The Future of Growth

Laurence Jansen / Helena Robless / Zoë Daley / Tamar Ben-Joya

Hemp Willow Flax Christmas Tree

As of 2020, the construction industry contributes 38% of all CO2 emissions globally, clearly illustrating the wicked nature of the construction industry’s impact on the climate crisis. By focusing on regenerative materials and sustainable methodologies within the construction industry, this has the potential to be mitigated.

We intend to study the current landscape relating to the use, practice, culture and industrial infrastructure surrounding the development of natural, bio-based building materials that can be produced in the UK.

This project involves an introspective reconnection with dry leaves, flax, hemp, and willow, all materials that can be grown, sourced and produced in the UK. Through asking questions relating to sustainability, carbon sequestering capabilities, biodiversity and cultural significance, we aim to create an information-rich and evocative material library. This will be accompanied by a contextualising sculptural form if achievable within our timeframe and presented within an exhibition.

Through visits to farmers and practitioners, we will form a physical material study document. This will incorporate interviews and sustainability analysis, site analysis, material sourcing information, material tests, precedent studies, storybased accounts and our potential sculpture documentation.

By studying these materials through both a narrative focus and a critical, analytical approach, our document will explore materials in a simultaneously systematic and anecdotal way. Our material exploration will be a blend of traditional craft and technology lead systems. Overall, we aim to inspire new ways of thinking about building with natural regenerative materials.

However, We examined the most effective and ecological way to print and bind a catalogue and found out that it is best to keep it digital.

We were looking at Risograph printing. The Risograph ink is based on soybeans, and the proof is a sort of paper made from banana leaves. Therefore, Riso is considered to be a “greener” way of printing and seemed like a good option for our needs. However, to be able to print a catalogue in a Risograph means we will waste lots of paper testing and arranging the pages: for the ink to run properly after setting the proof, the user needs to use at least 3 pages - and do so after every millimetre move of the proof while aligning the colours to each other. We thought about using scraps that are scattered around the free printers on all RCA campuses, but eventually, we got to the conclusion that it will be best to not print at all. Our catalogue will remain digital, which is the most environmental way and choice to “produce” it.

This catalogue was supposed to be printed.

HEMP

People have known about the positive attributes of hemp for centuries utilising its strength as a material to make rope for ships, construction and creating hard wearing clothing. Its seeds are considered a highly nutritious superfood full of amino acids and its CBD oil can legally be used for medical purposes. Looking now towards Hemp as an Eco Friendly Industrial Building Material products can be found on the market such as hemp wood, hemp insulation and hempcrete. For this to be a viable and sustainable option we must look at the immediate benefits of using hemp in the construction industry and also the long term environmental impacts of mass producing this material.

From a farmers perspective hemp ticks many boxes as it is a fast growing regenerative plant so it helps to restore the soil and ecosystem in which it is grown.

These are all great reasons for it to be used by farmers as a rotation crop that replenishes soil for the next plantation.

‘It suppresses the growth of weeds, has reclamation and anti-erosion influence, drains soil from poisonous substances and heavy metals. There is no need for pesticides or herbicides during growing that are harmful to the environment.’ 1

Image: Current UK Hemp Legislation and What it Means for the Industry, 2020

Hemp Blocks can be used as a lightweight alternative to concrete and these are considered carbon negative will benefit our needs for carbon capture and sequestration. Hemp can absorb ‘2 kilograms of carbon for every 1 kilogram of hemp fibre’ 2 which is many times higher than a forest of equal size and a hemp yield can be cropped every 4 months.

As a construction material it meets all construction health and safety standards, it is thermally efficient, fire resistant and acts as better acoustic insulation than concrete combined with traditional insulation methods. It is a breathable insulation that -

As these walls breathe they are ‘improving air quality and reducing dampness buildup. For this reason, hempcrete walls should not be sealed with non-permeable paints or cementitious renders.’ 4

Image: Handout, British Hemp Company Launches in Wiltshire to Unlock Crops Potential to Help Uk Hit Climate Target, 2021

Isohemp Hempro System Under Construction, 2018

‘absorbs almost twice the amount of heat than mineral insulation, thus doubling the thermal comfort in the interior.’ 3

A new £30 million hemp processing plant is set to be built near Market Harborough in the next 18 months. The ambitious operation – which will create over 30 jobs - will be set up outside Theddingworth. And it will be the biggest plant of its kind anywhere in the UK. 5

Hempcrete (2019) What is Hempcrete? Bioplastic News

Isohemp Hempro System Under Construction, 2018

The British Hemp Alliance have been lobbying since 2019 to dismantle barriers that prevent hemp from becoming the essential part of the UK’s carbon sequestration and now with Government backing the production and processing of industrial Hemp is set to become one of the UK’s major crops with the help from ‘The HEMP-30 project, led by researchers at the University of York and Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC), aims to increase the amount of industrial hemp 100-fold in the UK from 800 hectares to 80,000 ’ 6 which is a huge carbon sink that will help us reach our future climate targets. This robust crop can be grown in the UK and its mass production would greatly reduce the UK’s carbon emissions however for it to be truly sustainable it will need to be farmed using the correct methods, the right tools, no tilling, organic compost and planted within the correct crop rotations.

