Forces of Nature Exhibit at 19 Greek Street

Sustainable design shines at 19 greek street’s Forces of Nature exhibit.

Presenting a bold vision of sustainable design, Forces of Nature, at London’s 19 greek street gallery from March 13 to April 28, offers some stylish answers to big questions about resource allocation and reusability. From light-reflecting sills to chairs sewn with energy collected from a windmill, these objects exude a lightness and playfulness that belies their potentially serious impact on the environment.

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London-based designer Lucy Norman’s Sun Sill concept harvests our most abundant and renewable resource, tracking and then redirecting sunlight to reduce the need for artificial lighting.

"We’re looking at aesthetics, process and clever thinking," says gallery owner Marc Peridis. "We want to focus on sustainability and experimental thinking, but not sacrifice style."

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Still in the development phase, Norman’s concept would utilize a system of mirrors throughout a home or apartment.

In many ways, the exhibit offers a picture of what 19 greek street, located in a Victorian townhouse in Soho, wants to become. Peridis, an interior designer, founded the space a year and a half ago to pursue and support more creative projects. His vision now includes a showroom and gallery, with a materials library and materials workshop devoted to sustainability opening soon. In short, it’s about evolving into an incubator and being a point in the chain between makers and retailers that helps shepard sustainable, future-forward designs.

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Brazilian-born designer Mauricio Affonso created these acoustic tiles from luffa which has been soaked in leftover dyes used in the denim industry.

"We want to be a platform," he says. "The next challenge is making these things work, making them things people can use."

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Affonso worked with a farming community in Minas Gerais Brazil to grow the luffa, which he calls a natural smart fiber due to its dense network of cellulose, making it lightweight and highly absorbent.

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Dutch-born designer Merel Karhof created a Wind Knitting Factory that literally transfers the energy collected from a windmill into a knitting machine that creates the colorful upholstery found on these chairs.

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Designer Nir Meiri crafted these tubular lamp shades from sand, which give off a soft glow.

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Nir Meiri’s clay pot chandelier was inspired by observing rural landscapes and forms.

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This natural grain Kite stool is a play on Blakebrough+King’s own classic design, forming the piece with wheat and rice straw shaped in a two-ton press.

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The press used to make the Kite Stool.

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Takuya Hamajima’s U-Stool uses material from his family’s backyard.

Patrick Sisson
During the course of his career writing about music and design, Patrick Sisson has made Stefan Sagmeister late for a date and was scolded by Gil Scott-Heron for asking too many questions.

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