Japanese designer Daisuke Yamamoto unveiled a new collection of furniture called “FLOW” at Milan Design Week 2023. The collection is based on the concept of creating a flexible material lifecycle, minimizing industrial waste, starting with the realization that everyday recycled building materials are often recycled at the beginning of a new building , a process called “scrap and build”.
To solve this problem, Yamamoto focused on LGS (Light Steel), a common and discarded building material used in framing systems. He designs and builds space on the assumption that one day it will be destroyed, using and designing materials and craftsmanship of the highest purity. Demolished building materials were reused and recycled to make new furniture with a minimum of components. designboom visited the Dropcity exhibition during its opening in Milan to meet the team and observe their creative process.
With the FLOW series featured in Dropcity, Daisuke Yamamoto challenged the traditional linear “Think, Build, Spend” design process and instead adopted a cyclical “Spend, Think, Recreate” approach. Through this approach, the designer envisions a new recycling of resources and enables creative thinking to take future generations into account.
Thus, the FLOW series not only takes into account the aesthetics of design, but also solves the problem of industrial waste disposal. This reminds us of the need to intensify discussions about the mechanisms of waste management in society. The series encourages people to rethink and question whether these materials really need to be scrapped or can be revived with new meaning.
The FLOW collection demonstrates the ability to reuse materials to create something new and unique while minimizing the impact on the environment. The designers propose a “dump of the future” where architects and craftsmen can recreate what was once destined to be thrown away – the process of disassembly and assembly.
Overall, Daisuke Yamamoto’s FLOW collection embodies the designer’s commitment to sustainable design principles. The collection offers a new approach to the design process, emphasizing the importance of considering the life cycle of materials and challenging traditional linear design processes. It reminds us of our responsibility to create a sustainable future and calls on individuals and industry to take action to rethink how we recycle and recycle waste.
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