Tanay Wadodkar conceptualizes stickers with cloud seeding technology to help regenerate snowfall in the mountain regions as the athlete’s board glides through. Embedded with modified ink, the woven-like material forms snow when it touches the surface. It doesn’t need any high-grade equipment, but just the help of an athlete as they plaster the stickers with snow seeds onto the rear part of their board so they can touch the ground while they cruise down.

The industrial designer chooses stickers because they’re easy to use, as they can be put on any surface that touches snow, such as ski slopes, equipment, or buildings. They also tend not to be expensive, making the design practical. With a vibrant visual, they can also double as ornaments to the snowboards, letting the athletes showcase their personalities while helping restore the snow balance in the mountain areas.

all images courtesy of Tanay Wadodkar | photo by Pascal Schonlau

Less use of water and electricity compared to machines

Designer Tanay Wadodkar imagines working with athletes and adventurers to show how the stickers with snow seeds work. They’re sort of ambassadors, but at the same time, they’re the direct engines that are helping the project get going. In this way, they can help spread the word about the stickers with snow seeds, so other adventurers can use them (and not necessarily just in snow-related sports fields).

The design root talks about traditional snow machines, too, which require lots of water and electricity and thus can harm the environment over time. have problems. With the stickers and their ink-based snow seeds, they don’t need much energy and water, the designer says. Since climate change is making mountains warmer, there’s less snow and lower groundwater. The stickers aim to protect these by regenerating snow as naturally as possible. So far, there’s no news yet on when the designer plans to introduce the product or prototype.

Tanay Wadodkar conceptualizes stickers with cloud seeding technology

embedded with modified ink, the woven-like material forms snow when it touches the surface

detailed view of the stickers with modified inks

the material can be put on any surface that touches snow, such as ski slopes, equipment, or buildings

the designer believes the material is a way to naturally regenerate snow

project info:

name: Snow Seeds

design: Tanay Wadodkar | @the.real.llama

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Esenes Worldwide unveils a bag shaped like a dumpling and made from translucent leather that can carry snacks and personal accessories. The lightweight accessory features images of the filling on the outside, still wrapped within the leather, and the string-looking handles are a bit short, so it may be more ideal for users to carry it around their hands. Inside the dumpling bag is a canvas lining, still filled with images of dumplings mushed together and so much that they have tears showing the filling inside of them. The craze for the food-related handbags continues, following as well the Lidl bag shaped like a mini pushcart by Nik Bentel.

all images courtesy of Esenes Worldwide

each piece of the accessory has its own organic, irregular form

The dumpling bag by the brand Esenes Worldwide comes with a soft, rounded shape as well as creases similar to the ones found around the food it’s mimicking. In this way, each handbag has its own organic, irregular form. The structure feels soft and smooth because of the use of the translucent leather, and the canvas lining inside allows more personal items to be stashed inside, putting them in like a filling.

The leather appears to be translucent and pale yellow, as if the dumpling is already cooked and ready to be served, and light passes through the body of the bag by Esenes Worldwide, at least the upper folds where it is much more transparent-looking. Inside, there is a green and beige image of a filling that resembles chopped vegetables or stuffing, adding additional texture and depth to the already playful accessory. Pressing against the outer skin forms uneven bumps and folds, giving the dumpling bag by Esenes Worldwide a sculptural take on it. As of the moment, the brand plans to release only 150 units of the accessory starting February 20th, 2026. 

the accessory is made from transluscent leather

the two handles are long enough for users to carry the accessory

inside, users can fill it with snacks and other personal items

there’s a canvas lining printed with images of stuffing

 

 

 

 

 

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project info:

name: Dumpling bag

brand: Esenes Worldwide | @esenes.ww

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Recycledin introduces a series of eco poker chips made from recycled plastic populating the seas, landfills, and beaches around the Mediterranean. Around 2.5 kilos of collected plastic make up a set, and the material is cleaned and melted before being molded into eco poker chips. By using plastic that would otherwise pollute nature, the set reduces waste and prevents plastic from harming marine life, and the company believes it is one of the first poker sets in the world made entirely from recycled plastic.

