A research team at the University of Michigan has created biodegradable formwork out of sawdust in an attempt to mitigate wood waste in the process of laying concrete.

The wood-based material is a result of the BioMatters project by the Digital Architecture Research and Technologies (DART) Lab at Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning.

Led by DART director Mania Aghaei Meibodi along with researchers Muhammad Dayyem Khan and Tharanesh Varadharajan, the team sought to create a material to reuse industrial sawdust in order to lessen the waste created by formwork used in concrete construction.

The team mixed sawdust with biopolymers and additives to create its material, which can be moulded or 3D-printed into various shapes. In order to demonstrate its capabilities, the team used the material to create concrete formwork.

The team 3D-printed a 1.8-metre structural column, pouring concrete into its centre incrementally. After the concrete was dry, the sawdust formwork was peeled off to reveal the column.

The sawdust material was then saved and recycled by adding water in order to recreate the viscosity level required for 3D printing. Using this process, the team successfully reused the same material over 25 times to create additional columns.

According to the team, 15 billion trees are cut down worldwide per year, which results in three million pounds of sawdust dumped into landfills in the United States.

The sawdust may often be burned as an alternative, which can cause environmental pollution.

“It’s like a precious material for me because you’re cutting down a tree,” said researcher Muhammad Dayyem Khan. “I think every particle of that tree should be reused if you’re cutting it down.”

According to DART Lab, formwork contributes to up to 40 per cent of concrete construction expenses and is usually constructed from wood. After its use on construction sites, the formwork is often discarded.

The team also plans to experiment with making larger structures with the material.

“For example, some structures can be printed in a big warehouse and then you just turn them back up,” said Khan. “Just rotate them 90 degrees and you’ve got a bigger structure.”

While the BioMatters team initially experimented with the material for formwork, it suggested that the potential reaches beyond just concrete construction.

“It can be anything,” said Khan. “It can be small, decorative items. It can be furniture. It can be your walls, doors, windows.”

The material can also be sanded and stained similar to wood in order to create a smoother finish. The team has yet to explore what woods perform best for the material.

For more projects that utilize sawdust, Designer Oh Geon also used it to create a blocky stool while Mater Design utilised the material for a re-released version of the Conscious Chair. 

Photography courtesy of DART Lab. 

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Employees have slowly but surely made their way back to corporate offices, and it is certainly a transitionary phase where they learn to adapt and settle down in an office space once again. In such a situation, it’s important to add well-designed furniture designs that help them feel comfortable, space, and motivated in their workplace. And adding the right furniture designs can greatly contribute to creating an office that is conducive to motivation and productivity. And an interesting addition to modern offices would be the ‘Cubicle’ by Form Us With Love.

Designer: Form Us With Love

Design studio Form Us With Love teamed up with Danish manufacturer +Halle to design ‘Cubicle’ – an interesting “bench and wall system”. According to research, people prefer to have their backs to the wall in open-plan workspaces, and Form Us With Love took this into consideration while designing their furniture system Cubicle. Cubicle is meant to simulate that very experience. It is designed to replicate and mimic the particular qualities that people seek while searching for seats in an open indoor workspace like a library or a co-working space.

The Cubicle is inspired by dinner booths and train carriages, which are intended to be semi-rooms within large spaces. It is meant to be a freestanding furniture piece that can be set against a wall. “With all the easy, portable technology that is part of your toolbox today, we just want to offer a platform with the essentials for the user to feel comfortable in, either to do laptop-related work or have a tete-a-tete with a colleague,” said John Löfgren, co-founder of Form Us With Love. The Cubicle is available in a couple of different variations, but the essence always remains the same – a 1.2-meter-high backdrop, one or more bench seats, and compact integrated tables.

The entire Cubicle is built using as little materials as possible. It is constructed using oak-veneered plywood with optional upholstery and power sockets integrated beneath the seat, so the furniture system is warm, wooden, and minimal. It must be noted that it is quite large in size, so it is not well suited for smaller spaces or offices with space constraints, it is intended for larger corporate and commercial offices.

The post Minimal wooden cubicle-like furniture system creates cozy + comfy nooks in modern office spaces first appeared on Yanko Design.

Local architecture firm Studio North designed a custom garden and garage combination complete with Corten steel planters and a green roof in Calgary, Alberta.

Known as the Garden Garage, the 700-square foot (65-square metre) garage sits on the sunny edge of a 12,000-square foot (1,115-square metre) lot and holds two cars for a 1,785-square foot (166-square metre) house.

