organic Archives

External Reference creates 3D-printed organic displays for La Manso store

3D-printed shelving structures informed by Catalan-modernist buildings were used for shelving in this store designed by External Reference for a Spanish jewellery brand.

Experimental jewellery designer Adriana Manso asked Carmelo Zappulla’s studio External Reference to develop a suitably unusual interior concept for her first physical store in the city.

Exterior of La Manso store in Barcelona — The store is in the Eixample district

The project involved designing a window display and shelving for the 25-square-metre store, which is located in Barcelona’s Eixample district just a few metres from the house where Manso was born.

Manso is known for her playful pieces made from recycled plastic, which she wanted to display in a space that evokes the luxury feel of an haute-couture boutique.

Interior of La Manso — It features a 3D-printed interior informed by architecture

External Reference sought to combine the contemporary plasticity of La Manso’s jewellery with motifs influenced by Barcelona’s early 20th-century architecture, including the building in which the store is situated.

“Our design concept revolved around bringing the exterior facade inside, creating a melted and fluid background that would serve as an artistic canvas for showcasing the jewellery,” Zappulla told Dezeen.

“By blending the expressive elements of Catalan modernism with the organic forms inspired by La Manso design, our goal was to craft a visually captivating environment that elevates the overall shopping experience.”

Floral details in Barcelona store — External Reference created wavy shapes for the space

The designers selected fragments from the decorative facade and abstracted them using a process involving hand drawing and computational design techniques.

In particular, floral details from the elaborate canopy at the store’s entrance were reinterpreted as large rosettes incorporating futuristic glitches and bas-reliefs.

The organic shapes form shelving units that range in height from 90 centimetres to 1.7 metres. Jewellery and accessories are displayed on the shelves, as well as on a small table at the centre of the space.

The furniture is made from biodegradable cellulose and was produced with technical support from specialist 3D-printing workshop La Máquina.

Zappulla and his team refined the digital models to optimise them for printing. This involved splitting them into manageable parts that could be processed by the machine’s robotic arm.

Barcelona jewellery store — The aim was to provide a neutral backdrop

All of the printed elements are finished in a muted off-white shade that matches the rest of the interior and provides a neutral backdrop for displaying the jewellery.

Large, mirrored surfaces help to make the interior feel more expansive, while spotlights provide targeted illumination for highlighting the collection.

In addition to the main furniture, the designers also developed a window display and 3D-printed signage that extend the store’s conceptual design out into the street.

Shelving at La Manso — The La Manso interior has a muted colour palette

Large-scale 3D-printing technology offers designers possibilities to create unique elements for branded interiors, which makes it increasingly popular for retail spaces.

Spanish design studio Nagami has created a store for sustainable clothing brand Ecoalf featuring transparent 3D-printed displays that recall melting glaciers, while Dutch architecture practice Studio RAP used the technology to produce a wave-like tiled facade for an Amsterdam boutique.

The photography is courtesy of External Reference.

Reference

Sustainable News

Making hi-tech nano-crystals out of organic fishing waste

By Zarkon Group,13/08/2023

Spotted: Material waste from the fishing industry, namely crustacean waste, amounts to around 6-8 million tonnes a year. One company is looking to use this waste to solve the problem of material alternatives to plastics.

The present problem with plastic packaging films is that it’s difficult to achieve high strength, low permeability, and recyclability all in one material. The current market caters to low permeability and high strength but neglects recyclability, with these materials taking decades to be broken down and releasing harmful microplastics in the process. This is where Neptune Nanotechnologies comes in.

The company is using its proprietary technology to transform the waste material of crabs, shrimps, and lobsters into highly valuable chitin nanocrystals. Neptune Nanotechnologies highlights that these nanocrystals are stronger than steel, lighter than plastic, and fully bio-based and biodegradable. The fully organic crystals replace current additives to base materials, like plastic and composites, that can be an obstacle to a product’s biodegradability.

The crystals solve the problems of performance by making the final nano-structured materials stronger, but equally, the weight reductions allow better efficiency and CO2 prevention downstream in transport. Neptune Nanotechnologies’ crystals have similar characteristics to other nanotech alternatives, including graphene and carbon nanotubes, but have the added bonus of also being biodegradable.

This high performance means the crystals are suitable for a range of applications, like aerospace and automotive composites, high-barrier films and packaging, 3D-printed materials, and biomedical devices. Neptune Nanotechnologies is currently testing its technologies in these industries and is hoping to become completely commercialised soon.

