and eco-sensitive locations - like construction sites. Engineered for rapid deployment with minimal environmental impact, each pod features a lightweight geodesic structure made from recycled geopolymer concrete and composite materials.
The initial prototype located in Fishermans Bend was developed as a construction site shed to demonstrate cutting-edge, low-carbon building technologies, namely 3D concrete printing, up-cycling of demolition waste, and the applications of advanced circular economy concrete materials. The project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of rapid, sustainable construction methods that reduce waste, accelerate build times, and create unique, design-flexible structures.
The project has not only supported the design and experimentation that led to this initial prototype - but it has supported Organica Engineering to explore new opportunities. They are currently working on a partnership to install a second iteration of the Hivepod as a demonstration of an eco-tourism dwelling in Queensland.
Meanwhile the Hivepod 1.0 will continue to evolve and become a test bed for Organica Engineering and commercialisation partner Mansfield Advisory to experiment with different material mixes for the hexagon panels.
As Ian Adams, founder of Organica Engineering said: “This project is a great opportunity to show how we are commercialising advanced construction technologies to both improve sustainability and affordability in construction. This first prototype has helped to develop and refine design concepts, test the materials and structure in real world conditions, and to create partnerships for commercialisation. We aim to scale up to deliver the huge global demand for truly affordable, resilient and sustainable buildings.”
About the Baby Power Droids - by Equoia
Equoia’s Baby Power Droids provide reliable, mobile power using sustainable and renewable energy sources to temporary sites and remote locations. In combination with a solar array setup, the Droids have provided continuous energy supply to the HivePod installation showing there is an alternative to replace diesel and petrol generators in off-grid, remote, temporary settings.
As Co-Founders Puven Pather and Jessica Gower said: “This project was an opportunity to demonstrate that there is an alternative to dirty, smelly and noisy generators with mobile battery storage and solar for construction sites. For 5 months Equoia's Power Droids hae successfully provided clean, silent, reliable power for an off-grid and temporary setting.”
Already used for mobile power in the screen industry, the Power Droids are just part of Equoia's vision for a Micro Grid System that will solve the larger temporary power demands. A pilot in development for later 2026 will test the delivery model with a larger battery solution and serve as a real world demonstration for the film and television industry and other adjacent industries.
Showcasing the future of construction
The projects at the Constructions Futures Cluster site have not only supported startups Organica Engineering and Equoia to prototype and demonstrate their innovative technologies, but they also serve as a provocation of the emerging solutions and approaches that could support more sustainable futures in the construction and built environment sectors.
With a vision to accommodate 80,000 residents and 80,000 jobs by 2050, it is a future that is unfolding in Fishermans Bend and we are thrilled to have been part of showcasing the opportunity ahead.