Located in Calgary’s Upper Mount Royal neighborhood, the project works to address a typical conflict between the functional parking space and recreational yard space by hybridizing the two programs with intersecting planes.

The detached square structure is partially embedded into the earth and a sunken staircase leads up to a raised garden space.

The garden features an array of Corten steel planters that act as miniature versions of the garage’s planted roof, which slopes slightly toward the garden.

Immediately adjacent to the garage, a steel gate – characterized by a custom vine-like laser-cut perforation – conceals a second staircase that connects the driveway directly to the garden.

“The project is about the collision of the backyard plane and the driveway plane, which creates a condition that is part landscape and part garage, part natural and part manmade,” the Studio North team told Dezeen.

“The sequence of space and material from lower to upper seeks to create a transitional threshold from the surrounding urban context to an immersive otherly landscape that offers an escape from the city.”

The rough-textured garage was created to highlight the client’s collector automobile and serve as a habitable work and storage space.

The driveway-facing facade is clad in Shou Sugi Ban – a Japanese wood charring method – siding that contrasts the surrounding landscape and is punctuated by a translucent glazed garage door with gridded black framing.

The light-filled interior of the garage features two-tone walls that reflect the datum line of the outside topography.

A dark steel base provides an impact-resistant condition fit for heavy-duty work, while the lighter fir cladding makes the top half of the walls feel airy.

The fir wraps along the ceiling which is supported by light-coloured wooden beams.

Light streams into the back of the garage through two large windows and a glass door, which opens to the open-air back stairway.

“Above, a green roof and terraced planting extends the natural topography of the backyard into an elevated plane of natural vegetation, perfectly curating a view from the backyard over the surrounding neighbourhood to the tree canopy and sky,” the studio said.

The resilient native vegetation thrives on the south-facing roof and serves as a natural attractor for bees. The sloped roof directs water to custom perforated scuppers along the edge that, in turn, waters the planters below.

The stacked, multi-size planters contain both solid and open Corten boxes, forming both seating and stair access up to the roof for maintenance. The planters also have integrated drainage holes for even water dispersal.

“Together, the collision of material and texture between the garden and the garage meets to create a juxtaposition of softness and robustness,” the studio said.

“The [garage’s] rough and sharp-edged industrial palette plays to the client’s interest mechanics; meanwhile, the greenery above becomes a countering palette of soft and delicate plant and animal life to enhance the feeling of natural immersion and escape from the surrounding city.”

Recently, Studio North completed a cosy cocktail bar in Calgary that juxtaposes dark, matte walls with a light-weight perforated fir screen that folds up the corner and creates a series of barrel vaults throughout the contemporary speakeasy space.

The photography is by Hayden Pattullo and Damon Hayes Couture.

Project credits:

Lead architects: Matthew Kennedy, Hayden Pattullo
Designer + builder: Studio North
Project management + design: Matthew Kennedy, Mark Erickson
Construction management: Matthew Tyrer, Matthew Kennedy
Parametric design: Hayden Pattullo
Engineering: Recad Consulting Ltd
Photography: Hayden Pattullo + Damon Hayes Couture
Representation: Saaraa Premji Mitha
Custom steel fabrication: Mercedes and Singh
Excavation: ADR Excavating
Electrical: Vaughn Electrical Services
Green roof design: Green T Design
Carpentry: White Spruce Carpentry

The post Studio North juxtaposes industrial garage with delicate garden in Calgary appeared first on Dezeen.

Dezeen School Shows: an acoustic solution made from ancient ship sails and lime is included in Dezeen’s latest school show by students at University of Portsmouth.

Also featured is an indoor playground that promotes different forms of play and a historic dockyard that has been transformed to include co-working spaces, tea houses and a botanical garden.

University of Portsmouth

Institution: University of Portsmouth
School: Portsmouth School of Architecture
Courses: BA (Hons) Architecture, BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design, MArch, MA Interior Architecture and Design, MA Architecture: Spatial Design Practices, MA Architecture: Building and Heritage Conservation and MA Architecture: Landscape and Urbanism
Tutors: Paula Craft-Pegg – Head of School, Roberto Braglia, Nigel Simpkins, Guido Robazza, Belinda Mitchell, Oren Lieberman, Tarek Teba and Antonino Di Raimo

School statement:

“The Portsmouth School of Architecture embraces the importance of integrated and research-informed design, emphasising interdisciplinary collaboration.

“The school encourages exploration of the relationships between architecture, interior design, engineering, conservation, landscape and urban design and across the creative disciplines.