There are a number of innovators looking to rid the world of harmful, often plastic-based, materials. In the archive, Springwise has also spotted one startup that turns organic waste into planet-friendly plastic and another that creates footwear from food waste.

Written By: Archie Cox

Reference

Sustainable News

Turning organic waste into planet-friendly plastic

By Zarkon Group,08/08/2023

Spotted: Petroleum-based plastics are everywhere in our daily lives, from our clothes and cosmetic products to food packaging and deliveries. Though plastic is highly useful, it’s carbon-intensive to manufacture and often isn’t recycled. In fact, of the seven billion tonnes of plastic that have been produced so far, only around 10 per cent has been recycled.

One way scientists have been tackling the impact of plastic is by replacing it with bio-based alternatives. One of these innovators is Canadian startup Genecis, which creates pollution-free, totally biodegradable PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) – a naturally occurring polymer produced by bacteria when they are fed organic waste like leftover food.

At the end of its usable life, a PHA product will break down safely in the environment without leaving behind microplastics or leaching toxic chemicals. To become even more sustainable in future, the company hopes to use old PHA products as the feedstock for new Genecis bioplastic, creating an entirely closed-loop system and reducing the need for additional resources.

Mirroring the versatility of traditional plastic, Genecis’ alternative PHA can be used in car interiors, clothing, and packaging. And because the material is natural, it is also safe to use in tools for medical procedures.

The company was recently awarded money from the Female Founder Initiative as part of Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund to help support female innovators. The online retail giant is “currently evaluating ways to use Genecis’ technology”, potentially in packaging for grocery and pharmacy items delivered by Amazon. As well as Amazon, Genecis is currently working with several corporate clients to help design sustainable bioplastic products for their specific use cases.

In the archive, Springwise has spotted a huge variety of other innovators also working to make more sustainable plastic alternatives, including one made from cellulose, and the world’s first biodegradable water bottle.

Written By: Matilda Cox

Reference

Interior Design

Eight welcoming wood-panelled dining rooms with an organic feel

By Zarkon Group,02/07/2023

For our latest lookbook, we’ve selected eight dining rooms from the Dezeen archive where wooden panelling was used to create cosy, earthy environments with an organic feel.

From South America to Europe, these wood-panelled dining rooms serve as focal points in the interiors and create social spaces for residents and guests.

Whether they’re made from timber, pine or plywood, the wooden finishes on these statement walls and ceilings have been used to create welcoming environments with peaceful atmospheres.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes with focal point wardrobes, statement headboards and homes with pergolas.

Dining room — Photography is by Fran Parente and image production is by Victor Correa

ER Apartment, Brazil, Pascali Semerdjian Arquitetos

This apartment in São Paulo has an exposed concrete ceiling and uses natural materials, such as walnut, bronze, onyx and stone in its furnishings and finishes.

Pascali Semerdjian Arquitetos used vertical timber cladding, local art and furniture by Brazilian architects and designers Oscar Niemeyer and Claudia Moreira Salles in the dining room to make the space “deeply Brazilian and vividly cosmopolitan”.

Find out more about ER Apartment ›

Photo of a dining room and stairs — Photography is by Eric Petschek

Carroll Gardens Townhouse, US, Starling Architecture and Emily Lindberg Design

Starling Architecture and Emily Lindberg Design combined two units in a Brooklyn townhouse to create this family home. The townhouse features Belgian white oak on the flooring and along the corridor, stairs, mudroom, kitchen and dining area.

The New York-based studios used neutral tones to decorate the five-story house. In the dining room, wooden cabinets and decorative lamellas match the floor and ceiling.

Find out more about Carroll Gardens Townhouse ›

River Thames engraving in Dragon Flat by Tsuruta Architects — Photography is by Tim Croker

Dragon Flat, UK, Tsuruta Architects

Artificial intelligence (AI) was used to design the patterns engraved on plywood panels that decorate the dining room of the Dragon Flat in London’s Notting Hill. Tsuruta Architects used a CNC router – a computer-controlled cutting machine – to engrave a pattern of the River Thames on the wall.

The architecture studio also updated the two-level maisonette to include a walk-in wardrobe and tatami room, which features an engraved design on its panelled walls.

Find out more about Dragon Flat ›

Wood-panelled dining hall — Photography is by David Grandorge

Homerton College, UK, Feilden Fowles

Homerton College at the University of Cambridge includes a dining hall by London architecture studio Feilden Fowles made from concrete, timber and 3,200 faience tiles.

The building, which was constructed with chestnut-laminated timber frames and clerestory windows, features a larger eating space, a smaller eating room, the kitchen and staff amenities.

