Surface Spotlight: Sea, Sun & Sand
30/03/2015 00:00:00
With the summer drawing to a close, we’ve been reflecting on the last few months and getting all inspired by materials and aesthetics from our coastline, evoking memories of jolly holidays with a bucket and spade, not to mention dipping your toes into the sea. In this issue of Surface Spotlight we look at projects that reflect the coastal theme to keep that holiday feeling going well beyond the summer (even if you are sitting behind a desk!). Sally Angharad reports
Dune House – Inspired by walking through sand dunes discovering intimate and elevated view points
Situated on one of the northern Dutch Islands, Dune House is inspired by the coastal landscape in which the house is embedded. The experience of walking through the dunes directed the architectural design, exposing a sequence of view points from submerged to stretched out views over the sea. The house is almost entirely built out of innovative ecological materials and eco-friendly installations and is highly energy efficient. The use of a unique wooden cross-laminated structure, a unique wooden roofing system and the central heating system based on bio-fuel, reduce the CO2 footprint to a minimum.
New Naturals – Ocean Resources Drive Sustainable & Ethical Material Development
Continuing to raise awareness for the waste issues we have with the oceans Nienke Hoogvliet’s latest project RE-SEA ME uses fish skins, a waste product of the fishing industry, which can be made into a strong and sustainable and leather-like material. Also offering ethical alternatives, product designers Jonas Edvard and Nikolaj Steenfatt have developed the Terroir Project, presenting a new material from seaweed and paper. This durable material is best described as a warm and tactile surface with the softness of cork and the lightness of paper, which can be used for products and furniture.
Awning Innovation - C4Sun's award winning shade sail systems combine unmistakable form with unique function
Ensuring protection whatever the weather is C4sun, creating sun-shading systems to the highest quality using extremely weather-resistant materials. The elips4sun product line was awarded the Special Prize, Design by R+T Innovation Prize 2015, standing out from the uniform appearances of conventional designs. With its curved edges between the ribbing, elips4sun allows for a wider sail, which offers greater protection from sun and rain. For its sails, C4sun uses exclusively WeatherMax 80, a high-strength fabric that is breathable, extremely watertight with excellent colour brilliance. Shaded Nation is the first UK distributor of the award-winning C4sun products.
Ocean Inspired - Waves & ripples translate into surface decoration for interiors
Tactile materials for floors and walls are emulating the patterns of the ocean, inspired by natural movement. Flow is the latest vinyl flooring by Bolon, available in a new tile shape called Scale. Its transparent warp allows the subtle colours in the weave to shine through creating a striking yet calming look. Also exploring the movement of water is ceramic artists Fenella Elms, who in her latest collection named Flows has used individually made beads of porcelain clay to create a three-dimensional surface. In Jan Kath’s hand-knotted carpet collection named RIOT the conventional rectangle rug has been replaced by a new more organic shape, with multi-layered colour creating a sense of depth such as the featured Sea design.
Indoors Outdoors - Stefan Diez fuses comfort & ingenuity in new furniture collection for Emu
The award-winning Yard furniture collection designed by Stefan Diez for Emu is made from powder coated aluminium, giving it an ultra lightweight frame. The seat and back is made from elastic straps guaranteeing an extraordinary comfort without cushions. The straps are inserted into the tubular frame using a technical solution developed and patented together with Emu. Available in various colour collections the Yard collection meets all requirements of outdoor use and includes a chair, armchair, lounger, sofa, fix and extendable tables and a sunbed.