“This approach enables students to develop comprehensive solutions that address complex challenges, integrating diverse perspectives and expertise.

“By encouraging a wide range of design approaches, the school fosters a holistic view on social, cultural and environmental sustainability.

“Students are empowered to develop impactful designs that are responsive to the context and environment, actively engaging with the values and aspirations of communities while embodying a critical design ethos.

“BA (Hons) Architecture merges theory and practice to interrogate various ecologies such as environment, culture, economy, political and aesthetic. Students gain expertise in design, construction, sustainability, and history and theory, engaging in practical projects and acquiring industry experience.

“BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design explores how interior architecture can enable attitudes of care for people, buildings, communities and environment. ‘Thinking through making’ underpins the course through projects concerned with environment, materiality and adaptive reuse.

“MArch offers a test-bed to explore diverse design theories. Supported by staff expertise and research, it allows interaction with different physical and cultural contexts.

“All studios emphasise climate crises, social inequalities and the significance of place, advancing through targeted research and experimentation.

“In our MA Architecture degree courses, students augment their creative practice and research by specialising in alternative forms of architecture. These courses consist of Building and Heritage Conservation, Landscape and Urban Design, Spatial Design Practices or MA Interior Architecture and Design.

“Students engage in disciplinary-specific learning whilst also working collaboratively in a rich interdisciplinary environment.”

Haslar Tower by Majid Sallomi

“Located in Gosport, England, this final year architectural project crafts a captivating mixed-use building.

“The tower is seamlessly connected to the Royal Haslar Hospital with a glass-covered intermediate space, which flaunts four cantilevers that extend towards the sea, providing panoramic views.

“Enchanting garden spaces and scenic viewing decks are situated on top of each cantilever, finalising the vision to create Gosport’s illustrious focal point and architectural landmark.”

Student: Majid Sallomi
Course: BA (Hons) Architecture
Tutors: Leago Madumo and Gregory Martinez de Riquelme

Wake the Buck Up by Oscar Hopkins

“This project renovates the infamous Buckland Wall on Estella Road and Grafton Street in Portsmouth, England, opening an untapped opportunity for the significant International Ferry Port located nearby.

“The project transforms the M275 motorway into a tunnel, modernising the Buckland Wall and integrating a new kilometre-long park to create a cultural institution that accommodates the architectural heritage of the city.”

Student: Oscar Hopkins
Course: BA (Hons) Architecture
Tutors: Roberto Braglia and Dan Blott

A Cup of Wilderness by Sara Ferreira Pestana

“This project proposes a space that celebrates global tea cultures, promoting cultural and social interconnectedness as well as strengthening the connection between people and nature within the urban environment of Portsmouth, England.

“Boathouse Four – located in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard – is renovated to feature a range of tea houses, a botanical garden and a co-working space, each facility complementing the others.

“The botanical garden showcases plants and other cultural elements from around the world for visitors to immerse themselves in the origins and development of tea.

“The co-working space includes reading spaces amongst nature and communal working areas.”

Student: Sara Ferreira Pestana
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
Tutors: Rachael Brown, Enrique Moya-Angeler and Nigel Simpkins

Surviving Dystopia by Kai Alexander

“This project is set in the dystopian year of 2300 where the world is in despair as we refused to listen to the warnings of global warming.

“The Hilsea Lines in Portsmouth, England, stands as a defensive structure. It is an extremely dense and highly populated city, built rapidly in a dystopian setting.

“A ‘social condenser’ will be constructed at the edge of Hilsea to control the population, formed through the study of science fiction medias and raw brutalist architecture.

“It will be an immeasurable space for people to settle and restart their lives, sharing their skills whilst escaping the traumatic global events that surround them.”

Student: Kai Alexander
Course: MArch
Tutors: Nicola Crowson and Tina Wallbridge
Email: alexander.kai95[at]gmail.com

Journey of Hope by Karolina Stephenson

“Journey of Hope is a series of urban socio-spatial strategies and opportunities, aiming to create community tourism initiatives to introduce positive changes within Ciudad Bolivar, a stigmatised neighbourhood in Bogota, Colombia.

“The concept is inspired by Ruta De La Esperanza who set up a guided tour in 2004 with the hopes to change people’s perception about Ciudad Bolivar, typically known for its crime.

“The Journey of Hope is integrated into Ruta de la Esperanza’s existing tour and its principles, aiming to avoid challenging issues that arise from tourism such as gentrification and uprooting.

“Inclusive design strategies based on adapting, repurposing, upcycling, regenerating, extending and reusing can be found along the proposed trail, all in collaboration with local makers, artists, architects and even chefs.

“Journey of Hope aims to promote much more than tourism, it aims to promote affordability, inclusivity and support local networks and economies to instil a sense of civic pride.

Student: Karolina Stephenson
Course: MArch
Tutors: Guido Robazza and Phevos Kallitsis
Email: karolinastephenson[at]gmail.com

The Hydro-Cultural Centre of the Piave by Daniel Dehghani

“The Venetian Lagoon in Italy has been suffering for 500 years, its health depleting at a rapid rate. The objective of this scheme is to bring freshwater and sediment from the Sile river nearby into the Lagoon in order to restore it.

“To combat the rise of sea levels and the many other disastrous consequences caused by climate change, it is time for architects to design interventions that respond to climate change threats.

“This project aims to utilise a combination of landscape engineering and technology to create an architectural intervention that meets the needs of the Venetian people and, most importantly, restores the health of the Lagoon.”

Student: Daniel Dehghani
Course: MArch and MA Architecture: Landscape and Urbanism
Tutors: Antonino di Raimo, John Pegg and Simone Sfriso
Email: danieldehghani8[at]gmail.com

Memories in Space by Michelle Leong

“Located at Wymering Manor in England, Memories in Space engages with material thinking and digital technologies such as LiDAR scans made in conjunction with the Centre for Creative and Immersive Extended Reality (CCIXR) at the University of Portsmouth.

“Wymering is a space that challenges the senses – this project has been designed to serve as a playground to fabricate a community through den building and soft play.”

Student: Michelle Leong
Course: MA Interior Architecture and Design
Tutors: Belinda Mitchell and Oren Lieberman

Play to Save the Earth by Marvan Abed

“This project embodies the new materialist theory, exploring notions of assemblage, entanglement and intra-action.

“It uses oxygen in playful ways to animate materials, people and their engagement with issues relating to the systems we live within as well as climate change.”

Student: Marvan Abed
Course: MA Interior Architecture and Design
Tutors: Belinda Mitchell, Rachael Brown and Oren Lieberman

Hinterland by Linnéa Jakobsson

“This project takes mycelium spores collected in New Forest National Park, England, and nurtures them at 18 Osbourne Road in Portsmouth, growing in sterile containers under close supervision to prevent mould contamination.

“The growth begins in pre-made frames that shape the biodegradable pieces. These pieces are later assembled with mycelium connectors on site.

“Meanwhile, horse chestnut and oak saplings are gathered from a nursery in Somerset, England. Community volunteers clean the site and plant the saplings, creating shade for the mycelium structure.

“After two decades, the mycelium structure begins to weaken while the surrounding nature thrives. Eventually, the structure biodegrades and nature continues its course, nourishing new generations of life.”

Student: Linnéa Jakobsson
Course: MA Architecture: Spatial Design Practices
Tutors: Oren Lieberman and Belinda Mitchell

Elements Unveiled by Linnéa Jakobsson, Inchara M Shetty and Emily Willmer

“Through a multi-sensory ‘transect’, the group established a site in Eastney, Portsmouth, England. They meticulously explored the area, mapping their journey with drawings, recordings, photos and videos.

“They found distinct sections – residential, green space and the beach – each evoking different emotions. The site included an abandoned building with a rich military history.

“Their design aimed to preserve the existing environment and history while developing ever-changing material conditions and incorporating renewable energy; fabric became a significant element, inspired by the wind.

“The multi-functional inclusive space, accessible 24/7, accommodates different schedules and interests with equal opportunities for the many local communities.”

Students: Linnéa Jakobsson, Inchara M Shetty and Emily Willmer
Course: Masters module: Integration of Transdisciplinary Experiences
Tutors: Oren Lieberman and Deniz Beck

Aakri Kada: Exploring Cloth-Crete and Flexible Spaces in the Restoration of the Old Portsmouth Dockyard by Sharath Binu John, Calvina Ann Andrew, Krishna Murali and Joseph Puthenparial Mathai

“This project repurposes Storehouse Nine in Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard, into artist studios.

“This transformation of the 240-plus-year-old building aims to preserve its rich history and enduring legacy.

“Through a fusion of locally abundant lime and ancient ship sails, the team has proposed cloth-crete – a flexible yet sturdy material that serves as partition walls for both aesthetics and acoustics functions.

“Retaining the dockyard’s original structure, cloth-crete panels, set on sliding tracks, allow for intimate gatherings and the display of large artwork, functioning as versatile display units.

“Thus this project enhances the building’s functionality and interior aesthetic allure.

Students: Sharath Binu John, Calvina Ann Andrew, Krishna Murali and Joseph Puthenparial Mathai
Course: Masters Module: Work Based Learning
Tutor: Suzanne Fallouh and Milena Metalkova-Markova

Guildhall Urban Regeneration by Roy Clarke and Jack Sykes

“In collaboration with Portsmouth City Council, the students worked on an in-depth analysis of the Guildhall Square in Southampton, England, and the surrounding conservation area.

“They prepared urban regeneration strategies for the square and the surrounding urban and natural contexts informed by the identified architectural, urban and cultural heritage qualities of the place.

“Building on the urban strategies, they designed adaptive reuse approaches for the modern civic office building, considering its architectural and cultural merits as well as functional and environmental challenges.”

Students: Roy Clarke and Jack Sykes
Course: MA Architecture: Building and Heritage Conservation
Tutors: Milena Metalkova-Markova and Tarek Teba

Weaving Culture by Lemisse Al Baggou

“Growing up with a mixed ethnic background, I never truly felt a sense of belonging or fully experienced my Iraqi heritage.

“This project creates a space where Islamic and Arab culture can be celebrated and protected, designed for those who have been displaced.

“Islam has a rich culture in the arts, known for its woven textiles and delicate tessellated patterns.

“This informs the creation of Weaving Culture, a space designed to exhibit and educate about textiles, ceramics, arts and literature, situated within Boathouse Four in Portsmouth, England.

“Weaving Culture enables those from different cultural backgrounds to ‘weave’ together into a single community.”

Student: Lemisse Al Baggou
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
Tutors: Rachael Brown, Enrique Moya-Angeler and Nigel Simpkins

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and University of Portsmouth. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

The post University of Portsmouth presents 13 architecture and design projects appeared first on Dezeen.

Dezeen Showroom: we’ve rounded up six furniture and lighting pieces by artisans and design studios based in Australia that have been listed on Dezeen Showroom.

This selection includes furniture, lights and accessories by designers based across Australia in locations that include major cities such as Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

The selection features a reissued sofa originally designed in the mid-20th century, stools informed by the game chess and aluminium seating that takes cues from 1970s poolside furniture.

Read on to see our selection of Australian-designed products on Dezeen Showroom.

Strap outdoor seating collection by Derlot

Australian design company Derlot created 11 different types of seating to make up its Strap collection, which is informed by retro pool furniture slung with lengths of fabric.

The pieces range from stools and chairs to benches and loungers, and are unified by their simple frames and aluminium strips, which create durable seating solutions for both public and private environments.

Find out more about Strap ›

Overlay Rugs by Danielah Martinez for DesignByThem

Designer Danielah Martinez created a range of rugs for Sydney-based studio DesignByThem that are characterised by their use of monochromatic shades of block colours.

Overlay Rugs come in both rectangular and rounded shapes with tassels at intervals around the edges.

Find out more about Overlay Rugs ›

Rook stool by Ross Gardam

Australian designer Ross Gardam created a range of stools informed by chess pieces, which are sculptural as well as functional.

Rook stools are available in a choice of three types of solid wood – solid walnut, white oak or blackened oak – and come in three different heights.

Find out more about Rook ›

Walsh Street sofa by Robin Boyd and K5

K5 Furniture and The Boyd Foundation collaborated on the reissuing of a seating design by Australian architect Robin Boyd that was originally released in the 1950s.

The Walsh Street sofa has characteristically tapered legs and a frame made from native Australian timber. The sofa is upholstered with Australian wool fabrics.

Find out more about Walsh ›

Molloy dining chair by Adam Goodrum for Nau

Australian brand Nau worked with designer Adam Goodrum on a solid wood dining chair named after Molloy Island in Western Australia.

The Molloy dining chair is informed by the fluid movement of two converging rivers on the island and is stackable without compromising on its streamlined design.

Find out more about Molloy ›

Victoria cordless lamp by Neoz

Australian brand Neoz has created a cordless lamp that can be customised with different lamp shades and finishes.

The Victoria cordless lamp can be used both inside and outside, and according to Neoz is particularly useful in restaurant environments where mood lighting is required.

Find out more about Victoria ›

Dezeen Showroom

Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen’s huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.

Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.

The post Dezeen Showroom spotlights furniture and lighting products by Australian designers appeared first on Dezeen.