Side Gallery
Side Gallery
WishlistFollow
Follow
GRADUATION SHOW
DESIGN ACADEMY
EINDHOVEN
AUG 2020
Rollo Bryant wanted to bridge the gap between man and nature by making the relationship between them synergistic. His "Urban Stem" shows how lighting fixtures in public spaces can not only provide lighting, but also serve as a refuge and nest for flora and fauna.
Moving towards greener cities that support and cultivate biodiversity is crucial for a sustainable future. Limiting the depletion of wildlife is often aimed at preserving large intact natural habitats, but preserving ecosystems must also be a priority in the urban environment. The lamps I have designed are not modeled after any particular ecosystem, but instead serve as a speculative proposal for a new way to integrate artificial habitats into urban infrastructure.
“In spaces designed for and by humans, is there room for interspecies cohabitation?”
We rarely make products just for wildlife without an urgent cause and effect - but combining a utilitarian product that can be used both functionally and for natural systems is one way to ensure people are invested in the process. The goal is to continue the conversation about how we can invite nature back into cities, to envision how we can redesign urban infrastructure to suit us and our life-sustaining machine.
Embracing craft in the digital age, Rollo Bryant (b.1996, UK) specializes in working techniques that merge freehand sculpting with computational software. Focused on projects that create positive environmental change, while promoting the idea that even with this new challenge, design can still be as appealing and versatile, if not more so.
With a distinct focus on material and lighting innovation, Rollo’s goal is to create works that change perception, invite intrigue and raise poignant topical discussion. His fascination with naturally formed organic structures has led to an aesthetic identity of similar character and taste.
Optimistic about design intervention as a means to address ecological neglect, Rollo’s most recent project ‘Urban Stem’, attempts to bring this conversation into the spotlight, by imagining a future where we are brought closer to the biosphere. Highlighting a number of key problems with the ways we light our cities, the project explores ideas to mitigate our impact and prioritize an alternate agenda for urban design.