The material design studio ATELIER LVDW
Let’s talk again about materials with Atelier LVDW, the design studio between Rotterdam and Eindhoven founded by Laura van de Wijdeven, a graduate of the Lifestyle Design department at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam. Her love of nature and material experimentation led Laura to open her own atelier in 2017. Here, following the principles of biophilia, the designer researches sustainable and circular materials from organic waste and bio-based resources to enrich interiors. (Cover image, Eggshell Ceramic, ph. Laura van de Wijdeven)
The collections of the award-winning Atelier LVDW, consisting of experiments, interior objects, and surfaces, are made in the Netherlands by Laura and her team and aim to connect the user with nature. The material plays a prominent role in both the design process and the product outcome and leads to intuitive design and circular concepts. In addition to developing its collection of materials and products, the studio collaborates on customized projects.
c
c
The projects of Atelier LVDW
Atelier is featured on the new and free Materials Design Map with two projects, Eggshell Ceramic and Jute Tile. The first is a project that started in 2019 and is still ongoing that sees the development of a new compostable material, Eggshell Ceramic. This material aesthetically resembles ceramics but, thanks to eggshells as a primary resource, has the advantage of being bio-based: at the end of its life cycle, it can be composted, adding valuable nutrients to the soil. Eggshell Ceramic received a Gold Award in the BeyondPlastic 2021 competition, and last year, thanks to the support of Stimuleringsfonds Creative Industry NL and the European Commission, the Atelier continued the research by developing a product with greater strength and water repellency – more durable but still compostable.
Jute Tile (2017), on the other hand, starts with jute fiber, the only waste material in the production process of Forbo linoleum. Combined with gypsum, it changes the properties of the latter and becomes a durable tile with a unique aesthetic. Jute Tiles are coated with an ecological material that makes them water-repellent but not totally waterproof while, thanks to the materials of which they are composed, jute and gypsum, they are naturally resistant to mold and fungus, making them suitable for different types of interior spaces. The new product, part of a closed-loop system and based on waste material, makes Forbo linoleum zero-waste.
Also worth mentioning is the product Jute Light (2020), which is created from the same waste and materials as Jute Tile. In this case, Laura and her team have developed a lamp that uses the material as a lampshade. The product is for sale on the Vij5 website. At the end of their life cycle, both Jute Light and Jute Tile are recycled in the Rotterdam studio back to gypsum dust for the development of new products.
Atelier LVDW is featured on the new and free Materials Design Map with Eggshell Ceramic and Jute Tile. To find out about all the studio’s projects and products for sale, visit the website and follow the Instagram page!
c