It was designed to celebrate handcrafting techniques and contemporary construction and engineering.

Find out more about Homerton College ›

House in El Peumo, Chile by Cristian Izquierdo Hehmann — Photography is by Roland Halbe

House in El Peumo, Chile, Cristián Izquierdo Lehmann

This house, designed by Cristián Izquierdo Lehmann, centres around an open-plan kitchen and dining room with a vaulted ceiling that is used for cooking, dining and socialising.

A minimalist decor compliments the dramatic ceiling, with red stools used for dining and a bookcase lining the wall.

Located in El Peumo, Chile, the house was clad with laminated pine and features concrete floors and large windows for the owners to enjoy the green exterior.

Find out more about House in El Peumo ›

Another Seedbed, US, Future Projects

The Another Seedbed loft in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, serves as both a home and performance space for its owner. To function as both, the space is predominately open, with hidden rooms located around the apartment.

Warm pine walls mark the dining space, which features a complementary red angular table and wooden sculptural chairs.

Other walls in the loft are covered in hand-troweled earthen clay plaster, blue penny-round tiles and floor-to-ceiling shelving.

Find out more about Another Seedbed ›

Stone Creek Camp by Anderson-Wise Architects — Photography is by Art Gray

Stone Creek Camp, US, Andersson-Wise Architects

US-based Andersson-Wise Architects designed the Stone Creek Camp in Big Fork, Montana, as a family retreat of cabins and cottages.

While it is wood-clad, the kitchen and dining area does not feature traditional panelled walls. Instead, one wall is made from wooden logs that have been assembled to create an unusual wall with a highly textured surface.

The ceiling was clad in wooden panels that match the floorboards in the home.

Find out more about Stone Creek Camp ›

Cabin Geilo, Norway by Lund Hagem — Photography is by Marc Goodwin

Geilo Valley Cabin, Norway, Lund Hagem

Panelled with blackened timber, this Norwegian ski cabin shelters residents from harsh weather conditions and offers panoramic views of the Geilo Valley. The cabin’s exterior concrete walls have also been tinted black to reflect the interior panels.

The walls and ceiling of the dining room use the same timber cladding, matching the kitchen island to create a cosy, coherent atmosphere.

“The dark tone allows the nature outside to come closer and creates a darkness that contrasts with the white winter landscape,” said the project’s architects Lund Hagem.

Find out more about Geilo Valley Cabin ›

Reference

Sustainable News

Creating biochar from wastewater, organic waste, and coffee cups

By Zarkon Group,29/06/2023

Spotted: The volume of edible food waste created around the world is estimated to be 1.3 billion tonnes a year, with a lot of that ending up in landfills. Once in landfill, this waste breaks down and releases CO2 into the atmosphere. While some are doing important work to reduce the amount of material that ends up in landfills, Edinburgh-based Carbogenics is going in another direction and turning this waste into a material that is useful in multiple agricultural and industrial processes.

The company produces a product called CreChar. This is a type of biochar – a carbon-rich, porous material that can be used to enhance the production of biogas from food and farming waste. While most biochar is made from virgin wood, Carbogenics’ process uses organic waste, such as wastewater screenings and difficult-to-recycle food, farm, and paper waste instead.

CreChar is made by heating biomass in the absence of oxygen. This process, known as pyrolysis, produces carbon-rich biochar alongside oil, synthetic gas (syngas), and heat. This versatile material could be a gamechanger for the biogas and wastewater treatment sectors, but it can also be used as a plant fertiliser and for soil restoration and carbon sequestration. When used in place of biochar in biogas production, for example, CreChar increases biogas yields by up to 15 per cent.

At the same time, because the carbon locked in CreChar during its production process cannot easily be broken down by microorganisms, it can be sequestered in the material for hundreds or thousands of years.

Carbogenics recently secured £1 million (around €1.2 million) in investment from Green Angel Ventures, Scottish Enterprise and Old College Capital. The funds will be used to build a production and research and development (R&D) facility in Scotland. It’s anticipated the facility will be operational by the end of Q1 in 2024.

Researchers are working on a number of projects that aim to maximise the efficiency of converting biomass to energy. In the archive, Springwise has also spotted a project at EPLF that uses food waste in the pyrolysis process, as well as a small-scale biowaste processor that turns food waste into cooking gas and compost.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

Architecture

ADUs Bring Organic Growth to Suburbia, And We Desperately Need More Of It.

By Zarkon Group,09/05/2023

Browse the Architizer Jobs Board and apply for architecture and design positions at some of the world’s best firms. Click here to sign up for our Jobs Newsletter.

