Chair 03VXX Series uses starch and fiber as a means to explore the many applications of natural (compostable) materials across the spectrum of fabrication: from handcraft to mass production. The chairs are built to last as long as you'd like (indoors) and designed to compost in <1yr. The use of commercially available materials is intentional. As it tells us what is possible, at scale, here and now, to directly address our dependence on oil. This series is a proof of concept. Proof that our hurdle is not a matter of resources but design ingenuity and industriousness.
The process involves deep material research into origin, composition, manufacturing, life-cycle, and end of life analysis with the goal of alleviating the impact of materials choices on the environment. The series uses a plethora of fibers including, hemp fiber, cotton fiber, and post consumer paper pulp as a means to explore the many applications of natural (compostable) materials across the spectrum of fabrication: from handcraft to mass production.
Compostable furniture provides a solution to the problem of environmental pollution caused by petro-based furniture. The rapid exploitation of industrialization has resulted in the use of fossil fuels to create objects used for a fraction of their true life cycle. There is a disconnect in that furniture is used for five to ten years, but is produced to exist for hundreds of years. Society needs to consider not only where materials come from and how they are sourced, but also how long they will be used, where they go at end of life, and how the entire lifecycle will impact the stakeholders (environment, economy, and community).
The need for truly circular furniture only increases with time. The effect of continued dependence on petro based “solutions” is potentially catastrophic, with severe consequences for the entirety of our planet and the generations to come.
