Interview | Oksana Bondar | Biohm

“THE PASSION TO CHANGE THINGS FOR THE BETTER HAS ALWAYS BEEN WITH ME. IT WAS AT UNIVERSITY THAT I STARTED LOOKING INTO MY PROFESSIONAL INDUSTRY AND REALISED HOW DAMAGING AND DESTRUCTIVE IT IS.”

036 | ECO-CONSCIOUS LIGHTING | INTERVIEW Oksana Bondar, Director of Design at Biohm, is a Russian designer and innovator. She sits down with darc Editor Sarah Cullen to discuss her journey from marketing and PR into bioengineering design for sustainable products for the home.

Growing up in Perm, Russia, but born in Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan, Bondar began her professional career in marketing PR and media. “Product design and industrial design, which I was obsessed with, wasn’t an option in Russia, hence my other creative choices took me to marketing,” she tells darc. Pursuing this avenue, Bondar moved to Prague to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Mass Media & PR at The University of New York. She then moved to the UK and rediscovered her design-led passion. Here she completed a second degree in Product and Furniture Design at Kingston University in London. “It was in the UK that I discovered the design discipline and had to go back to uni to re-study,” she reflects. A core value that has run through Bondar’s life is to be as resourceful and kind to the planet as possible. “The passion to change things for the better has been with me all along. It was when I was at uni that I started looking into my professional industry and realised how incredibly damaging and destructive it is. For me, being very passionate about making things to be better meant I couldn’t go down the route of normal design practice. I believe designers and materials and the materiality of things are interconnected.” A few years ago, Bondar attended a talk held at the Design Museum, London, by Artist Zoe Laughlin, which sparked a realisation of the type of designer she wished to be. The talk revolved around designers who are farmers of their own material. “That was exactly how I would identify myself. You become an innovator, because you are looking into ways to turn abundant waste matter into something that is valuable using all your traditional training as a designer. Then, the more you learn about it, the more you understand it’s not just about waste, it’s far bigger than that. It’s about biomimetics and ways that nature solves these problems. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel! All these solutions are out there, we just need to learn to look for them. In nature, waste is non-existent. When something perishes, it becomes fit for something else – for a new life, and it’s continuous circles. “That was my journey. All of my work started from uni, and since then has evolved around innovative materials derived from waste and transforming waste streams,” she explains. Bondar went on to be the Co-Founder of Luna Lab, a circular design studio that aims to design out waste and reimagine products, services, and system. She then joined Biohm, firstly as the Business Innovation Manager, and then onto the Director of Design. Biohm is a London-based innovation studio that was founded by Ehab Sayed, a designer, engineer, researcher, and entrepreneur, to bring the principles of biomimetics into the construction industry by adapting and applying the ingenuity that is found in nature to our built environment. Its aim is to revolutionise the built environment, and the way businesses are conducted, through the development of bio-based materials, circular construction systems and innovative business models. At a time of climate crises, it believes radical change is needed, requiring systemic innovation on a large scale to re-address the multifaceted issues interwoven in economies that have led us to where we are now. “If we are to venture beyond merely reducing our impact on the planet

