Experimenting in design through Natural Material Studio

Image: Shellware. Research & design In collaboration with Restaurant Noma & Esben Kaldahl, Copenhagen 2020. Photo by: Peter William Vinther

During the process of realising an installation, a space or an object design, its creators, aside from research, also focus on design methods that combine additional scientific fields like biology, chemistry and materials science. Demonstrating that from the latter can be derived great specimens of design, Natural Material Studio, active in Copenhagen, has already experimented with and created environmentally friendly materials, bringing the potential of sustainable design to the next level.

Research-based design

How does one explore such potential? The fundamental ideas surrounding the process of exploration are to be found under the term «research-based design». According to this theory, design is the result of research and practical experimentation regarding form, object corporeality as well as the message received by the user of the object or the concept behind it. Design is an ongoing process, without beginning, middle or end, with a non-linear course towards the final result. This course undoubtedly entails certain stages, which are: analysis, understanding and recording the prevailing conditions, participatory design with a selected audience, specialisation of design in the lab, and finally, a trial of the prototypes within real-life conditions. It’s clear that research-based design is occupied with corporeality, functionality, ecology and technology.

When it comes to experimenting with materials, the knowledge of basic techniques and design characteristics of the materials, the creative exploitation of said characteristics as well as their interconnection is deemed necessary.

Shellware. Research & design In collaboration with Restaurant Noma & Esben Kaldahl, Copenhagen 2020. Photo by: Peter William Vinther

The excellent case of Natural Material Studio

All the aforementioned characteristics can describe the principles of Natural Material Studio, which explores the potential of materials to be found anywhere in our environment, either from natural sources or from waste. Believing in the model of circular economy, the Danish studio supports that seemingly useless or harmful to the environment materials as well as natural materials yet to be explored can be used in an innovative design, helping at the same time the fight against climate change. Research however is not restricted only to the ingenious exploitation of those sources but also explores their biodegradability. So, the objects designed by the studio, when exposed to the right conditions, can be fully recycled.

Natural Material Studio’s work centres around research and design. Material is, according to the studio’s founder, Bonnie Hvillum, the keystone of design, hence the name of her studio. Here are just a few of the many innovative ideas of Natural Material Studio:

Alger

There’s a developing study spanning over two years concerning the potential of algae. As proved by research even of other designers abroad, this seaweed functions as a live organism emitting oxygen. Because of its characteristics, it can produce a biopolymer and therefore it can be used instead of plastic or turned into a piece of fabric as well as natural paint. These two latter capabilities of algae are explored by Natural Material Studio. They actually have already used it for curtains and clothes, launched in a recent installation for Frama.

Material Installation at Frama Studio Store, 3 Days of Design, Copenhagen, 2021

Pinel

Realising the need for further exploration of vegan as well as natural biodegradable leather, the studio has been examining since 2019 the potential of pine needles. It is an everpresent material which, especially after the Christmas holidays, is to be found frequently in the trees that end up in the trash. Pine needle leather surfaces can be made in varying sizes and thicknesses and can be handled like a piece of wood. However, to produce Pinel the needles undergo a process in stages, from collecting to breaking down the needles to casting and drying.

Pinel, Material development in collaboration Danish Technological Institute & Danske Juletræer organisation, Copenhagen, 2019 - ongoing. Photos by: Lars Hauschildt

A charcoal collection

In the field of fashion, the Danish studio in collaboration with Stephanie Moscall-Varey discovered a new charcoal-based material. The soft, black, smooth and flexible fabric is active, that is, it absorbs carbon dioxide while following the guidelines set by Natural Material Studio for a biodegradable, eco-friendly and durable design. The bet made by this project is that fashion can be aesthetic through natural materials.

Material research, concept, design & supply for Moskal Design, AW20 catwalk collection 'PITBROW', London-Copenhagen, 2019-2020. Photos by: NMS/Moskal

Their innovations however are not limited to materials but also extend to objects. Wooden tables made of recycled industrial material, seats with foam made from honeycomb as well as clay made from seashells are some of the designs that piqued our interest. To find out more, we talked with Natural Material Studio and Bonnie Hvillum.

Photo by: Lars Hauschildt

-Is there a limit to the natural materials that can be used as raw materials, and if so, based on which criteria are some materials disqualified?

This is a very good question! I personally think we can find potential qualities and properties in all kinds of natural materials, and I think that the obscure choice sometimes is where we get the most surprising results. Working from and with nature can be seen as a complex challenge, but, approached with a playful, naive and beginners mind, it can also function as an excellent design constraint.

-Is the current design market open to such experimentation?

I think it’s all about what markets and whom we turn to. There’s a market for everything, some markets are just more niche than others. The market for conceptual and experimental design is growing, as there is a growing understanding that this stage is natural going from early inventions to commercialization.

Shellware. Research & design In collaboration with Restaurant Noma & Esben Kaldahl, Copenhagen 2020. Photo by: Peter William Vinther

-How would you describe your design process?

My process starts with a curiosity into an unexplored and unused matter. I take it through a very experimentally orientated material driven design process exploring the aesthetical qualities as well as technical possibilities and limitations of the matter. From here follows an exploration of form, narrative and concept based on the first findings.

-In what other fields do you think your discoveries could apply? What can we expect from you next?

I don’t see my work, materials, visions and interest limited to any design fields. I think in furniture concepts, clothing, architecture, installations, sculptures and further. For me the key is what stories and possibilities the materials hold and placing these narratives in a social, anthropological, political, historical and futuristic context.

-In what way would you encourage someone to start producing design through meticulous research and experimentation?

Not to work too meticulous! It’s all about staying in the explorative and letting the materials drive the process. Be open, kind and embrace the findings that will come to you.

Special thanks to Bonnie Hvillum from Copenhagen for this interview. For more info on Natural Material Studio’s projects, visit naturalmaterialstudio.com.

https://lampoonmagazine.com/article/2021/12/07/natural-material-studio-bonnie-hvillum/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research-based_design