Inspirations

Hi Sarmite,
None of us would deny it: everything transforms, reinvents. Since it’s time for circular, let’s make a short «round» interview to get to know you and your work with bio-materials slightly better!

«Nid-O» means «nest» in Spanish; what has been your own cradle as a designer? And how did you launch yourself «in the ring» of bio-material investigations?

I do not think that investigating natural materials or ways of producing in a way that doesn't harm our planet has been my goal per se. Yet, what is interesting, that I always return to this topic. Already at design school, in a lot of assignments I would always choose to show a new perspective of how we can think about resources, use the knowledge of nature or simply try to teach people a new aspect of how we can benefit from nature. I need my designs to convey a message and I feel that I cannot do that enough by simply designing with a regular material.

By now I have accepted it that I will most probably always choose to work on methods, that, perhaps, are harder to break through, but therefore are more valuable to the society.

You’re invited to an unexpected dreamt round table. With whom are you chatting about your current investigations? What do you tell this person about this PineSkins?

Oh, what a great moment! The table indeed is round and the background is dark, only us - people are highlighted. Like in a “Do you want to be a Millionaire?” show. I am sitting with 2 people - a crazy chemist and Paul Rand. We are discussing the idea of something ugly and useless turned into something beautiful

Paul in his graphic design work played a lot with shape or colour only. He always made design accessible to everyone which is something I want to strive for as well. The chemist, on the other hand, would always come up with solutions such as: “Just mix A with B and you will get the perfect glue!”

Imagine a pie chart for your PineSkins. If you had to reflect your experience working with pine bark as a raw material, what would it look like?

22% time in the forest, wondering why, the hell, did I not choose a material to work with
which I could simply buy from the store?
20% imagine all the things I could make out of it!
20% figuring out the material, how to improve its strength, colour, binding techniques
20% designing through the material
18% is this even going to work?

Please keep us in the loop... in the far future, is there any «crazy» raw material you’d be thrilled to work on?

I would like to discover more trees! By reusing the bio-softening technique as I do with Pine Tree bark, i would like to see the possible outcomes of different trees. Different tree barks have different pattern, smell and colour. Wouldn't it be nice that you could choose the “Skin” of different trees just like we choose currently fabrics of types of leather in shelf of a store? Beside that, I also do experimentations with the leftovers of my bark, which I grind and press together with a tree-resin. This way I create a mouldable material that I can pour in forms and create new shapes. What I find fascinating that I always keep the ingredients from the same tree, yet always in different combinations! Think of all the patterns, colours and smells!

Last but not least, any mantra to borrow from you before leaving?

Always go for the «weird one». Either its idea, shape, material. It always pays of ;)

Thanks a lot and have a great day!

Hi,
None of us would deny it: everything transforms, reinvents. Since it’s time for circular, let’s make a short « round » interview to get to know you and your work with bio-materials slightly better!

«Nid-O» means «nest» in Spanish; what has been your own cradle as a designer? And how did you launch yourself «in the ring» of bio-material investigations?

Growing up in a family of architects, I was exposed to design before even knowing it. Though it was during my teenage life when I realised I was interested in the smaller scale, when I started experimenting with material leftovers trying to form weird musical instruments. I studied design engineering in Greece, and then I had a Masters of Fine Arts in Product Design in Scotland. During my studies in Edinburgh, I decided to explore the field of bio materials and alternative economy. It was a naive thought at the time, that in a way I could enhance Greek economy by making product using natural materials found in Greek nature. That’s how “Thistle Collection” started, and seven years later I found me self exporting thistle furniture to London and New York.

You’re invited to an unexpected dreamt round table. With whom are you chatting about the genesis of your idea and the current investigations? What do you tell this person?

I am having dinner with Charles Eames, Benjamin Hubert, Keith Jarrett, Sean Connery and Elon Musk. After expressing my admiration to Eames and Hubert, I then have a drink with Sean Connery listening to Keith Jarrett’s music, in order to start chatting with Mr. Musk about my idea. I would try to convince him that we are not part of a video game, and ask for funding in order to develop Thistle in bigger scale, and create more complex and interesting forms.

Imagine a pie chart for your Thistle Collection. If you had to reflect your experience working with artichoke as a raw material, what would it look like?

45% thinking of new designs and techniques, 20% excitement of the industrialisation of the process and the potential, 15% surprise about the interesting looks of it, 10% frustration trying to hand mould the chairs, 10% fatigue gringing tons of thistle flowers.

Please keep us in the loop... in the far future, is there any «crazy» raw material you’d be thrilled to work on?