and our health, contemporary approaches to waste management, manufacturing and building must undergo a step-change towards having a positive and regenerative impact,” says the studio. “Our goal is not only to build a successful company, but moreover, to improve the quality of people’s lives through enabling the use of healthy, environmentally friendly, circular materials and building solutions for applications across the design and construction industries, eliminating the concept of waste and demonstrating how business can equitably and ethically work in collaboration with the natural world, industry, academia, government and community.” More than 5,000sqft of space is dedicated to Biohm’s warehouse, lab, and offices, which together form a biomimetic research hub. Working with industrial partners, it repurposes waste materials and industrial by-products into useful materials. Whether it is through mycoremediation processes or using its unique Orb binder, it now works with a wide range of organisations across London, including a number of councils, research institutes, educational institutes and businesses. It produces two unique materials: Mycelium and Orb. Mycelium - the vegetative filament root structure of mushrooms - is used to grow Biohm’s materials using organic and synthetic substrates that are the by-products or ‘wastes’ of other industries. This material has been used to create the world’s first accredited mycelium insulation product. Orb - organic refuse biocompound - is manufactured from difficult to reuse or recycle by-products, utilising resources that would otherwise go to landfill. Biohm converts one of the world’s fastest growing waste streams - food waste - into valuable and functional materials that can be moulded to create 3D products. Orb is 100% biodegradable, vegan, sustainable, and renewable. “Biohm was established just five and a half years ago,” says Bondar. “Founder and Director of Innovation, Ehab Sayed is my personal twin - I have never met a person who was so like me. We finished each other’s sentences, it was that kind of connection. “He established Biohm for various reasons, but it started for him back when he was doing his Master’s in engineering. The design profession evolves a lot around problem solving, or finding better solutions to problems, or better ways of doing things. The problem he was looking into was waste and waste in construction. “That evolved into the solution and construction system that had biomimetics embedded into the design, but it was also solving the problem of waste, as in on-site waste, waste when buildings are being built as well as when buildings are being demolished,” she continues. Bondar recounts that once Sayed began prototyping and evolving his construction system, he realised the materials he was working with were either produced by “greenwashing brands or products that were deemed eco”, but when researched further, they were sometimes proven to be “worse than synthetic materials or plastics”. This ethos of sourcing or creating unique materials that are truly ecoconscious is something that runs through all the team members at the Biohm studio. The current team is formed of people from various professional backgrounds including designers, engineers, scientists, and lawyers with business backgrounds. “We all start from a point where we’re obsessed and passionate about the problems and finding the solutions. And the problems and threats are to all the creatures and life that walks the earth. Waste is just one of the prominent ones,” explains Bondar. “That’s what’s beautiful about Biohm and how it came

about. It aligns with an individual’s passions and ideas and impacts that we all want to achieve.” When asked about how she accrued all her technical knowledge after jumping career paths from media to design, Bondar expands: “I came into Biohm when it was fully established, having gone through the same journey myself previously. That’s why it was such a beautiful merge because I was doing the same thing, just separately. “In the early days, I was researching and studying myself; it was self-taught chemistry and biology. And then I would reach out to people when I was stuck. I remember when I was experimenting with materials at uni, I reached out to the chemistry department for help and got a great response. People were fascinated because it’s not often they end up in a room with a designer. I also needed help to build a machine, so I went to the engineering faculty where Formula One cars were built. There I was with a little design for a shredder and asking questions about a motor I had bought from eBay that came from a conveyor belt! “I think it’s an agility and passion that drives you either to reach out or pick up a book. And, I think it’s fascinating that suddenly your design becomes ever more important and valuable, because it’s no longer aesthetics or trends that define it.” Mycelium insulation is the primary export from Biohm, however last year it launched its first ever commercial product, a lighting range, that harnessed its unique and sustainable materials. The Obscure lampshades are created using its Orb material, consisting of orange peel and coffee chaff (the outer skin of a coffee bean that is removed when roasted). Wanting to expand their expertise into objects that are more accessible to wider markets and are suitable for homes, offices, restaurants, and more, the team’s first instinct was to create a light product. Bondar expands: “Lighting was the first option because it seemed an easy-ish product to look into in terms of matching our material and our capacity to design and produce it.

Built of harmony

The Secto Design lighting collection is designed by the award-winning architect Seppo Koho. The diligent handwork is carried out by highly talented craftsmen in Finland from top-quality local birch wood.

