London-based Marjan van Aubel and James Shaw, who both studied at the Royal College of Art, have created a chair made from wood waste. They discovered that creating usable products and furniture from wood generates between 50-80% waste in the form of sawdust, chippings and shavings. Working with the American Hardwood Export Council, the duo developed a technique that combines the waste with bio-resin to create a solid, foamed material suitable for furniture. They carried out research to test different waste to bio-resin ratios, for example the addition of water or an increase in temperature can expand the porridge-like mixture by two or even three times its size.
James Shaw said: “In this chair we used the material to create the seat shell combined with a simple but beautiful leg structure of turned ash.
“We wanted to allow the material to express its natural exuberance rising up free form, contrasting with the controlled simplicity of the legs. We applied the foaming material by hand to the mould which then rises up in an unpredictable manner which creating a surprising and fascinating form.”
Images taken by Petr Krejci, found via: It’s Nice That
You can watch a film by Wai Ming Ng of how they make the chairs below:
