Dutch Design Week 2023 takes place from 21 to 29 October in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Here, we present some of the most innovative material projects present, part 6 of 6 (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5).

United Matters
At Microlab, there are several interesting material-related projects exhibited, including students from Central Saint Martins in London who showcase their graduation projects.

Jeffrey Miller created tiles made from waste from the London Underground, including excavated clay and iron oxide-rich dust from train wheels grinding against steel tracks (find the material in our collection here). Emma Laurence created various decorative and functional objects with mined materials from a disused washing machine. Annelise Payne used traditional methods of printmaking to create prints from pigments made by bacteria. Teodoro Rava investigated the perception of wood as natural material, using waste fibre material. Alara Sipahioglu created a way to delaminate post-consumer crisp packaging, from the structure down to the paint. This normally non-recyclable material is upcycled into bowls that can hold crisps. Yash Shah used recycled thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) based on natural rubber to create lightweight and shock-absorbent lattice structures that could be used in the automotive industry.

A Watershed Moment
Also at Microlab, Studio Tjeerd Veenhoven showcases an overview of long-term research projects and methodologies, aimed at upgrading organic materials and local production. Called A Watershed Moment, referring to the moment when the dike breaks and the flooding becomes unstoppable, the exhibition includes biodegradable diapers using sphagnum moss, pigments made from tulips, and a custom built 2D printer capable of printing with mycelium (the root system of mushrooms).

Crafted Liberation
Crafted Liberation by RK Collective is an exhibition showing unity and empowerment among women of Iran. Headscarves donated by Iranian woman globally are transformed into stadium seats. The project is a direct response to the death of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish-Iranian woman who died in police custody in 2022 due to an improper headscarf violation. Her death sparked widespread protests. In addition, since 1981, Iranian women have been banned from attending men’s sporting events in stadiums.

Using a combination of lamination and compression moulding techniques, the project created stadium seats made from the donated headscarves with recycled polymers.

The headscarves donated by Iranian women enable the collective to create the grandstand, embodying the shift from enforced tradition to empowered liberation. Their vision is to reimagine a future where headscarves are a matter of personal choice, not compulsion, and where every Iranian woman enjoys equal rights and freedoms.

Biobased Building
Across from where you leave Microlab, an exhibition dedicated to biobased building is located. Hosted by Buro Kade and BrabantWonen, the exhibit presents social living and biobased building according to the principles of The New Normal. The showcased materials include sheep wool and hemp insulation, compressed loam bricks, reused floors from Dutch trains, and more.

Images via DDW and Central Saint Martins