The design of the set is similar to standard casino poker chips, with each set including 300 chips in five different colors, all the same size as professional chips. There are also special chips for the dealer, the small blind, and the big blind. The eco poker chips made from recycled plastic can be used by up to seven players, and the set is made to order, which means each is crafted individually to reduce overproduction.

all images courtesy of Recycledin

repurposed material can lower demand for plastic production

Crafting the eco chips from recycled plastic requires melting the material and shaping it into smooth, lightweight mini discs. The use of the repurposed material can also lower the demand for new plastic production, which, in return, could reduce carbon emissions and energy use, as shown in environmental studies.

Studies have found that by recycling plastic, the release of greenhouse gases is reduced compared to producing new plastic, and this prevents microplastics from entering oceans and rivers. Alongside the eco poker chips made from recycled plastic, the company Recycledin also pairs them up with the eco-edition Bicycle cards, made from recycled paper, in hopes of reducing paper waste. Currently, the eco poker chips and set from recycled plastic are available.

view of the set

around 2.5 kilos of collected plastic make up the set

the set aims to reduce waste and prevent plastic from harming marine life

view of the plastic filament

project info:

name: Poker Set

company: Recycledin | @recycledin.store

The post recycled plastic from sea and landfill reemerges as eco poker chips appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Barón&Vicario introduces VICÚS, a collection developed in collaboration with Peruvian architect Domingo Seminario De Col. The project references the VICÚS culture of northern Peru and examines the relationship between material, origin, and temporality through a contemporary design language.

The collection establishes a dialogue between Mexico and Peru, connecting both contexts through shared material practices and craft traditions. Within this framework, design operates as a medium for cultural exchange, linking historical references with present-day production. Resin, one of the brand’s primary materials, becomes the central vehicle for reinterpretation. In VICÚS, resin translates the visual and tactile qualities of ancestral clay into translucent forms defined by controlled geometry and refined surfaces.

The pieces draw from the sculptural qualities of pre-Hispanic ceramics, reworking their proportions and symbolic presence through symmetry and abstraction. Volumes are positioned between solidity and transparency, emphasizing mass, contour, and balance. The chromatic range, turquoise, earth, charcoal, and ochre, references natural pigments associated with ceremonial artifacts, reinforcing the connection to historical material culture.

HUYWIY – El silbador | all images by Roxana Badillo

VICÚS Translates Ancestral Clay vessels into resin sculptures

For designer Domingo Seminario De Col, the project also reflects a familial link to the VICÚS legacy. His grandfather, Domingo Seminario Urrutia, contributed to the preservation and international recognition of VICÚS legacy and ceramics. This historical continuity informs the collection’s conceptual foundation, connecting personal memory with broader cultural narratives.

The VICÚS culture, active in the Piura region between the 5th century BCE and the 4th century CE, is recognized for its sculptural ceramic forms, negative painting techniques, whistling vessels, and metallurgical expertise. Its production bridged Andean and coastal traditions, contributing significantly to the region’s material history.

Manufactured in Studio Barón&Vicario’s workshops in Mexico, the VICÚS collection reflects a dual framework: ancient and contemporary, ritual reference and everyday object, opacity and translucency. Through material reinterpretation and geometric discipline, the project positions design as a method of cultural continuity, where form carries historical reference within a present context.

