Biomaterials

Biomaterials are one of the components of the transition to a bioethical industry.
Behind this generic term, we find natural materials such as cereals and non-food materials such as wood, algae or organic waste..
The spectrum of use of these materials is very wide ranging from construction to fashion to medicine.
They are also used in the world of furniture and design.

The mushroom kingdom.

Mushrooms are an integral part of the structure of these futuristic-looking seats.
In terms of recycling, we couldn’t do better. Indeed, once the furniture has reached the end of its life,
it is composted.
Terreform designers and architects have been pursuing these concepts for years.
Biomaterials are not only used to create furniture but also to make building materials and housing structures.
Maybe a vision of what will be our living environment in the future?
https://terreform.blogspot.com/2015/06/mycoform-surface-multi-curved-mycelium.html

On the menu: seaweed, pineapple and corn.

Seaweed can be used to create fabric fibers with amazing properties.
For example, Seacell® fiber, which is composed of brown algae cellulose, delivers active anti-irritation and healing ingredients on contact with the skin.
This material is therefore not only eco-responsible but also virtuous in terms of comfort and health.
Designer Samuel Tomatis goes further in his transformation of algae with his Alga project by creating not only textiles but also objects and furniture.

In the same vein, Fernando Laposse notably uses corn husk as a base material for a rendering that resembles marquetry work.

Another spearhead of biomaterials is the reduction in the use of animal materials in industry and in particular in the textile industry.
We know the alternatives to the use of animal fur but alternatives to the use of animal leather also exist.
For example Piñatex uses pineapple fiber and Viridis corn to make vegetable leather.
These solutions give surprising results.

For further…

To learn more about biomaterials, we recommend that you watch the episode of the Netflix series “Abstract, the art of design” dedicated to Neri Oxman from Mit Media Lab.
Its resolutely modern approach combining science, design and ecology paves the way for the materials of tomorrow.
https://www.netflix.com/watch/80237094?

Header visual:
© Samuel Tomasi / Alga