Bio Luminaire

This is a project I did for my Industrial design course. I set the goal to design a Desk luminaire that takes a fresh and modern approach to using Biomaterials in design. I chose to design for the Hotel market and balance Function, sustainability, ergonomics, aesthetics, and performance. This allowed me to create a successful desk luminaire. my inspiration came from Balance, Flex / Fold, and translucency

Through the design process, I came up with the idea of using invasive species as my raw material because it's sustainable and good for the environment. The shape of the design is also inspired by the Pompom invasive plant. The design makes it look like the rings of the light are floating above the simplistic clay base. The light tells a story about the balance that needs to return in nature. I hope this project inspires others to also look into the possibilities that nature put right in front of our eyes

Supplies

Materials:

• Lantana Plants
• Pompom Plants
• Old Paper
• Okra
• Corn flour
• Water
• Natural clay ground
• Sand
• Shellac Flakes
• Alcohol
• Glue(Try to find Bio glue)
• Wood
• Masking tape

Tools:

• Paper-making screen
• Big water tray
• Stick blender
• Stove
• Big pot
• Spray bottle
• Bucket
• Old cloth
• Sponge

Step 1: Clay Base

use the recipe attached above to make your clay from the ground. Then shape the base of the light by cutting, scraping, and wet brushing the clay. To get this accurate you can print out the pdf below and use it as a template. Let it dry.

Making Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 5 days

Step 2: Making Paper

In this step, you must decide if you want to make the Pompom coloured or the Lantana coloured light. Both recipes are attached above. Watch the video I made with tips on making paper: https://youtu.be/frb0ypKR8FI

Making Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 1 day

Step 3: Straight Dry Stick

for the ring support, you will need straight wooden sticks. you can tape the wet branches next to a straight surface to achieve this. when dried it is a lightweight but strong wood and is easy to work with. use the engineering drawing above to see how to cut the ring supports

Making Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 2 day

Step 4: Make Press Mould

This is not the easiest step. you must decide for yourself how to make the press mould. I made it with a wood lathe using the template below. if you want to mass-produce the lamp the mould can be made from aluminum.

Total Time: 1 hour

Step 5: Press Base

Make Lantana pulp(add Glycerin) like before and drain most water out of it. then press it in the mold and let it dry. this may take a few days because of the thickness.

Making Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 7 day

Step 6: Make Rings

Use the templates to cutout the rings and pased the slits together. All the solid lines on the templates are cutting lines and with ring 3 u must print the A4 3 times to make the template. I used masking tape to keep the template in position when cutting

Making Time: 1,5 hours

Step 7: Sand and Finish the Parts

use the recipe above to make a shellac finish. The clay and pressed paper base can be sanded to its final shape. after this all materials can be spayed with shellac to give it a nice finish and protect it.

Making Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 1/2 day

Step 8: Assemble Light

assemble the light using the Engineering drawing. start with the base and work up. make and use spacers to achieve the uniform gaps. For some of the mountings I used leftover paper to hold the joints.

Making Time: 2 hours