eli weinberg

    I believe that the way our current economy functions is unsustainable. Our economy is built on a model that encourages nothing but growth. This never-ending growth cycle is deeply harmful for our environment. As a designer, I belive that it is my responsiblity to explore ways that this growth cycle can be disrupted. In order to distrupt it, we must develop new materials that better reflect the systems of the natual world. Examples of this development include materials that can be grown as opposed to materials that are manufactured. During the course of the fall semester of 2021, I experiemented with grown materials using only what I could order online and make in my kitchen. Mycellium and Scoby (a bacteria culture commonly used to make kombucha) were two of the most successful materials I achieved. Also depicted in this gallery are bioplastics which were grown using spirulina and matcha leaves.