Sometimes upcycling is as easy as hitting the second-hand store or even your own wood cutoff pile. But when it comes to connecting designers of all levels with castoff materials from manufacturers, the process becomes more involved. Stackabl has developed a system to do exactly that.
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In conjunction with its New York-based showroom partner, Maison Gerard, Stackabl is driving a creative use bus that stops at the intersection of design and available resources.
Related: These washable rugs are naturally made with zero waste
The brainchild of Canadian design studio Stacklab, the system of algorithms and robotics is technical in nature, yet meant to make material recycling easier. Here’s how it works. Designers at any level access the system and use the interactive tool to create furniture or lighting designs. Users can choose from chairs, beds, and different styles of light fixtures. Then the creativity begins with the selection of material colors, patterns, and sizes. The program is also easy to use and shows changes in real-time on the design portal.
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Furthermore, the materials offered on the program are manufacturing excess. Inventory is selected based on what manufacturers report is available. The remnant inventory is then earmarked for the project and the factory puts together your design. Moreover, the process means that design and manufacturing are done at a regional level for a low environmental impact.
The company describes it like this: “A simple online configurator seamlessly integrates the designer into this process. Proprietary and patent-pending, the Stackabl configurator, with its easy-to-use interface, allows users to turn high quality Merino felt offcuts into custom furniture according to their choices, from colours and patterns, to dimensions and densities. Real-time visualizations in 2D and 3D, as well as instant pricing feedback, make for an intuitive and transparent experience that frees the imagination and opens doors to a world of possibilities.”
Several designers, including Champalimaud Design, Frampton Co, Laura Kirar Design, Drake/Anderson, Georgis & Mirgorodsky and Benoist F. Drut produced pieces that were then featured at Salon Art + Design in New York November 2021. The collection also won a Green Good Design Award as well as an AZ Award.
Images via Stackabl
