The Unfolding Future of Water

The Unfolding Future of Water was a collaborative project that united 51 students from OCAD University (Toronto, Canada) and the University of Monterrey (Monterrey, Mexico) led by Dr. Kazmy Chi (UDEM), Nicholas Puckett, and Immony Men (OCAD) during Winter Term 2024. Tasked with envisioning and designing innovative objects and habitats that reflect the future of water 50 years in the future, participants harnessed speculative design to explore water scarcity, sustainability and the cultural dimensions of a water‑shaped future. The initiative culminated in an exhibition at the Cultural Institute of Mexico in Montreal, hosted by the Mexican Consulate in January and February 2025. 

Grounded in speculative design, this project used experiments, prototypes and immersive objects to materialize possible futures without claiming to predict them. Inspired by the “cone of possible futures” from futurists Stuart Candy, Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby, students translated abstract scenarios into concrete artifacts—tools meant to connect present actions with future outcomes and empower participants to shape a desirable, inclusive water future. 

 

 

Objectives

This project sets out to spark dynamic, cross-disciplinary conversations around the future of water. Students from design, engineering, environmental science and beyond came together to imagine bold new possibilities for how we might live, hydrate and thrive 50 years from now. They crafted scenarios about purification, conservation and equitable distribution, then brought those futures to life through provocative, tangible objects. These designs weren't just for show; they anchored a public exhibition featuring community dialogue, hands-on interaction and open-ended speculation about how we shape a water-secure tomorrow.