Hospitality
CMF Design
Sustainable Material
Material Innovation
Surface Design
Research and Insght
Photography
Challenge
At a time when bioplastics continued to dominate the conversation around sustainable design, PriestmanGoode invited us to look more closely at the materials that surround us in everyday life by exploring the potential of mono-materiality.
The challenge was to develop a mono-material palette through material-led research that aligned with circular design principles while offering both functional performance and sensory depth.
For the conceptual direction, I positioned Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) as the potential client.
Solution
Through comparative research, willow emerged as an underutilised yet highly promising material: lightweight, strong, flexible, fast-growing, locally available, and offering warm tactile qualities.
I developed Emotive Willow — a mono-material system that reimagines willow far beyond its traditional basketry associations, creating spaces that are both sensory-rich and emotionally supportive.
The solution is built on five key principles:
-
Material Regeneration – employing the whole willow plant (bark, fibres, pulp, sawdust) to establish a closed-loop cycle.
-
Multi-Format Versatility – producing structural panels, mouldable composites, and textile-like sheets from a single raw source.
-
Sensory Wellbeing – providing calming tones, natural gradients, and organic light diffusion to reduce stress and support emotional transitions.
-
Colour from Nature – deriving bio-based pigments from willow leaves and bark, creating authentic hues that respond to light.
-
Craft + Technology Integration – merging handcraft with digital fabrication to enable both emotional value and scalable production.
Contextualised
In an airport lounge context, Emotive Willow can be applied to social seating, private booths, dining areas, and feature walls, enhancing both the aesthetic and emotional qualities of the environment while remaining fully circular.
Final Collection
Next Steps
This mono-material willow system could be scaled into modular panels, partitions, and surface finishes for SAS lounges and other transport interiors. Using existing moulding and fibre-layering processes, it supports circularity, wellbeing, and brand-led material storytelling. The approach is transferable across aviation, rail, and hospitality environments.
Reflection
This project taught me how to work with a material in its entirety—from plant to prototype. I learned that sustainable design doesn’t need to feel technical or cold—it can be poetic, sensory, and deeply human.
The biggest challenge was ensuring material consistency—working with organic inputs required constant adaptation. To solve this, I developed a material classification system. This enabled both freeform and precise construction within one flexible yet repeatable fabrication system.