Jeon Sang IL is a South-Korean 30 years old designer whowants to help solving the disposal problem by creating some new straws and spoons which can be used in different kind of meals like breakfast, or lunch and dinner. In this way, we can reduce the pollution made by disposing lot of plastic cutlery.
This is what he told us about his design and its sustainability.
SOYC: “Can you explain us your project and in which way it can be considered sustainable?”
Jeon: “I designed a waste disposable product making the frame of a straw triangular: in this way the straw is stronger and can be used instead of ordinary disposable chopsticks. Not only the straw: I also designed a spoon making its head bigger in order to be used not only for yogurt but for the entire meal. This progressive disposable product can be used to reduce the number of disposable items that are often wasted.”
SOYC: “What did inspire you?”
Jeon: “My inspiration came from the concept of recycling: is it good as we think? Of course recycling is better than wasting but the process of re-making goods with the one we recycled cause a lot of pollution. Designing multi-use disposable items we hope to reduce the multitude of disposable goods and decrease the amount of waste (even if is recyclable waste).”
SOYC: “Where did the idea of your project takes its origin and why?”
Jeon: “Since 2012, I have been interested in new concept of sustainable and minimalist straw. I was very curious about it. I don’t know why. I think that straw are very interesting object to design. Moreover, My idea of design is related to make things useful in ordinary life, making it more sustainable. Hence, I thought that straw was a perfect object”
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Xijing XU, Tian WU and Yue LIU are three Chinese design students of the China Academy of Arts. They created a sustainable installation that shows the traditional Tofu production and that can be used during exhibitions.
SOYC: “Can you explain us what your project is and focus on its sustainability?”
Yue LIU: “Tofu Drink is a contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional Chinese production process of tofu, simplified and conceived to be used during special events. By transforming the traditional instruments into an intuitive installation, it allows people with some simple interactions to see and enjoy in real time the whole tofu drink production cycle. In this wat the traditional tofu production has been represented in a contemporary context and tofu culture could be continued sustainably with the social development, people will enjoy the food culture and also be kept in contact with sustainable dimension of life.”
SOYC: “Why did you decide to create your project?”
Tian WU: “For us the sensation of the taste is deeply connected with the other feelings, which influences our understandings of culture and even our relevant feeling to a special culture group. From this perspective, tofu and other soja products as old traditional Asian food has played the role, which awoke our nostalgia. Although until today they still appear on the table in everyday life, the big industry production distance us from the origin of what we eat. It’s not a criticism against the mass production, but with a deeper perception of the form process, it allows us building a multisensory tasting memory for ourselves.”
SOYC: “What did inspire you?”
Xijing XU: “During the research in countryside in Anhui province, we have visited many tofu ateliers, where different kinds of soja food were made in a really performative way. These experiences have inspired us to present the beautiful process into a modern ritual, which makes the eater (or in this context also audience) come closer to the story of food.”
Monir Kazemian and Dario Ivone are an Iranian-Italian couple who worked together to create HUG, a hook set made of aluminium, a durable material. Below the interview we had with them.
SOYC: “What is your project and where its sustainability stands?”
Monir: “Hug is a hook set made of a durable material such as aluminum. it is a product with strong symbol effect that is recyclable and addresses the latest needs for sustainability. The high quality product with its form and substance leading to last longer. In addition, the product painted by powder instead of regular methods of painting. In this way, powder can be used immediately without mixing with solvents or catalysts which is more eco-friendly.”
SOYC: “What kind of internal environments does HUG adapts itself to?”
Dario: “It adapted perfectly for different taste and styles. No matter what is your wall composition, Hug is appropriate for various modern environments, from entrance to living room, from the office to hotels and restaurants. The elegant geometry and cutting leading to characterize the three shapes, giving new interpretation and defining them as a set of design icon which will elevate the atmosphere of your place and would give your room a modern vibe. Hug shares their values of simplicity, sustainability and multifunctionality.”
SOYC: “Where does your project take its origin and why?”
Monir: “Origin’s Hug come from combination of western and eastern art and skill.This Because it’s design by designers Monir Kazemian and Dario Ivone. They are a Persian – Italian couple attracted by the combination of western and oriental design. They have different cultural approaches that coexist with each other.”
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Daniel Skoták and Patrik Rešl are two Czech design students who created a refillable bottle made of bamboo which we can always be brought with us. Here the interview we had with them and what they explained us about their project.
SOYC: “Guys, can you please talk about your project and its sustainability?”
Daniel: “Our project is a refillable drinks bottle made of bamboo, designed for portability and reusability. We have chosen bamboo as our material as it is renewable, sustainable, and carbon neutral. However, the nature of the material is that it will eventually become warped by the presence of the liquid inside. In order to combat this, our design features a two-part outer layer, made of stainless steel, that is kept by the owner. This outer layer is fitted on top of the bamboo inner layer, which is affordably replaceable.”