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) mandated by the State of California override local planning regulations to permit a second unit on almost any single-family zoned property. The law also allows any single-family zoned lot to be subdivided into two parcels. Additionally, it allows ADUs to be built with just a four-foot setback or no setback at the new interior property line of a subdivided parcel, in contrast with most towns, which have setbacks of more than 7 feet, up to 30 feet. It also mandates very relaxed parking requirements or no parking if the project is near public transit.

Is California paving the way for ADUs across the US?

ADU Portland. Exterior view and section.

ADU Portland. Left: Exterior view; right: building section. Courtesy of Webster Wilson Architect. Image by Caitlin Murray.

ADUs: A Solution for Affordable Housing Shortage

California has long grappled with an acute housing shortage, especially affordable housing. Local governments, under the thrall of NIMBY residents trying to preserve the rural/suburban “character” of their communities, have not been very cooperative with state goals for new housing.

Local planning departments bristle at their authority being usurped by the state, but for growing numbers of people, these ADU rules offer welcome flexibility and opportunities for growth in a place that is building better, more stable communities, providing housing, and stemming sprawl.

ADUs for Families of all Sorts of Forms

The endless swaths of single-family houses spreading across the hills and valleys of suburbia are the physical manifestation of a culture that fetishized the nuclear family — and conspicuous consumption. But, a simple nuclear family unit has never been anywhere near the universal living arrangement and is becoming ever less universal. Homeowners are using the ADU rules to build houses for a kaleidoscopic variety of living arrangements and “families” of all shapes, types, and sizes.

Drone view of suburban Utah town and Modern addition to existing house in the Salt Lake City area

Left: Drone view of similar houses, driveways, and yards in the Utah suburbs. Original public domain image from Wikimedia Commons via rawpixel; right: Modern addition to an existing suburban house in the Salt Lake City area. Image by Brian Babb via Unsplash.

From Granny Flat to Rental Property

Having a place for “granny” is hardly the only use for these units. Homeowners may be looking for something affordable for grown children and their partners that doesn’t force them to move hours away. They’re also looking for flexibility and future-proofing. What is grandma’s house today can become an income rental property that allows a homeowner on a fixed income to afford to stay in place.

Family party BBQ. Chicago. Image by Tela Chhe via Flickr.

Building Stronger Communities

The law allows a single-family zoned parcel to be subdivided into two parcels, and each of these parcels to have two units, so up to four units can be made from a single-family house. This lets people do what traditionally has often been standard operating procedure: houses are extended to accommodate growing and branching families. It can help keep extended families together, which in turn, builds stronger communities.

Breaking the Monotony of Suburban Architecture

These new units are also changing the look and feel of suburbia for the better as well. Blank two-car garage doors are being replaced by lively facades of windows and openings. The tighter setbacks help give the remodeled houses a different rhythm and feel on the street, breaking the monotonous sameness of cookie-cutter ranchers.

Courtyard DADU, Seattle, Washington. Left: View from the courtyard; right: floor plan. Courtesy of Robert Hutchison Architecture. Photo by Eirik Johnson.

YIMBY!

Until the advent of professional planners, towns and cities almost always grew and became more densely developed in small steps in exactly this way. This laisser-faire method of “planning” has produced most of the best, most treasured urban landscapes across the world. Our banal suburban sprawl may yet be redeemed through organic in-fill growth done by and for residents who are increasingly proclaiming YIMBY! (Yes, In My Back Yard).

This article was written in collaboration with Californian architect Ian Ayers.

Browse the Architizer Jobs Board and apply for architecture and design positions at some of the world’s best firms. Click here to sign up for our Jobs Newsletter.

Reference

Sustainable News

Create-your-own soap brand uses all organic ingredients and minimal packaging

By Zarkon Group,13/09/2022

Spotted: Created to reduce waste in the cosmetics industry, CustomiseMe soap uses all organic ingredients in its made-to-order production. The company reduces waste by producing orders individually by hand and by using recycled and recyclable materials in its shipping packaging. Soaps are made using the cold press technique which involves a four-week curing process.

Organic materials are sourced from responsible producers, and the brand provides a list of ingredients that customers can choose from on its website. The company claims that each ingredient has a benefit for the mind and body – from butters to essential oils.

CustomiseMe can include logos on each soap and uses organic dyes to provide a range of finished colours. For individuals and teams interested in learning more about the process of soap making, the company runs workshops for hands-on creation. Prices for a customer order begin around €34 for four bars of soap.

