marjan van aubel + james shaw render well proven collection from foaming wood + bioresin

during design brussels september 2015, the transnatural art and design label showed an excerpt of their unique collection at the dutch reflexion exhibition that took place in the living room venue. the products shown pay close attention to alternative energy and material resources while exploring new ways for humans, nature and technology to expand, enrich and feed each other. the label acts as a laboratory where research and material experiments take place in order to create new production methods. 

this front view of the stool shows the foamed material in the legs and the hand-molded top
image courtesy of marjan van aubel (also main image)

when creating the ‘well proven stools, chairs & chaise’ collection, designers marjan van aubel and james shaw saw the possibility to reuse and incorporate waste material into their products. knowing that 50% to 80% of timber is thrown during normal manufacture, they started experimenting with leftovers, mixing the excess shaved material with resin, generating a peculiar chemical reaction that expands the mix into a foam. 

the stool’s shell is anchored by four cherry wood legs
image courtesy of marjan van aubel

in order to get their ideal material, van aubel and shaw added color dye and tried with various sizes of shavings from different workshops machines. the outcome was a colorful, lightweight and moldable material. the next step was to pour the mixture into the underside of the shell of the seating object, molding it by hand, adding more of the medium to the parts that needed more strength and resistance. the chemical reaction was then triggered and the foam started forming, resulting in an organic and unrepeatable appearance. 

timber wastage when combined with resin, created a chemical reaction that brought the mixture to foam
image courtesy of marjan van aubel

by experimenting with different waste materials and adding other components, marjan van aubel and james shaw have achieved a collection of furniture made out of a bioresin foamwood, a new, resistible and environmentally conscious material.

by adding color dye, the designers got to the appearance they wanted for the material
image courtesy of marjan van aubel

dutch reflection exhibiton at living room during design september brussels 2015
image © designboom

the bench has a raw look achieved by the use of american ash wood for its legs
image © designboom

due to the chemical reactions, no foam will be like the other, therefore each piece is completely original
image © designboom

the material had its fibers reinforced with hardwood shavings
image © designboom

the chaise chair in black has an elegant sense to it
image © designboom

the mixtures foams explosively, creating exuberant forms
image © designboom

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