“We began by looking at how nature forms things. For example, when leaves get wet, they become moldable and take the shape and form of what they wrap themselves around. That, in addition to gravity and all other natural forces that surround us, impact the various matters into a shape. And that’s exactly how our lampshades are made. “Typically, shapes are created when matter is injected into a mould, but for us our mould is like a skeleton. The material is layered on top of it, and it forms itself. This means each lampshade is completely unique, and in some ways design-less. This is how biomimetics comes into the design; nobody is holding or forcing the shape. “Designing becomes very involved and as the designer you are the driver that determines the shape and finish; you determine everything. For us it’s not an ego-driven approach, it’s more of a collaboration with the material that we are respectful towards. For the Obscure collection, a local office building approached approached Biohm with an abundance of orange peel as a waste product from their high production of fresh orange juice. “Orange peel is very problematic,” says Bondar. “You wouldn’t think so, but it is due to its acidity; it can’t be composted because it destroys pH levels in soils. But, for us it works amazingly well because of the chemical composition. It’s got peptides and other chemical compounds in there that makes it elastic. So for lampshades, when you work with it when it’s not cured, it’s kind of rubbery. It likes falling and forming and shaping over things, it’s just brilliant. The colour is quite interesting as well because usually natural materials are very earthy, this one is a little different. We’re also looking into pigmenting it as well and developing a bit of a colour palette. “Coffee chaff is the same, it too is very acidic. This material is incredibly beautiful and has such a deep chocolate colour, and to work with it’s more leather-like. You could see when it forms itself, in the crevices, they actually have wrinkles like an elephant foot - they have such unique personalities,” she describes. In order to turn the waste substrate into a workable material, Bondar explains the various techniques they use including chipping or granulating. Coffee chaff doesn’t need to be processed as it is suitable in the form it already arrives in, whereas fresh orange peels need to be broken down into smaller pieces. These elements are then combined with a bio-based binder as a hardening component that the studio developed. This ensures the product is completely natural, and even ranked as food-grade, although Bondar doesn’t recommend eating it because “you would break your teeth”. This part is then combined with a filler, fibrous cellulosic substrate to form the final material used to create the lampshade. “Once the lampshade is formed, it is then cured. This can be done simply via air-drying or to meet our target of batch production, we custom-made a dehydrator that is super low on energy consumption; it’s not an oven or a kiln. It just speeds up the drying process.” Mycelium is a secondary material that the studio is experimenting with to produce a follow-on lighting collection that is scheduled to be launched later this year. Mycelium is a living, breathing, moving and growing organism that will present a very different final product. Again, lamp production will follow a similar process to that of the Orb-based Obscure collection, as the mycelium material has a character of its own; it cannot be forced into a mould, yet will form naturally, growing inside a mould. “ The concept was called self-formed finding; it’s a biomimetic approach to design,” explains Bondar. “In nature, when cells or bubbles in water accumulate, they start to form themselves and accumulate. “It’s very complicated - I was reading biology books and discovering how things grow and form in nature - and then I looked into the root concept and how I could use that in what we do here at Biohm. “It’s matter with other matter,” she continues. “And because of the properties of the material, it is a structural and dense form that can also act as an acoustic absorber. “The Mycelium lamps are currently prototypes, with final prototypes ready at the end of this month.” For the time being, the team will continue to use both the coffee and orange materials due to the high quantities of local waste streams available to them. However, with a strong recipe in place, the possibilities of exploring other bi-product waste substrates is always an option to create variations of lampshades. With a strong focus on the production of the lampshade materials, the other components of the lighting fixture as a whole were also a large consideration in the beginning of the design concept. “The brief was so ambitious that we actually weren’t even looking into light sources at the beginning. There are so many mushroom species, for example, and some that are bioluminescent. We were looking into ways to not have electrical lighting, but instead maybe tap into the ability of an organism to glow in the dark,” she explains. “We also looked into the natural ability to bounce light. But we realised a lot of that was very complex and would need years of research and development, so it was parked. The use of natural-based materials could be a concern for some in terms of the product’s longevity, but Bondar reassures that the material is made to last. “I don’t have a number for longevity, but our products go through in-house and third party testing against relevant standards and mechanical properties,” she explains. “The lampshades have gone through mechanical testing and flexural strength testing. The material has similar properties to plywood and mdf if the waste stream is fibrous. So it’s very strong, it’s not going to just crumble and fall apart. “Furthermore, in-house we test for environmental conditions. The lamps will sit in a tent with 88-90% humidity and a lot of heat, and they’re absolutely fine – it’s crazy! “These are not realistic environments however; we wouldn’t recommend people to take them into the tropics or under rainfall. They’re not IP-rated so not suitable for bathrooms or outdoors. We’ve also done impact testing by throwing it down and bumping into it and it’s proven to be a very sturdy material. These are all stress tests to push the product to its limits. “In terms of the mould, again, we do a bio-resistant test where we expose materials and products to contaminants. They sit in a chamber with mould, yeast, and a lot of bacteria. The orange peel and coffee chaff, because they have a lot of natural acids, repel all bacteria and mould naturally. “We also have a natural top coat we add that is a mixture of linseed oil and beeswax that protects it further, although we are trying to replace beeswax with plant-based wax or just oils. “The way these materials behave is very similar to wood. If you were to get it wet, it would mark and potentially grow things – or like an outdoor table, for example, typically has things growing on it. It just needs a bit of extra care or housed in an environment that it thrives in. It also inspires good culture for a respectful attitude to things around us. “If you did change your mind or re-decorate, Biohm takes materials and products back. The Orb material can be shredded down and re-moulded, so it’s infinitely recyclable; or it can be recirculated either back into a lampshade or something else. And Mycelium is the same, but it eats itself! It would find nutrients in itself as a cured material, shred it up, feed it back to the life organism and it would consume it. For us, it’s a value to take a product back and use it as a substrate again. “The trend in recyclable fashion - as long as there’s businesses and systems, infrastructure, and technology, and places to deal with it - is fine. But at the moment, current materials, infrastructure and tech is not fit for that and that’s why longevity is a bit of a playing card. It’s the same when you look at nature - seasons change, trees lose their leaves and they grow back again. The change, trend and fashion is there, but it’s not too shameful so long as we can deal with the cyclical trends. “The world is different to what it was 5 years ago,” she continues. “My work used to be called art because it was funky; nobody saw a reason to do it. But, as a company, we are speaking to some of the biggest multinational companies that are looking for answers to questions that we have been talking about and working on for a long time. We are now the key holders. People are interested and passionate about it, they