British Hemp Alliance (2022)

‘Its products are biodegradable, leaving no harmful residues, so they can be fully integrated into natural cycles and meet the increasingly strict environmental demands of legislative authorities.’

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To understand from first hand experience the benefits and struggles of being a hemp farmer in the UK we made contact with Camilla Hayselden-Ashby who agreed to meet for an interview to answer a few questions and tell us a few stories about pursuing this crop as an ethical and commercially viable option under UK legislation and restrictions. Initially what sparked your interest in hemp that led you to start working with the material?

I started looking at hemp around 4 years ago close to the time of the CBD boom and I was interested in its health benefits and as I continued my research I found that it has lots of agronomic benefits from a farming perspective such as improving soil health and also being good for shading out weeds, because the canopy is so dense the weeds can’t grow. Its also very low in pesticide and fertiliser requirements.

Is it easier to grow organic hemp than other organic crops?

Sure it has less weeds competing with it which is a problem in a lot of organic agriculture. At the moment it doesn’t seem to have a lot of pest and disease problems but part of that is because there is not a lot of it being grown in the UK, so we can’t be complacent that will always be the case. Yes at the moment it is easier to grow organic hemp than a lot of other organic crops. For the last two years of growing hemp we haven’t used any pesticides or fertilisers on it.

What obstacles did you face when planning to set up a hemp farm?

At the moment there are restrictions in the UK on growing hemp with an industrial licence for the use of CBD because one of the restrictions is that you’re not allowed to process the parts of the flower. Due to this I had to learn about the other ways in which hemp can be used in terms of material,

textiles, seed, and this is when I got really excited about it and its huge potential for benefiting the farm rotation and the fact of the opportunity for carbon sequestration. A large obstacle is that there is no established route to market, so it can be difficult to find the best way to make money from it. There is also less information about how to grow hemp so it takes time and a lot of self-led research. Sourcing seeds can be complicated as there aren't any UK seed suppliers so they have to be imported and it’s got a lot harder since leaving the EU. You have to have a licence to grow hemp in the UK and that is administered by the home office department for drugs and firearms licencing so they don’t have much knowledge of farming and they are used to dealing with high risk situations rather than someone just trying to grow some hemp, which doesn’t make it particularly easy and it can take a long time to process, and applications can be declined almost as if you were applying for planning permission. Once you have had a DBS check and given a full account of how you are going to use the crop the licence will need to be renewed every 3 years. As I said before we don’t have permission to use the flowers and leaves in the UK so we have to explain how we will dispose of them and this is the most profitable part of hemp so it is really holding back the industry.

Are there any subsidies for growing hemp?

There is a new system coming into place since Brexit that will revolve around public money for public good, which will add a subsidy for paying farmers for doing things that protect the environment. I wish that I knew why there aren't any subsidies for growing hemp as there are so many environmental benefits, it could potentially help combate our single use plastic problem.

Why do we not have enough hemp processing plants in the UK?

So it’s a combination of things, it's a kind of chicken or the egg problem as we need the growers, the processing capacity and you need the market demand at a sufficient volume to all come together in the right order and the right time. If you want to do a housing development to make hemp housing mainstream and to justify installing a new 2 to 10 million pound processing facility you need to know that you have orders in place to do that. However, if you're a housing developer ready to build 250 houses with planning permission, you are not going to want to wait for the processing plant to be built. Then for that processor to then find farmers who are going to grow for them, there is a minimum of one year for there to even be a crop for them to process, so it's a balancing act to get all these things to fit together.

Do you know much about using Hemp as building materials?

On the construction side of things, I’m not an expert in architecture, but I would have thought that having architects who know about the materials that are available and how to work with them, so that they can be considered when making architectural design proposals would be helpful. This would probably need help from a government incentive scheme to get it off the ground. We know that concrete is a hugely polluting material, so hemp would be a good candidate to build homes with better insulation values and lower embodied CO2 in their construction.