SOYC: “Where does the idea of your bottle take its origin?”
Patrik: “The project was born of a conversation between two team members, regarding the unsustainable modern world. Disposable products are increasingly made of plastic and other unsustainable hydrocarbon based materials, which play a large part in polluting our oceans. Plastic as a material is not degradable, which results in plastic microbes entering the ecology of our oceans. This affects marine life, which eventually impacts people.”
SOYC: “Why did you decide to use bamboo to create your bottle?”
Daniel: “Bamboo was chosen as the material because it is fast-growing, which lessens the negative impact on its environment. It is also carbon-neutral, because it absorbs carbon dioxide while it grows. We want to support and join the ever-growing movement of sustainable design, as this is an element of products that consumers are increasingly looking for.”
SOYC: “Ok thank you guys. One last question: What did inspire your idea?”
Patrik: “This project was inspired by the use of bamboo as a traditional construction material in Japanese and other East Asian cultures. We were inspired by wanting to have a positive impact on the planet.”
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Christian Carlino is an Italian 33 years old designer who create some lamps starting from upcycled old televisions. Read the interview to discover where he finds his inspiration and other information about his project!
SOYC: “Christian, can you explain us what your project is about and how it can be considered sustainable?”
Christian: “Light and color, two fundamental states of our lives that govern and influence our existence. Each color influences in its own way what we are, how we live and the surrounding world. Starting from this reflection, I decided to give new life to some old and died iconic televisions to make them an integral part of our lives and to make sure that those interacting with them decide actively how the object should influence to us in a positive way. Each lamp is a unique object, the result of careful research of models and materials, with the aim of safeguarding a historical memory of the design of many models produced around the ’60s and’ 70s that at the time carried out their social function being also transportable objects. Everything is made in an artisan way and each model is linked to a record / artist that has marked the history of music from the 60s to 2001, the year of the first historical decay of the new millennium.”
SOYC: “How was born your idea?”
Christian: “The idea was born with the aim of finding a solution to reuse old televisions that I had collected at my vintage-style studio that remained unused; after a careful reflection on the use of furniture that the object itself covers today, I come to the conclusion that it is not acceptable that there are objects that after having undergone a careful design phase end up completing their life all ‘inside of landfills or thrown where it happens.”
SOYC: “And what did inspire you?”
Christian: “What inspired me can be found in the power that the energy fields and the frequencies have on us as human beings. Every vibration, every color, every object, whatever is present on this planet influences our lives. I asked myself how I could find a way through which the interlocutor was no longer a passive subject, but became himself the actor of his own life, leaving to him every choice and every joy in choosing through colors which feeling or emotion he wanted to live in this moment. I combined all this in a historical-cultural research that put the individual in the center thanks to the light, the colors and our inner powerand also laid the foundations for the diffusion of a culture of reuse towards the goal of ever greater respect towards nature for a more ethical and less wasteful future.”
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Alessandro Azzolini is a young Italian Architectural Design student at Politecnico di Milano. He designed a lounge chair which is completely made of recycled cardboards.
Here the interview we had with him!
SOYC: “Alessandro, can you talk about your project and its sustainability dimension?”
Alessandro: “My project consists of a lounge chair completely made of regenerated corrugated cardboard sheets that are laser-cut and assembled together with interlocking joints. Carboard is a very eco-sustainable material since it comes from renewable sources and can be recycled. The interlocking joints make the structure stable and allow to completely avoid the use of glue in a way to keep the 100% recyclability. It can be assembled in a quick way directly by the final user and it can be easily disassembled and stored flat in a way that occupies the least amount of space.”
SOYC: “Why did you decide to design your chair?”
Alessandro: “Because it is very economical since it uses waste material that can be obtained for free and because overall the chair has a very low environmental impact.
The choice of material and the easiness of (dis)assembly make this product perfect as a temporary furniture. When the chair’s lifecycle has ended, either because it has been damaged or the user wants to change it (since the contemporary world is very fast in consumption), the cardboard can just be thrown into the paper trash bin without problems and without worrying about the impact on our planet resources (since the reused cardboard of the chair would in any case have headed to the paper waste).”
SOYC: “What did inspire your design concept?”
Alessandro: “The design takes inspiration on one side from the shape of those ergonomic plastic seating that are meant to maximise comfort and on the other side from the metal grid-structure chairs, which I was sceptical about but after testing them in my life I realised they were comfortable indeed. The seating shape is lofted to form a circle, that in the base forms an elliptical footprint.
The chair components can be made out of 16 sheets of cardboard measuring 1x2m or either from 34 sheets of 1×1,2m. The dimension of sheets used is flexible and the number of sheets depends on it.”
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Alastair Brook, Jack Lehane, Jason Ladrigan and Seán Conlan-Smith are four design doctoral students which decided to found the DSGN Movement (Design Student Global Network), a new project pioneered by an international network of student designers and social communities. Read the interview to find out what their project is about!