want to change.” In terms of sourcing all of the components for light fixtures, Bondar claims it has been a painful experience to find products that match their strict sustainable ethos. “There is not much out there that matches our militant our approach or ambition,” she says. “We have been looking into wooden fixtures, lampholders, as well as ceiling roses, but I’m always suspicious of what people declare their product as, and tracing down the supply chain can be difficult. They could say that they’re working with European companies, but actually their components are made in China. So all of a sudden, your product or the components that you’re getting from your partner, company or supply, actually have a breached supply chain. “We’ve procured as militantly as we can for now, but we always plan to build on that, and keep a close eye on what’s available. This is not something that we do, and maybe can’t do. But coming across new technology like OLED excites us, but they’re not readily available to us at the moment.” Moving forward, Biohm is opening a new warehouse facility on the outskirts of London. The space is mainly dedicated to the production of its insulation products, however the hope is for embedding other product lines and technologies in one large factory space. “The big idea is starting with the Mycelium insulation but then potentially having hubs, hyper-localised (zero travelling miles) everywhere. That means we are able to draw on the local waste streams as well as help communities thrive and take control of their prosperity locally. “However negative Brexit is, it does kick-start this sense of pride and not turning your eye far away but looking right in front of you and seeing how amazing it is. Individuals and professionals turning back into their communities is fabulous! We call it ‘Glocal’ - working with local formulas, systems and ways of working but implementing globally. By doing so, you have figured out how to set up a manufacturing facility that draws on local resources, waste streams and people, and give them the power to do it and make money for themselves and livelihoods, as well as play in the economy and industry. That model can work anywhere in the world. “We are still finding our feet for ways of distributing, or wholesaling, or sending our lighting products to a design shop to retail them. I think we will launch within our own network for the time being, but we also want to give people the opportunity to experience the materials, innovation and products. We are looking into hosting a once-a-month open door event as we have a lot of requests for a showroom experience. Hopefully there will be an option to do a product launch on one of these evenings,” she concludes. www.biohm.co.uk