Springwise has spotted several innovations making bathroom products greener. These include refillable containers for bathroom products, a refillable toothpaste dispenser, and a soap company that salvages plastic dispenser bottles from other brands.

Written by: Keely Khoury

8th September 2022

Email: info@customiseme.dk

Website: customiseme.dk

Reference

Interior Design

ASKA uses organic shapes and pastel colours for Maria Nila hair salon

By Zarkon Group,17/06/2021

Swedish architecture studio ASKA has refurbished haircare brand Maria Nila’s headquarters and salon in Stockholm, creating an undulating ceiling installation that looks like dripping shampoo.

The Stockholm-based firm used a palette of soft pink, peach and turquoise colours that reference Maria Nila’s products to transform its headquarters in a four-storey townhouse.

Pastel plastic installation — A plexiglass installation decorates the entrance

“The interior space before the renovation had a very neutral, impersonal feel to it and followed a white and grey colour scheme,” ASKA co-founder Madeleine Klingspor said.

“At ASKA, to the contrary, we always strive to create strong and flavoured environments by defining and highlighting the unique essences within each project.”

Green-checked marble floor — The chequered marble floor was preserved

The studio preserved some of the original details in the building, including a green chequered marble floor and a wooden staircase, while the rest of the space was fully refurbished.

“To add a layer of the uniqueness of Maria Nila as a brand most other parts of the interior was changed,” Klingspor said.

“Some thinner interior walls were torn down, most surfaces were repainted, new flooring was partly added as well as all bathrooms fully renovated.”

Maria Nila salon in Stockholm — Pastel shelving with undulating shapes decorate the salon

The 650-square-metre building has 30 rooms, including five bathrooms, and houses both Maria Nila‘s public and private spaces.

Though each room has a unique look, all were designed to create a coherent relationship between the existing architecture and the new interior details.

Specially designed shelves for beauty products — The colour scheme was informed by the brand’s product packaging

“The program is distributed in a way where the entrance floor is the most public and then gradually the spaces become more private and workspace-oriented the higher up that you get,” ASKA co-founder Polina Sandström said.

“The reception, salon, beauty bar, conference and meeting areas make up the first floor while the second floor is well adjusted for larger gatherings and events including a kitchenette, a viewing room and a bigger break-out space,” she added.

Art installation made from plexiglass — The four-storey townhouse has 30 rooms

At the entrance, ASKA installed a pale-pink art installation made from form-cut plexiglass designed to resemble shampoo dripping from the ceiling.

Much of the furniture was specially designed for the project, including product shelves, sofas and a beauty bar made from wood and MDF.

“Besides that, we chose to bring in products from companies that use sustainable materials, for example, a custom-made tabletop from Smile Plastic, a company that only uses waste materials in their products,” Klingspor said.

The new interior design was informed by the haircare brand’s own products, an influence that is most notable in the pastel colour palette.

“The colour scheme chosen for the different spaces throughout the building refers to the different haircare lines of Maria Nila,” Sandström said.

“These pastel colours are one of the main identities of the brand and we decided early on that this was one of the unique essences that were important to bring to the surface through our design.”

Lounge room in Maria Nila headquarters — Playful tables by Gustaf Westman add a fun touch to the lounge space

ASKA also designed numerous undulating wall shelves to hold haircare products. Painted in matching gradient hues, these were informed by nature.

“The organic shapes are inspired by elements found in nature such as the forest, ocean, coral reefs and caves,” Sandström said.

Pink mirror in hallway — An upstairs hallway has modern furniture in soft peach hues

“This soft and playful architectural language together with the pastel colours gives the interiors a unique visual identity,” she added.

Other playful hair salon interiors include Studio Roslyn’s design for a salon that is the “lovechild of art deco and Cyndi Lauper” and an avocado-green Beijing salon informed by space-age design.

Photography is by Mikael Lundblad.

Reference

organic

External Reference creates 3D-printed organic displays for La Manso store

Making hi-tech nano-crystals out of organic fishing waste

Turning organic waste into planet-friendly plastic

Eight welcoming wood-panelled dining rooms with an organic feel

Creating biochar from wastewater, organic waste, and coffee cups

ADUs Bring Organic Growth to Suburbia, And We Desperately Need More Of It.

ADUs: A Solution for Affordable Housing Shortage

ADUs for Families of all Sorts of Forms

From Granny Flat to Rental Property

Building Stronger Communities

Breaking the Monotony of Suburban Architecture

YIMBY!

Create-your-own soap brand uses all organic ingredients and minimal packaging

ASKA uses organic shapes and pastel colours for Maria Nila hair salon

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