December 5, 2024
9 Designers Revolutionizing Bio-based Materials
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Loop Living Cocoon by Bob Hendrikx
Designed by Bob Hendrikx, the Living Cocoon by Loop Biotech is a mycelium-based coffin designed to return the deceased to nature in the most sustainable way possible. Crafted from fast-growing fungal networks, the coffin biodegrades within 45 days, enriching the soil with nutrients as it decomposes. Unlike traditional burial methods that use toxic materials, the Living Cocoon promotes regeneration, supporting plant and tree growth. Loop Biotech’s innovative approach combines science and design, highlighting the potential of mycelium as a powerful tool for sustainability. This eco-friendly alternative offers a thoughtful, nature-positive solution to one of humanity’s oldest rituals, and was part of DDW’s 2024 Dutch Design Awards.
RePit by Nawa
In its project RePit, design research and fabrication studio Nawa transforms agricultural waste into valuable resources, using composite materials made from date seeds for 3D printing. With the global date palm industry producing 975,000 tons of seeds annually, this innovation offers a greener alternative to plastic filaments, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting a circular economy. Sourced from Oman’s Al Qaidh harvest season, the seeds are processed into versatile bio-materials like custom tiles, showcasing their potential in sustainable design. By merging traditional farming with modern technology, Nawa pioneers a future where waste becomes a cornerstone of sustainable innovation.
Psychedelic Textiles by Shushanik Droshakiryan
Psychedelic Textiles merges biomaterial research with cultural aesthetics, transforming raw Dutch wool and unconventional materials like coffee waste, charcoal, and chocolate into six striking textile installations. Inspired by Armenian mysticism, the project explores contrasts in texture and form, creating biodegradable materials with a rich tactile and visual spectrum. By rethinking wool ecosystems, it offers solutions to wool waste while pushing boundaries in sustainable design. With an earthy palette and zero environmental footprint, these textiles challenge the status quo, blending experimental craftsmanship with a vision for high-end fashion that leaves no lasting harm.
Bio-Circular Printing by Omlab
Omlab’s Biocircularprinting revolutionizes sustainable construction with its innovative approach to 3D printing using biobased and circular materials. Developed by Huub Looze and Margreet van Uffelen, the technology utilizes their proprietary “Buildmatterial,” a strong, biodegradable composite made from residual materials. Applications range from embankment tiles to fauna modules that restore soil and biodiversity. By integrating sustainability into every step, Omlab reduces environmental impact while promoting regenerative design. Their work exemplifies a nature-positive construction industry, where waste is minimized, resources are reused, and built structures contribute to ecological health.
Celium by Polybion
PolyBion’s Celium is an innovative biomaterial derived from agricultural waste, specifically fruit peels and cores. Through a proprietary process, these organic materials are converted into a flexible, biodegradable material that mimics the properties of plastic. Celium is designed to replace single-use plastics, offering a renewable, compostable alternative for industries like packaging, fashion, and medical products. Unlike conventional plastics, Celium is fully biodegradable, breaking down naturally without leaving harmful residues. By utilizing food waste, PolyBion reduces landfill waste, lowers carbon footprints, and promotes circular economies, making Celium a game-changing solution in sustainable material design.
Respyre, co-founded by Auke Bleij
Respyre offers innovative solutions for urban greening, transforming underused urban surfaces into thriving, moss-covered infrastructures. Developed by Auke Bleij, Respyre’s products, such as moss facades and green roofs, use moss’s natural air-filtering and temperature-regulating properties to improve urban environments. These green solutions help combat air pollution, reduce urban heat islands, and promote biodiversity. With a focus on simplicity and functionality, Respyre’s designs create sustainable green spaces that contribute to healthier cities, one surface at a time.
Wall Reef by Urban Reef
Founded by Max Latour, Urban Reef reimagines urban facades as self-sustaining natural systems. Designed to collect and buffer rainwater, the structure mitigates heat stress while creating diverse habitats without human intervention. Its components feature intricate geometries, shaped by algorithms that simulate natural morphogenetic processes, creating microclimates influenced by light, shade, rain, and wind. Water is passively channeled through hollow components, evaporating to cool and humidify the environment. Wall Reef showcases the potential of facades to enhance urban ecosystems, promoting biodiversity and sustainability. It is a step toward more harmonious, nature-integrated urban landscapes, demonstrating how design can actively contribute to ecological balance.
Moulds in Soil by Timo Bega
From the The Royal Academy of Art, The Hague’s class of 2024, “Moulds in Soil” by Timo Bega is a project that explores the use of natural soils as molds for creating sustainable building materials. By shaping soil into molds, the project investigates how traditional, locally sourced materials can be harnessed to create functional, biodegradable products. The molds are used to form objects that decompose naturally, offering an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic and concrete. Through this innovative approach, the project aims to reconnect design with the earth, reducing waste while promoting the use of natural, low-impact materials in architecture and construction.
Plants to Plastic by Releaf x designstudio Hoogvliet Jongerius
This project explores a groundbreaking approach to creating sustainable plastics from plant-based PEF. By utilizing renewable resources, it focuses on reducing the reliance on petrochemical-based plastics and minimizing environmental impact. The bioplastics developed through this process are fully biodegradable, offering an eco-friendly alternative for a range of industries, from packaging to consumer goods. For this year’s Dutch Design Week, Releaf teamed up with design studio Hoogvliet Jongerius to create an installation that not only highlights the origins and benefits of Releaf’s biobased plastic but also underscores the urgent need for eco-friendly alternatives.
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