Are people starting to invest in hemp farming?

Yes definitely, especially in the US they have a lot more processing plants being built and with banks here in the UK it would look great for their ESG credentials so I’m sure that investment will grow as long as strong business case studies are put forward. There are also other investment models such

A

as community investment into projects, or cooperative schemes that can fund a local hemp farming community's needs. In terms of climate issues it is definitely better to run a model on local processing.

How do you use hemp on a daily basis?

Mainly I use hemp oil for cooking and salads. I also use hemp seeds and I highly recommend roasted hemp seeds with chilli oil. Hemp milk is also a great alternative to dairy.

Do you think that there will be a hemp revolution in the UK?

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I certainly hope so, I think it will be part of a broader spectrum as there are a lot of crops that we don’t utilise in the UK. I hope that all this work and energy that I’ve put into researching how to kick start this industry, won’t have gone to waste.

Camilla Hayselden-Ashby

WILLOW

Origins

Weaving has been with us since the dawn of mankind. The early Stone Ages had already seen the mastery of weaving plant fibres to make nets, cloth and carrying baskets. In Elizabeth Fisher’s Women’s Creation, she introduces The Carrier Bag Theory of Evolution, which posits that the first cultural device was not a club, or a sword, but rather a net or a bag which humans used to carry gathered products. The idea of weaving to make necessary tools such as fish traps, animal traps, armour, hats, hurdles and wattle and daub for shelter, has always, and will always be intrinsically tied to our progression as a human species.

As a Solution

In the UK, soft materials such as Rush are used for weaving, as well as harder materials such as willows (the Salix family). The techniques have evolved over centuries to make containers which are biodegradable. Besides being biodegradable and locally sourced, the willow family is particularly useful as a diversification option that can earn farmers up to £618/ha (£250/acre) a year and help protect land against flooding and soil erosion. At Langwathby Hall Farm, near Penrith, Cumbria, farmer Simon Peet has been growing willow for a year and has planted over 16ha (40 acres) on his 100ha (250-acre) farm. During Storm Desmond in 2015, 6,000t of gravel was deposited on Mr Peet’s fields, with the damage to land and fences stretching to almost £40,000. As a result, he looked into planting willow, which has been found to lessen the effects of flooding and reduce soil erosion. Working with paperboard manufacturer Iggesund Paperboard, Mr Peet last year planted 6ha (15 acres) followed by an additional 10ha (25 acres) this year, with a further 12ha (30 acres) to be planted next year.

WIP, group work Across RCA

As a Reminder

Willow has the power to help us connect with the environment, and with ourselves. In The Feeling Remains by Laura Ellen Bacon, created on site out of willow, ‘Noir de Villaines’ and tree branches from the surrounding parkland at Abbaye de Maubuisson during Spring 2022 as part of solo exhibition, Chaque Fibre de Mon Être (Every Fibre of my Being), she responds to the history of the magnificent Cistercian Abbey, and the work carries a sense of the nuns who historically worked silently in this space using their hands.

“I gave

because I myself feel that when you create something in a place with your hands, you leave a piece of yourself there; the thoughts and dreams you have while making the work seem to invisibly weave themselves into the work and somehow they remain…

My work is also focussed on the human, physical experience within woven spaces or ‘burrows’ – although I joyously admit that the immersive process and the almost primitive nesting instinct it releases means that the main recipient of the experience is

this work the title of Le Sentiment Demeure (The Feeling Remains)

me.”

- Laura Ellen Bacon, 2022

How to prepare your

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Soak dried willow by totally submerging it in clean water (it will need weighing down as its inclination is to float). You can use a large tank or water butt (preferably keep it covered to reduce algae). Alternatives are a drain pipe sealed at one end or a soaking bag.

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How long to soak depends on the thickness of the stems and how dry they have become – it will, to a certain extent, be a case of trial and error. Soaking for too long and it may become slimy, too short a time and the willow will be too rigid still. The temperature can also affect timings –soaking may need to be longer in colder weather and shorter in warmer weather.

Remember that shorter lengths of willow will be ready sooner than longer lengths – the longer lengths will have a thicker butt end that will need a bit longer soaking – so, maybe stagger putting very different sorted lengths in to soak.

When the willow has been soaked for long enough, take it out of the water, rinse it down with clean water and stand it upright briefly, to allow excess water to run off – then wrap the willow in an old towel or blanket to mellow for a few hours or ideally overnight. This allows the willow to absorb moisture more fully and so be pliable for longer. Following this process, the willow should then be useable for a number of days if it is kept wrapped up and somewhere cool. Whilst you’re actually using the willow, keep it covered so that it doesn’t dry out.