Biohm is a revolutionary design force that is challenging the common waste industry to salvage and produce products that are respectful to the environment. Oksana Bondar joined the team in 2019 and has driven the shared-passion to deliver options to the construction industry that use natural and eco-friendly materials. The most recent venture the studio has embarked on is a range of lighting that highlights the issues facing the design industry as well as F&B waste sources. Using coffee chaff and orange peels, the team has produced unique materials that naturally form over skeleton frames to create the Obscure lampshades. Bondar is excited to launch this new range into the commercial world to bring eco-solutions into the everyday home. It reinforces a culture of respect for products and their longevity, as well as their impacts on our environment.

Lanesborough Hotel London, UK

The Lanesborough, on London’s Hyde Park Corner, sits between Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Mayfair, the most affluent and one of the most beautiful areas of the city. Built in 1719, by the last Viscount Lanesborough James Lane, by 1733 it was the original St George’s Hospital that served as a medical facility for almost 250 years until the hospital closed its doors in 1980. In 1988 planning permission was secured to turn the property into a hotel. Fitzroy Robinson Partnership was appointed to prepare plans to transform Lanesborough House and create a luxury hotel incorporating as much of the original façade as possible, while completely renovating and converting the interior. It was designed in the style and manner of a grand 19th century town house. Managed and operated by Rosewood Hotels in December 1991, it is now part of the iconic Oetker Collection. When it came to production of the lighting, appreciation of history and heritage was vital. Bespoke lighting product designer and manufacturer Dernier & Hamlyn was commissioned to craft around 300 light fittings in solid brass for the hotel’s public areas, bedrooms and corridors. All were recreations of classic styles including empire pendants, Indian lanterns and drape and bag crystal chandeliers. While in the conservatory restaurant, which is now the Michelinstarred Celeste, Chinese lanterns emulate those in Brighton’s Royal Pavilion. These light fittings, handcrafted by artisans and fitted with individually-designed glass shades, would have been admired by many of the famous people who have stayed in the hotel. This includes Stevie Wonder - who has played the piano in the Library Bar under Dernier & Hamlyn’s chandeliers. By 2018 the hotel was due extensive refurbishment. The new owners were keen to update the lighting while maintaining its period appropriate styling and commissioned designers Pinto in Paris, who in turn called on Dernier & Hamlyn’s expertise to determine appropriate ways to incorporate LED lamping while retaining the historic look and feel. Reference material from Dernier & Hamlyn’s extensive lighting archive provided inspiration for the classic elegance that the designers were looking to achieve and led them to their highly experienced artisans using a wide variety of skills to design and produce a range of truly stunning chandeliers, while also restoring existing fittings. Most of the people who worked at Dernier & Hamlyn’s factory in the 1990s are still there, and were delighted to be involved in giving these works of art a new lease of life. Glass was replaced, metalwork including brass chains, rings and hand-cast honeysuckle leaves was cleaned, repaired and where needed replaced. In addition, 20 glass bowl pendants in a range of sizes up to 1-metre diameter, which were originally manufactured by Dernier & Hamlyn back in the 1990s, were fully refurbished. Dernier & Hamlyn’s Head of Design, Mark Harper, comments: “It was an honour for our team to be involved in re-imagining the hotel’s lighting. And it was a tribute to the owners and the designers that they worked with us to determine ways that the fittings could be remodelled and converted to be more energy efficient so that they were fit for purpose in the hotel’s revitalisation, rather than simply producing new fittings and disposing of such wonderful lighting.” dernier-hamlyn.com

