Bio-material Reasearch Lab
In early 2019 we designed and built London’s first openly accessible organic and bio-based Material Lab and Library inside our Green Lab incubator facility in Bermondsey, London. The project conceived and led by our biomaterial specialist Anoushka Cole.
Our Material Lab was a co-working space for early stage startups, undergrad and post grad researchers to turn organic materials into viable products for fashion, industry and the home. Equipt with sinks, dryers, blenders, centrifruges, measuring equipment and grow areas; the Lab provided a messy space for experimentation and innovation in sustainable material development.
Alongside the lab we also developed a Material Library; a constantly evolving physical library showcasing various materials and there properties. With the pursuit of sustainable material alternatives for the future we sourced various samples from both practitioners at the research stage as well as materials that are in full production. The materials on display covered a range of industries and can be used in various applications from fashion through to construction.
The Material Lab hosted numerous workshops with MA Material Futures student from University of Arts London as well as developing unique propositions for commercial clients such as Seedlip, as part of our lemon coaster project.
The Material Library was designed in collaboration with Materiom; an open platform for materials experimentation and development for a circular economy.
Both the Material Lab and Library created a showcase to inspire industries to think outside the box and encourage researchers to pursue alternative resources.