How to prepare your willow

After a few years, willow used outside – for hurdles, border edging, plant supports or garden decorations – will become more fragile from exposure to the elements. If it’s possible to take the woven willow into a drier environment for the worst of the winter weather, then this will help it last a little longer.

The generally recommended treatment for woven willow used outside to help prolong its life is a 50 : 50 mix of linseed oil and turps. Alternatively, try applying a general garden wood preservative. Try to treat the willow at least once a year.

Initially what sparked your interest in willow that led you to start working with the material?

Family company handed down to my husband.

How did this lead you to setting up a full-scale willow business?

As above but business has evolved and expanded to produce products made from our willow.

What obstacles have you faced when planning to set up the farm?

Planning issues

In your experience, what are the main ecological benefits or drawbacks of growing willow on British soil?

Somerset levels are ideal for commercial willow growing, flat, low lying, most fields surrounded by water filled ditches, mild climate, clay soils. Unpredictable summer floods and hailstorms and the (mis) management of water on the somerset levels during the winter.

Do you know if your willow products end up being processed into building materials? If so, what kind?

NO, Sculptural pieces mainly not structural building work. Some of our willow is used for willow spilling or as faggots for bank stabilisation and soil retention.

An interview with Ellen Musgrove, Musgrove Willows Ltd

As a great carbon sequestering rotational crops for farmers, do you think that willow will catch on to larger wood farming industries in the UK as an ethical commercial product?

I do not believe that commercial willow growing is currently classified as a carbon sequestering crop for carbon offsetting.

Q

A A

Does the future of willow look bright from where you are now? And if not, what do you think is holding it back?

The classification re above. Products we make from our willow are becoming more popular but cheap imports as aways are the main competitor, Finding an environmentally sound solution to the pests and diseases that affect the growing willow.

Somerset Levels

FLAX

says Simon Cooper of Flaxland, an artisan flax grower and processor. “But it can grow anywhere really, just avoid clay soil”.1

Faster growing than wood2, flax retains and captures 3.7 tonnes of CO2 per hectare every year3. This may be minimal when compared to the carbon capturing potential of hemp2 for example, but flax currently remains more widely available than hemp. Presently, the European Union grows 70% of all flax3, with France producing the vast majority, 75.7% of all flax produced4.

Flax should be planted in April and is usually harvested 6 weeks after the plants have flowered and then retted for approximately 1 week1. Retting causes the cellulose and other supportive plant material to be rotted away, allowing the pectins to be consumed by funghi1. The retted material must then go through breaking, scutching and hackling to fully expose the bast fibre, which can then be worked with in various ways1. A regenerative crop, flax ‘root remnants fertilise and clean soil… improving the productivity of soil for 6 to 7 years’3.

“Flax needs to smell the sea”

Interior of Simon Cooper flax processing shed at Flaxland, Stroud

The growing, harvesting and processing of flax often relies on traditional hand methods, as historically it has proven difficult to produce industrial equipment to mimic many of these techniques1. Flax can be pulled from the ground by hand when ready to be retted, using either dew or water processes1.

When grown in its ideal geographical location (Europe, including the UK), the cultivation of flax produces no waste- long and short fibres are used to create textiles, paper, varnish, oil, animal fodder and bio materials3. However, during discussions with Simon, he mentioned that in many instances, the short flax fibre is still burnt during the harvesting processes, releasing captured carbon back into the atmosphere1.

Within the handling of flax, there are potentially polluting and contaminating associated processes, but there are ways to mitigate the negative effects. For example, the often problematic chance of groundwater contamination during the growing process is greatly reduced as flax requires no fertiliser, herbicides, pesticides or irrigation3. During the retting stage of flax processing, if water retting is the selected process, there is a chance of water contamination that requires mitigating1. If water retted, the fibre must be plants must be fully submerged in stagnant water, creating highly toxic run off that would be illegal to reintroduce to the water supply1. However, dew retting (rotting the plants in the field straight after harvesting) removes the chance of these pollutants being released into the water supply1.

Traditional equipment used to break, hackle and scutch the flax fibre

History - Culture and Climate

Flax has a long cultural history of being grown in the UK, up until the industrial revolution. In the 1900s, linen production in the UK began to decline rapidly, only being revived during WWI and WWII1.

Flax has been utilised throughout history for a variety of uses. For example, it was once used to create hose pipes and water bags, as the expansion of structure of the fibre when saturated with water forms a leak-proof material1.