HUYWIY – El silbador

FANU – El perro

FANU – El perro

KULTA – El pato

TARUCA – El venado

CHALCHACU – El loro

MA’AX – El mono

KANUWA – El balde

HUYWIY – El silbador

VICÚS Collection

VICÚS Collection in ZONA MACO

Domingo Seminario De Col & Raul de la Cerda – Original Vicús ceramics

project info:

name: VICÚS x Baron&Vicario

designer: Baron&Vicario | @baronyvicario
lead designers: Domingo Seminario De Col | @dosecol, Raul de la Cerda | @rauldelacerda_
photographer: Roxana Badillo | @roxanabadillov

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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The collective Beauty of Science unveils the art series Crystal Garden: Seasons, where rows of glass Petri dishes show how colorful crystals naturally grow within them. Unfolding as a collaboration between the artist and a natural material, it is the former that establishes the conditions, such as the temperature, saturation, container, and pigment, and then steps back to let the crystallization take place. Soon, these minerals expand and take the form of the Petri dishes, creating scenic landscapes brought about by their own courses.

The first forms appear almost tentatively: pale filaments spreading across the shallow floor of the glass containers. Then, over hours and days, they thicken. Branches multiply. Clusters gather and bloom. What begins as a controlled chemical solution becomes a terrain dense with spires, lattices, and mineral thickets. Each composition distills the imagery of a season and the colors associated with the respective period, hence the title Crystal Garden: Seasons: cool blues and whites, saturated greens, deep reds, burnished golds, and more. Soon, they overlap, bursting with lively shades that now fill the glass Petri dishes with life and nature.

all images courtesy of Beauty of Science

Colors depict the shades associated with each season

The collective Beauty of Science, founded by Yan Liang, Ph.D., who is the main creator of the project Beautiful Chemistry, says that the word ‘garden’ in the crystal art series is a metaphor for what is natural and what is man-made. ‘A garden is a space where nature and human intention intertwine: neither wholly wild nor entirely artificial,’ the text discussing the series states. There’s only so much the artist can do, and that is to prepare the space for the crystals to cultivate themselves. Once that’s done, they allow them to grow on their own.

In a way, the process speaks for the seasons themselves, seen as uncontrollable forces of nature. What comes through is a series of crystalline forms and colors that can convey the organic cadence of nature: slowly branching out until it multiplies. For the design team, the Crystal Garden: Seasons series is an expressive way to bring up ‘Eastern philosophical and poetic sensibility,’ as they describe it. The glass Petri dishes then become part of the subject, the home, though temporary, where these minerals can safely and vividly grow.

the collective Beauty of Science unveils the art series Crystal Garden: Seasons

glass Petri dishes show how colorful crystals naturally grow within them

some crystallize in the shape that resembles flowers

here, the shape evokes the imagery of snowflakes

the crystals expand on their own

the artist establishes the temperature, saturation, container, and pigment

these minerals expand and take the form of the Petri dishes

these minerals create scenic landscapes brought about by their own courses

each composition distills the imagery of a season

project info:

name: Crystal Garden: Seasons

collective: Beauty of Science 

The post crystals unfold into organic art pieces inside colorful glass petri dishes appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Biodegradable Pots is a material research project addressing the widespread use of plastic containers in horticulture, floriculture, and gardening. In response to the environmental impact of single-use plastics, the project proposes an alternative production model aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. The research focuses on waste reduction, material reintegration, and circular design strategies through the development of biodegradable plant containers.

The project investigates the reuse of organic waste from three primary sources: discarded natural fibers and plant matter from floriculture, food residues such as eggshells from restaurants, and wood waste, including sawdust, from carpentry workshops. Rather than being treated as disposable byproducts, these materials are repositioned as raw resources capable of re-entering the production cycle.

pot made from rose flower waste | all images by Bruno de Almeida unless stated otherwise

Adonis Evangelista Prototypes Organic Waste Into Plant pots

Collected materials were sorted, cataloged, dried, and processed as part of a series of experimental trials. Multiple material combinations were tested using different fabrication methods, including molding, industrial sewing, and folding techniques applied to biomaterials. Each iteration evaluated key performance criteria such as structural resistance, durability, water drainage, and compatibility with plant growth requirements.

