Blast Studio is a design studio founded in 2018 by Paola Garnousset, Martin Detoeuf, and Pierre de Pingon with a vision to explore how nature and technology can be brought together to transform cities’ discarded materials into artefacts and architecture.
Their innovative approach to design and sustainability has gained them recognition and admiration within the design industry.
The Inspiration: Nature and Technology in Harmony
Blast Studio is built on the principle that there is no waste in nature.
According to the studio, the discarded material of one organism is digested by another. They have taken this philosophy to heart and created a method to transform urban waste into biomaterial that can be used to produce unique furniture, artefacts, and architecture.
The team works on various types of projects, from small objects and furniture to large artworks and architectural elements.
For each project, they develop materials using various types of waste and living organisms, always working locally and collecting waste from the project’s vicinity.
Blast Studio’s designs tell the story of nature taking over urban waste, with technology and nature coming together in a harmonious partnership.
The Process of Transforming Waste into Biomaterial
One of Blast Studio’s most significant achievements is their technique of transforming urban waste into a biomaterial that can be used for 3D printing. The team sources discarded materials from various locations in the city and repurposes them into unique materials that can be used in a range of contexts.
Blast Studio recycles items such as coffee cups, pizza boxes, and packaging boxes to create objects and sculptures, while sawdust and other wood waste are used to make bespoke furniture, and clay is utilized for architectural purposes.
30.000 tonnes of coffee cups per year are discarded in the UK alone, and 99% end up in landfill.
BLAST STUDIO
Thanks to their patent-pending innovation, the team can convert this waste into a fertile material that can be colonised by living organisms such as mycelium (the root network of fungi) and plants.
The mycelium feeds off the biomaterial, grows on it, and develops a light material that has a distinctive velvety texture and a unique cream/brown hue. By incorporating this approach, Blast Studio is able to produce unique, sustainable, and eco-friendly artwork and architecture that inspires and sets an example for other creatives in the design industry.
Micro-Recycling Facility: The Urban Stomach
The team has developed a micro-recycling facility called The Urban Stomach, where waste from cities can be digested locally to create valuable objects and artefacts. Blast Studio sees the city as an open-air quarry, where waste is a resource material, and they aim to transform waste into a fertile material that can be used to create innovative designs.
Click here to watch a video on a conceptual take on the Urban Stomach, showing the process of taking discarded coffee cups to the end result.
Blast Studio’s commitment to innovation and sustainability is truly inspirational. Their use of discarded materials and integration of living organisms into their designs creates unique and beautiful pieces and highlights the potential for waste to be repurposed and given new life.
Their patent-pending innovation has the potential to revolutionize the way we think about waste and biomaterials, and their recognition through various awards demonstrates the importance and impact of their work.
By combining nature and technology, Blast Studio is paving the way for a more sustainable future and inspiring others to do the same.
Images courtesy of Blast Studio
Feeling inspired? Blast Studio was one of the many creatives featured in our latest Trend Report
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