046 | ECO-CONSCIOUS LIGHTING Origin Coffee Cornwall, UK

Origin Coffee’s new roastery, cafe and HQ in Porthleven, Cornwall, is the brand’s third UK location to utilise the distinctive restored fittings of Skinflint. The relationship between the two companies is one that has grown organically over the years thanks to a shared ethos focusing on product provenance and sustainability: Skinflint bringing their salvaged pieces up to modern-day technological and environmental standards with LED fittings (restoring while preserving each light’s unique heritage and character); Origin similarly respecting the people, processes and raw coffee beans they source from all over the world. Visually, the interesting surface patinas of Skinflint’s original fittings complement the texture within Origin’s spaces. Skinflint first supplied a pair of elegant 1950s opaline globe pendants salvaged from Czechoslovakia to Origin’s first dine-in space in Penryn, Cornwall. Housed in the same converted Victorian warehouse next door to Skinflint’s studios and restoration workshop, the lights make a bold statement in the entranceway while bringing a sense of scale and softening to the industrial space. Next, tucked away beneath the railway arches in Origin’s London Southwark location, four of Skinflint’s 1940s airfield taxiway lights salvaged from an RAF base in north west Wales are suspended above the counter, their metallic finish complementing the coffee taps below. A row of mottled conical Eastern Block pendants from the 1950s also hang in the window, catching the eye of passers by, while a run of reclaimed German cargo ship bulkheads illuminate the narrow hallways leading to the restrooms. At The Roastery, the latter two fittings are installed in the employee areas, with two statement converted industrial fluorescent LEDs illuminating the main café counter. It’s a clean, open, minimal space, offering full transparency of their roastery operations visible through glass windows behind. As a purveyor of reclaimed lighting, the circular economy has always been embedded within Skinflint’s ethos. The launch of its Full Circle buy-back scheme takes this a step further, completing the loop on the lifecycle of its products. It gives clients the opportunity to trade-in their Skinflint lights in exchange for 50% credit off a future purchase. The idea being that these beautiful, well-engineered pieces are kept out of landfill and in use forever. And more widely, to promote a circular approach to design and consumption. It’s aimed at both residential and commercial markets, but particularly companies like Origin, who are sustainably aware and are likely to refresh their busy shop spaces every few years. Although it’s early days for the reclaimed fittings installed at Origin’s various outposts, Skinflint has already had a strong response to the initiative. Tom Sobey, founder of Origin Coffee, says: “Collaborating with a local, forward-thinking brand whose unique product range not only works aesthetically for our interiors, but helps tell the story of our values, and aligns with our environmental goals, is a win-win for us. As a fellow B Corp, we are committed to using business as a force for good, and Skinflint’s buy-back scheme makes complete sense when it comes to updating our stores.” www.skinflintdesign.com

Scarlet Hotel Newquay, UK

Tom Raffield was recently commissioned to install its No.1 Noctics Giant pendants at the Scarlet Hotel in Newquay, Cornwall, UK. The Scarlet is a beautiful eco-luxury hotel, restaurant and spa located on the edge of the ocean. Tom Raffield selected its steambent monochrome Noctis range as they provide a sleek aesthetic for the opulent interior scheme. The pendants compliment the modern interiors of the restaurant and showcase Tom Raffield’s unique, sustainable, handmade designs. “The Noctics range sees our most iconic lights take on a whole new aesthetic,” says Founder Tom Raffield. “We’ve ebonised the steam bent wood to give a sleek, darkened effect that contrast incredibly well with metallic brass. The final designs are luxurious, unique and symbolise an exciting next step for the brand.” Handcrafted into the most intricate of sculptural spheres, the Noctis No.1 pendant strikes a balance of timeless grace and ebonised, architectural design in every twist and turn. Crafted from ebonised tulip wood, these fixtures are finished in eco-friendly, hard-wearing water-based varnish in a satin finish. www.tomraffield.com