Despite its versatility, by the 1950s, industrial flax production in England was over1. But flax production has been an integral part of cultural identity within the UK, holding great importance within folk history, shown through the following poem by Robert Herrick.

Partly worke and partly play

Ye must on S. Distaffs day:

From the plough soone free your teame; Then come home and fother them.

If the Maides a spinning goe, Burne the flax, and fire the tow: Scorch their plackets, but beware

That ye singe no maiden-haire. Bring in pailes of water then, Let the maides bewash the men.

Give S. Distaffe all the right, Then bid Christmas sport goodnight;

And next morrow, every one

St. Distaff’s day, or the morrow after Twelfth-Day5 (from Hesperides by Rober Herrick) 1647

To his owne vocation.

History - Culture and Climate

The 7th of January was once known as Saint Distaff’s Day, marking a return to the normal operation of life and work after Christmas time and the Epiphany. Distaffs are not a person, but a traditional piece of equipment used to spin flax into linen fibre. Traditionally, women returned to the spinning of flax on Saint Distaff's day, while men delayed their return to work until Plough Monday. This often meant mischief ensued, with men setting fire to the fields of flax resulting in being soaked with water by the women. From historical records, it appears that St Distaff’s Day was only celebrated as a holiday from the 13th to the 17th centuries5, long before the growth of flax declined.

A flax distaff wound by Zoe

It appears that flax’s vast material potential, especially in terms of sustainable and regenerative design practice, is beginning to become wider known. Speaking with Simon, he revealed that over the past 2 years, flax has begun to be grown more commercially in the UK once again, predicting a significant restructuring of the industrial production of flax within the UK1 . Brexit is arguably the primary cause for this shift, with difficulty importing seeds and flax material (especially during the Covid-19 pandemic) and inflated import taxes1. Agriculture is fundamentally political.

Another key factor in this potential shift to more UK growing, adds Simon, is climate change. As France’s summer temperatures increase, the UK becomes a more and more appropriate climate for the industrial growth of flax. However, with the UK’s climate becoming equally unpredictable, this will likely move further and further North within the UK, with developments in Scotland currently being discussed1.

The potential of flax composites as a replacement material for some plastics and non-regenerative materials has begun to result in some interesting and innovative applications of flax material. As flax fibres themselves are ‘comparable to glass fibre rovings, [they provide] similar stiffness per weight, but with a much lower embodied energy’7. Flax composites can therefore often replace fibreglass products, for example within contemporary boat building using resin8. Flax fibre has a strength equating to a third of a carbon fibre, and, according to researchers,

Ultimately, climate plays a fundamental role in the future of flax and its wider implementation as a sustainable material within the UK. As the UK becomes a more and more appropriate agricultural context for its production, we should embrace the material and explore its potential further. Whether this is to form building composites, linen fabric, bioplastics, interior products or some new innovation, the potential benefits of utilising flax are undeniable and should not be overlooked.

‘almost any load-bearing capacity can be achieved by compacting the fibres’.9

A return to tradition, an embrace of technology

Flax’s versatility and flexibility as a material has great potential. There are a myriad of applications, both historic and contemporary, that can utilise the diverse material characteristics of flax. Overall, if flax is embraced fully as a regenerative and sustainable material, with a return to traditional processes whilst embracing contemporary technology, there is potential for a shift in its material growth.

Zoe, Flax weaving Across RCA WIP Combs and hand blocks used to hand hackle the flax fibre

DRY LEAVES / CHRISTMAS TREES

“This is a stark reminder of the need to take immediate action on climate change. Trees are not only a measure of what’s happening; they’re a vital part of the solution. As natural carbon stores they’re key agents in fighting climate change and mitigating against its impacts, for example in their role in lessening the devastating effects of flooding.”

Dr

Darren Moorcroft, CEO Woodland Trust

As the UK national trust formed its importance, climate changes impact the UK influencing its nature in all aspects. Trees, as such a vital part of the local ecosystems, are being influenced in a variety of ways. Some of those impacts influence Autum's timing, amount of fallen trees, their colour- and therefore applying those radical changes to the entire ecosystem.

The autumn phenomenon of fallen leaves is common knowledge of both humans and non-humans in the UK, thanks to the country's weather and the impact of its nature.

As a foreign UK student, I was amazed by the number of fallen leaves and therefore inspired to use them in my work as a material with qualities yet unknown. My main inspiration was the "Beleaf Chair" by Simon Kern (2017) 2, who used dry leaves as a furniture building material. Another inspiration was a cabbage-leaves lampshade by Nir Meiri 3, who created a lampshade made by natural materials, using their qualities in an inspiring method, playing with light and form in a an inspiring way.

