The new nature: Man-made material mimics natural process

The result of this material exploration was Sediment Objects, a series of furniture pieces shown at Milan Design Week. De la Rive Box placed found wood and off-cuts into a mould, and poured in resin and plaster with different pigments to create sturdy pieces of furniture. The objects look as if they have undergone natural sedimentation, like minerals that shift and settle after years, but in reality they are the product of a less time-consuming man-made process.

‘Like a scientist taking earth samples or an archaeologist searching for an insight into the past, I try to induce the surprise of revealing a hidden treasure and show the time that went into creating the volume of material,’ says the designer. 

For more on innovative design in Milan, see our Milan: Top 5 Products report.