048 | ECO-CONSCIOUS LIGHTING Ca L’Andreu Allela, Spain

The old masías or county houses represent an architectural legacy within the Catalan landscape, they remind us of a by-gone age and their survival depends on making them habitable today. For Ca l’Andreu, a masía that dates back to the 15th century located in Marina (Alella Municipality), the Puig-Mir architectural practice came up with a double-refurbishment in order to create multi-functional accommodation as well as a private residence, following the premise of respecting the building’s origins with the least impact possible. Locally found materials inspired this project, which is furnished with the Serena and Nus lamps as well as the Bodrum table, in walnut wood, by Let’s Pause. The owners of the old house commissioned Puig Mir with the complete refurbishment of the ground floor, which was going to be let to visiting tourists, as well as a new type of meeting space for company events and experiences; at all times respecting the building’s heritage and with minimal environmental impact. They wanted an eco-masía that reflected their own values: sensitive to the land and as sustainable as practically possible. Ca l’Andreu has views over the Mediterranean Sea in an extraordinary setting just 20 minutes from Barcelona city centre. Both the client as well as the design team agreed that the character of the masía had to be highlighted and celebrated, respecting its origins and the found traditional materials, but with the best of modern comforts and under strict sustainable criteria. Happy with the final results of the ground floor refurb, the clients trusted the team with the refurbishment of the first floor as a private living space for them, which was recently completed and where some pieces from Let’s Pause were incorporated. The proximity to the Serralada de Marina mountain range park and its renowned “sauló” trails that are so typical of the area, together with the found handmade ceramic tiles, the south facing orientation and the Mediterranean light, all came together to influence the interior architects with the selection of materials and the decision to make new openings and reorganise the plan. The Serena lamps are handmade from cane, a natural fibre that is braided and bound for its lamps and baskets. The Nus pendant’s shade is hand woven using sisal fibre, a plant that is indigenous to the Andes. The final product is the result of age old craft skills by local women who can work from home allowing them to also maintain their families. They use a single thread and a repeated crochet stitch in order to produce a vegetable mesh that allows light to pass through. Again, no protective treatment nor varnish or waxing is used. In practicing its work, the Puig Mir doesn’t differentiate between architecture, interior design and decoration. Everything is the result of the same thinking in order to come up with the desired ambience. At Ca l’Andreu, this course of action has been as simple as highlighting the local materials so that they age in a natural way with the passing of time. letspause.es

Six Senses Shaharut Hotel Shaharut Negev Desert, Israel

Nir Meiri provided a selection of Desert Storm Sand lamps to the Six Senses Shaharut Hotel. Located in the south of the Negev desert, Israel, is the Arava valley where traditional desert hospitality is expressed by generosity of spirit. This inspiring location, named Shaharut, which translates as the moment just before dawn, adds yet another dimension to the portfolio of incredible natural settings that Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas call home. Curved into a dramatic cliff, the Six Senses Shaharut hotel comprised just 60 suites and pool villas occupying a total footprint of approximately 46 acres, including a Six Senses Spa. The Villas have been thoughtfully designed and integrated into the desert topography to preserve the natural terrain, and are inspired by local rocks and pigments. Sustainability is at the top of the Six Senses’ agenda, and it has an environmental commitment to prove it is possible to enhance the guest experience while respecting nature. The hotel has developed a range of programmes to conserve energy with opportunities for guests to offset their carbon footprint. Where possible, it also grows its own organic vegetables and herbs to achieve self-sustaining and zero waste targets, and drastically reduce its environmental footprint. Located on the hotel’s lobby desks, Nir Meiri’s sand lamps greet guests with a natural, warm light. Using lamps made of desert sand was the perfect match for this project. The shape of the sand lampshades brings to mind primitive desert structures, while the fixture’s overall figure resembles that of plants that bloom in the Mediterranean seashore. The use of sand as the main material plays on the tension between its wild nature – that of sand storms and vast deserts – and the delicacy of the molded end design. Despite their apparent fragility, the lights are sturdy, and their strength partners with that of the fixture’s metal pole. Once the LED lamp is lit, it spreads a soft light, which accentuates the amorphous shapes still present on the lampshade’s surface, reminding us of the sand’s original untamed nature. www.nirmeiri.com