The research by designer Adonis Evangelista, supervised by Lígia Lopes, emphasized the use of natural binders compatible with plant pH, ensuring that the resulting containers support healthy plant development while remaining fully biodegradable. Prototyping and testing demonstrated that organic residues could be effectively transformed into functional plant pots capable of replacing conventional plastic alternatives.

pot made from sunflower stem waste

Reducing Plastic Dependency Through Circular Material Design

By converting organic waste into usable planting containers, the project illustrates how design-led material experimentation can contribute to reducing plastic dependency while supporting circular economy principles. The outcomes indicate a viable and scalable approach to biodegradable pot production, with potential for further development in material optimization, manufacturing processes, and production scale.

Through its focus on waste as a resource, the project contributes to more sustainable production and consumption patterns, positioning biodegradable materials as practical components within horticultural and gardening systems.

pot made from eggshells, produced using a folding method

pot made from rose flower waste, produced using a stitching method

pot made from eggshells, produced using molds

types of pots produced

types of pots produced

a plastic-free alternative to plant pots

Portuguese chestnut waste – biomaterial created from chestnut waste | image by Adonis Evangelista

1: flower waste, 2: sunflower stem waste, 3: pampas fiber, 4: eggshells, 5: soy waste, 6: wood waste | image by Adonis Evangelista

industrial waste | image by Adonis Evangelista

project presentation at the University of Porto | image by Lígia Lopes

project info:

name: Biodegradable Pots
designer: Adonis Evangelista | @adonissouza

supervisor: Lígia Lopes

photographers: Bruno de Almeida, Adonis Evangelista, Lígia Lopes

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post reclaimed organic waste composes plastic-free biodegradable plant pots appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

SSAL: Rice as Matter is a material study by designers Juwon Kim and Na Hyeon that investigates discarded rice as a design medium rather than a consumable product. The project focuses on rice that has fallen out of circulation, either past its shelf life, unsuitable for sale, or produced as byproducts of the milling process, and examines how material value can emerge once use-value is removed.

The study responds to the shifting role of rice in contemporary Korean society. While rice retains strong cultural significance, its presence in daily consumption has declined, generating repeated cycles of storage, redistribution, and disposal. Within these systems, rice is frequently excluded due to grading standards, expiration dates, or maintenance costs, making disposal more viable than reuse. The project began with field research conducted in collaboration with a local rice mill, including site observations and interviews, and developed through iterative material experiments.

Rather than approaching rice as food, the designers treat it as a physical substance with distinct structural and sensory properties. By combining rice with various binders, they produced a moldable and dryable composite material. Particle size emerged as a primary design variable. Larger grains remain visible and tactile on the surface, while finer grinds produce smoother and more uniform finishes. When multiple particle sizes are combined, the interlocking grains create denser structures and more complex textures. This relationship between rice particles and binders functions similarly to aggregate and adhesive in construction, influencing strength, cohesion, and surface character.

Rice Material Experiments Exhibited at Hongik University | all images courtesy of Juwon Kim & Na Hyeon

Testing Durability, Texture, and Color in Rice-Based Composites

After drying, surface treatments and natural preservatives were tested to adjust durability, allowing the material to extend beyond speculative samples toward potential applications. Color experiments incorporated natural additives such as green tea and chili powder, as well as different rice varieties, including brown and black rice, each contributing inherent tonal qualities. The resulting palette ranges from light, warm hues to darker, more subdued surfaces. In several samples, the designers emphasized the natural coloration of rice, retaining its familiar visual character.

Milled rice revealed a soft ivory tone with slight translucency, particularly evident in samples made from fine flour. Coarser samples emphasized the grain structure, producing more pronounced texture and surface variation. The use of natural materials also introduces the assumption of biodegradability, situating the material within a temporal framework distinct from conventional permanent building materials.

