nongzao / bentu transforms soil & human waste into a series of light skeletons

nongzao / bentu creates ‘nongzao raw earth’ collection, a series of light skeletons, as recombination of industrial production methods transforming the materials into its earthy form without any harm to nature. the raw earth forming technique brings design back to the material itself and lets it grow organically.

the essence of design is the activity of bridging the complexity of social culture back to the simplicity of human nature
all images courtesy of nongzao / bentu 

how can abandoned soils be given a new life with the context of sustainable development, from the material to the spiritual? nongzao / bentu answers through ‘nongzao raw earth – skeleton’ project. the material is collected from human waste, making full use of the earth’s inherent cohesiveness, adding naturally biodegradable plant fibers to increase its toughness, and molding it with modern technology to ensure its strength. ‘using the substance of ‘soil’ to rethink the origin and post-agricultural civilization, to explore the relationship between man and nature,’ as the designer mentions.

the three colors are abstracted and developed from the natural earth

the raw earth collection is available in three different sizes to suit various spatial scenarios. this technique, with its non-fired production process, reduces energy emissions, avoids secondary damage to nature, and allows the material to be authentic, retaining the natural coarseness of the soil in its texture, bringing the unique power of ‘earth’ into our daily lives.by examining the earth as material, it is believed that there’s a responsibility and an obligation to explore a new design philosophy, rather than to copy a so-called style that is ephemeral

drawing from the industrialized supporting molds of casting production, ‘raw earth – skeleton’ collection transforms the role of industrial products and molds into a process, serving as a series of contradictory products with rugged temperament and raw vitality. the concise and straightforward lines enrich the specific expression of the generic form, while the rough surface texture and natural rusting marks are life-like and harmoniously integrated into the form’s character.
the surface texture that constantly changes according to the environmentmaterial texturea wide range of industrial auxiliary molds which serve industrialized products, flourish with the industrial modernization, growing efficiency, and homogenizationinspired by the industrialized supporting moulds of casting productionthe presentation of materials and textures, the rational structure of craftsmanship, and the aesthetics of simple forms, allow the products to gradually approach the depth of inner perception and aesthetics
allowing the discarded ‘earth’ to reconnect with the world in a dignified and valuable way
washing and soaking exposes the metallic minerals inside the earth, allowing the surface texture to change continuously in contact with oxygen
material texture experiments

rammed earth wall in yundian, daliang mountains, huili, sichuan, china

project info:

name: nongzao raw earth – skeleton

designer: nongzao / bentu

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina petridou | designboom