ECAL's challenge: creating a sustainable future.
During Milan Design Week, which runs from 16 to 21 April 2024, the Lausanne University of Art and Design (ECAL) will present its innovative project "UPS – Under Pressure Solutions" to reduce the environmental impact of the furniture industry. The project makes use of shape-memory materials and hints at the future of sustainable design.
New challenges in the age of online commerce
The rapid pace of change in our modern world and the rise of online commerce present new challenges for industrial design. In response, ECAL proposes lightweight furniture and objects that are both functional and beautiful, with an emphasis on transport efficiency and sustainability. At the heart of this initiative is a biodegradable and renewable material called cellulose sponge.
The influence of Gaetano Pesce and innovative material choices
The project takes inspiration from Italian architect and designer Gaetano Pesce's UP5 chair (1969), which features self-expanding polyurethane foam, and similarly, UPS – Under Pressure Solutions aims to utilize shape-memory materials to reduce volume and reduce assembly effort.
Research team and material properties
The project was carried out over two years by five industrial designers from ECAL - Camille Brin, Christophe Gubelin, Anthony Geix, Chris Cavell and Julie Richoz - who explored a material that would occupy part of its volume without mechanical assembly, ultimately choosing cellulose sponge. Made from wood residues, this material is biodegradable and has the property of expanding to ten times its initial size when exposed to moisture.
Project results and future prospects
After numerous experiments, the prototype developed highlighted the versatility and strength of the material, demonstrating its potential as a sustainable alternative in furniture production. A publication documenting the entire research process and its results has also been released, featuring an interview between Anila Koivu and Gaetano Pesce, as well as with Tiffany Abitbol, director of EPFL's Institute for Sustainable Materials. Abitbol praised the project's innovative approach, saying: "There are many fibre-based materials, many of which exist in the waste stream. It's very exciting to find a way to transform them into something useful."
Exhibition details
The exhibition will present the process and results of the project, as well as everyday objects created by the Product Design Master's students and research team, demonstrating ECAL's commitment to encouraging innovation and creativity in design and revealing interesting perspectives in sustainable furniture design.
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