"The National Trust is warning that one of the best loved sights of autumn, the changing colour of tree leaves, will be heavily impacted by the warming climate unless urgent action is taken to tackle climate change."

1

"Nir Meiri turns cabbage leaves into paper-like lampshades"

I have looked for the different ways dry leaves can be used as a material in other projects, and also looked at the way London's different Boroughs and council deals with the huge amount of dry leaves. In the London borough of Westminister alone, 1,000 tons of leaves are fallen every year. Some of the falling leaves are too polluted to be handle in a composter, due to their location in the city. Leaves are therefore sent to the South East London Combined Heat and Power (SELCHP) Energy Recovery facility where they are used to generate energy for local homes4.

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Cabinet Member for City Management and Air Quality

“Our team will collect millions of leaves from Westminster’s streets over the coming weeks, all of which will be used to generate electricity for local homes.”

Scarlet Oak Square Patch: Scarlet oak leaves with hand stitch in naturally dyed silk/cotton. Alice Fox 5

Then, after Christmas, I stamble upon a huge pile of holiday leftovers- Trees, wreaths and decorations. Like a holiday monument for a single experience, which made me wonder what happenes to those christmas leftovers once the holiday comes to an end, and what is their environmental impact

I decided to collect some of those leftovers, filling one bag of shredded tree out of an enourmous pile of shredded Pine trees which was scattererd around Hampsted Heath park. I was astonished by the amount of trees being used during the holiday and the fact that this amount just vanished every year, in this repetitive circle which signify cultural behaviour and tradition more than anything else. I felt like using the shredded pine in a creative way can be something of a value, which might add to its cultural significant - where the drying leaves other than reusing a huge amount of free, organic material might not have the added cultura value of the pine tree.

Shredded Christmas trees in the edge of Hampstead Heath

"According to the British Carbon Trust, a natural tree that ends up as splinters for woodwork or is burnt as firewood has a 3.5 kg CO2 carbon footprint. If the tree ends up decomposing in a waste dump, its footprint significantly increases to 16 kg."6

Vegan Ager and shredded pine, WIP Across RCA

Around seven million Christmas trees are bought in the UK each year, with roughly three-quarters being grown here. It takes up to 12 years to grow a typical Christmas tree. During this time it has a positive impact on the environment because it absorbs carbon from the atmosphere and nitrogen from the soil. But once the tree is chopped down, it slowly starts releasing emissions back into the atmosphere. Transporting a tree can contribute to its overall carbon footprint, so buying a tree that's locally grown can help keep its carbon footprint down. But the biggest potential environmental impact for a natural Christmas tree comes from its disposal. If your tree ends up in landfill, its carbon footprint will be a lot higher. That's because organic matter which decomposes away from oxygen produces methane, a greenhouse gas which contributes to global warming. It's much better if your tree gets incinerated – burnt – or composted. That can reduce its carbon footprint by up to 80 per cent compared with landfill. 7

PROCESS & FINAL OUTCOME

As we sought to build an information-rich and evocative material library by posing queries about sustainability, carbon sequestering potential, biodiversity, and cultural importance, we eventually landed on the idea of creating a useable and recognisable indoor element such as a lamp, to highlight the environmental and psychological impact of the switch to a more regenerative future on our everyday lives. It could potentially serve as a model for further investigations into affordable, easily accessible woven materials as alternatives to regular mass-produced everyday items, most of which are made using plastic.

A notable aspect of our outcome is the organic, almost living aspect of the design. We decided to create a lampshade as we felt that the translucent and filigree nature of the woven willow, flax and the agar and pine would work beautifully and evocatively with the distribution of light. We tested it with both cold and warm light.

1 Novakova. P (2017) Use of Technical Hemp in the Construction Industry MATEC web of Conferences JSTOR p. 3 Accessed: 1st November 2022

2 Clarke. D (2018) Sanctuary: Modern Green Homes, Alternative Technology Association, JSTOR No. 43, p. 77 Accessed: 2nd November 2022

3 Novakova. P (2017) Use of Technical Hemp in the Construction Industry MATEC web of Conferences JSTOR p. 3 Accessed: 1st November 2022

4 Turner. L (2011) ReNew: Technology for a Sustainable Future, Alternative Technology Association JSTOR No.115 (April–June 2011), pp. 46- 50 Accessed: 7th November 2022

5 Williams. R (2020) Harborough Mail, New £30 Million Hemp Processing Plant, 8th September, (Accessed: 7th November 2022)