I would love to work with the leftovers of the Gum plant once it’s turned into liquid... I hope to find time for new experiments soon!

Last but not least, any mantra to borrow from you before leaving?

I always liked this Anthony Burril poster where it’s written “work hard and be nice to people”. I don’t know who said it first, but I try really hard to have this as my mojo :)

Thanks a lot and have a great day!

Hi Tamara,
None of us would deny it: everything transforms, reinvents. Since it’s time for circular, let’s make a short « round » interview to get to know you and your work with bio- materials slightly better!

« Nid-O » means « nest » in Spanish; what has been your own cradle as a designer? And how did you launch yourself « in the ring » of bio-material investigations?

Throughout my studies and career, I have been dealing with a wide range of social and sustainable issues, which makes my interest and work very diverse. Materials play an important role in my design, as a designer living in the rise of consumerism, growing population and climate change. I find it very important to understand the global picture, the whole cycle of materials applied. I believe that as a designer, you have a moral obligation to consider the impact of what you are creating. Sustainability, circular economy has a core value in my thinking!

You’re invited to an unexpected dreamt round table. With whom are you chatting about the genesis of your Forest Wool and the current investigations? What do you tell this person?

For this particular project (Forest Wool, a material made from pine needles) I really wanted to meet IKEA, as they are on of the largest timber consumers. Which actually has happened last year. I wish I could speak with Ingvar Kamprad his philosophy fascinates me.

Imagine a pie chart. If you had to reflect your experience working with pine needles as a raw material, what would it look like?

I would give 50% to the research I have made about the material and timber industry, meeting forestry specialists, figuring out the environmental and economical benefits of this material. 15% will be harvesting pine needles and 35% material experiments; crushing, carding, looking at the existing industrial materials and techniques.

Please keep us in the loop... in the far future, is there any « crazy » raw material you’d be thrilled to work on?

I am passionate about local materials and crafts. There is a lot of knowledge and awareness we used to pass from generation to generation which got forgotten due to development of mass-production. Lots of valuable local material and techniques were left behind.

Last but not least, any mantra to borrow from you before leaving?

I like the quote from Carl Sagan “You have to know the past to understand the present”

Thanks a lot and have a great day!

Hi,
None of us would deny it: everything transforms, reinvents. Since it’s time for circular, let’s make a short « round » interview to get to know you and your work with bio- materials slightly better!

« Nid-O » means « nest » in Spanish; what has been your own cradle as a designer? And how did you launch yourself « in the ring » of bio-material investigations?

I graduated from the Design Academy Eindhoven in the summer of 2018. I wouldn’t call it my nest but it has been the starting point of my bio material investigations. To call my own nest, it would be my heritage, I inherited the hands of my grandfather who was a carpenter and wood artist. The « hands » of my grandfather and the knowledge of the Design Academy Eindhoven made the designer I am now.
« Manureality » has been part of my graduation period at the Design Academy Eindhoven. It started with a research into traditional manufacturing techniques in continents like Africa and South America. I noticed that manure has been a building material for decades. When I researched the topic further I found out that even in the Netherlands they used to build with manure. The question was: How can I bring back manure, which is a waste material, back into our houses? And the goals of a furniture collection was born. After graduating with the Manureality collection, I showed my furniture and material during the Graduation show at the Dutch Design Week 2018. From that moment on Manureality is out there and things started to roll.

You’re invited to an unexpected dreamt round table. With whom are you chatting about the genesis of your idea and the current investigations? What do you tell this person?

First person I would like to talk to about the genesis of my project would be co-alumni from DAE from a few years ago, Teresa van Dongen. She designs with active bacteria. I would like to talk with her about how to position yourself within the world of bio development. And also about how to get the company going from a design concept like this. Unconventional projects need a deeper understanding before it gets accepted.

Imagine a pie chart for your Manureality Collection. If you had to reflect your experience working with manure as a raw material, what would it look like?

15% nasty, 15% surprise about the aesthetics, 10% convince people, 20% fatigue, 20% determination, 12% why am I doing this? Keep asking! & 8% don’t think.

Please keep us in the loop... in the far future, is there any «crazy» raw material you’d be thrilled to work on?

At the moment there is an idea for a new material for the future but it’s not really « raw » like manure or a natural fibre. But I have a concept for the future, I would like to create new furniture out of recycling all the aluminium foil from food trucks and food stands within the city.

Last but not least, any mantra to borrow from you before leaving ?

There is a phrase from a song: « Always the hard way! ». My own choices are the best even if it means it is the most difficult route.

Thanks a lot and have a great day!