Rather than framing discarded rice as waste, the project examines the conditions under which its value is displaced by fluctuations in consumption, inventory pressures, and disposal costs. In these moments, rice loses its designated purpose and is removed from attention, often ending in disposal despite its cultural and ethical significance. By reintroducing discarded rice as matter, the study, a collaborative effort between designer Juwon Kim and creative Na Hyeon, documents its material capacities while questioning how value might be reassigned once familiar systems of use are suspended.

the project reassigns value to discarded rice through material research

transforming surplus rice into a design medium

material’s character forms through drying, pigmentation, and grain size

sample of materials and mixtures

material composition analysis

samples for rigidity testing

sampling for texture development

surface during sample drying

samples utilizing various processed forms of rice

formed and pre-dried

mixture made by mixing pure rice flour with a binder (pre-drying)

adding rice in different particle sizes to other materials

project info:

name: SSAL: Rice as Matter
designers: Juwon Kim, Na Hyeon

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post can discarded rice become building material? examining a value cycle for wasted grain appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the University of Tokyo have made a prototype of botanical cement made of desert sand and plant-based additives in hopes that it can be used to build houses and roads. Once mixed, the team adds tiny pieces of wood together and presses them all with heat to produce the cement. The researchers have already tried other ways to create the botanical cement with desert sand by testing different temperatures, the force used to press the materials, and what types of sand were used.

The one they’ve developed is sturdy enough that it can be used to make paving stones for pavements and walkways, the researchers say. At the moment, the researchers are still testing if it’s possible to use the material for construction, but in case it is suitable, the team believes it can reduce the need to crush mountains and collect river sand, which in turn can reduce the harmful impact on the environment. For them, it’s also a way to ‘exploit’ sand resources that are currently abundant and pose challenges in the desert areas.

image by Hassan Ouajbir, via Pexels

plant-based additives and wood make up the material

It’s not the first time that researchers have explored using desert sand to produce (botanical) cement. It’s just that this kind of sand is so fine-grained that it doesn’t bind so well in concrete. In that case, the concrete can collapse or be powdered again. By mixing the desert sand with plant-based additives as well as tiny wood pieces, the university researchers are able to produce and test a prototype that can result in a refreshed construction material. Concrete is a widely used building material next to water, and the team says that more than four billion tonnes of cement are produced every year around the world, amounting to eight percent of the world’s carbon emissions.

Part of the concrete’s ingredients is sand, but not just any. It has to be the right size and shape, so in this case, rock is crushed into gravel and sand, and river sand is excavated on a large scale, resulting in major environmental impacts and an increased scarcity of suitable sand. The researchers hope to avoid this harmful practice by offering a potential solution in the form of botanical cement while still using desert sand. The team sees that sourcing the desert sand must come from where it is already found so that shipping it around the world doesn’t become the new environmental culprit. At the moment, they’ve published their study and are running tests to see if the botanical cement with desert sand can be used indoors and, later on, for constructing houses and roads.

image by Oksana Ti, via Pexels

image courtesy of Norwegian University of Science and Technology, via Colourbox

image by Boris Ulzibat, via Pexels

image by Denys Gromov, via Pexels

project info:

name: Botanical sandcrete: An environment-friendly alternative way to the mass utilization of fine (desert) sand

institutions: Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), University of Tokyo | @ntnu, @utokyo_pr

researchers: Ren Wei, Tsukamoto Atsuki, Guomin Ji, Yuya Sakai

study: here

The post can desert sand with plant-based materials be used to build houses and roads? appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

This research-based design project by Laura Oliveira investigates discarded human hair as a potential raw material for sustainable design applications. Human hair is produced continuously and in large quantities through everyday grooming practices, yet it is almost always treated as waste once separated from the body and typically disposed of in landfills. Despite its material properties, strength, flexibility, and durability as a keratin-based protein fiber, its reuse remains uncommon within design and material research contexts.