6 University of York (2021) Roadmap Plan to Boost UK Hemp Production and Processing https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2021/research/ boosting-uk-hemp-production/ (Accessed: 7th November 2022)

7 Kaido. A (2007), Role of Hemp Fibre in Sustainable Architecture, Cereal Research Communications, 30th of April - 5th May, JSTOR, Vol. 35 No.2, p.509-512

Clarke. D (2018) Sanctuary: Modern Green Homes, Alternative Technology Association, JSTOR No. 43, p. 77 Accessed: 2nd November 2022

Hempcrete (2019) What is Hempcrete? Bioplastic News https://bioplasticsnews. com/2019/09/12/what-is-hempcrete/ Accessed: 7th November 2022

Image: British Hemp Alliance (2022) https://britishhempalliance.co.uk/ Accessed: 6th November 2022

Image: Current UK Hemp Legislation and What it Means for the Industry, 2020

https://canex.co.uk/current-uk-hemp-legislation-and-what-it-means-for-the-industry/ Accessed: 20th of February 2023

Image: Handout, British Hemp Company Launches in Wiltshire to Unlock Crops Potential to Help Uk Hit Climate Target, 2021 https://www.business-live.co.uk/enterprise/britishhemp-company-launches-wiltshire-19757790 (Accessed: 7th November, 2022

Image: Isohemp Hempro System Under Construction, 2018 https://www.ukhempcrete. com/load-bearing-hempcrete-blocks/ Accessed: 7th November 2022

Kaido. A (2007), Role of Hemp Fibre in Sustainable Architecture, Cereal Research Communications, 30th of April - 5th May, JSTOR, Vol. 35 No.2, p.509-512

Novakova. P (2017) Use of Technical Hemp in the Construction Industry MATEC web of Conferences JSTOR p. 3 Accessed: 1st November 2022

Turner. L (2011) ReNew: Technology for a Sustainable Future, Alternative Technology Association JSTOR No.115 (April–June 2011), pp. 46- 50 Accessed: 7th November 2022

University of York (2021) Roadmap Plan to Boost UK Hemp Production and Processing

https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2021/research/boosting-uk-hempproduction/ (Accessed: 7th November 2022)

Williams. R (2020) Harborough Mail, New £30 Million Hemp Processing Plant, 8th September, (Accessed: 7th November 2022)

Foot notes & References willow

1 Bacon. L. E. (2022) https://www.lauraellenbacon.com/sculptures/the-feelingremains/ Accessed: 7th November 2022

Casagrande. M. (2012) On Willow http://casagrandetext.blogspot.com/2012/09/itsanarchical-its-acupunctural-well.html Accessed: 7th November 2022

Casagrande. M. (2012) SANDWORM https://www.archdaily.com/223656/sandwormmarco-casagrande Accessed: 7th November 2022

Dharma. J. (2018) https://climateandcommunity.org.uk/2019/03/04/why-willoweasily-grown-biodegradable-and-beautiful/ Accessed: 7th November 2022

Dougherty. P. (2002) Call of the Wild http://www.stickwork.net/featured Accessed: 9th November, 2022

Fairs. M. (2010) Spanish Pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010 by EMBT https://www. dezeen.com/2010/04/26/spanish-pavilion-at-shanghai-expo-2010-by-embt/ Accessed: 9th November 2022

Fisher, E. (1980). Women's creation: Sexual evolution and the shaping of society. London: Wildwood House.

Leat. T. About http://www.trevorleat.co.uk/ Accessed: 7th November 2022

Lyons. N. (2009) Bug Dome by WEAK! https://www.dezeen.com/2009/12/14/bugdome-by-weak/ Accessed: 5th November 2022

Mull. O. (2016) Iceland students turn willow branches into range of materials https:// www.dezeen.com/2016/03/18/iceland-academy-arts-product-design-studentswillow-project-materials-range-designmarch-2016/ Accessed: 5th November 2022

Van de Worp. M. (2014) Woven Structures https://nocloudinthesky.wordpress. com/2014/01/22/woven-structures/ Accessed: 6th November 2022

Willows Nursery (2022)

https://www.willowsnursery.co.uk/living-willow/dead-willow-weaving/storagepreparation-and-use-of-willow-for-weaving/ Accessed: 7th November 2022

1 Simon Cooper, ‘Flax Processing Workshop’, Flaxland, Stroud, 19 January 2023.

2 Rima Sabina Aouf, ‘Smart Circular Bridge built with flax completes in The Netherlands’, Dezeen, (2022) <https://www.dezeen.com/2022/05/05/smartcircular-bridge-flax-completed-the-netherlands-architecture/#>, [accessed 20/02/23].

