As a designer-maker, Nathan Vrebos searches how he can continue to make objects within his own design practice in an environmentally responsible way.
In a world where overproduction and overconsumption has led to resource scarcity, natural disasters and climate change, we are massively looking for alternatives, alternative economies, alternative materials, alternative production methods....
Nathan started from biomaterials as a responsible and renewable material stream for the future. By looking at these materials as replacements for current materials and adapting them to already existing production methods, which are tailored to our consumer society, we are not solving anything. Therefore, Nathan’s view is to approach these materials in a new way and to interact with them, so that we can discover new properties through material dialogue. These properties can be used to develop new production methods that are attuned to material properties and aligned with a sustainable future.
For this research, the sand-starch material being developed by the STACKS team at UCLL was used. Using a materials dialogue, Nathan researched and experimented with the STACKS material. Based on his findings and additional literature, he developed three production methods tailored to the material's properties.
In addition to hands-on research, he also studied the background of the raw materials that form the basis of the sand-starch material. Based on literature and field research, he outlined how the raw materials are created, what they are used for, how they work and what problems are associated with them.
Taking all these aspects into account, a thoughtful making process can be realized.
The end result is a series of objects created using techniques tailored to the unique properties of the material.
Video’s;
1 TAKE
2 MAKE
3 (DISPOSE) GIVE BACK
Partners;
- STACKS
- UCLL
- Vlaanderen Circulair
In a world where overproduction and overconsumption has led to resource scarcity, natural disasters and climate change, we are massively looking for alternatives, alternative economies, alternative materials, alternative production methods....
Nathan started from biomaterials as a responsible and renewable material stream for the future. By looking at these materials as replacements for current materials and adapting them to already existing production methods, which are tailored to our consumer society, we are not solving anything. Therefore, Nathan’s view is to approach these materials in a new way and to interact with them, so that we can discover new properties through material dialogue. These properties can be used to develop new production methods that are attuned to material properties and aligned with a sustainable future.
For this research, the sand-starch material being developed by the STACKS team at UCLL was used. Using a materials dialogue, Nathan researched and experimented with the STACKS material. Based on his findings and additional literature, he developed three production methods tailored to the material's properties.
In addition to hands-on research, he also studied the background of the raw materials that form the basis of the sand-starch material. Based on literature and field research, he outlined how the raw materials are created, what they are used for, how they work and what problems are associated with them.
Taking all these aspects into account, a thoughtful making process can be realized.
The end result is a series of objects created using techniques tailored to the unique properties of the material.
Video’s;
1 TAKE
2 MAKE
3 (DISPOSE) GIVE BACK
Partners;
- STACKS
- UCLL
- Vlaanderen Circulair