The project proposes an alternative approach by collecting human hair from local professional salons and transforming it through textile and biomaterial processes. All material was sourced with informed consent, ensuring ethical collection practices. Once gathered, the hair was cleaned and systematically sorted by length, color, and texture to support controlled experimentation.

felted samples | all images by Laura Oliveira and Mayra Deberg

examining circular approaches to material use and waste

Material development focused on hands-on testing through a combination of traditional textile techniques and bio-based fabrication methods. Felting and fiber blending were employed to explore hair as a non-woven material, both independently and in combination with wool. These processes resulted in dense yet lightweight surfaces with varying tactile and visual characteristics. In parallel, human hair was tested as a reinforcing fiber within bio-based matrices, using natural binders such as resins and glycerin. Through controlled heating, mixing, and molding, the fibers were incorporated into composite material samples.

The outcome of the project by designer Laura Oliveira, led by Raul Pinto, is a series of experimental material samples that demonstrate the technical and aesthetic potential of human hair when recontextualized as a design material. Beyond material performance, the work also addresses cultural and ethical considerations surrounding hair, which is widely accepted while attached to the body but often rejected once removed. By repositioning human hair within a design and material research framework, the project examines how alternative material choices can support more circular production systems and encourage critical reflection on notions of waste, value, and sustainability.

carded samples with different percentages of human hair

carding detail

needle felting sample

biocomposite sample

needle felt balls

non-woven fabric

detail of the non-woven fabric’s drape

hair as a filling material

human hair mixed with pine resin

human hair mixed with pine resin

biotextile mainly made from human hair and glycerin

project info:

name: Human Hair Waste as Raw Material for Design
designer: Laura Oliveira

thesis advisor: Raul Pinto

photographers: Laura Oliveira, Mayra Deberg

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post can discarded human hair reconfigure as raw design material? appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

ODDO architects shape the public art pavilion T10A in Hanoi, Vietnam using over 40,000 recycled plastic bags as well as handmade paper. Developed as a temporary exhibition space for Vietnamese architecture projects, the design team draws inspiration from Hanoi’s craft heritage. The structure includes traditional handmade paper, known locally as Giấy Dó, alongside the recycled plastic. Alongside the public art pavilions, there are paper domes within which visitors can explore the architectural drawings and information of the exhibitions from inside. 

The children from a local kindergarten were invited to decorate the paper domes with drawings showing how they imagine their city. Their work adds a personal and playful layer to the public art pavilion in Vietnam, turning the space into both an exhibition and a community artwork. A lightweight steel frame holds the structures together, a reference to the method that mirrors the construction practices common in some Vietnamese urban neighborhoods.

all images courtesy of ODDO architects | photos by Trieu Chien

wing-like roof sections shelter different exhibitions

The local community plays a central role in the ODDO architects’ project because it is the volunteers who helped gather plastic waste and took part in the construction process, turning the public art pavilions in Hanoi, Vietnam, into a collective building effort. Visually, the pavilions stand out through three large wing-like roof sections, each representing different exhibition themes: residential architecture, interior design, and sustainability projects. The recycled plastic panels filter daylight, creating shifting patterns of colored light inside the pavilion, and after sunset, internal lighting allows the structures to glow, transforming them into a luminous landmark within the urban setting. 

After the exhibition ends, the materials used by the design team for T10A aren’t discarded but instead reused to produce new objects, including bags and design products, extending the life cycle of the materials and reducing waste. In the end, it is the aim of the project organizers to encourage architects, designers, and the public to reconsider how materials are valued. In these public art pavilions in Hanoi, Vietnam, plastic waste, which is often viewed as pollution, becomes a revived resource that makes way for reusable design.

recycled plastic roofing filtering daylight and casting vibrant shadows

the construction involves the help of the local community volunteers

the structure includes traditional handmade paper, known locally as Giấy Dó

view of the three public art pavilions in Hanoi, Vietnam by ODDO architects

the exhibition space lies beneath translucent plastic wings

a lightweight steel frame holds the structures together

lantern-like pavilion glowing within the urban landscape

at night, the structure are illuminated by warm lighting

each section represents different exhibition themes

after the exhibition ends, the materials are reused

project info:

name: Pavilion T10A

design: ODDO architects | @oddoarchitects

photography: Trieu Chien | @trieuchien

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: matthew burgos | designboom

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