Bambu T

Long description

During my academic exchange in India, I observed that there were two very different worlds in the country.

On one hand, with globalisation and the rise of the middle class, everyday objects like household appliances which were being mass-produced in China became an essential part of the daily life of Indians. On the other hand, India already had a rich and diverse culture of indigenous craft practices which were rooted in using local materials sustainably.

While the mass manufactured products have the advantage of being low cost, they are designed with non-recyclable materials, meant to be disposable and non-repairable. They contribute immensely to the increase of waste creation, specifically e-waste. The craftspeople meanwhile, produce beautiful traditional objects using a variety of materials.

The aim of this project is to connect these two worlds, to combine the unparalleled knowledge and skills of the craftspeople with manufacturing technology and produce modern objects. To demonstrate this idea, I created my first product: The Bambu T. It is a toaster designed to be easily repairable, recyclable and produced as a collaboration between crafts and modern industry.

The insulating shell is made of bamboo which is a material widely used by Indian craftspeople. Bamboo has many aesthetic and technical qualities: it is a very good thermal insulator, much better than some plastics. The inside is made of laser cut stainless steel, mica and nichrome and has been designed so the components are easily separated (hence easily fixed) at the end of the product’s life.

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