The maddening rush to build a more sustainable living has yielded some spectacular results. From a sculpture that responds to its surrounding climate like human skin to biodegradable 3D printed micro-habitats, the brilliance of recent innovations is underlined by their Earth-first approach. Few, however, combine the practicality, regal aesthetic and jaw-dropping curiosity of the INDIGO acoustic tiles (see below) — as designed by Mauricio Affonso.
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Though most may not be familiar with Affonso’s work, a recent graduate of the Design Products program at the Royal College of Art, you are likely familiar with the luffa.Also eaten as a vegetable, the vine is best known as the puffy bath sponge available at most retail stores.Below, luffas in their organic state before the dying and shaping process.
It also happens to be the staple crop of the farming communities of Minas Gerais, Brazil. There, Affonso worked with fellow Brazilians to learn how the luffa can be harvested as an environmentally sustainable material that can be used beyond the home bathroom.As Affonso explains, “Luffa fibres form a complex network of cellulose that act [sic] like an open cell foam material that is both extremely strong and lightweight.” This, of course, makes it an ideal substance for use in low-cost splints and packaging supplies.Below, Affonso poses with an unripened luffa.
This new innovation may also lead to the next level in engineering equipment, as the luffa is a surprisingly effective acoustic insulator.Soundproofing, the process of reducing sound pressure via a noise barrier using damping structures, is a delicate art that requiring dexterous materials that prevent sound leakage both in and out of a structure. With the porous nature of the luffa, these newly designed panels can actually expand and contact to cover more space (and fill in more cracks) than non-organic materials. Because after all, what makes a better sound sponge than an actual sponge?
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How a luffa comes into existence:After the fruit becomes old and dried, its pit becomes the fibrous vascular network we typically use as sponges. Affonso molded a series of these networks into diamond-shaped wall tiles which also be used for decorative purposes, to achieve better sleep in your master bedroom, or as we mentioned above, sound insulation for music studios.Below, luffa material is turned into futuristic design.
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This new innovation may also lead to the next level in engineering equipment, as the luffa is a surprisingly effective acoustic insulator.Soundproofing, the process of reducing sound pressure via a noise barrier using damping structures, is a delicate art that requiring dexterous materials that prevent sound leakage both in and out of a structure. With the porous nature of the luffa, these newly designed panels can actually expand and contact to cover more space (and fill in more cracks) than non-organic materials. Because after all, what makes a better sound sponge than an actual sponge?How a luffa comes into existence:After the fruit becomes old and dried, its pit becomes the fibrous vascular network we typically use as sponges. Affonso molded a series of these networks into diamond-shaped wall tiles which also be used for decorative purposes, to achieve better sleep in your master bedroom, or as we mentioned above, sound insulation for music studios.Below, luffa material is turned into futuristic design.