3 Linen – the original sustainable material’, V&A (2022), <https://www.vam.ac.uk/ articles/linen-the-original-sustainable-material>, [accessed 10/01/23].

4 ‘Which Country Produces the Most Flax Fibre and Tow?’, Helgli Library, (2023), <https://www.helgilibrary.com/charts/which-country-produces-the-most-flaxfibre-and-tow/> [accessed 10/11/23].

5 Hayden Brown, ‘Who Believes In St Distaff!’, Norfolk Tales, Myths & More (2019) <https://norfolktalesmyths.com/tag/st-distaff/> [accessed 20/02/23].

6 Happy St Distaff’s Day’, The Tudor Society (2016) <https://www.tudorsociety. com/happy-st-distaffs-day/> [accessed 20/02/23].

7 Grace Nehls, ‘LivMatS biomimetic flax fiber Pavilion opens to the public’, Composites World (2021), <https://www.compositesworld.com/news/livmatsbiomimetic-flax-fiber-pavilion-opens-to-the-public> [accessed 07/11/22].

8 ‘Are sustainable flax and basalt fibers the future of marine composites and set to replace glassfibre in boat production?’ International Institute of Marine Surveying (2020) <https://www.iims.org.uk/are-sustainable-flax-and-basaltfibers-the-future-of-marine-composites-and-set-to-replace-glassfibre-in-boatproduction/> [accessed 21/02/23].

9 ‘Premiere for pavilion made of flax fibers’, Biookonomie De (2021) <https:// biooekonomie.de/en/news/premiere-pavilion-made-flax-fibers> [accessed 07/11/22].

Aouf, Rima Sabina (2022) Smart Circular Bridge built with flax completes in The Netherlands [online] Dezeen. <https://www.dezeen.com/2022/05/05/smartcircular-bridge-flax-completed-the-netherlands-architecture/#> [accessed 07/11/22]

‘Are sustainable flax and basalt fibers the future of marine composites and set to replace glassfibre in boat production?’ International Institute of Marine Surveying (2020) <https://www.iims.org.uk/are-sustainable-flax-and-basaltfibers-the-future-of-marine-composites-and-set-to-replace-glassfibre-in-boatproduction/> [accessed 21/02/23]

Biooekonomie.de (2021) Premiere for pavilion made of flax fibers <https:// biooekonomie.de/en/news/premiere-pavilion-made-flax-fibers> [Accessed 07/11/22]

Brown, Hayden ‘Who Believes In St Distaff!’, Norfolk Tales, Myths & More (2019) <https://norfolktalesmyths.com/tag/st-distaff/> [accessed 20/02/23]

Cooper, Simon ‘Flax Processing Workshop’, Flaxland, Stroud, 19 January 2023

‘Happy St Distaff’s Day’, The Tudor Society (2016) <https://www.tudorsociety. com/happy-st-distaffs-day/> [accessed 20/02/23]

‘Linen – the original sustainable material’, V&A (2022), <https://www.vam. ac.uk/articles/linen-the-original-sustainable-material>, [accessed 10/01/23]

Nehls, Grace (2021) LivMatS biomimetic flax fiber Pavilion opens to the public [online] Composites World. <https://www.compositesworld.com/ news/livmats-biomimetic-flax-fiber-pavilion-opens-to-the-public> [accessed 07/11/22]

‘Which Country Produces the Most Flax Fibre and Tow?’, Helgli Library, (2023), <https://www.helgilibrary.com/charts/which-country-produces-the-most-flaxfibre-and-tow/> [accessed 10/11/23]

Foot notes & References dry leaves

1 Press release / The National Trust / 28 September 2022 <https://www.nationaltrust. org.uk/services/media/british-autumn-at-risk-climate-change>

2 Beleaf Chair / Simon Kern (2017) <https://simonkern.sk/object/beleaf-chair-16.html>

3 Nir Meiri / Lampshade < https://www.dezeen.com/2019/12/04/veggie-lights-nir-meiricabbage-design/>

4 Https://www.westminster.gov.uk/news/council-sweep-1000-tonnes-leaves-autumn

5 Alice Fox, Scarlet Oak Square Patch: Scarlet oak leaves with hand stitch in naturally dyed silk/cotton < https://wonderground.press/artdesign/a-conversation-with-naturalfibre-artist-alice-fox/>

6 https://www.activesustainability.com/sustainable-life/carbon-footprint-natural-vsplastic-christmas-tree/?_adin=02021864894

7 According to the British Council, "Your Christmas tree's carbon footprint"