DSGN: “Our first major project is located in Pejarakan, a village in the northwestern region of Bali– nestled between mountains and the sea. Despite this, the inhabitants are often from struggling families and live on the poverty line. To combat this, we have partnered with a local community development organisation and are building a self-sustaining Innovation Hub to educate Balinese youth on environmental and economic security.”
SOYC: “The project you are going to create, the Innovation Hub, it’s your property. But what about the designers and authors of the project?”
DSGN: “This Innovation Hub has been designed by Hanna Haczek and Ewelina Andrecka, two Polish Architecture Students who won our recent architecture competition!”
Ewelina Andrecka and Hanna Haczek
SOYC: “Can you told us what they said you about their project?”
DSGN: “Yes, of course. Here their words: The hub is designed in such a way that it gives the impression of a perfect balance with the surrounding nature. It is divided into three sections by mobile walls – frames filled with bamboo, a sustainable material – that are arranged to the users preference. the heart of the facility there is an installation which cools down the inside by using stored rainwater and natural airflow circulation- saving on unneeded power. Simplicity is key here- and usage of local building materials and plain environmental solutions play a significant role in achieving harmony with the environment.”
SOYC: “What did inspire you to produce such an important project and make it reality?”
DSGN: “Our first project in Bali began when we met the Five Pillar Foundation. Its leaders, I Putu Wiraguna and Alan Yu, have a dream of creating a sustainable and self-sufficient Innovation Hub, where the local community can teach each other craft and design skills and boost their local economy.
This Innovation Hub will overcome a shortage of education and knowledge in the local community. A lack of social collaboration has meant there are many jobless people. The future development of Bali will come through re-connecting with our local culture and our environment. The project connects students of architecture and design from around the world with local youth, allowing freedom of design thinking that will spark new and exciting entrepreneurial opportunities – creating a sustainable community in the heart of the island.”
The other project we are going to present today is that by Clementina Chiarini and Nicolò Cellina. They designed a craft-made bike which is made of wood and perfectly fits with your body and your preferences.
SOYC: “So, can you please talk about your project, which is close to the green mobility cause?”
Clementina: “A wood bike is what you need to move around the city: no traffic, no pollution and no sedentary people! It is a special bike because it is craft made. It is a prototype based in a digital model that you can customize according to your body and your tastes. The bike fits you and you fit your bike. This design object is useful and it is the symbol of green mobility with zero emission. Moreover, it is made of a renewable material: wood. In particular, it is a wasted wood in very good condition that we recycle and combine to make a beautiful bike.”
SOYC: “Where does your project take its origins?”
Nicolò: “Everything begins whit a question: How can we recycle wasted wood with small dimensions from carpentry? Of course, making a bike! Promote a green way of life also when we move it is very important for us and for our planet. Using multilayered wood, it is the answer. This technique allows to recycle small pieces and different types of wood. For the shape, the main source of inspiration for the project is the shape of the bikes used in the early nineties. The study of the shape and the geometry of one of those frames have been taken as a base configuration to develop the shape of our frame.”
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Emanuele Matteucci, Giovanni Silvestri and Michele Tunzi are three Design of the Industrial Product students in Bologna, Italy. They created Akabei, a metal stool starting from one single scrap of metal found as a reject in a mechanical workshop. This is where the sustainability of their project stands. Here the short interview we had with them!
SOYC: “Can you talk us about your design project and its sustainability?”
Students: “Our stool, Akabei, is truly sustainable for many aspects. It is made from a single rectangular sheet of inox steel of only 2 millimetres in thickness. We need only two machineries to produce it: one for cutting the sheet and the other one for bending it. This way we save resources both on material, because there is no waste, and on industrial treatments.
Furthermore, we built Akabei starting from a scrap of metal found as a reject in a mechanical workshop therefore we can say that it is 100% recycled from other processes’ waste. Akabei is built to resist, it is nearly indestructible and it is perfectly safe: it can bear more than 200 kilograms without losing its shape so it is clearly not a single-use product at all.”
SOYC: “Why do you choose metal as your project’s material?”
Students: “We wanted to revalue metal as a material to sit on. We made it comfortable and relaxing by making it wave slightly when someone sit on it and light as it weighs just as the other wooden chairs in commerce. The metal plate bends a bit in the middle to adapt itself to the person who is sittingon and the absence of a backrest guarantees a correct posture. Moreover, the characteristic saddle form will cause no tingling if someone decides to sit for a long period.”
SOYC: “What did inspire you?”
Students: “For the name, we took inspiration from Pacman’s ghost, as our stool’s form reminded us of its shape. Moreover, by looking at it from the front view, it seems invisible just like a ghost. For the shape and functionality, we took inspiration from the swings found at the park and from the work of Ron Arad.”
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